Mona Eltahawy at J Street

Mona Eltahawy recently spoke as a panel member at this event organized by J Street last week.

She is a journalist that I've been following on Twitter - @monaeltahawy - since #SidiBouzid and #Jan25; she is an articulate, witty and effective communicator.

J Street is a formidable presence in Washington DC, ensuring that accurate and factual information about the Middle East is available to counter the rhetoric of those who lobby in support of Israel's pro-war policies.

There's no similar organization in Ottawa, which allows MP Irwin Cotler to promulgate his perspective as though it were the official position of Liberal Party of Canada - and gives the Harper Regime more opportunities to maintain its ideologically-informed policies, with regard to Israel.

Updated to add a link to Mona Eltahawy's blogpost about FGM written last year and is particularly moving, in honour of IWD tomorrow.