A separate census to be carried out by the Northern Council

 Saturday, 28 December 2013 

The Northern Provincial Council is to conduct a separate census of the human and material losses during the war after the TNA announced its decision to reject the census carried out by the Census and Statistics Department.

The Council is to now compile its own data base on the losses due to the war.

Northern Provincial Councillor Dharmalingam Siddharthan has said the Council will work out the logistics to conduct the census.

The TNA has already announced that there were issues over the procedures adopted in gathering information by the officials conducting the census.

The Northern Provincial council has stated that the government was attempting to give low figures on the losses during the war through its census.

Post-Tsunami Debacle And Postwar Aggravations

By Rajan Philips -December 29, 2013 

Rajan Philips

Nine years ago, in 2004, the day after Christmas, Sri Lanka became one of the major victims of the Asian tsunami.  The nature’s fury brought the best and the worst in Sri Lankan society even as it ravaged most of the island’s coastal areas.  The best response was from the people who spontaneously stepped up to help one another, humanely crisscrossing ethnic boundaries, with Sinhalese soldiers rescuing Tamil and Muslim victims and Tamil LTTE rescuing Sinhalese and Muslim victims.  They responded before the state could mobilize itself and before needed and unwanted foreign help arrived from far flung places.  The cynics invariably called the deluge of foreign help as ‘NGO tsunami’.  A very positive explanation and hopeful teaching, in my view, emanated from the pen of Rev. Dalton Forbes, Catholic Priest and scholar, and longtime professor at the Oblate Seminary in Ampitiya.  Writing from a common religious standpoint, Father Forbes provided an explanation for the overlapping of the supernatural and the natural, and human interactions with both.  More importantly, he dealt with interactions among Sri Lankans and their conflicts based on the false naturalizations and pseudo essentializations of their socialized and politicized differences.  He raised the expectation that the tsunami aftermath could be the Tabula Rasa (black slate) on which our political leaders would write a new inclusive political charter for the future.  That expectation was frustrated.  Our ill-equipped leaders did not make even a semblance of effort to fulfill Forbes’s hopes.  They showed the worst of Sri Lankan society.

The tsunami hit Sri Lanka towards the frustrating end of a much maligned and much abused peace process.  It dramatically exposed the limitations of Sri Lankan society and polity.  The articulated hopes of Father Forbes and many others, as well as the unstated desires of the silent Sri Lankans who are seen as voters but never heard as citizens, were that Sri Lanka’s political leaders and the LTTE leader would come together to lay the foundation for a more inclusive, plural and mutually reinforcing social and political order.  However, they did not rise to the occasion but sank in a welter of petty egotism, devious opportunism, and juvenile grandstanding.  On the one hand, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremasinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa were involved in a vicious circle of mistrust, pettiness and undercutting, while on the other hand, the LTTE leader was insistently intransigent and utterly unamenable to transforming his organization to become plural, tolerant and democratic.

Read More

The big wave of corruption How some found a gold mine in tsunami reconstruction

THURSDAY, 26 DECEMBER 2013

Nine years ago on a day like today in Sri Lanka more than 40,000 people died while over 800,000 people became homeless due to the Tsunami: a gush of water that suddenly came from the ocean and washed away many lives and buried homes, people and memories inside the cold blue sea.

After the Tsunami, ‘recovery’ was a term no one believed (Yet everyone tried and worked towards).

For a country such as Sri Lanka, which was already suffering from a brutal war (When the Tsunami occurred), the Tsunami was a disaster beyond disasters.
It was a tragedy beyond comprehension. A ruthless act of nature that no one understood, but everyone had to pay for. To mark the ninth anniversary of this black day in Sri Lankan history, Daily Mirror visited Batticaloa, which was one of the worst hit Tsunami areas.  

The Big Wave of Corruption How Some Found a Gold Mine in Tsunami Reconstruction by nelvely

Micro camera in staff toilet: Minister couldn’t care less

December 27, 2013, 9:56 pm 

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Child Development and Women’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda yesterday said that the incident where a micro-camera had been installed in a hospital staff toilet was not his concern as it did not come under his ministry’s purview.

However, investigations had commenced into the alleged installing of a micro-camera on the towel rack of the hospital staff toilet.

Meanwhile, MP Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle said that stern action should be taken against the real culprit, irrespective of his status or political influence, as it had seriously violated the human rights of others.

"It is illegal to place cameras in a toilet as it is an abuse of sexuality," She said. She stressed that the incident clearly showed that the values of people in this society had gone down.

Responding to a query, Dr. Fernandopulle said that the Child Development and Women’s Affairs Ministry should pay more attention to such incidents as it affected the women of this country. She added that there should be a public discussion regarding such incidents.She told ‘The Island’, "When I read the news story regarding the incident of allegedly installing a micro-camera in a toilet, I was shocked as now public toilets have become unsafe and easy targeting grounds for sexual predators."

Dr. Fernandopulle cautioned women keep vigilant whenever they use public toilets.

Women should to take steps to ensure they did not become gullible victims, but the authorities also needed to play a proactive role in protecting the public too, she added.

Does The Feeling Of Belonging To An Ethnic Community Make One A Mental Patient?

By A Heretic -December 28, 2013 

Dr. EW Adikaram

Does the feeling of belonging to an ethnic community make one a mental patient? -  A heretical reading of Dr. E. W. Adikaram’s article “Isn’t the Nationalist a Mental Patient?”

Dr. E. W. Adikaram is a much respected humanist and the article under discussion is one of his most famous ones with a wide appeal to both the English and Sinhala reader. It has been pointed out that Dr. Adikaram’s “hallmark was the spirit of inquiry and courteous engagement” (Nalaka Gunawardene, Groundviews). The following comments are made in the same spirit.

In this article, Dr. Adikaram uses the term nationality to mean the national identity of Sinhalese, Tamils, and Telegus etc., in the old usage of the term which read ජාතිය (jā­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­thiya) in Sinhala. Today, in the scholarly discourse at least, the term used for these categories is ethnicity.

Challenging the argument that “[A] person is Sinhalese because he speaks the Sinhalese language,” Adikaram points out that “there are people of other nationalities who speak only Sinhalese because they happen to be brought up from early childhood in homes where only Sinhalese is spoken. “ What does he mean here by ‘other nationalities’? Apparently the fact that they are called as such by themselves or others, not that Adikaram believes that there is something called nationality (read:  ethnicity) as such. What he attempts in this article to begin with is to challenge the usage of the terms Sinhalese, Tamil, Telugu etc. to denote a person’s identity.  When he refers to “non-Sinhalese homes,” he is referring to homes in which children are brought up mainly speaking non-Sinhala languages.  Does he mean a Tamil or a Telugu who happens to be brought up from early childhood in a home where only Sinhalese is spoken? Why would someone be called a Tamil or a Telugu if s/he speaks only Sinhalese? That person must have attributes other than the fact that s/he speaks only Sinhalese. But Tamil is a language. So is Telugu.  A Tamil is someone whose mother tongue is Tamil.  The same goes for a Telugu.  In this sense, someone who speaks only Sinhalese cannot be called a Tamil or a Telugu.

Read More

Isn’t The Nationalist A Mental Patient?

By EW Adikaram -December 28, 2013

Dr. EW Adikaram

Are you a Sinhalese? If you are a Sinhalese, how do you know that? I have asked this question from many who call themselves Sinhalese. I have so far never received a satisfactory reply from any of them.

I have also asked those who say that they are Tamils, Telegus, etc., as to how they know that they are Tamils, Telegus and so on. From them too, I have never received a satisfactory reply.

When this question is asked, some get annoyed. Some ask back why I should ask this question when the reply is so obvious, some consider that the question is asked merely for fun. Still others reply that they have never given thought to this question. Anyway a satisfactory, a logical and an acceptable reply does not come forth from any of them.

“I am a Sinhalese because my parents are Sinhalese.” This is the argument of many. This surely is not a reply but only shifting the question a little further, as the next immediate question would then be “How do you know that your parents are Sinhalese?” This shifting can go on further and further, but the question will not thereby be solved.

“A person is Sinhalese because he speaks the Sinhalese language.” This is another argument that is usually adduced. But there are people of other nationalities who speak only Sinhalese because they happen to be brought up from early childhood in homes where only Sinhalese is spoken. Simply because they speak the Sinhalese language they do not thereby become Sinhalese. And also there are Sinhalese people who speak a language other than Sinhalese because they were brought up in non-Sinhalese homes. They are not considered non-Sinhalese simply because they cannot speak Sinhalese. It is therefore clear that one is not a Sinhalese just because he speaks Sinhalese. Similarly a person does not become an Englishman simply because he speaks English.                                                  Read More

SRI LANKA: Badurueliya Hospital to be reopened after weeklong shutdown

December 27, 2013

n the early morning of December 27, the authorities addressed a large crowd of people protesting outside Badureliya District Hospital. They had come to support a Member of Parliament who was staging a hunger strike demanding the reopening of the hospital. The authorities announced to the crowd that the hospital would be reopened the next morning.

The hospital was closed down after the death of a local man. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition and, according to his family and their neighbours, did not receive immediate medical attention. He died before any treatment was provided. The incident took place on December 17 2013. When the news of his death spread to the surrounding villages his neighbours gathered and protested peacefully. The hospital was closed down when the doctors went on strike in retaliation to the protest.

According to the son of the deceased, Mr. P.K. Caushaliya, he, along with some friends, took his father to the hospital at midnight on the 16th as his condition was serious. He took his father to the admissions desk. However, there was no one there to receive patients. He cried out to attract attention but only an orderly arrived. It was 40 minutes later that a doctor by the name of D.M.O. Nandakumara arrived. As the deceased had difficulty in breathing his son asked the doctor whether there was no one there to give emergency care. Dr. Nandakumara did not provide any emergency treatment but only instructed that the patient be admitted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a Grama Sevaka and a policeman arrived. They seem to have been called by the doctor. These two officers started assaulting Caushaliya in front of his ailing father. The friends who had accompanied them intervened in an attempt to stop the commotion. However, the two officers forced Caushaliya and his friends into a police jeep and took them to the station. One of the officers, a man named Suriyaarachchi, said loudly, “These two fellows should be taken to the station and beaten, and thereafter be remanded for 14 days”. Caushaliya’s request to be at the hospital in order to assist his father was ignored.

Meanwhile, the father was transferred to Nagoda Hospital and there the doctors informed his relatives that it might be possible to save his life. Later the patient was declared dead. When the news of his death reached Badureliya, the villagers gathered to protest. They did not cause any damage to any persons or property.

The following day, December 17, the doctors did not report to work at Badureliya District Hospital in retaliation to the protest. Later, the nurses also joined in to support the doctors. The work of the hospital came to a standstill and there were no doctors or nurses to attend to the patients. This situation continued until midnight yesterday.

On December 25, a local Member of Parliament, Palitha Theverupperuma, started a hunger strike demanding the immediate reopening of the hospital. Crowds began to gather in support of the MP’s hunger strike. Meanwhile, some unknown persons attacked the MP’s vehicle, causing serious damage.

By the evening of December 26, larger crowds had gathered and, according to reports, there were approximately 3,000 people at the protest. It was at this stage that the authorities announced that the hospital would be reopened on December 27, today.

Many villagers expressed discontent with the way this hospital is being administered. They narrated many incidents to illustrate the negligence on the part of the doctors and the other staff of the hospital. In one case, a man who was brought to the hospital in a diabetic coma. The same doctor involved in the present case declared that man to be dead. The family took the man to another hospital where he was administered an injection, after which he regained consciousness.

That a hospital could be closed for over a week due to a protest following the death of one of the fellow villagers is an indication of the negligence on the part of the Health Ministry in administration. The government needs to launch an inquiry into this whole incident and take remedial action to avoid a recurrence.

Gota Becomes Dog Abductor: Inside Story Of The Cruel Massacre Of Dogs In Sri Lanka

December 29, 2013 

Several months prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in November 2013 in Colombo, a massive operation to make the city of Colombo look clean and attractive for the event, was implemented by the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development

Part of this operation was to remove nearly 300 homeless dogs from the streets, and house them in temporary shelters.  The organisation for Animal Rights and Welfare ‘Ahinsa Sri Lanka’ was told by the Colombo Municipality, that the dogs will be released in the areas they were taken from, soon after CHOGM ended.

This assurance was made public, through newspapers and websites prior to CHOGM. But at the latest news conference held in this regard, Animal Rights Activist and President of ‘Ahinsa Sri Lanka’ Mrs. Iranganie de Silva,( wife of Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva) disclosed, that these dogs numbering 280, had been taken in vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces to Halavatha, and killed.

Mrs. De Silva claims that despite a Presidential order banning the killing of street dogs, the Colombo Municipality had totally disregarded it.  Therefore, the killing of these innocent animals is totally illegal, she states.

Though the Colombo Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena promised ‘Ahinsa Sri Lanka’ to protect these dogs from any harm and to release them after CHOGM concludd, Mrs. de Silva claims that they were hoodwinked and lied to.

Until the conclusion of CHOGM, these dogs were kept at the Dematagoda Slaughter House.

When Animal Rights Activist Sagarika Rajakarunanayake , President of ‘Sathva Mithra’ and Iranganie de Silva visited the Dematagoda Slaughter House to check on the welfare of the dogs being kept there, they found that the dogs had no food nor water. Further, the dogs were packed into confined spaces, cramped on top of each other.

When the owners of some of these dogs came to claim their pets, some of the workers and officers at the Slaughterhouse had demanded bribes.

When the Police was called to the scene, the Municipal Commissioner had claimed that arrangements had been made to take the dogs to Anuradhapura and release them there. It was assumed that the dogs would most probably be taken to the canine sanctuary maintained by the Anuraddhapura Municipality in Mihintale.

But upon checking with the Anuradhapura Municipality, it was found that no such arrangements had been made with them.

Animal Rights activists then demanded that the dogs be released in the areas they had been taken from and were familiar with. The Municipal Commissioner had promised to do so.

However what has happened today is something totally different, cruel and inhuman, says Iranganie de Silva.

She claims that she assumed, since her husband Nimal Siripala de Silva was a senior Minister in the government, she would be able to save these dogs, but the Colombo Municipality couldn’t care less.

She further states, that according to information received by  ‘Ahinsa Sri Lanka’ , the dogs in the custody of the Colombo Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena, had without her involvement, been taken away by a powerful individual (not a politician), with the help of the Armed Forces and killed them.

Nimal Siripala’s wife speaks of his powers

Saturday, 28 December 2013 

Wife of Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has said that her husband did not possess any power in the government despite being a minister.

She has told the media that he was even unable to secure the release of dogs who were captured from Colombo and detained during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

De Silva’s wife who is the President of Sri Lanka Animal Protection Association (SLAPA) has said that although she had though he husband could help get the dogs released, the Colombo Municipal Council has not heeded the request.

The Minister’s wife, Iranganie de Silva has said that the dogs that caught in Colombo before the CHOGM have been taken to the Chilaw area and killed.

She has pointed out that although the President has banned the killing of dogs in the circular issued on behalf of the ‘Sambuddha Jayanthiya’, the CMC has acted in contrary to the ruling.

SL Navy opens resting point for Buddhist pilgrims in Jaffna district

Tamil Guardian 28 December 2013

A resting point for Buddhist pilgrims was opened in Mathagal in Jaffna district this month, by the chief Buddhist monk at Nagadeepa Temple, situated in Nainatheevu, along with a number of Sri Lankan Navy officials. The newly built complex is called 'Dambakolapatuna Pilgrims Rest', and is by the recently built Buddhist temple - Dambakolapatuna Sangamitta Viharaya. The official website (see here) was launched by the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, who also laid the foundation stone for the building, during his visit to the site last year.

WikiLeaks: Chandrika Precipitated The Current Crisis – US

December 28, 2013

“The Ambassador said that he wanted to be sure the PM realized two things before going into a discussion of the current issue. First was that we believed that what he and his government had done in the past two years on peace and on bringing Sri Lanka into the modern economic world were unprecedented. Second, that we were clear that it was the President who had precipitated the current crisis. That being said, both the peace process and economic reform were at risk, and the challenge now was to find a way forward.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The classified diplomatic cable details a meeting the US ambassador had with then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The “Confidential” is cable signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Jeffrey J. Lunstead on January 12, 2004.

The US Embassy wrote; “The Ambassador then described his December 26 meeting with the President when he had handed over the letter from Secretary Powell. The Ambassador told the PM that he had pressed the President hard to come up with a bold political approach to resolve the crisis, and that she had resisted initially but finally conceded she might have some new ideas. What was the PM’s thinking now on Defense? Was the Indian idea of constituting separate theater commands still in play?

“The PM said that he had made a proposal on how to handle Defense issues, which the President had rejected. Elaborating, the PM said that under his plan the President could remain as Secretary of Defense, he would be Minister of National Security and (former Defense Minister) Tilak Marapana would be named Minister Assisting Defense. The entire Defense establishment (Army, Navy, Air Force) would be put under the PM’s control (‘gazetted’ to him). All operational matters would fall under Marapana. The President would chair the National Security Council. This would be similar to the French system, he said, where there is a ‘Minister of Armies.’ He did not think the Indian proposal for separate theater commands, which would be gazetted to him, would work. Nor could he accept her proposal to gazette to him specific Defense functions relating to the peace process. He had made his offer, it was now up to her to come up with something new. Since he could not administer the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) without full defense powers, he had asked her to sit down with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), amend the CFA, and take it over.

“The Ambassador repeated that he had urged the President to look at the matter as a political, not a legal issue, and that he had also urged her to think of a way to bridge the gap. The two sides had actually made some progress, he said, and now seemed stuck on what would be gazetted to the PM. The PM wanted the Armed Services in toto under his control; she wanted to gazette certain Armed Services functions. Perhaps there was an answer in there.”

Related stories to this cable;

 Sri Lanka's state owned dairy producer loses Rs. 200 million due to strike

Fri, Dec 27, 2013, 10:56 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 27, Colombo: The state owned dairy milk company in Sri Lanka, Milco (Pvt) Ltd., has said that the strike action by the company's employees has caused a Rs. 200 million loss to the institution.
Milco employees have launched a strike action accusing bribery and corruption in the company's Board of Directors and have called on the government to take immediate action against the Board members.
The employees of Milco's Highland factory in Narahenpita have launched a strike demanding the removal of the director of the company. The strike has affected the supplies of locally produced Highland brand of dairy products.
Responding to allegations of bribery and corruption levelled against the institution's Board of Directors by the employees, the management said it was ready to face the allegations.
Chairman of Milco, Sunil Wickremasinghe told a news conference that he was ready to face any allegation levelled against him.
He said the company has incurred a Rs. 200 million loss due to the strike.
The Chairman asked the workers to stop boycotting work and return to their stations since the strike has been launched without the permission of the Board.

According to the Chairman, the losses incurred by Milco that were reported in the report by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) were due to the increase in fuel prices, the purchasing of fresh milk for Rs. 50 per liter as against the previous price of Rs. 25 per liter and the allocation of only Rs. 160 million by the Treasury for its operations, instead of the Rs. 190 million that was promised.

West Should Think Further About Genocide And Terrorism In Bangladesh

 by Swadesh Roy

( December 28, 2013- Dhaka- Sri Lanka Guardian) Half of the elections of the 10th parliament have been over without any contest. The government has understood that the 10th parliament elections will not get hundred percent legitimacy therefore, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Awami League; Sheikh Hasina already has said that they will go for 11th parliament elections soon after an understanding with the opposition takes place. Besides that, many responsible leaders of the ruling party have said that they have to go for this election for the obligations towards the constitution and it is a process of constitution continuity.

Now it is easy to ask a heard debate regarding this, what is responsible for this condition of the 10th parliament elections? It is a heard debate and no one can say that those who are in the election process are the only ones responsible. However, that debate is not relevant now because the train of the election has almost reached its station. The opposition party of Bangladesh has failed the train and according to the constitution of the country, there is no way to postpone the election schedule now. If the country goes to postpone the schedule, that may be a cause that will lead to hampering the continuity of democracy and the constitutional rule. So if the political parties want to reach a consensus they should go forward for the 11th parliamentary elections. But there is an important issue here that if all the political party want to reach a consensus they must have to make sure that the consensus will be on the spirit of our freedom struggle. Because last one year, it has been proved, besides some young terrorists, all of the young generation of the country has made a strong unity on the spirit of freedom. That is why any political consensus thinkable, has to be reached on this issue. If any of the political parties want to deny this issue in any way, they should quit politics today or tomorrow from this country.

In any way, before this political consensus or charting out how the country will go for an 11th parliamentary elections in a comfortable and peaceful time, the country should think immediately how she would get rid from the terrorism and genocide which is being carried out by the opposition. Before getting rid of terrorism and keeping it out of our ways, one thing has to be admitted that there is no way for this country to back off from the trial of war criminals. The trial of war criminal is not only the trial of some people; it is the focal step for the country to establish the rule of law. Including America, the entire west did it. Even Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ghana, Ruanda, Bosnia etc went through the process. Bangladesh started it from their very beginning but the counter-revolution of 1975 made it stop. So it is a pending issue of Bangladesh not only for ethical reasons but it is also the cause of establishing the rule of the law. That is why Bangladesh has to continue the war crime trial and with it promote democracy. Now it is clear, without the trial of the war criminals Bangladesh will not get democracy. Besides, last one year, it has been cleared that war criminals have created a huge number of terrorists in the country. Even then, now it has to be acknowledged that for a long time being allies with the war criminals has led a huge number of young members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) into becoming terrorists. They are chopping trees, hurling bombs to buses packed with passengers, trains and other vehicles arson homes and people including children like the Jammat E Islami, the terrorist organization. So if the war criminals continue in the politics and the society above the law; terrorism will be increased in the country. It must be understood that democracy and terrorism cannot go in parallel dimensions in any country or society.

Last one and half months the people of Bangladesh is observing that the west is very much worried regarding the elections of Bangladesh. According to their speech and behavior and some reports, they have mentioned it that, they are thinking if Bangladesh is going for an election participated by all the parties Bangladesh will get democracy and after getting democracy all the problems will be solved including genocide and terrorism, which is going on now. In Bangladesh, from 1991 to 2007 there were four elections where all the parties participated. In spite of that what has been happening for two decades? Terrorism has increased in last two decades. Last two and half months, the people of Bangladesh have seen that terrorists are trying to occupy some places which are suitable for making a safe ground for terrorism, where they can stay safely and carry out their operations in many places of the country and even abroad. So they had chosen the place Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar, Sitakunda of Chittagong and Shatkira district. Ukhia and Sitakunda have hills and are near by the sea; on the other hand Shatkhira is nearby the Sundarbans and the sea. They gave more emphasis on Shatkhira because if they could make their authority for a long time in Shatkhira they could take shelter in Sundarban; it would be their safe ground. The hills of Ukhia and Shitakunda might be used as their safe ground as well. Similarly, in all the places, they could use the sea for bringing their smuggling arms to the country. However, the government is trying to establish its authority in those places and already has achieved success in this regard to some extent. Despite in the name of elections and under the shade of the opposition party BNP the terrorists are doing their terrorist operations all over the country even the capital of the country is not completely safe.

In this position of the country, it should not be justified that the elections and the participation of all parties, is now the main agenda of the country. But the activities of the west are indicating that they are thinking Bangladesh can get relief from all problems if the country goes for an election where all the parties would participate. If they think like this, they are not correct; they have to think that, how the country can get rid of the terrorism and genocide first, because that is of paramount importance.

Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Occupation, Occupation, Occupation: Religion Isn't Israel's Big Problem

Dec-28-2013

Rather, it is the Jewish takeover of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. A response to Eva Illouz.

Naftali Bennett (left) and Yair Lapid: a political alliance of “liberal colonialism.” Photo by Olivier Fitoussi

(TEL AVIV) - What is the cause of the segregation between groups in Israeli society? How should we cope with this and with the polarization and racism it engenders? In her soul-searching, riveting article, Prof. Eva Illouz argues that this ostensible regime of separation stems primarily from the distorted importation here of ethno-religious principles that dictated the isolationist, self-defensive Jewish existence in the Diaspora.

Occupation, Occupation, Occupation Religion Isn't Israel's Big Problem by nelvely

UK anti-Muslim hate crime soars

Saturday, December 28, 2013 - London—Hate crimes against Muslims have soared in the UK this year, figures show. Hundreds of anti-Muslim offences were carried out across the country in 2013, with Britain’s biggest force, the Metropolitan police, recording 500 Islamophobic crimes.

Many forces reported a surge in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes after the murder of soldier Lee Rigby by two Islamic extremists in Woolwich, south-east London, in May. But the figures could be much higher as nearly half of the 43 forces in England and Wales did not reveal how many hate crimes had targeted Muslims. Some forces admitted they did not always record the faith of a religious hate-crime victim.

Freedom of Information requests were sent by the Press Association to every police force in England and Wales. Of the 43 forces, 24 provided figures on the number of anti-Muslim crimes and incidents recorded.

Tell Mama, a group which monitors anti-Muslim incidents, said it had dealt with 840 cases since April, with the number expected to rise to more than 1,000 by the end of March. This compared with 582 anti-Muslim cases it dealt with from March 2012 to March 2013.

Fiyaz Mujhal, director of Faith Matters, which runs the Tell Mama project, said the reaction to the murder of Rigby had caused the number of Islamophobic crimes to jump significantly.

“The far right groups, particularly the EDL [English Defence League], perniciously use the internet and social media to promote vast amounts of online hate,” he said. Mujhal said tougher sentencing was needed to tackle Islamophobic crime and that guidelines by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to monitor social media were not fit for purpose.

“They raised the bar of prosecution significantly. Now, unless there is a direct threat to somebody on Twitter or Facebook, the CPS will not prosecute. The CPS is just plainly out of sync with reality. “We also need more robust sentencing. In one case, a pig’s head was left outside a mosque and the perpetrator came away with a community sentence. When you target a mosque, you are targeting the whole community.” Tell Mama has called for police forces to improve monitoring of Islamophobic crimes. “There are three problems we come across,” Mujhal said. “Firstly, there is a lack of understanding of the language of Islamophobia thrown at victims in any incidents. Secondly, there is very little training on how to ask relevant questions to pull out anti-Muslim cases. “Thirdly, recording processes are not in line with each other. One force will allow an officer to flag an incident as anti-Muslim, another force will flag it as religious hate crime. There is no uniformity. “There must be guidelines for all forces so we can know the level of the problem.” A CPS spokeswoman said: “Online communication can be offensive, shocking or in bad taste.

“However, as set out in CPS guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media, content has to be more than simply offensive to be contrary to the criminal law.

“In order to preserve the right to free speech the threshold for prosecution must be high and only communications that are grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false are prohibited by the legislation.” The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) has previously said 71 incidents were reported to its national community tension team over five days after Rigby’s murder on 22 May. 

Superintendent Paul Giannasi, Acpo’s spokesman on hate crime, said: “The police service is committed to reducing the harm caused by hate crime and it is vital that we encourage more victims who suffer crimes to report them to the police or through third party reporting facilities such as Tell Mama.”—AP