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500 political prisoners in Egypt on 38th day of hunger strike ‘neglected’ (memo, Jul 24, 2019)
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190724-500-political-prisoners-in-egypt-on-38th-day-of-hunger-strike-neglected/
“Over 500 political prisoners in the Scorpion wing of Egypt’s notorious Tora Prison have reached day 38 of their hunger strike, which they began in June to protest against the death of former President Mohamed Morsi.
Morsi died on 17 June after collapsing in a court room. He was kept in solitary confinement in the Scorpion wing for six years and consistently denied medical attention, as are thousands of inmates imprisoned in Egypt’s jails.
El-Nadeem NGO details 283 cases of individual torture, 30 deaths in custody and 111 people who have been subject to medical negligence in the first half of 2019.
Earlier this week, two political prisoners in Egypt, Omar Adel and Kilani Hassan, died after being kept in inhumane conditions. Hassan was denied medical care.
The hunger strike in Tora Prison aims to stop the ill treatment of prisoners and challenge the deliberate refusal to administer medical attention by authorities, the prevention of visits and the ban on detainees exercising.
In the aftermath of Morsi’s death authorities prevented a number of families from visiting their loved ones, though this is a common punitive measure already in force against many prisoners.
Authorities also raised the price of special permits to visit family members by 500 per cent in an attempt to quell the negative publicity that followed Morsi’s death.
Initially authorities ignored and neglected the strike, wrote one of the strikers in a letter, until a day later when they resorted to violence:
The cells were stormed by special forces equipped with firearms, nerve gas, tear gas and electric detonators… we heard the sound of cells [being] opened, the sound of shots and [the] voices of the special forces and national security officers.
“The officers carried the detainees on their stomachs on the ground and fired shots,” the letter continued, “and sprayed nerve gas.”
Authorities in the prison issued the decision not to give prisoners a glucose solution until their sugar levels were dangerously low at 30; eventually they asked a prisoner who had been detained on criminal charges to administer the solution and he used the same needle for a number of the patients.
“Neglect is increasing and there wasn’t any negotiation with the strikers,” wrote the prisoner.
“We send a message to all the organs of the state and officials to move to end this farce, and give them their legal rights. Everyone is responsible for what will happen to any one of [these] innocent detainees.”
In desperation at their prison conditions and disillusioned by the judicial system, many Egyptian detainees have gone on hunger strike to try and force the Egyptian authorities to give them a fair trial and improve their circumstances including Mohamed Soltan, who spent most of his two-year detention on hunger strike before being released.
Ola Al-Qaradawi, daughter of the influential scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, is currently on hunger strike at Al-Qanater women’s prison after being returned to pre-trial detention in solitary confinement after two years.”
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Iran’s president Rouhani hints at exchange of seized tankers in dispute with UK (alaraby, Jul 24, 2019)
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/7/24/irans-president-hints-at-exchange-of-seized-tankers
“President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Wednesday that Iran might release a UK-flagged ship if Britain takes similar steps to release an Iranian oil tanker seized by the British Royal Navy off Gibraltar earlier this month.
His remarks could create an opening to reduce tensions as Boris Johnson becomes prime minister. It’s unclear how the new government will respond to Rouhani’s suggestion or the impasse with Iran.
“We do not seek the continuation of tension with some European countries,” Rouhani said in comments carried on his website.
“Should they be committed to international frameworks and give up their wrong actions, including what they did in Gibraltar, they will receive a proportional response from Iran.”
Britain this week announced plans to develop and deploy a Europe-led “maritime protection mission” to safeguard shipping in the area after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
Rouhani said that while Iran does not seek a military conflict, it will not allow threats to its security in the important waterway. He described the Iranian seizure of the ship as “professional and brave”…”
Knife Attack in Tata, Agadir Injures Two French Tourists (mwn, Jul 24, 2019)
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/07/279029/knife-attack-in-tata-agadir-injures-two-french-tourists/
“A Moroccan national suffering from mental disorders attacked two tourists at a hostel in Tata (240 kilometers south-east of Agadir). The incident took place on July 23 and left both of the French tourists in need of medical attention.
According to local authorities of the province of Tata, the suspect used a knife to inflict wounds on the victims. One of the French victims sustained injuries in the head, and the other on the hands.
The two wounded were a father and his daughter. They were taken to the regional hospital of Agadir to receive the necessary care. The authorities added that the individual also set fire to the hostel manager’s office.
The suspect has multiple criminal records and has also been sectioned in a psychiatric hospital for several long stretches. The incident is being investigated by local authorities, under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office of Tata. The suspect remains in police custody.”
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Canada grants financial support to 5 Afghan organizations to advance women rights, democracy, security (khaama, Jul 24, 2019)
https://www.khaama.com/canada-grants-financial-support-to-5-afghan-organizations-to-advance-women-rights-democracy-security-03436/
“Canada has granted financial support to five Afghan Civil Society Organizations to advance women rights, democracy and security in Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Canada in a statement said Wednesday it has granted financial support to Afghan Women Association for Rehabilitation and Development (AWARD), Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WA), Human Rights and Eradication of Violence Organization (HREVO), Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Support for Afghanistan (PARSA) and Salam Afghanistan Media Organization (SAMO).
The statement further added that every year, the Canadian Embassy provides support to Afghan civil society organizations through the Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) to implement projects aligned with empowering women and girls and promoting gender equality, championing human rights, inclusive and accountable governance, democracy, peaceful pluralism and respect for diversity and promoting stability and security.
Furthermore, the statement said the Canadian Embassy sent an email to more than two hundred Afghan civil society organizations, inviting them to submit project proposals under one of the above-mentioned thematic priorities. The embassy received 64 proposals, of which five were retained following a competitive selection process.
The Canadian Embassy also added that the selected projects will have a direct impact in Afghan local communities and their implementation will be completed by the end of February 2020.”
144 irregular migrants lost their lives so far in Turkey: Report (hdn, Jul 24, 2019)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/144-irregular-migrants-lost-their-lives-so-far-in-turkey-report-145209
“Some 144 undocumented immigrants have died so far this year due to reasons such as traffic accidents, freezing and drowning, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing data from the Directorate General of Migration Management…”
96th year of Lausanne Treaty celebrated (hdn, Jul 24, 2019)
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/no-threat-of-sanctions-can-deter-turkey-from-her-just-cause-erdogan-145214
“Turkey on July 24 marked the 96th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, a landmark pact recognizing the modern Turkish state.
Signed on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne is regarded as the final treaty concluding World War I and which secured the foundation of the modern Republic of Turkey after the War of Independence against the occupying forces of Britain, France, Italy and Greece. The treaty recognized the boundaries of Turkey as well as the conditions under which non-Muslim minorities would live in the new republic.
“Today, we are proud to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, the founding document of the Republic of Turkey,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in a statement on July 24.
“The Turkish War of Independence was fought against the world’s strongest armies and was crowned with the Treaty of Lausanne, the seal of independence of our country,” Erdo?an said.
“The Republic of Turkey, like a century ago, today also has the strength and determination to eradicate any threat directed towards her independence, survival, the peace and security and safety of her citizens,” he said.
Erdo?an also stressed that Turkey’s recent steps in the eastern Mediterranean and northern Syria – including drilling for natural resources and counter-terrorism operations – clearly demonstrate its determination to protect the rights of both the Republic of Turkey and Turkish Cyprus. “No threat of sanctions, either covert or overt, can deter Turkey from her just cause,” he said.
“With these thoughts, on the 96th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, I commemorate once again the founding father of our Republic Veteran Mustafa Kemal, our noble martyrs, and our veterans with respect and gratitude,” Erdo?an added.
The Treaty of Lausanne was signed in the city of Lausanne in Switzerland. The original text of the treaty is in French. It was the result of a second attempt at peace after the failed Treaty of Sèvres, which was signed by all previous parties, except the Kingdom of Greece, but later rejected by the Turkish national movement who fought against the previous terms and significant loss of territory.
The Treaty of Lausanne ended the conflict and defined the borders of the modern Turkish Republic. In the treaty, Turkey gave up all claims to the remainder of the Ottoman Empire and in return the Allies recognized Turkish sovereignty within its new borders.”
Morocco: country shocked by umpteenth brutal murder of woman (ansamed, Jul 24, 2019)
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2019/07/24/morocco-country-shocked-by-umpteenth-brutal-murder-of-woman_c9b754d9-c8c6-4bc4-b992-6eec1ba79aad.html
“The latest murder of a woman in Morocco has shocked the public opinion. Tortured, raped and killed in the middle of a street in the medina of Rabat, the violence was filmed and posted on Whatsapp. The rape and murder of yet another woman produced shock waves in the wake of the death sentence against the murderers of two Scandinavian female tourists who were killed and beheaded in Imlil on mount Toubkal.
The cases affecting women have led members of civil society to ask the minister of solidarity, women and family, Massima Hakkaoui to step down in a petition sent to the head of government.
In the latest case in Rabat, Hanane, 34, was raped, tortured and left to die in a street of the medina, in the district of mellah in the Jewish area. The violence dates back to June but the video of the torture endured by the victim has just been released. Her killer appears in the video, a 50-year-old who now risks the death penalty. He is accused of first-degree murder as well as violence and torture and has been arrested together with eight accomplices who have been charged of, among others, failing to provide assistance, publishing the video of a murder, violence and drugs and alcohol use.
A similar case involved Khadija, a girl from Casablanca who was recently raped and tortured, with tattoos and scars across her body, or Zineb, 23, who was abducted by a gang and raped on a public bus in 2017. Also, this month, an 11-year-old boy was kidnapped and killed in Meknes. The case of Hanane, according to data provided by associations and NGOs, is only the tip of the iceberg as at least 14,000 women have reported being raped.
Minister Hakkaoui, who was elected in 2012, is the only woman minister. She has never commented on the cases. Legislation on violence against women in the country, which concerns the articles of law 101-13, became effective in September 2018.”
German daycares under police protection after plans to stop serving pork (DW, Jul 24, 2019)
https://www.dw.com/en/german-daycares-under-police-protection-after-plans-to-stop-serving-pork/a-49722710
“Two Leipzig daycare centers reversed moves to remove pork from the menu after the plans sparked a nationwide debate. The heated responses prompted police to park patrol cars outside to protect against “possible dangers.”
Plans to no longer serve children pork or gelatin-containing products like gummy bears at two daycare centers in the eastern German city of Leipzig prompted a wave of criticism online and made headlines across the country on Tuesday.
The mass-circulation Bild newspaper first reported about the daycare centers’ proposal, saying the decision to make the changes came from consideration for two Muslim children.
“Out of respect for a changing world, only pork-free meals and snacks will be ordered and served starting from July 15,” read a letter sent to parents, according to Bild.
Responses to the plans grew so heated that Leipzig police decided to park patrol cars outside both of the daycare centers to protect against “possible dangers,” a spokesman told news agency DPA.
By the evening, the director of the two centers said they were putting the plans on hold for now following the outrage.
“We’re overwhelmed by the whole thing,” daycare center director Wolfgang Schäfer told DPA.
‘Pork’ trending on Twitter
The Bild report spread like wildfire on social media, with #Schweinefleisch (pork) taking the number one trending spot on Twitter for most of the day.
The Saxony branch of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats described the plans as a “ban on pork” and said it was unacceptable.
Beatrix von Storch, a parliamentarian with the far-right Alternative for Germany, described it as “cultural subjugation,” honing in on reports that the daycares made the decision out of respect for Muslim children.
“Imagine if German children in Riyadh fought for their right to currywurst and forced the majority of society to change their diet,” she said, referring to a popular variation of German sausage.
Sawsan Chebli, a German politician in Berlin for the center-left Social Democrats who is of Palestinian descent, said the measure may have been well-intentioned, but did little to include Muslims.
“If daycares, schools and other such institutions would rather serve vegetarian food instead of meat — fine with me. I am only against it whenever they say: it’s out of respect to Muslims,” she wrote on Twitter.
Parents say debate is ‘absurd’
From schnitzel to sausages to gelatin-containing gummy bears, many classic German dishes contain parts taken from pigs.
In many daycares and schools, children who do not eat certain meats due to religious reasons, allergies or other dietary restrictions are often offered an alternative.
As for the parents of the children at the daycare, several said they agreed with the daycare’s decision to forego pork.
One mother told DPA that the debate was “absurd” and that her 4-year-old daughter doesn’t notice anyway if what she’s eating has pork in it or not.”
Extraordinary moment a Muslim tourist orders local Bali families off a public beach while ‘brandishing a knife’ – so his wife wouldn’t see other ‘partially-dressed’ men (dailymail, Jul 25, 2019)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7283049/Tourist-clashes-Bali-local-claiming-sole-access-private-beach.html
“Extraordinary footage has emerged of a heated confrontation between a tourist and Balinese locals over beach access, with young children caught up in the dispute.
A tourist argued with locals that they were not allowed to use the beach outside the villa he had rented, while they insisted it was a public beach and they had a right to be on it.
The tourist reportedly flashed a knife at one point during the confrontation and said he was a Muslim and needed access to the beach to be restricted so his wife would not see other partially-dressed men.
The tourist ended up losing the dispute, and he and his family were told to leave their accommodation in Temukus Village in the Buleleng Regency on Sunday night.
Footage shared to social media shows a furious local launching into an expletive-ridden tirade after he was told by the tourist it was a private beach…”
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