Reader’s Links for March 17, 2020

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Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

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

101 Replies to “Reader’s Links for March 17, 2020”

  1. Muslim On The Real Danger Of Ilhan Omar’s Agenda (Pt. 1) | Dalia al-Aqidi | POLITICS | Rubin Report

  2. Belgium orders total coronavirus lockdown with people only allowed out for work, medical visits and shopping
    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11194932/belgium-orders-total-coronavirus-lockdown-people-only-allowed-work-medical-visits-shopping/
    Access to supermarkets is limited to one person per 10 square metres and Belgians will only be allowed into shops for 30 minutes per customer.
    [..]
    There will also be a ban on gathering, for which only family units will be an exception.
    [..]
    Transport must be organized so that the travelers can space 1.5 metres apart.
    Barbers are only allowed one customer at a time.

  6. House passes revised coronavirus bill; Trump: economy may slow but will recover | NTD

  7. THE TERRIFYING DATA BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT’S SUDDEN CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN
    Professor Neil Fergusson, the country’s foremost epidemiologist and adviser on the outbreak’s trajectory, explained to a small group of science journalists why 20,000 coronavirus deaths in the UK would be a win. The alternative would leave 260,000 dead, he explained. The change in strategy had been necessitated by new data, said Prof Fergusson. The true position of demand on the NHS had only now become evident. Having run the new numbers, he had advised the government to change course. Those gathered were shocked. Are we then in a permanent state of outbreak?, one asked. “That’s our current understanding,” replied Prof Azra Ghani, a member of the modelling team which is based at Imperial College London. “The only exit strategy from this long term is vaccination or some other kind of innovative technology,” added Prof Fergusson. So what does the data reveal? And what is the new strategy the government is following? Is it effectively the same one China imposed in January and the rest of the world followed suit with like dominoes in the following weeks and months? The data reveals three things. First, it shows for the first time that the pandemic, were it to hit Britain uncontrolled, would top the “reasonable worst cases scenario” for 500,000 deaths that Public Health England has long used for contingency planning purposes. This is a serious matter in regards to contingency planning for future outbreaks. Second, the modelling shows the major pinch-point is a lack of NHS “surge capacity”, especially in critical care or ICU beds. To put it another way, if we had many more beds and ventilators we could afford for more people to catch the virus because we would be able to treat them. Yesterday’s modelling report may be troubling. But it does provide full transparency. Whichever way the nation goes, we will make that choice in full knowledge of the likely cost in hospital beds and lives. Paul Nuki
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/terrifying-data-behind-government-coronavirus-lockdown/

  8. Somali National Army launches action to oust al-Shabaab from Janaale
    https://thedefensepost.com/2020/03/17/somalia-janaale-al-shabaab/

    “Somalia’s Federal Government said elements of the Somali National Army and elite Danab forces launched an operation to capture the town of Janaale from al-Shabaab militants at dawn on Monday.

    “Government forces have successfully taken over the Janaale bridge and drive[n] al-Shabaab from their strongholds in the city,” the information ministry said in a Tuesday, March 17 statement.

    “Ongoing military operations continue inside the city to completely rid the terrorist al-Shabaab from Janaale and surrounding areas. The initial assessment from commanders is that several militants have been killed thus far,” the statement said.

    The ministry encouraged people with relatives in Janaale to “inform them of this operation and encourage them to stay in their homes.”

    Pro-government media outlet Somali National Television reported that the SNA had captured the town after al-Shabaab militants fled on Monday. A spokesperson for Somalia’s information ministry also said Janaale is under government control as of Tuesday.

    Major Karl Wiest, a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command, declined to comment on ongoing operations…”

  10. Turkey Detains 19 People over ‘Provocative’ Coronavirus Posts
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2184821/turkey-detains-19-people-over-provocative-coronavirus-posts

    “Turkey has identified 93 suspects who have made “unfounded and provocative” postings on social media about the coronavirus outbreak and has detained 19 of them, the Turkish Interior Ministry said.

    The move came as Turkey closed cafes, entertainment and sports venues, suspended mass prayers in mosques and extended a flight ban to 20 countries to contain the coronavirus spread, as the number of confirmed cases rose to 47.

    The interior ministry statement said there were social media posts which were targeting officials and spreading panic and fear by suggesting that the virus had spread widely in Turkey and that officials had taken insufficient measures.

    “Nineteen of these suspects have been detained and the process of detaining others who have been identified is continuing,” said the statement, issued late on Monday.

    Last Wednesday, Turkey became the last major economy to report an outbreak of coronavirus and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced 29 newly confirmed cases late on Monday, bringing the total to 47. No deaths have been reported.

    The Istanbul governor’s office said on Monday that Turkish citizens who request to return from nine European countries would be brought back by midnight on March 17 on condition that they are quarantined for 14 days.”

  11. Iran Recruits 9,000 Young Fighters in South, Northeast Syria
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2184236/iran-recruits-9000-young-fighters-south-northeast-syria

    “The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that Iran has lately increased the number of recruits within its ranks in the southern and northeastern parts of Syria.

    The Observatory said Tehran recruited around 9,000 Syrians, as Russian forces were busy fighting in Idlib, northwest of the country.

    “There are currently more than 5,350 volunteers in southern Syria, while the number of recent recruits in the ranks of Iranian forces and loyal militias in the west Euphrates region, rose to nearly 3,600 Syrians,” it said.

    The watchdog explained that Iranian forces and their loyal militias, like the Lebanese Hezbollah, are continuing to spread “Shi’ism” and to recruit youths in southern Syria and the western banks of the Euphrates River, by offering financial incentives and continuous usage of religion and sectarianism.

    In Daraa, Iranians and Hezbollah were recruiting men and young people through their proxies, such as “Saraya al-Areen” of Brigade 313 in north of Daraa, and Shiite centers in Sayda, Da’el, and Izraa. The Observatory said the recent recruits undergo training courses in Al-Lajat area, east Daraa.

    In Quneitra, near the border with the Occupied Golan, Hezbollah continues to reinforce its presence by attracting young people who have defaulted the reserve and mandatory service and fled regime security pursuit.

    “Those young people hurry to join the ranks of Iranian-backed militias because of the deteriorating living conditions and lack of job opportunities. Conversions to Shiite Islam and recruitment operations in Al-Quneitra province are concentrated in Al-Baath city and Khan Arnabah,” the Observatory noted.

    Recruitment operations are also ongoing in west Euphrates region, exactly in a fully Iranians-controlled area stretching from Al-Mayadin to Al-Bokamal in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

    The Syrian Observatory has documented that Iranian militias intentionally intensify these recruitment operations, at a time when the Russian side is preoccupied with military operations and recent agreements with Turkey regarding Northern Syria.”

  12. Pakistan Builds Border Fence, Limiting Militants
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2184561/pakistan-builds-border-fence-limiting-militants

    “Above the trucks and travelers lining up at the main eastern gateway between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a glinting new landmark scales the dun-colored mountains: Parallel mesh fences, a couple of feet apart and topped with coils of razor wire, climb from the border crossing up over the dizzying crags.

    The section of fence overlooking Torkham is just a glimpse of a 1,600-mile barrier begun four years ago by Pakistan’s military and set to be completed this year.

    Nearly 9,000 miles from US President Trump’s border wall with Mexico, Pakistan has quietly been building its own version to try to control what has long been one of the world’s most porous and lawless frontiers.

    The Pakistani Army credits the fence with helping to transform security in the country, sharply cutting terrorist attacks after a sustained army offensive pushed many militants — and tens of thousands of civilian refugees — into Afghanistan.

    Yet the barrier is also a projection of hard power in its own right, to the detriment of diplomacy with Afghanistan and the life of Pashtun tribes that had functionally ignored the border for generations.

    Afghanistan disputes the border that the fence follows, drawn by British colonial officials in 1893 and known as the Durand Line. And as the wire unfurls over hundreds of miles, it is cutting off routes through the mountains used by smugglers, militants, traders and families alike, according to interviews with government officials, tribal leaders and diplomats.

    Pakistan had long considered a border barrier. But construction began in earnest in 2016, after costly army offensives to push many militants out of the country’s tribal areas and into Afghanistan.

    Some 800 miles of the USD450 million fence are now complete and more than 1,000 border forts are being built, according to a statement from the Pakistani military’s information wing. The route takes it through forbidding mountains where rockfalls, avalanches and landslides cause constant damage.

    The vast majority of the work has been out of view of the public or other governments. One senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the public, said, “It’s a herculean task because of the terrain up there.”

    Last year only 82 attacks in Pakistan were attributed to that network, down from 352 in 2014, when the military offensive began, according to the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies, which monitors extremist violence.

    The difficulties of maintaining the fence and keeping watch to see that it is not being breached have led some diplomats to question how practical it will be without high-tech assistance like cameras or other surveillance.

    Pakistan’s military said in a statement that the fence was strengthened with “surveillance and intrusion detection systems,” as well as border forts, but gave no further details.

    “Security is much better,” one Pakistani security officer said. “But you can’t do everything with a fence. People will still come through. They look like the local population, and they live among them.”

    But in recent months, there have been increasing reports that some Pakistani Taliban militants have managed to come back to some of the tribal areas in the northwest. Last Monday at least three people, including a Pakistani colonel, were killed in a shootout between soldiers and militants in Tank district, near South Waziristan.

    Fence construction groups have also been attacked by militants, who have released videos of themselves tearing down sections and seizing building supplies.

    Corruption and bribery are also likely to help people find ways through in a region where smuggling has been a way of life for many.

    The fence may slow down illegal crossings, but it will not stop them entirely, said Elizabeth Threlkeld, an American diplomat in the border city of Peshawar until 2016 and now with the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank that focuses on foreign policy.

    Each day, children in orange tunics line up at the Torkham crossing to get to the Pakistani side from Afghanistan to school, showing how close the links remain. But the fence has been accompanied by tightening immigration rules. Travelers now need passports and visas to cross, and lines at embassies in Kabul and Islamabad have sharply lengthened. Much to their anger, traders must pay customs fees.

    “The question will be in the longer term, is it going to have a real social and cultural impact on this area,” said Muhammad Amir Rana, the director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies.”

  13. France Unlocks Extra €50 Mln for Humanitarian Aid to Syria
    https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2185296/france-unlocks-extra-%E2%82%AC50-mln-humanitarian-aid-syria

    “France said on Tuesday it had unlocked an extra 50 million euros for humanitarian aid to Syria, half of which will be destined for the Idlib region.

    France will carefully monitor whether this aid “effectively reaches civilians,” the presidential palace said in a statement following a videoconference between French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Germany, Turkey and Britain.

    Discussions focused on the Syria crisis and migrant issue as well as joint action against coronavirus, Turkish presidency said.

    In a statement, the presidency said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also discussed methods of humanitarian aid to Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

    The call was planned after Ankara opened its borders to migrants trying to enter the bloc.

    Separately, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington believes Russia has killed dozens of Turkish military personnel in the course of its military operations in Syria.

    Speaking at a news conference at the State Department, Pompeo did not specify where or during which incident the Turkish soldiers were killed. It was the first time Washington has directly pointed its finger at Moscow over the death of Turkish soldiers.

    “We believe Russia has killed dozens of Turkish military personnel in the course of their military operations, and we stand with our NATO ally Turkey and we continue to consider additional measures to support Turkey and to end the violence in Idlib and in Syria more broadly,” Pompeo said…”

  16. Coronavirus: Turkey announces first death from virus
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-turkey-announces-first-death-due-virus

    “Turkey has announced its first death related to the novel coronavirus, as the country also reports 51 new cases of the disease, reaching a current total of 98.

    The victim was an 89-year-old who had been an employee of a man who had connections to China, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters during a press conference late on Tuesday.

    Turkey has already passed strict measures to curb an outbreak of the virus, including closing down schools, universities, mosques, and barring flights from more than a dozen different countries.

    The country has now doubled the number of coronavirus cases, also known as Covid-19, in a period of roughly 24 hours. The Turkish government previously announced on Monday that the number of cases had increased from 18 to 47.

    Also on Monday, the country had announced a multitide of new measures that would go into effect in order to help stop the virus from spreading.

    Turkey has banned all flights from the UK, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ireland and United Arab Emirates as of 8am on Tuesday, adding to a list of already banned flights to and from nine European countries, including France, Germany, and Spain.

    As of now, only restaurants with proper licences have been allowed to remain open.

    Ali Erbas, Turkey’s head of religious affairs, announced on Monday that all congregational worship taking place in mosques in the country would be banned, saying that there was a great danger that the virus could spread if prayers in congregation continue.

    Turkey has also quarantined more than 10,000 pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.

    Turkey’s Interior Ministry said it has identified 93 suspects who have made “unfounded and provocative” social media posts about the coronavirus outbreak and has detained 19 of them.

    “Nineteen of these suspects have been detained and the process of detaining others who have been identified is continuing,” said the statement, issued late on Monday.

    The posts were targeting officials and spreading panic by suggesting that the virus had spread widely in Turkey and that officials had taken insufficient measures.”

  18. Saudi-backed Yemen official survives assassination attempt
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200317-saudi-backed-yemen-official-survives-assassination-attempt/

    “Governor of the Yemeni District of Al-Jawf Amin Al-Akeemi survived an assassination attempt yesterday morning after a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis targeted a meeting of government leaders, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

    The London-based news website reported that two tribal leaders and two bodyguards were killed in the attack.

    Al-Jawf has witnessed escalating clashes since that start of March as the Houthis have taken control of wide swathes of the governorate. During the past few days, the internationally-backed government forces recaptured areas from the Houthis.

    A Yemeni government source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the Houthis launched the ballistic missile at a government office in Al-Yatma, north of Al-Jawf, where there was a meeting of senior military and tribal leaders.

    The sources said that the Chief Commander of the Sixth Military Section of the Yemeni army, Major General Ali Al-Huda, was severely wounded in the attack. Scores of soldiers were also wounded.

    The Houthis have not claim responsibility for the attack.”

  19. 4.8 million children born into Syria’s war
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200317-4-8-million-children-born-into-syrias-war/

    “Over 4.8 million Syrian children have reportedly been born during the nine-year-long civil war both within and outside the country, revealed the United Nations’ International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

    UNICEF’s Executive Director Henrietta Fore said on Sunday– the anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian revolution: “The war in Syria marks yet another shameful milestone today.” As the civil war enters its tenth year, children have been and will continue to be some of the biggest victims, as “Millions of children are entering their second decade of life surrounded by war, violence, death and displacement.”

    The organisation said that data since 2014, the year when official monitoring of the civil war and its effects began, show that “more than 9,000 children were killed or injured in the conflict”, adding that “close to 5,000 children – some as young as seven – were recruited into the fighting (and) nearly 1,000 education and medical facilities came under attack.”

    The wellbeing of Syrian children in the coming future is not predicted to improve, however, with the agency warning that the “true impact of this war on children is likely to be more profound.” This is primarily due to the huge effects and destruction brought upon their healthcare and education, particularly in the opposition-held areas of north-west Syria…”

  20. London Muslim gay pride festival postponed over coronavirus crisis
    https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/3/17/london-muslim-gay-pride-festival-postponed-over-coronavirus-crisis

    “London’s first-ever Muslim LGBTQI pride event has been postponed until at least the winter, following new UK government advice on the global coronavirus pandemic.

    The “ImaanFest” – which was due to take place on 11 April – has been rescheduled to take place in December 2020.

    “Because of the fast-moving situation and uncertainty around how the pandemic will evolve, we’ve taken the difficult decision to postpone the event until Sat 12th December 2020,” event organisers Imaan LGBTQI Muslim Support said in a statment posted to Twitter on Monday.

    The group added that those who had purchased tickets could seek a refund if required.

    The ImaanFest was set to be a celebration of Imaan’s 20th anniversary, hosting a range of workshops on sexuality, intersectional identities, exhibitions and an afterparty with live entertainment.

    Its postponement came just hours after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced more stringent government advice over the novel coronavirus…”

  21. CTVNEWS – What happens if Trudeau becomes unable to fulfill the PM’s duties?

    OTTAWA — The federal government has put in place a national leadership contingency plan in place, should Prime Minister Justin Trudeau become unable to fulfill his duties.

    If that major and unprecedented moment in Canadian politics occurs, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland would become Canada’s acting prime minister.

    That’s according to an official order made on March 13, the day that Trudeau’s office announced that his wife Sophie had tested positive for COVID-19.

    The prime minister remains in self-isolation but on Monday Trudeau said he and his children remain symptom-free, while his wife’s symptoms are mild.

    Trudeau has been working from home, chairing cabinet meetings, holding regular public addresses, and participating in international calls with world leaders from his home office.

    “In the event that the Prime Minister is unable to perform the functions of his office,” a threshold left undefined, Freeland would take charge, reads the order issued by the Privy Council Office.

    In line with public health advice, Trudeau has not been tested for COVID-19 as he is not symptomatic, but given the rapid and concerning spread, the federal cabinet has been given instructions on the roles they’d play if the situation evolved.

    Following Freeland, the next five ministers in line are based on seniority: Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay; Indigenous Services Minister Carolyn Bennett; President of the Privy Council Dominic LeBlanc; Industry Minister Navdeep Bains; and Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

    The order also goes on to outline how ministerial roles would shift to see all portfolios covered should Freeland become Canada’s acting prime minister, or if other ministers are no longer able to do their jobs.

    If Freeland takes on Trudeau’s job, LeBlanc would become deputy prime minister, for example. Should federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu be unable to fulfill her duties, Bennett, who is a doctor, would take on that job.

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/what-happens-if-trudeau-becomes-unable-to-fulfill-the-pm-s-duties-1.4856330

    ==================================================

    The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, advises that

    on this page :

    https://orders-in-council.canada.ca/attachment.php?attach=38932&lang=en

  22. Morocco Arrests Man For Threatening Authorities For Closing Mosques
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/03/296482/morocco-arrests-man-for-threatening-authorities-for-closing-mosques/

    “The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) arrested today, March 17, a Moroccan Salafist named Abou Naim who threatened the Ministry of Islamic Affairs against any move to close mosques amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

    In a press release, the DGSN said that the man is in custody for posting a video containing serious violations of public order.

    In a video posted to social media, Naim warns against any moves to close mosques throughout Morocco…”

  23. Morocco Sentences Journalist Omar Radi to 4 Month Suspended Sentence
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/03/296489/morocco-sentences-journalist-omar-radi-to-4-month-suspended-sentence/

    “A Moroccan court handed a four-month suspended sentence and a MAD 500 ($52) fine to Moroccan journalist Omar Radi on Tuesday, March 17, on charges of insulting a judge on Twitter.

    Police arrested Radi on December 26 after he posted a tweet condemning the 1 to 20-year sentences that activists of Hirak Rif movement in the Al Hoceima province received in 2018.

    The journalist spent five days in jail until leaving on provisional release on December 31.

    The Casablanca Court of Appeals upheld prison sentences of up to 20 years for the activists who participated in “unauthorized” protests in the Al Hoceima province in 2016 and 2017, a popular movement known as Hirak Rif.

    “Let us all remember Appeals Judge Lahcen Tolfi, the enforcer against our brothers,” Radi tweeted in April 2019. “In many regimes, small-time henchmen like him come back begging, later, claiming they were only ‘carrying out orders.’ No forgetting or forgiveness with such undignified officials!”

    Rights groups condemned Radi’s sentence today, with Amnesty International saying that the journalist should have never been behind bars.

    MENA Regional Director at Amnesty International, Heba Morayef, said the journalist “should never have been put on trial in the first place or sentenced for expressing peaceful views on social media.””

  24. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT – DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE – Paving the way

    Private Nargis Fatima is helping update Army’s uniform to include modesty options for Muslim women.

    Negotiating the middle ground between her faith and service, Private Nargis Fatima, of Army Personnel Administration Centre ACT, is helping update Army’s uniform to include modesty options for Muslim women.

    The 22-year-old, her twin sister Private Zahra Batool and fellow Muslim woman Private Hasiba Sahar joined Army on the same day in June 2018, and were the first women in Army to wear a hijab with their Army uniforms.

    Private Fatima explained “hijab” means dressing for modesty rather than referring to a particular item of clothing, although it is often used to refer to a headscarf.

    “It may vary from one person to the next within our religion, but we share the underlying principle of staying covered,” Private Fatima said.

    Private Fatima covers her body to her ankles, wrists and chin, and she first faced uniform challenges when she joined the Army Pre-Conditioning Program (APCP).

    “I was wearing thermals with my T-shirt and shorts for PT, because that’s all they had that would keep me covered, until I could get my mother to send me lighter-weight layers,” Private Fatima said.

    During Private Fatima’s recruit course, Recruit Instructor Corporal Jarryn Walters researched the uniform policy to help set her up for success.

    “Even before she came into my platoon, while she was in APCP, I saw her KFF (slouch hat) wasn’t sitting properly on her hijab, so I stopped her and helped her fix it up,” Corporal Walters said.

    “Once she was in my platoon, I did some research to make sure her dress and bearing were compliant with Defence policy. It was just part of my job.

    “It was for my own reassurance, to identify what her left and right of arc were, and also if anyone questioned her I could defend Private Fatima’s standard of dress without hesitation.”

    The Army Dress Manual (chapter 3, paragraph 87) stipulates that the hijab is to be tan to mid-brown in colour, tucked neatly inside the collar of the uniform and provided at the member’s responsibility and expense.

    Since marching out of Kapooka, though, Privates Fatima, Batool and Hasiba have been assisting Clothing SPO in developing various items of religious clothing as part of the issued uniform. Staff Officer Level 2 Diversity and Inclusion, Major Annemarie Chapman, said this has helped pave the way for other Muslim women and for Army.

    “These women have been very accommodating of the fact Army hasn’t had a uniform appropriate for their religious requirements, and they’ve been open and forward-leaning in finding a solution with us,” Major Chapman said.

    “They’ve been really keen to help us develop suitable clothing options to which will ensure that all Army women of Muslim faith will have a functional and well-fitting uniform they are proud to wear.”

    https://news.defence.gov.au/people/paving-way

  25. First batch of Turkish citizens from Europe arrive home
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/first-batch-of-turkish-citizens-from-europe-arrive-home-153034

    “The first plane carrying 108 Turkish citizens from Munich, Germany, arrived in Istanbul on March 17after Turkey imposed a travel ban
    last week to nine European countries amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

    Turkey banned entry from Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    An expedition was launched for the return of Turkish citizens in these countries who were there for business, visiting family or education.

    The first plane landed in Istanbul after departing from Munich at 10.05 a.m. local time (0905GMT), carrying 108 passengers, two of whom were infants.

    The plane’s landing strip at Istanbul Airport was cordoned off from normal entry, with health teams in special protective gear standing by upon their arrival.

    In addition, police and gendarmerie teams took security measures around the zone.

    After health checks, the passengers will be taken to a student dormitory set aside as a quarantine facility in Istanbul.

    Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu said on March 17 that some 3,614 Turks from nine European countries will return to Turkey until midnight. The returnees will be quarantined subsequently.

    Speaking during a news conference, Çavu?o?lu said that 3,614 Turkish citizens will be brought to Turkey with a total of 34 planned flights until March 17 midnight.

    He also underlined that the returnees will be quarantined for 14 days at student dorms in metropolis Istanbul and northwestern Kocaeli province.

    Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) will be addressing their needs during the quarantine, Çavu?o?lu added.

    Three more additional flights have been planned for citizens coming from the U.K., he added.

    “As of [March 16] evening, flights have been halted for six more countries,” Çavu?o?lu said.

    The minister also said that Morocco has announced its flight ban, but some 1,500 Turkish citizens are currently in the North African country.

    “We are carrying out the necessary works for our citizens,” he said.

    23 countries requested equipment aid

    Çavu?o?lu said that 23 countries have requested aid for coronavirus equipment and Turkey has sent help to some countries.

    “We are cooperating with the Health Ministry for the worst-case scenario,” he said.

    “It is important to determine our needs, in the worst case, and support [other countries]. Our own needs are important,” he added.

    On March 11, Turkey became the last major economy to report a case of the coronavirus.

    Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced 29 newly confirmed cases late on March 16, bringing the total to 47.

    No deaths have been reported.

    The Turkish government has been implementing strict measures since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, from flight bans to schools temporarily closing.”

  26. Council of Europe urges Greece for action on Aegean islands
    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/europe/2020/03/17/council-of-europe-urges-greece-for-action-on-aegean-islands_8557141a-b7f0-4177-97f1-95eda7c9a668.html

    “Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic said Tuesday that Greece must urgently transfer asylum seekers from the Aegean islands and improve living conditions in reception facilities, according to a statement.

    She also noted that the death of a 6-year-old child in a fire in Moria migrant camp the previous day was another tragic illustration of the urgent need to improve safety and sanitary conditions on Aegean islands. Greek authorities must act now to prevent other tragedies and plan swift decongestion of the islands, Mijatovic said.
    The commissioner had urged the same at the end of October.”

  27. Germany ‘must do more’ to fight racism: Council of Europe
    https://www.dw.com/en/germany-must-do-more-to-fight-racism-council-of-europe/a-52803181

    “A European anti-racism commission has detected “high levels of Islamophobia” and said that public discourse in Germany is increasingly xenophobic. “Blatant” racism from certain quarters has impacted mainstream politics.

    Germany must step up efforts to prevent and counter extremism and neo-Nazism, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) said in a report published on Monday.

    The report also stated there is strong evidence for extensive racial profiling by German police.

    The ECRI recommended Germany should take action to:

    Ensure that evidence of online hate speech is shared with the police;
    Eliminate existing and prevent future racial profiling;
    Establish a system of organizations that provide victims of discrimination with effective support;
    Accelerate the National Action Plan on Integration, as children with migrant backgrounds are twice as likely to leave school without qualifications.

    ‘Blatant’ racism

    The report commended Germany’s efforts to fight racism and discrimination, noting that “Germany warmly welcomed an extraordinarily large number of asylum seekers in 2015” and “invested many resources” in their inclusive integration.

    However, the report said public discourse in the country has become increasingly xenophobic, noting “high levels of Islamophobia.”

    According to the ECRI, racism is “particularly blatant” in two sub organisations of a “new political party.” The report found that the constant racist and xenophobic discourse from the extreme right has impacted mainstream political discourse.

    The body also detected rising numbers of right-wing extremists “ready to use violence,” with both right-wing and Islamist terrorists carrying-out racist attacks.

    German Sinti and Roma are in need of special assistance with migrant Roma often being victims of exclusion and exploitation.

    Hate speech

    The survey found a large number of unreported hate crimes and said evidence of online hate speech that could lead to violence is “not systematically transmitted to the police.”

    The report praised German officials including Chancellor Angela Merkel for having publicly spoken out against hate speech but urged social networks to enforce their guidelines on omitting hate speech.

    The body also urged Germany to take a stronger stance on the wellbeing of intersex children and their parents, and to set-up counselling services for them.”