Disregarding threats of non cooperation from Republican Speaker Boehner and his overzealous colleagues, President Obama has exhibited courage and announced executive actions to fix at least a part of the universally recognized broken immigration system. Obama has not endeared himself to the Republicans and may have annoyed some Democrats, too, but his determination to go forward with whatever little relief he could provide to the millions of illegal immigrants is praiseworthy.
He rightly defined amnesty when he said, “Amnesty is the immigration system we have today – millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time.” Even though one wished Obama could do a little more, his constraints are understandable. He realizes that it is not for him to be offering citizenship. That is in the domain of the Congress. And he said that quite frankly.” It (the executive reform proposal)does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”
More than 11 million undocumented immigrants have been living in shadows, always afraid of being picked up for deportation. With what Obama is offering, it may help half of them to come out of the shadows and lead a life of freedom which they did not experience for years. I would expect both the Republicans and the Democrats to shed their inhibitions and reservations and take a step forward to work for a legislation which will provide each soul on this “land of the free and the brave” the opportunity to seek citizenship. After all, as President Bush had said, “They are a part of American life”.
Month: November 2014
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Obama’s Welcome Courage
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Quran is not for Muslims alone
The very first verse in Quran reads, “1:2 (Asad) All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds (that exist),” and the very last chapter opens with this line, “114:1 (Ali) Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind,” and there is a whole lot in between. God chose to address the entire mankind, and rightfully so. Quran is for the whole humanity and not just Muslims exclusively. Hold your breath, I cannot pack the next 1200 words in one single sentence, or utter it in one single breath, but I promise you a better understanding by the end of this essay. First of all, God is not the God of Muslims and no where he claims that in Quran.
He is creator of the universe(s), which is within and beyond our imagination. Quran is a book of guidance to preserve the cohesiveness within and what surrounds us; people and the environment. Darwin is right about survival of the fittest. Nothing in the universe will survive if it goes off balance and is not intact. Thank God everything is created in balance and harmony (55: 7-13) with billions of other elements interconnected and interdependent on each other to function cohesively. In fact, the entire creation can be broadly classified into Matter and Life.
Planets, stars, seasons and plants are programmed to function obediently (55:5-6) with precision, whereas humans were not put on an autopilot, they were instead given a free will to manage and maintain their own balance, and of course there was the guidance for everyone. God’s says (49:13) that he has created us into many tribes, communities, nations and by extension faiths, ideas, shapes, and colors — and all of us can trace back our origins to a singular couple referred to as Adam & Eve. Given that diversity, we are bound to have conflicts and compete for the resources.
So, he adds, the best ones among you are those who will take the time to know each other, he knows that knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of different points of view. God does not miss a beat in communicating with his creation, and tells us not to compel others to be like you (2:256) let it come from their hearts for common goodness, and let others be others and you be you (109:6). Indeed, when you respect the otherness of others, and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge to live in harmony.
By the way, this is my definition of Pluralism. Had he willed, he could have made us all into a single community or created all of us precisely alike (5:48), but he chose to create each one of us to be unique with our own thumb print, eye print, DNA, taste buds, belief buds, races, nations and ethnicities. God loves us all, and n0 one is deprived of his love; he has reached out to every human through a peace maker, messenger, prophet, reformer, a wise man or simply a good friend that brings sense to living. The creator offers a variety of guidance to the mankind, no matter where you live, the guidance is there, the guidance that leads to live in peace, and without fear of the other.
He says I have sent a peacemaker to every nation and every tribe. What does God want? Like a mother who wants her children to live well; a teacher who wants his students to do well; and the chef who wants his patrons to enjoy his food…. God wants every one of his creation to live in harmony. He emphasizes the idea repeatedly (over 18 times) — if you take care of his creation (neighbor), you need not worry; your rewards are with him. Just to make sure we understand this precisely, he says, whether you are a Jew or a Christian and by corollary other, if you take care of your neighbor, I will take care of you (2:62). Mind you, he is very clear, he has never said, “Muslim Neighbor,” but just neighbor to be inclusive of all humanity.
The concepts of universalism are loaded in the phrases like God of the Universe, “Rabbul Aalameen” and Mercy to Mankind “Rahmatul Aalameen “as Prophet Muhammad is called. Indeed, the word Aalameen is the mother of the word inclusion, aka Pluralism. We have reduced Islam from a system to create harmony and peace in the world to an exclusive political entity, copyrighted and owned by the group. Please beware of the mistranslation and misinterpretations. Deeper study will lead any one to realize the Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history.
In the middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders (Monastery of Abbot 1143 CE). Later, Muslim leaders (Hilali Khan 1924 CE) produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews. It was all for politics. Thank God for the efforts of countless people, most of the mis-translations have been fixed since 2012, and I have contributed my personal share of work towards that effort and I will be happy to do a full presentation on it if needed anywhere in the world, one of them was done in Melbourne, Australia in 2009 at the Parliament of World Religions. Dr. Tariq Ramadan and I also presented the same topic again in tandem. Don’t panic, everything has checks and balances, as a seeker of the truth, you will look at least three different translations to grasp the inclusiveness of Quran.
HERE IS THE FORMULA
It may be worth your while to see the list of the mistranslated verses and how the fear mongers in the market have capitalized on those. The best way to understand Quran is to remember, “If it is not about justice, mercy and creating harmony”, then the translation is wrong. Go back and read it several times, three verse before the ‘wrongfully maligned’ verse and three afterwards, and read at least three to four translations. Quran in Arabic is precisely same and well preserved, but its translation and interpretations are not.
The treatment of verses is at www.Quraantoday.com and the full story of Quran conference is at www.Quraanconference.com I recommend the translations by Muhammad Asad, Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Marmaduke Pickthall, they are not perfect but by far the best. Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar has fixed a few misogynistic translations in her work that were not handled earlier. More work needs to be done and God willing it will continue. I want to acknowledge the contributions made by Mr. Farooq Khan and Dr. Rehana Kausar of Texas, who convinced the Muslim establishments to accept and promote Muhammad Asad’s translation and have distributed many on their own.
Once they bought the entire stock of books and freely distributed to right people. Farooq Khan adds, “Only through these translations Muslim and Non-Muslims, both, can have a true glimpse of what the Holy Quran says.” Here is a 17 minutes video about Abdullah Yusuf Ali shared by them, it is inspirational and worth watching. You may find a similar spark in you and I did. Here is the video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05CDGL qrWHM Thanks to CAIR for providing me some of the copies of Asad translations which I have personally given to pastors, Rabbis, Sikh and Hindu educators and even some Imams.
A copy was also presented to my friend Sean Hannity – a great American (unless you know about him, you may not believe until you hear from me), Pamela Geller and others with a similar but one paragraph note as above. Yes, I have copies of Bible, Torah, Bhagvad Gita, Book of Mormon, and Book of Jaina, Guru Granth sahib, Kitab Aqdas, Rev. Moon’s World Scriptures and 12 Quran translations.Thanks to friends and Muslims from around the world for the encouragement they have given me in moving forward with presenting Quran as a document of pluralism. It is a manual to create cohesive societies and it is for all, don’t let Muslims monopolize it. To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence of humanity.
Mike Ghouse : The author is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy.Mike Ghouse is a Muslim Speaker and head the think tank www.WorldMuslimCongress.com Follow Mike Ghouse on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeGhouse
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Qadri returns to Pakistan with ‘new strategy’ against govt
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan’s fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri on November 20 returned to the country with a “new strategy” against the government, nearly a month after he went abroad abruptly ending protest against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here. The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief arrived at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore this morning concluding his visit to the US, Canada and the UK. He reportedly visited these countries for medical check up as well as reorganising his party.
Carrying balloons, flowers and party flags, hundreds of PAT supporters gathered to welcome him. Giving details of his “new strategy to frustrate the government”, the Canadabased cleric said he has now decided to take his sit-ins to other parts of the country. “Our struggle is no more confined to a single sit-in but will be transformed into a nationwide movement of sit-ins,” he was quoted as saying by Express Tribune. He announced to hold rallies in Bhakkar, Sargodha, Sialkot, Mansehra and Karachi on November 23, December 5, 14, 21 and 25 respectively.
The cleric had left the country in October last week after abruptly ending his over two-month long antigovernment protest in the Pakistani capital leading to speculation that had struck a deal with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The cleric, however, denied any deal with the government and announced to relaunch his country-wide protest demanding Sharif’s ouster. He also dismissed reports of a rift with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, saying he has no differences with him and the leaders of their parties were in contact even when he was away from Pakistan. -
Will consult Kashmiri separatists before talks with India: Sharif
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on November 20 that Pakistan will consult Kashmiri leaders before entering into any dialogue with India. Sharif made the remarks in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir while speaking at a session of the Kashmir Council, a consultative body headed by the Pakistan prime minister. “Pakistan will speak to Kashmiri leaders before entering into any negotiations with India,” Sharif said.
Following Delhi’s cancellation of talks with Islamabad in August after Pakistan’s high commissioner in India, Abdul Basit, consulted Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of the talks, PM Sharif has been constantly highlighting thr Kashmir issue at local and international forums. This new tough approach on the Kashmir dispute helps Sharif in garnering support within the country’s powerful military establishment as well as to counter intense political opposition to his rule.
“It is our fundamental belief that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue. My government initiated dialogue but India cancelled the scheduled foreign secretary talks,” Sharif said while adding, “Now, I have decided to engage the Kashmir leaders before any dialogue with India.” Calling for a peaceful resolution of the dispute, he urged the international community to increase diplomatic pressure on India to resume dialogue process and resolve the Kashmir issue. “Pakistan’s main stance is to peacefully resolve the Kashmir issue through talks. India could be brought to the dialogue table with the help of international institutions,” Sharif said.
He vowed to continue diplomatic and morale support to the people of Kashmir while saying that the nation stands united to support the “just struggle of Kashmiris”. About the recent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), Sharif said that Pakistan’s army had “befittingly responded to Indian aggression” and politicians had condemned it unanimously. Shunning Indian accusations about Pakistan harbouring anti-India militants, Sharif said: “Blaming Pakistan’s agencies for involvement in extremism is an utter lie. We ourselves are victims of terrorism and we are doing everything in our power to eliminate terrorism,” the prime minister said. -
Afghan couple given 100 lashes for pre-marital sex
KABUL (TIP): An Afghan man and his girlfriend were each given 100 lashes in public for having sex outside of marriage, officials in the eastern Afghan province of Kapisa told EFE news agency. Dozens of people witnessed the punishment of the couple, aged 19 and 21, according to governor of Kohistan region, Mohamed Osman Haqyar Ahmadi. They were arrested a month ago and sentenced after a lengthy trial, he said Tuesday.
“The punishment was applied to both in accordance with the rules of Islamic Sharia law, because they are of legal age to be punished,” Ahmadi said. He stressed that both the guilty parties accepted the sentence imposed on them and declined to file an appeal. After submitting to their court-ordered punishment, they got married to legalize their relationship. The Afghan constitution includes provisions for the strict interpretation of Islamic law, which allows for the prosecution and sentencing of persons having relations outside of marriage. Lashings and public executions were common punishments in Afghanistan under the hardcore fundamentalist Taliban regime, which was ousted during the US invasion of 2001. -
Rajapaksa calls snap polls to seek record third term
COLOMBO (TIP): Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa called early elections on November 20 seeking an unprecedented third six-year term in office amid signs of a drop in popularity and demands of his powers to be curbed. Rajapaksa — who was elected in 2005 and in 2010 — called for snap elections, a full two years before his tenure ends. His proclamation to seek re-election was issued at an auspicious hour, presidential officials said. “I am declaring a secret today.
I have signed the proclamation calling for the election for re-election for the third time … That is democracy,” Rajapaksa said on state television. A message on the Rajapaksa’s twitter account said he signed the proclamation declaring his intention to hold a presidential election seeking another term. Rajapaksa, 69, became eligible to call an election yesterday after completing the mandatory four years in his second term. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya’s office said the presidential proclamation has been received and the due nominations procedure would follow.
The election is likely to be held in early January. Under the country’s constitution, the president may call elections four years into a term. The Supreme Court upheld this law earlier this month, paving the way for his announcement. Rajapaksa’s decision came amid signs that he and his party were politically vulnerable. In local elections in September, his United People’s Freedom Alliance suffered its worst losses, losing roughly 20 per cent support among voters. Yesterday, his ally, the National Heritage Party (JHU), announced that it was exiting the government. As the main party of Buddhist monks, its departure could damage his support in a country where Buddhists comprise nearly 70 per cent of its population of 21.8 million. -
Malaysian state mulls guillotine as punishment for thieves
KUALA LUMPUR (TIP): A minister in Malaysia’s Kelantan state has suggested that a ‘mini’ guillotine could be used to amputate those convicted of stealing in the Muslim state, which is ruled by a fundamentalist party. The guillotine, similar to that used to behead French King Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette in 1793, is being considered by leaders of the state who are keen to implement Islamic Hudud law which seeks severe punishment for thieves and rapists, which include amputation. The fundamentalist Pan- Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) led state’s hudud law technical committee, said to be facing problems finding suitable methods to amputate limbs of those convicted of stealing, is considering this ‘mini’ form of the guillotine as an option. The party chairman Amar Abdullah said he would suggest to the panel to use such a contraption which would not need a surgeon to operate.
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Toll rises to 10 in killer northeast US snowstorm
NEW YORK (TIP): The death toll from a rare pre-winter snowstorm rose to 10 in the northeastern United States on November 20, paralyzing communities for days and dumping more than six feet of snow near Buffalo. The National Weather Service warned an extra two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) of “lake effect snow,” created when frigid air moves over warm lake waters, could fall during the day. It said visibility was near zero and that thunder and lightning were likely to accompany the heaviest snow as a state of emergency and travel bans remained in place in western New York state.
The colossal snowfall has collapsed roofs, damaged homes and businesses, canceled flights and stranded motorists for as many as two nights on the highway, including New York rock group Interpol. Precipitation roughly equivalent to a year’s supply of snow in two days has mobilized more than 5,000 people to help with snow removal and storm recovery, including the National Guard, officials said. The death toll from “Winter Storm Knife” rose to 10 when two people died of exposure in Niagara County and Boston town in Erie County, officials said. Four or five others died earlier in the storm while working to clear mounds of heavy snow from their cars and homes, and the blizzard could yet prompt a federal disaster declaration.
The state of emergency is so severe that the National Football League announced that the game between the local Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets would not be played on Sunday in Buffalo. The NFL said it would reschedule and relocate the game, “due to public safety concerns” in the city. The National Hockey League also said that Friday’s game between the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres in downtown Buffalo had been postponed and that a new date would be announced. “Very dangerous storm. One more day. Let’s get through this snow. People – – continue to be smart.
Stay at home. Observe the driving bans,” deputy Erie County executive Richard Tobe said. The rock band Interpol said they were stranded more than 50 hours on their tour bus by the storm outside Buffalo, forcing them to cancel two consecutive nights of concerts in Montreal and Toronto. “Finally just started making a move. 50+ hours later. Hoping for some luck today,” the band tweeted early Thursday. Alex Cleary, a senior program coordinator at the University of Buffalo, and her husband have been snowed in at home for three days and Cleary said the snow was still coming down. “It is a little bit scary, especially given that no one can really drive.
So if you need help, it’s a little tough,” she told AFP. Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Saturday, then shoot up, bringing a deluge of rain which together with melting now bring severe flood warnings, officials said. National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Zaff said that some areas south of Buffalo city received at least 70-80 inches (1.8 to two meters) of snow since the storm began. “This is definitely historic,” he said. But come the weekend, “the main concern would be flooding,” Zaff warned. -
US increasing non-lethal military aid to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (TIP): The United States plans to increase non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, including deliveries of the first Humvee vehicles, having decided for now not to provide weapons, US officials said. The increase in non-lethal aid to Ukraine, which is grappling with a Russian-backed separatist movement in its east, is expected to be announced on Thursday during a visit to Kiev by vice president Joe Biden.
The officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, described it as an expansion of US support for Ukraine’s armed forces, but one that was unlikely to significantly alter the conflict. The aid falls short of what Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko requested during a visit to Washington in September when he appealed for lethal aid — a request echoed by some US lawmakers in response to what Nato allies say is Russia’s movement of tanks and troops into eastern Ukraine. Officials in the Obama administration had said Washington believed Ukraine had enough lethal aid and the types of weaponry requested for Ukraine would be of only marginal value.
They had also emphasized the need for a diplomatic outcome. The United States and its European allies have imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on Russia for its seizure of Crimea and incursion into eastern Ukraine. The new non-lethal aid Biden will present in Kiev includes Humvees from excess supplies in the Pentagon’s inventory, as well as the delivery of previously promised radars that can detect the location of enemy mortars, officials said. They did not specify a dollar value for the assistance. Previous non-lethal aid to Ukraine includes $53 million announced in September for military equipment such as counter-mortar detection units, body armor, binoculars, small boats and other gear for Ukraine’s security forces and border guards in the east.
Long debate
President Barack Obama’s administration has long debated providing weapons to the Kiev government, but has so far concluded that it might only prompt Russia to escalate its aid to the separatist rebels. Lethal assistance “remains on the table. It’s something that we’re looking at,” Obama’s deputy national security adviser and nominee for deputy secretary of state, Tony Blinken, said at his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
In response to Blinken’s comment, Russia warned the United States on Thursday against supplying arms to Ukrainian forces. Hours before Biden was due to arrive in Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich cautioned against “a major change in policy of the (US) administration in regard to the conflict” in Ukraine. US Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said he had not been briefed on the new non-lethal aid but called it “a continuation of the ridiculous.” “They are fighting against people with lethal weapons. They need lethal weapons to fight back. It is disgraceful and shameful that we won’t give them lethal weapons,” McCain told Mediapersons. -
Immigrants from Ebola countries won’t be sent home: US
WASHINGTON: (TIP) Immigrants from the three countries at the center of West Africa’s Ebola crisis are being offered work permits and temporary protection from deportation. US Citizenship and Immigration Services says immigrants from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia who have been living in the US illegally will be eligible for temporary protected status for up to 18 months. The agency says eligible immigrants can apply for the protection starting Friday through May 20. Any immigrant from those three countries who was in the United States as of Thursday is eligible for the protection program.
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Man charged with raping 101-year-old woman says he didn’t plan it
WASHINGTON (TIP): A man charged with raping a 101-year-old woman has said he did not plan the alleged sexual assault and “would have worn a condom” if he had, according to police. The 20-year-old from Milwaukee, Winconsin, is alleged to have told police he was planning a robbery of the woman’s home but changed his mind when he saw her in bed. Antoine Devon Pettis, 20, faces charges of burglary, aggravated battery and second degree sexual assault, which carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison. The charge of second degree sexual assault refers to sexual intercourse without consent in the US state of Wisconsin. Police say the victim was asleep in her home, where she lived alone, when the robbery took place.
She woke up upon hearing a noise and asked who was there, and was told to “shut up” and slapped in the face. The attacker is then said to have sexually assaulted her and left, according to the criminal complaint. Police arrived to find the woman bleeding; she was taken to hospital for treatment.Mr Pettis left DNA evidence on the woman’s body and nightgown, according to Milwaukee Police Department’s Sensitive Crimes Division.The case is unusual because DNA already on file from a relative of Mr Pettis was initially used to determine that the crime had been committed by a family member, due to similarities in the DNA. This is only the second time in the history of Wisconsin state that such a method has been used. -
Shooting at US university leaves 3 wounded, gunman dead
TALLAHASSEE, Florida: A gunman opened fire at a major university in Florida early Thursday, leaving three people injured, before officers killed the shooter, police said. The latest episode of America’s epidemic of gun violence, happened just after midnight at Florida State University in the state capital Tallahassee. A gunman opened fire outside a library, and when challenged by campus police to put down his weapon, he declined and was shot dead, Tallahassee Police Department spokesman David Northway told reporters.
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Florida woman latest to accuse Bill Cosby of forced sex
BOCA RATON (TIP): A Florida woman who came forward November 20 became the fourth in recent weeks to say Bill Cosby gave her pills that made her feel groggy then forced himself on her sexually. Therese Serignese, now 57 and a nurse in Boca Raton, said the television icon raped her in 1976 when she was 19 years old following a show in Las Vegas. She said she went backstage and when the two were alone, Cosby gave her two pills and a glass of water, saying, “Take these.” “My next memory is clearly feeling drugged, being without my clothes, standing up,” she said.
“Bill Cosby was behind me, having sex with me.” Dozens of Cosby’s television and comedy colleagues have either refused to comment or not returned telephone calls from the AP in recent days. The allegations by Serignese and three others are similar: * Barbara Bowman, an aspiring actress, said in a Nov 13 Washington Post column that she was 17 and blacked out after Cosby drugged her, waking up to find herself in panties and a man’s t-shirt with the television icon looming over her.
She said she was certain she was raped. * Joan Tarshis on Monday said she was 19-year-old who wanted to be a comedy writer when Cosby gave her a drink and forced her to perform oral sex on him. * Janice Dickinson on Tuesday told “Entertainment Tonight” that Cosby had given her red wine and a pill when they were together in a Lake Tahoe, California, hotel room in 1982. Cosby’s lawyer, Martin Singer, said in a letter to the AP that Dickinson’s charges were “false and outlandish.” Serignese says after the alleged rape, she willingly stayed with Cosby in Las Vegas for some time, but could not specify how long or whether the two had sex again during their time together.
The two also maintained sporadic contact for years after the alleged rape. Cosby spokesman David Brokaw did not respond to a request for comment. Cosby’s lawyer, in a statement released Sunday, criticized previous “decade-old, discredited allegations,” stating that “the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true.” The 77-year-old television star’s attempt at a career comeback has been collapsing in recent days as the abuse allegations resurfaced.
This week Netflix said it was postponing a comedy special it had planned with Cosby to air later this month; NBC said it was stopping development of a sitcom with him and TV Land pulled reruns of “The Cosby Show” off the air. Serignese said she filed a statement with Philadelphia police in January 2005 detailing her allegations and provided a copy of that statement to The Associated Press. The AP could not confirm Thursday that a report had been filed with the Philadelphia police department. She had agreed to testify on behalf of Andrea Constand, a Pennsylvania woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Cosby and settled before the case when to trial.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Serignese said she was standing in a Hilton gift shop when she felt someone approach her, put his arm around her and say, “Will you marry me?” When she turned around, it was Cosby. She said they had a friendly conversation and he invited her to the show. Afterward, she said she was escorted to the green room, where she said the rape took place. Serignese said she returned to the hotel sometime after the rape and stayed with Cosby for numerous nights, though she said she couldn’t remember precisely when or for how long. -
War in Iraq ‘different’ this time: US MILITARY CHIEF
WASHINGTON (TIP): US military action in Iraq has a better chance of success than the last war there because American troops are playing a supporting role to local forces from the start, top officer General Martin Dempsey has said. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also voiced cautious optimism yesterday that Iraqi forces were gaining strength and predicted they would make progress on the battlefield in the coming months against the Islamic State group. Asked at a Washington conference why Americans should expect the latest US intervention in Iraq to go better this time, Dempsey said “we think we’re taking a different approach.” “Instead of grabbing a hold of it, owning it and then gradually transitioning it back, we’re telling them from the start, look, that is about you, this has to be your campaign plan,” the general said at a conference organised by the Defence One website.
As an example, Dempsey cited an episode that played out during his recent visit to Iraq over the weekend. The Iraqi army asked for US assistance to parachute supplies to about 1,300 Kurdish forces on Mount Sinjar in the country’s north, he said. But the American commander in Baghdad pointed out that the Iraqis had a C-130J cargo plane and trained pilots that were capable of carrying out the mission. “As this unwound, what the commander on the ground … said was, ‘We’ll provide you with the expertise for what you don’t have, but you have what you need to accomplish this mission,’” Dempsey said. “And so the only thing we provided at that point was the expertise to actually rig the parachute extraction system that would do the air drop.”
The outcome reflected the difference in the US approach compared to the 2003 US invasion and the occupation that followed, he said. “So they do what they can do, and we fill in the gaps and continue to build their capability,” said Dempsey, who led troops in Iraq in the previous conflict. President Barack Obama has ruled out a large US ground force in Iraq but has backed air raids against the IS group and sent in hundreds of military advisers to help Iraqi forces. US-trained Iraqi army units suffered humiliating defeats earlier this year when they were overrun by Islamic State jihadists in the west and north, but Dempsey said Baghdad’s forces had been shored up and new commanders were being named. -
‘Graduate’ director Nichols dies at 83
WASHINGTON (TIP): Mike Nichols, a nine-time Tony Award winner on Broadway and the Oscar-winning director of influential films such as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “The Graduate,” and “Carnal Knowledge,” died on November 19 at age 83. The prolific director passed away at his home of cardiac arrest, his spokeswoman said. A private service for the family will be held this week, followed by a memorial at a future date. No director had ever moved between Broadway and Hollywood as easily as Nichols, one of the few people to win the Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy Awards.
Nichols, whose career first blossomed with a comedy partnership with Elaine May in the late 1950s, was married to Diane Sawyer, former anchorwoman of ABC’s “World News Tonight” broadcast. ABC News President James Goldston announced Nichols’ death in a memo to staff, saying he “passed away suddenly on Wednesday evening.” “In a triumphant career that spanned over six decades, Mike created some of the most iconic works of American film, television and theater,” Goldston said. “He was a true visionary.” In memory of Nichols, marquees on Broadway theaters in New York will be dimmed on Friday evening for one minute.
“An inspiration and joy to know, a director who cried when he laughed, a friend without whom, well, we can’t imagine our world, an indelible irreplaceable man,” actress Meryl Streep said in a statement. Playwright Tom Stoppard described Nichols as his hero. “Everyone who was close to Mike has suffered a loss which cannot be repaired, ever. To have been his friend was a blessing. To have worked with him was both a privilege and the best of times,” he added. Actor Tom Hanks said Nichols “changed the lives of those who knew him, who loved him, who will miss him so …” Nichols was born Michael Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin, where his parents had settled after leaving Russia.
He came to the United States at age 7 when his family fled the Nazis in 1939. He grew up in New York feeling like an outsider because of his limited English and odd appearance – a reaction to a whooping-cough vaccine had caused permanent hair loss. As a University of Chicago student, he fought depression, but found like-minded friends such as May. In the late 1950s, Nichols and May formed a stand-up team at the forefront of a comedy movement that included Lenny Bruce, Jonathan Winters and Woody Allen in satirizing contemporary American life. They won a Grammy in 1961 for best comedy album before splitting.
In the mid-1960s, Nichols became a directing powerhouse on Broadway with “Barefoot in the Park,” the first of what would be a successful relationship with playwright Neil Simon. Later he would stage Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” “Plaza Suite” and “The Prisoner of Second Avenue.” In all, he won best-director Tonys for his four collaborations with Simon, as well as for “Luv” in 1965, “The Real Thing” in 1984, “Spamalot” in 2005 and a revival of “Death of a Salesman” in 2012, and best musical award as a producer of “Annie” in 1977. -
RAMPAL SENT TO JAIL, FACES MURDER CHARGES AFTER 6 DEATHS IN SATLOK ASHRAM
CHANDIGARH, HISAR (TIP): Controversial godman Rampal and his close aides have been booked for murder on November 20. They have been blamed for the six deaths at Rampal’s Satlok Ashram near Barwala during the clashes with security forces. Haryana’s Director General of Police S.N. Vashisht told the media: “The murder cases relate to the six deaths at the ashram.” Vashisht said Rampal had been sent to Hisar for investigation of the fresh cases against him which include sedition, rioting, illegal detention and violation of Arms Act.
Earlier, he was sent to judicial custody till November 28 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court after days of stubborn resistance by his followers, which turned Barwala town in Haryana’s Hisar district into a virtual warzone. There was loud hooting as the godman emerged from the court after the hearing. Dressed in a shirt and track pant and wearing slippers, the godman sat through the hour-long hearings, which started earlier than scheduled. The court ordered that Rampal be immediately sent to jai as the Division Bench cancelled his bail in the 2006 murder case.
Rampal was put behind bars in Panchkula this morning after the high court cancelled the bail granted to him in April 2008 in a 2006 murder case. He was taken from a government hospital in Panchkula, where he was admitted early in the day, to the Sector 5 police station adjoining Chandigarh. Disappointment writ large on his face, Rampal stood in the lock up holding the iron bars, occasionally looking down. Before being taken to the police station, Rampal claimed that he was an innocent man. “I am innocent. All the charges against me are baseless,” he told journalists.
When asked if he sorry for the death of six people at his ashram during the Satlok Ashram standoff, he said, “I did not ask them to be there.” The 63-year-old godman was arrested on November 19 night, more than 24 hours after over 5,000 security personnel stormed his fortified ashram compound using water cannon, tear gas and batons. More than 500 devotees of Rampal, including nearly 250 members of his private army, called Baba’s Commandoes, were also arrested.
Rampal’s army
Controversial preacher Rampal’s private army was armed to the teeth with firearms and was capable of sparking a small war if it wanted to. When senior police officials finally entered Satlok Ashram in Barwala on Wednesday, they found at least a couple of almirahs stacked with revolvers, guns and ammunition. The cops came across a number of locked almirahs as well in which more firearms are believed to have been kept. From the two almirahs they opened cops found .32 bore revolvers, .315 bore rifles and 12 bore guns. The officials also found some ammunition, including several rounds for 7.62mm rifle used in self-loading rifles (SLR) and 303 rifles. The army, paramilitary forces and police used these previously but they have since migrated to 5.56mm INSAS rifles. The 7.62mm is prohibited bore for private individuals who are not allowed to own such firearms even if they have a licence.
Inside the ashram
Satlok Ashram of controversial sect leader Rampal Dass is built like a fortress, surrounded by high walls with watchtowers. “The ashram is built like a fort meant to ward off an invasion. It reminded me of the Agra fort,” said a senior police officer who was part of the Operation Samvedi (sensitive) conducted over three days to nab the “mouse”— codename for the 63-year-old engineerturned- preacher. The “fortress” saw bloody clashes Tuesday as the police tried to storm the ashram to arrest Rampal for contempt of court after he repeatedly failed to appear in the HC in a 2006 murder case.
The hall that can seat 50,000 has a special enclosure from where Rampal, who claims to be a devotee of mystic poet Kabir, delivered sermons from a hydraulic chair as his private militia stood guard. Dozens of air-conditioners and hundreds of fans can be seen. A local police officer gave the break-up: 10,000 ceiling and 1,000 exhaust fans under one roof. On the extreme left corner of the complex is a four-storey mansion Rampal lived in. A private swimming pool, state-of-the art elevators, 24 AC rooms with attached bathrooms fitted with top-of-the line fixtures, Rampal, whose followers largely come from lowincome strata, lived big.
One of the rooms had a massage bed, another treadmills as Rampal stared down from huge wall posters. Satlok Ashram’s kitchen had all the modern equipment to cater to a lakh of devotees. Huge quantities of rice, pulses, vegetables, paneer and other items are stocked up in the kitchen. A DSP-rank officer said the stock could have fed a lakh people for a month. According to the officer, during the Satsangs, Rampal’s aides used to collect food material to feed the devotees. Several Barwala residents said that vendors used to queue up in front of the ashram’s gate with huge quantities of vegetables and other food items. -
Modi returns home after 3-nation tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji
NEW DELHI (TIP): After a threenation tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji that was spread over nine days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the New Delhi aiport on November 20 morning. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other dignitaries as he stepped out of the special Air India plane that flew the PM and his delegation from Fiji’s capital Suva. The plane landed at the airport in Delhi at 7:15 am after a 14-hour flight that included a two-hour refuelling halt at Yangon in Myanmar. During his three-nation tour, Modi attended the East Asia and ASEAN-India Summits in Myanmar, the G-20 Summit in Australia and held bilaterals with his Australian and Fijian counterparts.
Modi, the first Indian premier to visit the Pacific country after Indira Gandhi who had come here in 1981, held talks with his Fijian counterpart Frank Bainimarama and also announced a slew of Lines of Credit and development aid totalling USD 80 million for the country. He also addressed Fijian parliament, the first by a foreign leader, after parliamentary elections, during which he said that India was prepared to build a “Digital Fiji”. Modi announced visa on arrival facility for all the 14 Pacific Island countries and hoped it will promote better understanding between the peoples.
During his four-city tour in Australia, Modi and his counterpart Tony Abbott agreed on a landmark framework for security cooperation across the spectrum in defence, cyber and maritime security and combating terrorism, including the threats posed by foreign fighters joining extremists groups. The two countries also decided to conclude a long-pending Free Trade pact by the end of next year and an “early closure” of the civilian nuclear deal that will facilitate uranium imports to India. Prior to arriving in Australia, Modi attended the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit in Myanmar.
At the East Asia summit in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw, Modi asserted that the world community must reject any linkage between religion and terrorism while formulating a “genuinely international” partnership in the fight against all forms of terror acts. On India-ASEAN relationship, Modi said there were “no irritants” in their ties and they can be “great” partners. He said there will be “major improvement” in India’s trade policy and environment and proposed a special facility for speedy implementation of connectivity projects with the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. On the sidelines of the summits, Modi met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak, Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, and Thai counterpart Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. -
SUPREME COURT REMOVES CBI CHIEF RANJIT SINHA FROM 2G CASE
NEW DELHI (TIP): In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court on November 20 ordered CBI director Ranjit Sinha to completely keep off the 2G case as it found prima facie “credible” the charges that he had attempted to help the accused in the spectrum scam, as well as delay prosecution in the Aircel-Maxis case which involves former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. “We direct the CBI director not to interfere in the 2Gscam investigation or prosecution. He will recuse himself from the case.
The investigation team constituted in the CBI to probe this case will take over the handling of the case in place of Ranjit Sinha,” the court said. A bench of Chief Justice HL Dattu and justices Madan B Lokur and AK Sikri refrained from spelling out the reasons for its extraordinary decision which rendered Sinha’s tenure as head of the investigating agency ignominious. “To protect the fair name of the CBI and to protect the reputation of the CBI director, we are not giving elaborate reasons. Suffice it for us to observe that information furnished by the applicant (CPIL) appears to be prima facie credible.
So, it needs to be accepted. We reiterate that we are not giving elaborate reasons as the CBI has its own reputation and we don’t intend to tarnish it,” the bench said. SC-appointed special public prosecutor Anand Grover, who on court orders examined the evidence on Sinha’s alleged misdeeds in the 2G-scam case, held that the evidence provided by the petitioner was credible. Grover slammed the CBI director’s conduct and, in fact, said he could even face criminal contempt for attempting to obstruct administration of justice in the 2G-scam case. The bench emphatically rejected the defence of Sinha’s counsel Vikas Singh that the CBI chief had done no wrong. “He is the head of the CBI.
He should have the independence to take administrative decisions. All decisions taken were within the four corners of law and CBI manual,” Singh said. The order, just days before Sinha’s retirement, will ensure that he leaves on an embarrassing note, perhaps keeping with the trajectory of a tenure which saw the court coming down hard on him for getting the ‘Coalgate’ probe report vetted by the UPA government before submitting it to court. The episode saw the court likening the agency to a “caged parrot”. The SC has been monitoring CBI’s investigation into the 2G case, and has set up a special team for the purpose.
However, NGO ‘Centre for Public Interest Litigation’ (CPIL) had alleged that Sinha misused his position as chief of the investigating agency to try to dilute cases against influential accused and get the CBI to echo their defence. The CBI, at his instance, proposed to file fresh affidavits which were at odds with the original one. Appearing for the petitioner, activist-advocate Prashant Bhushan had alleged that Sinha tried to oust CBI DIG Santosh Rastogi from the 2G probe when he opposed attempts to sabotage the probe and prosecution. Bhushan had backed up his charge by producing the diary of Sinha’s engagements at his residence to allege that he frequently met several contacts of 2G-scam accused.
On November 20, the bench was further peeved when Sinha’s counsel alleged that Rastogi, who was part of the court-appointed investigating team, appeared to be the “petitioner’s mole” in leaking internal information.After hearing parties, the bench said there was no “substance” in the CBI director’s accusations against Rastogi. In addition, it bolstered the investigating team’s confidence by putting it in charge of the probe and prosecution of the 2G scam-related cases from now in place of Sinha. -
Botched sterilizations: Fungus-laden anaesthesia used at health camp
RAIPUR (TIP): It was not just antibiotics laced with rat poison (zinc phosphide) that was administered on victims of botched surgeries at Bilaspur health camps, local anaesthesia injected on women at the Gaurella camp in the district were laden with fungus. One woman died after tubectomy at this camp. Sources said a few batches of fungus-ridden Lignocaine injection, used as anaesthesia, were supplied by Indore-based company Kabra Drugs. Though government withdrew the stock of contaminated injections from the government hospital and health centres, officials admit these injections were used at the Gaurella camp. Health commissioner Pratap Singh said though fungus was found in 3 batches of Lignocaine, vials were removed last September.
He said the company had been blacklisted for 5 years. Pratap said Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation (CGMSC) had been procuring and supplying injections from the company since September, 2013, and the last batch was received earlier this month. “We do stability tests on stocks. It was a manufacturing glitch on vials, which developed spores and fungus was detected on Wednesday evening,” he said. Data available at CGMSC website show around 2.37 lakh vials (30 ml each) of Lignocaine injection from batches recalled by the government are still in stock. About 13,836 units are in the Bilaspur warehouse. This is the second instance in less than four months when drugs procured by CGMSC have been found contaminated with fungus. In July, the corporation recalled 98 batches of the intravenous fluid bottles manufactured by a Madhya Pradesh company, DJ Laboratory, after detection of fungus -
Saradha scam: Ahead of CBI grilling, Bengal minister in hospital
Kolkata (TIP): A day before he was scheduled to appear for questioning at the CBI office in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam,West Bengal Transport and Sports Minister Madan Mitra was on November 20 admitted to the state’s largest government hospital with a complaint of breathing disorder. Mitra, who was admitted in a private nursing home since Nov 18, left the health facility and reached SSKM Hospital on November 20 afternoon and was admitted in the Woodburn ward, reserved for VIPs.SSKM director Pradip Mitra said the minister complained of dyspnea (breathing problems). He was undergoing a series of tests. A journalist, who was with Madan Mitra just before he left the nursing home, claimed the minister “left suddenly” without taking even his security guard with him.
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Ebola vaccine running into patent cover in Canada?
NEW DELHI (TIP): A Canadian patent protection may be blocking an Ebola vaccine even as the world is struggling to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Almost a decade ago, Canada developed probably the world’s most promising vaccine to prevent spread of Ebola virus disease. However, the Canadian government shielded the vaccine with patent rights, limiting its further development for use in other countries, it is learnt. The Canadian government licenced the vaccine in 2010 to Bioprotection Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of NewLink Genetics, allowing the firm sole rights to develop and commercialize it. The profit-driven arrangement between the Canadian government and the firm has attracted criticism worldwide. Critics said since patenting a vaccine in such circumstances is affecting public health, the Canadian government should put it out in public domain in larger interest. The vaccine which was developed by a Canadian scientist, is based on a live attenuated vesicular stomatitis virus and has several known advantages as compared to other vaccine candidates in clinical trials.
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MEXICANS MARCH AGAIN FOR 43 MISSING STUDENTS
MEXICO CITY (TIP): Tens of thousands of people angry at the presumed massacre of 43 students marched in Mexico City on Nov 20, many chanting for President Enrique Pena Nieto’s resignation in another day of nationwide protests. Protesters waved blackened flags of Mexico and chanted “He will fall, he will fall, Pena Nieto will fall!” Parents of the 43 male college students, who reject claims their sons are dead, led the march along the capital’s main boulevard toward the historic Zocalo square.
It was the latest protest over the government’s handling of a crime that has infuriated Mexicans fed up with corruption, impunity and a drug war that has left more than 100,000 people dead or missing since 2006. The case has turned into the biggest challenge of Pena Nieto’s nearly two-yearold presidency, on top of another scandal over a mansion his wife bought from a government contractor. “Mexico is used to tragedy, robberies and corruption, and we need to begin to exercise our rights as citizens to get the government working,” said Lili Correa, 46, wearing the black color of the protest. The demonstration coincided with the anniversary of the start of the 1910 Mexican revolution.
The government canceled the annual parade. Before the march, masked protesters threw firebombs and used tubes like makeshift bazookas to launch firecrackers at riot police, who hit back with tear gas to disperse the group on a street near the airport. The clash came after hundreds of protesters blocked the main road to the airport for an hour, while police vehicles picked up passengers walking with their suitcases along the road. Thousands of people also marched in the cities of Ciudad Juarez, Puebla and Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, the violence-plagued southern state where the students vanished nearly two months ago. Thousands more marched in Bolivia and some 200 took to the streets in El Salvador.
Mexico and Real Madrid football star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez tweeted a picture of himself wearing a black hoodie and the hashtag #WeAreAllAyotzinapa, referring to the young men’s Ayotzinapa teacher-training college. “The goal is to unite and mobilize the country, to lead it toward change,” said Omar Garcia, who attends the college. With the annual parade called off, Pena Nieto led a ceremony with top officials at the Campo Marte military field, where he and the defense minister denounced violent protests. “Mexico is hurting, but the only path to soothe this pain is through peace and justice,” he said, hours after making his personal assets public to quell conflict of interest allegations over his wife’s mansion.
Defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos said violence “only leads to national failure, social backwardness, ungovernability, instability.” The crisis erupted after the mayor of the city of Iguala ordered police to confront students on September 26, sparking a night of violence that left six people dead and 43 missing, authorities say. Prosecutors say corrupt police delivered the 43 young men to members of the Guerreros Unidos drug gang, who confessed to killing and incinerating the students. Officials stopped short of declaring the students dead pending DNA tests. Federal police teams continue to search for them in Guerrero. -
In blow to PM Cameron, Britain’s anti-EU UKIP party wins second parliamentary seat
GILLINGHAM (TIP): Britain’s anti-EU UKIP party won its second seat in parliament on November 21, defeating Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives in a special election six months before what is shaping up to be a closely-fought national vote. Mark Reckless, the candidate for UKIP, the UK Independence Party, was a Conservative lawmaker until he defected in September. He won 16,867 votes or just over 42 percent of the vote in the south-eastern English constituency of Rochester and Strood. The Conservative candidate came second with 13,947 votes. Labour came third with 6,713 votes. The overall turnout was 50.67 percent.
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Six nurses killed in latest attack on Chinese medical workers
BEIJING (TIP): Seven people, including six nurses, were stabbed to death at a hospital dormitory in northern China on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, the latest in a string of attacks on medical workers. A hospital administrator was among those killed and another nurse was seriously injured in the attack, Xinhua said. The hospital is in Beidaihe, a seaside resort close to Beijing favored by senior members of the ruling Communist Party. A suspect has been detained, the Xinhua report said without providing further details.
A spate of attacks on doctors and nurses in the past two years has prompted the health ministry to provide better security at hospitals. While the government has ramped up health spending, hospitals are frequently overwhelmed with patients. Doctors are also badly paid, leading to corruption and a suspicion that staff are more interested in making money by prescribing unnecessary drugs and treatment than tending the sick. Many other Chinese are unable to afford health care despite government efforts to provide a basic safety net, which has also prompted attacks in the past. Ministry data shows that violent attacks directed at doctors and other health care workers in the form of beatings, threats, kidnappings, verbal abuse and murder reached 17,243 cases in 2010, the latest year for which such figures are available -
Hong Kong activists clash with police, 4 arrested
HONG KONG (TIP): Tension spiked at democracy protests that have gripped Hong Kong for nearly two months as police arrested four men early Wednesday after a small group of activists tried to force their way into the city’s legislature in overnight clashes. The arrests came hours after authorities enforced a court order to clear some barricades from a small section of a site occupied by pro-democracy activists. Police used pepper spray, batons and riot shields against the umbrella-wielding protesters wearing masks, goggles and hardhats, who they said repeatedly charged their cordon and injured three officers. The protesters used metal barricades and concrete slabs to smash glass doors at the legislature before officers police rushed in to push them back. Pro-democracy lawmaker Fernando Cheung tried to intervene but was pulled aside by some protesters. Cheung told reporters that he saw one person enter the building. The violence apparently involved protesters who organized their action through an Internet forum known to attract people with radical views.
