Monthly Archives: June 2021

OTTAWA, June 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) is writing today to the Attorney General of Canada to demand that charges be laid in the deaths of Indigenous children at Indian residential schools after the horrific discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the Marieval school in Saskatchewan.

NWAC is demanding that all sites of former Indian residential schools immediately be declared crime scenes and that investigations be conducted to determine how each and every Indigenous child buried at those sites died, and who is responsible for their deaths. In addition, we are demanding that charges be laid against people still living who are found to be the perpetrators of these crimes, including the members of the religious orders that ran the schools, as well as the governments and the churches that we know to be complicit.

The Criminal Code of Canada allows such charges to be laid in cases against governments and institutions, including churches, in cases where they have failed to provide the necessaries of life to people who were in their care.

The Truth and Reconciliation has already conducted the investigation into these deaths. We have the evidence of first-hand witnesses of the torture and abuse. In Canada, we live under the rule of law. The law does not allow those who are responsible for the deaths of children to walk free with impunity.

NWAC and its members, the grassroots First Nations, Mtis, and Inuit women in Canada, are revolted by the news of the 751 unmarked graves, just as we were sickened by recent similar discoveries at other residential schools. We are weeping along with the survivors of Marieval whose classmates died around them in a brutal institution that, like all other Indian residential schools, was a place of oppression created for the purpose of assimilation.

We hope that Canadians are horrified by the discoveries of these bodies, just as we and our ancestors have been horrified by the fact of those schools for generations.

I ask you to take a moment to think about what it would be like to have men of a different race and culture, men who may not even have spoken your language, arrive at your door to force the children from your arms and to take them far away to a school where they could be subjected to all manner of assault. I ask you to think how you would feel when the other children from your village arrived home at Christmas or the end of the school year but your beloved child was not among them.

Those are the children whose bodies, are in these graves - the children who did not come home. Our children.

We hope this latest discovery, like the discoveries that have come before it, bring some solace to those parents who have spent decades longing to be reunited with their missing sons or daughters. Many will have gone to their graves without knowing how the lives of their little loved ones ended, only imagining their children crying out for them in their last minutes and hours.

But while all of this makes us weep, we cannot pretend to be shocked. Because many of us attended those schools. We witnessed the deaths. And we read the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in which an entire chapter was devoted to the missing children and the unmarked graves. That report says, in some cases, nearly 50 per cent of the students who were sent to a school died there before they graduated. Murray Sinclair, the Chief Commissioner of that inquiry, has estimated that the total number of deaths at the schools could number 6,000.

So we are relieved that attention is now being paid to this issue.

But lets be clear, when Mr. Sinclair asked for $1.5 million from the former federal Conservative government in 2009 to identify the location of these burial sites, he was denied. And while the current Liberal government allocated $27 million in its 2019 budget to look for these graves little, if any, of that money had been spent before Canadians were shocked by the news of the 215 bodies found in Kamloops, B.C.

In the meantime, we are heartened by the interest that is now being expressed by large numbers of Canadians in the suffering that First Nations, Mtis and Inuit children endured behind the walls of those church-run institutions of murder and torture. We take some comfort in the fact that many people are saying this is a shocking revelation, even if it is anything but a revelation to Indigenous people.

We also know that more bodies will be found many more.

We ask Canadians to be as outraged by this latest discovery of bodies near Saskatoon, and of those discoveries yet to come, as they were when they first heard the news out of Kamloops. We ask Canadians to stop themselves from becoming desensitized to these horrors and the suffering of our children, experiences that those who survived are still living every day. We ask that this anger and revulsion remain strong.

Because only when those emotions are shared by all who walk this land the Indigenous people and those whose roots are on different continents can we begin the process of reconciliation.

But reconciliation also demands accountability. It demands that perpetrators be brought to justice. It demands that those responsible for the deaths of these thousands of children feel the full weight of the law.

For information, or to arrange an interview, contact Gloria Galloway at gloria@gloriagalloway.com or 613-447-6648

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NWAC Demands Criminal Charges Against Governments, Churches, & Others Responsible for Deaths of Thousands of Children - GlobeNewswire

TORONTO, June 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of the Families of Flight PS752 Victims (the Association) welcomes the Government of Canadas Forensic Examination and Assessment report on the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, released today. That report exposes the Iranian regimes disregard for human life, failure to disclose the truth and pursue justice, and oppression of victims families. The Association welcomes Canadas commitment in the report to pursuing the truth and justice, including to the International Court of Justice, and calls for the international community to hold the Islamic Republic fully accountable for what it believes to be the willful murder of their loved ones.

The Iranian regime had an obligation to transparently disclose the causes of the downing of Flight PS752 through a comprehensive report in cooperation with the affected countries. Iran had failed to meet that obligation.

Canadas decision to conduct its own forensic examination and assessment was an important step. But it is not sufficient and cannot be the final summary of what transpired on January 8, 2020. The Report makes clear that the investigators lacked access to witnesses, fulsome evidence and sufficient information. The Government of Canada must continue its work to hold the culprits of this crime to account and bring justice to the victims, their families, and their loved ones. Even without access to much important information, the forensic examination report reveals Irans failure to investigate its shooting of Flight PS752 and its failure to comply with international law.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus own conclusions outlined in the report speak to the intentional obfuscation and lack of accountability, cooperation and transparency on the part of the Iranian regime, and the need to hold Iran to account at the highest levels:

Irans official account of events is disingenuous, misleading and superficial and intentionally ignores key factors.

Iran must also account for the cover-up that followed the downing of flight PS752, including bulldozing the crash site before investigators arrived.

Should negotiations with Iran not result in an acceptable outcome for Canada on behalf of the families, we will pursue all available options, including recourse to the International Court of Justice.

Canadas forensic report makes several key observations that clearly illustrate the crimes, obfuscations and lies of Iran. First, the report rejects the Islamic Regimes claims of human error as not plausible, and finds senior officials of Iran culpable. The report finds that it is not plausible that the crime was committed by a low-level operator in the field who failed to perform his duties and misjudged the situation, without regular communications with central military commanders. The report highlights the likely involvement of higher-level military and other government officials in shooting Flight PS752. The report states that although the firing of the missiles may have been delegated to a lower ranking operator, it is very unlikely the SAM operator would have been authorized to launch missiles without approval from his command.

The forensic report further emphasizes that there was no evidence that jamming or electronic warfare were the cause, contrary to statements made by Iran that the missile operators had lost contact with central commanders. UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Agnes Callamard, stated that: The inconsistencies in the official explanations seem designed to create a maximum of confusion and a minimum of clarity. They seem contrived to mislead and bewilder.

Importantly, the forensic report finds that the foundation of this crime lies with high-level strategic and national security decisions of Iran, likely made by the leader of the Islamic regime and the Supreme Council of National Security of Iran. They deliberately kept the civilian airspace open at a time of heightened military tension, and after launching an attack, possibly using PS752 passengers and other passengers on aircraft that departed earlier that morning as human shields. There are still numerous unanswered questions and facts suggesting that the downing of the civilian airliner PS752 was intentional. The onus is on Iran to transparently disclose all relevant information in order to show that the downing of PS752 was not intentional.

The revelations of Canadas Forensic Report underscore what the Association and families have long known and further energize the families resolve in their fight for truth and justice. The Associations Fact-Finding Committee intends to produce a report of its own findings and conclusions in the coming months and the Association will continue to seek an international platform that will hold the Iranian regime to account for their actions. The Association of the Families of Flight PS752 Victims requests that the Government of Canada to put forth a substantial monetary reward for any information that leads to identification and prosecution of those individuals responsible for the shooting of Flight PS752. The Association once more insists that the Government of Canada enlist the IRGC as a terrorist entity, impose targeted Magnitsky sanctions on the perpetrators of the downing, and pursue the PS752 file through a domestic criminal investigation.

For more information, contact

Colleen RyanCell: 647-232-6867Email: cryan@sussex-strategy.com

Hamed EsmaeilionEmail: speaker@ps752justice.comWebsite: https://www.ps752justice.com

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Statement From The Association of Victims' Families of Flight PS752 - GlobeNewswire

Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro says his country has once and for all gotten rid of the US oppression, warning that any effort to meddle in the countrys affairs would not be tolerated by Venezuelans.

Maduro, who spoke in an 85-minute interview with Bloomberg Television on Friday, downplayed US economic sanctions against his country, noting that his government has introduced a war economy to reduce the impact of US bans on the South American nation.

Sooner rather than later, the bolivar will once again occupy a strong and preponderant role in the economic and commercial life of the country, he said.

In another part of his interview, Maduro insisted that his government will not budge if the US continues to hold a proverbial gun to his head.

Any demands for changes in domestic policy are game over, the Venezuelan president warned.

No country in the world -- no country, and even less Venezuela -- is willing to kneel down and betray its legacy, Maduro emphasized.

He dismissed claims by American officials that Caracas has become isolated in the world following its breaking away from the US influence, saying that his country has only broken free of irrational, extremist, and cruel US oppression.

The Venezuelan president added that now, Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba are his countrys allies while his domestic opposition is impotent.

If Venezuela suffers from a bad image, Maduro said, it was because of a well-funded campaign to demonize him and his socialist government.

'Venezuela to become land of opportunities'

Elsewhere in his interview, Maduro slammed the cruel sanctions imposed on his country by the United States, which have practically deprived the country of its main sources of revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

If Venezuela cant produce oil and sell it, cant produce and sell its gold, cant produce and sell its bauxite, cant produce iron, etcetera, and cant earn revenue in the international market, how is it supposed to pay the holders of Venezuelan bonds? Maduro, 58, said, adding, This world has to change. This situation has to change.

Maduro hopes a deal to relieve the sanctions will open the floodgates to foreign investment, create jobs, and reduce misery. It might even assure his legacy as the torchbearer of Chavismo, Venezuelas peculiar brand of left-wing nationalism.

Venezuela is going to become the land of opportunities, Maduro said, noting, Im inviting US investors so they dont get left behind.

Venezuela descended into political turmoil after opposition figure Juan Guaid, former president of the National Assembly, unilaterally declared himself interim president in January 2019, arguing that Maduro's reelection in 2018 was fraudulent.

With Washingtons greenlight and help from a small number of rogue soldiers, Guaid later launched a botched putsch against the elected government.

The Trump administration recognized Guaid as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and publicly pursued a regime change policy against Maduro.

The Biden administration has reaffirmed US recognition of Guaido as Venezuelas interim president and has ruled out negotiations with Maduro anytime soon.

Washington has imposed several rounds of crippling sanctions against the oil-rich Latin American country aimed at ousting Maduro and replacing him with Guaido.

The sanctions, which include illegal confiscation of Venezuelan assets abroad and an economic blockade, have caused enormous suffering for millions of people in the country.

This article has been adapted from its original source.

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Maduro: Venezuela Succeeded in Getting Rid of US Oppression - Al-Bawaba

Yesterday, PM Modi held a meeting with political figures from IIOJK to discuss the resumption of the political process in the region. This meeting marked the first high-level engagement between pro-India leaders from IIOJK and the Centre since the illegal actions that took place on August 5, 2019.

Attaching much significance to this meeting would however be a mistake since the outcome of the meeting is unlikely to satisfy key stakeholders on Kashmir. This is primarily because the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) will not be part of the engagement. Popular Kashmiri leaders have rightly denounced this meeting as a drama by the Indian state because the individuals actually representing the people of Kashmir are being harassed and locked up. It appears that this might be yet another move by the Modi government to create an impression for the international community that normalcy is gradually being restored in IIOJK.

This could very well be an attempt by the ruling party to legitimise the steps it took on August 5, by making minor concessions without providing any meaningful relief to the oppressed people of Kashmir. The only winners in such a scenario would be the regions pro-India political leadership that may strike a mutually beneficial deal with the government.

Pakistan must be wary of this potential ploy to create a faade of normalcy around the issue of Kashmir and should continue raising its voice regarding the ongoing oppression at every available forum. In addition to this, it is important that we establish contact with Kashmiri leaders and initiate engagement with them on a diplomatic level. The international audience has recently started to take notice of the actual situation on the ground in IIOJK. Pakistan must capitalise on this momentum and ensure that the voice of Kashmiri leaders is amplified on all platforms. There needs to be complete restoration of occupied Kashmirs status prior to August 5, 2019. Anything short of that would be unacceptable.

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Faade of Normalcy - The Nation

The farce on Tuesday at the Knesset made the June 13 swearing-in of the new Israeli government pale in comparison.Youre a piece of sh*t fascist, screamed Joint Arab List MK Ofer Cassif at Religious Zionism MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spent an hour shouting terrorist and enemy at Cassif and others attending the extra-parliamentary event that he crashed with a vengeance.

The happening in question was a conference titled After 54 years: From Occupation to Apartheid.

The hurling of mutual insults characterized the atmosphere of the radical NGO-laden convention, organized by MKs Mossi Raz (Meretz) and Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint Arab List) for the purpose of demonizing the Jewish state.

As is the case with all gatherings to which representatives of far-left groups like Adalah, Yesh Din and Breaking the Silence not to mention Human Rights Watch BDS supporter Omar Shakir are invited to delegitimize Israel, the one in question pulled no punches where spreading lies was concerned. In this respect, its message was predictable.

What made these particular proceedings stand out, therefore, was not their content. Nor was it Ben-Gvirs arrival on the scene to disrupt them.

On the contrary, such hate fests always include charges that Israel is an evil occupier of Palestinians victimized by apartheid policies. And the far-Right lawyer/activist who just joined the ranks of the Knesset is famous for his frenzied, yet calculated, outbursts.

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Yes, everything about the vile meeting was to be expected, except for its venue within the walls of Israels parliament and for the fact that one of its initiators belongs to a party integral to the countrys nascent governing coalition.

THIS IS significant for reasons that ought to be obvious, but warrant reiteration. At the top of the list is the abuse of the word apartheid to describe Israel, which in no way, shape or form resembles the former South African regimes policy of forced racial segregation and discrimination.

Even Richard Goldstone, author of the now-infamous eponymous report from the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict established in 2009 to investigate Operation Cast Lead came to acknowledge that if [he] had known then what [he] know[s] now, [it] would have been a different document.

Better two years late than never. But the havoc that the South African judges conclusions about Israels three-week war against Hamas (from the end of December 2008 to the middle of January 2009) had already been wrought. Indeed, the esteemed jurists subsequent retraction to his earlier assertion that Israel intentionally killed Palestinian civilians didnt put a dent in the damage that continues to reverberate to this day.

Precisely because of this, his recanting is worth reviewing and repeating.

In Israel, there is no apartheid, he wrote on October 31, 2011, in The New York Times. Nothing there comes close to the definition of apartheid under the 1998 Rome Statute: Inhumane acts... committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.

He went on, Israeli Arabs 20 percent of Israels population vote, have political parties and representatives in the Knesset and occupy positions of acclaim, including on its Supreme Court. Arab patients lie alongside Jewish patients in Israeli hospitals, receiving identical treatment.

Apartheid, he added, consciously enshrines separation as an ideal. In Israel, equal rights are the law, the aspiration and the ideal; inequities are often successfully challenged in court. And though the situation in the West Bank is more complex here too there is no intent to maintain an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group. This is a critical distinction, even if Israel acts oppressively toward Palestinians there. South Africas enforced racial separation was intended to permanently benefit the white minority, to the detriment of other races. By contrast, Israel has agreed in concept to the existence of a Palestinian state in Gaza and almost all of the West Bank, and is calling for the Palestinians to negotiate the parameters.

Finally, he said, [U]ntil there is a two-state peace, or at least as long as Israels citizens remain under threat of attacks from the West Bank and Gaza, Israel will see roadblocks and similar measures as necessary for self-defense, even as Palestinians feel oppressed And the deep disputes, claims and counterclaims are only hardened when the offensive analogy of apartheid is invoked.

SO MUCH for the A-word. As for the O-word, well, its misused intentionally by those who single out Israel for condemnation at every opportunity.

As international-law expert Alan Baker a former Israeli ambassador to Canada currently with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs think tank has pointed out: Israel is not occupying any foreign sovereigns land; [it] entered the area known as the West Bank in 1967 and took over the authority to administer the land from Jordan, which was never considered to be a sovereign in the area.

Baker, who participated in the negotiations and drafting of the Oslo Accords, as well as peace treaties with Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, has also explained that the Jordanians, who occupied the territory after the 1948 war, annexed it, but this was never really recognized or acknowledged by the international community. At a later stage, the king of Jordan voluntarily gave up any Jordanian sovereignty or claim to the territories to the Palestinian people. So, the Jordanians came and went, and the issue remains [one] between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

And this is before one takes into account the Jews proven ancient connection to the land, which Palestinians reject and their BDS apologists deny or ignore. But none of the above escapes the majority of the Israeli public who voted overwhelmingly against the Left in the last four rounds of elections.

The bitter irony surrounding this weeks conference is twofold.

On the one hand, it illustrated the exact opposite of what participants wished to portray. Its ridiculous, after all, to accuse the state of apartheid from the halls of a diverse Knesset that includes openly hostile Arab politicians and post-Zionist Jews, all of whom use their platforms to bash the country that embraces their freedom to do so.

On the other hand, it highlighted the fragility of the new government, made up of a motley assortment of parties that have no business sitting together, certainly not under the premiership of Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, self-described as to the right of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid.

The only glue that enabled them to glom together the change coalition was a shared desire to oust Netanyahu from his perch as the longest-serving leader in Israels history. Its still their sole adhesive, as the apartheid event demonstrated.

Efforts on the part of some coalition MKs to block it in the form of a letter to Knesset Speaker Miki Levy asking him to end Knesset involvement in events that act against the state of Israel, tarnish its good name and work with antisemitic organizations like BDS were in vain. The travesty not only went ahead as planned, but was held under the auspices of Raz, whose party, Meretz, could topple the government simply by exiting from it.

IN AN interview with Kan Newss Mark Weiss after the conference, Raz said smugly that the word apartheid makes people very nervous.

But he proudly took credit for normaliz[ing] the word occupation, because until a few days ago, very few people in the Knesset talked about [it].

Some accomplishment.

[It] is my duty to talk about the occupation, to talk about peace and to do my work to represent my voters, he stressed.

Asked about how this attitude might annoy and upset many coalition partners, he replied with the equivalent of a shrug.

You know, he said, Im annoyed and upset every day from things happening [in the country].

No kidding; he and his fellow leftists make that abundantly clear at every juncture, and at each protest on behalf of the Palestinians. That the despots who rule over the latter are the ones responsible for their lack of human rights is as irrelevant to Raz and his ilk as Israels numerous territorial and other concessions to the PLO and Hamas.

Its no wonder, then, that he referred to the mish-mash coalition as a challenging one. Still, not anxious to forfeit the resuscitation provided to his dying camp by Bennett, New Hope chairman Gideon Saar and Israel Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman, he made sure to declare that he considers the new government very powerful, with young and active party leaders for whom truth is important.

One doesnt know whether to laugh or cry at the blatant inversion of the concept.

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An apartheid conference at the Knesset? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post

With the Coalition proving a willing audience as the Australian Christian Lobby once again starts flexing its political muscles, we asked readers if they were worried about its influence on our politicians. The answers came thick and fast.

Stephen Kimber writes: One can hardly be anything other than worried about the increasing influence of politically conservative and divisive religious lobbyist groups on our federal government, particularly one with an avowedly Pentecostal PM. Church and state should be separate, as I recall, not seeking to reinforce known narrow discriminations on a multicultural and multifaceted populace. You do not protect your people by protecting religious bigotry.

Gloria Delahunty writes: I agree with everything ACL and Martyn Illes is doing. We need more religious freedom and less indoctrination of our children into LGBTIQ agenda. The confusion and sexualisation of our preschool children is a disgrace to our society. I pray for our nation and our politicians to have their eyes opened to the damage they are causing to our innocent young children, which should not even be thinking about the things they are being fed.

Bill Buke writes: Yes I am very worried about the extremist group ACL. It wants to turn back time not only against women but educated thinking. It is just as bad as the QAnon group.

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Greg Crome writes: The best values of Western civilisation flow from the Christian gospel, the Judeo/Christian ethic. Why would that ever be a threat? Why do people want to expunge our society of Christian influence? Christians arent going away, and will not be silenced

Tim Reynolds writes: Everybody is entitled to their beliefs but it should be private and never used as a tool to coerce others or be introduced into politics We have diverse religious beliefs in Australia, including those who have no religious leanings. So what right does the ACL have to preach to and attempt to enforce its very biased beliefs on those of other or no religious beliefs?

Lindy Pienaar writes: [Am I] worried about the influence the ACL has on our politicians? Absolutely not. It is time that all voices get a fair opportunity to voice values, norms, science, history and place it in the pool of knowledge for discussion. This generation has radically changed due to big tech and censorship and the propaganda we are spoon-fed The culture we live in is empty and utterly self-centred, it is a void So bring it on, ACL!

Dr Meredith Doig (president of the Rationalist Society of Australia) writes: All Australians ought to be worried about the aggressive push for religious privilege being conducted by the ACL which is a lobby (so how come it gets charity status?) but is certainly not Christian. At least not according to the vast majority of Christians in this country. The Rationalist Society has just published a major report called Religiosity in Australia, which shows that the level of support for religion in Australia has been grossly misrepresented and the views of religious leaders are largely out of touch with those of the Australians they claim to represent Legislators and governments would be wise to keep clearly in mind these revealed facts about Australians real attitudes rather than listening only to the countrys most outspoken religious conservatives. Failure to do so would not only be an affront to democratic principles but will increasingly lead to electoral backlash.

Graeme and Val Wicks write: We are far more concerned about the influence approximately 2% of the population (LGBTIQ) has over politicians!

Lesley Knapp writes: I am deeply concerned about the influence of the ACL on our politicians. I am watching the last season of Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and understand that the horrific subjugation of women and the religious ideology that enables it that she writes about is not fantasy, but has happened somewhere in the world at some point. The story resonates too loudly and we need to be alert and afraid.

Robert Henderson writes: The ACL certainly does not speak for me, an 80-year-old lifetime follower of Jesus teachings. For me, Jesus was a revolutionary thinker who sided with and reached out to the most marginalised people and was predominantly focused on breaking down barriers between all people and proclaiming a gospel of universal love and justice and equity. His outspoken opposition to the powerful religious authorities of the time led to his own death. Any similarity that the ACL has to Jesus actual teachings is exceedingly difficult to detect.

Jo Lewis writes: Perhaps there should be an all-religions and nonbelievers lobby developed, aimed at excluding nobody and calling for equality, and ensuring fairness in all situations and legislation. I think we are heading in the right direction and would hate to see any development that excludes people for religious reasons and causes racial and ethnic and sectarian separation that can develop into hatred and violence.

Steph Mitchell writes: I for one am glad that the ACL is helping to spread the message to our politicians that there are people who still hold to traditional values, even some who wouldnt even consider themselves Christian but are influenced by many of Christianitys basic beliefs At the last federal election, it was the quiet Australians who dont like the way much of society is heading who voted for Scott Morrison and helped pull off the miracle result. Much prayer was offered for such a result and will be again for the election next year.

Liz Thornton writes: I am appalled at the prospect of further push into government from so-called Christians. People are welcome to worship any god they like but when the beliefs held by people like our prime minister enter into law making it becomes a danger matching other countries that we would declare autocratic. The fact that some Christians already in government have no morals or ethical standards is clear warning that voters need to be conscious and not sleepwalk into electing more slack decisions guided by the ACL.

John Amadio writes: The ACL represents only a small segment of the whole Christian community let alone the wider one and holds a very narrow, quite intolerant focus. Christianity and other religious beliefs are far from discriminated against within society The ACL agenda is clearly to gain influence and power within Parliament and the government to prosecute a narrow agenda that provides disproportionate power to a group that would seek to undo many of the human rights we enjoy.

Ben OBrien writes: No I am not concerned at all. Australia was built on Christian influence and belief in the sanctity of human life Christian values are actually helpful for society to function. Why? Because God knows what hes talking about.

Richard Staples writes: Australian politicians should think hard about the consequences of Australia having anything other than a secular constitution and government. Indonesia has a population of some 270 million, of which about 90% embrace Islam. Nevertheless the Indonesian constitution and government is secular In general, diversity of faith is not just tolerated but respected. Even Christmas Day is celebrated as a national holiday. Any moves away from secularism in Australia would not go unnoticed in Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere. It would give ammunition to religious zealots everywhere.

Sue Holdsworth writes: The ACL appears to have a disproportionate influence not only on our government but also among conservative Australian Christians. The ACL is not a church leader, although some Christians are all too willing to look to it for leadership on social issues. Many Christians (myself included) are uncomfortable with its very name, which implies it represents all Christians. Many of us are disappointed with its obsession over Israel Folau and its stance on moral issues, including same-sex marriage and transgenders. I want Aussies to know the ACL does not represent all Christians.

Stanley Burgess writes: I feel that I must register my disappointment at the cynical tone of your story on the ACL. What is wrong with more Australians taking an active part in our democracy? We are generally an apathetic lot so a little passion is very welcome, surely. That ungodly mob GetUp is an organised activist lobby at the other end of the political spectrum. It belongs to the church of woke within whose doctrine there is no redemption. So onward Christian soldiers indeed, and God bless them and you.

Jeff Canning writes: Arse clown loopies. Thats what ACL stands for.

Fiona Colin writes: We have seen in the disUnited States how effectively the religious right mobilised the forces not only of mainstream religion but of all its tributaries. Im thinking anti-sciencers in general, but the list includes climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, Holocaust deniers, and even Pentecostalists. What worries me is that not only are we not progressing to a more enlightened civil society but we are going back to a time of great division, superstition, irrationality and suspicion to Salem.

Simon Barnett writes: All the information supplied regarding the lobbying of the government by ACL staff seems routine, and exactly as one would expect. Big business, small business, farming groups, trade unions, aid agencies, and lobbyists from the LGBTIQ groups you mention are all surely lobbying politicians in exactly the same way? This appears to be an example of our democratic process working as it should Regarding Folau being supported by ACL again, there was an implication that there was something wrong in this. In the opinion of many, including myself, it is disgraceful that any man in Australia should lose his job for simply expressing a different opinion from that of his employer. The argument that someones feelings could be hurt by him doing so is ridiculous on every level, and should be called out by Crikey and other news groups for the baseless, whining, and manipulative bullying tactic that it is It should not be necessary to compel everyone to express the same opinion, and it will be a much poorer society should we do so.

Colin Bright writes: The ACL continues its oppression of LGBTIQ people, just as religious groups and leaders have for many centuries Theism is the No. 1 conspiracy theory, and people with such delusions should not be eligible to be elected to government in my humble opinion.

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Are people worried about the Australian Christian Lobby's influence? - Crikey

Does the law really do justice? Who makes the law? Is everything legal really fair?

We can go on asking questions like this. Who does the law protect? The laws of the male-dominated capitalist system exclude women from social and public life and impose the system of slavery. The law was created to protect capital, patriarchy, and the state. It denies freedom to the working poor, women, believers, and those in need of rights and liberties.

Of course, throughout history, poor working people, women, and faith-based groups have fought these laws. This fight has helped to guarantee individual and collective rights and international conventions. Nevertheless, a free, equal, and democratic legal system has not yet been put in place. Nation-states frequently contradict their own laws in pursuit of their interests. This is clearly apparent in the policies of oppression, persecution, and violence against the Kurdish people in Turkey.

Kurds living in Turkey played a significant role in the creation of the Turkish Republic. The 1921 Constitution was created in this context. However, the pluralistic, multicultural, multi-identity, and democratic nature of this constitution was ignored and, instead, policies of denial, destruction, and assimilation were established. The Kurdish people have always rebelled against these policies.

The Kurds, one of the most ancient peoples of the Middle East, had their territory divided into two parts by the Kasr-i Shirin Treaty between the Ottomans and the Persians in 1639, and into four parts by the Treaty of Lausanne after the First World War. The Kurds, the largest non-status people in the world, have been the target of repressive and cruel policies by Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. The fate of the Kurds, who have spent the last two hundred years subjected to violence, also has a profound impact on the future of other peoples living in the Middle East.

As a result, the gains made by Kurds in the struggle for equality, freedom, and peace will have a positive effect on other peoples in the struggle for freedom. As the Rojava revolution reveals, every gain made by the Kurds has galvanized the search for freedom felt by other oppressed peoples. Once again, the Kurds relentless struggle against the antihuman terrorist organization ISIS has been an inspiration to all.

My purpose in writing this, of course, is not to tell these stories in full. What I want to say here is that the Kurdish struggle for freedom has an international and national dimension.

It is no coincidence that the world, especially the United States and the EU, is indifferent to this persecution of the Kurdish people this is a long-term policy. However, we can counter these policies through organizing such as the huge movement of international solidarity that emerged when Koban was attacked in 2014. You may remember that this resistance was the beginning of ISISs defeat.

However, the defeat of ISIS was not something that Turkey, which supports the jihadists, wished for. Although Turkey has tried to appear to be against ISIS, it has always supported ISIS: the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi right next to Turkeys borders, and the salary given to a paramilitary force of jihadists, should be considered in this context. Ultimately, Turkeys support of organizations like ISIS and its derivatives continues as before.

It would be wrong not to consider the repression of Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) politicians for calling for solidarity against ISISs attacks on Koban in 2014. The Turkish state targeted these politicians as terrorists another case of Turkeys support for ISIS.

In Turkish territory, home to more than twenty million Kurds, it was a necessity for political leaders to call for solidarity with their brothers and sisters on the other side of the border against a barbaric organization like ISIS. It was also a humanitarian responsibility that the HDP did not remain indifferent to this situation. All parties should oppose ISIS attacks; attempting to prosecute those that do shows how brutal the Turkish state is in response to the Kurdish struggle for rights and recognition.

The dialogue process between Abdullah calan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdish freedom movement, and Turkish state representatives was ended by Recep Tayyip Erdoan in 2015. With this, calan was subjected to absolute isolation.

During this period, a regime of repression was established that exceeded those previously carried out in the history of the Turkish Republic: the will of the Kurdish people was hijacked when mayors, lawmakers, and tens of thousands of Kurdish politicians were detained and arrested, and Kurdish institutions were closed and trustees were appointed to govern municipalities. The repressive regime and colonial law in Kurdistan have led to the elimination, detention, and arrest of those opposed to power in the western part of Turkey.

Using the coup attempt of July 15, 2016, as an excuse, Erdoans government turned this process into a coup against society and led it toward the construction of a monotheistic, bourgeois, sexist, religious regime under the name of the presidential system.

It would be no mistake to describe this situation as the Second Republic which is, in fact, often said without hesitation or irony by the governments supporters. Erdoan himself has said, We will make a new constitution meaning that the Second Republic will complete the construction of the Turkish Republic, under an oppressive roof.

To the Turkish state, the only obstacle to the establishment of this repressive regime is the Kurdish political movement and the HDP the unified forces of freedom and democracy in Turkey. In this context, since 2015, pressure on the Kurds and the HDP has been continuous, as they have hampered the planned tyrannical regime. Therefore, the judicial machine has fallen under the yoke of power and international conventions and law have been trampled upon.

As far as the Kurds and their friends are concerned, Turkish law is interpreted in arbitrary ways. After all, the European Court of Human Rights decided in favor of jailed former HDP coleader Selahattin Demirtas; his imprisonment was ruled to be in suppression of political pluralism. Yet he remains in prison and the Turkish state has only escalated its persecution of opposition politicians.

President Erdoans statements We do not recognize the decision of the ECHR were accepted by the Turkish courts as an order. Ankaras 22nd criminal court declared that they would not comply with the ECHR decision before the proceedings began. This shows the governments influence on the judiciary.

The trial regarding HDP politicians support for Koban, which began in Ankara on April 26, was carried out in the shadow of earlier instructions given by the government to the justice system. Our lawyers werent allowed in: they said the door was locked. The president of the court appears to have been involved in this case in order to pursue a political career in the future.

It has been revealed that the Koban case was a revenge case, an attempt to throw the HDP out of democratic politics; it had nothing to do with uncovering the truth and serving justice. It was clear that the judicial system has been tampered with by the Turkish state, with political instructions given by the government and partisan court officials and judges appointed by politicians.

Well, what are we going to do?

We will resist the way we have resisted for a hundred years. We will continue to defend the struggle for democracy, ecology, womens freedom, human rights, democratic justice, equality, and peace.

At the same time, we will continue to resist and struggle to establish the foundational principle of HDP: free life. While we are fighting, we invite our friends, all those who are in favor of equality, freedom, democracy, and peace, to show solidarity.

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Erdoan Will Never Defeat the Fight for Democracy in Turkey - Jacobin magazine