Colombo, July 12 (NewsWire) – Ms. India Inc, the esteemed beauty pageant celebrating the essence of womanhood, is all set to unveil its highly anticipated Season 4. This year promises to be a truly remarkable and international affair, as the grand finale will take place in the captivating island nation of Sri Lanka. It will be the first time in the history of Mrs. India Inc that the prestigious event will be held on an international stage.
With an impressive participation of 75 contestants from various parts of India and across the globe, Season 4 of Mrs. India Inc is expected to be the most diverse and enthralling edition yet. The pageant has attracted talented individuals from different countries, making it a truly global celebration of beauty, grace, and cultural diversity.
The highly anticipated finale week of Mrs. India Inc Season 4 is set to take place from July 13th to July 19th, offering a captivating schedule filled with exhilarating events and experiences. The week-long extravaganza will commence with a grand opening ceremony, where the contestants will be introduced to the audience in a stunning display of grace and elegance. Following the ceremony, a series of rigorous training sessions, workshops, and rehearsals will be conducted to polish the contestants’ skills and enhance their confidence. Throughout the week, the contestants will have the privilege of exploring the picturesque beauty of Sri Lanka, immersing themselves in the vibrant local culture, and creating cherished memories.
The grand finale of Mrs. India Inc Season 4 will be held at the iconic Nelum Pokuna, a world-class venue known for hosting magnificent events. The contestants will have the privilege of staying at the luxurious Cinnamon Grand Resort, one of the finest hospitality destination of Sri Lanka, ensuring their utmost comfort and convenience throughout the event.
To ensure a fair and unbiased selection, a distinguished panel of judges has been assembled, consisting of renowned personalities from various domains. The esteemed judges include: Malaika Arora, Dino Morea, S. Sreesanth, Cherag Bambbot & Bhawna Rao. Adding an extra touch of glamour and entertainment, the renowned performer Yohani will grace the stage with a special performance that is sure to captivate the audience.
The crowning moment of Mrs. India Inc Season 4 will be nothing short of spectacular, as the winners are set to be crowned and sashed by an esteemed panel of reigning queens. Adding an extra touch of glamour and prestige to the event, the reigning queens include the remarkable Capt. Chahat Dalal, who holds the title of Mrs. Galaxy, the charismatic Mrs. Juhi Vyas, who earned the coveted Mrs. Globe People’s Choice title, and the stunning Mrs. Zoya Sheikh, who secured the impressive position of Mrs. Universe 3rd Runner-up. These exceptional women embody grace, beauty, and accomplishments, serving as an inspiration for the contestants vying for the prestigious Mrs. India Inc crown. With their regal presence and firsthand knowledge of the pageant world, the reigning queens will bestow honor upon the deserving winners, making the crowning moment an unforgettable highlight of Mrs. India Inc Season 4.
Mrs. India Inc Season 4 has partnered with several esteemed organizations to create an unparalleled experience for its participants and attendees. The luxury hospitality partners, Cinnamon hotels, will ensure an unforgettable stay for the contestants. The travel alliance partner- Visit my city, will contribute to making the journey in Sri Lanka seamless and delightful. The luxury couture partner, Bhawna Rao, will bring forth her exceptional designs to accentuate the beauty and elegance of the contestants. Rotaract District 3220 joins as the youth partner, emphasizing the importance of empowerment and social responsibility.
Mohini Sharma, the National Director of Mrs. India Inc stated We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Season 4 of Mrs. India Inc, which promises to be an extraordinary journey like never before. Taking our pageant to the international stage in Sri Lanka is a momentous step for us, showcasing the talent and beauty of women from around the world. We look forward to a truly diverse and captivating event, Mrs. India Inc Season 4 will undoubtedly be a celebration of elegance, empowerment, and global unity between India & Sri Lanka”
Echoing similar sentiments, Area Vice President, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Colombo, Kamal Munasinghe noted, Sri Lanka is at a point where our tourism industry is set to broaden its horizons and step into new avenues. One of the key areas is presenting our island nation as a destination for international events in the calibre of beauty pageants, large outdoor and indoor musical and sporting events, and gatherings of world bodies. Cinnamon is indeed proud to be associated with the Mrs.India Inc., brand as they themselves take the brand global and venture out of the sub-Continent.”
Mrs. India Inc Season 4 promises to be a spectacular celebration of beauty, talent, and diversity, bringing together participants from around the world. This prestigious event will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the global pageant landscape.
Colombo, July 12: An enduring feature of tourism in Sri Lanka has been the Westerners’ fascination with the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR). Foreigners go into raptures over SLR’s old-world carriages, its quaint British-era stations and its scenic routes. The journey into the past, which is what a journey on SLR is, kindles nostalgia among seniors and is an altogether new experience for young backpackers.
Indeed, there is much that is charming about the SLR. But it also has glaring flaws, that might lead to irredeemable decay if not corrected now. Currently, the SLR is a museum piece but it cannot be one forever. It is badly in need of modernization both to survive and to play a meaningful role in developing Sri Lanka.
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The lack of modernization has had a telling effect on the financial health and technical competence of the SLR. Not a day passes without a derailment or the cancellation of some service.
Johan Georget, a transport specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which is funding modernization, sums up the state of the SLR succinctly and fairly. He says: Sri Lanka Railways was established in 1858, but has received comparatively limited investments since the 1970s. Consequently, the sector still operates very manually, and in many aspects, SLR can be considered as a heritage railway.”
With this perspective, the work of SLR employees is truly admirable in managing to successfully operate and maintain the railway network every day, with generally old equipment and limited funds, in a tropical climate that is harsh on the infrastructure.”
The lack of funds combined with the absence of meaningful initiatives on the part of successive governments, has resulted in a very poor exploitation of SLR’s potential.
The SLR accounts for only 6% of the passenger traffic and 0.7% of the freight in the island. In its early years, when it was primarily a freight carrier and the lorry revolution had not taken place, the Ceylon Government Railways (as SLR was then known) accounted for 35% of passenger traffic and 80% of the goods traffic.
Lorries started being used for ferrying goods when the limitations on lorry transport were lifted in 1951. As a result, railway development stalled, says GWS Sisira Kumara, a top SLR official, in his paper in the Economic Review dated August-September 2011. Sisira Kumara argues that Lankan governments should have given priority to rail transport because it is cheaper than road transport.
He puts it this way: A train consumes 200 litres of fuel for a 50 km journey, while the bus needs 10 litres for a 50 km journey. But to transport 1800 passengers, 30 buses and 300 litres of fuel will be required. The manpower required for running the buses will be 60 while the train will require only four. The 300 trains in the SLR are equivalent to 9000 buses.” Trains are also environment friendly while buses pollute the atmosphere.
However, traders and passengers preferred road transport because this had a wider reach. And being under private ownership, unlike the SLR, road transport operators were flexible. As a result, the SLR became progressively weak financially.
Ravi Ratnasabapathy of the Advocata Institute says that the SLR has been losing money since 1947. The expenditure of the railways exceeded costs by 10% in 1950. But by 1968, this had grown to 52.4%. The wages policy of the government and the policy limitations imposed by the government in the pricing of passenger and goods transport were factors that contributed to this situation. This has not changed much. In 2016 costs exceeded revenues by 49.4%,” he says.
Successive governments have kept passenger fares low as social welfare became the dominant creed in the mid-1950s.
Fares per km range from 50 cents to a maximum of Rs.2.00 for 2nd and 3rd class travel. 1st class fares range from Rs.1.60-3.60 per km. Revenue does not cover even salaries. Salaries exceeded revenues by 31.89% in 2016. Based on the current operating and cost structure fares would need to double just to meet recurring expenses,” Ratnasabapathy points out.
The SLR has huge assets, but these are idling. Lease arrears not collected amounted to Rs.1.8 bn at the end of 2016. The Auditor General noted that lands of about 12,000 acres belonging to the SLR had remained idle for about 150 years without being given on lease or being utilized, Ratnasabapathy points out.
The perpetual financial crunch has badly affected the maintenance, renewal and development of the rolling stock and other technical facilities. According to the Transport Ministry, 65% of the rolling stock is over 30-35 years old. Because of technical difficulties, only 42% of the trains run on time.
Due to bad rolling stock and inadequate facilities, accidents are frequent. Sunday Times said that almost 200 people died in train-related accidents in 2022. The statistics covered deaths due to crossing rail tracks, suicide, and collision at level crossings. More than 400 suffered minor to severe injuries. Daily Mirror reported that there were 117 derailments in 2022, up from 111 in 2021. And in the first of 2023 itself, there had been 54 derailments.
ADB’s Help
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a US$ 160 million loan to modernize the operations and improve the efficiency of the SLR. The ADB’s project would: (I) improve the operational efficiency of the railway network by addressing key operating bottlenecks with the modernization of the telecommunications, ticketing, operations headquarter, and train control center systems; (ii) upgrade the railway workshop at Ratmalana, and procure rolling stock and track maintenance equipment; (iii) improve railway safety mainly through the construction of housing blocks to support the future resettlement of encroachers, and the improvement of Colombo Fort and Maradana stations; and (iv) upgrade the Sri Lanka German Railway Technical Training Center (SLGRTTC); and (v) support project implementation capacity and readiness, notably for the future modernization of the Kelani Valley line and other suburban lines.
Be that as it may, the SLR, on its own, should take certain steps, Ratnasabapathy says. He recommends the adjustment of fares and tariffs to better reflect costs and improved services; leasing of more real estate and advertising space at market prices, and partnering with the private sector to provide freight and ancillary services such as catering, courier, real estate management. Even maintenance of toilets could be privatized.
The SLR currently partners with the private sector to provide a luxury carriage on selected routes. But this could be expanded to provide additional services at peak times to cater to office commuters, Ratnasabapathy says. Idle lands could be redeveloped in partnership with private developers. Stations could be used to accommodate shops and restaurants. The SLR should cease to be a drain on the Treasury”.
But fair play must be ensured in privatization, he insists. There should be competitive public tendering. The public should be informed about the arguments for contracting a public-private partnership, the scope and terms of the contract, and its estimated value so that the public are assured that things are above board.
Some PPP contracts can be extremely complex and public officials may be overwhelmed. Capacity building within the public sector in this area is essential. Setting up an independent PPP advisory unit within the government, staffed by competent people, is advisable. Judicious use of external advisors may be necessary, depending on the nature of the contract. Above all, there should be post-implementation monitoring to ensure that value is delivered,” Ratnasabapathy says.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has deplored the burning of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Sweden amidst Eid al-Adha celebrations two weeks ago, deeming it a violation of the freedom of worship”.
On June 28, an Iraqi named Salwan Momika, who is said to be living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam’s sacred text outside the central mosque in Stockholm, sparking anger among Muslims across the world.
Swedish police had initially granted permission for the protest to take place, but the demonstrator was later charged with agitation against an ethnic or national group.
Speaking in this regard at the inauguration of a new court complex, the Sri Lankan Head of State urged the Western nations to respect the value system of the Global South – the countries around the world that are traditionally described as developing, less developed, or underdeveloped,
He also called on the leaders of Western nations to refrain from allowing disturbances under the pretext of freedom of expression.
The construction of the said court complex began on September 10, 2018, following a Cabinet decision made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his tenure as Prime Minister, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.
Accordingly, its purpose is to provide the people of Ratnapura district with a centralized location for their court-related matters.
Despite the challenging economic situation, the construction of this new court complex was completed by minimizing non-essential expenses and focusing solely on essential elements, with the total expenditure for the project amounting to Rs. 1,500 million.
This four-story building complex is fully equipped with all the necessary facilities for a judicial center. It includes two High Courts, a Civil Appellate High Court, two District Courts, two Magistrate Courts, a Legal Aid Center, and a Community Corrections Office.
Expressing his views further President Wickremesinghe said; During the commencement of this event, as I was introduced, I proudly announced that I, in my capacity as the Prime Minister, had put forth the proposal to the Cabinet for the construction of this court complex. As you witness the magnificence of this court complex today, it is evident that it stands as a testament to our commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Reflecting on my visit to this area in 1977, I was reminded of the absence of a well-developed road network. However, thanks to the efforts of Minister Nanda Mathew and Mr. Kularatne, these roads were constructed, leading to the area’s progress and development.
Today, as we observe this remarkable building complex, it serves as a symbol of our dedication to establishing a strong foundation for the rule of law in our country.
According to our country’s constitution, the principles of people’s sovereignty and the rule of law are intrinsically intertwined, leaving no room for deviation.
It is imperative that everyone lends their support to these fundamental principles. As highlighted by the Chief Justice, our judicial system boasts a rich history of over 200 years, making Sri Lanka home to the oldest legal system in Asia.
Today, thanks to this impressive complex of buildings, the public enjoys great convenience. However, as our Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice have pointed out, the issue of delays in legal proceedings has become a significant problem.
Swift resolutions must be found to address this matter, as a nation cannot progress if there are delays in the administration of justice.
The challenges posed by legal delays are not limited to the general public; even investors encounter various problems. While I won’t delve into this at length, we presented several solutions during the Bar Association meeting held in Nuwara Eliya.
To tackle this issue, a comprehensive discussion has taken place among various stakeholders, including the Chief Justice, relevant government ministers, judges representing the Chief Justice, President of the Court of Appeal, High Courts, and District Magistrate Courts, as well as members of parliament from the ruling party and the opposition, representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, and the Bar Association.
This collaborative effort instils hope, recognizing that this is a long-term problem that cannot be resolved by one group blaming another.
Additionally, our laws must undergo reform. Some laws have remained unchanged for as long as the courts themselves.
The Police Ordinance, for example, has remained unaltered for 175 years. Our Justice Minister is particularly focused on addressing this issue. In the past, new laws were enacted every six months, but now we are witnessing frequent introductions of new legislation.
It is anticipated that, by the end of this year, Parliament will need to convene for three weeks instead of the usual two in order to pass these laws.
Today, the religious activities of this festival commenced with utmost devotion. This signifies not only the religious fervour within our country but also highlights the protection of religious freedom as a fundamental right.
Currently, the entire notion of the right to practice religion is facing challenges, and it is my hope that the Human Rights Council will reach a decision on this matter by next Thursday.
Towards the end of last month, Salwan Momika sought permission from the court to burn the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden. Despite the police refusing permission, the Supreme Court Administrative Court ruled that it falls within the realm of the right to freedom of expression.
In this instance, the police acted based on the right to practice religion, while the Supreme Court asserted the right to express opinions. The burning of the Holy Quran triggered significant uproar in the area, impacting Sweden as well as numerous other nations.
The act was universally condemned, with even Israel expressing that such actions should not take place. It was emphasized that the Quran is a sacred book that pertains to the God of Abraham, and therefore, it should be treated with utmost respect.
Sweden has unequivocally stated that burning the Holy Quran is an repulsive and disrespectful act, amounting to incitement. However, they subsequently emphasized the importance of constitutionally protecting freedom of expression and the right to assembly.
In response to this standpoint, certain Western governments have argued that this act falls within the realm of freedom of expression.
Consequently, Pakistan has taken the matter to the Geneva Human Rights Council, submitting a proposal that deems it a violation of international law. A meeting has been scheduled in Geneva on Thursday the 13th to address this issue.
The central question at hand is whether this act constitutes a violation of freedom of religion or falls under the umbrella of freedom of expression.
While we all perceive it as an assault on religion, some Western countries aim to broaden the concept of expression in order to alleviate the existing confusion. Nonetheless, not everything can be encompassed by freedom of expression, and there should be limits.
Several international non-governmental organizations argue that if this proposal is approved, it would be a setback for Western countries. It is essential to note that this issue transcends geographical divisions, as it revolves around the right to practice religion.
Personally, while I may not be a follower of Prophet Muhammad, I highly value the Holy Quran as an esteemed book. Similarly, individuals from diverse religious backgrounds can find wisdom and guidance in texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, the Rig-Veda, and others.
Thus, we collectively view this incident as an attack on religion, whereas some Western countries attempt to extend the notion of expression to alleviate the prevailing ambiguity.
According to their perspective, they utilize the right of expression to promote the value system of Western countries, believing that this system should be disseminated worldwide.
Democracy is something we consistently cherish and uphold, and there is no contention on that matter. However, my focus here is solely on this particular event, and I refrain from discussing other topics concerning Sri Lanka.
I acknowledge that we have not fully fulfilled our obligations as per the agreement signed between the Secretary-General of the United Nations and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hence, we have made the determination to fulfil our responsibilities irrespective of our personal viewpoints. We raise the question to the Geneva Human Rights Council: why is there silence on this matter? Why has the commission not issued a statement yet? Why are we waiting for a vote? This issue carries immense significance for all of us, and we must declare which value system we ought to embrace.
While our judiciary draws its authority and sovereignty from the people, as members of the United Nations, we are obligated to adhere to the Declaration of Human Rights. However, the dilemma lies in deciding which value system to follow.
Thus far, we have abided by all the guidelines set forth by the Geneva Human Rights Council. Nevertheless, a problem has arisen, and everything depends on the stance they adopt.
The freedom of belief is inviolable and should not be challenged. Freedom of religion cannot be stripped away by cloaking it under the guise of freedom of expression through alternative interpretations.
The Declaration of Human Rights was conceived when the former President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt affirmed freedom of speech and expression. As he stated, the second freedom is the liberty for individuals to worship God according to their own preferences. However, in the Declaration of Human Rights, this is bifurcated into religion and belief.
Former US President Roosevelt correctly asserted that treating this as a matter of freedom of expression constitutes a blatant violation of an individual’s freedom of religion. If we classify such actions as freedom of expression, it would necessitate rewriting history.
In that case, Adolf Hitler, who burned Jewish books and synagogues, should be celebrated as a Nobel laureate. We must make a definitive choice between the two alternatives.
What course of action will we take?
We await the developments on Thursday. Should this be deemed a matter of expression under external pressure, it will create a distinct division between the powers of the Global South and the Western nations.
Furthermore, if the decision is made to recognize this as a right to believe, clear boundaries must be established regarding the right to express opinions. This pertains to the crucial aspects of freedom of expression and the potential for public harm.
Which path should we follow in this regard? I have inquired with our Foreign Minister whether this issue will be discussed within the Commonwealth. In such discussions, the Minister of Justice and other relevant parties can present their arguments. Initially, I sought to engage in a conversation with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
I firmly believe that the Commonwealth of Nations should assume a leading role in protecting human rights. It should not be monopolized by a single party, leading to its politicization. This right should be safeguarded for the entirety of the people. This is the greatest challenge we face.
The Human Rights Council holds the responsibility to safeguard people’s right to believe and to determine whether limitations should be imposed on the right to express opinions. However, this is just the beginning.
Nonetheless, I believe that the Human Rights Council should respect our own values and the rights of countries in the Global South. I have instructed the Ministry of External Affairs to steadfastly oppose any attempts to alter this course.
As a member of the Commonwealth, we should take the initial step in supporting Pakistan’s proposal.
As the Buddha wisely stated, Treat every religious leader with respect.” That is precisely what we are advocating for. We are actively engaging in discussions on this matter within the Commonwealth.
Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reform, Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe; A year ago, our country was devoid of an effective legal framework. However, following President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s assumption of power, efforts have been made to reinstate the rule of law and restore normalcy to the nation.
Back in 2018, the foundation stone for the construction of this court complex was laid by the former Minister of Justice, Mrs. Thalatha Athukorala. Today, after a span of five years, this court complex has been officially handed over to the people, serving as a symbol of progress.
To combat corruption within the country, the Ministry of Justice has already presented over 30 new bills. This serves as a reminder that we remain committed to establishing a future where adherence to the law is paramount.”
The ceremony was graced by the presence of State Minister of Justice and Prison Affairs, Anuradha Jayaratne, and Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, both of whom delivered addresses.
Joining the event were leaders from the Hindu, Christian, and Islamic faiths, led by Venerable Sripadasthanadhipathi, the Chief Sangha Leader of the Ratnapura District, as well as the Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University, Venerable Bengamuwe Dhammadinna Thera.
Additionally, notable attendees included Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province Navin Dissanayake, Members of Parliament W.D. J. Seneviratne, Thalatha Athukorala, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Gamini Waleboda, Akila Ellawala, Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, and esteemed judges from the High Court, District Court, and Magistrate Court, along with members of the Ratnapura Bar Association.
Every July & November terrorists contest for the best drama award. This year’s theme has been to open a former LTTE welfare” office in Vavuniya and use that to commemorate dead terrorists. Whether these are former rehabilitated terrorists” or terrorists that ran away, sought asylum/refugee status and have now returned, I something for state intel to investigate. If they are rehabilitated”and claim to be former LTTE”, then they cannot be lighting candles for LTTE leaders – Anton Balasingham, Thamilselvan, Sivakumar, Thileepan – what a pity they forgot to put Prabakaran’s photo too. Attending the occasion were the 2 main dramatists TELO leader Selvam Adaikkalanathan & former MP S. Kishore. These commemorations happen quite freely, without any obstruction by law enforcement & not a hum from a government that continues to ban the LTTE as a terrorist organization, well aware that the terrorism coupled with separatism remains very much alive. This type of flirting with terrorism cost not only soldier lives but the lives of innocent civilians as well as the loss of childhood for kidnapped Tamil children turned into child soldiers.
While terrorists are happiliy commemorating their dead, we are supposed to simply watch & continue our lives. We may as well give them some fire crackers and ask them to light these to celebrate all the murders they committed across 3 decades too. It has reached such a pathetic state.
The situation has been brought to such a level primarily due to the hypocrisy and bias of international organizations like the UN and diplomats. While they happily watched LTTE commit suiciding bombings, assassinations & mayhem, their response after each tragedy was to talk to the tigers”. They took no pains to prevent LTTE from committing its crimes. These entities and the diplomatic corps were well aware of the numbers of Tamil children kidnapped from Tamil families and trained as child soldiers and even trained to commit suicide and even after appointing a Tamil as special rapporteur not a single Tamil child was saved from becoming a child soldier. This was so because they had a stake in the LTTE & was using LTTE for not only geopolitical goals but other political objectives as well. Thus, when Sri Lanka eliminated the LTTE ground force, it was a bolt to the investment” by these high powers and they sought revenge & that is what is happening using the UNHRC’s legally questionable resolutions & biased statements and actions.
How many Tamils who chose not to side with the LTTE would have been bumped off – are those lighting candles on 9 July also celebrating these murders too. This list included Amirthalingam who fondly called LTTE as our boys” and LTTE shot him inside his own home. The list also included Lakshman Kadiragamar shot dead inside his own home too. The international community shies from counting the Tamils that LTTE killed and instead is bothered about the LTTE that died in the last phase. Not a single attempt was made by the UN to count the number of Tamils LTTE shot dead trying to escape to safety. These deaths are all being credited to Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces.
This is why the Sri Lankan public must stand by its armed forces who are unfairly being targeted and sanctioned without any evidence or facts of committing any crime whereas enough of evidence against the LTTE are overlooked.
LTTE used Tamil civilians as human shields – UN/International community not bothered
LTTE used Tamil civilians as hostages – UN/International community not bothered
LTTE fired from among Tamil civilians – UN/International community not bothered
LTTE blurred distinction intentionally – UN/International community not bothered
LTTE forbid Tamil civilians to leave for safety– UN/International community not bothered
LTTE denied water & food sent by the Govt to Tamil civilians – UN/International community not bothered
We can go on … none of these have been investigated nor is the UN interested to investigate.
Ironically, the same bias used against Serbia was used against Sri Lanka. That magic figure of 40,000 dead was alleged against Serbia too. Serbian leader Milosevic mysteriously died in prison and over a decade later he was cleared of the crimes he was accused of though he was dead.
Without proving 40,000 died (no dead names/no dead bodies/no skeletons/no police complaints/no habeas corpus cases) how can an international organization or countries like Canada claim genocide” was committed and foolishly even include Genocide Week” in school curriculum.
However, these fairytales continue and as a result decorated military officers are being targeted unfairly and the GoSL and its foreign ministry take no effort to set the story straight and demand answers to unpalatable questions that should be asked. This charade and drama cannot be allowed to continue any longer.
The UNHRC took pains to force a Missing Persons Commission but none of the 40,000 dead had their names logged. Then came compensation for LTTE completely ignoring the victims of LTTE. This was followed by a bogus reconciliation” – what reconciliation with terrorists. Now we are taken up another garden path with a foolish Truth Commission that aims to follow the forgive and forget” restorative justice for LTTE & retribution for the national army that ended terrorism & prevented any more loss of lives. What kind of international justice system are we living in? The world wants to give justice to the terrorists and forgive them & completely ignore the victims while punishing the national army that saved the people.
What can the victims of LTTE really do? The government has shown no interest in putting a LTTE War Crimes Memorial for people to see the crimes LTTE committed since 1980s. The youth of today are only seeing LTTE commemorating LTTE and soon they will even come to think of LTTE as some kind of heroes”.
Not only the Government but civil society, academia and even media have failed – none of them have taken pains to show to the world what LTTE did, in reality most of these entities supported LTTE silently as they were all recipients of foreign funding from sources that covertly supported LTTE.
Should we not demand the Govt to create a LTTE War Crimes Memorial at least now where the victims of the LTTE can place their loved ones for the world to know how LTTE cut short their lives. LTTE victims include Sinhalese, Muslims, Tamils & even foreigners. Justice has to have a place for them too.
The West is in a death spiral. Unable to sustain demographic, military and economic dominance over the rest of the world, the West has resorted to beef up its population with the help of Asians and Africans. A massive push to bring millions of Asians and Africans is underway in many Western nations.
Although it is a temporary fix to economic, ageing population and military challenges, it comes with many costs to the West. The most pressing is its impact on climate change. Carbon emissions are set to rise exponentially in the West as their population increases rapidly.
The West is engaged in over-population while preaching depopulation to the rest of the world! The West is worsening climate change while preaching to contain it to the rest.
The adage, do as they do, not as they say” is again proven correct.
At the same time, the demographics of the West keep changing with Asianization. Asian communities have a higher population growth rate than their existing majority communities. Added to this, people of African origin are also on the rise in Europe.
Within a generation’s time Asians and Africans will outnumber the current majority populations in the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand. Australia, France and a few European countries will come close. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland will also see major demographic changes as they have a very small population, very low population growth rates and generous welfare economies.
What is even more pertinent is the Asian domination of their economy, way above their population percentage, in the next couple of decades to come.
All these countries are set to continue as democracies to the foreseeable future which means Asian and African origin people there will be the kingmakers at elections. National policy will change. National values will change. Instead of Western policies of selling and imposing democracy down the throats of other nations, Western policy will change to accommodate other forms of governance and work with them. Instead of trying to dominate the world militarily, the West will give military spending a low priority in favour of more spending in education, healthcare, aged care, donations to Asian and African countries, technology, local investments and peace building.
Diversity will also lead to ethnic and religious intolerance, riots and violence in Western nations. It must be noted that all Western nations achieved developed status either through the genocide and suppression of minorities or by remaining mono-ethnic nations. Diversity was accepted only after they achieved developed status and that too was carefully planned and managed until recently. The Western economic model has not worked without these brutal initiatives. Russia is also set to suffer the same fate as it has a declining population and increasing diversity.
The West remains threatening only until these changes take effect within the next two to three decades. As astronomy has it, a dying star emits most light just before its death. The West is reaching all corners of the world for military domination ahead of its eventual decline from within.
Nations of the global south must not rush to join wars of the West (and the East) and hold their ground for another quarter of a century when the West will collapse internally and be seen as a friend than a foe, driven by dominant Asian and African values. The Old World is set to conquer the New World silently but firmly.
– Pablo Neruda, Document #35: United Fruit Co, Canto General, 1950
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‘At President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s reception for the diplomatic community at his Nuwara Eliya official residence last week, US Ambassador Julie Chung: ‘spotted a centuries-old telephone system at the residence and pretended to be calling President Joe Biden. Given the age of the telephone system, President Wickremesinghe laughingly said the Ambassador’s call might be answered by John Foster Dulles, who served as US Secretary of State in the 1950s.’ – see ee Sovereignty, US envoy’s trunk call to Biden: Ranil diverts it to Foster Dulles
‘According to US State Department papers released recently,
US State Secretary Foster Dulles had spent $5 million
to defeat [SWRD] Bandaranaike at the elections in 1956.
Bandaranaike was assassinated in 1959.
That the hidden hand of theCIA was behind this
assassination came out at the Commission
investigating this assassination. Sirima Bandaranaike
who came to continue the Bandaranaike legacy
had to face a military coup to dislodge her,
by anti-Sinhala & anti-Buddhist elements’
John Foster Dulles’ involvement in the SWRD assassination was recalled by the novelist Gunadasa Amarasekera at the launch of Sena Thoradeniya’s latest book, Galle Face Protest: System Change or Anarchy. (US consul Bernard Anthony Gufler met SWRD Bandaranaike on the very day he was assassinated – see ee 12 October 2019, Exposing the Real Assassins).
Amarasekera went on to note:
‘The Rajapaksas were put in power by the people to carry on this Bandaranaike legacy. With the help of Sinhala nationalist Buddhist forces Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to destroy Prabhakaran and his terrorist outfit. This was an unbearable humiliation for the Western powers (Defence Ministers of England & France flew down to take away Prabhakaran). In 2015 Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated at the elections for which $30mn were spent, as admitted by John Kerry.
In 2019 when the entire Sinhala Buddhist people voted to bring Gotabhaya back to power, it would have been a shock to these Western powers. The only way to prevent a repetition in the future was to alienate the youth who were destined to continue the traditional role as bearers of that civilisation, and also, to get them to despise and disown their inheritance.’ – see ee Sovereignty, Taking the lid off the Golden Bowl.
*
‘In 1948, George Kennan helped craft the infamous
National Security Council Directive 10/2,
which officially authorized the CIA –
with consultation & oversight from the State Department
– to engage in ‘covert operations’ in the fight against the communist menace.
The directive gave the CIA carte blanche to do
whatever was required: everything from economic warfare
to assassinations, sabotage, propaganda, subversion,
and support for armed guerrillas.’
– ee Media, A Portrait of a Soviet CIA Propagandist
• John Foster Dulles was once an attorney for the eponymous United Fruit Company of Neruda’s ode, a company whose role is played out in Sri Lanka by England’s Unilever. John’s brother Allen, also a lawyer, rose to become head of the CIA (1953-61), and is also held responsible for the escalating the US policy of assassinating Asian, African & American leaders. Where there was no ‘communism’, the US would help create a caricature of it.
The CIA’s Allen Dulles and later US National Security Advisor & Ford Foundation President McGeorge Bundy had analysed in 1949 the role of the Marshall Plan in the CIA’s intellectual world war on communism. An annual $200mn of Marshall Plan funds ‘financed the work of anticommunist intellectuals, journalists, union leaders, politicians, and other leading figures in Western Europe’. The ‘classic’ US media campaign with the UFC to overthrow Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala was conducted by General Electric shill Edward Bernays, the so-called ‘father of corporate public relations’, ‘double-nephew’ of the Freuds, and muse of the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.
At the Thoradeniya launch, Amarasekera also noted:
‘Julie Chang is the guiding spirit behind the Aragalaya;
she is really a remarkable woman, an ambassador,
the likes of whom we have never witnessed before.
She not only gives garden parties,
but also advises both Gotabaya Rajapakse
and the Aragalaya protesters. She patronizes the JVP.
She gives hope and succour to the Red Sahodarayas
in their pursuit of the armed struggle, knowing too well
that it would provide an opportunity for Ranil Wickremasinghe
to accede to the fourth request of the CIA chief
to bring in his troops to the country…’
– ee Sovereignty, Taking the lid off the Golden Bowl
*
There is no surprise therefore at the news that the US government’s envoys were involved in the bribing (‘threats & incentives’) of Sri Lanka Telecom to sabotage a bid by a more capable China to build oceanic internet cables. And it turns out that all cables lead to Washington via another giant blob sucking on the eyes, ears and other orifices of this world – the Texan multinational AT&T, which claims lineage all the way back to Alexander Graham Bell.
‘On the sweetener side, the US Trade & Development Agency (USTDA)
told Reuters it offered training grants valued at a total of $3.8mn
to 5 telecom companies in countries on the cable’s route in return
for them choosing SubCom as the supplier. Telecom Egypt & Network i2i,
a company owned by India’s Bharti Airtel, got $1mn apiece…
Djibouti Telecom, Sri Lanka Telecom & Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun
of the Maldives each received $600,000.’ (see ee Focus)
• ee is unclear why Thomson-Reuters has chosen to supposedly ‘expose’ these ‘threats & incentives’ – perhaps to imbue a cachet of intrigue, their articles are peppered with ‘No Comment’ by almost everyone from officials in the US government to those from Alphabet’s Google, Amazon, Microsoft & Meta. The lesson Thomson–Reuters – itself very much part of the US’ military strategy – wishes to teach us, is that the US will visit war, chaos & other economic sanctions on any country that dares not do its will.
‘General, your tank is a powerful vehicle
It smashes down forests and crushes 100 men.
But it has one defect:
It needs a driver.
General, your bomber is powerful.
It flies faster than a storm and carries more than an elephant.
But it has one defect:
It needs a mechanic.
General, man is very useful.
He can fly and he can kill.
But he has one defect:
He can think.’
– Bertolt Brecht
As the hype around AI & ChatGPT reveals, the US simply cannot deliver – all it does like that famous dog who does not eat hay but refuses to let others who do, do so – that dog in a manger – is to bark create chaos and prevent others from getting on in this world. This ee therefore demystifies the torrential hype around AI, ChatGPT etc, as well as the USA’s inability to compete on what even they call a ‘level playing field’.
This ee also looks at the accusations of unfair industrial practices made against China. It turns out that the USA is accusing China of doing exactly what they and Europe themselves have done (and still do) to develop their own countries.
*
‘India has been engaged in licensed manufacture
of Soviet/Russian, French and English aircraft and engines for many decades,
but knows this cannot be considered a technology transfer
which involves not merely manufacturing but also design-development.
– ee Random Notes, US-India Drone, Jet Engine Deals Impact Indigenous Development
*
• How unique is China’s industrial policy strategy? US President Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address called attention to the USA’s powerful military-industrial complex ‘as the linchpin of far-flung US efforts at state-sponsored, taxpayer-funded innovation’. The US’ massive military budget developed many major US technological advances, such as the internet, the global positioning system (GPS), semiconductors, etc. Japan’s ‘plan rational development state’, had their Ministry of International Trade & Industry perfect the art of ‘state-subsidized credit allocation & tariffs to protect Japan’s sunrise industries’.
Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder hadstrong state support for the Mittelstand of small & medium-size enterprises. Their recent Industrie 4.0 (2013) compares to China’s Internet Plus plan. France’s famed model of ‘indicative planning’, dates back to President Charles de Gaulle’s 5th Plan of 1966-70, with its ‘fusion of economic & political power’ that merged the French industrial system with the state… The attack on China turns out to be an attack on and a warning to any country that makes its own plans for modern industry-based independence (see ee Focus).
In Sri Lanka, the English media almost with one voice demands the destruction of a strong state. Discussion of what modern industrialization really is – is not allowed…
Sri Lanka does not possess an abundance of physical resources for large-scale industrial development but is blessed with ample human resources. It is on this comparative advantage that the country has to develop its economy. Education is the driving force with which the optimal benefit could be derived from this rare advantage and is the key to developing competitiveness and excellence. High-performing countries in the Far East considered relevant education as the foundation of economic development and social advancement. They focused on developing human capital in science and technology and vocational skills as they are pivotal to economic development. Taiwan and South Korea were both agricultural economies like Sri Lanka in early 1980 with low per capita earnings.
Taiwan is an Island smaller than Sri Lanka with a similar population. Before the 1980s it was a predominantly agricultural economy. Today it is a high-tech powerhouse leading the world in a number of high-tech industries. It has a per capita income of 36, 000 dollars. At the beginning of the 1980s, Taiwan increased the ratio for senior vocational schools and general high school to 7:3. By 2012 there were 155 senior vocational schools, 14 junior colleges, and 77 universities/colleges of science & technology, totaling 246. It is the education system that has sustained the significant development of this small nation.
In just a few decades, South Korea has transformed itself from an underdeveloped nation to an industrialized country exporting high-technology products (Domjahn 2013, p. 16). Much of this development has been attributed to improvements in the country’s education system. Various South Korean and international scholars (Ellinger and Beckham 1997; Han 1994; Kim 2000) have credited the nation’s economic success to an efficient education system that provides the quality workforce necessary for economic expansion. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284831895
In both these countries Education policies are aligned with market needs. In Taiwan education policy is geared to future needs as well. Taiwan goes to the extent of identifying emerging technologies and adopt policies and systems to meet the human capital needs to serve those technologies. There is strong orientation among South Korea’s growth strategy, labor market needs, and education policies. Every 5 years, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology updates and improves the national curriculum, taking into account changes in the economic and national conditions (Severin and Capota 2011,)
In Sri Lanka the 1944 the Kannangara education reform was a landmark event in education policy in the country. It was radical and futuristic. Other than ‘free education from preschool to University ‘ Kannangara Committee proposed: –
Establishing three types of schools – Secondary, Senior, and Practical Schools,
Introducing Vernacular medium of instruction at Primary level and bilingual or English,
Medium schools for Junior Secondary level and English schools for Senior Secondary and higher education.
The Committee believed that although the educational system should be closely related to the present needs and conditions it has also to be planned with due regard to all possible lines which future development is likely to take. The development of education must not only keep pace with a country’s advance but should definitely contribute to accelerating the pace of the advance.”
But in the implementation and subsequent years the need for education policy to be attuned to future needs was ignored. The concept of Practical Schools was not pursued seriously. It was limited to Farm Schools and Technical colleges. Even one of the prominent members of the Committee Sir Ivor Jennings had doubts about the country needing large number ie. 15 % of Schools leavers every year with commercial and technical qualifications. He did not see no evidence that the Island is likely to be able to absorb even half that number.
The result was that the SL school education system became ‘tutories’ preparing students for examinations based on the British system. The Universities too concentrated on general education producing large number of unemployable graduates. The proposal of Kannangara Committee for English schools for Senior Secondary and higher education was submerged with the diehard stance of Sinhala only. It is satisfying to note that a new policy decision has been made to introduce English as a subject from Grade one. It is also necessary that higher education is in English. The ‘Kauwa” should be restored to benefit from the global development of information technology and other technologies like AI.
An attempt to introduce an element of practical education in the form of the NCGE for School leavers during the government of Mrs. Bandaranayake was scrapped by the next government falling back on the SSC. While SL deliberately ignored technical education with independence India established in 1950 five Institutes of Technology (IITs) in the main States of the country. These IITs were modeled on the best example of higher technical education from Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The have been the cutting edge of technology development in India and are highly recognized internationally. Many of the CEOs of leading high-tech firms Google, Infosys and IBM are alumni of the Indian IIts. It is high time that SL establishes an Institute of Technology in collaboration with one of the Indian IITs.
An education policy not aligned with technology and industrial policies of the country would be irrelevant, unimportant and an expensive luxury. It creates more problems of unemployment, dissatisfaction and social disharmony than positive outcomes. It is not surprising that there is no coherence among these policies as Sri Lanka does not have an Industrial Policy or a Technology Policy. An integrated policy package of these three vital policies is the vital need of SL at this moment.
I remember the times of RP when garment factories were built in rural areas
The progress of each factory was monitored by the president himself with a few super secretaries. Ministers were given marching orders if things go wrong
There was an incident when an Investor who was waiting to get a power supply to his factory complained about the delays during the progress meeting, President was looking for the CEB chairman who was absent
He was contacted over the phone by RP and firmly told him that the president himself will be attending the opening ceremony and requested him to provide power
Pronto – next day power was given to start the factory employing over 200 villages lasses
In January 2023 I requested permission to establish a yacht repair facilitation yard in down south.
It has taken four months and full permission has not been granted
Who do I complain to?
Ease of doing business forum with , CECM etc are nonexistent
As a director in CEA . I lamented about the delays by officers in completing EIA and gave advice to submit reports every month providing reasons for any delay
Anyone is welcome to write to me direct so that I personally intervene to help the projects ( with no hidden costs !)
One investor who wants to do a solar power project has to pay 100 m to carry out an EIA !
Our own consultants may be conniving
God knows ?
A prerequisite to attract FDI is to ease bureaucratic rules and take action to appoint a super team under the president to follow up and help investors
An Iraqi refugee named Salwan Momika publicly burned the Quran in front of the central mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, on the last Eid al-Adha. A few days ago, an anti-immigration and anti-Islam extremist organization called Stram Kurs burned the Quran in Malamo, Sweden. This heinous act was led by a fanatic named Rasmus Paludan. This hard right-wing organization has announced to burn the Quran in the future as well. We strongly condemn this reprehensible act in the name of freedom of expression. Demonstrators are protesting on the streets of Muslim countries in protest against this incident.
In January 2015, 17 people, including journalists, were shot dead by Islamist gunmen at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and other places in protest of drawing satirical cartoons about Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Millions of people across the western world took to the streets to protest the killings with the conviction to uphold the freedom of media and speech’. Most unfortunate – after the brutal murder, the newspaper again drew satirical cartoons on Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). On February 10 of the same year, 3 Muslim members of the same family were shot dead in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Only being Muslim was their crime. But this tragic incident did not get any publicity in the western world.
This article is written in the context of the unpleasant and unwanted incident of Quran burning in Sweden. Westerners take great pride in Western media and freedom of speech. But the purpose of my writing is to highlight the misconceptions and blind beliefs that many of us have about Western media and freedom of speech.
Professor Annamarie Schimmel was born in Germany in 1922 and died in 2003. He was the world’s undisputed scholar on Islamic mysticism (the belief that knowledge and real truth about creation can be gained through meditation or spiritual insight without mind and senses, and Islamic teachings on the subject), or Islamic mysticism in short. He wrote book ‘The Mystical Dimension of Islam’. He was nominated for the ‘German Book Peace Award’ in 1995 in recognition of his 50 years of scholarship. Dr. After the announcement of Schimmel’s prestigious award, numerous intellectuals in Germany began to express anger and rage. Hundreds of writers, teachers, publishers and booksellers. A written request was made to the German Book Publishers Association not to award Schimmel this prestigious award. Even some members of parliament in Germany through strong protest. Called the award of the ‘German Book Peace Award’ to Schimmel a farce. The President of Germany usually presents the award to the recipient. The German president was put under intense pressure from various quarters to prevent him from awarding the award.
Why did so many people of such a high standard in Germany get mad at him after so many extraordinary achievements and achievements in education, literature and other matters? He said Salman Rushdie’s book ‘The Satanic Verses’ has hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Muslims. What Salman Rushdie wrote in his book is like hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims. Schimmel’s inexcusable and intolerable fallacies are thought by his opponents to be logically valid. These German intellectuals mentioned in their written letter, Dr. Schimmel criticizes Salman Rushdie’s book and gives moral support to reactionary and bigoted Muslims, which is unacceptable. Dr. Salman Rushdie’s death sentence announcement. Although Schimmel never supported him, the outrage and anger towards him did not abate. The good news is that the German president, despite all this. did not disapprove of awarding Schimmel but also announced a speech in his honor at the award ceremony. He termed the agitators as ‘believers in the theory of conflict between civilizations’. In his speech, the German President stressed the importance of understanding and dialogue with Muslim civilizations. Later Dr. Schimmel was asked, is it true that you claim to be 50 percent Muslim? To say that would certainly be an understatement, he replied. I love Muslim civilization and always speak for it, especially in the context of today’s world.
Dear reader, consider whether to speak for the feelings of Muslims or come forward in favor of them. Was Schimmel’s crime serious? Why would it be considered so unacceptable in today’s world if Muslims express anger and outrage over the desecration and burning of their holy scriptures and the insulting of their beloved Prophet’s wives? Intentional hatred against Islam and hurting religious sentiments has recently appeared as a form of inaction in many Western countries.
World renowned British journalist Robert Fisk made a documentary film titled ‘Roots of Muslim Anger’. In this film, it is shown that the reason behind the dissatisfaction of Muslims against the West is the unconditional support of the West towards Israel’s injustice, tyranny, oppression and torture. Robert Fisk was awarded the ‘British Press Award’ as an objective foreign correspondent. Noam Chomsky is a famous American intellectual. The New York Times called him a ‘living legendary intellectual’. But such a scholar is never invited by the US media for discussion. Because his views or opinions always upset and unsettle the American elite. So where is the freedom of speech of a famous intellectual like Noam Chomsky?
In 1991, an American expert speaker at a seminar organized by German National Democratic Party leader Guenter Descartes claimed that the gassing of Jews at Auschwitz never took place. Descartes was severely punished by being accused of organizing a seminar that incited racist hatred. Descartes was tried again in March 1994. At that trial, Descartes was sentenced to a year in prison, with his previous sentence reduced. Many judges strongly criticized the judge concerned for reducing the sentence. The Federal Court of Justice overturned the lighter sentence and ordered a retrial of Descartes. There is a lot of anger among the people because of such frequent proceedings. Then came the explanation in the law. In 1994, the Constitutional Court declared that freedom of speech to deny genocide or destruction was not protected. The German parliament later passed a five-year prison sentence for Holocaust denial. Many more examples can be given. But no more examples could be given as space was not available.
It would not be consistent to say that freedom of thought or speech does not exist in the Western world. To come to such a conclusion would be unfair and untrue. Citizens of Western countries enjoy more freedom of speech than any country or nation in the real sense. The right to protest, demonstration or agitation is constitutionally upheld in those countries, although these protests are not valued or taken seriously these days. At one time, the media of Western countries played or played an important role in exposing the scandals or corruption of powerful politicians and leaders to the public. Who doesn’t know about the Washington Post’s role in exposing President Nixon’s Watergate scandal. But that freedom is not unconditional or infinite. Many people question whether there should be freedom of speech. Must have. But absolute freedom of speech is not acceptable in many cases. Aggressive or hateful speech can in many cases have devastating consequences for individuals, groups or society. Such speech or behavior creates hatred, enmity and division in the society.
One more thing is worth noting. Nowadays Muslims are termed as terrorists or supporters of terrorism in one word. I said in one of my writings, terrorism in general is not a criminal act – terrorism is a political act, which is an adverse reaction to the imperialist, racist and hateful dualism of the West. Leaders and scholars of the western world should know or understand that. I also wrote that as long as the Western countries do not abandon their imperialist, racist and hateful dualism, their distance with Islam and Muslims will not decrease but will continue to increase. But I strongly believe that it is time for Muslims to realize that before they can expect dignified and rational behavior from the West, they must reach their level in intellectual, educational, economic and technological development. Muslims must understand, learn, that besides the abuse of free speech, there is another concept rooted in the Western tradition. And that is ‘double standard’ or double policy. In today’s world, we Muslims are helpless victims of this abuse of freedom of speech and naked dualism of the West. Abuse of western freedom of speech and naked dualism towards Muslims must be stopped
Colombo, July 11: The Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra who is on a short visit to Sri Lanka in preparation for the forthcoming visit of the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India, told the media here on Tuesday, that Wckremesinghe’s visit will be a huge success.”
The Lankan President is assured of a very warm welcome” in New Delhi, Kwatra said
Wickremesinghe is a well-known leader and a very strong supporter of the relationship,” the Indian Foreign Secretary said and added: We have worked and cooperated very well in the last 14-16 months of various challenges that Sri Lanka went through. We eagerly look forward to Excellency the President’s visit to India and making a success both of his visit and our relationship.”
Explaining the purpose of his visit Kwatra said that it was essentially to prepare for the upcoming visit of the President.
My discussions earlier today with the Sri Lankan leadership as also with the Foreign Ministry, were essentially focused on trying to ensure that the upcoming visit of President of Sri Lanka is actually a point of positive transformation in the relationship.”
We also discussed the key areas of partnership, the priorities of the Sri Lankan leadership, the perspective of our (Indian) leadership on the relationship, the strength of the relationship, different elements of cooperation in the relationship, elements of our partnership in the years ahead across the entire matrix of economic partnership that India and Sri Lanka enjoy,” Kwatra said.
Islamabad, July 11: A three-day Gandhara Symposium 2023, titled Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan”, is being held in Islamabad from July 11 to 13.
The Symposium’s organizers include PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism; the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI); and the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over the next three days, the Gandhara Symposium will have an Inaugural and Concluding Session; four Sessions focused on Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan; a Round Table; visits to Taxila and Peshawar Museums; and a cultural evening.
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The Inaugural Session will be addressed by the Honourable President of Pakistan, His Excellency Dr. Arif Alvi, as Chief Guest. Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Minister of State, Chairman of the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism, will be the Guest of Honour. The Concluding Session will be addressed by Senator Talha Mahmood, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs & Inter-Faith Harmony.
The speakers at the Gandhara Symposium will be from Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, and Pakistan. Faith leaders, archaeologists, curators, experts, religious scholars, and academicians will reflect on the richness of Gandhara civilization and the Buddhist Heritage. Prominent stakeholders from Pakistan’s tourism industry will also participate in the Symposium.
The Gandhara civilization flourished in the region which is mostly modern-day Pakistan. Situated at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, Gandhara served as a melting pot of diverse cultures and civilizations. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Gandhara civilization was its artistic creativity. The re-discovered cities of the Gandhara civilization exhibited many elements of their well-structured and modern lives through paintings, sculptures, coins, pottery and their relation with Buddhism.
Preserving and further promoting the Buddhist Gandhara heritage is of paramount importance for Pakistan. Besides other modes, digital and social media offer new powerful means for projecting the Buddhist Gandhara heritage in Pakistan to the world. The sacred sites, sculptures, and artefacts of Gandhara are not just relics from the past; they are also as a source of inspiration for the faithful and tourists from different parts of the world.
One of the key objectives of the Gandhara Symposium will be to create awareness about Gandhara and foster a sense of appreciation for Pakistan’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, both domestically and abroad. Another important objective of the Gandhara Symposium will also be to consider new initiatives that reinforce Pakistan’s cultural diplomacy efforts and help promote tourism, particularly faith tourism, in Pakistan.
Against this backdrop, the ISSI is proud to partner with the PM Task Force on Gandhara Tourism; the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and all other relevant institutions in the convening of the Gandhara Symposium 2023
Record-high three in four struggling to afford food
Record-low 33% see economy getting better
Confidence in government drops to 37%
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Sri Lanka passes the one-year anniversary of massive civil unrest that toppled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Gallup surveys show a nation still in crisis for the reasons that led it to that point last July: A record-high three in four (76%) Sri Lankans report struggling to afford food, while their confidence in the political system has never been lower.
Quick Summary: Many factors — internal and external — contributed to the political and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka last year. But the ailing state of the economy lay at the heart of the civil unrest.
The Sri Lankan economy was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated drop in tourism. The recovery of the tourism industry was then halted by rising commodity prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This made petroleum, food and medicines harder to import and fueled inflation.
In 2021, Rajapaksa banned chemical fertilizers in a push toward organic farming, and production dropped by 50% as a result. Even though this policy was eventually overturned, by then, the government could no longer afford to import fertilizer. This hollowed out Sri Lanka’s ability to feed its people.
Last July, hunger caused by deteriorating economic conditions drove thousands of protesters to Colombo, the capital. There, sustained pressure forced the resignation of President Rajapaksa.
In spite of this and the accompanying changes in political leadership, the island nation’s economy is estimated to have contracted by 9.2% in 2022 and is expected to shrink a further 4.2% in 2023, according to World Bank data. A year after the political crisis, the Sri Lankan economy is struggling on all fronts. Sri Lanka recently approved a proposal to restructure its U.S. $42 billion worth of domestic debt after defaulting last year for the first time since it gained independence in 1948. Even though some stability has been achieved, crushing debt, tax hikes and high inflation remain.
Economic Crisis Exacts Heavy Toll on Sri Lankans: Three in four (76%) Sri Lankans now struggle to afford food, the highest on record and second-highest in South Asia behind Afghanistan (86%).
The local employment market has also suffered. Around 300,000 Sri Lankans have left the island in search of foreign employment, and one in three (33%) Sri Lankans feel it is a good time to look for a new job in their local area. The future doesn’t look much brighter: The proportion of Sri Lankans who feel their local economy is getting better dropped to a record low of 33% in 2022.
Faith in Leadership Collapses: Until 2021, Sri Lankans’ confidence in their national government had never fallen below a majority. But in 2022, it stood at just 37% — a decline of 55 percentage points since its 2009 peak (92%) — representing its lowest point on record.
Just as national confidence in the government collapsed, perceptions of corruption soared to new heights. A record 84% of Sri Lankans now believe corruption in government is widespread.
People in the mostly rural North West of Sri Lanka — also hit hard by economic decline and food insecurity — are most disillusioned with the state. Just a quarter (24%) of residents have confidence in their government, and 93% perceive corruption as widespread.
Bottom Line
The humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka reflects the dual setbacks of a challenging macroeconomic environment and political upheaval. Over a decade after the end of a brutal civil war, events in Sri Lanka show that the path to prosperity is rarely straightforward.
Whether tourists return in greater numbers and commodity prices fall this year will be determined by geopolitical developments far from the shores of the island nation. But the political choices of the ruling class can still ensure that ordinary Sri Lankans have a better year than the one that just passed.
Activist Hyshyama Hamin explains how Sri Lankans’ personal stories intersect with global movements.
On a humid morning in June 2006, a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, buzzed with the activities of my nikah (Islamic marriage) ceremony. The men, I imagine, were huddled together around the marriage documents, with the local imam explaining the duties of the husband and wife.
I can only assume this – because I wasn’t there. The ceremony and the men did not require my presence.
I was, instead, at home, dusting a shelf in an attempt to quell my anxiety. An aunt was on my case about still being in my home clothes.” My 22-year-old mind was reeling with questions. Why wasn’t I physically present at my own nikah? Why wasn’t I also signing the marriage documents? Why did being a woman mean that I was excluded from this important day in my life?
A few minutes later, I got a call: You’re married!” My heart skipped a beat and dropped to the floor.
I was mired with feelings of nervousness and injustice I couldn’t fully comprehend at the time. Two years later, I finally understood when I went to collect my divorce papers and saw the words: Divorce by mutual consent (initiated by wife)” on the form. Those three words – initiated by wife” – evoked a powerful sense of autonomy, one that I felt for the first time in a two-year ordeal.
I had been denied agency by society and the family law that considered me a minor” under the guardianship of men from birth to death, be they my father, grandfather, uncle, or husband. This law infantilized my existence – because I was born a woman.
The Sri Lankan Marriage and Divorce (Muslim) Act (MMDA) of 1951 does not mandate women be physically present or sign their own marriage documents. That role rests only with the wali (immediate male guardian) of the bride. If the bride does not have a wali, the local Quazi (judge administering Muslim family law) can sign as a wali. This is just the beginning of a string of discriminatory provisions and procedures in the MMDA.
The act does not have a minimum age of marriage for Muslims; it allows for polygamy without any conditions. The act also has a different, lengthy and disadvantageous process for women to obtain a divorce, and does not recognize and grant equitable financial rights for women at the time of divorce. The Muslim family laws of Muslim majority countries are far more progressive than the MMDA, which has remained unchanged since its codification during colonial times. ADVERTISEMENT
Change Begins Closer to Home
This is the first time I’ve told my story. But there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of women like me. Fortunately, in Sri Lanka, there is a powerful national advocacy movement led by Muslim women to reform the MMDA. It began over 30 years ago with the Muslim Women’s Research and Advocacy Forum (MWRAF), which documented and published resources and worked with local community women and Quazis to push for reform within the Muslim communities of Sri Lanka.
In the past two decades, grassroots community groups all around the country have stepped up their advocacy efforts, mobilizing women’s groups and working with religious leaders. Their daily effort to support Muslim women in securing justice and redress before the local Quazis and providing them with counseling and economic support is inspirational. They do so amidst fierce opposition and regular attacks from conservative groups.
In the past six years, younger Muslim women’s groups, like Muslim Personal Law Reform Action Group (MPLRAG), which I co-founded with like-minded Muslim women lawyers and researchers, have stepped up reform efforts significantly. Grounding our work in in-depth research on the impacts of the MMDA on women and girls, we expanded our advocacy to the national stage and online.
Notably the MPLRAG’s intergenerational Let Her Sign” campaign in June 2021 saw Muslim women across age groups, ethnicities, and locations advocate for the right to sign their official marriage documents, and enter into marriage with consent, intent, and free will.
The cumulative efforts of all these groups have propelled us to a moment in which reform seems possible. The members of the Cabinet of Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) are currently considering an amendment bill. Should it pass, it will bring the MMDA a step closer to complying with the Sri Lankan Constitution, Islamic principles of justice and dignity, as well as international law and human rights standards. But it runs the risk of being heavily watered down due to pressure by conservative groups and MPs who uphold patriarchal ideologies of a woman’s role in the family.
This reform story is not unique to Sri Lanka. For decades, women’s groups have been mobilizing and advocating for an end to discrimination in family law and practices of marriage and family. We have seen powerful movements in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Tunisia, Morocco, India, South Africa, Uganda, Nepal, and Egypt. These advocacy efforts have yielded long-overdue justice for women and girls.
Despite this progress, family laws and practices continue to be the most challenging to reform. Most are deeply entrenched in society’s notions of gendered roles of women and girls, with the family” remaining the staunchest realm of patriarchal control.
Coupled with the fact that a majority of discriminatory family laws, particularly in the Global South, have roots in religion, culture, and tradition, these laws and practices are further embroiled in religious misinterpretations, identity politics, and communal myths and misconceptions fueling the reluctance, and opposition to reform. This has meant that family law reform is often low on the priority list of issues for broader feminist movements and the human rights system. ADVERTISEMENT
From the Personal to the Political to the Powerful
All these movements have one thing in common – change is led by those most affected by legal inequality. Their stories power the demand for legal reform. The leadership these groups have demonstrated while simultaneously challenging and overcoming difficult contextual and personal circumstances within their own families and communities is what grounds these reform efforts.
Marshall Ganz in his framework of People, Power and Change” refers to a quote by first-century Jerusalem sage, Rabbi Hillel, a sentiment which Ganz says is rooted in creating leadership within movements:
If I am not for myself, who am I? When I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
These questions highlight the crucial connections in movement-building – between the self and the community, the personal and the political, the historical and the immediate, and raise the sense of urgency for an issue(s) to be resolved.
My own commitment to family law and advocacy movements to reform these laws stems from my search for the autonomy I never had.
In the not-too-distant future is a Sri Lanka where Muslim women and girls will be allowed to sign their marriage documents and enter marriage as equal partners. They will be present during their nikah ceremony and take accountability and practice agency for their own decision to marry the person of their choice.
We are fighting for a future where family laws will not render women as second-class citizens, but citizens worthy of equality, dignity and justice. Our own stories and our movements will make this happen.
Hyshyama Hamin
Hyshyama Hamin is the Campaign Manager of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law. She has over 15 years of experience working on women’s rights, primarily in the Global South, with an expertise in advocacy campaigns and movement-building on family law reform. In her home country, Sri Lanka, she co-founded Muslim Personal Law Reform Action Group (MPLRAG).
Teachers will not be recruited for a three-year teaching diploma course at National Colleges of Education (NIE) in the future, but they will be assigned to a university established to produce teachers for a four-year degree, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.
While participating in a programme to educate the principals on the development of education quality in the North-Western Province today (11) at the Sudesha Theater in Chillaw, he said all the 19 NIEs in existence now will be converted into a teacher training university and related faculties in the future.
He said these NIEs will be kept under the purview of the Education Ministry with the approval of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
No permission will be given to form trade unions because these universities will only accept teachers who pass out.
The minister emphasized that it is the basic requirement to produce a disciplined group from this university, and a graduate teacher will be produced from this.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has been appointed for the divestiture of three state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (10 July) approved the appointment of IFC for the divestiture of Sri Lankan Airlines Limited, Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC and Sri Lanka Telecom PLC.
Meanwhile, the appointment of advisors for the remaining 4 entities, namely Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd (SLIC), Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd (Hilton), Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd (Hyatt) and Litro Gas (Pvt) Ltd (Litro, including Litro Gas Terminals (Pvt) Ltd) was carried out through a competitive bidding process following Government’s Consultant Procurement Guidelines.
Both local and international advisors submitted proposals, which were then evaluated by a Special Cabinet Appointed Consultants Procurement Committee, appointed by the Cabinet.
Following the procurement process, the committee recommended the following appointments of transaction advisors: – Litro Gas (Pvt) Ltd (Litro, including Litro Gas Terminals (Pvt) Ltd): Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India (Deloitte India). – Canwill Holdings(Pvt) Ltd (Hyatt): Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India (Deloitte India) – Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd (Hilton): Colliers International Consultancy & Valuation (Singapore) Ltd (together with Platinum Advisors). – Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd (SLIC): Alvarez & Marsal Middle East Ltd (together with Capital Alliance Partners Ltd).
Issuing a statement in this regard, the Director General of the SOE Restructuring Unit stated that prospective investors will be invited to express interest (EOI) via advertisements to be published in both the local and international press, in a bid to ensure transparency in the divestiture process.
Subsequently, investors shortlisted via the EOI process will be provided access to data rooms populated with information necessary for a comprehensive due diligence, and will then be requested to submit both technical and financial proposals in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP).
These divestitures are expected to contribute towards sustainable economic growth and a more competitive economy in Sri Lanka whilst better safeguarding citizens interests”, the statement concluded.
The name Captain Upul Aladeniya is possibly unknown to most, particularly so, because the State & the Education system make no effort to glorify our national war heroes. This year he would have turned 60 but he died a soldiers death on 11th July 1990 in Kokavil at the age of just 26 years. We not only rekindle that bravery but the lessons we need to learn from them. He was also the 1st recipient of the nation’s highest award of Parama Weera Vibhushana” that only 23 others have been recipient since 1981.
Upul joined the army volunteer force in 1968 at the age of 26 in 1989 following the footsteps of his Col father. It was during the height of the JVP insurrection. He had studied upto O/L at Trinity College, when desire to join the army got the better of him. He was attached to the Sinha Regiment under Col Abey Weerakoon & within one year of training he was deployed in Mankulam along with 3 officers and 60 soldiers to guard the Rupavahini relay station in Kokavil.
අම්මේ තාත්තේ ඔබ සේබෑ විරුවෙක් රටට දායාද කළා
It was on 11 June 1990 exactly a month before his own demise that over 600 policemen were asked by the then President of Sri Lanka R Premadasa to lay down arms & surrender to the LTTE in East Sri Lanka. Virtually all of these policemen perished that fateful day on 11 June 1990.
On 5th June Mankulam was attacked by LTTE but repulsed with heavy casualties & by 16th June both Mankulam & Kokavil was surrounded by LTTE with an imminent attack looming, it questions why the commander of Kokavil together with 15 decided to go on leave, leaving 27 year old Lieutenant Aladeniya who had barely one year training, in charge. By 10th June, Aladeniya & his men had only 300 rounds of ammunition and 15 soldiers who were not injured.
Yet, these brave men fought for 14 days and by 27th June food, water & ammunition was running out.
Reinforcements sent could not pass Vavuniya LTTE control while Air Force helicopters were attacked by LTTE mortars. It was at the 11th hour orders were given to withdraw from the camp on 11th July 1990. Those who gave the orders apparently did not take stock of how many soldiers were wounded & unable to leave the camp. How many were physically too weak for lack of food & water to even withdraw. Aladeniya ordered the ones who could walk to withdraw while he decided to remain with the injured soldiers.
What would you have done in such a circumstance were you Aladeniya? No senior officers in the camp, orders suddenly arriving to withdraw, soldiers injured & unable to move and a camp surrounded by the enemy! How would you, a 26 year old with just 1 year training react?
Would you have summed up the situation as Aladeniya did? His first order was for the only civilian cook to vacate the camp & reach safety, then the one’s who could walk were next ordered to withdraw. Then with his fellow injured troops, he decided to face the enemy & perish dying a soldiers death. Aladeniya & all the 52 soldiers who perished that fateful day showed what bravery was all about. They may have not been recipient of any awards but that they decided to face the enemy & fight till the end, was bravery enough to salute them and honor them. They fought starving & thirsty but they did not give up. Will the new generation commit to such bravery to defend their nation?This is the question we pose to the so-called new generation who think they are the new super heroes having taken over State buildings illegally occupying them, destroying, damaging & stealing State belongings! Is this their version of bravery?
It was a stark contrast to the 600 policemen who were forced to surrender by the President of the country and met their deaths in the most tragic way. Aladeniya’s last words to his CO Col Weerakoon at 1145 on 11 July 1990 were Don’t worry sir, I will fight till I die”. He could have escaped but he chose not to. How many of you would have made the same decision as Aladeniya?
He and the injured soldiers all knew they were going to die. Aladeniya could have also retreated leaving the injured but he didn’t – he chose to remain and face the enemy and he asked head quarters to blow up the camp with them to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Captain Aladeniya laid down his life defending the camp at Kokavil by destroying it & in so doing taking down LTTE who came to attack. He was only 27 years, leaving behind his beloved parents & a war widow.
On 11 July 1990 the LTTE destroyed the Kokavil Rupavahini transmission tower denying the Tamil people of the North any means of communication with the rest of the country.
Eventually, Kokavil was reclaimed by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces only in 2009 and in 2011 a memorial was built at the Kokavil camp in memory of Aladeniya and the 52 soldiers who sacrificed their lives.
The transmission tower constructed in 1982 was built in 2011 by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission spending Rs.450m to reconstruct the 174metre tower to provide people of the North radio, tv, mobile phone, internet facility.
How many of today’s generation are as brave as Captain Aladeniya or can even reach the level of his bravery. He was awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushana” (equivalent tothe British Victoria Cross or the United States Medal of Honor) on 21 June 1994 the highest & most prestigious military award and the first to be awarded. There are only 23 recipients since 1981 (one Moor & one Tamil also received this award) None of them lived to feel the pride of their award. That pride is felt by us who still feel pride in their bravery.
Aladeniya had barely 1 year service but not only did he sacrifice his life but he was awarded the highest military medal for his bravery. His bravery no doubt was built with the influence of his beloved parents & the years he spent in his alma mater Trinity College following the school motto Respice Finem Look to the end”. Trinitians must remember this great young patriot who laid down his life to defend his nation & his injured soldiers.
We live in times when such a sacrifice is unimaginable to many. Would 27 year olds today show the bravery that Aladeniya displayed?
The greatest gift the Government of Sri Lanka & its Education Ministry & even Cultural Affairs Ministry must do is to rekindle the bravery of our national war heroes.
It is only when young and old are privy to the brave acts that they feel the need to defend the virtues and values taught to them at home, at school and defend the nation. You can understand why sponsored efforts are being made to ensure good virtues, values that inspire bravery are not taught to the youth & efforts are out to distract the nation from nurturing heroes & heroines but people who deceive & betray the nation. In fact there are awards now given to those who betray the Nation and these awards keep increasing while scholarships are also given to those who agree to betray the Nation. Can comedians or cartoonists match the bravery of Capt Aladeniya even for treachery?
Do you wish to be a war hero like Captain Aladeniya or a traitor to the Nation?
When critically evaluate international critique on the operation of hard currencies of the world, many experts concern about different opinions to change the injustice that are incurring many of the countries. It needs dividing the international financial system into regions. Indian region should use Indian rupee as an international reserve currency and it will give justice to the high populated country. Asia is a large of the planet and the best option is maintaining two reserve currencies in the Asian region such as Indian rupee and Chinese Yuan.
Since the Briton-Wood agreement, which did not consider the predicament of developing countries and small countries in the South. The dilemma is that earning hard currencies for international trading purpose by developing countries has pushed their obscurities and stress the supportive opinion that the international finance operations should be divided into regions.
The current international environment suggests that Indian currency is the best reserve and payment option for the South Indian region with a hope that it should expand to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific small countries. Many people in Asia have no clear understanding about international reserve currency and payment system. It needs to give a broader understanding about the two subject areas, international reserve currency and payment media. Many people in the Indian and Oceania regions believe that if they earn domestic currency, it would be possible to engage in import and export activities, however, the hard currency rule in the modern system pushes them into obscurities.
The international financial system needs considering the difficulty of many countries and the dividing the entire system into seven regions is my opinion.
Applying of Indian rupee as international reserve currency and payment media for the Indian region would be an easy way to regional countries in the region and a reasonable justice to many countries. It would be an opportunity for India to support small countries in the Indian region and to attract a reasonable power to India at the international level.
Initially, eight countries are included to Indian region (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives). When the practice of the use of Indian rupee improves in the Indian region and, the islands in Ocean region should be combined with the Indian region. Twelve countries from Oceania region (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, Wallis Island Futuna Islands, Tokelau and East Timor) should be combined with Indian region.
Similar way, a Chinese region should be created for other Asian countries.
India should be organised a conference to attract papers from the experts in the region and to explain changes to people.
This action is essential to give justice to people in Indian region.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena praised corporal B.R.K.L Karunaratne of the Sri Lankan Infantry who intervened and prevented a major accident of a bus, which could have which falling into a cliff while traveling from Kandy to Mahiyangana. The soldier’s quick action prevented the accident and saved the lives of more than fifty passengers of the bus. When the bus was traveling via Ududumbara on 26.05.2023, the driver was thrown out of the driver’s seat and the bus was running without the driver for about fifty meters. At that time, the army corporal who was traveling in the bus took immediate action and managed to stop the bus which was running without a driver towards a big cliff with great effort and managed to prevent a major accident.
The burning of the Qur’an in Sweden has sharply heightened tensions throughout the world with Turkey at its forefront aggressive approach, expressing its strict condemnation over this unethical and heinous act against the holy Quran.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book. Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. At least this kind of statement must be given by every Muslim and should take necessary actions against the perpetrators who are given an inflammatory speech in spreading hate against Islam. This Islamophobia seems to be applauded and encouraged against the backdrop of global hate crimes and especially a huge bias against Muslims. For a decade this vile act has happened in different corners of the world and this rampant Islamophobia has a visible impact on the geopolitical scenario and largely on the communities which involve in trifles and most importantly riots have broken out on number of times.
A few days back, the sacrilegious act of burning of Qur’an in Sweden aroused a strong public reaction in Iraq, Pakistan, Jerusalem, Palestine, Iran, Bangladesh and other Muslim countries. This can cause disruption of peace and harmony but the major concern is that it hurts the sentimental and religious values of a follower of Islam. Any time it can change into a battlefield if it is not abated at the national or international level.
Along with calling for the international community to curb Islamophobia, the resolution passed by the UN that 15 March is celebrated as international day, reminds everyone that condemnation is the sole purpose against the bias of followers of Islam.
The sad truth is that millions of people around the world which have been engrossed in their minds that Islamophobia is not some nebulous concept, but it has created a toxic reality among the common people of the world. It has escalated at a fast rate and has taken several forms, which can include insidious attempts to exclude Muslims from jobs, and education and even excel the Muslims from the country on the basis of their faith and religion. It has taken more violent rages, such as state-sanctioned attacks and programs targeting the Muslim community. All of these manifestations of hate and riots based on faith and religion need to be combated thoroughly. Islamophobia was given a fillip during the so-called war on terror when the actions of violent actors, claiming to be fighting for the glory of Islam, resulted in ordinary Muslims having to face the consequences.
In the recent past, the release of anti-Islam films or files on youtube or on social media has produced bad repercussions on community integration on the basis of faith and this has fuelled a new toxicity in the minds of the people. This has taken its depth that vigilantes attack those who are outside the state or country, even students have become targets and refuse to give them boarding and lodging in hotels who ‘look’ like Muslims.
Nowadays the anti-Islamic prejudice has taken on new forms, especially when the decision has been taken to uphold the hijab ban in educational institutions, recently this has come up in Kashmir which has heavily influenced the desire and respect of the Muslim community. Sadly, the government is trying to snatch the legal right from the Muslim women and try to dictate to them what they can or cannot wear in India.
However, it has deep roots in other parts of the world as every year in one or another way the act of Islamophobia or blasphemous has become usual and this has deteriorated the togetherness and brotherhood in the human race. Discriminatory citizenship laws, lynching of Muslims on suspicions of consuming or transporting beef and bans on communal prayers are all well part of this system of Islamophobia and pushing the system into the worst situation. This is what exactly Islamophobia has typed the hatred among the people of the community having peace, prosperity and happiness.
Even elsewhere, the decisions to restrict women in the limits of Islamic jurisprudence have been taken especially in the Nikka or attempts have been taken to interfere in the matrimonial relationship and this has indirectly demonise the Muslims, and illustrates the need for a concerted effort to combat Islamophobia.
At the world level especially western world in the case of Islam issue, efforts are needed to promote tolerance. This includes allowing followers of all faiths to practice their beliefs freely, while Muslim states also have a responsibility to protect their minorities from extremists. Unfortunately, populists and rabble-rousers always exploit the schisms in society. To counter their designs, states, and conscientious citizens must resist this rising tide of hate by actively working towards a more tolerant world.
As Qur’an says: Everyone’s God-given human dignity must be respected, regardless of his or her faith, race, ethnic origin, gender, or social status (17:70).” Because everyone is created by Almighty Allah, the Maker of all, humans must treat one another with full honor, respect, and loving-kindness. This is the preamble of humanity and must be practiced by everyone in society regardless of any schism.
Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you are free to hit at the sentiments of followers of other religions and it should never be used as a means to despise others, and allowing that is rejected and condemned in any means if at the higher level why not Govt itself must be involved in combating ridiculous act”
The entire Muslim Ummah has been saddened by the insulting and sad incident of the Quran burning under police supervision in Sweden. The state of Pakistan, along with other Muslim countries, condemned this insulting behaviour at all levels and registered a protest. In this regard, Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif also decided to celebrate Holy Quran Day on July 7. The whole nation responded to his call and told the world that Muslims and Pakistanis were peaceful people and that the initiative of the Prime Minister to Celebrate the Holy Quran Day was a good decision indicative of a civilized nation. While the world may criticize Pakistan and Muslims for terrorism, it should open its eyes to the fact that the holiest book of the religion of Islam was burnt, but despite this, those who burned it are not being declared as terrorists and are being provided with state support. Protests were also held in Bangladesh.
Our politicians, rulers and powerful circles should be one voice against this global terrorism so that the message goes to the world that Muslims are united for the protection of their religion and its sanctity. Although the Swedish government has distanced itself as a government from this process, how is it possible that a request to burn the Holy Quran is filed in the Swedish court and the Swedish court not only allows the burning of the Holy Quran but also allows the police to protect this shameful act? It also issues orders to perform the duty of protecting the person humiliated during the impure act. Now the entire Muslim Ummah must protest against the Swedish government and take assurance that such incidents will not happen in the future. Because this is not only a problem of a muslim country alone, it is a matter of the sanctity of the holy book of the Holy Quran for the entire Muslim Ummah.Muslim Ummah needs unity for the protection of their religion and its sanctity. It is a must.
Claims repeated extension tantamount to improper use of Exec. powers
Claiming that the continuous extension of the service of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne, who was scheduled to retire in March 2023, amounts to an improper use of Executive power in a way that is harmful to the public, Opposition Parliamentarian Prof. G.L. Peiris said. He further reiterated that the Constitutional Council (CC) should make a direct intervention to make a permanent appointment for the post of the IGP.
Wickramaratne, whose initial service extension expired on 26 June, was granted another three-month service extension by President Ranil Wickremesinghe on 9 July.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (10), Prof. Peiris said that at a time when crimes including shootings, the use of drugs among school children, and incidents of child abuse are on the rise, an honest, efficient and strong police service is needed at present more than ever. “The Police Department is a prestigious institution with a history of decades. It needs strong leadership, an IGP. But, what is the situation in our country today in that regard? The retired IGP is continuously being granted service extensions.” Recalling the granting of the initial service extension to Wickramaratne in March 2023, he queried as to whether there was no serving police officer who qualifies to be the IGP. “As if there was no one else in the Police to serve as the IGP, the retired IGP was granted a service extension which makes him similar to an Acting IGP. That extension expired on 26 June, and the Police did not have any leadership for two weeks from then. As a result of a meeting between Wickremesinghe and Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, he (Wickramaratne) was granted another service extension for three months. What a distortion this is?” Speaking further, Prof. Peiris said that a temporarily appointed IGP is not at all sufficient to ensure law and order, and that a permanent appointment is vital. “This kind of an IGP does not have the strength and power, but a person with a permanent appointment has the courage to take decisions and implement them. This situation is the result of a fierce tug of war in the Government. Everyone wants to give high positions to their close friends. This is a battle between individuals and camps, but who will pay for this in the end? It will be the innocent people whose lives will be at risk. Therefore, we request the Government to forget, even temporarily, the petty disputes and individual ambitions, and appoint someone as the IGP permanently, to save the people’s lives.”
He also said that the CC has a great responsibility regarding the matter. “It is true that this is a temporary appointment, but everyone should note that this is a temporary appointment that is being made continuously. This is an improper use of Executive power in a way that is harmful to the public. A responsibility lies with the CC to directly intervene and make a decision on the matter. If they do not do so, the people will no longer trust them (CC) either.”
Wickramaratne was appointed as the Acting IGP in April 2019, and was confirmed in the position on 25 November 2020. He was scheduled to retire in March 2023, and was granted a three-month service extension by the President, which ended on 26 June. The Police Department functioned without the presence of an IGP for about two weeks, until Wickramaratne was again granted another three-month service extension by President Wickremesinghe on 9 July.
More than three decades have passed since the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikh Khalistan terrorists in October 1984 in New Delhi and her son Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991 in Tamil Nadu and President Ranasinghe Premadasa in May 1993 in Colombo by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists.
Although terrorist groups were banned by Western countries, the Khalistani and LTTE terrorists continue their bloody violent activities in those countries claiming that they are human rights activists.
The latest bloodshed due to the nefarious activities of terrorists in disguise came from Canada on 18 June when the self-styled Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who made use of Canada as a safe haven by taking over the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia after forcefully evicting the Sikh priests and appointing himself as President of the Gurdwara, was shot dead in his truck.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar advocated the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh nation carved out of areas including the Indian State of Punjab. When Nijjar escaped from India, New Delhi had declared him a wanted terrorist. However, in Canada, he posed as a human rights activist and continued to carry out his terrorist activities. India’s wanted list of Khalistan terrorists has 40 other designated terrorists.
His assassination sparked a blame game as some Khalistan activists declared that Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was responsible for the killing. On the other hand, Indian sources pointed a finger at the Pakistani intelligence outfit State Intelligence Service (SIS) for the assassination.
India accuses the Pakistani SIS for helping Khalistanis with training and arms. They also say few Khalistani leaders were assassinated by SIS agents as they want to get young extremist Sikhs to take over the movement.
Sgt. Timothy Pierotti of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, a branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police refused to comment if other law enforcement agencies, including Canada’s spy agency, were participating in the investigation.
Nijjar was the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was also included in the list released by the Indian Government.
The Canadian Police are looking at two potential motives”, according to Vancouver Sun, to ascertain if he was killed because of his Khalistan activism or that it was related to a more local political dispute in Surrey.”
Canadian Police Officers also added that when his body was being moved from the scene by the Canadian Police, a group of Sikhs raised pro-Khalistan and anti-India slogans.
The Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July 2022 declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Nijjar who was linked to a conspiracy to kill a Hindu priest in Punjab’s Jalandhar in 2021.
In June last year, there was an attack on the Indian High Commission in Canada and the US by the Khalistani elements. Reportedly, there have been multiple cases of attacks and protests by Khalistani elements outside the Indian High Commission in the two countries. FIRs were also registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by Delhi Police Special Cell regarding the March 2023 attack in Canada, and San Francisco (US).
Nijjar’s death also comes a few days after a close aide of Amritpal Singh, Avtar Singh Khanda died in the UK. Khanda was the chief of the UK-based terrorist group Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Khanda played a major role in radicalising Sikh youth towards the separatist movement.
The Khalistan militancy spread to Canada, the US and Europe as many Sikh activists moved to those countries after the assassination of Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards blaming her for the 1983 Blue Star attack on the most sacred Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar to flush out Bhindranwale and other Sikh terrorists who were hiding in the temple. Many radical Sikhs were given political asylum by Western countries. Similarly, they gave political asylum to many Sri Lankan militants after the 1983 riots. Canada’s Ontario Legislature has already passed the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, a Private Member’s Bill tabled by Conservative MP Vijay Thanigasalam, a well-known LTTE supporter.
These militants have formed many front organisations to continue the work carried out by the two separatist movements, Khalistan and LTTE. These two outfits managed to get the support of several Canadian politicians because there is a substantial vote bloc of Canadian Sikhs and Tamils.
Recently Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the stories of the Tamil-Canadians affected by the conflict serve as an enduring reminder that human rights, peace, and democracy cannot be taken for granted. That’s why Parliament last year unanimously adopted the motion to make 18 May Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day,” he said.
Similar sentiments were made by some Canadian politicians about Khalistanis and their so-called human rights. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry repeatedly urged Canada and its leaders to refrain from making pronouncements from Canada which promote hatred, misinformation and extremist views and to cease its unhelpful focus on these countries based on distorted facts. This runs contrary to the Canadian Prime Minister’s stated objective of safeguarding human rights across the world”.
Following in the footsteps of her illustrious predecessor Josef Goebbels, Mrs. Ursula Von der Leyen, unelected president of the Fourth Reich” has imposed censorship. In the endless wisdom of her little brain, Mrs. Von der Leyen has decided that the inhabitants of the EU who survived or escaped the covid death jabs she tried to force on them with her Pfizer cronies are not to be exposed to Russian propaganda. For their own good, of course, because that is what autocrats always brandish as the main justification for imposing censorship. We decide what is good for you,” is what those people like to say. Like Von der Leyen’s partner in crime Blofeld is telling us from his Swiss retreat: you vill own nussing but you vill bee heppy.” However, EU censorship is not yet complete, but it is advancing. The goose steps of the censors and their columns of cowardly collaborationists can be heard all over the social media landscape. All the news information that is not to the liking of the rulers is branded fake news” or disinformation.”
When so many people are being kept in the dark about so many topics for a long time, it comes as no surprise to learn that most European have no clue about what is really happening in the Ukraine. Of course, Russia has already won the engagement, but the European state and corporate media staunchly maintain a mendacious narrative and on a daily basis, spread heavy doses of fake news and disinformation. When repeated often enough, any lie will end up looking like the truth. Dr. Goebbels knew this and Mrs. Von der Leyen knows it also. Needless to say, this does create a certain peace of mind, albeit a false one.
Europe’s state and corporate media have been on a Russia- and Putin-bashing spree for over a decade and have succeeded in instilling the conviction among the European public that there is no way Russia can possibly win in the Ukraine. Suggesting that Putin would be crazy and desperate enough to start a war against NATO, they are also busy preparing the public for a conflict with Russia. Apart from the fact that Russian weapons are much better and technologically more advanced than anything in the NATO arsenal, Western armed forces are being destroyed from the inside. Like they are doing in England, by abolishing masculine-coded” words such as rifleman,” and prohibiting the use of terms such as chap.” NATO-armed forces have been admitting women in droves, to the extent that in some countries up to twenty percent of personnel is female. Women are admitted in combat roles, even in special forces units. Given the fact that women are no match for men in any physical contest, this means that the quality of manpower (a forbidden term!!) all over NATO has dropped dramatically. In this respect it should be noted that in athletics, depending on the discipline, men consistently outperform women by between ten and twenty-five percent. Add to this the fact that in at least eight NATO nations, the minister of defense is female, and it becomes clear that NATO is no longer an organization to be taken seriously.
At any rate, in the firm belief that the neonazi warriors of the Ukraine are in the process of defeating Russia, Europeans are focusing on other issues like where to spend their summer holidays. And immediately they feel guilty, because they hear and read about global warming and are by now convinced it is all their fault. They hear and read about the thousands of young male Muslims and Africans who love the West,” its women and its generous handouts so much they are coming to Europe to grab whatever they can.
The gullible Europeans hear and read about the many ways the world they inherited is being destroyed right in front of their eyes. But those same eyes do not want to see or register what is actually going on. The resulting cognitive dissonance is buried under an incessant propaganda barrage.
On the rare occasions they are allowed, or rather ordered, to vote, they dutifully cast their vote in elections that have been rigged in a thousand ways. One very effective rigging method is publishing pre-election polls. When the election results are not in line with the forecasts, the state and corporate media explain these as a landslide or a surprise. Yet real surprises are excluded because of the strict controls on which parties and candidates are allowed to participate. Of course, there never will be real surprises, because no state will allow its fate to be decided by open elections.
Nevertheless Europeans, like obedient and credulous citizens all over the world, never ponder why they would have the right to vote. Your vote actually means nothing and if it did, you would not have the right to vote. Decisions are always taken by elites, which is not in itself a bad thing as long as such elites adhere to the adage of noblesse oblige.” In making decisions, the common good should always be the guiding principle. But European elites are not permitted to operate according to that principle, because since 1945 there no longer is a native European common good.
Since the US conquered much of Europe during the Second World War, they have kept it under military occupation. In essence, US-occupied Europe, organized into NATO and the EU, is not different from those parts of Latin America where the US has been calling the shots since 1898. The main difference between the two is that in US-dominated Latin America, people have adopted baseball as a national sport while remaining faithful to their native language Spanish. In US-dominated Europe, people have remained faithful to their favorite sport: football, or soccer as their imperial overlords call it, but are increasingly switching to English at the expense of their native languages.
Most of what is wrong with Europe today emanates from the condition of being under US occupation. No empire will condone nationalism in whatever form or shape. That is precisely why family-destroying and nation-destroying reform strategies have been introduced since the 1960s. It started with Feminism, sexual liberation” and the spread of a visually prominent male homosexual subculture. Today it is all about woke” and about gender lunacy. The entire agenda is embraced officially by the US government as part of its value system. Although not impervious to these treasured innovations, ultimately the US is protected by its geographical position between two vast oceans and will continue to reap the benefits from the economic superiority it has been enjoying for more than a century.
There is only one way out of the mess Europe is currently in, and that is for Russia to complete the Special Military Operation in the Ukraine. The true contours of that victory and its wider implications are becoming ever more visible: the entire Black Sea coast will become part of Russia, the Western Ukraine will be carved up between Poland, Hungary and Romania and what remains of the Ukraine, about two hundred thousand square kilometers of mostly fertile land, situated around Kiev, will become a Russian client state.
It is a bit more difficult to envision what will become of the rest of Europe: NATO and the EU are not unlikely to collapse, but will that result in a US retreat from its European vassal states?
With the cultural and social demise of US-occupied Europe, it is now Russia that has come to be the embodiment of European values and culture. As such, Russia once again has a historical responsibility, a mission rather, to liberate the rest of Europe and to return it to European culture.
In the 19th century, Russia freed Europe from French domination, in the 20th century Russia (as the USSR) saved Europe from German domination, and it stands to reason that in the 21st century Russia will free Europe from the US.
No longer is it a matter of speculation whether or not the West” is in free fall. It clearly is, and it is clearly intentional. The Great Covid Show, brought to you by the usual suspects, seems to have created the right conditions for the Great Reset.” There were some hiccups, because an operation so vast and all-encompassing as the Great Covid Show was beyond the technical and intellectual capabilities of the US neocons and their foreign cronies, including the WEF, the WHO and the EU.
The Russian Special Military Operation in the Ukraine has complicated matters. Like in a game of chess, Russia is forcing the US and its vassals to make moves they had not planned or had counted on making only later in the game. Such moves are definitely not to their advantage. That is why governments are making such drastic decisions in so many different fields, and all at the same time.
They had planned to drastically reorganize agriculture, following the example set by the Bolsheviks after 1929, when they started to evict and exterminate the kulaks. Instead of collectivization, the latter-day Bolsheviks want giant corporations to dominate agriculture. But the essence of these schemes is the same: the small and intermediate farmers need to be dislodged either voluntarily or by brute force. Seemingly somewhat earlier than what the original script called for, the Dutch government has started a war on farmers, which like in the former USSR, may result in widespread food scarcity, if not famine.
In the same hardheaded fashion, with an obedient Germany leading the pack, US client states in Europe, are currently committing economic suicide by cutting off their industry from reliable sources of affordable energy, forcing both producers and the public to rely on wind and solar energy. All of this is being done in the name of the so-called Green Agenda, so as to reduce carbon and nitrogen emissions. At the same time, the believers in anthropogenic climate change are promoting environmental destruction on a truly gigantic scale wherever lithium and other minerals needed for the manufacture of electric batteries are found. Like every plank in the platform of the Great Reset mafia, the official climate change narrative is held together by the most flagrant contradictions.
The most glaring contradictions occur in the day-to-day functioning of governments, especially in the EU. Like the government of the Netherlands, most of these routinely take decisions that are in clear or implicit violation of the constitution and other legislation.
In spite of the countless contradictions in terms of politics itself, official political discourse and the intrinsic contradictions underlying most political decisions, it is a miracle the US Empire still manages to stay alive. Perhaps that also explains why AI is currently being rolled out: in the hopes that it will help maintain US power. However, it must be doubted whether AI will prove to be able to function in an environment where legal, linguistic and lexicographic confusion and contradiction have become the norm.
With politicians and state and corporate media in the West” dutifully referring to our democracy,” Western values” (supposedly defending human rights), transparency” and the rule of law,” while actually doing and advocating everything that is diametrically opposed, it would seem that sooner or later AI must break down. After all AI, like the electronic system that it is, functions on the premise that 0” is 0” and that 1” is 1”. When 0” can also mean 1” and 1” is sometimes 0”, collapse is inevitable. How is it going to tell when democracy” means rule by popular majority vote” or its opposite, rule by a corrupt clique of criminals, as is the case in modern democracies?” Moreover, given the fanatical determination with which reliable sources of energy everywhere in the West” are being abandoned, precisely now that everything that sustains life depends on electronics, the entire system increasingly resembles a house built on quicksand.
Wherever one looks in Europe, collapse is just around the corner. Today, driving on Germany’s once famous Autobahns is sort of an ordeal. Once upon a time, one could enjoy the view of splendid and sometimes spectacular landscapes while driving relaxedly on the smooth surface of impeccably maintained superhighways. With a total length of more than 13,000 kilometers, Germany has the fourth network in the world, only preceded by Spain, the US and China. There are 50 million cars in Germany, but the network is also intensively used by foreign truck drivers delivering and picking up merchandise and in summer and winter by millions of foreigners on their way to holiday destinations. The Autobahn network is used very intensively, but maintenance has long been neglected and as a result, extensive stretches of highway need to be narrowed in order to enable road and bridge repairs. This causes long and time-consuming traffic jams all over the country from early morning to late at night. Add to that the fact that many drivers hail from non-Western lands, where the proverbial German discipline and respect for rules and regulations are not taught from an early age, and it is clear that driving on the Autobahn consumes inordinate amounts of time and energy. As a matter of fact, the German highway system seems very near the breaking point.
Upon drawing this conclusion it occurred to me that the German federal highways are a symbol for what is happening all over Europe: the very pillars that sustain state and society are breaking down. Of course, for those with eyes to see, the collapse has already set some time ago, perhaps two decades, if not earlier. Just like those three WTC towers that collapsed on 9/11, the collapse begins hesitantly and then accelerates. Like in the case of the WTC towers, the widespread destruction that takes place in the West” today is planned. However, in a number of fields the collapse had already begun long before in the form of corruption. With corrupt people moving from one field of endeavor to another, corruption spreads even faster and eventually becomes systemic.
For instance, academic corruption may lead to plagiarism and the manipulation of research data. Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, MD, the unelected president of the EuSSR, has never been able to shake off the odor of academic fraud (committed when writing her dissertation) that surrounds her. It came as no surprise to learn that she has been making secret deals with the Pfizer company for the supply of untested vaccines and to force these on an unsuspecting public during the Great Covid Show. Once corrupt, always corrupt, as one might say.
While fraud increasingly destroys the value of academic research, academic education itself is also under attack. The Dutch education minister intends to reduce the credit requirements for freshmen by half. This means that more students will be allowed to stay on to become sophomores, with the predictable final result that university degrees will devaluate even further.
Corruption in the field of medicine has become apparent during the Great Covid Show, to the point where today no physician can be trusted. To put it simply, family doctors and specialists alike are essentially drug pushers in the service of Big Pharma. There are still some honest and decent doctors out there, but these are hard to find.
Like academic research, education, politics and medicine, the judicial system is riddled with corruption and in free fall. Just take the recent case against Professor Sucharit Bhakdi, who was accused of being an antisemite, on the basis of the flimsiest evidence imaginable. Although this eloquent and influential critic of the covid policies decreed by the German government was acquitted, the public prosecutor nonetheless has decided to appeal and to press ahead trying to put Doctor Bhakdi behind bars at any cost. For a public prosecutor to proceed in such a manner, in complete denial of the fact there is no evidence that supports the case, is more than a travesty of justice: it s turning justice into a silly joke. It is indeed concerning that no one raises an eyebrow, which is a telling illustration on how far the judicial system in Germany (and for that matter in the rest of Europe) has been corrupted.
Yet in the eyes of the state, to express doubts or concern about such matters is a sin. Just recently, the Dutch state spy service AIVD has issued a report stating that about 100,000 Dutch citizens distrust the state and the government, which allegedly makes them conspiracy theorists.” Increasingly and almost openly, it is being suggested that such people need to be subjected to psychiatric treatment. Any sane person would not trust the government more than the government trusts him, and no doubt many people are faithful to that principle, but apparently the government of the Netherlands which is, of course, a democratic” country, begs to differ.
There are more than enough reasons for distrusting the government, not only of the Netherlands, but of all EU nations. The German government, dominated by the Greens, has become the belligerent, self-destructive lapdog of the US, set on chasing out industry and humiliating, impoverishing and decimating native Germans. The Italian government, headed by Giorgia Meloni, elected because of her solemn promises to halt the illegal immigration of grossly unqualified, uneducated and hostile black Africans and Muslims, now actively encourages such people to come to Italy. French president Macron, who looks and acts like a homosexual adolescent who married his mother, has consistently been carrying out policies to destroy the French middle class. The Dutch government has presided over the impoverishment of the middle class, to the point where today, 400,000 schoolchildren are living beneath the poverty level, and whose parents are unable to pay for breakfast and new clothes.
The German government is seriously considering to outlaw the conservative AfD party. This comes as no surprise in a country that has a venerable tradition of forbidding parties deemed unwelcome in its democratic system. For many years, the Communist Party was outlawed in West-Germany. In the Netherlands, the conservative party FvD is expecting a decision to be outlawed in the near future. This is all in line with the Ukraine, defending Western values” against the evil Russians: Zelensky has simply outlawed eleven parties. Long live Democracy!
Not surprisingly, among the population quite a bit of anger has been building up for some time, with the anger in creasing each and every time governments issue a new decree further limiting freedoms or increasing prices.
Since France has always been a nation where the middle class is strong and the working class militant, and where people are ready to take to the streets to voice their indignation and anger, it is hardly surprising that during the past years it has seen mass demonstrations by the Yellow Vest movement and people protesting against drastic pension cuts. Having seen how those peaceful demonstrations were brutally and ruthlessly repressed by the police and assorted goon squads, now the North Africans and black Africans from the banlieues, the suburbs have taken a different approach. Since at least some 15% of Metropolitan France’s 65 million inhabitants are North African (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian) or black, and most of these live in the big cities: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, now that they are coming on stage, things look quite serious.
The wave of urban warfare in France means that the collapse has now entered a new phase, that of organized and coordinated anti-state violence with racial undertones.
North African Muslims and African blacks are seen participating in what looks like a civil war against state, cultural and commercial targets and against white Frenchmen. Therefore, the current eruption of violence not only has the makings of a civil war, but rather of a race war.
Whatever triggered the current wave of violence, it should also be seen as a logical consequence of decades of French policies decreed at the behest of the unelected EU Commission.
What has been happening in France could easily take place in other EU nations tomorrow, for the simple reason that conditions in many places are similar to those in France. Many EU member states, notably Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium also have Muslim minorities of 10 to 15%. Like many working-class neighborhoods and suburbs in France, parts of the Swedish cities of Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö have long been inaccessible for the police. The same goes for a number of cities in Germany, including Berlin and the Ruhr area. Even under the very noses of the commissars of the Fourth Reich in Brussels, entire neighborhoods of that city are no-go areas.
It has been suggested that the events in France are part of the Great Reset” propagated by the WEF.
Actually, that Great Reset” is a just another term for a lot of destruction, disease, death, war, misery and fear. It would seem the Four Riders of the Apocalypse have sent their vanguard to prepare the terrain and they will show up soon. In this respect, it is to be noted that the slogan build back better,” so prominent and so ubiquitous just a few years ago, has completely vanished from state propaganda everywhere.
In order to build back better,” everything needs to be broken down first. Evidently that is not what the rulers of all those democratic” states in the West” have been telling their voters.”
But not to worry, the West” is composed of value-based” societies under the rule of law,” were equity” and diversity” and human rights” are being upheld, where carbon and nitrogen emissions” are being limited, and where fake news” and disinformation” are banned.
By A. Abdul Aziz,Press Secretary – Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at – Sri Lanka.
According to the latest information received by U.K. based IHRC, at least six Ahmadi Muslims have been arrested and five First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in Punjab, Pakistan against Ahmadi Muslims for sacrificing animals on Eid-ul-Azha (Hajj Festival).
Eid Festivals are times of family get-togethers and rejoicing but Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan are being fiercely persecuted for offering animal sacrifices, and this year (2023) were even barred from offering Eid prayers which is a basic tenet of their religious faith.
It is a never-ending cycle of extreme persecution affecting both young and old. Men, women, and children are not safe from such schemes and the latest restriction is an indication of the intention of the mullahs to deny Ahmadi Muslims their basic right of worship.
Most of the FIRs are regarding hearsay incidents of Ahmadi Muslims preparing to or planning to sacrifice animals. It is unfortunate to see how in some incidents even Punjab police officials are complicit, which sends the message that they are not there for everyone’s security, certainly not for persecuted minorities.
It was also informed that the sacrificial animals were seized by the police in raids conducted on complaints of extremist individuals.
This terrible situation requires urgent international intervention. The world must take immediate and urgent action to ensure that Ahmadis in Pakistan enjoy their full right to their religion and are able to freely practice their faith as required.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Public Security Minister Tiran Alles to take the final decision on the appointment of the new IGP, informed sources said.
Accordingly, the Minister has been instructed to decide whether to appoint an acting IGP or to grant another extension for former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne.
Sources further noted that a special meeting has been convened by President Wickremesinghe with the subject Minister tomorrow (09).
It is highly likely that a final decision on the matter will be taken during this meeting.
The post of IGP has been vacant for nearly two weeks now.
Debt-ridden Sri Lanka may need to cut interest rates again to further boost growth in its economy, according to the head of its central bank.
Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, told CNBC Friday that there will be more rate cuts to come, even after the central bank lowered its policy rate for a second consecutive month from 12% to 11% on Thursday.
Asked if additional rate cuts will be needed, the governor answered: Of course.” He pointed to falling inflation rates in the Sri Lankan economy.
We should need further reduction in interest rates on the basis of forward-looking inflation, forward-looking output gap. This shows we made the right decision,” Weerasinghe told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia.”
Sri Lanka negotiated a nearly $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund last year, after thousands of protesters drove out the president from power, raiding his official residence and office on outrage over the government’s economic mismanagement.
Stocks listed in its capital Colombo jumped earlier in the week after parliament approved a domestic debt restructuring plan last weekend.
Colombo’s CSE All Share Index jumped by about 8% this week after parliament passed the plan required for the IMF’s bailout package.
Sri Lanka’s total debt has exceeded $83 billion, the Associated Press reported, including foreign debt of $41.5 billion and $42.1 billion of domestic debt.
Prices in Sri Lanka rose 12% in June, the latest government data showed – a steep decline from the recent peak inflation rate of nearly 70% seen in September last year.
The central bank governor was optimistic about the economy’s path forward. He predicted inflation could fall to single-digit figures and the economy could turn from contraction to growth by next year.
If you look at the future, forward-looking inflation, we see very clearly, end-of-July inflation will be 7% by single digit and by end of the year, [inflation] will be low single-digit,” he said.
Weerasinghe said further policy support from the central bank could help economic revival in the nation.
We hope that [rate cuts] can be some sort of support for the recovery for the second half of the year. And obviously for the next full year, we expect the country to bounce back to positive territory,” he said.
The Sri Lankan economy contracted by 11.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, gross domestic product figures released last month showed.
The economy’s GDP has stayed in negative territory since the first quarter of 2022.
