There is actually some truth to the claim that Fox News is “Fair and Balanced.” The catch though, is that such treatment only is given to those who subscribe to the network’s right-wing ideology. Anyone else is going to find themselves out of luck.

In recent memory, the West, led by the U.S., has intervened in several cases to rid a country of an authoritarian government and put in its place a more democratic system. However, there is also a long track record of propping up regimes, for strategic and economic reasons, that embody everything the West claims to stand against.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder recently passed laws to restrict the voter process and to dissolve elected government; essentially holding democracy under siege.

In a controversial legal step taken by the Dutch Parliament, the Cabinet has proposed to pass legislation that bans the traditional Muslim garments, the niqab and burqa, by 2013.

CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab, was one of the key speakers at this year’s prestigious Independent Sector Annual Conference held at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago from October 30th to November 1st.

“We’re relieved at the end of an era. Muslims don’t rejoice at the death of an individual. However, we are rejoicing at the death of dictatorship and tyranny, and the murderous period that Gadhafi was going after his own people,” said CAIR’s Ahmed Rehab. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago says, now that the war against Gadhafi’s regime is over, Libya will face a new challenge.

Joshua Hoyt from the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), discusses the organization of the Egyptian Spring. According to Hoyt, physical courage in the face of police brutality is what led to the overthrow of the dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

The main focus of the conference was Islam and democracy. CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab, moderated a panel entitled “Winds of Change in the Muslim World: Implications for Democracy” and gave a speech about the issue.

On September 17th, AIC and OIC is will host it’s 2nd annual conference, entitled “Islam, Democracy, and American Muslims”. The day will be filled with many panels, addressing topics such as foreign policy and the democratic movement in the Muslim World.

“Since the beginning of the peaceful demonstrations in Syria on March 15 this year, 1350 civilians have been killed. An estimated 15000 civilians have been detained, tortured or have disappeared and more than 12000 refugees have fled the country,” Christina Abraham, Civil Rights director at CAIR-Chicago, told the media in Johannesburg today.