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Showing posts from August 30, 2020

Macron decries 'Islamic separatism', defends right to blaspheme

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French President Emmanuel Macron said freedom of expression includes the right to blaspheme [File: Sebastien Bozon/Pool/AFP] French President Emmanuel Macron criticised what he called "Islamic separatism" in his country and those who seek French citizenship without accepting France's "right to commit blasphemy". Macron on Friday defended satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which published caricatures of Prophet Muhammad that helped inspire two French-born men to mount a deadly January 2015 attack on the paper's newsroom.   The weekly republished the images this week as the trial began of 14 people   over the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and on a kosher supermarket. Speaking at a ceremony on Friday celebrating France's democratic history and naturalising new citizens, the French president said: "You don't choose one part of France. You choose France ... The Republic will never allow any separatist adventure." Freedom in France,

Opinion | The Charlie Hebdo trial serves as a reminder that we can’t have freedom without solidarity

  As the trial of co-conspirators in the Charlie Hebdo massacre begins in Paris, it is important to remember that freedom of expression cannot survive without solidarity from everyone in the ideas business. Charlie Hebdo is a French satirical newspaper well known for lampooning all sides of the political debate and having a special disdain for religion — all religions. Popes, rabbis and caliphs alike have come in for criticism from these merry atheist pranksters at the French publication, and if they didn’t like it, they didn’t do much about it. Until, that is, the newspaper published some caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. While there is a debate among religious and art historians about how Islamic thinking about portraying Muhammad has evolved over time, many contemporary Muslims consider any depictions of the prophet to be forbidden. When Charlie Hebdo published the cartoons, the magazine found itself literally under attack for doing so. In J

COVID-19: ‘Game-changer for international peace and security’ – UN chief

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Speaking at one of a series of international meetings among heads of State to enhance global cooperation in fighting terrorism and violent extremism, as part of the Aqaba Process, Secretary-General António Guterres said the pandemic was more than a global health crisis. “It is a game-changer for international peace and security”, he spelled out, emphasizing that the process can play a key role in “promoting unity and aligning thinking” on how to beat back the pandemic. Warning lights flashing Mr. Guterres maintained that the coronavirus has exposed the basic fragility of humankind, laid bare systemic and entrenched inequalities, and thrust into the spotlight, geopolitical challenges and security threats. “The warning lights are flashing”, he said, pointing out that as the virus is “exacerbating grievances, undermining social cohesion and fueling conflicts”, it is also likely to “act as a catalyst in the spread of terrorism and violent extremism”. More

70 Years After Partition Hindu-Sikh Exodus From Islamic Nations In Indian Subcontinent Continues, But No One Cares

  Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that a fresh batch of 180 Sikh families has arrived in the capital region from Afghanistan on Thursday (3 September) on long term visas. Sirsa informed that there has been an "exodus" of Sikh and Hindu families since the deadly attack on a Gurdwara in Afghanistan by radical Islamists that left 25 dead. A 6-year-old child was among the victims. On 25 March this year, terrorists armed with bombs and guns attacked the Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul. Even the funeral service next day for the slain Sikhs was disrupted by an explosive device. In July 2018, a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus was attacked by an Islamic State suicide bomber as they were on their way to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Nineteen people were killed in that attack, including Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country's best-known Sikh politicians at the time. The small Sikh and Hindu c

Sudan Agrees with Rebels to Remove Islam as State Religion

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I n signing successive peace deals with entrenched rebel movements last week, Sudan drew upon the legacy of Thomas Jefferson. “The constitution should be based on the principle of ‘separation of religion and state,’” read the text of an agreement between the North African nation’s joint military-civilian transitional council and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM–N). “The state shall not establish an official religion.” The declaration of principles further cements Sudan’s efforts to undo the 30-year system of strict sharia law under President Omar al-Bashir, during which Islam was the religion of the state. The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, four days after a more inclusive peace deal was signed with a coalition of rebel groups in the Sudan Revolutionary Front in Juba, South Sudan. The Juba agreement established a national commission for religious freedom, which guarantees the rights of Christian communities in Sudan’s southern regions. Su

Prague, Taipei announce new areas of cooperation as controversial Czech visit ends

The mayors of Prague and Taipei announced new areas of cooperation for the two sister cities, including orchestra tours, on Friday as a Czech delegation concluded a weeklong visit to Taiwan that was bitterly criticised by China. Taipei also donated 100,800 face masks and will share its experiences in controlling the coronavirus, Mayor Ko Wen-je said. The head of the 80-plus member delegation, Czech Senate leader Milos Vystrcil, is the highest-ranking Czech official to visit the democratically ruled island since 1989, according to Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. Since the delegation’s arrival on Sunday, it has met with Taiwanese counterparts to develop cooperation in a range of areas including trade, cybersecurity and the coronavirus pandemic. Vystrcil also met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Wu said Taiwan is looking into starting direct flights between Taipei and Prague using its flagship airline, China Airlines. Vystrcil has faced strong anger from

UN experts raise concerns over Hong Kong security law

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  In this Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, photo, police officers take enter the Apple Daily newspaper headquarters as founder Jimmy Lai is arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong. Seven human rights experts affiliated with the U.N. raised concerns over Hong Kong's national security law in a letter addressed to Chinese authorities, saying that the law infringed on certain fundamental rights.

Fresh confrontation near Pangong lake, a Tibetan soldier dead and other injured - Phayul

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DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 1: Fresh confrontation near the LAC of the the Indo-Tibetan border on August 29 and 30, between Indian and Chinese forces have taken place according to a statement by the Indian Army on Monday. The army said that attempts by Chinese forces to change the “status quo” has been thwarted.  “On the night of 29/30 August, PLA troops violated the consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements… and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” the Indian Army said Monday. A Tibetan soldier in the Special Frontier Force’s Vikas battalion has died and another Tibetan man from the same unit sustained injuries, possibly from the same incident at the LAC. The two have been identified as deceased Company Leader (Coy

Kurds no longer speak of peace | Ahval

I am back home again, after a long time apart. My hometown is scorching hot and trying to ward off this virus. Every person I talk to knows one relative or at least a neighbour who has tested positive for COVID-19. Some of my own relatives are also battling the coronavirus. Hospitals in Diyarbakır, Turkey’s largest Kurdish-majority province, are almost completely full. Most of the COVID-19 patients are at home, trying to get treatment with remote support from doctors. People are dying every day. Most people wear masks and try to take individual precautions. Schools have already partially opened for children who have exams this year, like my son. At school, they leave a row of desks empty between pupils. There are measures in place at schools, but children do come into contact with each other one way or the other. So we, the families, continue our lives, hoping nothing will happen. There are no closed shops in the city.

Hope to see comprehensive, peaceful resolution of decade-long Syrian conflict: India

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  Nine years of civil war in Syria has left thousands of people, including civilians, dead, according to human rights groups. India has conveyed to Syria that it hopes to see a comprehensive and peaceful resolution of the decade-long Syrian conflict through a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue, involving all parties. This was conveyed by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan in his talks with Syria’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Fayssal Mekdad held through video conferencing. The virtual meeting on Thursday provided an opportunity to comprehensively review the bilateral relations and chart a road map for further cooperation in areas of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Thanking Mekdad for his assessment on the evolving situation in Syria and the region, Muraleedharan reiterated India’s hope to see a comprehensive and peaceful resolutio

Portland suspect shot dead by police during arrest

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Police in the US have shot dead a man suspected of fatally shooting a right-wing activist during protests in Portland, Oregon, officials say. Michael Reinoehl, 48, a self-described antifa supporter, was filmed shooting the man during last weekend's tension, and admitted to it before his death. Reinoehl earlier said he acted in self-defence when he shot Aaron Danielson, a supporter of the Patriot Prayer group. Police said he was armed and was shot during a confrontation with officers. Black Lives Matter protests have been taking place nightly in Portland since the killing of black man George Floyd in May. Last Saturday Trump supporters held a large rally and fought with anti-racism protesters in violent exchanges. Reinoehl, who regularly attended the protests, had told Vice News that he had thought he and a friend were going to be stabbed by Danielson. "I had no choice. I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of colour. Bu