Here are two statements:

The NBA, by professional sports league standards, has a decently strong record on human rights. It allows players to speak their minds. It believes that Black lives matter. It uses its power to fight injustice in the United States.

The NBA, an adored global corporation, has also gone to great lengths to build and maintain a multibillion-dollar relationship with a human rights-abusing government halfway around the world.

They are two factual statements that at this time last year coexisted peacefully. Yet recently, theyve become entangled, pitted against each other, by U.S. senators and laypeople alike. On Thursday, when the NBA season resumes, activism will be inescapable; players will protest police brutality and racial injustice in America; BLACK LIVES MATTER will scream at viewers off courts. And perhaps the most common criticism of the NBAs initiatives will be a prickly diversion.

But what about China?!?

Its a fascinating retort, because its grounded in the most glaring demerit on the NBAs recent record. An ESPN investigation published Wednesday raised more red flags. For years, the league ignored authoritarian crackdowns and ethnic persecution as it built and monetized a rabid fan base in China. It ran an abusive basketball academy in a police state where Muslims are interned in concentration camps. When Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong last October, and the Chinese government attacking democratic freedoms in Hong Kong bristled, the NBA moved swiftly to salvage its relationship with that government. The leagues most prominent figures, from LeBron James to Steve Kerr, didnt rush to condemn injustice, as they had so often in the past and have so often since. Instead, they either criticized Morey, or remained conspicuously silent. Officials, in some cases, stepped in to silence them.

The silence was embarrassing. It enables and legitimizes oppression. Sure, the NBA actually stood up to China with more strength than most corporations do. But the widespread disapproval it received was deserved. Where things got messy, and problematic, was when that disapproval became bottomless ammo for whataboutism. When China became the catch-all counter. When injustice became the response to calls for justice.

We can, and should, criticize the league and its most prominent characters for refusing to outright condemn oppression in China. We also can, and should, support the league and its most prominent characters as they try to combat oppression closer to home. Our criticism and support arent contradictory. In fact, they necessarily go hand in hand.

When the NBA returns to action Thursday, some players will wear racial justice messages on their uniforms, and courts will declare, "BLACK LIVES MATTER." (AP)

Injustice clouds every second of every day in every country. To use the neglect of some injustice to detract from the fight against other injustice is to uphold all of it. Change is local. Successful fights for it are often hyper-focused. Black Americans, some of whom comprise a majority of the NBA, are trying to lead one. To support their fight, to affirm that Black lives matter, to do your part to dismantle systemic racism, is not an affront to Muslims detained in China, or families brutalized in Syria, or women denied rights in Iran, or LGBTQ+ people denied humanity everywhere.

To support NBA players advocacy is to fight for human rights, period. They are attacking one web of injustice among many. To refuse to support their fight because they havent attacked another web of injustice is hypocritical. It is unfair, and counterproductive, to criticize progressive action on the basis of inaction elsewhere. If we do, progress is unattainable.

Now, it is fair to separately criticize the inaction especially when that inaction could be described as suppression of action in the name of profit. We should acknowledge, and scrutinize, why the NBA cuddles up and cowers to China. It lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the wake of Moreys tweet. If it were to push harder for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, it would lose more. Those losses hit the league, and spread to teams, and filtered down to players and employees. Which is why they all say nothing. The NBA believes in human rights, and recognizes how powerfully it can advocate for them. It pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of North Carolina to pressure the state to protect them. But somewhere between Carolina and China, it drew its line. A line between social responsibility and money.

Story continues

We all have one. Every corporation, every institution, every individual. Even the most well-meaning people like and need money. Some arent willing to sacrifice any of it to make the world a better place. Some are. Everybody, though, is faced with the question of how much?

You can argue, and many would, that the NBA should sacrifice more. That the line should stretch well beyond China and those hundreds of millions of dollars. That no American company not the NFL, not Nike, not Apple should deal with China. (They all do.) But you probably cant argue the line shouldnt exist. If you believe the NBA should fight any injustice at any cost, then you, too, should quit your job and go fight injustice; then every company, regardless of industry, should cease production of their goods or services and pour all resources into the battle. Of course, thats unrealistic. The world will never be, cannot be, 100 percent selfless.

The NBA, like so many others, does the right thing until the right thing is too costly. We can, and should, criticize the billionaires who own it for not spending more in the name of human rights because thats essentially what this is. We can, and should, criticize the league for its response to Morey. We can, and should, criticize LeBron.

Because injustice is injustice, whether we, personally, feel it or not.

And that, precisely, is also why we must support the NBA players crusading against it.

You can, and should, call them out for not condemning all injustice. But if you do so to undermine their condemnations of some injustice, then youre not condemning all injustice yourself.

We care about Chinas oppression because were empathetic, and believe injustice is wrong. For the exact same reason, we will listen to NBA players on Thursday and beyond; we have heard them speak about the violence and prejudice they and their communities experience; we will hear them say, as a collective, that Black lives matter, and that systemic racism must end; and we will say, Yes. Absolutely.

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The NBA, China and racial justice: How to untangle the leagues messy relationship with human rights - Yahoo Finance Australia

We are told that todays historic moment of racial reckoning necessitates a collective Ukrainian response. Though no other American ethnic group has put itself out to similar self-castigation, a Call to Action for Racial Justice with sharp criticisms of the Ukrainian community has been drawn up and published in Ukrainian newspapers.

Alongside fleeting expressions of solidarity, this manifesto of sorts pushes a historical narrative about Ukrainians in North America that is not only largely unhistoric but does a great injustice to the memory of past generations.

Casting Ukrainian immigrants as covert beneficiaries and co-perpetuators of a racist order may fit a neo-Marxist ideological dichotomy of oppressive whites-oppressed racial minorities, with Ukrainians positioned alongside other white oppressors, but it distorts the reality of the Ukrainian immigrant experience. An abundance of accounts attest that it was an experience characterized by constant battles with extreme hardships, biased attitudes and discrimination camouflaged under various guises, much of it stemming from malicious stereotyping of Ukrainians (many have wondered if there isnt a glass ceiling for Ukrainian Americans when it comes to high-level government appointments).

For most Ukrainian immigrants to Canada, life there began with placement on inferior virgin lands and the unenviable, unaided task of bringing the prairie bush to cultivation on which their survival depended. In the U.S., immigrants had little choice but to labor cheaply in the debilitating and dangerous conditions of coal mines and sweatshops. Even many post-war Ukrainian intellectuals could find employment only in menial jobs. Its quite a stretch to find in their story much advantage for being part of a racial system that recognizes us as white people.

There are no records of Ukrainian slaveowners in America or of Ukrainians living in the south during Jim Crow to talk about Ukrainians playing a role in slavery or segregation as this declaration contends (aside from soldiers who fought on the Union side in the Civil War such as the abolitionist general Ivan Turchin). It would be interesting to learn of examples for the claim that some Ukrainian community buildings displaced minority dwellers in a process of settler colonialism. In most cities, Ukrainians were among the last to join white flight. The application of Marxist analysis should not replace the need for disturbing claims to be substantiated.

Lastly, who are those Ukrainians that have been dismissing others experiences of oppression? Through the decades, Svoboda carried many articles sympathetic to the plight and struggle of groups such as the Biafrans, Kurds, Bengalis, etc. with authors customarily noting Ukrainian analogies.

Few would deny that Ukrainians, like everyone, can learn to exercise greater racial sensitivity. But its sad that a declaration of solidarity with a group battered by a painful history has to be coupled with disparagement of another group that itself has been traumatized by 400 years of dehumanizing oppression in the forms of serfdom and Crimean-Ottoman slavery, into which an estimated 2.5 million of its children were snatched. And, lest we forget, the genocidal Holodomor also left a devastating legacy with wide-ranging, lasting effects.

Dr. Ihor Mirchuk of Easton, Pa., taught a course titled Ethnicity, Race and Culture in American History at Manor College (Jenkintown, Pa.) in the mid-1980s; Manor was one of the first colleges in the country to offer such a course. Manor College is sponsored and administered by the Ukrainian Catholic Order of Sisters of St. Basil the Great.

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Responding to racial reckoning - The Ukrainian Weekly

Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed new details on the upcoming movie JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH.

Chairman Fred Hampton was 21 years old when he was assassinated by the FBI, who coerced a petty criminal named William ONeal to help them silence him and the Black Panther Party. But they could not kill Fred Hamptons legacy and, 50 years later, his words still echolouder than ever.

I am a revolutionary!

In 1968, a young, charismatic activist named Fred Hampton became Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who were fighting for freedom, the power to determine the destiny of the Black community, and an end to police brutality and the slaughter of Black people.

Chairman Fred was inspiring a generation to rise up and not back down to oppression, which put him directly in the line of fire of the government, the FBI and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, they had to do it from both the outsideand the inside. Facing prison, William ONeal is offered a deal by the FBI: if he will infiltrate the Black Panthers and provide intel on Hampton, he will walk free. ONeal takes the deal.

Now a comrade in arms in the Black Panther Party, ONeal lives in fear that his treachery will be discovered even as he rises in the ranks. But as Hamptons fiery message draws him in, ONeal cannot escape the deadly trajectory of his ultimate betrayal.

Though his life was cut short, Fred Hamptons impact has continued to reverberate. The government saw the Black Panthers as a militant threat to the status quo and sold that lie to a frightened public in a time of growing civil unrest. But the perception of the Panthers was not reality. In inner cities across America, they were providing free breakfasts for children, legal services, medical clinics and research into sickle cell anemia, and political education. And it was Chairman Fred in Chicago, who, recognizing the power of multicultural unity for a common cause, created the Rainbow Coalitionjoining forces with other oppressed peoples in the city to fight for equality and political empowerment.

Judas and the Black Messiah stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Widows, Black Panther) as Fred Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta, The Girl in the Spiders Web) as William ONeal. The film also stars Jesse Plemons (Vice, Game Night, The Post), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give, The Deuce), Ashton Sanders (The Equalizer 2, Moonlight) and Martin Sheen (The Departed, TVs The West Wing, TVs Grace & Frankie).

Judas and the Black Messiah is directed by Shaka King, marking his studio feature film directorial debut. The project originated with King and his writing partner, Will Berson, who co-wrote the screenplay, story by Berson & King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas. King, who has a long relationship with filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station), pitched the film to Coogler and Charles D. King (Just Mercy, Fences), who are producing the film. The executive producers are Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Kim Roth, Poppy Hanks, Ravi Mehta, Jeff Skoll, Anikah McLaren, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth, Ted Gidlow, and Niija Kuykendall.

The ensemble cast also includes Algee Smith (The Hate U Give, Detroit), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Just Mercy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk), Amari Cheatom (Roman J. Israel, Esq., Django Unchained), Caleb Eberhardt (The Post), and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out).

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Sean Bobbitt (12 Years a Slave, Widows), production designer Sam Lisenco (Shades of Blue), editor Kristan Sprague (Random Acts of Flyness) and costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones (Raising Dion)

The film is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with MACRO Films, Participant and BRON Creative, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Director Shaka King's JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH Starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield Coming To Theaters - We Are Movie Geeks

Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei described the US sanctions against Iran not as sabotage against the government but a crime against the nation.

Imam Khamenei is addressing the Iranian Muslim nation on the auspicious occasion on Friday.

He said though the US tries to make the belief that the sanctions are against the Islamic republic system in the country, the truth is that they target the nation.

The Supreme Leader went on to outline the objectives these sanctions pursue and said the engineers of these plots have many targets.

First and foremost,Imam Khamenei said, they seek to try the patience of the nation by overestimating difficulties and problems to make the public stand in the face of the government.

They have tried but failed several times, he said.

The Leader also said that the sanctions also aim at sabotaging Irans scientific progress and also cause the failure of the government in economic areas.

He said the sanctions want to push the Iranian government to a state of bankruptcy.

The enemies also seek the sub-target of undermining Irans ties with resistance groups across the region which they are surely fail in achieving this goal, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He said the brave people of Iran have now to be fully alert that there is much animosity against the nation so they have to stand fully united and focused as before.

ImamKhamenei said enemies are working to hurt the nation and make it suffer so Iranians have to concentrate all efforts and energies to counter such plots.

He said planning and performing scientific research like in areas pertaining to controlling and containing the current coronavirus pandemic can serve this purpose of defeating enemies.

He congratulated believers to the Almighty and followers of the Abrahamic religions worldwide on the auspicious occasion of Aid al-Adha which glorifies mans sacrifices for his Lord.

Outlining the meaning of the sacrifices made by holy prophets especially Abraham who embarked on offering his son to the Almighty but was given an option of killing a sheep, he said the month of Zilahajjah is a holy period which contains many religiously significant occasions.

He said his public meetings with the public from all walks of life in the past years were among his pleasures which have been canceled recently due to the COVID19 pandemic.

Referring to the Coronavirus outbreak as a plight that had contaminated the whole world, he hailed the efforts of medical staff in fighting the pandemic and said the nation has performed brilliantly in containing the outbreak.

The Leader also praised the outstanding work of Iranian healthcare personnel including doctors and said the public assistance to those who have suffered financial damage due to the COVID19 outbreak has been very brilliant and outstanding.

He urged all believers to continue with their efforts to provide assistance to the needy families while observing all necessary health protocols.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Leader issued a statement on Aid al-Adha which is one the most significant occasions in the Islamic calendar.

In the statement, he said that this year the season of Hajj, which has always been coupled with a feeling of dignity, greatness and blossoming in the world of Islam, has been afflicted with sorrow this year as believers are subjected to a harsh separation from it.

He further described Hajj as a maneuver to show off ones power in the face of the arrogant people who are the center of corruption, oppression, the destruction of the weak, and plunder. Today, the body and soul of the Islamic Ummah is covered with blood due to their oppression and their malevolence. Hajj is a manifestation of the hard and soft powers of the Islamic Ummah.

Elsewhere in the statement, the Supreme Leader noted that Today, liberalism and communism, which were considered 50, 100 years ago as the most prominent achievements of western civilization have completely lost their glamour and their fatal flaws have become visible. The system built on the basis of the latter has collapsed and the system founded on the basis of the former is struggling with deep crises and is on the verge of downfall.

He went on to point to the behavior of the US towards weak nations is an extension of the behavior of the police officer who puts his knees on the neck of a defenseless person of color, pressing so long until he dies. The other western governments are also the manifestation of this disastrous situation, each within the scope of their power and resources, and said These are people who condone the survival of the usurping and oppressive Zionist regime and who extend their hand of friendship to them privately and openly. It is they to whom I am offering these words of advice and I warn them about the bitter consequences of this behavior.

ImamKhamenei stressed that We regard the presence of the US in West Asia as detrimental to regional nations and as a cause of insecurity, destruction, and backwardness for countries. As for the current events in the US the anti-discriminatory and anti-racial movement our definite position is to support the people and to condemn the despicable behavior of the racist government in that country.

Source: Iranian Agencies

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Imam Khamenei: 'US Dream to Achieve Its Sanction Goals Never to Come True' - Al-Manar TV

Hong Kong democrats barred from standing in Septembers Legislative Council election have urged citizens to fight on, as they vowed to resist blatant, relentless political oppression.

On Thursday, officers at the Electoral Affairs Commission informed the 12 election hopefuls that their nominations had been ruled invalid. The returning officers told the candidates their intention to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the HKSAR was not deemed genuine and truthful.

Many democratic candidates received letters from electoral officers over the weekend, demanding answers within 24 hours to questions about their politics and positions on issues such as the Beijing-enforced national security law and US sanctions on city officials.

At a press conference on Thursday, the Civic Party criticised electoral authorities for ousting its leader Alvin Yeung, lawmakers Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and candidate Tat Cheng. Party Chairman Alan Leong slammed the reasons provided by the returning officers as excuses to eliminate candidates whom Beijing did not favour.

After this very naked attempt to rip out any dissenting voice from the Legislative Council, we have no illusion that the Central Peoples Government and the HKSAR government would honour their promises under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Leong said.

The Civic Partys barred candidates said the disqualification showed that authorities were worried and scared about witnessing another landslide defeat of the pro-establishment camp.

They referenced the pro-democracy camps overwhelming victory at last Novembers District Council elections; democrats won close to 400 out of 452 seats across 18 districts.

Incumbent lawmaker Dennis Kwok, who came under fire in April during a row over the election of the House Committee chair, described the disqualifications as relentless oppression. He told reporters the electoral officers questions were a form of political screening.

[T]hey also tried to drive fear and oppression into our hearts. This, we must not let them succeed. This is the message of the Civic Party to the Hong Kong people do not give up, Kwok said.

Current legislator, Kwok Ka-ki, thanked everyone who voted in the democratic primaries earlier this month. He said the upcoming race could not be fair without candidates who were authorised by voters. He added the removal of democrats from the election would only unite Hongkongers, and make them treasure democracy and freedom.

Today is not the end of the world. Today is the day for Hong Kong to rethink and move forward, Kwok said.

Civic Partys Jeremy Tam and Gordon Lam have yet to have their nominations confirmed. The party said the pair would likely to be barred as well. It did not reveal whether there would be replacement candidates.

The nomination period of the Legislative Council election opened on July 18 and will close on Friday.

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong described the mass disqualifications as Beijings largest-ever crackdown on an election, and trampling upon the citys last pillar of vanishing autonomy.

He urged citizens not to give up: [I]n order to safeguard the citys future, Hongkongers will not surrender. Our resistance will continue and we hope the world can stand with us in the upcoming uphill battle.

Another ousted candidate, Ventus Lau, described his disqualification as a joke, while meeting with reporters on Thursday evening alongside his plan B candidate, Raymond Li.

Lau, who is also the spokesman of the Civil Assembly Team, asked on what ground could the New Territories East returning office Amy Yeung deem he had the power to tolerate US interference in Hong Kong. He criticised her as failing to properly consider his reply to her questions before arriving at her conclusion.

The government has smashed Hongkongers fantasy about the election with their own hands, Lau said. He added the writing was on the wall for citizens who had lost their freedom and rights.

Laus backup, Li, said he and seven Sha Tin district councillors had already applied to run in the election, but they had not received their confirmations from the returning officer.

Former reporter Gwyneth Ho, who was running in the New Territories East constituency, said she was not surprised at her disqualification. She appealed to Hongkongers to play the long game and continue to push the pro-democracy movement forward.

Hong Kongs destiny relies on the willpower of Hongkongers during this time, we must not shirk the responsibility to the next generation. As long as we know some Hongkongers have not given up, we must walk side by side together, she wrote.

Other disqualified candidates included district councillors Tiffany Yuen, Lester Shum and Fergus Leung, Civic Passions Alvin Cheng and current lawmaker Kenneth Leung.

Originally posted here:

Not the end of the world: democrats urge Hongkongers to fight on following mass disqualification - Hong Kong Free Press

A water utility worker from CEDAE disinfects the Turano favela in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in Rio de Janeiro on June 9. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

BEIJING (AFP) Beijing on Thursday slammed U.S. warnings of consequences if Brazil chooses Chinese telecom company Huawei to develop its 5G network, accusing Washington of unscrupulous oppression of the Chinese tech companies.

Huawei the worlds top producer of telecom networking equipment has become a pivotal issue in the geopolitical standoff between Beijing and Washington, which claims the firm poses a significant cybersecurity threat.

Brazil is due to launch a tender next year for a project to develop the next generation of telecom technology in Latin Americas most populous country, home to 212 million people.

But the U.S. ambassador in Brasilia, Todd Chapman, warned in an interview of consequences if Brazil goes against U.S. advice and picks the Chinese firm.

Beijing on Thursday called the ambassadors remarks an example of the U.S. openly coercing other countries to obey the will of the United States.

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the United States opposed the use of Huawei products not on national security grounds, but because they object to the rise of Chinese firms.

When other countries enterprises achieve a leading advantage, U.S. politicians will fabricate excuses to use national power to conduct unscrupulous oppression, Wang said at a regular press briefing.

Washington has effectively barred Huawei from the U.S. market and waged a global campaign to isolate the company.

The British government bowed to growing U.S. pressure and pledged this month to remove Huawei from its 5G network by 2027, despite warnings of retaliation from Beijing.

Australia and Japan have also taken steps to block or restrict the Chinese companys participation in their 5G rollouts, while European telecom operators including Norways Telenor and Swedens Telia have passed over Huawei as a supplier.

Agence France-Presse

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US and China Trade Threats Over Huawei 5G and Brazil - Courthouse News Service

I have been reading conservative articles and Libertarian articles and news reports from all over America in the past couple months since the slaying of George Floyd and the protests for justice that were awakened in its wake. Some of these journalists and writers seem to think that what Black people want is to overthrow America. No. We just want to overthrow the oppression that has plagued America since its inception.

If you are having difficulty understanding that what you are seeing in the streets today is the people you have oppressed striving to throw off your oppression, understand your own history. Own it. When I say you, I am referring to all the people who have benefited from the free labor and economic, political and social subordination of people of African descent. If you work for the government or a corporation or a mom and pop, if you live in the suburbs or downtown or a farm, if your 401(k) or stocks or bonds are thriving or suffering, if you have never been challenged by the police or an employer or an educational institution or barista or a Karen because of the color of your skin, Im talking to you.

For those of you still arguing for your privilege, questioning Black Lives Matter (still saying all lives matter), railing against the proposed repeal of Proposition 209, unquestioningly supportive of police brutality because it doesnt happen to you, believing that you can make America great again as if it ever was as great as you think it was, still believing there are good Nazis for all you good folks: you cant stay woke until you get woke, so please wake up.

To paraphrase Upton Sinclair, Its difficult to get a [person] to understand something if [their privilege] depends upon [them] not understanding it. Upton Sinclair was born in 1878. He lived long enough to see Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated. Sinclair was an American novelist and social reformer best known for his books calling out the atrocities of American industry near the beginning of the 20th century. His words still ring true today. Some people are just not going to get it. They dont want their comfortable situation to be disrupted. Who does?

If you are a product of American society, a derivative of European western civilization, a remnant of the Roman Empire and a believer in its cultural prerogatives, it is difficult for you to see outside these perspectives. Your parents probably believed in these things and taught them to you. Their parents did the same. When you are comfortable vis--vis others in your society, you are far less likely to question the validity, morality and truth of what you have been taught.

And when your entire culture and society, all of its institutions media, schools, government, industry, economics, military, social/gender roles, religion, law and politics have been constructed to reinforce these beliefs from the day you were born, it is even more difficult to let them go, no matter how much evidence you may have that these narratives are false, untenable and unsustainable. After all, you may have your own set of alternatives facts to support your beliefs. Facts that have been propagating since long before you or your parents and grandparents were born. Like any good teacher, I am focused on the students success your success. In spite of my own fatigue, after more than 40 years of doing this work, I must continue to try to help you understand, for your own good and the good of humanity, what you have been programmed not to understand.

The disharmony you have seen in the streets of hundreds of cities in America is the product of western civilization. More than 500 years of European colonialism has brought this about. America was created out of 13 British colonies. You have to think a certain way to be a colonizer. I think no one has put it better than Albert Memmi in his classic work, The Colonizer and the Colonized, in the introduction to his book:

There are neither good nor bad colonists: there are colonialists. Among these, some reject their objective reality. Borne along by the colonialist apparatus, they do every day in reality what they condemn in fantasy, for all their actions contribute to the maintenance of oppression. They will change nothing and will serve no one, but will succeed only in finding moral comfort in malaise. (Emphasis mine)

Western civilization thinks this way. It is, after all, western civilization Europeans who are the modern colonizers. Three-quarters of the globe was colonized by Europeans. There was a time when the sun never set on the British Empire. All seven continents countless islands, lands, nations and territories are still under the influence of European colonialism. For centuries, European colonizers and their descendants have lied, propagandized, warred, killed, oppressed and enslaved to preserve their way of life your way of life colonialism. Today is no different.

These protesters include young people of all persuasions recognizing that the false narrative of colonialism has oppressed their minds and attempted to narrow their choices of who they can be. Many of these children are your children. All of these children are our children. Before you see them being gunned down in the streets by your relatives in uniform, you need to wake up and stay woke. Because we are all going to get it, one way or another, hopefully not like we did at Kent State when our flower children were gunned down by our children in uniform. Lets all wake up and turn our nation and the world into the world we all claim to believe should exist. It is not the overthrow of America we are seeking. It is the elevation of America to the realization of its highest ideals for everyone.

Peace.

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Clovis Honore: An open letter to White and other privileged people who still dont understand the protests - The San Diego Union-Tribune

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Delhi University Associate Professor Hany Babu MT on July 28, in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. Since his arrest, hundreds of academicians and activists have condemned the move and professed their support for the accused.

Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) released a statement condemning the arbitrary arrest of Babu, stating: This is blatant harassment and intimidation of persons who question the State and struggle for the rights of the marginalised and oppressed castes, classes and communities.

Babu is the 12th individual to be arrested for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad case. The case relates to an event held on December 31, 2017 in Pune, where alleged provocative speeches promoting enmity between caste groups were made, leading to violence and statewide agitation in Maharashtra. The case has already witnessed the arrests of prominent academicians, lawyers and activists who are currently in prison, awaiting trial.

A special court in Mumbai remanded Babu in NIA custody for seven days till August 4. The 54-year-old Associate Professor in the Department of English at DU had been summoned by the NIA to Mumbai and was arrested after five days of questioning.

Special Court Judge AT Wankhede stated that the allegations made against the accused were of a serious nature. According to the NIA, the accused was propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology and was a co-conspirator with other arrested accused. The agency further stated that Babu had links to the banned CPI (Maoist) Party and that various letters were recovered from seized electronic articles which indicated his involvement in the Elgar Parishad case.

The NIAs press statement about Hany Babus arrest reveals the utter lack of foundation of any case against him, and indeed against Elgar Parishad, the Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association said in a statement. The press statement makes reference to vague allegations (propagating Naxal activities [sic] and Maoist ideology) totally unconnected to anything concrete. The best allegations the NIA can come up against the Elgar Parishad is that it encouraged unlawful activity, it added.

Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases in both Delhi and Mumbai, Babu was summoned as a witness and forced by the NIA to travel to Mumbai after his request for providing testimony via video-conference was denied, CASR stated.

Cooperating with the NIA since July 24th 2020, it quickly became clear that the questioning was merely a ruse to force Prof. Babu into providing false testimony against other persons and accepting allegations of being a functionary of the Maoists, read their statement.

Babu, along with being a professor in DUs English Department, is also known as a prominent anti-caste activist. According to CASR, Babu has been consistently fighting for social justice within and outside the university space He has spoken out against caste discrimination in institutions of higher education, the death penalty and for the rights of political prisoners.

He is also a member of the Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr. GN Saibaba. Saibaba is a DU professor living with over 90% physical disability who was convicted in 2017 for alleged Maoist links. He is currently serving a life term in Nagpur Central Jail. According to reports, the day Babu was arrested, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court rejected Saibabas temporary bail application.

Babus work ranged over caste oppression, linguistics and the suppression of dissenttopics which he explored in various writings. The academic was also reportedly involved in the implementation of OBC reservation in universities.

Babus first run-in with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case was in September 2019. His house was raided by the Maharashtra Police, during which several electronic devices and books were seized.

In a statement post the incident, Babu said that his house in Noida had been searched by 20 people claiming to be from the crime branch. While five were in uniform, the rest were in civilian clothes. When I asked for a search warrant, I was told there was none and that this case doesnt need one, Babu then wrote.

They made me change the passwords of my social media accounts and my email accounts. They have complete access to my accounts now... I dont understand how a government agency can seize my work without providing me the reasons for it, or the basis on which a search was conducted at my residence, he had written in his statement.

His wife, Rowena, told Frontline, No hash value of any of the devices confiscated were provided, no protocols were followed. Do you mean to say that you can just come to someones house, take away his things and then claim to have found incriminating evidence against him? Is this a joke? Can this happen in any other country? They are giving this whole technological spin to justify his arrest, but how can the courts allow this?

Meanwhile, several academicians, students and activists have voiced their concerns regarding the arrest. For the past two and a half years, the Pune police first, and now the NIA, have been conducting a blatant witch hunt in the name of investigations in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case raiding and arresting activists, academics and even lawyers who have stood with the most marginalised, read the statement by Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA).

Appealing to all democratic minded individuals, organisations and political parties to raise their voices against the systematic hounding of academics and activists, the JTSA stated, The Bhima Koregaon case is an instrument of silencing us all into submission.

As news emerged of Babus arrest, the All India Students Association (AISA) tweeted, demanding his release.

The national and international community of anti-caste scholars and activists have also issued a statement, urging the Indian government to acquit Babu in the interest of preserving democratic values and human rights.

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100's Demand Prof Hany Babu's Release, See It As A Blatant Silencing of Dissent - The Citizen

Here are two statements:

The NBA, by professional sports league standards, has a decently strong record on human rights. It allows players to speak their minds. It believes that Black lives matter. It uses its power to fight injustice in the United States.

The NBA, an adored global corporation, has also gone to great lengths to build and maintain a multibillion-dollar relationship with a human rights-abusing government halfway around the world.

They are two factual statements that at this time last year coexisted peacefully. Yet recently, theyve become entangled, pitted against each other, by U.S. senators and laypeople alike. On Thursday, when the NBA season resumes, activism will be inescapable; players will protest police brutality and racial injustice in America; BLACK LIVES MATTER will scream at viewers off courts. And perhaps the most common criticism of the NBAs initiatives will be a prickly diversion.

But what about China?!?

Its a fascinating retort, because its grounded in the most glaring demerit on the NBAs recent record. An ESPN investigation published Wednesday raised more red flags. For years, the league ignored authoritarian crackdowns and ethnic persecution as it built and monetized a rabid fan base in China. It ran an abusive basketball academy in a police state where Muslims are interned in concentration camps. When Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong last October, and the Chinese government attacking democratic freedoms in Hong Kong bristled, the NBA moved swiftly to salvage its relationship with that government. The leagues most prominent figures, from LeBron James to Steve Kerr, didnt rush to condemn injustice, as they had so often in the past and have so often since. Instead, they either criticized Morey, or remained conspicuously silent. Officials, in some cases, stepped in to silence them.

The silence was embarrassing. It enables and legitimizes oppression. Sure, the NBA actually stood up to China with more strength than most corporations do. But the widespread disapproval it received was deserved. Where things got messy, and problematic, was when that disapproval became bottomless ammo for whataboutism. When China became the catch-all counter. When injustice became the response to calls for justice.

We can, and should, criticize the league and its most prominent characters for refusing to outright condemn oppression in China. We also can, and should, support the league and its most prominent characters as they try to combat oppression closer to home. Our criticism and support arent contradictory. In fact, they necessarily go hand in hand.

When the NBA returns to action Thursday, some players will wear racial justice messages on their uniforms, and courts will declare, "BLACK LIVES MATTER." (AP)

Injustice clouds every second of every day in every country. To use the neglect of some injustice to detract from the fight against other injustice is to uphold all of it. Change is local. Successful fights for it are often hyper-focused. Black Americans, some of whom comprise a majority of the NBA, are trying to lead one. To support their fight, to affirm that Black lives matter, to do your part to dismantle systemic racism, is not an affront to Muslims detained in China, or families brutalized in Syria, or women denied rights in Iran, or LGBTQ+ people denied humanity everywhere.

To support NBA players advocacy is to fight for human rights, period. They are attacking one web of injustice among many. To refuse to support their fight because they havent attacked another web of injustice is hypocritical. It is unfair, and counterproductive, to criticize progressive action on the basis of inaction elsewhere. If we do, progress is unattainable.

Now, it is fair to separately criticize the inaction especially when that inaction could be described as suppression of action in the name of profit. We should acknowledge, and scrutinize, why the NBA cuddles up and cowers to China. It lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the wake of Moreys tweet. If it were to push harder for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, it would lose more. Those losses hit the league, and spread to teams, and filtered down to players and employees. Which is why they all say nothing. The NBA believes in human rights, and recognizes how powerfully it can advocate for them. It pulled the 2017 All-Star Game out of North Carolina to pressure the state to protect them. But somewhere between Carolina and China, it drew its line. A line between social responsibility and money.

Story continues

We all have one. Every corporation, every institution, every individual. Even the most well-meaning people like and need money. Some arent willing to sacrifice any of it to make the world a better place. Some are. Everybody, though, is faced with the question of how much?

You can argue, and many would, that the NBA should sacrifice more. That the line should stretch well beyond China and those hundreds of millions of dollars. That no American company not the NFL, not Nike, not Apple should deal with China. (They all do.) But you probably cant argue the line shouldnt exist. If you believe the NBA should fight any injustice at any cost, then you, too, should quit your job and go fight injustice; then every company, regardless of industry, should cease production of their goods or services and pour all resources into the battle. Of course, thats unrealistic. The world will never be, cannot be, 100 percent selfless.

The NBA, like so many others, does the right thing until the right thing is too costly. We can, and should, criticize the billionaires who own it for not spending more in the name of human rights because thats essentially what this is. We can, and should, criticize the league for its response to Morey. We can, and should, criticize LeBron.

Because injustice is injustice, whether we, personally, feel it or not.

And that, precisely, is also why we must support the NBA players crusading against it.

You can, and should, call them out for not condemning all injustice. But if you do so to undermine their condemnations of some injustice, then youre not condemning all injustice yourself.

We care about Chinas oppression because were empathetic, and believe injustice is wrong. For the exact same reason, we will listen to NBA players on Thursday and beyond; we have heard them speak about the violence and prejudice they and their communities experience; we will hear them say, as a collective, that Black lives matter, and that systemic racism must end; and we will say, Yes. Absolutely.

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The NBA, China and racial justice: How to untangle the leagues messy relationship with human rights - Yahoo Sport Australia

China is facing mounting global criticism over its treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang province with claims of forced labour camps and mass sterilisation.

Boris Johnsons government has accused Beijing of egregious human rights abuses against the minority group, while Donald Trumps administration has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials linked to alleged oppression.

So who are the Uighurs? And what sort of evidence lies behind these claims? The Independent took a closer look at a group largely forgotten by the world until recent weeks.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Who are the Uighur people?

The Uighur are an ethnic minority group of Muslims living in Chinas north-west region of Xinjiang. There are an estimated 11 million Uighurs in the region almost half of its total population.

Uighur Muslims have been there for hundreds of years and speak a language related to Turkish. It is believed their ancestors may have come from a previous homeland of the Turks in the northern part of central Asia.

Some Uighurs dont accept that Xinjiang officially an autonomous region is part of China, citing evidence that their ancestors lived in the area before Chinese Han and Tang dynasties established their dominion in the area.

What sort of abuse is thought to be taking place?

There is credible evidence that up to one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are being held in re-education detention centres in Xinjiang, according to a report by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Beijing has denied any mistreatment claiming that these camps are vocational training centres which help stamp out extremism by Islamist separatists, as well as giving people new skills.

A man driving a vehicle in an Uighur neighbourhood in Aksu, Xinjiang province (AFP via Getty Images)

However, a 2018 report by Amnesty International report found that arbitrary detention of Uighur Muslims across the province was widespread. The exile group World Uyghur Congress claims detainees are held without charge, and forced to undergo attempted indoctrination by shouting Chinese Communist Party slogans.

When recently confronted with disturbing video footage showing blindfolded men kneeling and waiting to be led onto trains in Xinjiang, Chinas ambassador to the UK told the BBC the video could be fake. The video was authenticated by the Australian security services.

No hype, just the advice and analysis you need

Whats behind the claims of mass sterilisation?

There is evidence Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population.

A report released in June by China scholar Adrian Zenz claimed the Chinese authorities were forcing Uighur women to be sterilised or fitted with contraceptive devices across Xinjiang.

A recent Associated Press investigation discovered women in the province have faced fines and threats of detention for breaching limits on having babies. It also found the authorities force intrauterine devices (IUDs), sterilisation and even abortion on Uighur women.

Protesters attend a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China (AFP/Getty)

What political action has been taken?

The US has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, companies and institutions linked to Chinas treatment of Uighurs in the Xinjiang region. On 20 July, the US Commerce Department added 11 Chinese companies to the US economic blacklist.

Earlier this week UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab accused Chinese officials of committing gross, egregious human rights abuses in Xinjiang but the British government stopped short of introducing sanctions against officials accused of abuse against the Uighur.

France also condemned the treatment of the ethnic group. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said it was revolting and unacceptable and called for international independent observers to be allowed to inspect conditions in Xinjiang.

What about private companies using Uighur labour?

More than 180 human rights groups have urged brands from Adidas to Amazon to end sourcing of cotton and clothing from the Xinjiang region and cut ties with any suppliers in China that benefit from what they claim to be forced labour.

While most fashion brands do not source from factories in Xinjiang, many of their supply chains are likely to be tainted by cotton picked by Uighurs that is exported across China and used by other suppliers, a coalition of organisations said in a letter.

More than 80 per cent of Chinas cotton comes from Xinjiang. Brands and retailers recognise there is a massive problem in the region, and that their supply chains are exposed to a grave risk of forced labour, said Scott Nova, head of the US-based Worker Rights Consortium (WRC).

Excerpt from:

Who are the Uighur people and why do they face oppression by China? - The Independent

Noah Berger / AP

In this July 20, 2020, file photo, Norma Lewis holds a flower while forming a wall of moms during a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Ore. When armed protesters took over a remote wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon four years earlier to oppose federal control of public lands, U.S. agents negotiated with the conservative occupiers for weeks while some state leaders begged for stronger action. In July 2020, federal officers sent to Portland, Ore., to quell chaotic protests against racial injustice took swift and, some say, harsh action: launching tear gas, firing less-lethal ammunition and helping arrest more than 40 people in the first twoweeks.

Thursday, July 23, 2020 | 2 a.m.

When Bev Barnum of Portland, Ore., learned that squads of secret police were snatching up people in her community without explanation, she did what American heroes have been doing since the start of our nation when faced with government oppression. She confronted it nose to nose and refused to back down.

Barnum is a founder of the Wall of Moms, the group of women who aligned themselves in Portland to protest the Trump administrations extrajudicial detainments in the city over the past several days. The group, which also turned out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, started with about 70 individuals Saturday during its first appearance, when it shielded protesters from federal agents posted outside the federal building.

Despite being unjustifiably hit with tear gas and pepper balls, the group came right back for another round of peaceful demonstration Sunday, this time about 200 strong and with a very pregnant woman in their ranks. And although federal authorities have repeatedly gassed them, detonated flash-bang grenades near them and fired nonlethal projectiles at them, the group has remained on guard, night after night.

Well stop when there is no protester that needs our protection, said Barnum, 35, to CNN. We get thanks every which way. But were not doing it for the thanks. Were doing it to protect human rights.

Thats pure American spirit standing up to injustice, abuse of authority and tyranny.

And make no mistake, the reason for the Wall of Moms actions is legitimate. As the situation in Portland has revealed, President Donald Trump is making America look more and more like a junta.

In fact, the scene involving Barnum and her counterparts is starkly reminiscent of mothers protests in Argentina after its coup detat and during during the bloody regime of Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s and 1980s. In both countries, the mothers movements were instrumental in restoring democracy as dictators secret police disappeared dissidents from the streets.

Pinochet used his secret police to round up nearly 28,000 people in an attempt to erase the legacy and influence of his predecessor. His regime tortured and executed detainees, some of whom have still not been accounted for.

Enter the mothers movement, which began working to call attention to the victims quietly by creating and distributing tapestries in honor of Pinochets victims, then grew more assertive to the point of speaking out about the atrocities.

The mothers protests took a long time, but they were instrumental in bringing down the junta.

Now the images from Portland law-abiding people being thrown into unmarked vans by what amounts to a secret police and peaceful women being gassed and hit with projectiles are a resonant display of how low Trump has sunk.

The federal action is flatly unconstitutional under the First and 14th amendments, which, respectfully, give Americans the right to dissent and protect them from arrest without probable cause. And its a serious step forward in Trumps dawning attempt to be a dictator.

Trump says Portland is totally out of control, but when pressed for examples of violence, all the Department of Homeland Securitys acting director could offer was graffiti. Thats right, graffiti is now a major concern of Homeland Security and it is considered, apparently, a violent crime. Meanwhile, abuses at the hands of police tear-gassings, beatings, unwarranted arrests and detainments of neutral bystanders and observers have fueled tensions and confrontations.

The larger question becomes: How much further will Trump try to force this junta? Is having people disappear into secret long-term detainment next? One could argue weve already crossed that threshold for the children separated from their families at the southern border. Some will never be reunited with their families because of Trumps sadistic actions.

It is both fitting and thrilling to see the mothers of Portland rise up to protect their children and their city from improper federal action. Chanting The moms are here, feds stay clear, these mothers are champions of American values while Trumps secret police trample our Constitution.

These are everyday Americans putting their bodies on the line to arrest our nations slide into dictatorship. These are not violent anarchists Trump and his flunkies keep wailing about from their bunkers. No American should forget that our president is frightened enough by pregnant women and mothers to have his forces gas them. We just dress like were going to Target, one of the mothers said. She was tear-gassed during the first protest and returned every night since. America at its finest.

But with Trumps approval ratings in the tank and his chances of being thrown out of office looking stronger every day, hes clearly intensifying his bid to exert authoritarian control. Not only has he co-opted DHS and other agencies to use as his secret police, but hes vowing to take over other cities besides Portland. As youre reading this, a Portland-style strike force may be on its way to Chicago.

And his assault on protesters is just one of the ways that Trump, abetted by Attorney General William Barr, is weaponizing federal law enforcement and the Justice Department against American citizens. They are trying to criminalize dissent, and that is antithetical to American values.

Against that backdrop, groups like the Wall of Moms are invaluable. Our nations democracy needs all the protectors it can get.

The rest is here:

Portland's heroic Wall of Moms is standing up for the Constitution - Las Vegas Sun

The direction of Turkish foreign policy in the last two years gives some clues as to how Turkey will approach the current issues in the next three years, until 2023. President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, who signaled that Turkey in the upcoming period would continue to voice its motto that the world is bigger than five, said Ankara would continue to be everywhere in terms of its influence and presence as well as its soft power until the oppressed achieve justice and sustainable peace and security are realized.

On Tuesday, Erdoan led the Two-Year Presidential Government System Evaluation Meeting where he elaborated on the activities of his government, which could hardly be squeezed into an 81-page booklet. In his speech, which lasted for more than two hours, the president gave significant indicators of the direction Turkish foreign policy would take in the upcoming period.

The president talked about the developments, the initiatives and the progress that Turkey had made in a wide spectrum of sectors, including the economy, foreign policy, technology, defense industry projects, tourism, social services, energy and the health care system.

One of his most striking statements in terms of foreign policy was that Turkey would never permit the oppression of those in countries such as Syria, Libya and Myanmar. Again, taking a firm stance against Armenia on Azerbaijan, Erdoan gave a message to those whose histories bear the marks of colonialism and massacres. He stated that Turkeys presence on the field was not prompted by the aim of taking advantage of these countries natural resources, as some countries do, but rather by border and national security concerns. He also stressed that Turkeys ongoing cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq are in compliance with international agreements. All steps and decisions have been taken in line with Turkey's rights of national sovereignty, he said.

Up to this point, we expressed that we do not have eyes on the land, sovereignty and especially natural resources of anyone. Whatever immorality others will engage in, we will not stray from the path our faith and history shows us," Erdoan said.

The president further highlighted that additional steps are being taken to strengthen the energy cooperation with Libya, and he called on everyone attacking Libya's official government to respect international law and the will of the Libyan people.

In light of the presidents aforementioned statements, it is clear Turkey will continue its operations in Syria and Libya until the legitimate will of the Libyan and Syrian people is met and peace is established. Henceforth, Ankara's position on these two issues is two central pillars of Turkeys foreign policy, which were also underlined in the most recent National Security Council meeting on Wednesday.

In another mark of Turkey's decisiveness on the matter of Libya, Erdoan said Ankara will continue to support the official Libyan government, adding that no one should expect Turkey to withdraw from the country, as the Turkish government would not allow this.

Additionally, Erdoan, who drew attention to the anti-democratic nature of the recent so-called elections in Syria, said that the polls were met by astonishing silence from the international community, which did not comply with the democratic tradition of the United Nations and countries that call themselves the cradle of democracy.

Meanwhile, as a mark of the success of Ankaras Syria policy, the number of Syrians returning to their homes exceeded 402,000 as a result of Turkey siding with the Syrian people and its operations to clear terrorists from residential areas.

Concerning policies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdoan said Turkey continues its activities in the region under the framework of sovereignty and international law and underlined that Ankara does not need permission to carry out work there.

The president also highlighted Ankaras sensitivity regarding Iraqs political unity and territorial integrity, stating that the primary topics on both countries agendas are the fight against terrorist organizations, investment, the development of trade and the protection of Iraqi Turkmens rights.

Aside from the regional countries specifically mentioned in the speech, Erdoan also discussed the acceleration in relations with African nations, the Balkans and those within its cultural influence sphere. He only briefly mentioned Russia, the European Union and the U.S., noting the busy diplomatic relations with these entities. In fact, these countries are already involved actors at the negotiating table and on the field in Turkeys main foreign policy issues. The shuttle diplomacy Ankara has carried out in the past two years with Washington, Moscow, Brussels and Berlin has been busier than ever. The main issues handled were, in general, Syria, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and the fight against terrorism.

Overall, it seems that Turkeys main agenda in its foreign policy until the 2023 elections will be these ones. Turkey will continue on its path until these governments grow weary of arm wrestling with Ankara both at the negotiating table and on the field. Furthermore, Turkey will continue to seek cooperation and win-win bargaining to establish sustainable peace and stability in the region and the world, without compromising its national sovereignty rights, national security and the interests of the oppressed.

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What will be major pillars of Turkish foreign policy in next 3 years? | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

You might think a face covering is just a mask, but it is in fact a human right.Or not.It depends on whos wearing it.Or not.

Allow me to explain.

From Thursday, Melbournes population were the first Australians since the time of the Spanish Flu required by law to wear a face mask. The response of most will be the same as for every other COVID-19 measure: unenthusiastic but willing compliance.

For a small but vocal number, it means war.

For some time in the United States, face masks have been not so much a public health matter as a statement of political allegiance.That clear divide masks for liberals (and people who want to live), no masks for freedom warriors has broken down in the face of medical reality. Even President Donald Trump (kind of) gave in.

For the hard core, however, masks are still totemic of government oppression.

The mere suggestion of enforced mask-wearing ignites a reaction from some that appears to be deeply emotional.It makes people very, very angry, well beyond a passion that mere inconvenience or aesthetic discomfort could invoke.Were not talking practicality here, but rights.

US founding father Patrick Henrys call in 1775 Give me liberty or give me death has never been more literally true. The declared human right to not wear a mask is being held above not just the public good, but even personal safety.That is libertarianism at its extremity.

All good, if batty but there is an oddity: many of the voices loudly insisting face masks are an unjustified impingement on human rights are the same voices who have a serious problem with facial coverings of a different kind.

For many cultures and religions, head and face coverings are a visual representation of allegiance or faith.For some reason those worn by Muslim women really piss some people off.

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Their objections have had impact: in a significant number of European and African countries burqas, veils and other face coverings have been outlawed.

One of those countries is France, which has just placed itself in the mother of all contradictions as it introduces mandatory face masks.

Literally, it is both illegal to wear a face covering and illegal not to. It just depends on why youre wearing it.

Thats not difficult logic: public order overrides the right to wear a veil by choice, forcing its removal, while public health dictates that it be put back on.

The SAD (Sky after dark) position is comfortably settled: Muslim face coverings are bad social divisiveness, terrorists hiding under burqas, etc but mandatory face masks are also bad liberty, freedom, etc.

In one sense those positions do reconcile, being consistently in favour of an uncovered face.However, they are argued from opposed principles.

Its difficult to understand why it is asserted there is a human right to choose to not wear a face covering, but there is not also a human rightto choose to wear one.According to SAD theorists, the choice to wear a face covering is so far removed from being a right that they have no problem with it being prohibited by law.

Clearly whats good for the goose is not good for the (Muslim) gander.It might be explained as basic bigotry, the usual fear of difference given voice. But I dont think that suffices.

Those who would prevent a Muslim woman from wearing a veil would not deny her the right to refuse to put it back on as a mask. So its not quite black and white.

I think theres also something here about the human value of a face.We just like to see them.Its irrational but also completely understandable that when the state gestures towards masking our faces there is a discomfort.

Its not something Im keen on doing, less so of being forced although Im more than happy to comply in the cause of public health.Others dont move past their discomfort, their preference, and thats easily converted to an assertion of right.

In that context, the double standard isnt hard to see and becomes a perfect case study of how bigotry defeats its own logic.

If our faces are sovereign to ourselves then the choice to cover or not is necessarily solely ours.If on the other hand you still think the state has the right to forcibly remove a persons veil, it must also be able to make you wear a mask.

Make your choice. You cant have it both ways.

Michael Bradley is a freelance writer and managing partner at Sydney firm Marque Lawyers, which was created in 2008 with the singular ambition of completely changing the way law is practised.

This article is curated from our sister site Crikey.

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Opinion: one person's face mask is another's face covering the double standard is irrational - The Mandarin

It is clear we have real racial problems in this country, problems that need to be worked through as we try to restore some semblance of harmony and understanding among the population.

National healing starts with meaningful conversations, devoid of angry rhetoric and criminal reactions, and needs to include everyone studiously listening to opposing viewpoints. It is the old idea of walking a mile in someone elses shoes and understanding their pain.

What we dont need now are diversity racketeers making a buck off racial turmoil. Unfortunately, that is what is happening, and taxpayers are often footing the bill.

Profiteers calling themselves anti-racism trainers have been hired to lecture white federal employees about their racist attitudes at several agencies the Treasury and Justice Departments, the Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Institutes of Health, to name a few. The training sessions start from the premise that virtually all white people contribute to racism, and they dont support doing away with racist institutions. Session leaders insist that all whites must be reprogrammed to rid themselves of their ingrained racial biases. At the core of these diversity lessons is the stated condemnation of an entire race of people: whites.

Wait a minute. Isnt that the exact attitude these trainers say they are trying to combat? How can vilifying an entire race of people to elevate another race ever result in a positive outcome? How can these tactics ever possibly bring us together?

Documentary filmmaker Christopher Rufo has reported extensively about this disturbing trend of anti-racist training. He says there are now dozens of private firms currently offering racial diversity training to government agencies, corporations and universities. Rufo reports that the tragic death of George Floyd at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has sparked an uptick in interest in these politically correct, high-cost seminars.

The question, of course, is do they help soothe race relations, or are they simply a feel-good measure that does more harm than good?

The latest course for federal workers is called Difficult Conversations About Race in Troubling Times. White government supervisors are instructed to provide safe spaces where Black employees can be seen in their pain explaining what it means to be Black to their white counterparts. Whites are instructed to sit in silence and in the discomfort of their individual racism. Whites are told they cannot protest and dont get to decide when someone is being too emotional, too rash (or) too mean. Whites are not allowed to protest if a black colleague responds to their oppression in a way (they) dont like.

Call me crazy, but this doesnt sound like a positive tactic to bring about racial harmony among employees. This approach doesnt help us reach the promised land of a harmonious society or contribute to colleagues understanding the content of their co-workers character. Making whites sit in humiliated silence, atoning for the sins of unidentified bigots, doesnt reveal anything about their true mindset on race relations. This methodology seems tailor-made to instill bitterness and divisiveness.

Also, consider whats happening within the U.S. Army. Recently, the Armys Equity and Inclusion Agency held race-based reeducation seminars for both uniformed and civilian personnel at a facility in Alabama. The idea behind Operation Inclusion was to expand the program to all Army Four-star commands.

Again, it sounds like a good idea to hold sessions designed to foster better race relations. But according to material included in the Operation Inclusion session, whites are never to mention certain ideas and phrases considered racist. Included: the concept that there is only one human race, that Blacks can be racially prejudiced against whites and that America should celebrate Columbus Day. Also labeled racist in the Army seminar were the phrases All Lives Matter and Make America Great Again, and if one believes in the concepts of colorblindness, then you are deemed to be no better than a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

I, for one, am mighty tired of self-appointed Speech Police and being told Im an automatic racist when I know in my heart I am not.

Defining an entire race of people as something reprehensibly offensive is not a way to build racial rapport. And paying for such damaging teachings with taxpayers dollars is inexcusable.

Diane Dimonds latest book, Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box, is available on Amazon.com. Email: dianedimond.com

Original post:

Diane Dimond: Teaching toxic topics on the taxpayer's tab - Northern Virginia Daily

The general and presidential elections of May 2020, followed by the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza, put the international media spotlight on Burundi. The country is now facing one of the darkest times in its history since the 2015 crisis.

The crisis that year began when Nkurunziza, who had been in office since 2005, announced he would run for a third term.

The move was dubbed unconstitutional and the announcement triggered protests that were stifled and eventually banned by the authorities. Despite the protests, Nkurunziza was re-elected in July in polls boycotted by the opposition.

Since then, freedom of the press in Burundi has deteriorated considerably in an atmosphere of tension and repression. Local media have been silenced by repeated attacks from the government and the state security apparatus.

The remaining independent voices face difficult conditions. There are restrictive controls on the press and journalists and a constant fear of reprisals from elements enjoying impunity.

The Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 2000, also known as the Arusha Accords, added to the wave of hope that was brought on by the end of Burundis 12-year civil war.

The agreement was signed in August 2000 after protracted negotiations facilitated by former presidents Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Nelson Mandela of South Africa. The agreement was the beginning of a reconciliation process that also implied greater freedom of the press.

But since 2005, when Nkurunziza was elected under the National Council for the Defense of Democracy Forces for the Defense of Democracy party, relations between the state and the media have become severely strained.

During the 2000s, private radio stations could oppose state oppression to an extent. They provided a platform for political opposition and civil society, and reported on embezzlement, corruption and human rights violations.

But as in past regimes, Burundian journalists faced huge difficulties when covering highly sensitive topics. Journalists were barred from covering rebel activities and issues relating to security and maintaining public order.

Mistrust between the government and the press deepened. Journalists experienced increasing threats, intimidation and imprisonment. In 2013, a highly controversial media law was passed which undermined the protection of sources, limited subjects on which journalists could report, and imposed new fines for media found in violation of the law.

The National Communication Council, which is supposed to regulate the sector, has been exploited by political authorities, and its independence has been severely compromised. In media circles, the council is perceived to be a government puppet.

Nkurunzizas decision to run for a third term in office, in defiance of the countrys constitution, essentially created a media vacuum in Burundi. Private media coverage of protests against a potential third term immediately strained relations with political authorities; some radio stations were suspended and threats were made against journalists in the field.

The attempted military coup in May 2015 was a major turning point. Loyalist forces destroyed work and broadcasting equipment in newsrooms and burned down the headquarters of several media outlets. The forces accused them of pro-coup bias and broadcasting seditious messages. Private radio and television stations were heavily affected.

The attempted coup gave Nkurunziza and his supporters a pretext to lock down the already weakened political and media landscape. The independent media, seen as being on the side of the opposition, became an enemy of the government.

Exile became the only option for some members of the press. Dozens of independent journalists were forced to flee the heavy-handed repression.

The crackdown on independent radio left the field wide open to Burundis state broadcaster, which is the governments mouthpiece. Even international journalists, who are usually granted a certain immunity, have suffered pressure and intimidation from the government security apparatus.

In the turmoil brought about by the crisis, it is worth mentioning the remarkable role played by IWACU. The independent newspaper remained in operation despite the dangerous conditions. Four of its journalists were imprisoned in 2019. They were accused of collusion with rebels operating on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eventually, its director was forced into exile.

The online platform SOS Mdias Burundi, coordinated by a social media collective, also stands out. It was formed at the time of the crisis and operates clandestinely.

Despite a few courageous voices who stood their ground, the 2015 crisis ushered in a climate of terror and deep mistrust between the government and the remaining independent media.

The COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Burundi the day before the May 2020 elections. So that they could go ahead unhindered, the government adopted a strategy of denial, invoking the countrys divine protection.

The deportation of the World Health Organisation representative and his team of three experts was one of the most glaring indications of the restriction of information in Burundi. In spite of their refusal to officially acknowledge the pandemic, Burundian authorities still imposed quarantine on national and foreign travellers.

The lack of strict preventive action and social distancing in the country, and the underestimation of the scale of the infection, have been severely criticised.

Social and electoral gatherings continued with minimal, or no, health protection measures. This led some Burundian medical professionals and civil society members trying to warn the media and the public of the worsening health situation and the lack of testing.

In this context, the reporting surrounding the death of President Nkurunziza was of critical importance. According to a government press release, the unexpected death of the Burundian head of state, which took place in the Karuzi hospital on 8 June 2020, was caused by a heart attack.

Many international media outlets reported suspicions that the real cause of death was COVID-19, which would have made Nkurunziza the first leader to die from the virus in office.

The least that can be said is that there is no clear information surrounding government action on the pandemic and its consequences.

Since the May 2020 elections, the international community has moved towards normalising relations with the new president, variste Ndayishimiye, awaiting signs of openness on his part.

Western diplomatic missions appear to be keeping a low profile, limiting themselves to a handful of policy statements. But can diplomacy return to normal if the media landscape does not? The crisis cannot truly be said to be over if there is still no real space for public debate through a free and independent press.

Translated from the French by Alice Heathwood for Fast ForWord

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How Burundi's independent press lost its freedom - The Conversation CA

The growing recognition that monuments to white men who supported oppression have no place in our public spaces has been a long time coming. It took a new generation of activists aroused by the public execution of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Movement to affect change. We've witnessed predominantly young protesters of every description fighting for justice and equality. The protesters have identified these public monuments as symbols of racial repression and took action by removing them.

I support the protesters' use of force in removing public installations which they identified as symbols of racial injustice. These racist tributes and narratives had been maintained at taxpayer expense for decades and longer. Yet, there has been no concerted effort by public officials in many jurisdictions to effect their removal.

The nation has been captivated by the scope and breadth of the George Floyd protests which dwarf all previous grassroots political movements. The collective judgment of these protesters matters, but some of their methods for being heard have been controversial, including their broad condemnation of historic monuments and an an array of historic persons. Though I believe the protesters have gotten it right for the most part, they wield a blunt instrument.

Not surprisingly, President Trump once again chimed in to condemn the removal of Confederate monuments while vilifying the protesters. He appears oblivious to the moral force of this protest movement, and thinks it galvanizes his base to threaten prosecution and long prison terms for the protesters, labeling them as Marxists, anarchists, and looters while defending the Confederacy and its leaders men who took up arms against this republic. Unfortunately, these views are held by far too many.

In my formative years, I recall my first visit to Washington, DC. I toured the Capitol building and the hall of statues, and I wondered why in addition to the heroes, the hall contained tributes to Confederate military and political leaders. Here in the halls of Congress, the defenders of slavery are enshrined. Why this mixed messaging? What did their presence say about how I'm viewed as an African American? I recall my unease.

Over time, the public has grown accustomed to these political relics and has become numb to the hypocrisy of the public display of tributes to men whose notoriety stems from rebellion, war, and the tyranny of the antebellum south. For many Americans, these symbols have always been troubling. If the protesters hadn't taken action and provoked a long-overdue reckoning, who would have taken the initiative and when?

I find Confederate war monuments to be particularly objectionable. They amount to a public apology for defending the union and waging war against slavery. Many Americans seem to have forgotten that the Confederates were traitors to the United States. Their act of secession led to 215,000 deaths on the battlefield and polarized the civilian population for generations.

Trump's statements supporting these Confederate tributes are all the more loathsome because he is once again sending a message to Americans that there were "good people on both sides" and that the "good people" who fought to defend the institution of slavery were somehow justified.

Despite Trumps hostile opposition, the multitudes of Black Lives Matter protesters reinforce the inescapable conclusion that it is morally wrong to permit monuments with racist connotations to remain as permanent fixtures in our civic landscape. This protest-driven campaign to cleanse our public venues of racist symbols has been questioned by others. This was inevitable because there isn't a consensus on what monuments warrant removal and which do not.

The Bay Area finds itself in the midst of this controversy. The justification for the removal by protestors of monuments celebrating Father Junipero Sera and President Ulysses Grant, as well as the defacement of a bust honoring Judge Donald McCollum, have been sources of division.

The statue commemorating Sera which had adorned the entrance to Mission Despite Father Seras documented history of forcing the Christian conversion of Native Americans in California and contributing to their enslavement, the Catholic church continues to support and defend his legacy.

The protesters toppling of the Sera monument along with one honoring President Ulysses Grant in Golden Gate Park was undeserved in the eyes of some. President Ulysses Grant was notoriously anti-Semitic and briefly owned a slave whom he later freed. He was also a Union general and played a pivotal role in the defeat of the Confederacy. After the departure of southern sympathizer Andrew Johnson, Grant assumed the presidency and deployed Union troops throughout the south to pacify southerners who were resisting emancipation and defying federal reforms. Federal policies included efforts to ensure the property rights of African Americans, the freedom of movement, and the right to attend school and hold public office. These policies became known as Reconstruction. The withdrawal of federal troops after President Grant left office brought about the end of Reconstruction and ushered in Jim Crow and legal segregation. Both Father Sera and President Grant are deeply flawed historical figures who legacies warrant reevaluation.

Passions in the Black community in Oakland were heightened when protesters defaced a bust honoring Judge Donald McCollum. Judge McCollum was one of the first Black superior court judges in California. A civil rights activist, leader of the local NAACP, and a defender of African Americans' civil rights. His bust is located on the plaza of the Elihu Harris State Building in Downtown Oakland. The protesters' misstep, in this case, may reveal an underlying conviction that those in authority perpetuated the system and all its failings without much research into their targets.

The destruction of politically motivated racist symbols is not censorship, and must not interfere with the responsibility of preserving important works of art that depict our nations racist and oppressive history towards Blacks, Native Americans, and others. We own this legacy and it should not be erased. I put the Washington High School murals in San Francisco in this category. The school's renowned murals were commissioned by the WPA during the Roosevelt administration. A number of scenes depict the horrific treatment of Blacks and others in graphic terms. These murals teach an important lesson and deserve preservation.

At one point in my career, work required that I drive extensively through the southern states. I traveled on roadways dedicated to Confederate military officers including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, crossed bridges honoring secessionist Jefferson Davis and segregationist Senator John Stennis. Often when I would pull over in commercial areas, I would see the prominent display of Confederate battle flags, bumper stickers, and t-shirts with racist and anti-government messages.

It felt like the Confederacy was still alive and well. These images caused me to consider whether I belonged there, and I wondered how African Americans that live there handled being constantly surrounded by symbols of racial animus. I assume the chilling effect they produce is the point of it all.

Racial messaging like that changes the environment and influences the people who are exposed to it, white and Black. If the 14th Amendment grants equal protection under the law for all Americans, then public officials should be duty-bound to eradicate racist monuments on public property and to change the names of streets, highways, public schools, and other institutions that honor racist figures.

An important step forward, nationally, would be to replace the current $20 note featuring President Andrew Jackson with a $20 note honoring Harriet Tubman. Jackson was responsible for driving Native Americans off their ancestral lands and the wholesale destruction of their tribes and cultures. He was also an enthusiastic slave owner. Tubman was a 19th century African American patriot, a prominent abolitionist, an early feminist, and civil rights icon. The Harriet Tubman note, which had been scheduled for release, is not yet in circulation due to opposition by the Trump Administration.

Removing these symbols alone will not eliminate racism in this country. But it's instructive to see how the German government views all symbols of hate and celebrations of Nazis. They now acknowledge that the Holocaust would not have been possible without the participation and acquiescence of most Germans, and they know the negative impact that the exposure to racist symbols and propaganda have on attitude and behavior. Therefore the government has enacted laws that ban all symbols promoting anti-Semitism, fascism, Hitler, and the Nazi regime.

Germany is confronting the repercussions of Hitler's 10-year regime over 80 years ago. Here in the United States, we are attempting to combat the legacy of 400 years of colonization, slavery, human exploitation, and how that history contributed to police violence and discrimination in its many manifestations.

Will Black Lives Matter protests result in a new perspective on public installations and who we honor? I think they may. In the future, there must be careful consideration given to who is a hero worthy of public recognition and who is not. That decision should be made through a transparent process that is representative of our nation's diversity.

Previously: Op-Ed: Changing Dispatching Practices In Law Enforcement Can Save Lives

Elliott Jones is a community organizer, public speaker, & philanthropist. Originally from Oakland, he has been working to help forge cultural understanding as an advocate and activist from California to Florida and every between. He is the founder of the public interest organization Ensure Progress and is also the grandson of the legendary Dr. Maya Angelou. Elliott contributes thoughts to SFist about progress in the Bay Area.

Continued here:

Op-Ed: Which Monuments Should Come Down And What Should Replace Them? - SFist

Senator Joe Lieberman(left), Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Torricelli in the Free Iran Global Summit July 17, 2020

According to information tallied by the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), over 77,000 people have lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.The high mortality rate in Iran is indeed the direct result of the Iranian regimes deliberate inaction and cover-up of the novel coronavirus since its outbreak.

The nationwide Iran protests in November 2019 and peoples general boycott of the regimes sham parliamentary elections highlighted this truth that peoples conflict with the regime has reached an irreversible point. The Iranian regimes forty years of oppression, violence, wrong economic policies, and export of terrorism have brought nothing but poverty and destitution for the Iranian people. On the other hand, the Iranian society has turned into a powder keg. To prevent the explosion of the publics hatred, the Iranian regime criminally used the COVID-19 outbreak as a momentum and a tool to control the society. Denying the existence of the virus, deliberate inaction, cover-up and downplaying the crisis and thus forcing people back to work were part of the regimes plan to control the society. In addition, the regime and its apologists have been trying to spread fear and despair among people and somehow paralyze the real force of change.

Meanwhile the Iranian Resistance, particularly the MEKs Resistance Units, have been spreading a message of hope with their ongoing activities across Iran, from posting banners to helping victims and collecting real information of the dimension of crisis and exposing regimes criminal policy of herd immunity.

In order to echo the Iranian peoples desire for regime change and support the MEKs Resistance Units, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) held the Free Iran Global Summit, for three days, connecting over 30,000 locations from more than 100 countries in four continents to Ashraf 3, the MEKs headquarters in Albania. This event enjoyed the support of over 1000 renowned politicians.

The NCRIs Free Iran Global Summit spread the message of hope among all Iranians. In addition, it showed the world there is a viable and powerful alternative. A capable alternative that removes any obstacle on its way to bringing change inside Iran.

The Iranian regime is engulfed with crisis. The countrys economy is collapsing due to the regimes misuse of funds and institutionalized corruption. People are grappling with COVID-19, economic hardship, and oppression. Fearing the eruption of a new uprising, and to legitimize its rule, the regime and its apologists try to discredit their viable alternative.

In this regard, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, made important remarks on the first day of the Free Iran Global Summit.

Maryam Rajavi, distinguished participants, and all of us who are gathered here in order to move forward with a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. Im joined, as you can see, by your great representative, advocate, friend, Bob Torricelli, and your equally staunch supporter, Senator Joe Lieberman, two great American leaders and two people who are very, very staunch defenders and advocates of a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. Its an honor to be with them and its an honor to be with you. And its very exciting to be part of the largest virtual gathering in the world, connecting people on Zoom. I cant imagine it. From 102 countries, almost 30,000 different locations.

The event, most importantly, is broadcast live in Iran to the people of Iran who are living under terror, tyranny, oppression, and lets say to them that this gathering is for them. This is to let them know that their fight for freedom is supported around the world. That there are freedom lovers, both Iranian and of all nationalities, that support you at the highest levels of their governments.

The people of Iran through their protests, starting in November of 2019 and almost continuously every week, every day, have demonstrated the great desire they have for freedom and theyve demonstrated in a way in which theyve put their lives on the line. That is a very, very powerful demonstration of just how strong the desire for freedom is in Iran. IN the very early days of those protests, over 1,500 people were killed by the murderous regime of terror. And the people of Iran have made it clear to the whole world that if they could have their way, and theyre going to have it, they would want a free Iran, a democratic Iran, a peaceful Iran, an Iran ruled by law, an Iran where people can practice their religion, and an Iran in which women are treated the same as men. Those are precisely the goals of the National Council of Iranian Resistance, precisely the goals of MEK, and they are the goals enunciated by Maryam Rajavi in her very, very brilliant and universal 10 principles, which are completely consistent with the highest values of the United States and similar governments.

Two slogans during the protest I think are vital to show how the people of Iran feel, because you can see these signs consistent through many of the 300 or so protests, or more, that have taken place. And it says, Reformists, hard liners, the game is over. And then theres one that says, Down with the dictator. Now, its one thing for me to say that and to hold that sign here in America or in the United Kingdom or France or Germany or wherever else you are. It is another thing to hold that sign in Tehran. Thats a mark of death. Its very likely, very possible, youre going to be singled out to be one of those people whos shot down in the street if you oppose the regime. It is surely likely youre going to be murdered if you support the MEK or any similar movement. Theres just no question about that. And despite that and despite the 1,500 murders right at the beginning that continue to this day, the protests are not slowing. The protests are not lessening. Theyre becoming greater and greater and greater.

As stated in the letter that was signed by the 31 U.S. dignitaries to set forth our belief, we say as a group there is a beacon of hope in this dark landscape. The one organization that has done more than any other, including government, to free Iranian citizens from tyranny and the world from fundamentalist-inspired terrorism, is the National Council of Resistance of Iran, NCRI. The NCRI strives relentlessly to ensure that hope for democracy and an end to injustice and tyranny remains alive in Iran. Additionally, with continual media outreach, publications and meetings, it sustains international attention on the ongoing assault against humanity, and may I add, by the regime of terror.

The NCRI is under the leadership of Maryam Rajavi, a woman who has the respect of all of us. Shes been a hero. She is a dedicated leader with tremendous, tremendous understanding of the plight of the Iranians and whats needed to bring Iran to a democratic alternative for the regime. I outlined before her clear program of principles about freedom of religion and of course gender equality, the mere fact that shes a woman leading a group like this is revolutionary. Can you imagine, can you imagine when this terrible regime falls, and it will fall, and shes the interim leader, to have a woman as the head of state. I believe it will completely transform a great deal of the Middle East and a great deal of the world.

The NCRI under Madame Rajavi offers for us the universal vision of freedom. Going back to the Old Testament and all through civilizations this has been the quest of the human heart, the human soul. And again, thats illustrated by the fearless people in Iran who demonstrate for freedom despite the fact that they can see that their lives can be taken. It happens right in front of them. The MEK is the main component of the NCRI, and with its network, its the driving force for change. And thats the reason why the regime is singled out for murder.

There are those Iranian apologists here in America and in the West, people who are paid by the Iranian regime, who said the NCRI and the MEK dont amount to much. Theyre a cult. They have very few followers. They have no chance to replace the regime. But then if you listen to the words of the Ayatollah and his puppet, Rouhani, just over the last year, two or three times the Ayatollah and four or five times Rouhani have said that the only threat to their regime, the only organization that has any change to put together a government to replace them, is the NCRI and the MEK. I mean, its amazing they would admit that, but they do. Its equally amazing that the corrupt Western press suppresses that. I can only attribute that to the power of the lobbying organizations for Iran who have sold their souls to the regime of terror. But we know the truth. And they know the truth. They know that this organization is a total threat to them, and when they see today this gathering of people taking advantage of Zoom and the new modern methods of communication, and our ability to broadcast all throughout Iran despite their best efforts to block us, they realize they have a formidable foe. They realize and can foresee how this group could easily stand up an interim government that could be a bridge to a permanent Democratic free prosperous and wonderful Iran, because the Iranian people deserve that. And the Iranian people can sustain that.

The economy in Iran is collapsing. And thats a tragedy. No one wants to see that. Its horrible to see these demonstrations. And the one that sticks in my mind, I know it goes back about a year, but I cant get it out of my mind, is the man who was standing there asking for four or five hundred dollars

equally poignant and desperate signs. People are starving. Even when Iran was getting a flow of money like the 1.7 billion dollars in cash that I will never understand that was delivered to Iran as the price of the ill-fated nuclear agreement, people in Iran were starving. And now with the much more effective sanctions that have been in effect since the new administration came into power in Washington, the sanctions have been crushing. And now with coronavirus adding to it, the level of poverty and the level of hunger and the level of pain in Iran is heartbreaking.

The only solace is that this is what happens when revolution takes place. This is what happened to the Soviet Union that led to the collapse of a much, much bigger empire. All of Eastern Europe. And its tragic that its not recognized that this regime is on the brink right now. Particularly with its handling of coronavirus, in which they allowed thousands, 70,000 or more of their people to die, without any help. The government at one point allocated $1 billion to help the people, which would have been totally insufficient. And only 30% of it has been distributed. Everybody in Iran knows that the reason that the people of Iran are suffering is not only the sanctions, its not only coronavirus, its the fact that they still allocate tremendous sums of money to terrorist groups all over the world. Theyd rather send people to bomb us in Paris or to kill some of you in America than to feed their people.

Theyd rather allocate money to renegade criminal groups that want to wreak havoc in Europe or in the United States than feed their people. And everyone in Iran knows that. Thats why theyre not only religious maniacs, theyre just plain, common criminals. Theyre crooks, thieves. When people say mullahs, they have this religious concept. To me, the mullahs are like the people who ran the mafia, the people I prosecuted who ran the mafia and extorted their people, extorted the Italian American people, and subjugated them, except this is on a much bigger scale. And the Ayatollah is like the head of the mafia. Hes a very wealthy man, the Ayatollah. And I do question his religious sincerity. No man can be a man of god that is a mass murderer. Completely hypocritical. And then he asks people to sacrifice their life for the cause of tyranny. But does he sacrifice his life? Hes not the one going out there and doing the suicide bombings. Nor are the fat mullahs who are living wonderful lives off the misery of their own people. This has to be recognized. And its only going to be recognized with the advocacy of a group like the NCRI and MEK. Theyre the group that is the most courageous and the most honest about whats going on in Iran.

Experience has shown that dictatorship doesnt change on its own. The old saying, a leopard doesnt change its spots, is quite true. Particularly a dictator. And despite all of the concessions provided under the JCPOA, the Iranian regime didnt change one bit. In fact, it got worse. It continued its oppression of the Iranian people. It continued its march to becoming a nuclear power. And it continued to be the single biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. And since American has ceased to comply with that agreement, has cut it off, and has stopped sending them billions of dollars in cash, the countrys been under maximum pressure. And weve got to keep that pressure up to remove the ruling theocracy.

Regime change in Iran is within reach. Dont listen to the pessimists and dont listen to the Iranian apologists who are paid to say that. Its within reach. The same things are happening in Iran that have happened numerous times in other countries. When we wake up one morning and were surprised and we find out, oh my goodness, the Berlin Wall is coming downoh my goodness, the Soviet Union is no morePoland is becoming freeit happened over a long period of time. It happened with the same conditions were seeing now. But when it happened, it happened like that [snaps]. And thats whats going to happen here.

And thats the goal of the NCRI and thats the goal of Maryam Rajavi. Its very, very simple. The goal is a free Iran that will be a contributing nation to peace in the world, to a better world. This is the heritage of the Iranian people. This is one of the great civilizations that goes back to time immemorial. How much has the Persian civilization given to us? And how much more can it give to us if its allowed to be free? The goal of Maryam Rajavi and all of us here is not to impose anyone on the Iranian people. The goal is to see regime change.

There is a shadow government to handle the interim so we dont have the situation that we had in Iraq several years ago, so the government can continue and the people can start to prosper immediately. But within less than a year, the goal is to have free and fair elections, to establish a rule of law from day one, to make sure that women participate in the government to the same extent as men, and in society, and that all of you are free to practice your religion as you see fit, or not practice religion, and to immediately end the nuclear program and to make clear that Iran was to rejoin the community of civilized nation. That will be interim. And then the Iranian people will decide who do they want, what kind of constitution they want. Thats the goal of this organization and the millions of people that support it, and the people that are watching today.

Its all going to happen. Its all going to happen the way I say. Were going to wake up one morning and were going to be surprised that the regime fell. Its teetering right now. And when that happens, youre going to have your name etched in that great book of liberators. And the one whose name will be in the largest, boldest print will be Maryam Rajavi. Stand with Maryam Rajavi. Stand with Maryam Rajavi. Stand with Maryam Rajavi. Thank you.

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Iran's Regime Tries to Spread Despair Among People With COVID-19, NCRI's Free Iran Global Summit Foiled This Remarks by Rudy Giuliani - NCRI -...

Three patients of Pioneer Health Care Center in Rocky Ford who tested positive for COVID-19 (one test is awaiting confirmatory results) have died, Crowley / Otero Health Departments Director Rick Ritter told the Tribune-Democrat Friday. Ritter said the health department gives its condolences to their families.

"Any time this happens we are certainly sorry that they lost a loved one," Ritter said.

COVID-19 cases in Otero County totaled 36 as of Saturday, according to Colorado Public Health and Environment, although Ritter said in a news release that numbers reflected by the state were not up to date. In the same statement, Ritter confirmed that three coronavirus patients at Pioneer Health Care Center in Rocky Ford had died and at the nursing home two staff and a total of 13 patients tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Ritter noted that results of confirmatory tests for some patients were still awaiting results as of Saturday.

Following Gov. Jared Polis's executive order mandating mask use in indoor public facilities July 16, businesses and services have had to crack down on enforcing mask use. Although many businesses and public buildings have posted signs alerting prospective patrons to their mandated enforcement of mask use, others have posted notices that state they will not enforce mask use.

In some instances, the notices make questionable references to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the 4th and 5th Amendments, or other facets of the U.S. Constitution or U.S. law.

Thaxton's Market in Fowler, for example, posted a sign in their window that read, "Due to HIPPA and the 4th Amendment, we cannot legally ask you what your medical condition is."

The sign continued to state that store employees would assume anyone entering without a mask was exempted from the statewide mandate. The Tribune-Democrat called Thaxton's Market last week to inquire about the store policy, but it did not hear back in time for publication.

Arkansas Valley Lumber outside Rocky Ford stirred up controversy when a sign it had posted in its entrance made rounds across local social media groups. The sign declared Arkansas Valley Lumber was no longer a public company and would only accept business from "United States citizens that believe in their constitutional right of freedom from oppression."

A day later, Arkansas Valley Lumber apologized on its official Facebook page and clarified that it would not discriminate against anyone, although it maintained that it would not enforce the use of masks.

Ritter isn't sold on Thaxton's claims or those of others, however.

"There's a lot of information I'm just going to come out and say it disinformation out there," said Ritter.

Ritter noted the statewide mask order makes exemptions for people with health conditions that complicate their breathing, such as asthma or COPD.

But contrary to what some businesses are claiming, a store is not legally prevented from offering patrons masks, nor is a store prohibited from asking someone who claims to have a medical condition that prevents mask use what that condition is, according to attorney to Otero County Nathan Schultz.

"I've seen a lot of people saying they're not going to ask about masks due to HIPPA," said Schultz. "The Fourth Amendment, then one store that says they're not going to ask about masks because of the Fifth Amendment. HIPPA is designed to protect information from covered entities, like doctors and hospitals, from disseminating that information without a release. That has absolutely no bearing on a grocery store. The Fourth Amendment and Fifth Amendment, both, any time you're trying to claim you have constitutional protection, there has to be government action."

Schultz agreed it was possible that some business owners might have conflated HIPPA with the American Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. But even the American Disabilities Act allows for what Schultz called reasonable inquiry if someone doesn't have an obvious disability.

"I think the stores still have the duty to ask someone to wear a mask," Schultz said. "If they're saying they don't cause of health reasons, you can ask what the health reason is because then the store needs to establish what reasonable accommodations they can make."

Schultz said allowing someone to not wear a mask would probably not be a reasonable accommodation. Instead, though, a store could implement curbside service in such an instance, Schultz suggested.

Schultz said seeing misinformation circulate on social media has been frustrating. Counter to more claims from those opposed to mask use saying the governor's mandate was unlawful or does not have the same effect as law, Gov. Polis's executive order carries the full weight of law, Schultz said.

"Earlier this week, the public health order 20-31 came out, also mandating masks. Public health orders are enforceable by local law enforcement under 25-1-506," said Schultz. "Those can be punished civilly, they can do it administratively where they can pull your business license, or they can do it criminally up to a first degree misdemeanor."

Otero County Sheriff Shawn Mobley said his office will not enforce the mask mandate. Mobley referenced his short staffed department and ongoing criminal investigations. Schultz said he thinks Mobley's decision is okay, but that he was angered by sheriffs from other counties who claimed Polis's law was unconstitutional or did not carry legal weight.

Bent County Sheriffs Office also said in a joint statement with Bent County Public Health that the sheriffs office there would not be enforcing the mask mandate, although they did not provide additional reasoning with their statement.

Otero County will try to utilize civil and administrative means to regulate the mask mandate as opposed to pursuing criminal charges, Schultz said, noting it doesn't do anyone any good to start jailing more people right now.

Another piece of disinformation Schultz wanted to address was that of masks versus the size of COVID-19 particles. Schultz made the distinction that the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is not airborne in the stirctest sense: The viruss primary mode of transmission from host to host is through respiratory particles in other words, spit.

"I'm still seeing a lot of misinformation about the cloth masks themselves," Schultz said. "A lot of people are pointing out micron sizes and all that. This virus has never been airborne, it's transferred through saliva droplets. So the cloth mask does nothing to protect the wearer, it's designed to protect the community from the wearer. So if everyone's wearing a mask, the saliva's less likely to spread to others.

In other words, posts on social media claiming that cloth masks dont stop COVID-19 from passing through them are missing the point, because COVID-19 travels primarily in much larger respiratory droplets that are stopped by a cloth face covering.

Health Director Rick Ritter stressed that many businesses have been compliant with the mask order and that the health department receives numerous calls daily from people looking to improve the safety of their establishments.

Ritter said hes seen people be dismissive of social distancing guidelines and mask use because they dont believe others are taking it seriously.

"To the people saying, 'Well nobody's doing it," that's absolutely wrong," said Ritter. "And that is disrespecting the businesses that are working hard to do what's right, to protect customers, employees, and this is not a hard thing to do, my gosh, we put on pants to cover our lower torso, we put on shirts, and that's not a violation of our constitutional rights.

"If I went out naked on the street, and you can print this, the police would be called. If I said, You can't make me put on pants, that's against my constitutional right to be naked, that wouldn't cut any ice. We're just covering our face and if somebody says, Well you put on pants for decency's sake, I say you put on a mask for decency's sake because you're protecting others.

"A mask is primarily worn to protect others, and that's what I'm saying. These cloth masks, if we all wear them like we're supposed to, it's a kindness to others, it's a consideration for others, and we're going to reduce risk."

Schultz added the health department is working around the clock to try to achieve the best outcome for the community.

Tribune-Democrat reporter Christian Burney can be reached by email at cburney@ljtdmail.com. Help support local journalism by subscribing to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat at lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/subscribenow.

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"It's the decent thing to do" - News - Bent County Democrat

For years, Israelis especially the liberal and left-leaning among them have been accused of being apathetic and leaving political activism to the more nationalistic and religious-minded. However, in light of their governments failure to prevent a second wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic with its devastating consequences, their prime minister being tried on corruption charges, and the dangerous and utterly irresponsible folly of the annexation idea, these elements in Israeli society are at last finding their voice again. There are now almost daily demonstrations in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus official residence, with people calling for his resignation, along with similar protests in other cities and towns.

It is hard to believe that Israels leader has not already admitted to himself that his time in office is up and the curtain will be coming down sooner rather than later. The only remaining issue is how much longer he will continue to drag Israel down the path of deepening divisions and political instability, while heading a paralyzed government at a time when the country urgently needs exactly the opposite kind of leadership. Israel needs a government that is on top of halting the pandemics progress, will embark on a massive economic recovery plan to deal with the devastating trail of destruction left in its wake, and will heal the schisms in society, many of which have been cynically exploited by Netanyahu in order to retain his position.

It is no longer possible to discern whether the governments decision-making machine is working for the good of the country or merely to delay, postpone indefinitely or eventually abandon Netanyahus trial altogether. It is almost inevitable, now that the trial judges have scheduled proceedings to resume in January and be held three days a week, that the minds of Netanyahu and his family all of whom are very much involved in Israeli politics will be overwhelmingly preoccupied with his struggle for acquittal.

Instead of uniting all the forces in the country to fight the coronavirus, Netanyahu, who despite being a very wealthy man always prefers others picking up the tab for his lavish lifestyle, opened a new front with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit by asking the court to allow Michigan-based real estate magnate Spencer Partrich to support his legal team to the tune of 10 million shekels ($2.9 million) a request Mandelblit opposes. Add to this the Knessets recent approval of his request that it fund some of the costs of maintaining the familys private house in the upmarket coastal town of Caesaria, which would normally come from his own pocket under Israeli law, at a time when millions of Israelis are wrestling with debilitating economic hardships due to the pandemic, and the picture of a prime minister who is both shameless and detached from the daily realities of most of the people he was elected to serve becomes way too clear.

In the past, those who demonstrated in front of Netanyahus residency in Jerusalem and elsewhere tended to be identified as more left and liberal-leaning Israelis, who also happened to oppose the occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people. But the increasing numbers of protesters show that a much wider cross-section of Israeli society has now become disillusioned with the prime minister.

The contrast between the ostentatious lifestyle of the Netanyahus, with their expectation that the public pay for it, and the current unprecedented level of unemployment, which is pushing people deeper into poverty as so many small businesses collapse and homes are in danger of being repossessed, has fueled peoples outrage and driven them to take to the streets. Restaurateurs, for example, have become the latest group to join the demonstrations, furious with a government that offers no clarity about how they should operate and that changes the rules almost daily, sometimes even hourly, causing immense financial harm.

There are now many signs of Netanyahus dwindling hold on Israeli politics. They chiefly relate to his corruption trial and mishandling of the pandemic, but his dismal track record on longer-term issues such as affordable housing or even preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capability also indicate that he is failing miserably after more than a decade in power.

If the first phase of the spread of coronavirus was handled responsibly including closing the countrys borders early on, keeping most people under lockdown and quarantining those who were returning from abroad then the current second wave, which is having a far greater impact, can be mostly attributed to Netanyahus triumphalism and arrogance in the face of the virus. To enhance his standing in the midst of forming a coalition government, Netanyahu declared victory over the coronavirus and threw caution to the wind in rapidly allowing normal life to resume: A move that is now resulting in more than 1,000 infections a day, a severe uptick of those in a serious condition and in need of a ventilator, and a tragic increase in fatalities.

A much wider cross-section of Israeli society has now become disillusioned with the prime minister.

Yossi Mekelberg

Consequently, the prime ministers approval ratings are rapidly falling, and he has even found himself challenged by legislators from his own Likud party, who are questioning his handling of the pandemic. Furthermore, after many weeks of failure to do so, he has only very recently managed to appoint a coronavirus czar after the position was rejected by a number of high-profile candidates, who realized that they would not be given the necessary power to deal effectively with containing COVID-19, but instead were being set up as a scapegoat should things go wrong.

And now the water cannons are coming out. True to his undemocratic tendencies, early on in the pandemic Netanyahu successfully leaned on his coalition partners to grant the government emergency powers. These powers might also be used to pave the way for him to escape justice. We are already witnessing an increase in police brutality in dealing with the protesters a situation that may well deteriorate as Netanyahu reaches the end of his political life and drags the country down with him.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view

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Israelis at last finding their voice to protest Netanyahu - Arab News

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to The Plot to Change America: How Identity Politics is Dividing the Land of the Free, a new book by Mike Gonzalez, senior fellow at The Heritage Foundations Allison Center for Foreign Policy andAngeles T. ArredondoE Pluribus Unumfellow, published by Encounter Books.

Identity politics is all around us. Whether you know it or not, we are all bathing in it. Some Americans have embraced it gladly, while others have simply become inured to it and no longer bat an eyelid. Many others, however, have begun to take notice, and to them something does not seem right.

If you are one of the latter, you raise an eyebrow when the principal at your daughters school repeats the incantation diversity is our strength! and you hear that some subjects, even math, are taught differently depending on a students race.

You think of OrwellWar Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery. But you understand why parents dont put up a fuss. Who wants to get on the wrong side of the principal by explaining to her that, in fact, we can observe in the laws of physics, and in the social sciences, that it is unity that forges strength? Who wants to tell her that two plus two always equals four no matter what your race is?

Likewise, at the office, when the head of human resources asks you to place a sign on your desk that reads, Im an ally! you stifle the urge to wisecrack, Why? Are we at war? Its the head of human resources, after all.

Again, you understand why so many of your colleagues put the darn sign on their desk, and you refrain from asking about rumors that another session is afoot to uncover employees subconscious bias.

>>> VIRTUAL EVENT: The Plot To Change America: How Identity Politics Divides America

Back at home, when the talking head on TV spends the first 10 minutes of airtime discussing all the identity groups that the newly elected dogcatcher belongs to, you want to snap back, Who cares? Can she catch strays?

Only crazy people talk to the TV, however. But you do talk back when the next news item is about a father who has lost custody of his 7-year-old son because he disagrees with his estranged wife, who wants the boy to transition into a girl.

Later that evening, when your own son, who is applying to college, announces he will identify as Hispanic because your mothers father was born in Monterrey, your first reaction is to tell him, But I never even met Grampa Ortiz.

On second thought, it might get Jimmy into Cornell, so you repress the unease you feel about gaming the system. You also feel relieved that, if hes no longer considered white, at least he wont be made to feel at fault for everything.

At the same time, it will sting your neighbor deeply when he finds out that his small company did not get the city contract. He couldnt produce a narrative of oppression, and someone else got the contract through a set-aside program.

His mothers father was born in Salerno, and after immigrating was repeatedly beat up by rough Irish kids in Boston. But that doesnt do your neighbor any good, since Italians are not one of the designated oppressed minorities.

Or say youre an immigrant from Perus port of Callao. You came to New York in the 1970s, settling in Queens with dreams of becoming American and one day having American children, the same as other Americans.

Soon after your arrival, however, you heard people on TV saying that you were now a third thing, a Hispanic, and you should be proud of belonging to this category. Joining the American mainstream was an unattainable goal, said these loud people, and you shouldnt aspire to it, anyway. America is a racist place, they went on, and if you wanted to have a measure of success, you had to join this massive new ethnic collective.

All this disturbed you somehow, even if you could not articulate why. Decades later, it dawns on you that you had been enlisted into a struggle to overturn the very country and system that had attracted you to emigrate in the first place, and you are not happy about this.

In all these small and large ways, identity politics has become the operating system of our national hardware. As with war, even if you are not interested in it, identity politics is interested in you.

But what is identity politics, anyway? In a Twitter exchange on this question with Vox Media reporter Jane Coaston last year, I took a stab at defining the term:

I mean the deliberate creation of pan-ethnic and other identity groups; the idea that members of this panoply of collectives should get compensatory justice; the culture of victimhood all of this engenders.

Twitters character limits force us to cram complicated ideas into pithy epigrams, and in my tweet I tried to concisely present the main elements of what has become an ideology of our times. The purpose of this book is to explain how and why these elements came together, who was behind the ideologys rise, and what we can do about it.

Many theories have been put forward to explain how this ideology was suddenly sprung on America. They cover the gamut, from the demise of the family, to the erosion of social capital in many working-class neighborhoods, to the absence of a unifying enemy following Americas victory in the Cold War.

What follows in this book is a more-or-less-chronological account of the rise of identity politics, put in the context of the doctrines and philosophies that fed into it, and discussion of its impact on the American system and the threat it poses to the liberties that sustain the American way of life.

We have identity politics today because our government has created ethnic and sexual categories whose members have been instilled with resentments against the country and its system and given real financial benefits for nursing their grievances. Insisting on group grievances thereby perpetuates the identity groups. If we stop this vicious cycle, we may be able to free ourselves from the grip of identity politics.

The book traces the origins of identity politics to the late 1960s and 1970s, when the white establishment panicked over the black riots then tearing up parts of northern cities.

This panic led to two main outcomes. First, members of the establishment offered temporary racial benefits to pacify Northern blacks, who had seen fewer advances than their Southern counterparts during the civil rights era.

Second, they accepted the assertion by leftist activists claiming to mediate on behalf of other groups that there was an analogy to be made between the suffering of blacks and the experiences of Americans of Mexican, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Japanese, Filipino, and other descents. This analogy, which was also extended to women as a group, was drawn over and over.

It was, of course, dishonest and deceitful: The experience of black Americans was in fact unique. Nevertheless, this way of thinking led in time to such absurdities as immigrants fresh off the boat receiving compensatory justice for the real and imagined suffering of their ancestors.

Racial preferences also never went away, but more than half a century later have become a fixture of American life, and keep being expanded.

As this book further demonstrates, activists of those earlier decades sought to move the country away from its limited-government traditions inherited from the Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment toward the centralized state planning drawn from the Continental Kantian, Hegelian, and Marxian worldviews.

Stated plainly, my goal is to change how the nation thinks about identity politics and identity groups.

We do not have to accept these categories, the discourses of privilege and victimhood, or politically loaded (and recent) terms such as minorities, diversity, and persons of color. Rather, I seek to snap the country out of its identity trance by exposing the actors, their actions, how they came up with these terms, and the theories that led us to this juncture.

The identity collectives have done nothing to alleviate the very real racial discrimination and social injustice that continues to exist in Americanor were they intended to do sobut have only exacerbated them.

Read the rest here:

Uncovering the Origins of Identity Politics - Heritage.org