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.
Alyssa Milano, The New York Times, and #MeToo Hypocrisy
State media reveals regime’s coverup of CCP virus; thousands waiting outside hospital amid pandemic
Nigeria security forces kill 18 in coronavirus lockdown enforcement
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/04/16/nigeria-security-forces-kill-18-coronavirus/
“Nigerian security agents have killed 18 people in their enforcement of measures to curb coronavirus, a figure higher than the documented toll inflicted by the disease, the country’s human rights body said.
Africa’s most populous nation has imposed a total lockdown in megacity Lagos and the capital Abuja and set restrictions in other regions in a bid to contain the virus.
According to official figures, coronavirus has so far infected 407 people in Nigeria, 12 of them fatally.
Security forces, including police and army, have been deployed to enforce the restrictions, sparking deadly confrontations in some states.
In a report released late on Wednesday, the National Human Rights Commission said it had received and documented “105 complaints of incidents of human rights violations perpetuated by security forces” in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja.
Of these complaints, “there were 8 documented incidents of extrajudicial killings leading to 18 deaths,” it said.
The commission noted that the tally of killings was higher than the recorded toll from the disease itself.
“Whereas COVID-19 led to the death of 11 victims, law enforcement agents extrajudicially executed 18 persons in the cause of the enforcement regulations,” it said, referring to the official virus toll as at the time of the report.
It accused the security agents of “excessive or disproportionate use of force, abuse of power, corruption and non-adherence to national and international laws, best practices and rules of engagement.”
National police spokesperson Frank Mba said the commission was “too general in its allegations,” saying it ought to have been specific in the number of people killed by the police.
“The commission should have given details of those killed by the police, their number, names and places where they were killed to enable us take appropriate actions,” he told AFP.
He said the police would continue to enforce the lockdown measures “professionally and in line with international best practices.”
He said the police authorities would not condone any abuses or infractions against the personnel, adding that recently an officer who extorted money from a civilian was punished and made to refund it to the owner.
Local and international rights bodies have long accused Nigerian security forces of abuses against civilians, but they have denied the charges.
There have been growing fears of a rise in crime and unrest due to the virus restrictions, especially in Lagos, as millions of people living in poverty have been cut off from vital income.”
Defectors quit last US-backed rebel group in Syria, head for regime territory
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/04/16/syria-rebels-defect-maghawir-al-thawra/
“A suspected drug smuggler and other former member of the last remaining U.S.-backed rebel group in Syria defected to territory controlled by Bashar al-Assad government in an embarrassing spectacle for the opposition militia and U.S. Special Operations.
According to rebel sources familiar with the matter, Samir Ghannam al-Khidr and several members of the Maghawir al-Thawra militia and their families on Tuesday, April 14 defected to the city of Palmyra from the al-Tanf garrison, which is run by U.S. Army Special Forces in Syria’s eastern desert on the Iraq border.
Video purporting to show the defection spread on social media on Tuesday.
U.S. military machine guns, as well as other weapons, can be seen on board vehicles in the video. A Western military source with knowledge of operations in Syria confirmed the vehicles appeared to bear U.S. equipment.
The Maghawir denied the vehicles belonged to the militia.
A rebel source at Tanf familiar with the incident said the weapons were likely for personal protection while traversing the hostile desert, and may not have been intended for handover to the regime.
It was not clear why the militia members fled to government-controlled territory, but it is not the only defection in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a handful of Maghawir members also defected to the regime with their weapons, a source directly familiar with the matter told The Defense Post.
The defections were not enough to drain the ranks of the militia, which boasts a few hundred fighters, the sources said.
The U.S.-backed rebel group sought on Twitter to distance itself from al-Khidr.
“He left because he could not smuggle drugs in this area due to the efforts of Maghaweir al-Thowra in interdicted drugs,” the Maghawir stated. “We allowed him to leave with his family, as we did not want to get in a conflict with him because all the women and children with him.”
Al-Khidr, a former senior officer in the Maghawir militia, was detained last year by members of another Syrian militia affiliated with Jordanian military intelligence on accusations of smuggling drugs and personnel across the Jordanian border.
He was later released by Jordanian authorities. Al-Khidr then returned to the U.S.-controlled 55-km zone and remained there until he fled on Tuesday morning. A source familiar with the matter said Khidr was not allowed back into the Maghawir militia upon his return to the 55-km zone following his arrest in the spring of 2019.
Al-Khidr could not be reached for comment.
U.S. Army Special Forces have trained vetted Syrian rebels at al-Tanf since 2016 to fight against Islamic State, but the militias had little success on the battlefield. As the sole remaining rebel group, Maghawir al-Thawra has been relegated to securing a strategic swath of desert around the Baghdad-Damascus highway on Syria’s eastern border with Iraq.
The American-controlled, so-called 55-km zone is surrounded by desert patrolled by pro-Syrian regime units and Iran-backed militias. The desert also contains Syria’s largest and most active remnants of ISIS sleeper cells. The Pentagon’s Syria mission is only authorized to strike ISIS, not the regime and its affiliates, unless acting in self-defense.
The inhospitable 55-km zone is home to some 7,000-10,000 Syrian civilians who fled Assad’s army and ISIS throughout the nearly decade-long civil war.
A spokesperson for U.S.-led military Coalition against ISIS, which mans the al-Tanf zone, did not immediately respond to The Defense Post’s inquiry into the incident.”
Malice unnecessary.
See the long way to a happy ending in the monkey virus Reston Ebola article in the 1992 New Yorker.
Unless you count having someone inexperienced at WHO as malice.
Imagine if the PRC had been open to having US experts help.
There are no vaccines for these viruses. Wuhan looks like a mis-managed lab accident. Where are photos of killed bats, bleached dried blood, roped-off facilities?
Proper lab containment should leave those traces.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/10/26/crisis-in-the-hot-zone
Iran Fighting Two Viruses: Sanctions, COVID-19: President Rouhani
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/04/16/2244876/iran-fighting-two-viruses-sanctions-covid-19-president-rouhani
“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country is currently facing and battling two viruses, namely the anti-Iran sanctions and COVID-19…”
US’ Shameful Defunding of WHO to Live in Infamy: Iran’s Zarif
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/04/16/2244647/us-shameful-defunding-of-who-to-live-in-infamy-iran-s-zarif
“ran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said US President Donald Trump’s shameful decision to halt funding for the WHO amid the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic will live in “infamy” as will his so-called ‘maximum pressure’ campaign against Iran…”
US’ WHO Funding Cut amid Coronavirus Outbreak Crime against Humanity: Iran
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/04/16/2244650/us-who-funding-cut-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-crime-against-humanity-iran
“Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman denounced the US president’s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the coronavirus pandemic as a crime against humanity and yet another step to undermine international institutions…”
Iran Has One of World’s Best-Prepared Armies: Minister
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/04/15/2244280/iran-has-one-of-world-s-best-prepared-armies-minister
“Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said the skilled and committed workforces and advanced military equipment have turned Iran’s Army into one of the best prepared in the world…”
IRGC Commander Highlights Army Role in Boosting Iran’s Might
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/04/16/2244995/irgc-commander-highlights-army-role-in-boosting-iran-s-might
“Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salami lauded efforts by the Army to enhance the country’s military might and deterrent power…”
Red Cross: Coronavirus Could Cause Upheaval Across Mideast
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2237536/red-cross-coronavirus-could-cause-upheaval-across-mideast
“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Thursday that coronavirus outbreaks across the Middle East threaten to shatter the lives of millions of already destitute people in conflict zones, and could fuel socio-economic upheaval…”
Greece to Move Migrants Out of Congested Island Camps
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2236926/greece-move-migrants-out-congested-island-camps
“Greece will move hundreds of elderly and ailing asylum seekers out of congested island camps starting next week to protect them from the coronavirus pandemic, the migration ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said 2,380 “vulnerable persons” will be moved out of camps on Aegean islands to apartments, hotels and other camps on the mainland.
Authorities said the operation will begin on April 19 and take about two weeks. Details will be announced at a later date.
“This additional protective measure aims to further reduce the risk of a (virus) outbreak,” the ministry said.
Those to be moved include 200 asylum-seekers over the age of 60 who will be accompanied by their families. Another group of 1,730 includes people with prior ailments and their relatives, the ministry said.
No coronavirus case has been officially reported in camps on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. But there have been outbreaks in two camps on the mainland.
Some 100,000 asylum seekers are currently stranded in Greece after other European states closed their borders in 2016.
The camps on islands near Turkey suffer the worst overcrowding with more than 36,000 people in sites built for 6,100.
A separate scheme to gradually relocate 1,600 unaccompanied minors from war-torn countries to other European nations also began this week.
Greece transferred a dozen unaccompanied children from overcrowded camps to Luxembourg on Wednesday, the first of more than 1,000 relocations that are being expedited amid concerns over the impact of coronavirus on vulnerable groups.
Another group of 50 children is expected to fly from Athens to Germany on Saturday, and 20 more will head to Switzerland at a later date. Greece hopes to relocate some 1,600 unaccompanied minors in the coming months.
The children relocated on Wednesday were aged between 11 and 15. Ten were from Afghanistan and two from Syria.”
Lack of funds forces UN to close life-saving aid programmes in Yemen
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-un-yemen-funding-cuts-humanitarian-aid
“The United Nations said on Thursday that it was being forced to close down several humanitarian programmes in Yemen amid a a funding shortage, leaving the impoverished country in dire straits as it attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Of the UN’s 41 major programmes, 31 will start closing down in the next few weeks if we cannot secure additional funds,” the UN’s emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock told the Security Council.
“This means we will have to start eliminating many of the activities that may offer Yemenis their best chance to avoid Covid-19.”
He added that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will have to stop immediate assistance for families displaced by conflict or natural disasters.
This means that “up to 1 million displaced people will not receive critical supplies”, including hygiene kits to help protect against both the coronavirus and cholera.
Nutrition programmes for Yemeni children will also be cut, according to Lowcock, affecting 260,000 severely malnourished children and 2 million other children who are moderately malnourished in the war-torn country.
80 percent of health services provided by the UN aid response to the coronavirus may stop by the end of April.
“We need these teams more than ever, not just to keep on top of Covid-19, but to contain a growing risk that cholera will rebound as the rainy season restarts.”
UN agencies estimate they need more than $900m to make it through the end of July…”
Coronavirus: Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan suffer economic pain amid falling remittances
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-egypt-lebanon-jordan-remittance-economy
“Middle East and North African economies have been hit by dual shocks during the past two months, notably the coronavirus pandemic and lower oil prices. For some, like Lebanon, it comes amid a financial crisis that was already underway.
But as the global impact of the crises bites, so another financial shock is looming – a drop in remittances from overseas workers. And it is likely to hit the region’s most vulnerable economies, including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon,..”
Coronavirus: Faith groups fear US prisons may restrict right to worship during Ramadan
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-us-muslim-prisoners-ramadan-worship-rights-covid-19
“A coalition of more than 20 faith and civil liberties groups are urging prison authorities across the United States to protect the religious rights of inmates during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, especially in light of the current global pandemic.
“With the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaching, it is especially important that correctional facilities allow incarcerated Muslims to fast by giving them food and medicine outside of daylight hours and also accommodating evening prayers,” Muslim Advocates, which led the initative, said in a news release on Thursday.
Ramadan is set to begin at the end of next week, and the groups, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Faith in Public Life and the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC) sent the letter fearing that social distancing measures may be used to restrict prisoners’ right to worship.
According to a recent report by The Intercept, the novel coronavirus has spread across the US prison system and is causing chaos inside many correctional facilities.
During the month-long holiday, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, abstaining from food, liquids and smoking. It is a time for prayer, reflection, atonement and charity – when rewards for good deeds are multiplied.
The letter also called for prison systems to make religious accommodations for diets, items needed for worship and spiritual leaders and counselors.
“As the Covid-19 pandemic contributes to disruptions of ordinary supply chains, prisons must ensure that they maintain the existing religious diets of incarcerated people,” the letter read.
“Prisons in the past have all too often provided insufficient justifications or even false pretexts to deny prisoners their right to assemble for worship.”
Ramadan restrictions
According to Muslim Advocates, last Ramadan there were multiple reports of Muslim prisoners being restricted from observing the holy month.
The rights group sent a letter in May 2019 warning that two state prisons in Virginia “illegally denied sufficient food and water to observant Muslim inmates who are fasting for Ramadan.”
The inmates – who were fasting for roughly 16 hours a day – were not given food until an hour, sometimes two, after their fast had ended. And in some cases they were not given drinking water during non-fasting hours.
In Alaska last year, Muslim inmates sued the state’s correctional system for not providing sufficient food for Muslims fasting. In both states, some inmates even reported being given pork for dinner.
The coalition of groups now fears these restrictions may be furthered as prison systems respond to the viral outbreak in the US.
“Even prior to the pandemic, many prison systems had poor records of accommodating the needs of minority religions,” the letter said.
“This is a time when many prisoners are calling on their faith for support.””
3.7m domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200416-3-7m-domestic-workers-in-saudi-arabia/
“The number of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia increased by 14 per cent in the last quarter of 2019, nearing four million, Al-Eqtisadiah reported yesterday.
The agency added that there were “nine different types of domestic workers in the kingdom.”
There were 3.69 million domestic workers in Saudi during the last three months of 2019 , compared to 3.22 million in the three months prior, marking an increase of 465,000 workers.
During that period, the newspaper pointed out, drivers made up 55 per cent of the total number of domestic workers in the kingdom, amounting to a total of 2.02 million workers.
Maids and housekeeping workers ranked the second largest share among the nine groups of domestic workers, the newspaper noted.”
UN warns 74m Arabs lack access to handwashing facilities
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200416-un-warns-74m-arabs-lack-access-to-wash-handing-facilitites/
“More than 74 million people in the Arab world lack facilities to wash their hands including a sink and soap; putting them at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said yesterday.
ESCWA said in its study that “while it has been agreed worldwide that hand-washing with soap and water is the best prevention against Covid-19 contagion, this simple act proves to be difficult in a region in which 74 million people lack access to a basic hand-washing facility.”
The study expected household demand for water to increase to four or five million cubic metres, noting that the situation is “further exacerbated by insufficient piped water supply in 10 of the 22 Arab countries”.
ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti said: “it is urgent to ensure access to clean water and sanitation services to everyone everywhere, at no cost for those who cannot afford it, in order to avoid further spread of the coronavirus.”
The study expected 26 million refugees and internally displaced persons in the region to be at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 due to lack of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, pointing out that “in the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, only 1 in 10 households has access to clean water”.
The study also warned that about 87 million people in the Arab region have to collect water from a public source; putting them at greater risk of catching COVID-19.”
Iraq asks IMF for debt deferment due to coronavirus crisis
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200416-iraq-asks-imf-for-debt-deferment-due-to-coronavirus-crisis/
“The economic and finance adviser to Iraq’s Prime Minister has revealed that talks are taking place with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a deferment of the country’s foreign debt payments during the coronavirus crisis. Mohammed Saleh told the IMF that the circumstances constitute a force majeure which is afflicting many countries around the world, the state-owned Al-Sabaah has reported.
“As one of the founders of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the 1940s,” explained Saleh, “Iraq seeks to defer the payment of its debts. The IMF will help Iraq if it agrees to this, or a simplification of procedures, which is possible, but it all needs high-level diplomatic input.”
According to a spokesman for Iraq’s Council of Ministers, Alaa Al-Fahd, while the talks are ongoing and the proposal has been made, the IMF has given no response at the present time, as there are no claims for payment outstanding. He said that when the Iraqi government has a deficit it is approached on a yearly basis by the World Bank which offers it a loan to stabilise its economy…”
Saudi princess pleads with ruling family for release
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200416-saudi-princess-pleads-with-ruling-family-for-release/
“A Saudi princess appealed Thursday for release from prison to Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, Anadolu Agency reports.
“I am beseeching my uncle King Salman and my cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to review my case, and to release me as I have done no wrong,” Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said on Twitter.
Basmah said she is being “arbitrarily” jailed at Al-Ha’ir prison “without criminal, or otherwise any charges against” her.
“I was abducted without an explanation together with one of my daughters, and thrown into prison,” she said. The princess, 55, contends her health is deteriorating which could lead to her death, and she has not received any medical treatment. “My current health status is VERY critical,” Basmah said.
She also said letters written from prison to the Royal Court have gone unanswered and tagged a number of US politicians, including President Donald Trump, human rights groups Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and various media organizations and journalists.
The plea comes nearly a month after London-based Middle East Eye (MEE) reported Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrested a number of princes from the royal family March 6 in a move to take the throne before the upcoming G20 Summit in November in Riyadh.
Although there is no official statement regarding the number arrested, top royal family members told MEE at least 20 members were arrested.”
Iraq releases 16,000 prisoners amid Covid-19 outbreak
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/4/16/iraq-releases-16-000-prisoners-amid-covid-19-outbreak
“Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Court announced on Thursday it had authorised the release of over 16,000 prisoners as a preventative measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
It added that it has issued pardons to more than 1,000 convincts.
The announcement comes after much pressure on the government from both inside and outside the country, including warnings from the health authorities that the virus could cause a crisis if it spread within prisons.
A statement issued by the Supreme Judicial Council said: “16,455 accused have been released betweeen the country’s first infection and the 15th of April, in order to reduce the risks posed by the coronavirus.”
A justice ministry official told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service that there have been releases from prisons across the country, mainly for those convicted of misdemeanours and not serious crimes…”
U.N. warns economic downturn could kill hundreds of thousands of children in 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-children-un/u-n-warns-economic-downturn-could-kill-hundreds-of-thousands-of-children-in-2020-idUSKBN21Y2X7
“Hundreds of thousands of children could die this year due to the global economic downturn sparked by the coronavirus pandemic and tens of millions more could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis, the United Nations warned on Thursday.
The world body also said in a risk report that nearly 369 million children across 143 countries who normally rely on school meals for a reliable source of daily nutrition have now been forced to look elsewhere.
“We must act now on each of these threats to our children,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “Leaders must do everything in their power to cushion the impact of the pandemic. What started as a public health emergency has snowballed into a formidable test for the global promise to leave no one behind.”
The new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. So far it has infected more than 2 million people – killing some 138,000 – in 213 countries and territories, according to a Reuters tally.
Compared with adults, children infected with the coronavirus are less likely to have symptoms and more likely to have a mild illness, U.S. and Chinese studies have found.
But the U.N. report warned that “economic hardship experienced by families as a result of the global economic downturn could result in an hundreds of thousands of additional child deaths in 2020, reversing the last 2 to 3 years of progress in reducing infant mortality within a single year.”
With businesses shut down and more than a billion people told to stay home to avoid spreading the virus, the International Monetary Fund has predicted the world would this year suffer its steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The United Nations said an estimated 42 million to 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the coronavirus crisis this year, adding to the estimated 386 million children already in extreme poverty in 2019.
The U.N. report on children also said 188 countries have imposed countrywide school closures, affecting more than 1.5 billion children.
“The potential losses that may accrue in learning for today’s young generation, and for the development of their human capital, are hard to fathom,” it said. “More than two-thirds of countries have introduced a national distance learning platform, but among low-income countries the share is only 30 percent.””
Islamophobia, Scapegoating Threatens Cohesion in UK Amid COVID-19 Crisis
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/04/299731/islamophobia-scapegoating-threatens-cohesion-in-uk-amid-covid-19-crisis/
““If families gather for holy month of Ramadan will there be a huge spike in COVID cases. Doctors are very worried,” tweeted British journalist Andrew Pierce on April 12, prompting fears of a rise in Islamophobia and scapegoating in the UK.
Following the controversial tweet, a rash of newspaper articles appeared in British press warning of the dangers of Ramadan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Right-wing tabloid the Daily Mail, home to Pierce, warned on April 14 that Ramadan could “lead to a rise of coronavirus cases.”
“Fears of spike in coronavirus because of Ramadan,” Metro splashed on its April 14 front page. The usually balanced Times newspaper plumped for a similarly sensationalist title, though the content of the article did analyze the bigger picture.
Britain’s Twitterati have also come out in force, accusing the press and right-wing public figures of exploiting the uncertainty and fear caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to stir racial and religious tensions. The facts, meanwhile, remain mired in slurs and political posturing.
The burst of fear-mongering headlines and tweets stemmed from an out-of-context quote from an interview exploring the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities contracting COVID-19 in the UK.
‘Disturbing and worrying’
On April 10, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Dr. Chaand Nagpaul called on the government to launch an investigation into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on black, Asian, and minority ethnic people (BAME). The call came in response to statistics suggesting that BAME people in the UK are more vulnerable to the virus.
The first 10 National Health Service (NHS) doctors to die after contracting the virus were all BAME, with most coming from the Middle East and Africa.
Nearly half of the NHS medical staff are BAME (44%), while only 14% of the British population self-define as BAME. Even with this skewed data, Nagpaul argued the fact that all of the deceased doctors were BAME is “extremely disturbing and worrying.”
Commenting on the doctors who lost their lives in the ongoing battle against the pandemic, the BMA chair explained that the BAME population “make up about a third of those in intensive care.”
The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre released early findings of research into coronavirus-related deaths in the UK ahead of Nagpaul’s statement. Over one third (35%) of patients in UK intensive care units are BAME, the report showed.
“We have heard that the virus does not discriminate between individuals but there’s no doubt there appears to be a manifest disproportionate severity of infection in BAME people,” Nagpaul said, urging the government to investigate.
Since the BMA chair made his impassioned request to the government, it appears that the right-wing machine has crushed and twisted the call to support BAME medical staff into a motive for discrimination, with non-white medical staff facing abuse and accusations of further spreading the virus.
Worse still, the British press is going out of their way to link the worrying statistics on the impact the novel coronavirus is having on the UK’s BAME population with Ramadan.
Out of context
“A consultant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham has now claimed that more social interaction during the holy month could lead to an increase in cases,” the Daily Mail began an article warning about the “spike” in contagion Ramadan could bring.
Responding to the worrying statistics highlighted by the BMA, NHS consultant Dr. Adnan Sharif explored the reasons behind the high proportion of BAME people contracting the virus in an interview with the Times.
“Anything that leads to more social interaction is a big worry,” he told the Times, explaining that Muslims traditionally gather during Ramadan to break fast together. Social distancing measures will, however, make this impossible during Ramadan 2020.
Sharif explained why the BAME population may be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He did discuss Ramadan but, it appears, his comments have been taken largely out of context to serve a right-wing agenda.
“There is plenty of awareness within the BAME community with regards to coronavirus,” the consultant said in a second interview with Asian Voice. “The increase in the coronavirus deaths within the BAME community can be attributed to a mix of co-existing health and issues and poor socio-economic conditions in which they live.”
Sharif explained that many BAME people, particularly Asian families, live in multi-generational households with as many as 11 or 12 living in one residence. “What kind of social distancing would be followed by a family of 11 members living in a 3-bedroom house?” he asked.
Muslims on lockdown
As Islamophobic rhetoric and out-of-context statements spread like wildfire through the imagination of the British right-wing, British Muslims are taking measures to protect themselves and the wider community as the pandemic claims more and more lives across the UK.
On its official website, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) states: “At present, it is unlikely that social distancing measures will be lifted and we will be able to return to our normal routines. As such, congregational acts of worship for Muslims outside of the home will still be banned to stop the spread of the virus.”
The body goes on to outline specificities of worship and traditions, reminding British Muslims that the restrictions include “taraweeh prayers at the mosque or anywhere outside our own homes, spiritual talks in the community or iftars (breaking of the fast) with friends and family to attend.”
The website provides specific advice for Muslims who are working or studying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and shares suggestions on how to organize virtual iftar gatherings on video calls.
A spokesperson for the MBA discussed the new and worrying rise in Islamophobic rhetoric and scapegoating with Al Jazeera.
“These stories are not only untrue and dangerous, but also undermine the mammoth work of Muslims in supporting the national effort, MCB’s Miqdaad Versi told Al Jazeera, citing the growing number of Muslim medics who have lost their lives while working for the NHS during the pandemic.
“We can only urge mainstream commentators to avoid such an irresponsible and reckless framing, especially at a time when community solidarity is all the more important,” he added.
Religious hate
The spike in Islamophobic rhetoric ahead of Ramadan came just after the UK’s much larger Christian and culturally-Christian population celebrated Easter. Though the government did remind citizens and residents to celebrate at home and not to visit family or friends over the bank holiday weekend, headlines suggesting the Christian festival would cause a spike in transmission did not surface.
Muslims represent only 4.8% of the British population, while over half of the country’s population identify as Christian. It is therefore highly unlikely that even a small portion of the Muslim population breaking lockdown measures for prayer would cause a national disaster on a scale that newspapers are suggesting.
Furthermore, there is no evidence to show British Muslims are not adhering to the government’s strict lockdown measures. The implicit suggestion that the UK’s comparatively tiny Muslim community needs more social distancing reminders than the white Christian majority is a colonial throw-back and a reflection of a malignant and deep-seated superiority complex heavily ingrained in modern British culture.
The Muslim and BAME doctors and nurses who are risking their lives everyday to save British coronavirus patients of all ethnicities and religions need no reminders about the importance of social cohesion, community, sacrifice, and the “Dunkirk spirit.”
It appears, however, that the British press is in dire need of a lesson in the Great British values of tolerance and solidarity.”
Opinion: EU, Turkey need each other and a new refugee deal
https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-eu-turkey-need-each-other-and-a-new-refugee-deal/a-53131851
“The refugee crisis on Turkey’s borders can only be resolved with a new EU deal. It should build on the current plan but avoid its flaws, writes Özgür Ünlühisarc?kl? of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
It must first be noted that Turkey, Greece, and the EU have failed on humanitarian grounds with the way they’ve approached the problem over the last few months.
Turkey tried to funnel migrants from different countries to Greece in order extract concessions from the EU. Greece pushed back the migrants using methods that are totally unacceptable from a human rights perspective. The EU practically endorsed Greece’s breach of human rights and European values by extending unconditional support to it despite the actions of the Greek security forces at the border and in the Aegean Sea.
The EU and Turkey should focus their efforts on renewing their cooperation, and the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement and Action Plan is a good, if imperfect, starting point.
The plan is based on a tripartite mechanism through which Turkey takes any necessary measures to prevent irregular migration to Europe. All new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands are returned to Turkey, and for every Syrian being returned to Turkey from the Greek islands another is resettled in the EU. This mechanism proved to be effective soon after the action plan was agreed. According to theEuropean Commission, “Three years later, irregular arrivals remain 97% lower than the period before the statement became operational, while the number of lives lost at sea has decreased substantially.”
What has not worked is the incentive structure for Turkey. Initially, the EU allocated €3 billion ($3.27 billion) under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey and mobilized up to an additional €3 billion by the end of 2018. This has been largely, if not entirely fulfilled. And as long as that remains the case, the EU won’t commit new funds beyond those announced for up to 2018.
According to the agreement, the EU and Turkey committed to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria, but nothing happened in this regard. The EU has been and remains highly critical of Turkey’s military incursions into Syria.
Arguably, the financial issues are easier to settle. The agreement also includes incentives for Turkey regarding its EU accession process and other projects toward integration that have nothing to do with the refugee crisis. These incentives include a speedier visa liberalization process and upgrading the Customs Union. However, they were unrealistic in the first place against the backdrop of Turkey’s democratic deficits and public opinion with the EU about Turkey.
Don’t repeat the mistakes
Turkey thinks that it has kept its side of the bargain, but that the EU has failed to do the same. That prompted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to threaten to suspend the agreement and action plan. That in turn didn’t go down well among EU member states. But rather than exchange barbed criticism, what the EU and Turkey really need to do is agree on a new plan. One that builds on the 2016 agreement and revises the incentives for Turkey in a way that better reflects the burden it is bearing.
The new plan should also decouple cooperation on the refugee crisis from the accession process — the former is transactional while the latter is normative, and therefore they have very different dynamics. Turkey and the EU should also cooperate to proactively mitigate crises in their neighborhood before they result in mass migration to Turkey and Europe. This would be in line with Ursula von der Leyen’s ambition to lead a geopolitical European Commission.
This is an era when nationalism and populism constrain the policy choices of governments, making international cooperation very difficult. Turkey is currently very unpopular in the EU and Turkish citizens are frustrated with the bloc. Refugees are not welcome anywhere in Europe, including in Turkey.
However, the EU cannot entirely externalize the refugee problem even if it forgoes its own values; and Turkey cannot deal with the refugee crisis alone. Therefore, whether they like it or not, the two sides are stuck together on this issue.
Özgür Ünlühisarc?kl? is the Ankara Office Director of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.”
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