Sunday, May 31, 2015

God should be a SHE: Church of England's female priests call to end 'male imagery'

Why is the DIVINE referred to as a HE and not a SHE, ask the Christian Women Priests and rightly so. This is the reason as to why I only refer to the DIVINE, without referring to any Gender, as surely is the case ....

CHURCH of England worshippers could end up calling God 'She' in services, it has emerged.
EXPRESS.CO.UK|BY PETER HENN

CIA/Mossad facilitated the rise of ISIS

CIA/Mossad facilitated the rise of ISIS
2012 Defense Intelligence Agency document: West will facilitate rise of Islamic State "in order to isolate the Syrian regime"

On Monday, May 18, the conservative government watchdog group Judicial Watch published a selection of formerly classified documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Defense and State Department through a federal lawsuit.

While initial mainstream media reporting is focused on the White House's handling of the Benghazi consulate attack, a much "bigger picture" admission and confirmation is contained in one of the Defense Intelligence Agency documents circulated in 2012: that an 'Islamic State' is desired in Eastern Syria to effect the West's policies in the region...

 
 
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CIA/Mossad facilitated the rise of ISIS
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goal of excellence in all that you do."
 

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STATEMENT ON IIT MADRAS’ DERECOGNITION OF AMBEKAR-PERIYAR STUDY CIRCLE

STATEMENT ON IIT MADRAS' DERECOGNITION OF AMBEKAR-PERIYAR STUDY CIRCLE

RADICAL SOCIALIST STATEMENT ON IIT MADRAS' DERECOGNITION OF AMBEKAR-PERIYAR STUDY CIRCLE


We condemn the decision taken by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), on May 22, to 'derecognise' the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle (APSC), an independent student body of the institution.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) in New Delhi claims to have received an anonymous complaint about 'the distribution of controversial posters and pamphlets' by APSC in the IIT Madras campus. The nature of this allegedly controversial material was simply anti-Modi views. This got the government's hackles up, as it is determined to silence all critical voices, especially voices from outside the spectrum of parliamentary parties, Following this, the HRD ministry wrote to IIT Madras and asked the institution to respond about the above matter. The Dean of Students (DoS) of IIT Madras decided to derecognise the student group even before APSC got a chance to explain their end of the story.

The APSC was created in April 2014 to foster conversation and raise awareness about Ambedkar-Periyar and rampant caste violence in the country. In June 2014, the Dean of Students, Dr. M.S. Sivakumar, directed APSC to change the name of the group; because according to him 'Ambedkar Periyar' are politically motivated names, and student organisations should be apolitical and should not have names of individuals. No such decree for right-wing organisations operating under the name of 'Vivekananda Study Circle.' Consider this one gem of an example from the Vivekananda Study Circle website: The title of the page is 'Is Kali Black?' and has the following quote claimed by them to be from The Gospel of Ramakrishna—"Is Kali, my Divine Mother, of a black complexion? She appears black because She is viewed from a distance; but when intimately known She is no longer so. The sky appears blue at a distance; but look at it close by and you will find that it has no colour. The water of the ocean looks blue at a distance, but when you go near and take it in your hand, you find that it is colourless." (Fromhttp://www.vsc.iitm.ac.in/Home/?p=2969)

India is a society replete with caste violence. Some estimates claim that each week: 13 Dalits are murdered; 5 Dalit homes are burned down; 6 Dalit people are kidnapped or abducted; 21 Dalit women are raped. It is not a coincidence that majority of manual scavengers are from the downtrodden classes. There are systemic and structural issues in Indian society why such violence happens on a regular basis and are under-reported in the mainstream media. It is important that such issues are talked about more, and we stand in solidarity with every initiative that raises awareness about caste violence, Ambedkar and Periyar. The egregious politics of skin colour, as the example cited above suggests, and violence towards the downtrodden caste is prevalent in Indian society. We cannot eradicate caste distinction by not talking about it, by avoiding to name organisations after Ambedkar-Periyar—it is exactly the opposite—we need to confront caste politics head on as a nation, admit the historical injustices meted out to dalits, adivasis and other lower castes, and admit that a lot of it are ongoing.

We understand that this current action by the HRD ministry to pressurise IIT Madras, and the subsequent actions taken by the Dean of Students to be a continuation of the brahminisation project of the hindutva forces in the Indian polity, whose most recent manifestations have been in the spate of ghar-wapsi, church violence and increase in incidents of communal violence across the country. We decry all such efforts by the hindutva forces, the direct involvement of the government in arm twisting anti-brahminical endeavours and condemn IIT Madras, the premiere institution that it is, for the shameful decision to intimidate and muzzle conversation on caste.

We also condemn the failure of the so called liberal oppositions. It is significant that only after two days of hue and cry in the Social Media did the liberal mainstream media report on the issue. For mainstream politics, there are certain shared premises. While the alleged upholders of political liberalism and secularism condemn actions of the Sanghis, they do not desire to challenge the upper caste dominations. We call upon all Marxist and socialist forces to recognise that without a serious attack on the oppression of the lower castes, the unity of the toilers cannot be achieved, and therefore, fighting for the rights of dalits is a vital part of any genuine Marxist politics in India.


Finally, we stress that the ban on the APSC is part of the increasing violation of democratic rights. It is therefore necessary for the APSC and their supporters, as well as for any organisation fighting for democratic rights, to link up this specific struggle (the restoration of the rights of the APSC) with the general struggle for democratic rights.

30 May, 2015

या विविध संघटना कोणत्या?



 या विविध संघटना कोणत्या? 

वेगवेगळ्या विद्यार्थी संघटना आणि जातीय अत्याचार विरोधी संघटना आज संध्याकाळी ५ वाजता दादर पूर्वेला निदर्शने करणार आहेत अशा काही पोष्ट पाहण्यात आल्या. या विविध संघटना कोणत्या? पोष्टमध्ये जावकसचे नाव आहे. या विद्यार्थी संघटनांचे नाव नाही. जर या विद्यार्थी संघटना निदर्शनात सहभागी खरोखर होत असतील तर त्यांची नावे जनतेला का समजू नयेत? त्यात गुप्तता ठेवण्यासारखे काय आहे? जे निदर्शनात सहभागी होतात त्यांना आपण कुणाबरोबर आपण कृतीत उतरतो आहोत हे कळण्याचा अधिकार नाही का? बहुतेक साऱ्या पोष्ट रीपप्ब्लीकन प्यान्थर्स कार्यकर्त्यांच्या आहेत. जावकसमध्ये ४० वेगवेगळ्या संघटना आहेत; त्यापैकी कुणाचाही नामनिर्देश नाही. त्या संघटना आता जावकस सोडून गेल्या आहेत कि त्यांना वगळलेले आहे? कि हा निर्णय त्यांना डावलून घेतला आहे म्हणून त्यांचा नामनिर्देश नाही किंवा या संदर्भात या संघटनांच्या प्रतिनिधींकडून कोणतीही पोष्ट म्हणून नाही? कि निर्णय घेण्याच्या प्रक्रियेत काही गफलत आहे? म्हणून जावकस मधील इतर संघटना या निर्णयापासून/ निदर्शनांच्या कृतीपासून दूर आहेत?. या ज्या विद्यार्थी संघटना आता या निदर्शनात सहभागी होत आहेत त्या या पूर्वी जावकस च्या कार्यक्रमात कधी सहभागी नव्हत्या; या विद्यार्थी संघटना नव्या आहेत का? त्यांचे गठण या शनिवार/ रविवारला झालेले असावे असे जाणवते त्यामुळे या सहभागी विद्यार्थी संघटनांना कार्यप्रणालीच्या माहितीच्या अभावी जावकसच्या केंद्रीय समितीशी बोलावे वाटले नाही आणि त्यांनी जावकसच्या रिपब्लिकन प्यान्थार्स ह्या केवळ एकाच घटक संघटनेशी बोलून या निदर्शनाचा घाट घातला? वस्तुतः या निदर्शनाच्या कार्यक्रमाविषयी जातीय अत्याचार विरोधी कृती समितीच्या केंद्रीय समितीचे अनेक सदस्य अनभिद्न्य आहेत. जातीय अत्याचार कृती समितीतील काही लोक एक गात करून निर्णय घेतात आणि तो समितीतील इतरांवर लादतात असेच दिसते. जनतेला दृश्य कार्यक्रम दिसतो मात्र पद्य अडच्या गोष्टी दिसत नाहीत म्हणून केवळ रंगमन्च्यावरची विस्कळीत कलाकृती दिसते मात्र एकसंघ कलाकृतीच्या आविष्कारासाठी आवश्यक असलेली संघटीत शक्ती गोचर होत नाही.

शनिवारी दुपारी सुमेध जाधव यांच्या कार्यालयातून कोअर कमिटी सदस्य राहुल गायकवाड यांचा मला फोन आला, " सोमवारी दुपारी २ वाजता मंत्रालयासमोर जावकसने निदर्शने करावयाची" त्यांना म्हटले, " सर्वांशी मसलत करून ठरवू" ते म्हणाले, " संध्याकाळी शाम सोनार यांचा तुम्हाला फोन येईल." संध्याकाळी सोनारांचा फोन आला. ते म्हणाले विविध संघटना आणि जावकस मिळून निदर्शन करायचे ठरले आहे" मी विचारले, " या संघटना कोणत्या? त्यांची नावे/ नम्बर्स द्या. मी त्यांच्याशी बोलून घेतो आणि मुग तुमच्याशी बोलतो." त्यावर सोनारांचा फोन/ संघटनांची नावे/ नंबर्स काहीही आले नाही. हे असे निर्णय काही ठराविक लोकांनी इतर घटक संघटनांना डावलून/ न विचारता घ्यायचे आणि इतरांवर लादायचे हे सातत्याने चालले आहे.संघटनेतील विसंवाद झाकून ठेवण्यासाठी इतर अश्या निर्णयाशी सहमती दर्शवितात पण त्यामुळे अश्या एकाधिकार प्रवृत्तीला बळकट मिळत जाते.

या निमित्ताने आणखीहि एक महत्वाचा प्रश्न उपस्थित होतो. संघटनेच्या ह्या अंतर्गत बाबी म्हणून ह्या गोपनीय मानायच्या आणि ज्या जनतेसाठी काम करायचे तिला संघटनेची कार्यपद्धती, आणि संघटनेच्या रचनेसंबंधीच्या माहितीचा हक्क नाकारायचा? संघटनेविषयी जाणून घेण्याचा आणि संघटनेच्या कामकाजावर अभिप्राय /मते/सूचना नोंदविण्याच्या अधिकार जनतेला नाकारायचा? संघटनाअंतर्गत लोकशाही तत्वांची पायमल्ली करायची आणि जनतेला लोकशाही अधिकारांपासून वंचित ठेवायचे संघटनेच्या गोपनीयतेच्या नावाखाली आणि सरकारकडे माहितीच्या अधिकाराची मात्र मागणी करायची हा दुटप्पी व्यवहार आहे.

Right from ground Zero news Versus Mainstream focus!.But mainstream media coverage is all about sedition!Strategy to counter RSS agenda in offing: Geelani


Focus Kashmir:Right from 


Ground Zero 


news Versus Mainstream 


focus!


Have we any better way to deal ourselves,the Indian 

people and the humanity across political lines?

It is interesting to note that the Srinagar meeting of various religious, social and political organizations including civil society members decided to resist RSS agenda in offing,it is ground zero report and which may not reach to Indian people.But mainstream media coverage is all about sedition!

Thus we want to defend the integrity and unity of the nation!

New Delhi deals with Kashmir,Manipur and Central India in identical manner.

It is all about the grand iconic sedition saga of Vedi growth of inequality and injustice.

Have we any better way to deal ourselves,the Indian people and the humanity across political lines?

Palash Biswas


Makbool Veeray


Strategy to counter RSS agenda in offing: Geelani : Srinagar, May 31 In a bid to put lid over the RSS agenda in J&K, Huriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Sunday said a pro-longed strategy will be adopted and implemented in near future. In a convention of Huriyat (G) which witnessed the participation of various religious, social and political organizations including civil society members, a threadbare discussion over RSS's entry in Kashmir and Jammu was held. Huriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar said that a strategy in this regard will be implemented.

And the mainstream news coverage:

Search Results

  1. Story image for geelani from The Indian Express

    People will continue waving Pakistan flags in Kashmir: Geelani

    The Indian Express-14 hours ago
    The first instance took place on April 15 during a rally organised by Hurriyat to welcome Geelani from Delhi. The state government reacted by ...
  2. Story image for geelani from GreaterKashmir.com

    Geelani under continuous house arrest from 40 days: Hurriyat (G)

    GreaterKashmir.com-29-May-2015
    Omar Abdullah in his regime imprisoned Geelani sahab continuously for four years at his home. The Mufti government has started to follow the ...
  3. Story image for geelani from Times of India

    PDP to seek passport for Syed Ali Shah Geelani

    Times of India-20-May-2015
    Several other mainstream leaders have also demanded that Geelanishould be issued the passport. CPM leader and MLA Yousuf Targami and ...
  4. Story image for geelani from NDTV

    Geelani's Passport Application Incomplete, Cannot be Processed ...

    NDTV-21-May-2015
    New Delhi: The Government today said the passport application of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani cannot be processed in its present ...
  5. Story image for geelani from The Indian Express

    Geelani's request for passport: Unnecessary politics over ...

    The Indian Express-22-May-2015
    The son of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Friday said an "unnecessary" political controversy was being created over a ...
    'Geelani stopped from offering Friday prayers'
    GreaterKashmir.com-22-May-2015
    Explore in depth (37 more articles)
  6. Story image for geelani from Firstpost (satire)

    Unable to get an Indian Passport, Geelani approaches for an Indian ...

    Firstpost (satire)-25-May-2015
    Srinagar. Separatist leader SAS Geelani who is in the news for being denied Indian passport had decided to take an Indian Passport size photo ...
    Dealing with Separatists
    Hill Post-25-May-2015
    Explore in depth (3 more articles)
  7. Story image for geelani from GreaterKashmir.com

    Sopore killings|Acts of terrorism: Syed Ali Geelani

    GreaterKashmir.com-27-May-2015
    Expressing deep sorrow over the killing of another person in Sopore, the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelanitoday ...
  8. Story image for geelani from The New Indian Express

    Geelani Condemns Militant Attack on Telecom Outlet

    The New Indian Express-25-May-2015
    SRINAGAR: Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today condemned the attack on a telecom outlet in Sopore town of Kashmir in which one ...
    Sopore attack 'an act of terror': Geelani
    Kashmir Dispatch-25-May-2015
    Explore in depth (238 more articles)
  9. Story image for geelani from Kasmir Monitor

    Mufti govt has done all initial formalities: Geelani

    Kasmir Monitor-28-May-2015
    Srinagar: Sharply reacting the 'Separate Township for Pandits' statement of Union Home minister Rajnath Singh in Jammu, Hurriyat ...
    Undermining the Dialogue
    GreaterKashmir.com-29-May-2015
    Explore in depth (87 more articles)
  10. Story image for geelani from Daily News & Analysis

    Arrest Syed Ali Shah Geelani under Public Safety Act: BJP

    Daily News & Analysis-02-May-2015
    "Geelani too need to be arrested immediately under PSA as was done last month against Masrat Alam," BJP state chief spokesperson Sunil ...

हम फिर फैज़ अहमद फैज़ के मुखातिब जब ज़ुल्म - ओ - सितम के कोह - ऐ - गिरां रुई की तरह उड़ जायेंगे हम मेहकूमे के पाओं तले यह धरती धड़ धड़ धड्केगी और अहले हकम के सर ऊपर जब बिजली कड़ कड़ कड़केगी हम देखेंगे। …… पलाश विश्वास

हम फिर फैज़ अहमद फैज़ के मुखातिब


जब ज़ुल्म - ओ - सितम के कोह - ऐ - गिरां

रुई की तरह उड़ जायेंगे

हम मेहकूमे के पाओं तले

यह धरती धड़ धड़ धड्केगी

और अहले हकम के सर ऊपर

जब बिजली कड़ कड़ कड़केगी

हम देखेंगे। ……

पलाश विश्वास


आगे समय बेहद कठिन है और किसी भी तरह की जनपक्षधरता का अंजाम बेहद चुनौतीभरा हो सकता है,जिनसे निपटने के लिए में देश के एक एक नागरिक को संबोधित करके उन्हें सच का सामना करने वास्ते हर हालत में तैयार करना होगा वरना हम जीने या मरने काबिल भी नहीं रहेंगे।


हम अकेले नहीं है।साथियों के बढ़े हुए हाथ मजबूती से थाम लेने पर हर मुश्किल आसान हो जाती है।


अब मत चूको चौहान।


साथी अशोक चौधरी के सौजन्य से हम फिर फैज़ अहमद फैज़ के मुखातिब हो गये।


Iqbal Bano Live – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDXUD1-8bo


हम देखेंगे। …… लाज़िम है के हम भी देखेंगे। .....  हम देखेंगे

वो  दिन के जिसका वादा है  हम देखेंगे

जो लोह - ऐ - अज़ल पे लिखा है। ..... हम देखेंगे


जब ज़ुल्म - ओ - सितम के कोह - ऐ - गिरां

रुई की तरह उड़ जायेंगे

हम मेहकूमे के पाओं तले

यह धरती धड़ धड़ धड्केगी

और अहले हकम के सर ऊपर

जब बिजली कड़ कड़ कड़केगी

हम देखेंगे। ……


जब अर्ज़ - ऐ - खुदा के काबे से

सब बुत उठवाए जायेंगे

हम एहले सफा मरदू - दे - हरम

मसनद पे बिठाये जायेंगे

सब ताज उछाले जायेंगे

सब तखत गिराये जायेंगे

हम देखेंगे। ....


बस नाम रहेगा अल्लाह का

जो गायब भी  है हाज़िर भी

जो मंज़र भी है नज़ीर भी

उठेगा अन-ल-हक़ का नारा

जो मैं भी हु और तुम भी हो

और राज करेगी ख़ल्क़ - ऐ - खुद

जो मैं भी हु और तुम भी हो

हम देखेंगे। ....



हम देखेंगे। ....

लाज़िम है के हम भी देखेंगे।


फैज़ अहमद फैज़


Modi diplomacy blasts the heart and mind of the Geopolitics!Yes!Narendra Modi will be travelling to Israel and the declaration comes before Bangladesh visit!

Modi diplomacy blasts the heart and mind of the Geopolitics!Yes!Narendra Modi will be travelling to Israel and the declaration comes before Bangladesh visit!


Palash Biswas


It is no secret that Indian internal security has been handed over to Mossad and RSS governance of Fascism has aligned with Israel agaist Palestine and entire Muslim World.Thus,Modi diplomacy has broken yet another ground declaring his visit to Tel Aviv as the first prime minister of India just before visiting Bangladesh with Hindutva agenda.


Yes!Narendra Modi will be travelling to Israel, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish country with which bilateral defence cooperation is on an upswing.Mind you,the emphasis is on defence while it has always been internal security.


It has to be remembered that India had established "full" diplomatic relationship with Israel in 1992  after the neo liberal children captured the power and the people to sell off the nation though it had recognised the country in 1950. 


The then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had become the first premier from that country to visit India when he came here in 2003. He is credited with transforming bilateral relations from diminutive defence and trade cooperation to the strategic ties of today.


"As far as my visit is concerned, it will take place this year. I will visit, Israel, Palestine and Jordan. As far as Prime Minister's visit is concerned, he will travel to Israel. No dates have been finalised. It will take place as per mutually convenient dates," she said replying to a question at a press conference.


Mind you,No Indian Prime Minister or President has ever visited that country.


No wonder the term defence is applied to internal security as the game is very very open and you may understand the impact as topmost priority of the so called business friendly government of Hindutva,destroying indigenous business as well as industry despite betraying India Inc which groomed the mandate- remains the Hidnu Rashtra.We may understand the aesthetics of this Hindutva plus Zionist alliance and the impact in the neighbourhood.


We all know that India is the strategic nuclear partner of United states of America with Israel while Indian diplomacy before Modi Jamana always supported independent Palestine.


India has a very big Muslim population  not to mention the composition of demography of South Asia and South East Asia,which supports Palestine.The cent percent hindutva agenda and the agenda of Ram Mandir might be the exact chemistry for this RSS ZIONISM link which we had been highlighting time and again.


We have to prove nothing afresh as Modi has already opened doors and windows for Israel companies and we have to wait for the real time to see what agrrements he would sign with Israel.



No dates have been finalised for Modi's visit which will take place on mutually convenient dates, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.


Swaraj said she will be travelling to Israel this year, besides Palestine and Jordan.



At the same time, she asserted, "There was no change in India's policy towards Palestine."

L K Advani had visited Israel when he was Home Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Jaswant Singh and S M Krishna had visited the Jewish nation as External Affairs Ministers. Recently Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also visited Israel.


Describing Israel as a friendly country, Swaraj said India had never "let down" the Palestinian cause and it will continue to support it.


Asked whether the Prime Minister will visit Iran, she said no such visit has been finalised so far but he will be visiting Turkey to attend G-20 Summit later this year. Swaraj said she will travel to Iran to attend the NAM Summit this year.


Talking about government's efforts to reach out to various countries, Swaraj said Prime Minister will visit five Central Asian countries including Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan when he travels to Russia to attend the BRICS Summit.


"When he goes to Ufa in Russia for BRICS summit, he will visit five Central Asian countries," Swaraj said, adding "the foreign policy has been spread quite significantly. We achieved a lot."

Bangladesh in crisis By Toby Cadman

Bangladesh in crisis

By Toby Cadman


May 29, 2015

On 30 April 2015, the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific organized the hearing "Bangladesh's Fracture: Political and Religious Extremism." The hearing, which included the testimonies of five expert witnesses, focused on the Bangladeshi political and security crisis deriving from the post-electoral violence, widespread human rights violations, economic instability and the rise in religious extremism.

The political crisis of Bangladesh started in June 2011 when, despite the contrary opinion of the Supreme Court, the Awami League Government abolished the requirement to appoint a caretaker government to oversee the next general election. The political opposition, formed mainly by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), made the decision to boycott the elections, the result of which being that the Awami League and its supporters achieved an absolute majority in Parliament.

The elections, characterized by an extremely low voter turn-out, was criticised by the international community and particularly, the U.S. State Department, which issued a statement expressing its concern over an unrepresentative and illegitimate election. Moreover, reports confirm new electoral irregularities in the recent municipal elections, including intimidation of opposition candidates, harassment of the media, vote rigging and the capture of polling centres by government security forces.

In the first four months of 2015, more than 150 people have been killed in confrontations between the government and the opposition; hundreds more people have been injured, and around fifteen thousand members of the opposition have been arbitrarily arrested and detained. Moreover, numerous NGOs, such as Odikhar, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have reported numerous enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings carried out by members of the Joint Security Forces.   

Witnesses at the Congressional hearing testified that, due to the insecurity and the transport blockade, the streets of Dhaka are empty and several international companies have decided to relocate to other countries in the region, deeply harming economic development.  It is estimated that approximately $2.2 billion (1 percent of the Bangladesh GDP) has been lost as a result of political violence. 

The sharp deterioration in Bangladesh's economic stability is just one of the factors leading to the convening of the Congressional hearing. The hearing also sought to respond to increasing instances of human rights violations and to consider steps to end a pervasive culture of impunity. As Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) stated, the tension between the two main political parties and the escalation of violence since the 2014 elections is having a significant effect on Bangladeshi citizens.

Moreover, he added that the current political unrest "may lead to a further breakdown of order that could open space for Islamic militancy or for the military to take power." These two potential outcomes would be tremendously harmful not only for Bangladesh, a modern secular State with a democratic tradition, but also for the region. If the political and security crisis continues, Bangladesh would risk sacrificing the economic and social advances achieved in recent years, including the advances in terms of democracy, improvement of live expectancy, female literacy and economic growth.

Against this background, witnesses offered several proposals to Congress and to the international community to assist in resolving the political crisis in Bangladesh. The witnesses called upon the international community to encourage dialogue between the Awami League and the BNP, criticize "the government's failure to provide adequate political space for the opposition" and support a "civil society dialogue" that advocates for non-violent politics.

For some witnesses it is essential to include young members of JeI in this dialogue, as the party has already been banned from participating in elections, "and its top leaders have either been executed or are facing death sentences" by a partial tribunal in a deeply flawed judicial process. Closing the political space to this group completely would only leave them the option of continuing a violent struggle.  This in turn would likely lead to further unrest and longer term instability.

Finally, the international community should offer incentives to the government, should it stabilise the political and social situation, such as raising the prospect of greater trade and investment. It was suggested that future economic aid should be conditioned on the improvement of the human rights situation.

According to Ali Riaz, professor at Illinois State University, "the international community cannot continue to have a 'Business-as-Usual' approach while the country is slowly descending into a situation which has strong potential for engendering a prolonged conflict."

It should be noted with all the more concern that following the hearing, two further events have overshadowed the State, and underlined just how far Bangladesh has fallen.

On 12 May 2015, Ananta Bijoy Das, a 'secular blogger' was murdered on the streets of Dhaka, the third such murder this year.  No murder can be tolerated in any society, however, it is all the more concerning when a citizen is murdered simply for expressing a contrary opinion.  The principle of freedom of speech is paramount in any democracy, and attempts to curtail it by any means, be it by individuals, or by government policy, should be resisted and condemned in equal measure.

Second, note has been made of the use of enforced disappearance by the ruling party as a means to silence and dissuade opposition.  On 10 March 2015, Salah Uddin Ahmed, a former BNP minister was reported as having been abducted.  No investigation took place and the security services denied any involvement, despite there being compelling evidence to the contrary. On 13 May 2015, Ahmed was discovered in an Indian prison having been arrested near the border.  Ahmed has limited recollection of the events that led to his detention, but he does recall being kidnapped by a group of as yet unidentified state actors.

There is a clear inference that the state security services in Bangladesh see kidnap and disappearance as a legitimate tool; again, actions that should attract vehement condemnation from the international community.

Cadman is a British lawyer who has worked in Bangladeshi law and politics.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/243384-bangladesh-in-crisis

Massive Die-Out Of Saiga Antelopes In Central Asia

CC News Letter 30 May - Massive Die-Out Of Saiga Antelopes In Central Asia
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 US Economy Contracted In First Quarter
By Andre Damon

http://www.countercurrents.org/damon300515.htm

The US economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in the first three months of this year, the Commerce Department said Friday. The new figures mark a sharp downward revision compared with the already anemic 0.2 percent first-quarter growth rate estimated by the Commerce Department in April, and an even bigger slide from the previous quarter, which saw a growth of 2.2 percent

Massive Die-Out Of Saiga Antelopes In Central Asia
By Marianne de Nazareth

http://www.countercurrents.org/saiga300515.htm

It's a shocking number, for those who are concerned about species loss. News is out that more than 120,000 saiga antelope, a mind boggling figure, have been confirmed dead in central Kazakhstan, representing more than a third of the global population. This is a major blow for conservation efforts, given that saigas have in the past ten years, only just started to recover from a global population size of less than 50,000 animals following a 95% crash in numbers


Let's End Chronic Hunger
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram

http://www.countercurrents.org/sundaram300515.htm

The latest State of World Food Insecurity (SOFI) report for 2015 by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme and International Fund for Agricultural Development estimates almost 795 million people — one in nine people worldwide — remain chronically hungry


Oil Giants Brush Up Climate Credentials Ahead Of Paris Summit
By Ed King

http://www.countercurrents.org/king300515.htm

Eight of the world's top oil and gas producers have offered an intriguing glimpse into a future of rusting oil rigs and gleaming solar panels. A vision of old and new energy sources, on what looks like a dried out seabed, dominate the front page of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) website, a project launched by BG Group, BP, Eni, Pemex, Saudi Aramco, Shell, Sinopec and Total


13 Giants Control 40% Of World's Most Valuable Fisheries
But Don't Assume Responsibility Of Marine Ecosystems
By Countercurrents.org

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc300515A.htm

Just thirteen giant corporations control 19-40% of the largest and most valuable stocks and 11-16% of the global marine catch, finds a new research. This handful of corporations represents 0.5% of 2250 registered fishing and aquaculture companies worldwide


Where Would Jesus Live?
By David Swanson

http://www.countercurrents.org/swanson300515.htm

If Jesus lived in Galilee in recent decades he would live in a world alive with Palestinian traditions clinging to a long-rooted history but struggling through the aftermath of the never-ended ethnic-cleansing operation that spiked in 1948


ISIS Is The Child Of Chaos, Not Religion
By Justin Podur

http://www.countercurrents.org/podur300515.htm

What explains the shocking, video-recorded horrors of ISIS? The right-wing New Atheists look for passages in scriptures that are used to justify the crimes; the criminals themselves claim to be acting in the name of religion. But people who genuinely want to understand would do better to look to other parts of the world where long-running conflicts have led to social collapse


Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: Modern American Revolutionary Book Review
By Staughton Lynd

http://www.countercurrents.org/lynd300515.htm

A number of radical women who espoused anarchism or anarcho-syndicalism when they were young were drawn in later life to uncritical support of international Communism. Alexandra Kollontai, Lucy Parsons, and Dolores Ibarruri ("La Pasionaria") come to mind. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn can be described in the same way. The "rebel girl" celebrated by Joe Hill's song, who was the most conspicuous woman among the prominent personalities of the IWW, became a member of the United States Communist Party in 1937 and supported it publicly until her death


Terror Birds or Terror Beings?
By Mickey Z.

http://www.countercurrents.org/mickeyz300515.htm

Terror bird? Tell that to the 23 million chickens killed in the United States for food (sic) every single day. That's 269 dead chickens per second -- brutally slaughtered after a short, nightmarish life imposed upon them by a taxpayer subsidized industry responsible for systematically destroying our landbase and threatening all life on earth. To the vast majority of inhabitants of this planet, we are terror beings


Poets' Talk
With Gary Corseri and José M. Tirado

http://www.countercurrents.org/corseri300515.htm

A conversation between American writer Gary Corseri and Puertorican poet and political writer José M. Tirado


Discrimination In Employment Against Muslims In India
By Abdul Majid Zargar

http://www.countercurrents.org/zargar300515.htm

The denial of Job to a Muslim MBA graduate by a leading Indian Diamond export firm has created some ripples in the Indian media & political class .What is interesting to note is that the operations of this firm are spread over to seventy five countries in the world and earns more than 50% of its profits from Muslim Countries but is not inclined to employ a Muslim. The discrimination against Muslims in the so-called secular India is nothing new to warrant any surprise. It has always been a blot on India's much touted secular record since inception


The Cancerous Faces of Indian Tobacco
By Sazzad Hussain

http://www.countercurrents.org/hussain300515.htm

Supreme Court of India banned sale of tobacco products in plastic pouches from 1st March 2011. It also asked for the alternative material for packaging them. Some abortive attempts by authorities at the district level failed to succeed because of non-cooperation by the public in not using the plastic/polythene bags. Similarly there should be a ban on printing of photos of Indian men on the tobacco products. Public awareness is the key in addressing this duel challenge of tobacco and the sale of its products in plastic


Will Countries 'Walk The Talk' To End The Tobacco Epidemic?
By Bobby Ramakant

http://www.countercurrents.org/ramakant300515.htm

Despite unprecedented pressure from tobacco industry to delay, dilute or thwart progress on a range of tobacco control measures globally, considerable achievements have been made by governments over the past years to protect public health. The global tobacco treaty, which was the first corporate-accountability and public health internationally binding treaty of the World Health Organization (WHO), is one major leap forward to move the world towards ending game of tobacco