A New Sri Lanka For Women

By Mass L. Usuf –March 8, 2017

Mass Usuf

International Women’s Day (March 8) according to the IWD website is ‘a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity’. The story of the woman throughout history has been one of gross abuse of her status. She had been accused as a temptress, as responsible for the original sin, valued as a chattel and, even today, considered the weaker of the two sexes. The indomitable spirit of endurance in her to survive this relentless antagonism displayed against her position in society, teaches us one simple lesson. She is the stronger of the two.

Physical strength is brutish. Mental strength is sagacity. The woman is endowed with the latter quality in abundance and it is amply proven by her ability to nurture society.

A man came to the Prophet Muhammed and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Source: Bukhari)

From Oppression To Liberation

There is of course a distinction between equality and identicalness. The woman is constrained by natural restrictions like menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, child rearing, breast feeding et cetera. The conventional role optimally was minding the home, bringing up children and ensuring the happiness of the family. This was considered the most honourable work. She constituted the foundation of the nucleus family extending to the larger society. The feminists like a pendulum swung from one extreme to the other. From ‘oppression’ to ‘liberation’; The famous Bra burning in the 1960s, as a statement for women’s rights. However, the haphazard change in the traditionally accepted masculine and feminine roles opened up for her entry into the areas of the male. One view indicates this transition akin to the role of androgynous men and women.

Tired Mother And Wife

This role modification at times became an unwholesome addition to her onerous work in the house. Gender equality in the work place gave her the feel of self-esteem but with negative consequences. It affected family life, deprived quality time for children and made her a tired mother and wife at the end of each day. It is argued that the clamour to end discriminative gender roles culminated in the woman becoming further oppressed. It is not rare to hear a woman saying, “I wish I can stay at home”.

The behaviour of men and women display a paradoxical quality. For example, a woman who reads romances and fantasizes about her prince may be the same woman who during the day is an aggressive women’s rights activist. The man who is an advocate of equality of women may still see a centrefold more as a sex object than as a person. “Implicit in our gender role socialization is the belief that males ought to adopt a traditionally masculine gender role and females a traditionally feminine one because everyone will get along much better that way.” (Ickes (1981, 19855) & Barnes, 1978).

The ‘Pill’ and Safe Sex

The invention of the ‘pill’ in the 1960’s gave the woman sexual freedom to have safe sex. It enabled women to fully enjoy sexual relations without fear of unwanted pregnancy. This had its repercussions too. Women liberated themselves from one thing but were enslaved by something else. Research indicates that in 1960 with the advent of the contraceptive pill, usage was recorded at 400,000. Five years later in 1965, this figure shot up to 6.5 million users in the U.S.A. Sexual repression was met with the ‘sexual revolution’, ‘free love’ and ‘women’s lib’. Promiscuity progressed rampantly and pornography being the ultimate destination where women have been completely dehumanised and treated degradingly. “Sexual intercourse is rapidly becoming the one thing venerated in a world without veneration.” (C.S. Lewis, Miracles).

Cultural Feminism acknowledges that women are “inherently kinder and gentler” along with the socio-moral perception of ‘good girl’, ‘good mother’, ‘good wife’. This inherent disposition in woman was destroyed by the earlier lopsided Radical Feminism. These radicals were competing for space in the male dominated economic, social and political spheres. This shift created other challenges for her especially, exploitation. She was sucked into being made a commercial sex object. The media decided for her to be thin or fat. She was influenced on her choice of dress and on the accessories to beautify herself. In those decades, the physical appearance of women was how thin they wanted to be. Women started getting eating disorders (Anorexia nervosa) and diseases from trying to fit that “perfect image” for everyone but themselves. Basically, her self-esteem was boosted not by doing what she wanted but by what and how others wanted her to present herself.

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SL Farmers going to withdraw from farming very soon

Mar 07, 2017

Almost all the governments since independence had been talking about protecting local farmers by stabilizing the agricultural industry,

such hopes have withered away over time. This has caused the innocent farmers to suffer under the weight of tremendous hardships. Most of the farmers who talked to us said that they will be compelled to withdraw from farming very soon as the government has failed to provide them any form of security for their vocation. It is a pity that these farmers, who had inherited this valuable vocation since many generations, being forced to give up their heritage due to the negligence of the authorities. There is no doubt as the extinction of farmers in the future if this chain is broken at this time. It is already evident from the opinions of the children who are living in these farming communities. 

We talks to reverent ministers and we discuss this matter to find out Yahapalana solutions. Minister for Primary Industries Daya Gamage says that under the new plan of the government aid will be granted to promote exports. However, in conflicting note, Minister for Trade Union Relations RavindraSamaraweera says that even though discussions were held with Minister Daya Gamage, still there are problems regarding initiating export procedures for crops such as potatoes. According to Minister Dya Gamage, there is a complex procedure regarding the exports on flowers, fruits and other crops. However, he says that the matter is being studied at the moment. He also says that the government is also looking into efforts made by other countries to add value to export grade crops. Disclosing the latest information on the matter, the Minister further says that the World Bank has come forward to assist farmers who are planning to enter into the business of exporting their harvest. The Minister says that there is a possibility of granting financial aid under this project. He says that the information on the matter can be obtained from the ministry. Minister Samaraweera also says that Minister DayaGamage has called the unions to discuss the matter of the farmers and to find a lasting solution for the problem.


The collapse of local agriculture that provides the life blood to the country is going to be a deadly blow to the entire consumer population in the country. If the local agricultural industry grinds into a halt, there would be no other option than importing food items from overseas, under tremendous taxes and undue influences. It will ultimately take our independent away. It will undoubtedly become a problem that would affect the entire community. Recently the government announced the year 2017as the year to eradicate poverty. Under this initiative, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to initiate various programs to cover different areas in local agriculture. But the farmers seem to be skeptical about these new initiatives as they correctly point out, various other initiatives that had been introduced by previous government had not been able to live up to their standards, ending as mere "talk shows". 

However, the plight of the farmers in Welimada is no laughing matter. Today these farmers have been compelled to wait helplessly while their crops and farmlands are being ruined before their own eyes. Their misfortune has reached such a level that nowadays many of these farmers cannot even earn an income that would cover the transportation cost of bringing their crops to the economic centers. Today the price of 1 kg Cabbage has dropped to a whopping 6 Rupees. And the farmers are expected to cover the production costs, packing costs, labor costs and even the transportation costs from just 6 rupees a kilogram. In Welimada, the price of potatoes and Yams have fallen to Rs. 80 per kg. The prices of other crops have also declined such that Carrots 20 Rupees per kg, Leeks, Rs.18 per kg etc. With an increased harvest, the prices of these crops have started to free-fall. According to our findings, there are several reasons for this unusual increase in production. They include the high quality of the fertilizers that have been distributed by the government, the differences of the new hybrid seeds that had been distributed by the government, the lack of diversification in cultivation among farmers. The inability of the farmers to adapt to new farming techniques. Since many of these farmers are used to carry out the same cultivations with hybrid seeds, the harvest has grown unnecessarily. If there had been a proper coordination among these farming communities to regulate these farming techniques, then these problems could have been averted. Furthermore, many of the programs that were initiated by the government with the help of the department of agriculture to counter the drought and the potential famine have also not reached the grassroots levels of the farming communities in Welimada. It has also forced many farmers to opt for other crops than paddy cultivations finally resulting in a high increase in other crops. Since many farmers are reluctant to try alternative crops the problem has become more complex. 

Creating a lucrative market for the farmers to sell their crops is no easy task. But we hope that the farmers in Welimada area would be given the necessary training and skills to meet up this challenge. When we consider the potato and yams industry in the country, almost 95% of it is concentrated around Welimada. Hence it has become the largest producer of Yams and potatoes in the local market. Hence we went to Welimada to witness the plight faced by these farmers first hand. 



During our discussions with the farmers, it was clear to us that they are still heavily relied upon traditional farming methods they had inherited from their previous generations. The government has failed to educate these farmers way to maximize their revenue by experimenting on new methods of farming. However, here the responsibility to raise the awareness of the farmers is vested upon agricultural advisors, Agriculture Services officials, Samurdhi officials, and GS officials. But the farmers complain that these advisors and other agricultural officials are not taking their jobs seriously. But responding to these allegations, the Minister in charge of the Welimada area, Ravindra Samaraweera says that the officials are doing their utmost to serve the farmers. Pointing out that these farmers are hardly attending any meeting or workshop organized by the agriculture advisors, the Minister says that the blame should be shared by everyone. 

Minister for Agriculture Duminda Dissanayake said , 
We have discussed this matter with farmers unions in NuwaraEliya and Bandarawela areas. We hope to call all the stakeholders again to discuss the matter at length. Walimadafarmers association is also included in these talks. With the draught the need for insurance policies have also become increased. Already the farmers have been introduced to a harvest insurance policy. But there is less participation from the farmers’ side for these policies. We are currently carrying out a program to produce our own seeds. In the future we hope to involve farmers in the procedure. So it is better for all of us to work together to achieve this common goal." . 

There are many factories in Sri Lanka that are importing fruits and vegetables to make their products such as sauces and jams. If the government could implement a procedure to provide these companies the required fruits and vegetables from local farmers, then they would not be able to discard a large amount of their harvest. Since most of these companies have denied accepting products from local farmers due to the lack of quality and the low production, it can be averted by implementing a proper management procedure. By equipping the local farmers with the up to date technology and the knowledge, we could undoubtedly improve the quality and the quantity of domestic agriculture. 

AshWaru

How respect for time portraits the degree of development of a country 

Wednesday, 8 March 2017 0

It is a fact that in developing countries, things move slower than in other developed nations where efficiency is given top priority. It is understood that efficient systems contribute to greater comfort and a hassle-free lifestyle, but it comes at a price where stress levels increase and modern sicknesses develop as increased efficiency is not only demanded from ‘machines and systems’, but also from humans. This could be in their jobs but also in their daily lives.

When technology increases efficiency, more time becomes available in the hands of people and then it depends as to what purpose this time is utilised for. In a society where social status ranks at the top of priorities, this ‘free time’ again is often used for various other activities as one does not want to ‘lose out’.

In many ways the more laid back atmosphere in countries (in the rural areas, not so much in the main cities), is often perceived as enjoyable and desirable for those who are exhausted by the fast modern lives. Where everything is fast and superficial, humans long for peace and slowing down.

Fast and efficient lifestyles as practiced in most developed nations of the world seem to be an indicator for wealth and development. One could question as to what sort of development is really advancing humanity and what is merely an illusion which creates self-centred, over-competitive and empty societies.

In the above situation one could argue that the ‘perfect system’ would be somewhere in between, supporting efficient systems without developing into the famous ‘hamster in a wheel’ who actually despite the efficient systems, never has time for anything.

There is another dimension which I would like to discuss. It refers to the ‘value of time’ and ‘respect for time’ depending on which role one takes on in a society. I want to highlight this within three examples: 1) the transport system, 2) events, and 3) the medical system of this country.

Transport system

It is logical for those living in urban areas to plan their travel around off-peak traffic hours of the day with the objective of avoiding traffic congestion on roads. This could vary from area to area and the travel time between destinations too could vary from point to point. So what is the difference? When we consider Colombo, most roads are congested right through the day and clear only in the night. Development of apartments and other constructions in these same areas could create further traffic congestion on these roads.

Naturally the driving behaviour on the roads reflects the stress people feel of having to be stuck in traffic (may it be in a tuktuk, bus or their own vehicle) for hours each day. In such situations we have to not only consider traffic blocks, but also heavy pollution. It would be useful to assess the health situation of policemen who daily carry out their duty by standing in traffic for hours, inhaling toxic fumes.

This situation however is faced only by the average citizens of this country whilst the VIP’s are exempt from this hazard. When they travel on our road, they do not face any form of traffic congestion as their route is cleared by halting other traffic and their journey goes uninterrupted. This perhaps is because they consider their time as more important than the average citizen who has to face all the traffic congestions. They do not understand that time is of essence to an ‘average’ person as well.

Despite the sharp rise in vehicles and the resulting congestions in the city, there is no real solution in sight. Numerous discussions about having underground metros, trams, etc, are still illusions. Having an efficient bus system alone could bring relief to the current situations we face. An efficient transport system is very much a possibility given the priority of a country. If this could be achieved, productivity would naturally increase to greater heights and people could use their energy for more productivity in their jobs.

It is correct to fine errant drivers, but shouldn’t we first create a situation which facilitates correct behaviour on roads. If one were to comply 100% with all traffic rules during or outside rush hours in the current road conditions, I dare to say that it would even take longer for everyone to reach their destinations.

So rather than continuing with the current system where a selected number of privileged persons enjoy efficient car rides, an improved (public) transport system should be introduced as soon as possible whereby the country as a whole will benefit immensely. 

Events

The next example which highlights the disrespect for time is events; which might be conferences or simply private parties. It is understood that if an event is announced to start at an appointed time, not even a third of attendees will be there on time. In rare cases the special guests or key speakers are there on time. Usually it is announced that the event will start late as one or the other key persons has not arrived yet.

Some time back when there was a high level political event during the election time in 2009, where the top business community was invited to attend a speech of one of the contestants, the key political representative was more than one hour late. A speaker of the party took the liberty to apologise and announce that the politician had to ‘follow a very important business’ and therefore he will arrive late. It actually depicted a hilarious situation, considering the room was full of Sri Lanka’s top business leaders.

Here again, what is the lesson learnt? Those who are on time are penalised whilst late comers are excused. Certainly one could be excused for late arrival due to unforeseen circumstances; however it is very often found that it is due to their unconcern for other people’s time. It is a habit where the activities of a few are valued higher than those of the majority. 

Medical system

Finally, I would like to highlight the situation related to the medical system in this country, which again is another element requiring change. Patients visit doctors as they require medical attention for their respective sicknesses. Sick patients obviously need quick attention.

Ever so often patients are confronted with situations where they have to sit and wait for hours at hospitals to consult the doctor of their choice. Majority of doctors walk in to their consultation rooms at least an hour later than their appointed time. The excuses given are either they are travelling from another hospital or in the case of surgeons that they are held up in the theatres. The latter is excusable; however this is not the case most often. It has become an accepted norm for patients to expect their doctors to arrive late for consultations.

In some cases doctors see anything in excess of 50 patients at one sitting. Is this necessary and why do they do this? Is it greed for money or is there a shortage of doctors in that specialty? The latter is doubtful. The time allotted per patient is hardly adequate for them to carry out a proper diagnosis on the patient and so they rush through in order to get to their next patient.

The attention for patients at government hospitals are considered to be better as they have experienced staff, except that all the comforts in a private hospital are not provided. Certainly in more developed countries only a small percentage of patients visit private hospitals, but in Sri Lanka it seems the reverse is happening despite the high costs involved. Finally many patients end up paying enormous sums of money to be treated in private hospitals. It has also been found that doctors who work in government hospitals see patients in private hospitals too and some direct their patients to private hospitals where they consult when they can be treated in the government hospital, obviously for monetary gains. They fail to neither understand difficulties of patients nor value their time. So the end result is that the patient is at the mercy of the doctor who chooses to decide when he will attend to the patient despite the fact that the patient is the one paying for his services.

Why are the hospitals so full? Are all these people really sick or are they caught in a system of ‘welfare’ and medical tests dependent on a doctor’s opinion. It seems the more welfare offers we have, the more ‘sick’ people we have. To answer that question one would need to focus on creating a society which is strong and healthy and does not fall sick easily, rather than trying to cure people.

The above examples highlight the disparities within our society depending on the role one takes. It is just the consequence of an attitude which naturally divides two groups – those who are on top and those who are not. The lesson learned for those at the bottom is, to do anything to get to the top. What is the alternative? The credo is: Only if you are on top you can enjoy a decent life, you are not going through everyday hassle, you will be treated with respect. It creates a society of self-centred individuals who do only care about their own benefit rather than a healthy society, not recognising that their own children will need to live in this society too. This attitude can be found in many other places, in education systems, in offices and also amongst societal or political leaders. Such developments have to be understood and solutions explored. One starting point for everyone would be to respect other people’s time!

Prominent Palestinian activist killed in Israeli raid

In November 2011, Basil al-Araj was among a group of Palestinian activists from the West Bank who boarded an Israeli bus to Jerusalem in an attempt to highlight Israel’s regime of movement restrictions. The bus was stopped at a checkpoint, where all the activists were arrested and forcibly removed.Oren ZivActiveStills

Maureen Clare Murphy-6 March 2017

Israeli forces killed a prominent Palestinian activist during a raid on a home in the town of al-Bireh, near the city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, on Monday.

“The martyr Basil al-Araj was a freedom fighter, intellectual and theorist of the uprising of Palestinian youth. He was dedicated to a path of resistance, intifada, unity, return and liberation of the entire land of Palestine,” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine stated following the slaying.

Israeli police claimed that “once Israeli forces arrived at the place, the Palestinian terrorist opened fire at Israeli forces, causing an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and [the] Palestinian terrorist, leading to his death.”

No Israeli soldiers were injured. Two Palestinians were wounded during confrontations with Israeli forces following the raid.

An Israeli police spokesperson called al-Araj the leader of a cell “planning terror attacks against Israelis.” The Israeli army said that two M-16 guns and an improvised Carlo rifle were found in the home.

Israeli police released footage of the raid showing soldiers opening fire while searching the home. The video does not show al-Araj.

Mustafa Barghouti, a medical doctor and leader of the Palestinian National Initiative party, cast doubt on Israel’s claims of a firefight, telling media, “If al-Araj had any chance to shoot, he would not have been able to shoot more than one bullet. The house was completely bombarded with Israeli bullets.”

A journalist with the al-Ghad television network found no evidence that al-Araj had fired at the soldiers, only evidence that the Israeli forces had opened fire on al-Araj. Al-Ghad’s video of the apartment in which al-Araj was killed shows that the walls and ceiling were sprayed with bullets and al-Araj’s belongings ransacked:

Witnesses told media that they saw al-Araj being dragged from the home. His body is being held by Israel.

“Full military control”

Al-Araj was killed in a zone of the West Bank supposedly under Palestinian Authority control.

“Usually the Israeli army claim that they inform [the Palestinian Authority] before entering the area, but they came into the center of Ramallah, which shows that they have full military control there,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.

The slaying of al-Araj was “nothing but an act of extrajudicial killing and assassination,” Barghouti added.

Israeli forces had been attempting to apprehend al-Araj after his release by the Palestinian Authority, who had held him for five months without charge or trial, in September last year. Al-Araj was said to be held in isolation in a cell measuring 1 meter by 1.5 meters.

He and five other Palestinians were freed by the PA after going on hunger strike; four of them were subsequently arrested by Israel.

The home of al-Araj’s parents in the village of al-Walaja, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, was repeatedly raided by Israeli forces during the past week, Palestinian media reported.

Samidoun, a Palestinian prisoners support network, has reported ongoing raids on al-Araj’s family home, with his relatives being summoned for questioning by Israeli authorities in order to put pressure on al-Araj to turn himself in.

The killing of al-Araj reverberated widely in Palestinian society, with political parties calling for the end of Palestinian Authority “security coordination” with Israel.

“Security coordination”

Israel frequently arrests Palestinian activists after their release from Palestinian Authority detention. The PA also passes information it obtains on Palestinian activists to Israeli interrogators who routinely use torture.

Just two weeks after al-Araj’s arrest in April last year, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas boasted to the German publication Der Spiegel that “Our security forces are working very efficiently to prevent terror. Just a couple of days ago, three young men were tracked down and arrested. They were planning an attack. In this context, our security cooperation with Israel is functioning well.”

Samidoun’s international coordinator Charlotte Kates told The Electronic Intifada at the time that it was most likely that Abbas was referring to al-Araj and the two other left-wing activists who were arrested with him.

The Palestinian prisoner rights group Addameer stated that al-Araj and four others held with him by the Palestinian Authority were beaten and subjected to stress positions and sleep deprivation, as well as other forms of ill-treatment.

Palestinian women attempt to prevent Israeli soldiers from arrest Basil al-Araj during a direct action protest against the construction of Israel’s wall in al-Walaja village in April 2010.
Anne PaqActiveStills

Basil al-Araj “was a revolutionary intellectual who put all of his cultural and intellectual energies in the service of the resistance together with his own actions on the ground, confronting security coordination and collaboration,” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine added in its statement on Monday.

Al-Araj was a trained pharmacist and had been active in multiple popular movements in Palestine, as well as a supporter of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. He was part of the 2012 protest against a visit by Israel’s minister of defense to Ramallah in 2012, which was violently repressed by Palestinian Authority security forces.

Al-Araj wrote articles and gave educational tours on the Zionist colonization of Palestine and the resistance against it.

Palestinians protested in multiple cities and refugee camps – including in Lebanon – on Monday night.

In the town of al-Bireh, where al-Araj was killed, protesters called for an end to Palestinian Authority security coordination with Israel:

شبان يهتفون ضد التنسيق الأمني بعد اغتيال قوات الاحتلال لباسل الأعرج في مدينة البيرة فجر اليوم، بعد شهور من المطاردة.#الثائر_باسل pic.twitter.com/LTxF50nVIU

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) March 6, 2017

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شبكة قدس الإخبارية 

✔@qudsn

شبان يهتفون ضد التنسيق الأمني بعد اغتيال قوات الاحتلال لباسل الأعرج في مدينة البيرة فجر اليوم، بعد شهور من المطاردة.#الثائر_باسل

3:35 PM - 6 Mar 2017

"يا ضميري وينك".. شبان يهتفون ضد اللواء عدنان الضميري خلال مسيرة في مدينة رام الله، قبل قليل.#الثائر_باسل pic.twitter.com/OYycsv4kOK

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) March 6, 2017

 

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شبكة قدس الإخبارية 

✔@qudsn

"يا ضميري وينك".. شبان يهتفون ضد اللواء عدنان الضميري خلال مسيرة في مدينة رام الله، قبل قليل.#الثائر_باسل

1:08 PM - 6 Mar 2017

 
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U.S. judge to rule on Singaporean blogger's asylum request

FILE PHOTO: Teen blogger Amos Yee leaves with his parents after his sentencing from the State Court in Singapore July 6, 2015.REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Teen blogger Amos Yee arrives at the State Courts in Singapore September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

By Timothy Mclaughlin | CHICAGO-Wed Mar 8, 2017

A judge is expected to issue a decision in the case of a Singaporean blogger who is seeking asylum in the United States in around two weeks, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

Amos Yee, 18, who has been jailed twice in the Southeast Asian city-state, has been held at a detention facility outside of Chicago since arriving at O'Hare International Airport on Dec. 16 seeking political asylum.

After an hours-long hearing in a federal immigration court in Chicago, Sandra Grossman, Yee's attorney, said a written decision would be issued in around two weeks.

The hearing was closed to the press to protect the identity of an individual providing testimony, Grossman said, and details were not released.

Yee appeared by video for the hearing, Grossman said.

Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary general of the Reform Party, an opposition party in Singapore, said he gave testimony on the country's treatment of political dissidents.

Jeyaretnam, who spoke outside the court room on Tuesday, has said previously he supports Yee's asylum application and that the government of Singapore has persecuted and harassed Yee.

The Singapore Embassy in Washington could not be reached for comment regarding Yee's case because it was after business hours.

Yee has been jailed twice in Singapore for online comments. His trials, which have been closely watched by rights groups and the United Nations, have fuelled the debate in Singapore over censorship, the limits of free speech and political correctness.

In September of last year, Yee pleaded guilty to six charges of deliberately posting comments on the internet - in videos, blog posts and a picture - that were critical of Christianity and Islam. He was sentenced to six weeks in jail.

In 2015, Yee was convicted on charges of harassment and insulting a religious group over comments he made about former premier Lee Kuan Yew and Christians soon after Lee's death. His sentence at the time amounted to four weeks in jail.

(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Ottawa police officer charged in death of Abdirahman Abdi

At least 600 people gathered for Abdirahman Abdi's funeral

7 March 2017

An Ottawa police officer is facing criminal charges in the death of a Somali-Canadian man who died in a confrontation with police last July.

Constable Daniel Montsion, 36, has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault, and assault with a weapon in the death of Abdirahman Abdi, 37.

The charges were announced by Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) following a seven-month investigation.

The incident sparked a debate about policing and race in the city.

Lawrence Greenspon, the lawyer for Abdi's family, said on Monday that they met the SIU and two Crown lawyers early in the day and were advised that Mr Montsion would be facing charges.

Mr Greenspon said the family is pleased by the charges after the lengthy SIU investigation.

"They anxiously await the results of what will be an even longer criminal justice process," he said.

Abdi's family is also considering taking civil action in the case.

On a Sunday morning last July, police responded to an emergency call from an Ottawa coffee shop. Witnesses there at the time alleged that Abdi had groped at least one woman in the cafe.

Abdi fled on foot, a chase that ended in a confrontation with police a few blocks away. During that interaction, Abdi suffered what the SIU called "medical distress". He later died in hospital.

Witness video shot after the confrontation with police and posted on YouTube shows Abdi handcuffed and bleeding on the ground.

Mr Montsion was one of two Ottawa police officers involved in that altercation.

His death led to several protests in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto and calls for the SIU - which investigates incidents involving police that result in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault - to publicly release the results of their investigation.

Hundreds of people attended the funeral at an Ottawa mosque, including Mayor Jim Watson.

According to his family, Abdi arrived in Canada from Somalia in 2009.

Mr Montsion appears in court 29 March.

'No Ban, No Wall': Solidarity emerges between Latinos and Muslims

As US president Trump vilifies Muslims and undocumented immigrants, communities in Texas are coming together to push back

Jacob Powell-Tuesday 7 March 2017

AUSTIN, Texas - Muslims and Latinos have both been vilified by President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric and policies have painted the two communities as potential terrorists and criminals.

'No Ban, No Wall' Solidarity emerges between Latinos and Muslims.docx by Thavam Ratna on Scribd

Trump’s Silence on Russian Missiles Makes America Less Safe

BY JON WOLFSTHAL-MARCH 7, 2017

Russia presents security challenges to the United States and its allies for which the Trump administration has yet to indicate any kind of a policy direction or goals. In the nuclear arena, none of these challenges are more acute than Russia’s ongoing violation of the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty. That Treaty, signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, banned the Soviet Union and the United States from having or testing ground-launched missiles with ranges between 312 and 3,428 miles.

The INF Treaty and I kind of grew up together (yes, I am a geek and track my childhood, in part, through arms control agreements). In the 1970s, Russia deployed new nuclear-tipped missiles in Warsaw Pact states that could hit all of Europe. President Jimmy Carter and NATO responded with the dual-track decision, deploying American missiles in NATO states that could hit Russia, some in 15 minutes or less, while simultaneously seeking to negotiate elimination of such weapons on both sides. These missiles were highly destabilizing — they could reach London from Moscow in minutes, creating crisis instability and compressing decision times.

While the missiles were being deployed in Europe, over massive and prolonged protests, I was active in the nuclear freeze movement in New York, and later I did my first real college research on the dual-track decision. So my career came full circle when I became the senior director for arms control at the National Security Council in 2014, just after the U.S. government announced that Russia was violating the INF Treaty. That Russia was blatantly cheating on an agreement that helped end the arms race and was a cornerstone of post-Cold War nuclear stability was bad enough. Russia’s steadfast refusal to even acknowledge its actions — reminiscent of its Cold War behavior — made clear how hard addressing this issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be.

To this day, Russia’s behavior remains the same. Moscow has now reportedly begun to deploy a ground-launched cruise missile known as the SSC-8, while steadfastly denying that any such violation has taken place. At the same time, Russian officials take pains to justifying any hypothetical decision to violate the treaty on U.S. actions, including the deployment of regional missile defenses in Europe. Missile defenses are not constrained by the agreement and the United States goes to great pains to ensure that it remains in full compliance with its arms control treaty obligations.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States pursued three goals with respect to Russia and the INF Treaty: 1) deny Russia any military advantage from its violation, 2) work with and reassure European and East Asian allies that America’s commitment to their security remained ironclad, and 3) work to convince Russia to come back into compliance with the INF Treaty. In the end, we were successful in two of the three goals, but clearly unable to convince Russia to fully implement the agreement despite repeated commitment to its goals.

Now, it seems, Putin has decided to press his luck by actually deploying the system, and President Donald Trump must manage this challenge at a time when he and many members of his inner circle are suspected of inappropriate or even illegal ties to Russia. Trump has said little and done less to address this issue, and in this vacuum Congress is already forging ahead with a chest thumping piece of legislation. A new pending bill would find Russia in “material breach” of the INF (a decision that can only be made by the executive branch), push the United States to develop its own systems for deployment in Europe, work to sell missiles to European allies to target Russia, and develop cruise missiles defenses in Europe to counter Russia’s new missiles. These are all issues that the Obama administration considered, but it was not clear if these decisions would be affordable, improve NATO security, or convince Russia to return to INF compliance. It also seems highly likely that some of these steps would further undermine crisis stability in Europe. In adition, NATO states would not necessarily agree to these steps, which would undermine NATO alliance unity at a time when it is already under pressure  — something that advantages Russia and not the United States. Regardless of your analysis of Russia’s actions, Trump’s inaction and Congress’ proposals makes managing the strategic relationship with Russia and reassuring NATO allies much harder.

Dangerously, Russia’s violation of the INF Treaty and noncompliance with other pacts removes — at least for now — new arms control agreements as a way to manage Washington’s burgeoning bilateral strategic competition with Moscow. It is hard to see how even the master of the art of the deal could negotiate a new nuclear deal with Russia when it is violating one of the most important ones ever signed. Even this GOP Senate might have a hard time accepting that gift from Trump.

Why does this matter at all? Well, in one sense — it doesn’t. The SCC-8 can reach targets that were already within range of Russia’s strategic missiles. Thus, the military balance is not dramatically affected by this move.

In the larger sense, however, it maters a lot. With short flight times, stealth, and mobility, the SSC-8 cruise missiles is designed to deliver a nuclear surprise attack and undermines crisis stability in Europe. In addition, having these systems frees up Russian strategic missiles to more reliably target U.S. territory and to defeat any missile defenses designed to protect America. More dangerously, it puts metal behind the stated willingness of Moscow to use nuclear weapons early. And deployed in the far east, these systems also present a new way to target Japanese and South Korean allies and defat U.S. missile defenses in those countries as well.

When the Obama administration left the White House, we left behind a playbook for how to address just this scenario. The legal and intelligence basis for taking a range of actions — including declaring Moscow in material breach of the INF Treaty and taking direct countermeasures that could prevent Moscow from gaining any advantage from its violation — are all available. Whether the Trump administration plans to avail itself of these options or pursue other steps remains unclear, as with so many other aspects of Trump’s Russia policy.

Time, sadly, is not on America’s side. If Russia’s violations go unchallenged, then U.S. allies — already on edge — will increasingly question U.S. commitment to their security. In addition, if Russia cannot be convinced to return to compliance, it is hard to see how the New START strategic arms control treaty that effectively manages America’s strategic nuclear competition can be extended or renegotiated when it expires in 2021.

America’s reaction to this challenge must seek to make the country and its allies more secure, not less. Legally, the United States can find Russia in material breach of the INF and take countermeasures, even including the development and deployment of its own systems that would be otherwise prohibited by the treaty. However, doing so would likely undermine the cause of NATO unity, as the population of many member states, particularly in western Europe, are not ready to consider increasing nuclear deployments to counter Russian moves. However, other steps are possible, such as deploying additional conventional air to surface cruise missiles, such as the JASM-ER in Eastern Europe, and finding other ways to remind Russia why INF was in its interest back in 1987 and remains so today. If done as part of a process to convince Russia to verifiably destroy the offending missiles and launchers and restore the INF Treaty to full health, these steps would be welcome across the U.S. political spectrum. But silence and the status quo are the worst of both worlds — they encourage Russian bad behavior and undermine both American leadership and European stability.

Photo credit: RIA Novosti via Getty Images