Inflation contributes to declining income and increasing poverty in the United States

Inflation contributes to declining income and increasing poverty in the United States

    Tuesday, September 12, 2023   No comments

The US Census Bureau announced that inflation caused a decline in real income by 2.3% in the United States in 2022 despite raising wages, while poverty increased with the cessation of government aid, which was provided during the Corona pandemic.

Liana Fox, a Census Bureau official, explained during an online press conference that “high inflation led to a decline in real average family income,” which amounted to $47,960.

The official poverty rate remained stable compared to last year, at 11.5%, or 37.9 million people, living on less than $14,880 annually, or $29,950 for a family of four.

But another measurement showed a completely different truth. This measure, also published by the Census Bureau, adjusts the income below which a person is considered poor, taking into account government assistance and the cost of child care and medical expenses.

According to this measure, the poverty rate rose for the first time since 2010, increasing from 7.8% to 12.4% between 2021 and 2022.

The child poverty rate doubled, rising to 12.4%, while it was 5.2% in 2021, a historic low.

Rights matters: Muslims right to education is superseded by France's commitment to secularism

Rights matters: Muslims right to education is superseded by France's commitment to secularism

    Tuesday, September 05, 2023   No comments

As the new academic year starts, Muslims’ right to education in Europe is denied in order to uphold and enforce secularism. This seems to be the logical conclusion of the events taking place in France this week: Muslim men and women who are wearing traditional clothes are denied entry to schools unless they take off such clothes and wear French style clothes; many refused to do so.

Agence French Presse reports the latest display of European religious tolerance in France with the banning of 67 girls from attending school for wearing the abaya on the first day of the school year. 

300 girls defied a ban on the wearing of the religious garment in protest to the recent ruling by the French government that the long robe worn by some Muslims breached rules on secularism in schools. 

French President Macron had earlier sought to link the wearing of religious dress with the murder of school teacher, Samuel Paty three years ago, saying "we cannot act as if the terrorist attack, the murder of Samuel Paty, had not happened". 

67 of the girls refused to change and were banned from attending classes, ensuring the safety of the Republic from modestly dressed observant school children.

  

Girls in a defiant scene wear abayas in schools despite the ban on the abaya in France..and the authorities send them back to their homes..and the French Council for the Islamic Religion considers banning the abaya an “arbitrary” decision

Late Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron defended this measure, stressing that it aims to defend secularism and the principles of the republic. He also mentioned the terrorist attacks that the country witnessed, especially the killing of Professor Samuel Paty, who was beheaded by a jihadist near his school.

In an interview with YouTuber Ugo Decrypt on his channel, Macron said, "We also live in our society with a minority, with people who change the direction of a religion and come to challenge the Republic and secularism." "Sometimes the worst happened," Macron added. We cannot act as if there had been no terrorist attack and there was no Samuel Paty."

On October 16, 2020, Professor of History and Geography Samuel Paty (47 years old) was stabbed to death in front of his school in the Parisian region, by the Chechen jihadist Abdullah Anzorov, who beheaded the teacher before the police shot him dead. This professor was killed days after he showed his students, during a class on freedom of expression, caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. The jihadist said in an audio recording that he had committed his act "in retaliation for the Prophet."

An association representing Muslims has applied to the Council of State, France's highest court for complaints against state authorities, to issue an injunction against the ban on the abaya and chemise, the equivalent dress for men.

The "Action for Muslim Rights" memorandum will be considered later Tuesday.

According to the law of March 15, 2004, which prohibits the wearing of signs or clothes that show religious affiliation, students in violation are allowed to enter the school, not the classroom, provided that a dialogue takes place between the family and the Ministry of Education. This includes Christian crosses, Jewish skullcaps and Islamic headscarves.

However, unlike the veil, the abaya was not clearly defined within this law.

For its part, the official body representing Islam in France considered on Tuesday that the recent ban on the cloak in schools in France is "arbitrary" and creates "high risks of discrimination" against Muslims.

In the name of the principle of secularism, the French government announced at the end of August the ban on wearing the abaya in schools because of its controversial religious nature. In France, it is forbidden to wear religious symbols in schools under a law passed in 2004.

The French Council for the Islamic Religion considered that the absence of "a clear definition of this dress creates, in fact, an ambiguous situation and judicial insecurity."

This body noted in particular that the abaya can sometimes be considered “Islamic” – and thus prohibited – and at other times “un-Islamic” and therefore permitted.

As a result, the council expressed its fear of “arbitrary control,” as the criteria for evaluating girls’ dress are based on “presumed origin, last name, or skin color.”

Therefore, the authority warns that it reserves the right to take legal action “if the concrete application of this prohibition leads to forms of discrimination.” She added that the cloak "was never a garment or a religious guide."

About 300 female students out of 12 million who started the school year wearing the abaya this week attended schools on Monday, and 67 of them were sent home because of their refusal to comply with the government decision, according to figures announced by the Ministry of National Education on Tuesday.

Banning the abaya in schools is controversial in France, where the left asserts that this measure hides more pressing problems in national education, such as a shortage of teachers.

Keeping our readers informed about the most consequential events in this fast changing world. Manage your Subscription; invite a friend to subscribe to ISR’s Weekly Review Bulletin

The statements of a Belgian minister about the occupation's violations against the Palestinians and the killing of children raise a diplomatic crisis with Israel.. and Guinness confirms that she does not regret her statements

The statements of a Belgian minister about the occupation's violations against the Palestinians and the killing of children raise a diplomatic crisis with Israel.. and Guinness confirms that she does not regret her statements

    Saturday, September 02, 2023   No comments

The statements of the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development, Caroline Guenez, about Israel's violations against the Palestinians, sparked a diplomatic crisis with Tel Aviv, according to Belgian media, while it was welcomed by the Palestinians.

In an interview with the local newspaper "De Morgen", published on Friday, Gennes spoke about the killing of Palestinian children, wiping entire villages off the map, and destroying schools and neighborhoods funded by the European Union.

And according to the website of the Belgian newspaper “HLN”, “Minister Guenez stuck to her words, which caused a diplomatic problem between her country and Israel.”

The newspaper quoted a spokesman for the minister as telling the Belgian media that Guenez "does not regret her statements in the interview."

She added that the minister also referred to "Belgium's support for the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and if democracy and human rights come under pressure anywhere in the world, we will oppose that," according to the same source.

“Unfortunately, 2023 is the bloodiest year in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for a long time, as 218 Palestinians, including 34 children, and 28 Israelis, were martyred,” Guenez said in her statements, which she re-published in several languages on her account on the X platform.

She added, “We have also witnessed the systematic destruction of infrastructure on the Palestinian side in recent months, and this is pushing entire communities out of their villages, and the costs of this infrastructure have often been jointly financed through international support.”

And the Belgian minister added, “I still condemn this out of respect for the efforts of the international community, and a serious conversation is also scheduled with the Israeli ambassador on this issue on September 7.”

For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed, in a statement, the Belgian Minister's statements.

And she considered that these statements are “fully consistent with international law and international legitimacy decisions and support the two-state solution and the principles of human rights, as indicated by the (Belgian Minister).”

The ministry condemned "the heinous and unjustified Israeli attack by the Israeli government against the minister and her statements."

And it considered that the Israeli attack falls “within the framework of misleading propaganda and intimidation of parties that criticize the occupying state and attempts to obscure the reality of the historical injustice that the Palestinian people are subjected to, repression, abuse, persecution and racial discrimination that many credible human rights and humanitarian organizations, including Israeli, American and European ones, have talked about.”

In turn, the Palestinian “Hamas” movement welcomed, on Saturday, the statements of the Belgian Minister of Cooperation and Development about Israel’s “crimes” against the Palestinians, especially children.

The leader of the movement, Bassem Naim, said in a statement: "The Belgian minister's statements are completely consistent with the facts on the ground, which were confirmed by several UN reports, especially in light of the current far-right government."

Naim added, "The occupation's reaction to the statements reflects the entity's fear of exposing its myths that it has promoted for decades, and its keenness to keep its crimes away from public opinion and the international media."

Yesterday, Friday, Tel Aviv summoned Belgium's ambassador to France, Jean-Luc Bodson, to express "strong condemnation" after Belgian Minister Guenez's statement about Israel's violations against the Palestinians, according to the "Times of Israel" newspaper.

The Israeli ambassador to Brussels, Edith Rosenzweig-Abu, also said, through her account on the “X” platform, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested to the Belgian ambassador, and asked for clarifications regarding Minister Guenez’s statements.

 

  

MP Geert Wilders: "The Netherlands is no longer the Netherlands"

MP Geert Wilders: "The Netherlands is no longer the Netherlands"

    Tuesday, May 23, 2023   No comments

Dutch Member of Parliament and far-right politician Geert Wilders ridiculed what he said was the increase in Muslims in the Netherlands, and added that watching them perform prayers in the streets of the Netherlands expresses the stripping of the Netherlands of its identity.

France: Millions of people demonstrate against Macron's pension amendments... and strikes continue

France: Millions of people demonstrate against Macron's pension amendments... and strikes continue

    Wednesday, March 29, 2023   No comments

The French CGT (General Confederation of Labor) union said today, Tuesday, that two million French people participated in the demonstrations in various French regions.

Meanwhile, the French Ministry of the Interior reported that about 740,000 participated in France's protests today.

According to the Al-Mayadeen delegate to Paris, the demonstrations today included 240 cities, and some of them were crowded in major cities, such as Marseille and Lyon, while the French police spoke of about 100,000 demonstrators in Paris.

Our envoy pointed to the outbreak of confrontations with police officers during the Paris demonstrations, in light of the police's use of tear gas, pointing out that the French unions called for the eleventh day of "strike and demonstration", next Thursday.

UN says both Russia and Ukraine executed prisoners of war: Ukraine executed 25 Russian POWs, Russia executed 15 Ukrainian POWs

UN says both Russia and Ukraine executed prisoners of war: Ukraine executed 25 Russian POWs, Russia executed 15 Ukrainian POWs

    Friday, March 24, 2023   No comments

On the other hand, the United Nations on Friday accused Ukrainian and Russian forces of carrying out dozens of extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine.

The head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, expressed "great concern" about the execution of "25 Russian prisoners of war" by the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as "the execution of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war" by the Russians.

Bogner confirmed that the United Nations documented these executions of Russians, which were carried out by Ukrainian forces, "most often ... immediately after their capture on the battlefield."

She added that the United Nations is aware of 5 investigations conducted by Kiev related to 22 victims, but "we have not been informed of any prosecution of the perpetrators" of these crimes.

As for the Russian armed forces' execution of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war "soon after their arrest," the official said that 11 of these operations were carried out by the Russian armed Wagner Group.

Iran condemns the suppression of demonstrators in France... and calls for non-use of violence

Iran condemns the suppression of demonstrators in France... and calls for non-use of violence

    Friday, March 24, 2023   No comments

 Today, Friday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the suppression of peaceful demonstrators in the demonstrations taking place in the French streets.

In the details, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian wrote in a "tweet" on his account: "We strongly condemn the suppression of peaceful demonstrators and call on the French government to respect human rights and not use violence."

Simultaneously, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Kanaani, posted a new tweet to him on Twitter, in which he demanded that Paris speak to the French people and listen to their voice.

In his tweet, Kanaani attached a videotape that included footage of French protesters who set fire to the municipality of Bordeaux, and firefighters joined the protesters, noting that "whoever sows the wind reaps the storm."

The Iranian diplomat stressed that this kind of violence has nothing to do with sitting on the chair of morality and proselytizing to others, adding that the French protesters are waiting to watch the group clip of the European, Australian and Canadian ministers who support the French protest.

"Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards" is not a new, isolated event

"Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards" is not a new, isolated event

    Tuesday, March 14, 2023   No comments

 Arab passengers being removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards is not a new, isolated event taking place now under the most extremist regime. Bus segregation is just a sample of what apartheid systems do.

The government of Israel has been discriminating against Palestinians since it was founded. Segregation in busses and public transportation has been done for more than a decade at least, as these sample references show. What is new is who is carrying out these politicies now.

The head of an Israeli settlement in the West Bank said that he directed that Arab passengers be disembarked from buses even if they hold a blue identity card (a permanent residency identity given to Palestinians from East Jerusalem).

This came in statements made by “Meir Rubinstein,” head of the “Beitar Illit” settlement, 10 km south of Jerusalem, to the ultra-Orthodox “Scobim” website, which was reported by the Hebrew “Wala” website.

"I ordered Arab passengers to be removed from the buses even if they had blue ID cards," Rubinstein said.

He added that he insisted on his decision despite the request of the Israeli police and the Ministry of Defense to retract the decision.

And "Rubinstein" went on: "We stopped the buses at the entrance to the city (the settlement) and dropped off dozens of Palestinians with blue ID cards."

On Thursday, residents of Beitar Illit were instructed to stay in their homes for fear of a Palestinian infiltration into the city, after an explosive device was found in a bag left inside a bus in the settlement.

Last year, Rubinstein was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a murder in Jerusalem in 1990, but he was later released due to lack of evidence, according to the same source.

Recently, the racist approach of the Israeli right towards the Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated dramatically, which was evident, including in at least two attacks launched by settlers last February on the town of Hawara in the northern West Bank, which resulted in the death of a Palestinian and the injury of dozens, as well as the burning of homes, cars and property. , amid Arab and international condemnation.

  

Media Review: A multipolar world is indeed good for the disempowered, it has always been that way

Media Review: A multipolar world is indeed good for the disempowered, it has always been that way

    Wednesday, March 08, 2023   No comments

It is no secret that our bias is heavily tilted towards stories that touch on human rights, and that bias is decidedly on the side of those whose human rights have been abused. From this position of bias, we never fudge the facts and bend the truth. With that in mind, it is our biased position also that a multipolar world is always better for disempowered peoples whose human rights are often abused. It would seem that that position is now shared by another expert from an elite institution that is in fact the pipeline that produces the smart people who have been running the United States for decades. 

Harvard's Prof. Stephen Walt makes a good case for multipolarity being better than US hegemony, even for the US. To him, hegemony fed the US's worst instincts and led them to effectively become the world's bully, which they couldn't do in a multipolar world.

Walt just published a piece titled, America Is Too Scared of the Multipolar World. It is prefaced as an expert's point of view on a current event. Some excerpts might help make the case for us, though we might be motivated by different interests:

ISR Editorial Team 

Read the rest for yourself.

By Stephen M. Walt, a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University. 

Media Review: Washington, with its sanctions, is responsible for increasing the suffering of the afflicted Syrians

Media Review: Washington, with its sanctions, is responsible for increasing the suffering of the afflicted Syrians

    Wednesday, February 08, 2023   No comments

Western media have increasingly talked about the responsibility of the harsh US sanctions on Syria for increasing the suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck large areas in the north of the country at dawn last Monday.

The American "Responsible State Craft" website considered that "activating the humanitarian situation will require Washington to recognize the bankruptcy of the US comprehensive sanctions," stressing that Washington "opposes any step that might appear as normalization with Damascus."

In its report, the site asked whether the current humanitarian situation in Washington's view opens up any room for exceptions, in addition to the site's skepticism about the necessity of continuing the imposed sanctions, which have now mainly affected the Syrian people and exacerbated their suffering even before the earthquake disaster.

He stated that "following the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, the United States and dozens of countries rushed to provide assistance to Ankara, including the deployment of teams to help rescue survivors who are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings," noting that these teams will not be able to help from Syria.

The report added, "The United States can make important and constructive changes in its own policies, especially since, before the earthquake, sanctions on Syria were hampering reconstruction efforts and exacerbating the suffering of civilians."

He explained that now, "these same sanctions have become a serious obstacle to providing Syrians with disaster relief and reconstruction," and stressed that "the United States must move quickly to lift as many of its broad sanctions as possible so that aid agencies and other governments in the region can operate." more effectively in addressing the plight of the Syrian people.

The site pointed out that "the Biden administration has not yet shown any inclination to ease sanctions, or to communicate with the Syrian government to coordinate humanitarian assistance in areas controlled by the government," stressing that "its position is not surprising, but it is unfortunate, because it deprives ordinary people of relief when it is necessary." possible.”

He also indicated that "Washington is reluctant to do anything that might hint at normalizing relations with the Syrian government, after more than a decade of hostility," stressing that "Washington must be ready to make exceptions in exceptional circumstances, when humanitarian needs are very severe, and it is important The very bad thing is for the Biden administration to continue to strangle innocent people just to act against the Damascus government.”

"Responsible State Craft" explained that "sanctions relief in itself is not a panacea, and it will not alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, but it will remove one major obstacle to relief, recovery and reconstruction in the coming months and years," considering that "activating the humanitarian situation for such relief will require It is imperative for the administration to acknowledge the bankruptcy of US comprehensive sanctions.”

The New York Times retracts its admission of responsibility for US sanctions

In turn, the American New York Times retracted a report two hours after it was published, to amend a statement in which it acknowledged that "sanctions are what prevent international assistance to Syria."

The New York Times published a report, earlier today, on the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border, in which it talked about the earthquake aid file in Syria, and acknowledged in its introduction that sanctions are what prevents international aid from reaching Syria.

The report's original introduction said, "Syria is unable to receive direct aid from many countries because of the sanctions, so the border crossing has become a lifeline."

However, two hours later, The New York Times amended the report and deleted its introduction, and amended the content of the report with new information commensurate with the new introduction, in which it says that "with the Syrian government tightly controlling the aid that allows it to enter opposition-held areas, the border crossings with Turkey have become It's a lifeline."

The Atlantic: Delivering aid to northern Syria is complicated by sanctions

Likewise, a report in the American newspaper "The Atlantic" stated that "Monday's disaster is a reminder of how desperate Syria is for international help, even if it is difficult to provide."

She pointed to the irony that occurred through "the flow of aid to Turkey and its deprivation of the afflicted in Syria," stressing that "despite the flow of aid to Turkey, the logistics and politics to help Syria, especially the vulnerable areas in the northwest of the country, are more complex due to the conflict." and international sanctions against the Syrian government.

"People Dispatch": Western sanctions impede relief and rescue work in Syria

A report in the "People Dispatch" website also indicated that "although many countries, including the United States and its allies, have extended their support to Turkey in relief and rescue work, they have refused to provide similar assistance to Syria."

The site quoted the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) as saying that “the current US sanctions severely restrict aid provided to millions of Syrians,” and that it “asked the US government on Monday to lift the sanctions imposed on it,” stressing that “lifting the sanctions will open the doors to additional and complementary aid.” It will provide immediate relief to those in need."

The US Congress has been adopting the "Caesar" law since 2020, according to which any group or company that deals with the Syrian government faces comprehensive and harsh penalties. The law, which experts confirm, its purely political background, expands the scope of the previously existing sanctions on Syria, which were imposed by the United States and its European allies since the beginning of the war in the country in 2011.

In the context, the New York Times reported today, on a senior EU official coordinating the aid file to Turkey, that "European sanctions should not impede the delivery of humanitarian and emergency aid to the Syrian people."

The United Nations has criticized on several occasions in the past the impact of sanctions on the Syrian health and other social sectors and its general economic recovery, and has also called on the United Nations to lift all unilateral punitive measures against Syria.

In the meantime, countries such as China, Iran, Russia, Cuba, Algeria, the Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Venezuela, and others have begun to provide the necessary support to Syria to help in relief and rescue operations, treat the injured, and shelter the afflicted, and have already sent relief materials, which began to land in the airports of Aleppo, Damascus, and Latakia since dawn on Tuesday.

The Aftershocks of France’s Colonial Supremacy is Empowered by its Current Hubris

The Aftershocks of France’s Colonial Supremacy is Empowered by its Current Hubris

    Friday, February 03, 2023   No comments

 France continues to refuse to accept responsibility over its crimes of colonialism in Algeria, refuse to pay reparations for the harm it caused to Algerian families, and refuse to pay for the cleanup of its nuclear waste in the Algerian Sahara that is still causing harm to people and the environment. Yet, French leaders continue to lecture Muslim-majority countries about human rights and insist that they do not have access to nuclear technology, be it peaceful or otherwise. Historical records, however, show how France’s actions have created many of the most perennial problems that it now wants other countries to solve. Among these actions taken by French leaders is how their determination to hold on to Algeria allowed them to help other colonizers develop weapons of mass destruction and shield them from any criticism and safety measures, such as the monitoring of nuclear facilities by UN institutions, while they continue to accuse Muslim-majority countries of being irresponsible with their developing of nuclear programs.

 Here is a good place to start reading about this and related topics:

Specifically, during the mid-1950s France’s control over Algeria—which it considered part of France and not just another colony—was increasingly contested by a domestic insurgency that was receiving substantial support from the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. Paris responded by eliciting Israel’s help in providing intelligence on the Algerian situation in return for French conventional weaponry. The opportunity to transform this into nuclear cooperation presented itself in 1956 when Paris asked Israel to provide France and Britain with a pretext to intervene militarily in what became the Suez Canal crisis.   

-- From The Story of How American Jews and France Built Israel’s Nuclear Weapons

 

Commenting on Sweden's permission to burn the Qur'an, Turkish FM, Cavusoglu, says, Hate crimes are not freedom of expression

Commenting on Sweden's permission to burn the Qur'an, Turkish FM, Cavusoglu, says, Hate crimes are not freedom of expression

    Monday, January 23, 2023   No comments

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will denounce the Swedish authorities' permission for the leader of the far-right Danish "hard line" party, Rasmus Paludan, to burn a copy of the Holy Qur'an in the capital, Stockholm, and stressed that such crimes do not fall within the framework of freedom of expression.

Çavuşoğlu said that they "do not allow the burning of books of other religions, but when it comes to the Holy Qur'an and hostility to Islam, they immediately invoke freedom of thought and expression."

The Turkish minister stressed that hate and racism crimes do not fall within the framework of freedom of thought and expression, whether according to Swedish laws or decisions of the Council of Europe or the European Court of Human Rights.

He pointed out that Turkey was quick to take the necessary steps as soon as it learned that the Swedish authorities had allowed the extremist in Al-Wadan to burn a copy of the Noble Qur’an in front of the Ankara embassy building in Stockholm.

Davutoglu indicated that the Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara to the ministry's headquarters and issued the necessary warnings to him, explaining that the Turkish ambassador to Stockholm, Yonat Janzel, spoke directly with the Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilstrom in this regard.

He expressed his hope that the Swedish authorities would take the necessary measures at the last minute and prevent this racist and hate crime from happening, which would cause outrage in the entire world.

After the event, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Sweden should no longer wait for Ankara to take any step within the framework of accepting its accession to NATO, in light of the burning of the Holy Quran in Stockholm.

Erdogan added, "You want to support terrorist organizations, and you support those who are hostile to Islam, and you want us to support your joining NATO... This will not happen at all."

And the Turkish president added, "We say clearly... Sweden is no longer waiting for any support from us for its accession to NATO... We say clearly that no one has the right to insult our sacred values."

Last Saturday, the Swedish-Danish extremist Ramsos Paludan carried out what he promised to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, amid great police protection and a large media presence.

A Saudi-Chinese agreement to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years and to sign agreements worth billions of dollars.. The Saudi Crown Prince affirms the Kingdom’s commitment to the “One China” policy

A Saudi-Chinese agreement to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years and to sign agreements worth billions of dollars.. The Saudi Crown Prince affirms the Kingdom’s commitment to the “One China” policy

    Thursday, December 08, 2022   No comments

 

A Saudi diplomatic source in Riyadh told the German news agency that “the Saudi and Chinese sides agreed to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years,” without disclosing further details.

The agreement comes during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the Kingdom, which is the second, and it came at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said today, Thursday, that Riyadh is firmly committed to the "one-China" principle and supports Beijing in protecting its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

  In a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bin Salman said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is firmly committed to the principle of ‘One China’, supports China in defending its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, supports the measures and efforts that China is making to de-radicalize, and strongly opposes external interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of protecting human rights,” according to China Central Television, according to Sputnik.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit of the Chinese-Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to the first-ever Chinese-Arab meeting, and indicated that the summit will be a “milestone” in the development of Chinese-Arab relations.

The Chinese president affirmed his country's readiness to strengthen relations and cooperation with Riyadh in various fields, and to support peace and stability around the world.

Today, the Chinese president held talks with Saudi leaders on the second day of his visit to Riyadh, Thursday, before witnessing the signing of billions of dollars worth of agreements between the two economic powers aspiring to enhance their rapprochement, despite Washington's warnings of the escalation of Beijing's influence.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he got out of his car upon his arrival at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh, the official residence of the king and the seat of the royal court, according to footage broadcast by state media.

Later, the Chinese president met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and in the presence of the crown prince, they signed the "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the Kingdom and China," according to the Saudi Press Agency. They also agreed to hold a meeting of the leaders of the two countries every two years.

"China-Saudi cooperation has broad future prospects, and the Chinese side regards the Saudi side as an important force in a multipolar world, and attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia," Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

The Chinese president confirmed that Beijing is ready to expand oil trade with Riyadh and will "list Saudi Arabia as an outbound tourism destination" for Chinese citizens.

Xi was awarded an honorary doctorate in management from King Saud University "in recognition of his achievements and great efforts in management and leadership, and in gratitude for the thriving relationship and continuous cooperation between the two friendly countries," according to the agency.

And Saudi government media reported that the visit witnesses the signing of agreements worth about $29.3 billion in several fields, at a time when China wants to strengthen its economy affected by the Corona virus, while the Saudis, historical allies of the United States, seek to diversify their economic and political alliances.

- important partner -

During the visit, the Chinese president will participate in two Gulf-Chinese and Arab-Chinese summits attended by leaders of the countries of the region who have already begun to flock to the Saudi capital, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

China, the largest consumer of Saudi oil, is strengthening its trade and political ties with a region that has long relied on the United States for military protection but has expressed fears of a diminishing American presence.

Hours after his arrival on Wednesday, Saudi state media announced 34 investment agreements in sectors including green hydrogen, information technology, transportation and construction.

The official Saudi Press Agency did not include additional details, but said that total trade between the two countries amounted to 304 billion Saudi riyals ($80 billion) in 2021 and 103 billion Saudi riyals ($27 billion) in the third quarter of 2022.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman believes that China is an important partner in the “Vision 2030” economic reform, as he seeks to involve Chinese companies in huge and ambitious projects aimed at diversifying the economy away from fossil fuels.

These projects include the future city of NEOM, which has an investment value of $500 billion and will rely heavily on facial recognition technology and surveillance.

Saudi Investment Minister Khaled Al-Falih said that Xi's visit will contribute to raising the pace of economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, as the visit provides "returns" to Chinese companies and investors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

- Interviews with Arab leaders -

Diplomats based in Riyadh reported that the Chinese president may hold bilateral talks Thursday with other Arab leaders who arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of Friday's summits.

Tunisian President Kais Saied will also arrive in Riyadh on Thursday. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will also attend. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shiaa Al-Sudani and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch confirmed their presence.

China's foreign ministry said Xi's program represented "the largest large-scale diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China."

This was not lost on the eyes of the White House, which warned of "the influence that China is trying to develop around the world."

"We are aware of the influence that China is trying to expand around the world," John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, told reporters. The Middle East is certainly among these regions where they want to deepen their level of influence,” he said, adding, “We believe that many of the things they seek, and the way they seek them, are not compatible with maintaining the international order governed by specific rules.”

"We're not asking countries to choose between the United States and China, but as the president has said many times, we believe the United States is certainly in a position to lead in this strategic competition," Kirby continued.

Washington has long been a close partner of Riyadh, but the relationship has recently soured over disagreements over energy policy, US security guarantees to countries in the region, and human rights.

Xi is making his third trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted China to close its borders and embark on a series of lockdowns, hurting its giant economy.

Wealth and Power: Sexual slavery pursues Ukrainian women and contempt for Africans

Wealth and Power: Sexual slavery pursues Ukrainian women and contempt for Africans

    Monday, November 28, 2022   No comments

"The tendency to enslavement represented, in ancient times, a basis for prestige (the prestige of the master and the prestige of the tribe), and a kind of financial investment, which could be exploited in a period of crisis." A phrase mentioned in a book, published last year, entitled “History of Slaves in the Arabian Gulf." --a researcher and professor of history at the American University in Kuwait, Hisham Al-Awadi. 

Despite the difference in history, and the Gulf countries taking a trend keeping pace with modernity and development, the tendency towards establishing slavery still exists, albeit through disguised methods. Perhaps what the UAE is witnessing today is the best evidence of this, with the spread of “modern slavery” practices towards migrant workers, who are looking for a living outside the borders of their countries.

Human trafficking and illegal practices

Behind the towering building, which touches the clouds in the Emirates, and behind the amazing lights that catch the eye, there is a world of another kind; A world in which many of what can be considered “modern slavery” affect migrant workers, especially Africans, who are subjected to multiple types of exploitation and racial discrimination, from being forced to pay illegal recruitment fees, along with withholding their salaries, to confiscating their passports. Perhaps what is hidden is greater, in light of the documenting by multiple organizations of cases of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

The Emirati black record on human trafficking was also documented by Western media in the aftermath of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, highlighting the process of bringing girls from war and conflict zones to work in prostitution. This was revealed by the British newspaper "Daily Mail", last August, regarding the smuggling of Ukrainian women and children to the Emirates, with the aim of "trafficking in human beings and exploiting them in domestic sexual slavery in Abu Dhabi," according to the newspaper's expression.

However, in front of this scene, the voice of African workers remains the dominant one, as the most vulnerable group and subject to systematic human rights violations, and the most prominent victims in the long list of modern slavery practices in this country.

Mass deportation on racial grounds

Only because their skin is black, African migrant workers in the UAE suffer. For these people, most of whom hail from Nigeria, Cameroon and Uganda, their search for a living has turned into a bad memory that may not leave them as long as they are alive.

"They told us we were dirty. They stripped us of our clothes, confiscated our belongings, insulted us and made racist slurs against black Africans." Great suffering faced the Ugandan teacher, Kenneth Rubangakin, in the Emirates, who tried to shorten it, through limited words, after he was arrested for more than a month, and forcibly deported from there without any positive reasons. He is one of about 800 other people who were subjected to the same insults last year, and hundreds of them and others still continue to this day, according to what human rights organizations have documented, despite the UAE government's repeated denials.

This suffering was previously highlighted by Amnesty International in a report, in which it confirmed that "the UAE authorities brutally treated hundreds of people, based on the color of their skin, ill-treated them in places of detention, and stripped them of their personal property and dignity, before deporting them en masse." At the time, the organization quoted one of the victims, Kabirat Olukand, who is from Nigeria, and worked as an assistant in an international school before being deported, that she asked the police officers: “Why am I here? I am not a criminal, and I have residency documents.” It gives, and the UAE takes.” She reported being harassed by the officers there.

Dave Kenny, a researcher at Amnesty International, confirmed that the organization documented a case of grave violations against African workers in the UAE in the summer of 2021, through mass deportation that took place on racial grounds, in an organized operation that targeted this segment because of their African nationality and skin color, and the number of its victims reached hundreds. Kenny pointed out that "the 18 people interviewed by the organization were legally residing in the UAE, and this was confirmed by reviewing official documents and data for 17 out of 18 cases," stressing that "all they were subjected to, from arrest and deportation, was without a legal right,” in light of “the inability of any of them to contact a lawyer, or enter the courtroom,” and as a result of their suffering from very difficult detention conditions for months before they were later deported, saying that the “Cameroonians” were deported to a country that passes in a civil war.

Hence, the researcher at the international organization calls on the UAE government to "compensate the victims as a result of what they suffered at the hands of the authorities, especially in light of their deportation without handing over their personal belongings, and the loss of many of them all their savings, electronic devices, and personal clothes, in addition to licenses, certificates, and medical records." Even personal identities, the government has taken everything from them, and it must return everything that it took from them.”

An incubating environment for companies that violate the rights of migrant workers

Although migrant workers to the UAE make up about 90% of the workforce, the majority of them suffer hardships during their journey into the labor market, as a result of the poor conditions they are exposed to, at a time when this country is a safe haven for companies that violate the rights of migrant workers, forcing them to They have to live under harsh conditions, as documented by the International Trade Union Confederation, "ITUC", which has previously launched an international campaign against "modern slavery" to which this large segment of workers is exposed there.

In this context, the director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights, Khaled Ibrahim, sees that the Emirati authorities are primarily responsible for all the violations that African workers are exposed to, and that they are concerned with ensuring the application of human rights standards in the fields of work, while the responsibility also rests with employers, who must be held accountable for those violations that occur against workers They have, and who should be offered protection at all times.

As for the role of international human rights organizations regarding these violations, Ibrahim says, "We have no armies or weapons, we do not have political parties, and we do not promote hidden agendas. Rather, we work completely independently in defending human rights," stressing that these organizations "have The word, and its supernatural power is represented by its sincerity. As a result, we are documenting these violations and working with the international community to stop them."

"Just Hypocrisy": FIFA President Gianni Infantino On World Cup Critics

"Just Hypocrisy": FIFA President Gianni Infantino On World Cup Critics

    Saturday, November 19, 2022   No comments

 FIFA president Gianni Infantino hit back at criticism of Qatar's human rights record on Saturday, blasting the "hypocrisy" of Western critics on the eve of the World Cup kick-off.

“What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3000 years before starting to give moral lessons.”

Infantino also addressed questions around the last-minute decision to ban alcohol from being sold at the eight stadiums which will host the tournament’s 64 matches. In a FIFA statement issued on Friday, the governing body said alcohol would be sold at fan zones and licensed venues.

The Muslim country is considered to be very conservative and tightly regulates alcohol sales and usage.

“Let me first assure you that every decision that is taken in this World Cup is a joint decision between Qatar and FIFA,” he said. “Every decision is discussed, debated and taken jointly.”

“There will be […] over 200 places where you can buy alcohol in Qatar and over 10 fan zones, where over 100,000 people can simultaneously drink alcohol.

“I think personally, if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive.”

“Especially because actually the same rules apply in France or in Spain or in Portugal or in Scotland, where no beer is allowed in stadiums now,” he added.

“It seems to become a big thing because it’s a Muslim country, or I don’t know why.”

UN Report Blasts "Outrageous" US Sanctions Harming Syrian Civilians

UN Report Blasts "Outrageous" US Sanctions Harming Syrian Civilians

    Saturday, November 12, 2022   No comments

A UN special rapporteur called for the removal of Western sanctions on Syria as they are having a devastating impact on the civilian population and preventing the country from rebuilding after 11 years of war.

Alena Douhan, made the comments after a 12-day visit to Syria. There she found that sanctions are harming civilians in many ways, including by causing a shortage of medicine and medical equipment.

“In the current dramatic and still-deteriorating humanitarian situation, as 12MM Syrians grapple with food insecurity…the “catastrophic effects of unilateral sanctions” are impacting people “across all walks of life in the country.” She said that 90% of Syria’s civilian population is living in poverty and have limited access to food, water, electricity, shelter, fuel, healthcare, and transportation.” Douhan told the UN.

“I urge the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions that severely harm human rights and prevent any efforts for early recovery, rebuilding and reconstruction,” Douhan said, adding that 12 million Syrians grapple with food insecurity.

Douhan said that 90% of Syria’s population currently lives in poverty, with limited access to food, water, electricity, shelter, cooking and heating and fuel.

Media Review: The West is Paying the Price for Instrumentalizing Human Rights and Convenience-Driven Policies

Media Review: The West is Paying the Price for Instrumentalizing Human Rights and Convenience-Driven Policies

    Sunday, October 09, 2022   No comments

As revealed again by the West’s rhetorical support of protesters in Iran, the practice of using human rights claims to go after governments the West does not like and ignoring human rights abuses when they are done by Western-supported regimes or when done in Western countries, such a practice is very short-sighted and tends to backfire.

Case in point: for more than seventy years, the US and other

European governments provided unwavering support to the Saudi regime even when such regime banned women from driving, unleashed its morality police to beat shop owners who did not close their shops during Friday prayers, abused migrant workers, oppressed its Shia community, beheaded dissidents, launched illegal wars against its neighbors, and sent a team of 15 operatives to lure a dissident into its embassy building and dismember his body. Then, after one single decision by the Saudi regime to cut oil export just one month before midterm elections in the US and when Russia's oil is sanctioned, and the media and politicians are now gearing up to tell the world how bad the Saudi regime is. Soon, you will see more commentaries and political talking points unmasking Saudi Arabia’s “bad” human rights record. Given the context, few informed people will pay attention, and even fewer will trust the human rights claims behind which the West stands to justify its sanctions or interventions in countries run by leaders who do not follow and obey Western preferences. Here, the preeminent NYT and its top influencer is using a line from Trump’s book, They Are Laughing At Us, to promote the idea of punishing the Saudi regime.

A Saudi prince claims Western bias, comparing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza

A Saudi prince claims Western bias, comparing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza

    Monday, August 08, 2022   No comments

A Saudi prince responded to the sympathy of the Ukrainian ambassador in Israel: The hypocrisy of the West and its double standards have exceeded all limits.. People in Ukraine in the eyes of the West are not like people in Palestine

The Saudi prince, Abd al-Rahman bin Musaed, said, "The hypocrisy of the West and its double standards have exceeded all limits... People in Ukraine in the eyes of the West are not like people in Palestine."

The Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, Yevgeny Kornichuk, expressed his “great” sympathy with the Israelis, which a prominent Saudi prince considered “hypocrisy.”

In a tweet published by the Ukrainian embassy in Israel, Cornicheuk said: “As a Ukrainian whose country is under a long-term brutal attack by its closest neighbor, I feel great sympathy for the Israeli people.”

Cornichuk added, “Terrorism and attacks against civilians have become a daily routine for Israelis and Ukrainians. We have to put an end to this. We pray for peace and hope for an end to the escalation soon,” before the shooting stops between Israel and the “Islamic Jihad.”

It is a good sign that even the Saudi ruling family is moved by the plight of vulnerable peoples and outraged by the disproportionate use of force. But it is not clear if the Saudi ruling family would have the same sympathy and concern for civilians living in Yemen, a country that has been under Saudi armed attack, sanctions, and isolation killing thousands of children and pushing poverty in that country to record levels.