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Bangladesh: Islamic State Holding Hostages In Dhaka, At Least Two Killed

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Islamic state has claimed responsibility for the attack on a restaurant in the diplomatic quarter of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Friday. At least two policemen have reportedly died, and dozens of people are being held hostage.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters said, citing the terrorist group’s propaganda website Amaq. The number of casualties, Amaq claims, stands at more than 20. However, the information hasn’t yet been officially confirmed.

Four police officers have died, while the gunmen are holding approximately 40 hostages, including at least one Westerner, NBC News reported, citing Assistant Superintendent Fazle-e-Elahi. According to local media, two officers have been killed.

There are “reports of shooting and hostage situation,” the US embassy in Bangladesh has tweeted.

Bangladeshi police exchanged fire with armed men at a Dhaka restaurant popular with foreigners, Reuters reported.

Bangladesh’s authorities are trying to persuade the attackers to release the hostages, the Times of India reports.

All TV networks across Bangladesh have stopped live coverage at the request of police, local media websites report.

Media outlets have been requested not to publish the names or nationalities of probable hostages for their safety.

“We heard the shooting noise and blasting bombs… It is quiet now,” a witness who lives a kilometer from the restaurant told RT.

“I’m particularly worried about what is going to happen in the next hours…” the man said, adding that he doesn’t know what actions local authorities are taking and he is concerned that if police try to catch the attackers, it may lead to more bloodshed.

The attack was carried out by a group of at least nine people, according to local media. They entered the restaurant at around 9:20pm local time and reportedly opened fire and set off explosions.

One of the attackers was armed with a sword, the others carried guns, an employee of a nearby café told RT. He estimated the number of hostages as at least 30.

A kitchen worker who managed to escape the building said the attackers chanted “Allahu Akbar.”

“They blasted several crude bombs, causing wide-scale panic among everyone. I managed to flee during this confusion,” he said, according to The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi English-language newspaper. The paper puts the number of injuries at 30.

Police have cordoned off the site and are now planning a rescue operation, a police chief told Reuters.

The targeted area of Gulshan is a neighborhood in the capital city of Dhaka that hosts many nongovernmental organizations and embassies, including that of the US.

“This is a very serious diplomatic area, there are many embassies, including the delegation of the European Union, the French embassy, the Dutch embassy and the Russian embassy,” Syed Ishtiak Reza, the director of Ekattor TV, a leading satellite television channel in Bangladesh, said in an interview with RT.

The same-style attack took place in November 2015 when Al-Qaeda militants attacked the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, leaving 22 civilians dead. Five terrorists were killed as a result of a 10-hour siege.


Saudis Blast Human Rights Groups For Globally ‘Maligning’ Country

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By Rashid Hassan

A cross section of Saudi society has rejected accusations by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch against Saudi Arabia.

They termed them publicity seeking groups and advised them to do better ground work rather than getting involved in anti-Saudi campaigns.

The outrage follows a call by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch who called for Saudi Arabia’s suspension from the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council until the Kingdom-led coalition stops “indiscriminate airstrikes” in Yemen.

Mona Salahuddin Al-Munajjed, a sociologist and author who has worked for more than 15 years with several UN agencies, described the advocacy groups’ accusations as unfounded, untenable and politically motivated, which do not hold merit.

“These are all false accusations meant only to smudge the image of Saudi Arabia and are politically motivated; it is also reflective of Saudi bashing in Western society,” she said.

“My experience suggests that these people are ignorant of Arab values, and hold a strong bias against Saudi society. Such a campaign only helps to clear doubts, if any, in this regard,” she pointed out.

“I myself faced so many challenges on the issues of children and women’s rights as they have no intention of knowing the truth. They are driven by a different agenda,” she underscored.

“They talk of women’s rights, children’s rights and family; they should know that the Holy Qur’an and Shariah gave these rights much before they were introduced into Western society where the institution of family has broken with members living apart,” she emphasized.

Echoing the sentiment, Salman Al-Ansari, founder and president of Saudi American Public Relation Affairs Committee, told Arab News that the Kingdom considers humanitarian work its religious duty. “The problem is that the international media does not cover much of the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts, although the Kingdom has emerged as the top donor worldwide, he added.

Notably, the Kingdom, which has carried out massive humanitarian and relief operations across the globe, helping people reeling from the effects of natural disasters or civil wars, ranks first among donor nations, a fact recently made clear by the UN.

The total Saudi humanitarian and development assistance worldwide exceeded SR54 billion in 2014, according to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF) founded last year as a byproduct of these efforts to centralize humanitarian activities in the Kingdom and be the leading center for relief and humanitarian initiatives on an international level to help distressed individuals.

The figure on Saudi aid and assistance, prepared in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance, the Saudi Fund for Development and the UN Development Program, place the Kingdom first among all nations in terms of donations as a proportion of national income, and fourth in the total amount donated.

Significantly, Saudi Arabia also ranks among the top 10 donors in dollar value in the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014. A study conducted by the World Bank, between 1975 and 2016, says the total Saudi aid contributed to over 90 countries amounted to $115 billion.

A timeline of the Kingdom’s foreign assistance over the past few years suggests that among the numerous efforts to help the Syrians, Saudi Arabia issued residency permits to 100,000 Syrians along with the right to free education, health care and employment.

Furthermore, the Kingdom has also provided $700 million in humanitarian aid and supported Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and other countries in co-ordination with host countries, which includes food, medical treatment, medicines, clothes and shelter.

Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the Kingdom has hosted around 2.5 million Syrians, who have been leading a decent life in the Kingdom like other expatriates.

The Kingdom also carried out 50 relief programs for Yemenis which included distribution of food baskets and clean drinking water, and health services for Yemenis in Djibouti. It distributed food baskets and baby milk among families in Dhali, Yemen and also established 300 high- quality shelter homes with refugees.

The KSRELIEF center also spent SR50 million to rescue displaced Yemeni people along with transporting them to secure places and providing them with essential services.

The Kingdom provided $1 billion in aid and soft loans to Iraq to help distressed people. In addition, the KSRELIEF center pledged $244 million to United Nation entities working to alleviate their sufferings.

“These generous donations by the Kingdom to help distressed people went deliberately unnoticed by the Western media giving undue space to the anti-KSA campaign,” said Zeyad Abdullah, a media coordinator.

He instead blamed the Houthi rebels, violating the UN-brokered cease-fire and truce on several occasions by firing missiles across the Kingdom’s border and launching attacks in parts of Yemen targeting women and children.

Notably, the Kingdom has rejected the accusations from these groups that the Saudi-led Arab coalition, which is helping restore complete legitimacy in Yemen, has conducted any such violations.

Russia’s 2025 Environmental Security Strategy – Analysis

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By Sadiga Mehdizadeh*

Shortly after his speech at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21), Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring 2017 ‘the Year of Ecology’ in Russia. The decree was designed to attract public attention to environmental problems, maintaining biodiversity and environmental security as the key priorities for environmental policy during 2017. As a part of this approach, the new draft document on Environmental Security Strategy 2025, aimed at stimulating public discussion could be considered as a new milestone in Russia’s environmental strategy.

In Russian legislation, environmental security is a part of national security policy, and is defined as the ‘protection of environment and vital human interests from the possible negative impacts of economic (and other kinds of) actions, as well as from natural and manmade disasters and their consequences.’ In the meantime, the new strategy document aims to ensure successful and sustainable development in the long term. It brings together the main national and international environmental security priorities, and allocates interconnected tasks across foreign and internal policy.

The document contains several short- comings as well as various positive elements; these should be brought to the attention of policy makers to enable further development of the strategy. The main weaknesses include: an over-generalized approach to the implementation of the strategy; insufficiently detailed description of national environmental problems; and the absence of a clear assessment of risks at the transboundary level. By contrast, the introduction of indicators for improvement of environmental security by 2025 and the inclusion of a range of targets for possible positive and negative scenarios are strengths of the document.

Analysis

Russia is a resource-rich country that plays a significant role in global environmental politics. Russia accounts for 20 percent of the world forests, and ranks fourth among the world’s top GHG emitters.

Climate change, poor air and water quality, industrial pollution, radioactive waste and loss of biodiversity are the most urgent environmental threats that Russia is facing. The situation requires a detailed evaluation, and a set of well-defined policies to address these threats. But does the current strategy fulfill these requirements? Does it provide effective solutions to national and transboundary environmental problems?

As well as addressing the need to combat environmental threats, the strategy paper focuses on the importance of sustainable development for Russia. The economy-oriented approach is also problematic; the document discusses issues such as conservation of natural resources and the use of innovative technologies, etc, without addressing specific environmental problems. Additionally, the transboundary level threats to Russia’s environmental security have not been defined clearly. The main environmental problems are mentioned, but stronger emphasis together with a more integrated approach is required.

Air quality

Fig 1Although air pollution poses an urgent threat to Russia’s environmental security, this problem is not comprehensively analyzed or addressed by the strategy. Currently, 19 percent of Russian population lives in areas with heavy air pollution. Air pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene – common in the country’s urban and industrialized areas– are damaging human health and environment.

Rates of disease and morbidity linked to air pollution are increasing. Despite the clear urgency of the situation, the authorities are failing to manage it effectively. Legislative and policy steps taken during the past five years have not brought positive changes to air pollution trends. Even worse, some policy decisions have had damaging effects. For instance, until 2014, 57 percent of Russia’s population was recognized as group facing heavy air pollution. But in 2014, national standards on air quality were amended, and the new limit for formaldehyde is three times higher than the previous standard. This had a major impact on official pollution statistics (See Figure 1.) Based on the new benchmarks, the proportion of the list of cities facing heavy air pollution dropped from 57 to 24 per cent. But the level of air pollution – and thus its negative effects on the population and the environment – has remained the same.

In the draft strategy, air quality is listed among the main environmental problems, and targets for reduction of air pollution are presented: 20-40% in a positive scenario, and 10-20% in a negative scenario. But there is no separate task within the Strategy’s general action plan on air quality. Nor does it set forth specific steps to reach these targets. This approach to air quality casts doubt on the relevance of the Strategy as a whole, given that its main aim is to provide a road map and establish long-term goals for improving Russia’s environmental and national security. Therefore the strategy paper needs to address air quality issues in a much more comprehensive manner; specifically, policy makers should pay attention to the increasing share of emissions from vehicles. Pollution from statutory sources including the oil and gas, metallurgy, and mining industries also needs a well-developed environmental strategy regarding prevention and monitoring. Finally, the environmental impact assessment system and national standards on air quality need further development and modernization.

Environmental law and policy

The development and modernization of environmental legislation is set forth as a key task within the 2025 Environmental Security Strategy. At the same time, the Strategy presents the hasty introduction of international standards into Russian legislation as a negative factor, which creates conflict with national laws, and undermines the effective application of environmental legislation. Hence there is a need for advanced legislation and law-making which emphasizes the importance of specific, local needs.

It should be noted that over the last ten years Russia has taken several significant steps to advance its environmental legislation, including the introduction of new environmental standards, the creation of a mechanism to implement the best available techniques, and gradual transition to a system of integrated environmental permissions. However, Russian environmental legislation still maintains a natural resource oriented approach, and fails to regulate damage caused by humans to the environment in an effective way.

Moreover, negative impact caused by human activities to the environment is interpreted only through the lens of the resulting damage on human health. This limited view not only impedes the establishment of an effective environmental protection system but also runs counter to modern environmental standards.

Additionally, low public participation in environmental decision making has a negative impact on the development of environmental legislation. Without the active participation of local communities and citizens in decision making, drafters fail to address local needs and specific issues via environmental laws and regulations. Moreover, during the last four years Russia has amended national laws on NGOs by putting tough restrictions on their activities. As a result, several regional and local environmental NGOs were forced to cease their operations. This limits public participation in environmental matters and consequently impedes successful regulation of environmental problems at the legislative level.

Therefore, the adoption of new laws and regulations should not be considered as the main way to strengthen national environmental legislation. Russia needs to focus on outdated approach to environmental protection within current legislation, and on stimulating public participation in environmental matters. These two steps could lead to an effective system on environmental protection and resource management within national legislation.

Conclusion

There is a need for well-developed policy documents that establish effective strategies for the reduction and prevention of environmental problems in Russia. These policies should cover not only the possible economic benefits gained from natural resources or simply pollution issues, but also effective regulation and an integrated approach to environmental protection. The most pressing issues, such as air pollution, water quality, and industrial pollution, must be well-defined and accorded strong emphasis within the Strategy. The threats posed by those issues to Russia’s environmental security and possible policy solutions need to be clarified first in strategy papers and then implemented as policy. Moreover, claims regarding transboundary environmental threats posed by European countries (namely the Baltic countries, Poland, and Ukraine) at a level should be defined clearly within the document. Environmental risks deriving from transboundary issues require comprehensive assessments and fact-based explanations. This would assist with improving policy practices as well as prevent possible regional conflicts with neighboring countries.

Finally, the further development of national environmental legislation should not concentrate exclusively on the adoption of new regulations and laws. Public participation in environmental decision making should be addressed by effective mechanisms.

About the author:
*Ms. Sadiga Mehdizadeh
, Visiting Research Fellow at the Caspian Center for Energy and Environment.

President Obama On The Zika Virus – Statement

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By US President Barack Obama

I just had an opportunity to get the most recent briefing from the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and NIH about the situation involving Zika. And so I wanted to speak to the press just briefly about it, and the American public.

As all of you know, there has been an enormous spread of Zika throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico. We have not yet seen cases that were transmitted on the continental United States, but we do know that the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus exist on the continental United States.

We also have seen that in Puerto Rico, Zika has spread rapidly. And Dr. Frieden and members of the CDC who have traveled there have seen that the incidents of the cases of Zika — not just among the general population, but among pregnant women — has been spiking. So it is absolutely critical for the United States government, working in concert with other governments in the hemisphere, to be pushing hard right now to get this situation under control.

Now, the good news is that for the most part, Zika is not a type of disease like Ebola, where it’s life-threatening. In some cases, folks may not even have symptoms that are significant. But what we do know is, is that if pregnant women are infected it could have severe consequences for the fetus and a child that’s born and has been impacted by the Zika virus.

So we have been issuing guidelines in terms of folks who are child-bearing age, who are thinking about starting a family. We know that men can transmit Zika through their semen if they are infected. And so we have issued a range of guidelines about how to approach this problem.

But the most important thing that we can do right now is to actually reduce the incidents of Zika. We can issue precautions for travel to areas that have Zika. We can give people guidelines in terms of how to deal with it if they get infected. But this is actually something that we could reduce the risks if Congress does the right thing and allocates the dollars that are needed right now to get the job done.

In a briefing by Dr. Fauci, at the NIH, the good news is, is that we feel fairly confident that we can develop a effective vaccine for Zika. And that would help a whole lot of people and allow us to get out in front of this problem before it’s in the continental United States. But that requires research money. And in order for a vaccine to be widely available it has to be tested to make sure it’s safe; it has to be tested to make sure that it is effective.

And we’re beginning right now on a whole bunch of promising pathways to get those tests done so that in fairly short order we might have a vaccine available and people wouldn’t have to worry about this. The problem is right now that money is stuck in Congress. And we have not seen the House and the Senate come together in a sensible way to put forward the dollars that we have requested that have been budgeted to get the job done.

So what I want the American people to understand is that I expect Congress to get this funding done before they leave for vacation, before they adjourn. That’s part of their basic responsibility. We put forward a budget request of $1.9 billion. We didn’t draw that figure from the clouds — it was based on the assessment of our scientists and our experts in terms of what was going to be needed for basic mosquito abatement and vaccine development, and making sure that we’ve got the proper diagnostic tools so that we can respond effectively to protect the health and safety of the American people.

And that request has been up there for quite some time and has gotten caught up in politics. And we’ve seen people trying to attach legislation on a bunch of unrelated topics to this funding. It’s been politics as usual rather than responding smartly to a very serious public health request.

So just to summarize, number one, we have put forward guidelines in terms of travel to areas that have Zika, and we are recommending that pregnant women or women of child-bearing years who are thinking about being pregnant, or individuals who are traveling to Zika-infected areas, male partners who want to make sure that they’re not infecting their spouses or their partners, that they have to take a look and see whether they’re traveling in the right places. That’s point number one. And you can go to the CDC website in order to find out how you can protect yourself. Stay informed and protect yourself during this summer.

Point number two is we have a crisis right now in Puerto Rico surrounding Zika, and we have to obtain the resources to make sure that we are engaging in mosquito abatement and providing the kind of basic health services to reduce the effects of Zika in Puerto Rico. And at a time when Puerto Rico is already going through a tough time and its public health infrastructure is being strained because of budget constraints and debt problems, it’s especially important that we’re responsive to the millions of American citizens who live there.

And keep in mind that there’s a lot of travel back and forth between Puerto Rico and the continental United States. So this is not something that, ultimately, may end up just being isolated there. That’s point number two.

And point number three — we have to get the money from Congress over the next two weeks to make sure that we can begin to develop the effective vaccines, the mosquito abatement tools, the state emergency response dollars so that all of us are safe and we’re not seeing families dealing with tragedies that can last a lifetime.

This is just common sense. And this is not the time to play politics. There are going to be all kinds of negotiations up on Capitol Hill around budget items for the remainder of the year, and that’s to be expected — that’s what happens during budget negotiations. But when there are emergencies, when there are public health emergencies, when we know that we have the chance to prevent serious tragedies in the lives of families and protect the health and safety of our populations, and particularly our children, then those politics need to be set aside.

So Congress should not leave, should not adjourn until they have this done. And I want all the American people to know that we have a chance at developing a vaccine quickly that will help a lot of people as long as Congress, over the next few weeks, does its job.

Thank you very much, everybody.

White House Report Says Between 64-116 Civilians Killed in Drone Airstrikes

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By Mary Alice Salinas and Aru Pande*

The White House has released a long-anticipated report on civilians killed in drone strikes outside active conflict zones, saying between 64 to 116 civilians have been killed between 2009 and 2015.

White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration’s counterterrorism strategy has more credibility when it is transparent as possible, and the president is announcing a new executive order aimed at providing additional information on efforts to avoid civilian casualties and to catalog and disclose those that do occur.

“We are now in a position where we are describing the process for making decisions about these kinds of operations and being rather transparent with not just the American public, but with the world about the outcomes of those operations, even when the outcome is not entirely consistent with our intentions,” he said.

The report covers drone strike deaths that occur in places outside what the administration calls “areas of active hostilities.” That includes strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, but not ones in Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria.

The official total is lower than the estimates of outside groups, which have ranged from around 200 to more than 1,000.

The report says that the government’s lower tally is because it relies on sensitive intelligence and uses methodologies that are unavailable to outside groups, which generally rely on a mix of media reports and some field research.

It says the differing methodologies mean that some deaths which are counted as non-combatants by outside groups are considered combatant deaths by the U.S. government. It also says that reporting by outside groups may be complicated by the deliberate spread of misinformation by some actors, which may be inadvertently included in local media reports.

The rights group Human Rights Watch criticized the report, saying the United States has failed to explain who it targets and why, making it impossible to corroborate its casualty figures.

“Unless details are provided on specific incidents, it’s not possible to determine if individuals killed were civilians, and thus whether the U.S. is complying with its own policy and with international law,” said Laura Pitter, senior U.S. national security counsel at Human Rights Watch.

A British-based organization that tracks drone strikes via local media reports, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, welcomed the report as “a step towards greater transparency.” But in a statement sent to VOA, the group disputed the number of civilian deaths in what it referred to as President Barack Obama’s “controversial” drone program.

“This is a fraction of the 380 to 801 civilian casualty range recorded by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism from reports by local and international journalists, [nongovernmental organization] investigators, leaked government documents, court papers, and the result of field investigations,” the group said.

The group also criticized the United States for not giving information on specific drone strikes in its assessments of drone operations, saying the lack of information made it impossible to reconcile its numbers with the U.S. figures.

Full disclosure?

The first U.S. drone strike was carried out in October 2001, narrowly missing former Taliban leader Mullah Omar in Kandahar at the beginning of the U.S.-led offensive in Afghanistan. Since then, the weapon has been widely deployed in conflict zones around the world, as well as in other places targeting top terrorist leaders.

In Pakistan alone, the U.S. has carried out 392 airstrikes since 2008, according to The Long War Journal. In Yemen, U.S. strikes targeting al-Qaida commanders total 145 since 2002.

The figures are based on press reports.

Human rights groups have long called for hard numbers when it comes to counterterrorism strikes that until recently the administration refused to even confirm.

“Saying ‘just trust us, we have high standards, we are doing the best we can’ really isn’t enough and that they need to be disclosing more,” said Rita Siemion of Human Rights First.

While the weapon is widely used in combat zones, its use in areas where the U.S. military is not actively involved in fighting has been more controversial. In March this year, the administration announced it would release a report to try to improve transparency on those strikes.

“For a decent portion of this administration and the previous one, we wouldn’t even acknowledge publicly that these things were taking place,” Earnest told reporters at the time. “The fact that we’re now in a position on a regular, routinized basis to publish the results and to quantify that totals about the impact of these operations I do think represents substantial progress in the direction of transparency.”

Contradictory counterterror policy?

Drones give the military a way to strike at terrorist leaders in places that U.S. forces are unable to access. That has led even some people in areas where they are carried out, such as Mogadish resident Fatuma Ilmi Mus, to support their use.

“There are people who are being targeted, these people [al-Shabab] they are also fighting us and they are in the bush and we are not shielding them. These drones must be manned by a professional so that it does not hit our animals, our people and homes but to hit the intended target and where the enemies are,” she told VOA.

But even when drones do hit their intended target, it can still cause a backlash. In Pakistan, where a strike killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in Pakistan earlier this year, the government expressed outrage because the strike occurred outside of Pakistan’s lawless border area with Afghanistan.

“The U.S. provides so much funding to Pakistan though USAID and development funds. But then it does something [like the strike against Mansoor] that scuttles all that effort,” Islamabad resident Hina Ahmed said.

Still others say the administration’s use of strikes has undermined intelligence gathering efforts that are key to defeating terror groups.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Senior Counselor John Hannah served as senior adviser in the Clinton administration and the George W. Bush administration.

“The Obama administration has almost completely foregone an effort to capture and detain and get intelligence from these terrorists,” he said. “Instead it has universally decided it’s going to be the judge, jury and executioner and take the lives of these terrorists, as well as the lives, unfortunately, of a lot of innocent people.”

Still, Hannah says drone strikes are an effective tactic in countries like Yemen and Pakistan, where the government is either unwilling or unable to go after terrorists — while minimizing civilian casualties — compared to conventional military conflict.

The key, Hannah says, is creating the necessary institutions and safeguards to create accountability, while balancing national security, transparency, and rule of law.

“Ensure that we are not crossing that line into becoming a lawless nation,” he said. “It’s very difficult and challenging, and I think it’s a challenge that will continue into the future.”

*VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem in Islamabad and Mohammad Yusuf in Mogadishu contributed to this report.

Iraq: US-Led Airstrike Kills Islamic State Deputy Minister Of War

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Coalition forces conducted an airstrike that killed two Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant senior military commanders June 25 near Mosul, Iraq, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said Friday.

In a statement, Cook said the precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, Islamic State’s (ISIL) deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an ISIL military commander in Mosul.

“These deaths are the latest in coalition efforts to systemically eliminate ISIL’s cabinet wherever they hide, disrupting their ability to plot external terror attacks and hold onto the territory they use to claim legitimacy,” the press secretary said. “The international coalition fighting ISIL, working with local, capable and motivated forces on the ground in Iraq and Syria continues to make sustained progress in our campaign to deal ISIL a lasting defeat.

“In just recent days,” he continued, “the coalition has freed Fallujah from ISIL’s grip; launched devastating strikes against ISIL forces fleeing that city; completed the encirclement of Manbij, a key node in the flow of foreign fighters between Syria and Turkey; and started to clear key terrain south of Mosul of ISIL forces. In addition to making operationally significant strides in the campaign to defeat ISIL, we continue to look for — and seize — every opportunity to hasten it.”

Operation Inherent Resolve – Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists

Bajari was an experienced terrorist, a former member of al-Qaida who brought his military skills into ISIL’s terrorist network, Cook said. He oversaw ISIL’s June 2014 offensive to capture Mosul, and also has led the ISIL Jaysh al-Dabiq battalion, which is known for using vehicle-borne bombs, suicide bombers and mustard gas in its attacks.

“He used his military experience to consolidate ISIL’s control over Mosul, where they have engaged in dictatorial rule and sectarian murder and oppression since 2014,” he added. Hamduni was an ISIL military commander in Mosul and the head of military police for the self-proclaimed Ninawa state, Cook said.
“Their deaths, along with strikes against other ISIL leaders in the past month, have critically degraded ISIL’s leadership experience in Mosul and removed two of their most senior military members in northern Iraq,” the press secretary said. “Removing these terrorist leaders from the battlefield shapes the environment for Iraqi forces to ultimately liberate Mosul with support from the international coalition. Because of our strategy and our determination to accelerate our campaign, momentum is now on our side, and not on ISIL’s.”

Butter Healthier Than Thought?

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Butter consumption was only weakly associated with total mortality, not associated with cardiovascular disease, and slightly inversely associated (protective) with diabetes, according to a new epidemiological study which analyzed the association of butter consumption with chronic disease and all-cause mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in PLOS ONE, was led by Tufts scientists including Laura Pimpin, Ph.D., former postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts in Boston, and senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., dean of the School.

Based on a systematic review and search of multiple online academic and medical databases, the researchers identified nine eligible research studies including 15 country-specific cohorts representing 636,151 unique individuals with a total of 6.5 million person-years of follow-up. Over the total follow-up period, the combined group of studies included 28,271 deaths, 9,783 cases of cardiovascular disease, and 23,954 cases of new-onset type 2 diabetes. The researchers combined the nine studies into a meta-analysis of relative risk.

Butter consumption was standardized across all nine studies to 14 grams/day, which corresponds to one U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated serving of butter (or roughly one tablespoon). Overall, the average butter consumption across the nine studies ranged from roughly one-third of a serving per day to 3.2 servings per day. The study found mostly small or insignificant associations of each daily serving of butter with total mortality, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

“Even though people who eat more butter generally have worse diets and lifestyles, it seemed to be pretty neutral overall,” said Pimpin, now a data analyst in public health modelling for the UK Health Forum. “This suggests that butter may be a “middle-of-the-road” food: a more healthful choice than sugar or starch, such as the white bread or potato on which butter is commonly spread and which have been linked to higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and a worse choice than many margarines and cooking oils – those rich in healthy fats such as soybean, canola, flaxseed, and extra virgin olive oils – which would likely lower risk compared with either butter or refined grains, starches, and sugars.”

“Overall, our results suggest that butter should neither be demonized nor considered “back” as a route to good health,” said Mozaffarian. “More research is needed to better understand the observed potential lower risk of diabetes, which has also been suggested in some other studies of dairy fat. This could be real, or due to other factors linked to eating butter – our study does not prove cause-and-effect.”

Large Number Of Businesses Selling Unapproved Stem Cell ‘Treatments’ In US

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At least 351 companies across the United States are marketing unapproved stem cell procedures at 570 individual clinics. Such businesses advertise “stem cell” interventions for orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders, cardiac diseases, immunological conditions, pulmonary disorders, injured spinal cords, and cosmetic indications.

In Cell Stem Cell , bioethicist Leigh Turner and stem cell researcher Paul Knoepfler presented an analysis of US businesses engaged in “direct-to-consumer” marketing of these procedures.

“In almost every state now, people can go locally to get stem cell ‘treatments,'” said Knoepfler, of the University of California, Davis, and Shriners Hospital For Children. “Many people in larger metropolitan areas can just drive 15 minutes to find a clinic offering these kinds of services instead of, say, traveling to Mexico or the Caribbean. I think this reflects a change from what we’ve seen documented in the past and is different from what we typically think about when we think of stem cell tourism.”

Turner and Knoepfler found the businesses through Internet key word searches, text mining, and content analysis of company websites. For each business, the duo recorded the company name, location(s), website addresses, advertised stem cell types, and marketing claims concerning diseases, injuries, and conditions for which stem cells are reportedly administered. Their research should serve as a baseline for future studies of U.S. businesses engaged in direct-to-consumer advertising of purported stem cell interventions.

Key findings from the report include:

  • Clinics advertising stem cell interventions cluster in particular states. They are most likely to be found in California (113 clinics), Florida (104), Texas (71), Colorado (37), Arizona (36), and New York (21).
  • Beverly Hills is home to 18 clinics, more than any other city in the nation, followed by New York (14 clinics), San Antonio (13), Los Angeles (12), Austin (11), Scottsdale (11), and Phoenix (10).
  • Of the stem cell procedures that are marketed, 61% of businesses offer fat-derived stem cell interventions and 48% offer bone-marrow-based treatments. Advertisements for induced pluripotent stem cells (1 business), embryonic stem cells (1 business), and xenogeneic products (2 businesses) are rare.
  • Over 300 of the businesses market interventions for orthopedic issues. Other advertised conditions include pain (150 businesses), sports injuries (90), neurological diseases (80), and immune disorders (75).

“This is a marketplace that is dramatically expanding before our eyes–we were aware early on and tracked it early on, but I don’t think we knew the scope and size of the market,” said Turner, of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota. “Brakes ought to exist in a marketplace like this, but where are the brakes? Where are the regulatory bodies? And how did this entire industry come into being in a country where stem cell-based interventions and the medical devices that produce them are supposed to be regulated by the FDA?”

Turner and Knoepfler, who runs the popular stem cell blog “The Niche,” grew suspicious of an increase in American stem cell clinics when inquiries from readers and patients changed from Americans asking about going abroad for a stem cell treatment to Americans asking about seeking treatment in the United States. In investigating the people who run these clinics, Turner and Knoepfler found that not only were individuals such as cosmetic surgeons and naturopaths beginning to offer unapproved stem cell interventions, but the “pioneers” in the industry were training others to do the same. It is unclear whether federal authorities–particularly the Food & Drug Administration–and state medical boards missed the scope of the problem or are taking minimal action despite being aware of the spread of such businesses.

“From around 2009 to the present, businesses have been entering the marketplace on a routine basis, they’ve been coming in making marketing assertions about stem cells treating 30-40 different diseases, and no one’s taking meaningful regulatory action,” Turner said. “Does that mean that people are getting access to safe and efficacious interventions or is there basically unapproved human experimentation taking place where people are going to these businesses and receiving experimental investigational cell-based interventions without being given a meaningful account of the lack of knowledge and evidence that they’re being charged for?”

A separate downside is that patients who have unapproved and unproven stem cell interventions decrease their chances of qualifying for FDA-cleared and IRB-approved clinical trials that comply with federal regulations. This is a loss for stem cell research.

“Another serious consideration to think about is that over the years many people have begun to include these businesses in their overall impression of the stem cell field,” Knoepfler said. “There is a real risk that as clinics proliferate, if we don’t address it in a more proactive way, as we see negative outcomes for patients grow and people get mixed bags of information about stem cells, then this could really negatively impact the public perception of this research.”


Fire Discovery Sheds New Light On ‘Hobbit’ Demise

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Crucial new evidence has revealed modern humans (Homo sapiens) were likely using fire at Liang Bua 41,000 years ago, narrowing the time gap between the last hobbits (Homo floresiensis) and the first modern humans at this site on the Indonesian island of Flores.

The research, led by the University of Wollongong Australia (UOW) and Indonesia’s National Research Centre for Archaeology and published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, is among the earliest evidence of modern humans in Southeast Asia.

Lead author Dr Mike Morley, a research fellow and geoarchaeologist at UOW’s Centre for Archaeological Science (CAS), said the find is “extremely important” in the quest to discover why and how the hobbit disappeared, around 50,000 years ago.

The story of the hobbit starts in 2003, when an international team of researchers, including those from UOW, uncovered the remains of a previously unknown species of small-statured hominins at Liang Bua. Homo floresiensis, affectionately dubbed ‘the hobbit’ for her tiny one-metre stature, would rewrite history books, capture imaginations around the world and go on to be dubbed ‘the scientific find of the century’.

After revised dating estimates of the original hobbit skeleton — published in Nature in March — placed the bones between 190,000 and 60,000 years old (it was previously believed to have survived on Flores until as recently as 12,000 years ago), and the most recent stone tools at 50,000 years old, a gap in the chronology of the sediment sequence opened up — researchers had no idea what happened at the site between 46,000 and 20,000 years ago.

Dr Morley and colleagues, including CAS geoarchaeologist Professor Paul Goldberg and archaeologist Thomas Sutikna, were able to fill that gap, detailing environmental changes at the site between 190,000 and 20,000 years ago and revealing something rather unexpected: physical evidence of fire places that were used between 41,000 and 24,000 years ago, most likely by modern humans for warmth and/or cooking.

“We now know that the hobbits only survived until around 50,000 years ago at Liang Bua. We also know that modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia and Australia at least 50,000 years ago, and most likely quite a bit earlier” Dr Morley said.

“This new evidence, which is some of the earliest evidence of modern human activity in Southeast Asia, narrows the gap between the two hominin species at the site.”

Given that no evidence for the use of fire by Homo floresiensis during roughly 130,000 years of presence at the site has been found, Dr Morley said modern humans are the most likely candidates for the construction of the fire places.

“Finding the fire places in such an excellent state of preservation allows insights into the behaviour of these people,” he added.

Dr Morley said researchers at Liang Bua are now searching for more evidence that further closes that gap in time; evidence that could place modern humans at exactly the right place, at the right time, possibly revealing an overlap between the two species, which could have led to interaction between the two species and ultimately the hobbit’s extinction.

As part of the study, Dr Morley used a technique called ‘micromorphology’ to examine the sediments taken from the site at a microscopic level of detail. After extracting sediment blocks from the rear of the cave (a different area from where the hobbit fossils were recovered), the samples were shipped back to UOW and wafer-thin slices, just 30microns thick (1 micron is 1000th of a millimetre), were analysed under a microscope. Spectroscopic analyses of the sediments were made by CAS archaeological chemist Dr Linda Prinsloo, and new radiocarbon dates were used to determine the age of each layer examined for the study.

The study, which also acts as further evidence of Homo sapiens dispersal through Southeast Asia and into Australia around 50,000 years ago, comes just weeks after UOW researchers, also from CAS, announced they had found 700,000 year old fossilised remains of what appear to be ancestors of the hobbit. The remarkable finds quash any remaining doubt that Homo floresiensis was a modern human afflicted with a disease causing the diminutive stature.

Migration Trend: Young And Poor Move To Lands Of Aging Rich – Analysis

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Median age gaps of 10 years and more between sending and receiving nations add to migration pressures.

By Joseph Chamie*

Unmanageable migration at international borders has become increasingly burdensome and, as the Brexit vote shows, even explosive. In principle, the worldwide system of international migration operates on globally established treaties, conventions and rights. In practice, growing numbers of people in virtually every region of the world ignore recognized principles, policies and procedures to cross borders unlawfully. Recently a majority of British people voted to shut the door.

Age differences between sending and receiving nations are a powerful force exerting migratory pressures on borders. Any reforms to reduce border crossing must consider the impact of age differences on culture, economies, politics and security.

While the populations of most receiving countries are considerably older, increasing slowly or declining, the populations of sending countries have relatively young age structures and grow comparatively rapidly. For example, while the United States with a median age of 38 years has a rate of natural increase of 0.4 percent, the population of Central America has a median age of 27 years and is growing nearly four times as fast, or 1.5 percent.

Without the inflow of young migrants, the US workforce in a half century would be 10 percent smaller than it is today, a reduction close to 20 million, and the proportion aged 65 years or older would increase from about one in seven Americans to more than one in four.

Emigration as a career opportunity has become engrained in some cultures as youthful populations eye higher wages in neighboring countries. The World Bank points out that “emigration and working in a low-skilled job in the U.S. can lead to higher earnings than an investment in higher education in Central America.”      Chamiegraph-600px

A vivid illustration of demography’s influence on potential migration flows is the growth of the populations of Northern Africa and Southern Europe. Whereas in 1950, the population of Southern Europe was more than double the size of Northern Africa’s population, today Northern Africa’s population is 50 percent larger than that of Southern Europe and expected to be three times larger by the year 2065.

The European Union’s policy agency, Europol, estimates 800,000 people are in Libya waiting to cross unlawfully to the EU and warns that the migrant crisis could get worse. Under international law, the rickety vessels intercepted close to Libyan waters cannot be turned back due to the violence and political turmoil in Libya.

Political leaders are deadlocked how to handle rescued migrants. At one extreme are the advocates of open borders who argue that granting people the right to cross borders freely would eliminate illegal immigration, human smuggling, risky crossings and deaths of migrants. Open borders, they maintain, would reduce world poverty. They contend that treating people differently simply because they were born in another country is inherently unethical. At the other extreme are those wishing to stop unlawful entry by reinforcing border controls with walls, barriers and armed guards and immediate deportations for any who may have entered illegally. They maintain that illegal migration threatens national sovereignty and security, undermining the rule of law and contributing to social unrest, reduced public support for legal migration and the rise of right-wing nativist parties.

A recent attempt to deter the inflow of unauthorized migrants – many fleeing conflict in Syria as refugees – is the EU-Turkey agreement. The proposed deal promises Turkey approximately $6.6 billion and visa-free travel in exchange for restricting migrants from reaching Europe through Turkish borders. EU countries are also funding other less developed countries, such as Libya, Sudan and Eritrea to deter illegal migration. Additional countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger and Uganda, also seek funds to deal with illegal immigration. Critics variously describe such deals as bribes, extortion and clear violation of international law.

Governments are in a quandary. Officials generally acknowledge that it’s costly, disruptive – not to mention detrimental to political careers – to deport unauthorized migrants. The costs of identifying, detaining and repatriating large numbers in a legal and humane way are enormous.

Such costs are both direct and indirect. The cost of removing a resident migrant in the United Kingdom, for example, has been estimated at £25,000. Escalating costs of entitlements for unauthorized migrants was a key argument in the June 23 referendum by which voters approved Britain exiting the European Union. Analysts pointed to an age gap with older voters more likely to support Brexit.

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other economic institutions caution that Brexit will diminish the UK economy, and the British Treasury estimates the move could cut the gross domestic product by 6 percent by 2030, reducing average annual household income by approximately £4,300, or US$6,200.

In the United States, simply detaining an unauthorized migrant has an average cost of about $100 per day. Accordingly, at least 80 percent of the unauthorized migrants apprehended at the US/Mexico border are released and allowed to remain while awaiting immigration hearings. Backlogs are lengthy in the 57 US immigration courts, with waits for an initial hearing as long as two years.

Governments are reluctant to grant amnesty with increasing public hostility toward those who unlawfully enter countries – underscored by right-wing, anti-migrant parties gaining increased political traction as observed in Austria, Denmark, France, Poland and the United States.

The quandary over managing illegal migration is a leading issue in the US presidential race. Presumptive Republican Party nominee Donald Trump has vowed, if elected, to order removal of unauthorized migrants, build a wall along the Mexican/American border and strengthen enforcement to end unlawful entry into the United States and residence. By contrast, presumptive Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton takes a position similar to President Barack Obama, pushing for comprehensive reform that centers on an amnesty and a path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants.chart1-600px

A serious complication for resolving unlawful border crossings is the growing number of fraudulent claims among soaring numbers of legitimate refugees and asylum seekers from war-torn countries. With options for legal immigration limited, many seeking economic opportunities abroad – as well as some terrorists – claim to be refugees in need of asylum from persecution, violence and war in home countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Nigeria and Pakistan. Given hardening public opinion, countries are increasingly reluctant to absorb large numbers of refugees.

International surveys of several years ago found that about one out of six of the world’s adults, close to 900 million globally today, would immigrate if they had the chance. Top destinations for would-be migrants include the United States, 24 percent, followed by Canada, the United Kingdom and France, each 6 percent The populations of sub-Saharan African countries, with a median age of 18 years, were most likely to express a desire to immigrate, with nearly two out of five adults – more than 200 million people – indicating they would like to do so. Also, 80 percent of those in less developed countries who would like to immigrate said they would prefer moving to a more developed country.

While Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes everyone’s right to leave and return to their own country, people do not have the right to enter another country. Given enormous imbalances between demand and supply of potential migrants among countries, large numbers, even unaccompanied children, undertake illegal crossings, often with the help of smugglers and traffickers, or simply overstay short-term visas.

Government efforts to discourage likely migrants from attempting illegal border crossings have met with limited success. Substantial demographic, economic and social differences have created strong migratory pressures along certain borders that defy solution using existing regulations and policies. Only through strengthened global cooperation on socio-economic development and migration, including policies on reproductive rights, can nations hope to come to grips with the runaway migration problem.

*Joseph Chamie is a former director of the United Nations Population Division.

Theresa May Front-Runner As Next British Prime Minister

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By Matthew Tempest

(EurActiv) — Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May, who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU, emerged this weekend as the front-runner to become the next British prime minister – amid the political wreckage created by last week’s Brexit vote.

There are now five Conservative party candidates to replace David Cameron, who stood down within hours of the 52-48% vote to leave the bloc.

After a summer-long contest a new prime minister will be announced on 9 September, without a general election. But there is as yet no clear signal when that PM will trigger the Article 50 which begins Britain’s two-year negotiation to leave the EU.

Meanwhile, during a ceremony at the Somme to mark 100 years since one of the worst military battles in European history, French President François Hollande warned London that the Brexit decision cannot be “delayed or cancelled.”

Speaking to reporters in northern France, Hollande said, “The decision has been taken, it cannot be delayed and it cannot be cancelled, now they have to face the consequences.”

Michael Gove, who was a major Leave campaign figurehead and is second-favourite behind May, said Friday (1 July) that if he won, he would not trigger Article 50 until 2017.

“I have no expectation that it would be triggered in this calendar year,” he said, adding: “We need to have some preliminary conversations… We will do it when we’re good and ready.”

That stance will inevitably come into conflict with the stated views of the Commission, EU Council, and various member states who have agreed to wait until the new PM takes office in September, but are unlikely to be patient beyond that.

Gove also pledged to end the free movement of people if he became PM, something that would hit both the roughly 3 million EU citizens in the UK, and the about 1.2m British living in the EU.

“I will end free movement (of EU nationals), introduce an Australian-style points-based system for immigration, and bring numbers down,” Gove said at his first campaign press conference.

Gove, along with Boris Johnson, were the official Conservative faces of the Leave campaign. On Thursday, Johnson sensationally quit the contest to be the next PM at his own press conference intended to launch his campaign.

Johnson’s camp blamed Gove for knifing him in the back. Gove had promised to back Johnson, before announcing his own canididacy in the morning, and declaring Johnson unfit to be leader.

But May is the current front-runner among bookies, after collecting the backing of dozens of MPs.

The current list of five candidates – May, Gove, and fringe candidates Liam Fox, Stephen Crabb and Andrea Leadsom, will be whittled down by the votes of MPs before going to a shortlist of two for a vote of the 150,000 party members.

May supported the “Remain” campaign but has assured “Leave” supporters she will proceed with Brexit although she said she would not begin formal talks with the EU before the end of the year.

The Daily Mail newspaper, an influential right-wing tabloid, endorsed May with a front-page headline Friday saying, “A party in flames and why it must be Theresa”.

The bitterly divisive campaign also exposed rifts within Labour, where leader Jeremy Corbyn has been heavily criticised for his lukewarm advocacy of the campaign to stay in the EU.

A large majority of Labour MPs have supported a vote of no confidence in Corbyn, a veteran socialist with wide grassroots support who only became leader last year.

But he has defied his parliamentary party to insist he will hang on, challenging them to mount a full leadership contest, knowing that last year he won an overwhelming 59.5% of members’ votes – in a field of four candidates.

In a sign of the economic, as well as financial turmoil, engulfing the UK, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday abandoned his plan of eliminating the deficit by 2020, whilst the low-budget airline EasyJet announced it was in talks for its HQ to be relocated from the UK.

The pound crept back up on Friday after the Bank of England hinted it was ready to cut interest rates in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Osborne warned that the government would likely scrap its promise to achieve a budget surplus by 2020 due to the fallout from Brexit.

“We will continue to be tough on the deficit, but we must be realistic about achieving a surplus by the end of this decade,” Osborne told business leaders.

“This is precisely the flexibility that our rules provide for. And we need to reduce uncertainty by moving as quickly as possible to a new relationship with Europe and being super competitive, open for business and free trading. That’s the plan and we must set to it.”

Echoing the Bank of England’s gloomy forecasts from the previous day, Osborne added that Britain’s EU exit would exert a major “negative” impact on the economy.

“The referendum result is as expected likely to lead to a significant negative shock for the British economy,” Osborne said on Friday.

“How we respond will determine the impact on people’s jobs and on economic growth.”

Osborne added that there needed to be “compromises” if Britain wanted to secure certain aspects of the bloc – like access to the single market.

“There are going to be – as we come to the discussion over the coming months – inevitably combinations and compromises we are going to have to make to work out the best future for our country,” he said.

The referendum outcome triggered anger among those who wanted to remain in the EU. More than four million people have signed a petition calling for a second referendum.

Benedict XVI Talks About Resignation And Pope Francis

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By Elise Harris

Though he has rarely spoken since resigning from the papacy, Benedict XVI granted several lengthy interviews to German journalist Peter Seewald shortly after stepping down – conversations that touched on themes such as the reform of the Curia, his resignation and his thoughts on Pope Francis.

The interviews, conducted a few months after Benedict’s Feb. 28, 2013, resignation, are set to be released in one book simultaneously worldwide Sept. 9, according to Italian daily “Corriere della Sera.”

About 240 pages in length, the book in German is titled “Letzte Gespräche,” or, “Final Conversations,” and “touches upon all the most important stages of life of Joseph Ratzinger.”

These stages include Benedict’s childhood under the Nazi regime, the discovery of his vocation to the priesthood, the hardships of the war and his time in the Vatican until his election to the papacy. It also covers “the anxiety” of his first few days as successor of St. Peter, as well as his “painful” decision to resign and his thoughts on Pope Francis.

In his responses to Seewald, Benedict speaks about himself, his faith, his weaknesses, his private life, the scandals and controversial issues of his reign, and his papacy in general, explaining the reason for his choice to resign – “initially only communicated to a few trusted people to avoid leaks,” Corriere della Sera reports.

The retired Pope also speaks about the reform of the Roman Curia, the “Vatileaks” scandal that many pinned as the reason for his stepping-down, and outlines the differences between him and Francis in light of “his own peculiarities” and those of his Argentine successor.

He also mentions the “gay lobby” at the Vatican – a group of four to five persons, which he says he was able to break up.

In a June 28 ceremony at the Vatican marking his 65th anniversary as a priest, Benedict told Pope Francis that from the moment of his election and every day since “your goodness…moves me interiorly, brings me inwardly more than the Vatican Gardens.”

“Your goodness is a place in which I feel protected,” he said of his successor.

Seewald, the author of the new book, is also the author of the 2010 book-length interview with Benedict titled “Light of the Word: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times.” He had previously published two other books on then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, “The Salt of the Earth,” and “God and the World.”

“Final Conversations,” then, will mark the journalist’s fourth book on Benedict from before his election to the throne of Peter, during his papacy and now after his resignation.

CNA contacted Seewald for comment on the book, however, the author said that for the moment, he prefers not to speak.

In an interview with CNA when “Light of the World” came out in 2010, Seewald said Benedict “is one of the greatest minds of the Catholic Church; someone with a great heart and…a fighter by nature, someone who remains standing amidst the storms, someone who is not afraid.”

“He is someone who does not get stuck in the past or in the present. He is someone who is very much a part of our times,” Seewald said, adding that he has always considered Benedict “a very modern man, someone who is always accessible, who promotes and seeks dialogue.”

“I would say he is an upright man and by far one of the greatest figures of our time…he is man who is always willing to listen, because he is not only a great thinker, he is also a great spiritual teacher.”

In a world that is “often blind,” it’s important to have someone “with this unbreakable attitude of openness,” he said, voicing his belief that Benedict “will be much better appreciated in the future” than he was at that time.

Airports Make For Easy Targets – OpEd

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By Bikram Vohra

For reasons that defy logic, Istanbul’s main airport has always been seen as a vulnerable target which only underscores the fact that all airports in the world are open to attack and fail-safe is not a viable option.

At Ataturk, security is usually high but the weak underbelly lies in vehicular traffic entering the airport being given cursory checks, pretty much like most airports which is why President Erdogan was able to say this sort of attack could have occurred anywhere.

That is true. Airports are easy targets. That even though Turkey was aware of the chinks nothing much was done to “up” the security levels.

If you take Indra Gandhi International Airport in Delhi as a prime example the access to the terminal is scarcely blockaded and one can reach the entry points with ease crossing a couple of indolent checkpoints and a roller fence. Indian airports are as porous as a sponge. Most of our airports are in the inadequate category. Add to that the fact that several thousand VIPs are given privileges that make a pudding out of security and it indicates how easy it would be to amble up to the terminal entrance.

The weakness primarily lies in the absence of x-rays and deterrent technology on approach. You practically can check in and get to Immigration before being cleared for hazardous material.

Rapid response units like those you see at CDG in Paris are not common and yet, bristling with armament can be intimidating.

Whether the announcement from the Turkish government that this attack will wake the world up to the reality of terrorism will provoke more awareness and concerted action is not something one can guarantee. One of the reasons for this is that while tarmac and terminal security have been intensified access to terminals and satellite buildings is still too easy across the world.

At some international airports they do not even have armed police or checkpoints to deter militants. In December last year, a bomb went off at Istanbul’s other strip, Sabiha Gocsen, killing a cleaner.

This coordinated assault wiped out 43 people and injured over a hundred many of them grievously. The toll could rise.

And whenever one of these terrifying incidents occur there is a pledge to consolidate the fight against terrorism and appropriate sounds ricochet from the corridors of power only to be eclipsed by individual nation agendas and the killers get away.

Even as the leaders of the world condemn the brutal act it does show how easy it is to target such facilities. These gunmen just strolled up to an entry point and began firing randomly into the crowd.

There is just too much movement of manpower and vehicles at an airport to ensure total security and if some entity as determined as the Daesh is ready to die there is sweet all one can do except upgrade the sharing of intelligence, heighten surveillance and see the battle as a global one. We say that we do but do we?

For Turkey, once seen as the bridge of tranquility between the west and the Middle East and a nation for tourism and the good life, recent years have been traumatic. Between fighting the Kurds and taking on attacks from its common border with Syria it bleeds.

There have been over a dozen planned bombings in civilian areas in Istanbul and Ankara and peace once taken as a Turkish given, is now in shards and the public wakes up to fear. Between the Kurdish separatists and the Daesh this nation is in peril.

Mastermind Of Istanbul Terror Attack Was ‘Refugee’ Protected By EU – OpEd

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Following Tuesday’s horrific attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, which resulted in 44 death at the hands of three suicide bombers, Turkey was quick to blame the Islamic State for the terrorist act. And while that may be accurate, something surprising has emerged about the alleged ringleader of the group of three men who have been since identified as Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz nationals. As Russia’s Kommersant and Turkish media report, a Chechen national suspected of being the mastermind behind the deadly Istanbul airport terrorist attack, had previously received refugee status in Austria, which helped him to repeatedly avoid extradition to Russia on terror charges.

As the complete picture of the latest terrorist attack in Turkey comes together, it has emerged that the attack was allegedly organized by Ahmed Chataev, a Russian citizen of Chechen origin, who joined the Islamic State in 2015 and now fights in Syria, Turkish media report, citing police sources.

Chataev was assigned a leading role in training extremists that would then commit terrorist attacks in both Russia and Western Europe, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee Andrey Przhezdomsky said, adding that, in Syria, Chataev also commands a unit consisting “primarily of immigrants from the North Caucasus.”

It has been also revealed that Chataev was long wanted by the Russian authorities for terrorism-related offenses but he fled to Europe, where he was granted asylum, and successfully managed to escape extradition to Russia. The alleged mastermind joined Islamist secessionist militants that fought against Russia in the Second Chechen War between 1999 and 2000, where he lost an arm. Later, he was considered to be a representative of Dokka Umarov, once a “terrorist #1” in Russia, but protected in Western Europe.

The attack coordinator was on a wanted list in Russia since 2003 for sponsoring terrorism, recruiting extremists and membership in a terrorist group, Russian media report. However, in the same year, he received asylum in Austria. Chataev reportedly claimed that he lost his arm as he was severely tortured in Russian prison adding that he is being persecuted by Russian authorities.

In 2008, he was detained with some other Chechen nationals in the Swedish town of Trelleborg as police found Kalashnikov assault rifles, explosives and ammunition in his car. As a result, he spent more than a year in Swedish prison.

In 2010, Chataev was arrested in Ukraine with his mobile phone files containing a demolition technique instruction and photos of people killed in a blast. Russia requested his extradition on terrorism-related charges but the European Court for Human Rights ordered Ukraine not to hand him over to Russia with Amnesty International also urging Ukrainian authorities to halt extradition as Chataev “could face an unfair trial and would be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.”

Below is the actual statement filed by Amnesty International titled “Ukraine: Chechen risks torture if returned to Russia”.
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One year later, he was again detained as he was crossing the border between Turkey and Bulgaria but he again avoided extradition because of the interference of human rights organizations that stressed Chataev had a refugee status in Austria and thus cannot be sent to Russia, Kommersant reported. Between 2012 and 2015, Chataev reportedly lived in Georgia, where he also joined some terrorist groups and served a prison sentence on terrorism-related charges.

In February 2015, he left Georgia for Syria, where he joined IS militants and soon took a high position in the Islamic State hierarchy.

Finally, in October 2015, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury added Chataev to its terrorist list because of his alleged involvement into recruitment of extremists.

And just like that, in the span of 5 years, a person whose extradition to Russia was prevented by Europe and Amnesty ended up a formally recognized terrorist by the US, and ultimately his actions resulted in the death of 44 people. If only there was less political bickering between Russia and Europe, more than 40 innocent lives could have been spared.

Finally, in light of these revelations, one wonders precisely what is the function of the ubiquitous NSA in today’s world?

Children In ISIS Nusantara Media Outreach – Analysis

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The inclusion of children has raised ISIS Nusantara’s media outreach to new heights. From military training videos to educational mobile applications designed to teach kids jihadist ideology, the indoctrination of young minds with radical tendencies marks a troubling shift in how children have been co-opted into ISIS propaganda strategy.

By Remy Mahzam*

Since the start of ISIS’ aggressive online campaign in justifying its own brand of caliphate, children have been targeted as a subject of propaganda and featured alongside adult fighters in visual reports as well as videos. The imagery of children in ISIS media outreach for the Nusantara region which encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines is more than just a marketing gimmick.

The way these children are being portrayed as ideologues at a tender age reflects a deeper agenda to immunise the idea of indiscriminate killing, making it outwardly permissible for even children to use violence to realise the so-called Caliphate dream, by all means necessary.

Nusantara in the Spotlight

In a recent video entitled “Al-Bunyan Al-Marsus” (The Impenetrable Edifice) released on 22 June 2016 by a newly established ISIS Philippines media wing, Abu ‘Aun Al-Malizi, a Malaysian fighter even called for the mobilisation of children from the Nusantara region to join the Caliphate in Philippines under the leadership of Abu Abdullah al-Filipini, also known as Isnilon Totoni Hapilon.

The Nusantara has been glimmering under ISIS propaganda radar since the start of its media campaign. Dābiq magazine, ISIS’ key propaganda publication, has been made available in full Bahasa translation since the release of its first issue. There are countless other periodicals from multiple media outlets such as An-Naba’ weekly newsletters by Amaq Agency, audio news bulletin broadcasted over Al-Bayan radio network and spiritual anecdotes released by Maktabat al-Himmah, all of which have their own respective Bahasa translated variations.

On 20 June 2016, Al Fatihin – Surat Kabar Bagi Muhajirin Berbahasa Melayu di Daulah Islamiyyah, debuted as the first Malay language newspaper bringing updates from Syria and Iraq published by Furat Media. Adapted from ISIS’ An-Naba’ weekly newsletter in Arabic, the Bahasa version was strategically released in the fasting month of Ramadan which has been equated as the month of conquest and jihad.

Aggressive Multimedia Campaign

Within a span of just one year, the amount of multimedia release targeting the Nusantara has increased significantly reflecting an aggressive all-out media campaign. The exploitation of Southeast Asian children in ISIS-related videos was earlier noted on 17 March 2015, in a video entitled, “Cahaya Tarbiyah di Bumi Khilāfah” (The Light of Education in the Caliphate).

The video released by Al-Azzam Media who claimed to be ISIS’ Malay-language media division, showed children training with AK-47 assault rifles. The children were also well versed in their own preaching of the faith, having the ability to quote eloquently from the holy Qur’an and Prophetic traditions.

In 2 April 2016, Furat Media released a music video entitled “Khilāfah Telah Kembali” (The Caliphate Has Returned) in Bahasa. Again, images of children of the Nusantara were poignantly used in the video montage, matching the lyrics of the song, “Where have the men gone? Those who will fulfil the call of God? Where are the souls of the brave youths? Committed themselves for an eternal paradise.” The song which is already a form of a recruitment apparatus has been reinforced by the visualisation of children impersonating real men preparing themselves for a battle.

A music video for a nasheed or religious hymn entitled “Sang Pour Sang” (Blood for Blood) was distributed by Al-Hayat Media on 29 April 2016. The hymn which was sung in an adolescent’s voice in the French language interestingly came with Bahasa subtitles.

The visual shows a child wondering alone in what looked like a battle-damaged district in Syria intermixed with footages of children’s sufferings and images of world leaders such as Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad who are being perceived as those responsible for the affliction. The video startlingly culminated with the formation of an all-children militia equipped with weapons sending a chilling warning of vengeance to these leaders, “Beware, we have what we need to defend ourselves; Well-armed soldiers are ready to kill you.”

On 16 May 2016, Wilāyat al-Barakah, ISIS official media wing in Syria’s Hasaka province, released a 16-minute video titled “Generasi Petempur” (The Generation of Epic Fighters) featuring Southeast Asian children aged between 8 to 12 years old who have already migrated to the land of the Caliphate. The children described as “Putera Khilāfa” (Princes of the Caliphate) representing Bangsa Nusantara (Nusantara People) were shown engaging in target practice, proclaiming their bai’ah (oath of allegiance) and burning their passports as a sign of resoluteness.

Technology-Savvy Caliphate Generation

To cater for a technology-savvy generation, Maktabat Al-Himmah released age-appropriated Android mobile applications for kids. “Huroof” which has a colourful child-friendly interface teaches Arabic alphabets and vocabulary using content related to the military and jihadist ideology. Words such as ‘tank’, ‘gun’ and ‘rocket’ are surprisingly included in the teaching content.

Another application, “Du’a Al-Yaum wal Layl”, described as “a new interactive app for Cubs” teaches over 40 prayer recitations to be read by children. The prayers include supplications asking for protection from ISIS’ enemies which have been referenced to the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and Israel in the app graphics.

There is a psychological impetus to why children have been targeted in ISIS Nusantara propaganda. For ISIS, children represent the future as much as the Caliphate. To prepare these children to become the next generation of fighters or stakeholders of the Caliphate, ISIS sees the need for an indoctrination programme to be effected at an early stage of child development.

For children, it is crucial for them to distinguish their heroes from their enemies just like the good from the bad. Unfortunately, the relative powerlessness of children works to the advantage of ISIS in its propaganda mechanism.

The inclusion of children in ISIS Nusantara propaganda outreach is indeed worrying as it marks a progressive milestone for ISIS’ ultimate realisation of a relentless and unforgiving world that would rob the children of their own innocence.

*Remy Mahzam is an Associate Research Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.


EU’s Juncker Under Pressure To Resign After Brexit Vote

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By Georgi Gotev

(EurActiv) — Pressure is building on Jean-Claude Juncker to resign as President of the European Commission following the UK referendum, with the Czech Republic leading calls for him to “change the habits” of the executive after last week’s Brexit referendum in the UK.

Juncker is not the “right man for the job” and should resign, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek said on Monday (27 June).

The Czech minister said someone in the EU institutions should take “responsibility” for last week’s vote by British citizens to leave the EU.

“Right now I can’t see the European Commission chairman as the right man for the job,” Zaorálek told Czech television.

Asked whether Juncker had decided to resign or not, EU Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said the answer was in two letters, and the first one was “N”.

Asked by EurActiv.com about the consequences of the Brexit vote on the European Commission, Schinas replied it was not the EU executive who called the UK referendum.

“So the ones who must draw conclusions from this are the ones who called the referendum,” Schinas said.

A motion to sack Juncker?

EurActiv spoke to other diplomats from Eastern Europe, who didn’t go as far as calling for Juncker’s resignation.

But one admitted his country could join a motion to sack Juncker at a two-day EU summit opening in Brussels tomorrow (28 June) – “if there was such a motion”.

“The situation is changing by the hour. We need to send messages to our public that yes, we can change Brussels, so that it listens. There were many things done wrong and we must talk about that openly,” a diplomat from Central Europe told a group of journalists.

Juncker is blamed in particular for the harsh statements he made on Brexit – saying “out is out” – and his push to start divorce negotiations immediately with the UK.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees things differently and appears in no rush to pressure UK Prime Minister David Cameron to trigger Article 50, which would open a two-year negotiation process to withdraw Britain from the EU.

Asked about Juncker’s positions, the diplomat answered by saying his country backed the more moderate stance of Chancellor Merkel.

“Yes, the Commission has a responsibility in the outcome of the Brexit [referendum]. Yes, it has, it’s as simple as that,” the diplomat stressed.

He continued: “There are so many issues that frustrate people which are done by the Commission and which led to this outcome. But it’s not for me to comment whether [the solution] should be the resignation of the President, or if they would have to change their course of action. That’s for the leaders to talk about,” he said.

EU heads of state and government will discuss the Brexit aftermath tomorrow during a dinner with UK Prime Minister David Cameron. The next day, EU leaders will meet without Cameron to talk about the way ahead for the Union.

“There are quite a number of examples about the Commission not getting it right. The most visible example is the migration crisis of course. But there are other examples, if you want, we can send you a list. It will be a long list,” the diplomat continued.

“The Commission will have to change its habits. The gap is about what we do and what people thing we should be doing. It’s about closing the gap between the two. If you have a big gap, then you have huge populism. If you have a small one, then populism will be less attractive to the people,” he added.

It appears European Council President Donald Tusk will take over new responsibilities in leading the Brexit negotiations, leaving the Commission in a back seat role.

“Tusk is certainly up to the job. Our preference is that President Tusk should lead the negotiations,” the diplomat said.

Tellingly, Merkel did not invite Juncker to today’s meeting in Berlin where she will discuss the aftermath of the vote with French President François Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Council President Donald Tusk.

A source told EurActiv that Juncker was considering retiring anyway, due to health reasons.

But in the European Parliament, political groups appear united behind Juncker and appear unwilling to endorse his First Vice-President Frans Timmermans to replace him. Timmermans is a socialist, but not even the Socialist and Democrats group wants him to take over, EurActiv was told.

“Timmermans is seen as “extreme-right” in the left spectrum and a promoter of the views of the Netherlands,” a source in the Parliament said.

Juncker was designated as the front-runner for the European People’s Party (EPP) in the 2014 EU elections, an idea that was only reluctantly backed by Merkel who disliked the concept of having so-called “spitzenkandidaten”.

The three other EPP candidates were France’s Michel Barnier, Finland’s Jyrki Katainen and Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis. The latter two are currently vice-presidents of the Commission and could be considered as potential replacements should Juncker tender his resignation.

If Timmermans were to replace Juncker as Commission President, this would have a ripple effects on the other institutions. If this was the case, Martin Schulz, a German Social Democrat who is President of the Parliament, would probably have to step down in favour of an EPP-affiliated colleague.

Islam: Ramadan Fasting Brings Change In Mind And Life Of Muslims – OpEd

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A month of a serious intense religious-spiritual exercise Holy Ramadan has had a marvelous impact on the lives of Muslims for over 1400 years, although for many Muslims the fasting from dawn to dusk may be more a mere routine formality than a serious spiritual exercise to strengthen Islamic faith for life time. Not every Muslim who undertakes the strenuous fasting thinks they are spiritually purifying themselves so as to lead a much better life in future.

In fact, Islamophobia trends should make Muslims to be able to be steadfast in fasting with a full commitment to the cause of Islam. Unfortunately, not many appear to be thinking in terms of spiritual or at least religious benefits they get from the strict fasting effort they undertake now and year after.

As we have set in a fresh fasting now, we have to pose a question to ourselves. Do we think we are now sufficiently purified thanks to our fasting and prayers last year? If the answer is yes, we can be sure of reaping real benefits this year as well and always hereafter – not necessarily in wealth or money but above all these that make the believers dear and close to God.

Are we good humans, if not genuine Muslims now? Fasting and prayers guide the Muslims to a higher level of human consciousness and thinking as Muslims. If we have remained the same hollow Muslims after regular payers and fasting, then, something is wrong with us.

Why are the Muslims not at all serious about their rigorous fasting for about 12 hours day after day for one full month? Conversely, why should they deliberately waste their time in the name of fasting, not knowing why do they indeed fast all instead of using the time for making more money, if they don’t think they are fasting to please the God almighty?

Of course, it is one of the most embarrassing questions every Muslim has to answer with a fair amount of honesty. When a Muslim loves hypocrisy, falsehood and mischief as the basis of their way of life, keeps truth and honesty away from life even while fasting, only Islamic values fall a hapless victim. In place of truth and honesty if we try to compensate all our prayers by some other “gifts”, fasting etc won’t be able to purify us.

Every fasting day we must pose the question to ourselves: Have we purified ourselves after the fasting for a full month? Has any change taken place in our thinking and life after the fasting and have we ever made any conscious effort to illuminate our lives according Islamic traditions by respecting truth and honesty?

The mosques have the responsibility to teach the importance of fasting in the life of Muslims before the onset of the holy month of Ramadan so that Muslims, its youth particularly understand the real value of fasting as they begin the fasting. Knowledge of spiritual value for the fasting would help people to welcome and observe the fasting with purpose.

Generally, only during the Holy month some lectures are arranged by the mosque committees to tell Muslims about the virtues of holy Ramadan, but such lectures are also given before the Holy Ramadan month begins they would have some impact on the thinking and life of Muslims which in due course would benefit entire the Muslim community in a big and purposeful way.

Sacred Month

Ramadan month is sacred. The ruling to observe fasting during Ramadan was sent down 18 months after Hijra, during the month of Sha’aban in the second year of Hijra in 624 CE. The predominant practice during Ramadan is fasting from dawn to sunset. The pre-dawn meal before the fast is called the suhur, while the meal at sunset that breaks the fast is the iftar. Considering the high diversity of the global Muslim population, it is impossible to describe typical suhur or iftar meals.

The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful.

The Holy Quran was first revealed to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan which has been referred to as the “best of times”. The first revelation was sent down on Laylat al-Qadr (The night of Power) which is one of the five odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. According to hadith, all Holy Scriptures were sent down during Ramadan. The tablets of Ibrahim, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel and the Holy Quran were sent down on 1st, 6th, 12th, 13th and 24th Ramadan respectively.

Laylat al-Qadr, which in Arabic means “the night of power” or “the night of decree”, is considered the holiest night of the year. This is the night in which Muslims believe the first revelation of the Quran was sent down to Muhammad stating that this night was “better than one thousand months [of proper worship], as stated in Chapter 97:3 of the Qu’ran. Also, generally, Laylat al-Qadr is believed to have occurred on an odd-numbered night during the last ten days of Ramadan, i.e., the night of the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th. The Dawoodi Bohra Community believes that the 23rd night is laylat al Qad.

The Holy month of Ramadan is sacred period for Muslims who would stay pure in body, thoughts, deeds, relationships with others. Though it is not period for extravaganza celebrations, Muslims do welcome the Holy month happily in their ways but without making loud noises. This light celebration is meant to the days of arrival of Holy Qu’ran to the world through the holy Prophet. Muslims do not however overdo anything that is beyond the minimum marking that would be making sense.

Muslims engage in increased prayer and charity during Ramadan. Ramadan is also a month where Muslims try to practice increased self-discipline. This is motivated by the Hadith, especially in Al-Bukhari and Muslim that When Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of hell are locked up and devils are put in chains.

Tarawih refers to extra prayers performed by Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadan. Contrary to popular belief, they are not compulsory, many Muslims pray these prayers in the evening during Ramadan. Some scholars maintain that Tarawih is neither fard’ or a Sunnah, but is the preponed Tahajjud (night prayer) prayer shifted to post-Isha’ for the ease of believers. But a majority of Sunni scholars regard the Tarawih prayers as Sunnat al-Mu’akkadah, a salaat that was performed by the Islamic prophet Muhammad very consistently.

Mh2>What is fasting?

Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief.[ This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.

Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory (wājib) during the month of Sha’aban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset.

It is important to note that Fasting in Arabic is called, “Sawm”, which literally means ‘to be at rest.’ Fasting in the month of Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar) is one of the Five Pillars upon which the “house” of Islam is built. Sawm or rest is needed from usual and routine life of lies and mischief.

During this month, every able-bodied Muslim is required to fast, everyday from dawn until dusk. According to the Holy Quran, fasting was also obligatory for rich and prior nations, and is a way to attain taqwa, fear of God. God proclaimed to prophet Muhammad (SAS) that fasting for His sake was not a new innovation in monotheism, but rather an obligation practiced by those truly devoted to the oneness of God. The pagans of Mecca also fasted, but only on tenth day of Muharram to expiate sins and avoid droughts.

How does the fasting of Muslims in Ramadan differ from the fasting of other faiths? Why should one ‘torture’ one’s body in the first place? What do you really gain from fasting in the end?”…These are a few questions that a number of non-Muslim friends and colleagues often ask us, usually out of fascination with this spiritually-uplifting practice of Islamic faith, and at times out of pity and sympathy for us, thinking, why should anyone suffer from hunger and thirst like Muslims? We wouldn’t be surprised if many of today’s Muslims shared the same negative perception of Fasting.

In some Muslim countries today, lights are strung up in public squares, and across city streets, to add to the festivities of the month. Lanterns have become symbolic decorations welcoming the month of Ramadan. In a growing number of countries, they are hung on city streets. The tradition of lanterns as a decoration becoming associated with Ramadan is believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate primarily centered in Egypt, where Caliph al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah was greeted by people holding lanterns to celebrate his ruling. From that time, lanterns were used to light mosques and houses throughout the capital city of Cairo. Shopping malls, places of business, and people’s homes can be seen with stars and crescents and various lighting effects, as well.

The fast (sawm) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking, Muslims also increase restraint, such as abstaining from sexual relations and generally sinful speech and behavior. In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Quran by means of special prayers, called Tarawih. These voluntary prayers are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Quran (juz’, which is 1/30 of the Quran) is recited.

Therefore, the entire Quran would be completed at the end of the month. Although it is not required to read the whole Quran in the Tarawih prayers, it is common.

The holiday of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the next lunar month, Shawwal. This first day of the following month is declared after another crescent new moon has been sighted or the completion of 30 days of fasting if no visual sighting is possible due to weather conditions. This first day of Shawwal is called Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr may also be a reference towards the festive nature of having endured the month of fasting successfully and returning to the more natural disposition (fitra) of being able to eat, drink and resume intimacy with spouses during the day. Common greetings during Ramadan are “Ramadan Mubarak” or “Ramadan Kareem”, which wish the recipient a blessed or generous Ramadan.

As the nation with the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia has diverse Ramadan traditions. On the island of Java, many Javanese Indonesians bathe in holy springs to prepare for fasting, a ritual known as Padusa. The city of Semarang marks the beginning of Ramadan with the Dugderan carnival, which involves parading the Warak ngendog, a dragon-like creature allegedly inspired by the Buraq. In the Chinese-influenced capital city of Jakarta, fire crackers were traditionally used to wake people up for Morning Prayer, until the 19th Century. Towards the end of Ramadan, most employees receive a one-month bonus known as Tunjangan Hari Raya. Certain kinds of food are especially popular during Ramadan, such as beef in Aceh, and snails in Central Java. The iftar meal is announced every evening by striking the bedug, a giant drum, in the mosque.

Once the month of Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate one of the two most important holidays in the Islamic year: Eid-ul-Fitr, or the Festival of the Fast Breaking. It is a day to thank God for the blessing and training that He provides us with throughout the month of Ramadan. Eid-ul-Fitr is marked by praying in a huge congregation at an Islamic center or mosque, and by giving a small donation to the poor in the community. The adults give the donation on behalf of their children as well. Dinner parties, family outings, fairs, carnivals, and great joyous celebrations follow the prayer and charity.

Reasons to fast

Fasting is an institution for the improvement of moral and spiritual character of human being. The purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God-consciousness, compassion, the spirit of caring and sharing, the love of humanity and the love of God. Fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by all the religions of the world, with more restrictions in some than in others. The Islamic Fast, as opposed to mere starvation or self-denial, is an act of worship and obedience to God, thanksgiving, forgiveness, spiritual training, and self-examination.

Ramadan gives us a break and provides us with a rare opportunity to think about our own selves, our future, and our families. It is a time to give ourselves a mental break and to temporarily forget about the hundreds of worries and stresses we are constantly bombarded with. In hectic times, such as ours, and in places like the West, this valuable time to think about our lives, on individual basis, is a luxury and is desperately needed! It is a unique month of self-analysis, and of taking stock of one’s moral and spiritual ‘assets and liabilities’.

Fasting in Ramadan enables us to master the art of mature adaptability and Time-Management. We can easily understand this point when we realize that fasting makes people change the entire course of their daily life. When they make the change, they naturally adapt themselves to a new system and schedule, and move along to satisfy the rules. This, in the long run, develops in them a wise sense of adaptability and self-created power to overcome the unpredictable hardships of life! A person who values constructive adaptability, time-management, and courage will appreciate the effects of Fasting in this respect as well.

It cultivates in us the principle of sincere Love, because when we observe Fasting, we do it out of deep love for God. And a person, who loves God, truly is a person who knows what love is and why everyone on this Earth should be loved and treated justly, for the sake of God.

Fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health and mental well-being. The time, length and nature of the Islamic Fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. One of the medical benefits is a much-needed rest to the digestive system. The reduced food intake during the day allows the body to concentrate on getting rid of harmful dietary toxins accumulated as natural by-products of food digestion throughout the year. The length of the Islamic Fast itself (around 12-14 hours) is in sync with the ‘transit time’ of food from the mouth to the colon of the large intestine, ensuring that no stimulus reaches the stomach or digestive system while it remains in homeostasis.

Therefore, for the vast majority of healthy individuals fasting poses no medical risks but in fact provides many health benefits, such as: an increase in serum Magnesium, essential for cardio-vascular health and prevention of heart complications; improvement in the quality and depth of sleep; improvement in memory and slower skin aging over time; increased production of growth hormone, etc. Also, as a general note, it has been observed that underfed animals live longer than their heavily fed counterparts and suffer fewer illnesses during their lives.

Muslims should be helped to realize the worth and significance of fasting for their own lives and they should watch how much they have changed in their Islamic life patterns. For instance, while fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations with one’s spouse. But Muslims should also know what good these difficult things do to their soul. Muslims need to be instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting. Food and drink is served daily, before dawn and after sunset. Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the holy month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers) and recitation of the Holy Quran. This gives an idea about the value of fasting.

Objective of Fasting

Heaps of articles have been written on the subject and hundreds of books have been published to educate Muslims about the purpose of fasting during the Holy Month but unfortunately, there has been no visible impact on the thinking and life of Muslims who fast regularly as a formality.

Fasting is a reminder of our duty to God, our purpose and higher values in life, as God Himself describes the purpose of fasting as follows, “O you who Believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may develop consciousness of God” (Quran 2:183). “It is the month to visit the poor, the sick, and the needy to share their sorrows. It is the month where the food, sustenance and the earnings of a believing Muslim increases and they are blessed,” says the Final Prophet of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him), a man who was known for his noble humanitarian causes, for social justice, and for being the first to respond to other’s needs, despite the fact that he himself lived a very simple and humble life. It is only during such a trying time as Ramadan that we can reflect on the condition of those in this world who may not be as fortunate as us.

Islamic fasting makes every Muslim to be responsible for the onward spiritual march of Islam and accountable for their actions. Fasting should help Muslims to love fellow Muslims and come forward to help them in whatever manner they can in Islamic ways. The person who can rule their desires and make them work, as they like, has attained true moral excellence.

Fasting indoctrinates us in patience, unselfishness, and gratitude. When we fast we feel the pains of deprivation and hunger, and learn how to endure it patiently. The meaning of this powerful experience in a social and humanitarian context is that we are much quicker than anybody else in sympathizing with the oppressed and needy around the world, and responding to their needs.

Fasting elevates the human spirit and increases our awareness of God. It strengthens our will-power as we learn to rise above our lower desires. The institution of fasting is both unique and a shared experience in human history. From the very beginning of time, humans have struggled to master their physical and psychological selves: their bodies and their emotions. Hunger is one the most powerful urges that we experience. Many, through over- or under-eating or consumption of unhealthy foods, abuse this urge. Thus, when a person purposefully denies something to their own self that it craves, they are elevating their mind above their body, and their reason and will above their carnal passions. “A fasting person empties his stomach of all the material things: to fill his soul with peace and blessings, to fill his heart with love and sympathy, to fill his spirit with piety and Faith, to fill his mind with wisdom and resolution,” says H. Abdalati in Islam in Focus.

With the clarity of mind and absence of distractions, also comes a greater focus. As students, the period of fasting, especially early during the day, serves as a tool to focus the minds. In the month of Ramadan, many Muslims try to avoid watching TV, listening to unIslamic music, and some other leisure activities, which spares them more time and energy to be spent on more productive activities such as intense study of Islam, voluntary prayers, social and humanitarian causes, and a quality time with the family, to name a few.

Fasting in Ramadan develops in a person the real spirit of social belonging, of unity and brotherhood, and of equality before God. This spirit is the natural product of the fact that when people fast they feel that they are joining the whole Muslim society (which makes up more than one fifth of world’s population) in observing the same duty, in the same manner, at the same time, for the same motives, and for the same end. No sociologist or historian can say that there has been at any period of history anything comparable to this powerful institution of Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan. People have been crying throughout the ages for acceptable ‘belonging’, for unity, for brotherhood, for equality, but how echoless their voices have been, and how very little success they have met…” says Hammudah Abdalati, in Islam in Focus.

Ramadan gives us a break in and provides us with a rare opportunity to think about our own selves, our existence, our future, and our families. It is a time to give ourselves a mental break and to temporarily forget about the hundreds of worries and stresses we are constantly bombarded with. In hectic times, such as ours, and in places like the West, this valuable time to think about our lives, on individual basis, is a luxury and is desperately needed! It is a unique month of self-analysis, and of taking stock of one’s moral and spiritual ‘assets and liabilities’.

In a nutshell, even though the real purpose of the dynamic institution of Fasting is to discipline our soul and moral behavior, and to develop sympathy for the less fortunate, it is a multi-functional and a comprehensive tool of change in various spheres of our lives, including: social and economic, intellectual and humanitarian, spiritual and physical, private and public, personal and common, inner and outer — all in one!
Muslims should not be like match fixers in cricket or international frauds with bats while the state cum military cum media backing them to mint money and purchase awards and honors in the country and abroad.

Muslims are with a spiritual goal and Holy Ramadan only helps them. Let us ask ourselves if there is any change taking place in the life of Muslims after the Ramadan fasting. We have keep asking this question to ourselves until we find credible change in our lives for the better!

Spiritual value

When they embark on the holy month fasting they should know the difference between Islamic fasting routine fasting for hours once in a while in other religions but they drink but don’t take ‘hard food’. Muslims should know why they are fasting at all. Is it just for merely practicing life without food and drinks or the fasting has got something more than that?

In fact, one can call the fasting as holy fasting in order to stress the spiritual value of the fasting. We have to know that it is not just fast for a month and resume all evilish activities after the holy month.

For most Muslims- if not for all- fasting is just a formality to be observed just like that without any serious concern for spiritual aspect of it.

The month of Ramadan provides us with a sort of “Boot camp.” It is a month of intense moral training. Since we know that Fasting is a special duty prescribed by God, we learn that any sins may spoil our record of fasting with God, so we go through great lengths making sure we are on our best behavior. Many people who experience fasting in this month, feel the impact that this intense training has on their habits, and realize the power of this transformative tool designed to make us better human beings- the ultimate goal of any spiritual exercise. The entire Ramadan atmosphere provides the driving force for this positive change.

None other than Muslims observe fasting for a month as no other religion has this important pillar of faith Muslims are required to undertake.

If the answer is in the negative, perhaps there was something wrong with our fasting effort and we must revise out fasting and post fasting habits next year. We must hope to change, after all life depends on our genuine hopes.

Any Muslim who thinks they will not change but only fast just like that, they are wasting their fasting, thereby harming their hereafter and earn wrath of God almighty as well.
Lies, cheating, deceptive techniques and betrayal etc are not Islam. Muslims, therefore, should avoid kicking the fasting even while observing it.

God’s mercy and justice

Muslims seek mercy of Allah. The faithful Muslims seek justice from Allah during the Holy month of Ramadan more forcefully by fasting and leading a pure life.

Ramadan month is the time for all Muslims of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam.

The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Ramadan also teaches Muslims how to better practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity (zakat)

Moreover, it reminds us of the life after death, which itself has a great impact on our character and our world-view.

Ramadan is a blessed month for a special reason: It is actually the month in which God first revealed His final message and guidance for mankind to our beloved Prophet Muhammad. This message has been perfectly preserved both orally and textually in the form of a Book, called the Qur’an (The Reading/Recital). Therefore, Muslims try to do an intense study of the Quran in this month especially, and evaluate their lives according to the standards and guidance contained in it.

The mosques have got sacred duty to help Muslims undertake fasting sincerely. Muslims should be told that they fast not for obtaining or increasing wealth but for self purification in mind, heart and soul as preparation for making life Hereafter easily and happily. Muslims should know that even non believers and Allah haters and Islam haters also get wealth and power. Everyone knows it.

Let every Muslim be ready to welcome Holy month of Ramadan for further purifying ourselves, our thoughts, hearts, deeds, among other virtues so that we live good and honest humans.

Let others learn from Muslims! But if Muslims even while offering regular prayers and fasting according to Islami laws, also behave like others and do and talk exactly or even worse than others how others do, where is the difference between them and others?

There is exactly where Muslims have to ponder over as they undertake the fasting in the holy month!

There are Muslims who do not hesitate to use the holy Ramadan Month to make money and increase wealth by immoral and illegal means. Are they not anti-Islamic frauds? What can they contribute to Islam, except making it appear to be religion of frauds just like the terrorists making Islam a terrorist religion?

Holy Ramadan month fasting is a fruitful endeavor and Muslims should be happy about their own ability and Allah’s help to undertake the fasting sincerely and in the real sense!

Maldives: What Now After SC Confirming Nasheed’s Prison Term? – Analysis

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By N. Sathiya Moorthy*

In a none-too-unexpected but delayed decision, the Maldives Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s order, sentencing former President Mohammed Nasheed, to 13-year prison-term in the ‘Judge Abdulla abduction case’. With this, la affaire Nasheed seems set for taking a fuller politico-diplomatic turn, and at the international level.

A five-judge full bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Abdulla Saeed gave a point-by-point rebuttal of a series of procedural lapses alleged by the Nasheed defence, both in the trial court and later in the appeals. Going by media reports, the apex court seemed silent on the legality and constitutionality of the application of the nation’s anti-terror law in the case.

The bench also did not seem to have addressed the ‘procedural irregularities’ in the state’s withdrawal of the pending/ongoing trial under normal criminal/penal laws, and the filing of a fresh case under anti-terror law. The SC verdict, read out by CJ Saeed, held that the trial court was right in dismissing the defence demand for fresh documents after the conversion of the original case into a terror case.

In doing so, the bench did not seem to have explained, how, for instance, the two cases could be considered one and the same, as the original case had been withdrawn – and that the documents evidence submitted in one could be deemed to be relevant to the other, too. More importantly, conversion of an ordinary criminal case into one under anti-terror law had changed the entire scope of the case. From a defence perspective, they would have required time to study the new legal situation – which the Bench seems to concede was not given.

The bench also upheld the intermittent High Court (HC) order, dismissing the unilateral state appeal against the trial court order for want of locus standi. As the SC observed, Nasheed’s defence team first and later he pulled out of the trial halfway. Later, he also refused to appeal his conviction and sentence in the HC. If under international pressure, the government of President Abdulla Yameen was seen as suo motu appealing the trial court verdict in the HC, Nasheed also seemed to have done so, for the same reason, viz the SC appeal stage.

Pending the SC hearings and verdict, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD) had stated that Judge Abdulla’s (midnight) arrest by the nation’s armed forces, MNDF, and solitary detention in an island, were ordered by a ‘third party’ and as President, Nasheed, could not have been held accountable. However, video evidence produced at the trial showed President Nasheed (still in office) as declaring in public rallies that he was aware of Judge Abdulla’s detention and that he would do so, ‘again and again, if necessary’.

Then Defence Minister, Tholath Ibrahim, had also told the court that he had given written directions to the MNDF to arrest and detain Judge Abdulla. Tholath Ibrahim is serving a 10-year prison-term, also under ‘converted terrorism’ case in the ‘Abdulla abduction case’. The Commonwealth-initiated ‘Commission for National Inquiry’ (CoNI), set up by President Waheed Hussain, too had relied on Tholath’s evidence while upholding the legality and constitutionality of power-transfer involving Nasheed’s resignation on 7 February 2012.

As ‘Maldivian irony’ would have it, Judge Abdulla’s ‘abduction’ followed hours after his ordering bail for a then opposition leader, Ahmed Jameel Mohammed. Jameel went on to become President Yameen’s running-mate and Vice-President, to go on self-exile and be impeached in 2015. At present, Jameel heads the Maldives Joint Opposition (MJO), with Nasheed as patron, to take on Yameen and ‘restore’ democracy in the country.

The Nasheed defence has since said that the SC verdict has now cleared the way for them to take up the Nasheed issue with the international community. It is however unclear if they have a legal case to take up at international judicial fora against a civil court order of the highest category, and based on local laws, practices and ‘procedures’. The alternative would be for the Nasheed team would continue to fight a politico-diplomatic battle, with the support and help of friendly (western) governments.

For the Yameen leadership, the SC verdict has meant that the road may have been cleared for it to ask Nasheed to return home and serve out the remaining part of his sentence. Failing this, the Maldives government has the option to asking the UK to ‘extradite’ Nasheed. It could also seek to apply ‘diplomatic pressure’ through friendly neighbours like India and Sri Lanka, which had reportedly argued Nasheed’s case for ‘medical leave’, in the first place.

An extreme step from the Yameen leadership’s perspective could be to move the Commonwealth, among other world bodies, to ‘persuade’ the nominal head of the global body of erstwhile British colonies, to send back Nasheed, convicted and sentenced for an ‘act of terror’, as defined and upheld under local laws. If it came to that, such a course could set off diplomatic cross-currents within the organisation, ahead of the September meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

For now, the Maldivian government has maintained stoic silence to Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland’s nomination of former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga as a ‘special envoy’ for Maldives. With the SC order in its hand, the Maldivian government’s next move will be keenly watched as much as the next decision(s) of the Nasheed camp on the one hand, and the initiatives, if any, of the international community.

Under pressure from the international community after the trial court verdict for granting presidential clemency to Nasheed, Yameen had said that he would consider the same after the appeals-stage had been completed. However, quietly and very significantly, he recently changed the clemency law to provide for applications only after a convict had served at least half his/her term.

Nasheed’s 13-year term had commenced only in March 2015, followed by the ‘medical leave’ in London (not excluding a few weeks of ‘house arrest’ in capital Male, allowed under the local law). Even without ‘terrorism’ conviction and 13-year prison-term, Nasheed might have been ‘disqualified’ to contest the 2018 presidential polls for ordinary criminal law sentencing in the ‘Judge Abdulla case’ – depending on the length of sentence and consequent time run-ins.

Ahead of the SC verdict, Nasheed’s MDP-MJO had called for a civil disobedience movement from 15 July, as if to take their political battle to Maldives, where it belonged – from overseas, where they had taken it, especially after Nasheed moved to the UK, on ‘medical leave’. The MDP has also taken up the case of Humam, after the Supreme Court confirmed death sentence for the murder of parliamentarian and religious scholar, Afrasheem Ali, in 2012.

Originally, the MDP had come down heavily on the Government of then President Waheed, for delay in capturing the killer. Now, with the SC verdict, the party has pointed out – and, rightly so – that Humam, a ‘hired killer’, would have to be executed within 30 days of the SC confirmation, but without the police having got to the real conspirators and culprits.

The MDP has already moved the Parliamentary Committee on Government Oversight on the Humam verdict. MP Eva Abdulla, a Nasheed kin, has pointed to the SC Bench refusing to accept a Sharia-based victim family’s appeal for delaying the verdict, saying it was submitted after office hours, but the Bench going on to pronounce its verdict at 2 am.

It is too early to predict the public mood and reaction viz the Nasheed case verdict on the one hand, and the Humam verdict, the first ‘execution’ since 1953, if it came to that. In 2004, the nascent and disparate pro-democracy movement against President Maumoon Gayoom’s regime drew a lot of strength from the ‘custodial death’ of Evan Naseem, jailed for boot-legging.

With the Nasheed case coming to an undramatic end, and the Yameen leadership continuing its silence on the issue of Commonwealth speculation envoy, India too has its hands full. Its posturing, if any, ahead of the September CMAG meeting, and position when it happens has consequences for domestic politics in Maldives, bilateral relations and regional stability, apart from possible future of the Commonwealth itself.

*N. Sathiya Moorthy is Director, Chennai Chapter of the Observer Research Foundation. He can be reached at: sathiyam54@gmail.com)

Jailed Abroad: Indian And Pakistani Civilian Prisoners Paying Price Of Conflict – Analysis

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By Ravi Nitesh and Abdur Rauf Yousafzai
Conflict between India and Pakistan has continued since 1947. It has been almost 68 years as of now, with many wars and many border skirmishes having punctuated their bilateral ties. All these have not only resulted in wastage of money, but it also affected the psychology of people on both sides, adding to that ‘hatred’ which has been taught to generations through actions (of wars, statements etc) and through written materials (of media, books etc). But the eventual, actual sufferers are not those who are fanning the fire of hatred but the soldiers and other civilian population along the Line of Control (LoC) who are the direct victims of this conflict.
At present, prisons of both countries have civilians and fishermen of belonging to the other country. But while the conflict between these two nuclear powered neighbors continues in one form or another, military and diplomatic, efforts are being made by governments and civil societies to ensure peace building through many new initiatives.
One such initiative is the exchange of list of prisoners who are lodged in the prisons of the other country. List of prisoners were exchanged every year by the two governments under the agreement signed between them on May 31, 2008 where it was agreed that list of nationals of each other who are in prison of the either country will be exchanged on January 1 and July 1 every year. This agreement was an addition to the arrangements of exchange of information of each other’s unclear installations and facilities that already existed. Nuclear exchange list agreement was signed on December 1988 and entered in to force on January 1991.
Despite having such provisions and availability of lists, there were many families on both sides who were clueless about confinement of their family members in jail of other country as governments have not made any effort to put these lists up on public portals. An Indo-Pak Peace Initiative, Aaghaz-e-Dosti has chipped in its bit to ensure that this information becomes accessible to people at large.
11_0After its first release of detailed list of Indo-Pak prisoners in the year 2014, Aaghaz-e-Dosti released another detailed list of prisoners and fishermen of India and Pakistan who are lodged in other’s jail. This list is significant in terms of details, where it is first time when any such detailed list has been put up on a public portal. This list is a detailed one and provides status of prisoners as on July 1, 2015. Though there may be prisoners and fishermen who were released and few who were arrested during July 2015 and thus, the status may have been changed, however, the data is important in terms of its analysis to understand the many other aspects that often do not come into the knowledge of the people. An analysis of the same is presented here.
During the years, it was observed that both sides maintained numbers of prisoners and fishermen between 200 and 400. It has been observed that the number of fishermen in Pakistani jails is far higher than of number of fishermen on the Indian side. Aaghaz-e-Dosti observed that the reasons for the same are that the Indian fishermen sail towards deep sea on the Pakistani side of Arabian Sea and due to many reasons such as the desire for a big catch of fish or unawareness of crossing maritime boundary etc., get caught by Pakistani maritime agencies.
While from Pakistani sides, there are very few sailor who need to come towards the Indian side as good catch of fish is already available to them, however along with the undecided region of Sir Creek or in case of inadvertent crossing by fishermen, Indian maritime agencies arrest the wandered fishermen. Arrest of these fishermen is neither done under the UN Laws of the Sea nor is it logical or humanitarian. The boats of those who are arrested are confiscated and therefore, upon their release, livelihoods get affected. 1_6
We also see with the available list which has been updated till July 1 2015, that a total of 48 Indian prisoners (civil) were in Pakistani jails where approx 60% i.e. 29 prisoners (including 5 women prisoners) had already completed the sentence awarded to them, but they are unable to come due to their nationality not confirmed.  Sentence of 13 prisoners were completed even between the years 2002 and 2010, but they were unable to return due to nationality issue.
The list also includes 1 prisoner who is deaf and dumb and therefore nothing is certain about him. Names and parentage is not known for 2 other prisoners.  Long punishment (of more than 5 years and up to 25 years) was awarded in only 10 cases, while for all others, punishment is of 2 years. Long punishments were awarded under Pakistan Army Act and Officials Secrets Act.
From the data it was also observed that even when the punishment had less than 2 years of duration, prisoners were lodged in for long time due to other reasons such as ascertaining their nationality, that may be attributed to other factors such as bureaucratic hurdles or not getting proper advocacy and support.
Of the 355 Indian fishermen who were lodged in Pakistani jails, 352 had already been completed their sentence, but 218 of these were unable to return due to reason of nationality status not confirmed. 2_1
In the list of 27 Pakistani fishermen lodged in Indian jails, the nationality status is not confirmed in all cases.  In the list available, all fishermen are under-trial (while 1 fisherman got arrested in 2010, 14 in 2013, 12 in 2014 and others later) and no sentence awarded to them except of 1 prisoner who was later acquitted.  All cases are registered under under u/s 3,10,7,14 MZI Act (JMFC Dwarka).
Among the 251 total Pakistani civilians held in Indian jails, 102 are still under-trial, while 55 (including 1 deaf and dumb and 1 woman) completed their sentence and unable to return due to reasons related to nationality status. 7 people were acquitted from charges, but due nationality status and not filing of acquittal appeal from J&K government, they were unable to return.  There are 2 people against whom offence could not be registered as their mental condition is not sound. Death row prisoners are 2 and persons who get life term are 22 in numbers.
4_2Given that many are still languishing in the jails on both sides, suggestions have been sounded to ensure that justice is served to all. There is a need to expedite speedy trials of all under-trial prisoners and fishermen in their jails. For a long time, Aaghaz-e-Dosti has been appealing to both sides of the government to release fishermen with minimum penalty and in the sea along with their boats. It was also said during the Ufa summit joint declaration that all fishermen along with their boats will be released within 15 days, but it has not been completely done yet and needs to be reviewed to expedite the process.
Governments should also plan to have a common portal on such data of prisoners and fishermen lodged in jails of each other along with their present status. A task force should be created to look in the matters of coordination with families and other concerned authorities to expedite the release, identification of these persons within a time frame.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti believes that a better treatment of each other’s prisoners can really bring a constructive change and will only benefit in establishing the humanitarian and justful image of countries on both sides. It will also work as concrete step to do something useful that will directly and immediately benefit to people, specially to victims. It will also be seen as an inclination towards the desire to resolve more issues of conflict through discussing together and with the objective of larger benefit of people.
*Ravi Nitesh (New Delhi) and Abdur Rauf Yousafzai (Peshawar) are members of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, an Indo-Pak Friendship Initiative. They can be reached at: ravinitesh@gmail.com)

Brexit Will Leave Both Britain And EU Weaker – OpEd

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By Bhaswati Mukherjee*

Is Europe going into reverse gear with the impending divorce from UK? Five centuries ago, King Henry VIII, impatient with the demands of the papacy and refusal to annul his first marriage, broke with Rome and established the Church of England. That step changed Rome forever and established today’s roughly 85 million Anglicans. That was England’s first divorce from Europe and the European empire. This divorce from the European Union (EU) is more complicated.

The origins of English euro-scepticism, it has often been stated, laid in the Protestant Reformation. Historical parallels can sometimes be misleading, but the echoes from the past can resonate in the future. Brexit is, in the ultimate analysis, the rejection of globalisation and the natural opposition of the English to a bigger outside power, in this instance the European Union, the Commission and the Brussels bureaucracy.

Analysts say that “it is also caused by the most pernicious and debilitating Little English drug called nostalgia”. Nostalgia for the empire and the past remain the ideological heart of the passionate debate for Britain’s separation from Europe. It is indeed ironical that on the European side too there is little or no recognition of United Kingdom’s past glory. Anglo-French historian Robert Tombs has aptly remarked that when Europeans talk about history, they refer to the Roman Empire, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Great Britain is overlooked.

The result of Brexit was like a seismic upheaval. It split the United Kingdom between England and Wales on one hand and Scotland and Northern Ireland on the other. It brought to the forefront the possibility of another Scottish referendum, this time for separation from United Kingdom. It sharply demonstrated the divide between upwardly mobile, well-educated, multicultural English youth who voted to remain, especially in the city of London and the conservative, white, often racist, older and aging sections of English society who equated all of UK’s ills with EU membership.

It sharply impacted the world markets and brought the Pound to a new low. It has brought to an end Prime Minister David Cameron’s political career and now threatens that of the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. It is by no means certain however that Boris Johnson, the leader of Brexit, will become Prime Minister in September. Many point out that in the Conservative Party politics in the UK in the past, those who have successfully wielded the knife against party leadership have not ended up wearing the crown!

The future looks uncertain for the moment. Three million signatures have been obtained demanding a second referendum on UK’s membership, so as to ensure a debate in the House of Commons, after discussion by the House of Commons Petition Select Committee. It calls for UK government to annul the vote if they remain or leave vote is less than 60% from a turnout of less than 75%. Some have pointed out that since the UK is not a participatory democracy like Switzerland, Cameron is not obliged to accept the referendum. The reality is that Cameron staked his Prime Minister-ship on Brexit and has lost the gamble. He had threatened to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty immediately after the result to ensure a two-year countdown to the exit. He has not done so but could be pressured to do so by his peers when he attends the 27 nation EU Summit on Tuesday June 28, 2016.

Nor is the present attitude of the major European capitals encouraging. Reports emanating from Brussels indicate that most European leaders, barring possibly Germany, want to make an example of the British exit, so as to discourage any future trend in this direction. It is highly improbable that any concession on a future trade agreement with the EU will be made until Britain has invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This is to ensure that negotiations on future trade and financial arrangements are made with Britain as a non-member.

Three models now stand available so far as the future of Britain’s economic engagement with the EU is concerned, and these are the EU’s arrangements with Norway or with Canada or with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). A new model seems unlikely. It is certain that France and Belgium will reject any British proposal to remain within the European single market as a non-member unless Britain agrees, as Norway has, that European citizens may continue to live and work in Britain. As the French say, “a divorce is a divorce and there is no appetite to be nice on the day after!”

What has been the impact of the Brexit on India? India currently enjoys a positive trade surplus of around USD 3.64 billion with the UK. The depreciation of the British Pound will affect exporters and importers. India will need to negotiate agreements with EU and Britain separately.

At present, India’s trade with Britain stands at around USD 14 billion, which is more than the rest of Europe put together. Britain’s exit could also mean Britain and EU could compete for trading with India.

It is hoped that the EU will adopt a more flexible approach to complete its negotiations with India to conclude the EU-India Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement. It remains to be seen how Brexit will impact more than 800 Indian companies in UK in crucial sectors of British economy reportedly generating more than 110,000 jobs as well as flows of tourism and business from India to UK. The huge Indian Diaspora, most of who are in the ‘remain’ camp, is also worried about the future.

There is no doubt that Brexit also represent the rise of right wing populism in UK and across Europe. This will influence the agenda for mainstream political parties. It would also weaken the EU and its ability to tackle security issues or the problem of migrants. The impending divorce with Britain, the EU’s second largest economic and military power, will result in divisive debates about the terms and conditions of that separation. It will make Britain inward looking, less prosperous and isolated from Europe. It would ultimately lead to the slow unravelling of the EU leaving both, the EU and Britain weaker, more divided and less capable of addressing the multiple challenges to international peace and security.

*Bhaswati Mukherjee is a former Indian Ambassador. She can be reached at: rustytota@gmail.com

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