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Showing posts from October 25, 2020

France: Priest attacked in Lyon, attacker flees after shooting

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Saudi Arabian man crashes car into gates of Mecca’s Grand Mosque

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Africa: Chronically Underfunded, Women Peacebuilders Need Support More Than Ever

Women peacebuilders mediate disputes, diffuse tensions and save lives in the hardest to reach places, yet their front-line work is consistently underfunded. When progress made on gender equality is at risk of reversal worldwide, and inequalities and instability are growing, sustained funding for women's work for peace is desperately needed. Here's where we stand: The share of bilateral aid dedicated to programmes on gender equality and women's rights in conflict-affected and fragile countries has decreased in recent years, to just 4.5 per cent. Of the total bilateral aid targeting fragile countries from 2017-2018, a meagre 0.2 per cent went directly to women's rights organizations - a percentage that hasn't changed in a decade. Meanwhile, investments and trade in arms continue unabated, with global military spending reaching a record USD $1.9 trillion in 2019 - the largest annual increase in a decade. This is 20,000 times higher than the amoun

Rwanda: Reserve Force Train on Prevention of Child Soldiers' Recruitment

  Select members of the Rwanda Defense Force's (RDF) Reserve Force have just completed a special training on preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The course is a collaborative effort between The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security (formerly the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative) and the Rwanda Defence Force to enhance support for continuity of learning programmes despite COVID-19 pandemic. The Dallaire Institute, whose African Centre of Excellence is based in Rwanda, works to end the recruitment and use of children as soldiers globally. This most recent training took place at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District in the Northern Province and brought together 20 members of the RDF Reserve Force. This was the sixth basic course delivered since 2017, and the first with a special focus on members of the Reserve Force. A first of its kind anywhere, according to Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Institute, the

OPINION | Should Muslims Really be Enraged by Macron's Statement on Islam Amid France Terror Attacks?

 It isn’t the first time that the depiction of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) has enraged Muslims all around the globe and do not believe that it will be the last time. While global politics is heading towards more crystal-clear approach of either Right or Left, such incident of a Muslim youth beheading a teacher in France for depicting Prophet’s image is not helping anyone to be honest. France has had a history when it comes to being the centre of such controversy, Charlie Hebdo being one and the shooting incident followed. But, why depiction of Prophet Muhammad is so heavily criticised in Muslim world.   Islam, like Abrahamic and biblical religions, revolves around the basic principle of belief in oneness of God. What is followed by the guidance of a Prophet. What Moses (Musa Alayhi As-Salaam*) and Jesus (Isa Alayhi As-Salaam) are to Judaism and Christianity respectively, Muhammad is that to Islam. As Christian community heavily debates on how white or pale was Jesus, Judaism a

Defending Blasphemy, Islam and Free Speech : A. Faizur Rahman

  By A. Faizur Rahman There can be no doubt that the murder of middle-school teacher, Samuel Paty, in France earlier this month for displaying cartoons of Prophet Muhammad was an act of sickening brutality. But what makes it even more horrifying is the fact that it was committed in the name of a prophet who is honoured in the Quran (21:107) as Rahmatal Lil Aalameen (embodiment of universal compassion). Muslim Response In his New York Times article, Muslims and Islamophobia: Quran Has Many Verses That Command A Courteous Response to Even A Terrible Insult to Islam Islamic scholar Mustafa Akyol reminds Muslims that blasphemy laws were invented by medieval Muslim jurists to punish anyone who insulted their religion but Muslims “don’t have to blindly abide by medieval jurisprudence.” His plea was: “We can defend our faith not with the dictates of power, but the appeals of reason and virtue.” Muslims have every right to protest against condemnable attempts to def

Ugandan Rebels Kill 19 in Eastern DR Congo

Nineteen people have been killed during a night attack by Ugandan rebels, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), in a remote village in Mamove, Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to Kinos Kituho, the leader of the civil society in Mamove, "the enemies killed people with machetes and axes. At the moment, we have a death toll of 19 civilians, 40 houses burnt down, and several people missing". The attack happened overnight in the remote village of Baeti, near Mamove, about 20km west of Oicha, the capital of Beni in North Kivu Province. The UN peace force Monusco, which has been fighting rebels in eastern Congo, also has a base about 6km from the village. Mr Kituho blamed the Congolese army (FARDC) for failing to defeat the rebels, who have carried out a series of massacres in the region. The residents, according to Mr Kituho, decried the frequency of attacks in the area, with the latest being the fourth in less than a month that has cl

Somali peace activist Ilwad Elman receives German Africa Prize 2020

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  German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has presented this year's award to Ilwad Elman, a leading advocate for peace and justice in war-torn Somalia. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, attending this year's German Africa Prize ceremony in Berlin was quite a challenge for Ilwad Elman. Rather than flying directly to Germany from Somalia, she had to go into quarantine elsewhere due to coronavirus-related health measures.  But Elman, who fled war and terror in her native Somalia as a two-year-old and returned 17 years later, is used to fighting against the odds. Read more:   Somalia's tumultuous 60-year journey after independence "With you, the German Africa Prize has a worthy, inspiring and deeply human recipient," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Elman after presenting the award in the German capital Berlin. "At only 30 years of age, you have stood up for the weakest members of society — child soldiers, survivors of sexual violence,

Somali refugees watch US election closely

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Refugees who were affected by US President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban are closely following the US election. Many are hoping for a new life in the US — but their futures hang in the balance. Mother of five Maka Dalal Kabare is one of thousands of Somali refugees currently living in Kenya's capital Nairobi. She was originally due to resettle in the United States. But her plans were derailed in early 2017 after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning refugees from seven Muslim majority countries  — including Somalia — from entering the US. "We fulfilled all the resettlement preconditions, but we were separated by the ban imposed by Trump," Kabare told DW. "I have nothing left, I was the leader of my family. Read more :  Kenya delays closure of world's largest refugee camp Some of her children made it into the US in early 2016 before the ban took full effect. Now all Kabare can do is wait to be reunited with them. "

Tanzanian Poll Is Likely to Usher in a New Era of Authoritarianism. Here's Why

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  Tanzanians voted in their general election on October 28 in a poll that pitted popular opposition chief Tundu Lissu against incumbent John Magufuli. As the results were announced, Dan Paget explains why incumbent John Magufuli was declared the winner, and what his second term will mean for democracy in the East African nation. How do you rate the independence or fairness of the Tanzania election commission now and in the past? I no longer have faith in Tanzania’s National Electoral Commission or the validity of the election results . The validity of elections should be something that is determined by independent bodies and rigorous procedures. However, I am afraid that guesswork and judgement are the only means at our disposal to assess the validity of these elections, because other avenues to verify it have been blocked in advance. It is never easy to know when to give credence to allegations of election manipulation. Such accusations can always be made in ba

Opinion: Tanzania faces huge challenges to peace and unity

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Opposition candidates have been suspended, harassed and arrested. There's been violence and intimidation, nevertheless Tanzanians must stay strong and help their country in turbulent times, says DW's Grace Kabogo. Voting irregularities have deeply unsettled Tanzanians. Some are already saying the  election has been rigged, while several opposition leaders are calling for their supporters to demonstrate and demand justice through peaceful means. Do we really need to go onto the streets if election results are announced without being counted properly? I don't think so.  Instead, the political class should channel its energies to focus on a more pressing issue. The current law does not allow presidential results announced by the National Electoral Commission to be contested in court. Now more than ever it's time for political parties, civil society organizations and human rights activists to push for a constitutional amendment to remove this outdated legislat

Turkey and Pakistan's campaign to boycott French products backfire as Saudi Arabia steps in

  French President Emmanuel Macron's stand against Islamist terrorism has led to a new geopolitical tussle among countries like Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. New Delhi: The temperament displayed by French President Emmanuel Macron to fight the radical Islamist terrorism after the brutal murder of teacher Samuel Paty and the outrage by the French citizens over the incident has led to a new geopolitical tussle. In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attacked Macron and said, “The person in charge of France has lost his way. He goes on about Erdogan all day. Look at yourself first and where you are going…he is a case and he really must be checked up.” Turkey also launched an aggressive campaign to boycott French goods from its markets.  In a show of support to Turkey's campaign, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that Macron chose “to encourage Islamophobia by attacking Islam rather than the terrorists” adding that Macron chose “to deliberately provoke M

Three LeT militants came by a car to carry out fatal attack on BJP workers in Kulgam: IGP

Police on Friday seized a vehicle which it claimed was used by the militants to carry out last night’s fatal attack on three BJP workers including the saffron party’s youth general secretary for Kulgam district of south Kashmir. Talking to reporters, Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said it seems the attack was pre planned by three Lashker-e-Toiba militants “Involvement of local militants like Nissar Ahmad Khanday, Abass Sheikh of Khudwani is coming to fore and also there is possibility of involvement of a (foreign militant),” the top police officer of Kashmir said, as per news agency GNS. “The militants came in an alto car belonging to Altaf, a local, and came close to the vehicle of (BJP youth general secretary) and fired indiscriminately. They were injured and succumbed to wounds on the way,” he said. Three BJP workers Fida Hussain Yatoo (BJP District Youth General secretary) son of Ghulam Ahmad Yatoo of Y.K.Pora, Umer Rashid Beigh (BJP worker) son of Abdul Rasheed Beigh resi

Central Africa: The Fastest Way to Send Criminal Cash - Money Transmitters

  International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (Washington, DC) By Will Fitzgibbon and Mago Torres How companies like Western Union and MoneyGram play a hidden role in laundering cash from around the globe. No, this former vice president cannot have his seven planes back. In May, the International Criminal Court ruled that Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, will not be compensated for spending more than a decade in detention on war crimes and other charges mostly overturned on appeal. He will not be reunited with his planes, villas and river cruiser, nor will he receive the $77 million he asked for in compensation. After 12 years and more than 100 witnesses, history now records just one judgment of guilt: that Bemba bribed witnesses using Western Union and MoneyGram International, the world's largest money transmitters. Bemba and his allies, the court found, offered soldiers and civilians $100 or more — and in some cases rel