Reader’s Links for December 16, 2018

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About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

111 Replies to “Reader’s Links for December 16, 2018”

  1. Spanish Media Says Morocco Ignores WHO’s Condemnation of Virginity Tests (moroccoweorldnews, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/12/260607/spanish-media-says-morocco-ignores-whos-condemnation-of-virginity-tests/

    “In October, Morocco’s government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi said that virginity tests are not legally required. However, EFE raised the issue of virginity tests in Morocco, saying that the government has ignored the World Health Organization’s (WHO) call to “prohibit virginity tests.”

    The Spanish news agency added that virginity tests are still common “every time there is a report of rape” and before marriage. In October, WHO called for the ban of virginity testing for women and girls worldwide, including in Morocco.

    “There is no examination that can prove a girl or woman has had sex-and the appearance of girl’s or woman’s hymen cannot prove whether they have had sexual intercourse, or are sexually active or not,” who said.

    According to EFE, El Khalfi repeated his statement that virginity tests are “not obligatory.”

    The Spanish news outlet also quoted WHO representative in Morocco Maryam Bigdeli, who said that pre-marriage virginity tests are not imposed as an obligation.

    According to Morocco’s family code, the bride and grooms are asked for a medical certificate as a required document before marriage, but not a virginity test.

    The medical certificate is to prove the health status of a couple before marriage, as well as check for any infectious diseases that may need treatment before marriage.

    The issue of virginity has been under debate for years. Activists and associations havecalled on the Ministry of Health to exempt medical doctors from giving virginity certificates.

    In February, the Moroccan Association of Sexology said that the test violates both doctor’s oath of medical confidentiality and the right to privacy of women and girls.”

  2. Indian brutality: Islamabad tugs at world conscience (tribune, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/1868200/1-qureshi-calls-immediate-attention-humanitarian-crisis-iok/

    “ISLAMABAD: “The world cannot remain so apathetic and detached regarding the Indian atrocities,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the unabated massacre of innocent Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, the foreign minister said, “The Indian soldiers have a free hand to commit mass murder. First they used to resort to aerial firing to disperse protesters, but now they are shooting straight.”

    Qureshi said, “Over 500 casualties have occurred in 2018. In November, 18 unarmed Kashmiris were killed.”

    Qureshi requested international human rights organisations to focus on the Kashmir issue.

    He apprised the media about letters sent to the United Nations Secretary General, UN Human Rights Commissioner and Secretary General Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

    “I have asked them to intervene so that people are relieved from this barbarism,” he said, adding that he had also requested all Pakistani missions abroad to ask countries to take immediate measures.

    “I have also asked to organise an immediate Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting. We are ready to host it here in Islamabad or we can also go to Jeddah if the meeting is held there,” he added.

    He further said that the OIC has asked Islamabad to write a formal written request.

    “We have decided that our consulate in Jeddah will give them the formal request for the OIC meeting,” he said, adding that he had presented his recommendations before the Senate committee and planned on organising an international conference in London on February 5 to drive world’s attention towards the issue.

    He further stated that the EU and its parliament had decided to have a public hearing over the issue of atrocities on February 19 next year. Pakistan will be part of the hearing.

    During the addresses, the foreign minister demanded that all political forces in Kashmir unify for the cause as “they are the most important party to the dispute”.”

  3. 2018 witnesses no respite in violence against women (tribune, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/1867614/1-2018-witnesses-no-respite-violence-women/

    “Incidents of violence against women continued to make headlines in the departing year – 2018. Throughout the year, several reports surfaced whereby women and young girls were either killed in the name of ‘honour’ or rape and murdered.

    Earlier this year, the Thompson Reuters Foundation conducted a survey that ranked Pakistan as the sixth most unsafe country for women. Sexual violence, non-sexual violence, human trafficking and discrimination remained some top of the list sources of violence inflicted upon women.

    In January, a day after eight-year-old Zainab’s murder made waves on social media and caught countrywide attention, a 16-year-old was rape and murdered in Punjab. The victim’s body was recovered from an agricultural field in Bhalwal tehsil from the same province’s Sargodha district.

    In a report by the Human Rights Watch, it was revealed that activists estimate that about 1,000 honour killings happen in Pakistan every year.

    According to Aurat Foundation, in 138 cases of this year 51 women and 25 men were killed, adding that 30 women and 19 men were killed in the name of ‘honour’. As much as 14 women committed suicide over domestic dispute while 21 women and eight men had been tortured to death in Balochsitan.

    By February, data collected by a local NGO revealed that at least 18 major incidents of violence against women had been reported across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). More than 54 cases of violence against women perpetrated in the province, only some of whom drew attention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

    In July, a woman was beaten by her father and relatives in court over a domestic spate. Another alarming instance was reported about a woman being allegedly blackmailed and raped in Islamabad by Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials inside a public park for accompanying a boy.

    In September, a woman was allegedly thrashed for shoplifting in Lahore.

    Zia Ahmed Awan, founder of Madadgaar National Helpline 1098 and national commissioner for children, during a news conference in 2017 maintained that 70% women and girls in the country experience physical or sexual violence by their intimate partners and 93% women experience some form of sexual violence in public places in their lifetime.

    Crimes against women also include karo-kari, acid violence, kidnapping, domestic battery and harassment.

    In May 2018, the National Assembly passed ‘The Acid and Burn Crime Bill 2017’. It promises free medical treatment and rehabilitation for acid attack victims and also expedites conducting trials of accused.

    While women constantly undergo violence in the society, the K-P cabinet in November passed a domestic violence bill which shall be tabled before the provincial assembly. The bill criminalises offences against women and promotes creating district protection committees to safeguard women.

    In November, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz underlined the need to implement the Violence Against Women (VAW) law in the federal capital, following its implementation in all other provinces.

    She mentioned earlier that this law was implemented in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan while it was recently approved in K-P. “Now, it is time to implement the bill at capital level so that women’s protection in the country can be ensured.”

    She went on to say that merely formulating laws would not serve the purpose of protecting women from violence but strict implementation of such laws was indispensable for empowering these segments of the society.”

  4. Thousands march against Italy’s new anti-migrant law (thelocal, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://www.thelocal.it/20181216/thousands-march-against-italys-new-anti-migrant-law

    “Several thousand people marched in Rome on Saturday in protest at Italy’s tough new anti-migrant law which makes it easier to expel new arrivals.

    The protesters waved flags and donned yellow vests emblazoned with the slogan “Get up! Stand Up! for your right” in a reference to the famous Bob Marley song.

    The new law would “only increase the number of people without papers in Italy and force people underground”, protester Kone Brahima, originally from Ivory Coast, told AFP.

    Another, Tony Scardamaglia, from Palermo, said: “We are still building more walls, more barriers,” adding that the anti-migrant and security degree adopted last month would just cause more “difficulties”.

    The decree, adopted by parliament on November 28, also limits residence permits in a country that has become the main gateway for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

    A populist coalition government made up of the far-right League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement took power in Italy in April 2018.

    Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League has since surged in popularity, with opinion polls putting the party on 30 percent, up from the 17 percent it won in the election.

    “First of all, we started two years ago criminalising those who save thousands of lives at sea” and ended up “closing ports to boats loaded with survivors”, said Project Rights, a collective bringing together various human
    rights groups.

    “Today with the Salvini decree, we have abolished humanitarian protection, creating an endless stream of people forced into hiding,” it said in a statement.

    READ ALSO: Salvini’s anti-migrant security decree becomes law in Italy
    The decree also ends two-year “humanitarian protection” residency permits — a lower level of asylum status based on Italian rather than international law — that were awarded to 25 percent of asylum seekers last year.

    Instead, residency permits will be awarded under stricter conditions such as a one-year “special protection” status or a six-month “natural disaster in country of origin” status. A new procedure to fast-track the expulsion of “dangerous” asylum seekers will also be implemented.

    The Italian Refugee Council has said it is “seriously concerned” by the new law. The United Nations refugee agency has also said it does “not provide adequate guarantees, especially for the vulnerable or those with particular needs such as victims of abuse or torture”.

    This year some 22,500 migrants landed on Italy’s coasts, representing a drop of more than 80 percent compared to 2017.”

  5. Revealed: German hate preacher has been living in the UK for five years – despite leading banned Islamist group accused of inspiring 140 jihadists to join terror groups abroad (dailymail, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6501779/German-hate-preacher-living-UK-five-years.html

    “A German hate preacher has been living in the UK for almost five years – despite being the leader of a banned Islamist group that is accused of inspiring 140 jihadis to join terror groups abroad.

    Brahim Belkaid settled in Leicester in late 2013 after returning from Syria, where authorities suspect him of providing support to terrorists, the Sunday Times reports.

    Since then, the 41-year-old has spent his time proselytising in cities across Britain and using social media to promote extremist views.

    Belkaid’s presence in the country will raise questions about Theresa May’s judgement – who was Home Secretary at the time of his arrival.

    Revelations about Belkaid come following investigations by Der Spiegel magazine in Germany and by the Sunday Times.

    He first came to the attention of authorities as the leader of Die Wahre Religion (The True Religion).

    The organisation seeks to convert people to Islam by handing out free copies of the Koran in Germany and other countries in Europe.

    However, the group also gives away texts about Salafism, a hardline version of Islam, according to the Times.

    Belkaid began travelling to a region in Syria that was controlled by revels linked to Al-Qaeda in 2013, the newspaper reports.

    Although the claimed to be delivering aid, he also reportedly urged others to follow him by saying: ‘Allah loves those who fight in his cause.’

    His trips to Syria led to German authorities keeping a close eye on him, an informed source said, according to the Times.

    This prompted him to move to the UK at the end of 2013.

    A car parts firm was founded in January 2014 that listed him as the sole director, registered to an address in Leicester, according to the Times.

    But Belkaid reportedly spent much of his time preaching at ‘dawah stalls’ across the country, including in London and Coventry.

    He was pictured handing out hardline scripture to fans celebrating Leicester City’s Premier League victory in 2016.

    Six months later, Germany banned DWR claiming the group had helped inspire 140 fighters to leave Germany to join terror organisations in Iraq and Syria, including ISIS.

    German police carried out 200 raids in a bid to seize the group’s assets.

    The German banning order cited Belkaid as the leader of the DWR and cited his sermons as evidence of the group’s rejection of democracy and the rule of law.

    The group is not banned in the UK.

    However, according to the Times, police raided a residence linked to Belkaid in Leicester at the behest of the German authorities in early 2017.

    It came shortly after the German federal prosecutor’s office announced an investigation into Belkaid’s activities in Syria.

    They alleged that he was using aid convoys to support an off-shoot of Al-Qaeda called Jabhat al-Nusra. Belkaid reportedly denies the allegations.

    No arrests were made but the probe remains open.

    Meanwhile, Belkaid has also continued to use social media – including Facebook and YouTube – to spread extremist views.

    In one post, he poses with a grin next to a foreign washing powder brand called ‘ISIS.’

    Another Facebook post features a sword, bullets and the words: ‘Jihad: the Only Solution.'”

  6. ‘A death Fatwa was issued against me’: Australian ‘imam of peace’ goes into hiding after Islamic preacher from Pakistan calls for him to be killed (dailymail, Dec 16, 2018)
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6500685/Australian-imam-peace-Islamic-preacher-Pakistan-calling-killed.html

    A ‘fake’ Australian imam has claimed an Islamic preacher from Pakistan called for him to be killed.

    Mohammad Tawhidi tweeted the death fatwa that was issued against him by Mufti Ahmad Raza Sialvi, with photos of the call to kill on Sunday morning.

    ‘Yesterday, a death Fatwa was issued against me by Mufti Sialvi of Pakistan,’ his tweet read.

    ‘First, I thank the officials who contacted me expressing their concerns and support.

    ‘I’ve put all future meetings and events on hold until further notice. I’ll come out of this much stronger.’

    Also known as an ‘imam of peace’ Tawhidi shared the translation of the death fatwa, which is a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.

    ‘Sharia Law Fatwa,’ the translation began, ‘In the Name of Allah.

    ‘It has been reported from Imam Malik that whoever insults the companions of Prophet Mohammad: Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Muawiya and considers them deviant has become a Kafir (disbeliever) and must be killed.

    ‘Based on this, Mohammad Tawhidi of Australia has disbelieved and is no longer part of the Islamic Nation; and it is prohibited to buy or his book.

    ‘God and His Prophet Know Best.’

    Mufti Sialvi tweeted the fatwa in regards to Tawhidi’s new book called,The Tragedy of Islam, Admissions of a Muslim Imam, where his writes about his transition from an extremist into a reformist.

    Many of Tawhidi’s supporters tweeted at him telling him to be strong and that they support him.

    ‘Bless you. Be safe and be well,’ one wrote.

    ‘#IStandWithImamTawhidi,’ another wrote.

    ‘You are a courageous person. Stay strong, be positive and believe in yourself. I stand with you to,’ another supporter wrote.”

  7. Roker Avenue rape: Sunderland mum says pain of ordeal made her ‘want to die’ as
    strangers who attacked her in asylum seekers’ accommodation are jailed for 22 years (sunderlandecho, Dec 17, 2018)
    https://bit.ly/2A2XsKy

    “A mum has said the pain she feels after being raped by two strangers at asylum seekers’ accommodation makes her “want to die”.

    Saheed Rasoolli, 30, and Araz Abdulla, 23, each took a turn to attack their victim in the bedroom of a flat at Roker Avenue in Sunderland, after she was lured there from a bus stop.

    Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim “couldn’t get her breath” during the rape ordeals and she was left with nail marks to her neck, throat and arms.

    Rasoolli, who has now been jailed for 12 years, and Abdulla, who has been jailed for ten, both denied rape but were convicted by a jury earlier this month.

    The Home Office will be informed of their convictions and sentences so their status in the UK can be considered.

    Judge Stephen Earl said both men, who are from Iran and Iraq respectively, must sign the sex offenders register for life.

    The judge said the woman had been “consistent about what took place” that day whereas her attackers had told “lie after lie after lie”.

    Judge Earl added: “Her life, currently, appears to be irreparably damaged as a result of the actions of both of these men.”

    In her impact statement the victim, who cannot be named, said: “I was raped by two men I did not know and since that day my life has changed.

    “I am not the same person.

    “I try to do nice things and laugh but I no longer enjoy life.

    “I cannot go out in public anymore, I feel frightened and nervous. I am scared something will happen to me or someone will hurt me.

    “I know both the men who raped me have been in prison since they were arrested but that doesn’t change how I feel.”

    The woman said she now struggles to even take her children to the park and has been prescribed medication from her doctor to try and banish the negative thoughts she has.

    She added: “I constantly think about he two men and what they did to me. I can’t describe the pain I feel.

    “I don’t have any injury to account for the pain, I have nothing to show for all the pain.”

    The woman said she made a serious attempt to take her own life and has “never felt like this before”.

    She added: “The pain I feel, following being raped, makes me want to die.

    “It overpowers me.

    “I can’t stop the feelings. I wish I could forget what they have done to me, I wish it hadn’t happened.

    “I try every day to block it out but nothing stops the thoughts.

    “My whole life has changed as a direct result of that day and what those two men did to me. They violated and abused me.

    “They left no physical injury or scars but, at the moment, if feels like they have destroyed my life.”

    The woman said she is worried for her future and fears “I may never feel positive again”.

    She added: “They need to understand what they have done to me and how their actions have impacted on my life.

    “I never want another person to suffer like I have because of those two men and their lack or respect for the right to say no.”

    Prosecutor Paul Abrahams told the court during the trial the woman, who had been waiting for a bus in the city in May after a date she had been on ended in disaster, when she was approached by Rasoolli, who had “decided at this early stage he was going to have sex with this female, whatever her views”.

    Mr Abrahams said the victim was taken by Rasoolli to a “multi-occupancy building, containing a number of flats occupied by asylum seekers” and into Abdulla’s bedroom, who left the room.

    He told jurors: “Rasoolli, without warning pushed her on the bed.”

    Mr Abrahams said Rasoolli had sex with the woman and added: “She told him to stop and tried to push him off, she made it clear she didn’t want to have any kind of sexual activity but despite her attempts, he ignored her and continued to force himself on her.”

    The court heard when Rasoolli had finished with the victim he left the room, Abdulla returned and took his turn to rape the woman.

    Mr Abrahams said: “Again, she hadn’t wanted any kind of sexual activity and told him to stop.

    “She tired pushing him away but he continued raping her.”

    The court heard when Abdulla finished with the woman he left the room and she was able to get away.

    Dan Cordey, defending Rasoolli, of Hylton Road, Sunderland, said the meeting at the bus stop had been by “chance” and that the attack was not planned.

    Mr Cordey said Rasoolli just wants a “safe and decent life” and has never been to prison before.

    Liam O’Brien, defending Abdulla, of Roker Avenue, Sunderland, said: “He still maintains he is an innocent man”.

    Mr O’Brien said Abudlla’s family were targeted by ISIS in his homeland and he is uneducated.

    A Home Office spokesman said: “Foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them and we have removed nearly 45,800 foreign offenders since 2010.”

    Speaking after sentencing, Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt, of Northumbria Police, said: “I am pleased that two dangerous offenders have now been taken off our streets following this despicable act.

    “Their selfishness caused a great deal of upset and distress to both the victim and the local community as a whole. They must now live with the consequences of their actions.

    “Rasoolli and Abdulla both insisted their innocence throughout this case, and their convictions are a result of a huge amount of work by an experienced and dedicated team of detectives who leave no stone unturned to ensure offenders are brought to justice.

    “I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victim and her family for the bravery and dignity they have shown throughout this difficult case.

    “While no sentence can change the horrific ordeal that the victim has endured, I hope she can now seek some kind of closure following these convictions.””