Sunday, July 26, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/24/world/archbishop-sorondo-qanda/index.html

Pope likely to alter economic message in the U.S., Vatican adviser says
By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
Fri July 24, 2015

Photograph -- Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo is chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

(CNN)Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo has steered the Pontifical Academy of Sciences since 1998, but it's likely that his profile has never been more robustly public than now.

For the past year, Sanchez Sorondo has teamed with scientists and political leaders to help research, promote and defend Pope Francis' stern and sweeping condemnation of current environmental and economic trends.

Most recently, the archbishop, who, like Francis, hails from Buenos Aires, convened a conference of more than 60 mayors and other local politicians this week at the Vatican.

Sanchez Sorondo spoke with CNN on Friday about the controversy swirling around the Pope's economic and environmental statements, how Francis will likely recalibrate his message this September when he visits in the United States and the leak of the pontiff's environmental statement this summer.

Some of the archbishop's answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Some people might be surprised to hear that the Vatican has a science academy. What is your mission?

A: Yes, that's true, people are often surprised to hear about us. You can see a lot about our mission on our website, but the basic idea is that the church believes that understanding human beings and the Earth requires not only faith but also reason, and not only philosophical reason but also scientific reason.

Q: You just hosted a major conference at the Vatican for mayors and other political leaders around the world. What was the conference's main accomplishment?

A: Part of it was, as the Pope said in his address to the group, to bring awareness that climate change and human trafficking -- a new form of slavery -- are human emergencies.

Some attendees, like California Gov. Jerry Brown, spoke very passionately about protecting the environment. Others, like many mayors in Italy, have more awareness of a new form of slavery, so it was important for them to be able to learn from each other.

Q. It seems like the Vatican is partnering with quite a few people -- the Jewish feminist Naomi Klein, for example -- that would not be seen as traditional church allies. What is the strategy behind that?

A: We understand that in this globalized world we all need to work together. As the Pope says in his encyclical, "Laudato Si," the Earth is our common home.

And as we move towards setting new (United Nations') sustainable development goals, we also understand that one of our key priorities is improving social inclusion.

Q: According to a new poll, the Pope's popularity has declined in the United States by quite a bit recently, mainly because many conservatives are upset with his messages on climate change and income inequality. Is this a cause of concern to you or to others in the Vatican?

A: The Pope said not only in his last document but also in the others, for example "Evangelii Guadium," that we need to work not only to make profits but also to respect the human person.

I would say that this was also very clear in your (the U.S.) Constitution and the great leaders of your country wrote many times about the common good and justice. But many people say, including some economists, that these values are not so present at the moment. I am not sure if that is true, but that is what I have read.

Q: Some American Catholics say they are tired of being scolded by the Pope about doing more for the poor and the disenfranchised. What would you say to them?

A: The project of the Pope is to come back to the Gospel, particularly Christ's first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. It is very clear in that speech that Christ expects us to help those who suffer, especially the poor.

So, the best attitude to receive the Pope's teachings is to understand that he is a religious leader and the essence of his message comes from the Gospel, not from one ideology or another.

And so, if our economic systems are not oriented toward the human person but only concerned with profits, he wants to confront the system and change it. This, by the way, is common to all the popes, it comes directly from the so-called social teachings of the church.

Q: In Latin America, the Pope delivered a sharp speech against capitalism, calling the relentless pursuit of prophets [sic] the "dung of the devil." A lot of people are wondering, will he bring a similar message to the United States this September?

A: I don't know if the Pope wants to repeat that kind of speech. It was very specifically for the World Meeting of Popular Movements. These are people who are very poor: They don't have a house, they don't have work, they don't have land. I think, in your country, people don't have the same needs, so maybe he will speak in another way.

Q: Some prominent Catholics say the Pope should not preach or teach about matters like the environment and economics.

A: I know, I know, and they are very important persons -- some of them are campaigning to become president. But this is a mistake because when the Pope speaks in this area, about creation or nature, he goes back to St. Francis and to the beginnings of the Bible, when God's first gift to mankind is the Earth and all of its creations.

So, this idea that it is not "Christian" to speak of the beauty of creation and about our role to be stewards of that beauty is just insane.

Q: Have you been surprised by any of the reactions to the Pope's statement on the environment, "Laudato Si?"

The majority of reactions were very positive. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Archbishop Justin Welby of the Anglican Church wrote a very nice article in The New York Times on the same day the encyclical was published.

A small minority was against it, and of this minority we can say that the underlying reason was because these people live off of oil, and it's clear that the encyclical teaches that the use of this material is not the best thing for the question of climate change and that we need to find new ways to produce energy.

Q: So you are saying that most of the opposition to "Laudato Si" came from the oil and gas industries?

A: Yes, I think so. Because as the Pope says in the encyclical, 90% of the scientific community agrees that climate change is a problem today, and that this (use of oil and gas) is a cause of global warming.

Q: The encyclical was leaked a few days before it was to be published. Did this annoy you?

A: This is a problem typical of journalism, and journalists need to abide by the rules. (The document was embargoed.) The journalist was punished, also, by being banned for a time from the Vatican press room.

Q: The journalist was punished, but what about the person who leaked the document? Was there an investigation into that?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you know who it was?

A: It's very easy to know who it was.

Q: Can you tell me who it was, and whether they will be punished?

A: No, I am sorry. That is not my responsibility.




“Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo has steered the Pontifical Academy of Sciences since 1998, but it's likely that his profile has never been more robustly public than now. For the past year, Sanchez Sorondo has teamed with scientists and political leaders to help research, promote and defend Pope Francis' stern and sweeping condemnation of current environmental and economic trends. …. Yes, that's true, people are often surprised to hear about us. You can see a lot about our mission on our website, but the basic idea is that the church believes that understanding human beings and the Earth requires not only faith but also reason, and not only philosophical reason but also scientific reason. …. It seems like the Vatican is partnering with quite a few people -- the Jewish feminist Naomi Klein, for example -- that would not be seen as traditional church allies. What is the strategy behind that? A: We understand that in this globalized world we all need to work together. As the Pope says in his encyclical, "Laudato Si," the Earth is our common home. And as we move towards setting new (United Nations') sustainable development goals, we also understand that one of our key priorities is improving social inclusion. …. because many conservatives are upset with his messages on climate change and income inequality. Is this a cause of concern to you or to others in the Vatican? A: The Pope said not only in his last document but also in the others, for example "Evangelii Guadium," that we need to work not only to make profits but also to respect the human person. I would say that this was also very clear in your (the U.S.) Constitution and the great leaders of your country wrote many times about the common good and justice. But many people say, including some economists, that these values are not so present at the moment. I am not sure if that is true, but that is what I have read. …. The project of the Pope is to come back to the Gospel, particularly Christ's first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. It is very clear in that speech that Christ expects us to help those who suffer, especially the poor. So, the best attitude to receive the Pope's teachings is to understand that he is a religious leader and the essence of his message comes from the Gospel, not from one ideology or another. …. Some prominent Catholics say the Pope should not preach or teach about matters like the environment and economics. A: I know, I know, and they are very important persons -- some of them are campaigning to become president. But this is a mistake because when the Pope speaks in this area, about creation or nature, he goes back to St. Francis and to the beginnings of the Bible, when God's first gift to mankind is the Earth and all of its creations. So, this idea that it is not "Christian" to speak of the beauty of creation and about our role to be stewards of that beauty is just insane. …. So you are saying that most of the opposition to "Laudato Si" came from the oil and gas industries? A: Yes, I think so. Because as the Pope says in the encyclical, 90% of the scientific community agrees that climate change is a problem today, and that this (use of oil and gas) is a cause of global warming.”

“Some prominent Catholics say the Pope should not preach or teach about matters like the environment and economics. A: I know, I know, and they are very important persons -- some of them are campaigning to become president.” The headline of this article states that the Vatican advisor predicts a change in the Pope’s economic and other teachings “in the US,” but having read this all the way through I found on the contrary that the Pope will likely stick to his guns, though conservative political and economic voices here have been pretty loudly disagreeing with him. Most of the voices at the Vatican council meeting were in favor of the Pope’s Encyclical on global warming and overuse of fossil fuels, says Sorondo, with the exception of “a small minority and of this minority we can say that the underlying reason was because these people live off of oil.”

I have to wonder if Daniel Burke the writer is personally trying to skew the story to favor the interests of the Koch family, etc. I hope not. When I had cable I spent a lot of time watching CNN, and I want to think they are progressive in orientation if they show any bias at all. I have learned by now, however, to read beyond the headline on any article and to spend some time examining it if it is as important as this story. I say important, because the leader of the Catholic Church is a highly influential voice, especially when he is so well-spoken and well-educated on many subjects as Pope Francis is. He also has a sense of humor and has a real feeling for the people he meets outside the Vatican. He brings the teaching of Jesus away from the Baptist emphasis on who is going to hell and who isn’t, based on blind acceptance of certain dogmas, toward how we live our lives in relation to the earth and our fellow man. I asked a devout Baptist friend of mine from high school what she thought of the Pope and she said that he seems to be honestly trying to live the Christian life. I agree with her.





http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/24/health/paralyzed-patients-stand-again/index.html

How paralyzed patients are able to stand again
By Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent, and John Bonifield, CNN
Fri July 24, 2015

Video -- Paralyzed men stand again 01:17
Related story: New science helps a paralyzed man move his legs for the first time in years

(CNN)In what's being hailed as a breakthrough in spinal cord injury research, four men paralyzed from the chest down have risen from their wheelchairs on their own volition and effort.

"I can stand up for more than half an hour," said Dustin Shillcox, who was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago. "It's awesome. It's amazing. It's a hopeful feeling."

Shillcox and the other three men had electrical stimulators surgically implanted in their spines, and are working toward walking again someday. Their standing achievements were published Friday in the online journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Susan Harkema and her colleagues at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville.

The Christopher and Dave Reeve Foundation, which helped fund the study, has named the Kentucky research as its "Big Idea" and is raising $15 million to do the procedure in dozens more patients.

Already, more than 4,000 people have signed up to become research subjects.

"We're really excited. We think the future looks very bright for those with spinal cord injuries," said Peter Wilderotter, the president of the foundation.

While the patients work toward walking -- and no one knows if they'll succeed -- they have already experienced other benefits of the stimulator. Their increased mobility (they can lift and swing their legs and two can even do sit-ups) has already improved their health. One patient, for example, has seen his wildly fluctuating blood pressure come under control.

All four men say the stimulator has allowed them to have sex again and has given them dramatically increased control over their bowels and bladder.

"Sure, I'd like to walk someday," said Kent Stephenson, one of the study subjects. "But just give me sexual function and bowel and bladder control -- I'm a happy camper."

This isn't the first time people with paralysis have risen from their wheelchairs. Since the mid-'90s, Dr. Ronald Triolo's team at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has implanted stimulators in the legs and hips of more than 30 people, allowing them to stand up. Some have even taken steps.

But according to Triolo, there's one major difference: The stimulators he uses "hijack" the muscles and tell them what to do. The Kentucky researchers put their stimulators right at the spine, so they affect the central nervous system. The patients themselves then have direct control over their muscles, and make them move on their own.

"The cachet, the unique thing Susie Harkema is doing, is she's letting the muscles act naturally rather than forcing them to act," said Triolo, a professor of orthopedics and biomedical engineering at Case Western. "It's one step closer to more natural function."

Shillcox, who's started a foundation to help others affected by paralysis, said he could stand within a month after receiving his stimulator, but he needed people to support his hips, which weren't steady, and his knees, which sometimes buckled.

Now, after more than two years of practice, he doesn't need help from anyone getting up or staying up. He does, however, have to put his hand on something for balance.

"I'm working on that so I don't have to hang on to anything," he said. "The progress might be coming slowly, but we keep making gains."




"I can stand up for more than half an hour," said Dustin Shillcox, who was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago. "It's awesome. It's amazing. It's a hopeful feeling." Shillcox and the other three men had electrical stimulators surgically implanted in their spines, and are working toward walking again someday. Their standing achievements were published Friday in the online journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Susan Harkema and her colleagues at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville. …. Already, more than 4,000 people have signed up to become research subjects. "We're really excited. We think the future looks very bright for those with spinal cord injuries," said Peter Wilderotter, the president of the foundation. …. Their increased mobility (they can lift and swing their legs and two can even do sit-ups) has already improved their health. One patient, for example, has seen his wildly fluctuating blood pressure come under control. All four men say the stimulator has allowed them to have sex again and has given them dramatically increased control over their bowels and bladder. …. But according to Triolo, there's one major difference: The stimulators he uses "hijack" the muscles and tell them what to do. The Kentucky researchers put their stimulators right at the spine, so they affect the central nervous system. The patients themselves then have direct control over their muscles, and make them move on their own. …. He does, however, have to put his hand on something for balance. "I'm working on that so I don't have to hang on to anything," he said. "The progress might be coming slowly, but we keep making gains."

The advancements in technology have been interesting to me down through my life, but not always welcome. I don’t want to see any computers made so “smart” that they will not be trustworthy servants. This particular development is delightful to me. People who can’t get around without a wheel chair are in a kind of prison. I wonder if they have dreams about running and jumping at will. If they need help to go to the bathroom and dress themselves that would be even worse. This is one more good news article – it makes me very hopeful about scientific advances that are clearly beneficial to all humankind rather than the horror story twist of the famous computer named Hal.





SYRIAN ISSUES


http://www.npr.org/2015/06/27/418011765/success-for-u-s-backed-fighters-in-syria-leads-to-political-complications

Success For U.S.-Backed Fighters In Syria Leads To Political Complications
Deborah Amos, Alison Meuse
JUNE 27, 2015

Along with U.S. airstrikes, Syrian Kurds pushed the Islamic State out of key turf on the Turkish border. The U.S. sees it as a model for fighting ISIS but Turkey worries the Kurds are going too far.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Success on the battlefield can lead to political complications in the many-sided war in Syria. Take the recent military victories by the Syrian Kurds. With the support from the U.S., Kurdish fighters ousted the self-proclaimed Islamic State from a border town and pushed to within 30 miles of the militant's capital city. Now, in Washington, D.C., the U.S.-Kurd alliance is cited as a model to confront ISIS. But another ally - Turkey - fears the Kurds are pushing out ISIS to build a state of their own. NPR's Deborah Amos reports from southern Turkey.

DEBORAH AMOS, BYLINE: It was a remarkable military success just across from this border gate in southern Turkey. In two days, ISIS militants were driven out of Tel Abyad, a Syrian town that straddles this Turkish frontier. A strategic setback for the militants, the border town was a smuggling and a supply route. Kurdish fighters of the YPG, or the People's Protection Units, did the fighting on the ground, allied with Arab rebels backed by coordinated U.S. airstrikes. But now this win for the U.S.-Kurdish alliance has prompted warnings from Turkey and complaints from Syrian Arabs, rebels and refugees, and you can hear it on this border. Activist Ammer Alhamid says he won't go back to Tel Abyad even now that ISIS is gone.

AMMER ALHAMID: Because now Tel Abyad not free.

AMOS: And why isn't it free?

ALHAMID: Because PYD.

AMOS: The Kurdish militia, he says, aims to kick the Arabs out of Tel Abyad and bring in more Kurds - ethnic displacement. That's what Syrian Arabs here believe. Alhamid says that with each victory the Kurds are grabbing land for a Kurdish state. Alhamid says he's fighting for Syrian unity.

ALHAMID: Our project is free for all Syrian people.

AMOS: When Turkey opened the border crossing earlier this week, only a few thousand Syrian Arabs returned home out of the 23,000 who fled to Turkey at the height of the fighting. Hundreds are still camped out at the border, living rough in parks and on concrete patches on the side of the road. They're wary of the Kurds who now control their town. Twenty-five-year-old Fares kisses his mother before she walks through the gate. He refuses to give his full name. He says he was afraid of ISIS when the militants controlled Tel Abyad and now he's afraid of the Kurds.

FARES: (Foreign language spoken).

AMOS: The Kurdish victory has also prompted anger within the wider Syrian opposition and accusations that Kurds forced Arabs out of their homes, a charge the Kurds deny. A human rights team led by Lette Taylor has been looking into those allegations and she says, so far, there's no evidence of ethnic displacement, despite the claims.

LETTE TAYLOR: A lot of Arab refugees we spoke to at the border are telling us that they are scared to go back because they don't know what life will be like under YPG, but many of them are willing to give it a try.

AMOS: Much depends on the next steps. If the Kurds can reassure returning Arab residents, allow local councils to operate again, then international humanitarian aid could restart in the devastated town. But Turkey will also have a say in what comes across the border. The Turks are wary of Kurdish advances on the Turkish frontier, says analyst Thanassis Cambanis, with the Century Foundation. He's currently in the region. The Kurds are under pressure, even as they've become the most effective force fighting ISIS.

THANASSIS CAMBANIS: : Much depends on the next steps. If the Kurds can reassure returning Arab residents, allow local councils to operate again, then international humanitarian aid could restart in the devastated town. But Turkey will also have a say in what comes across the border. The Turks are wary of Kurdish advances on the Turkish frontier

AMOS: ISIS militants proved this week that they can hit back hard, killing more than 140 Kurdish civilians in the town of Kobane on Thursday. Still, the Kurd's vital role fighting ISIS is a turning point. Long marginalized in Syria, the Kurds are now likely to demand a bigger say in the country's future. Deborah Amos, NPR News in southern Turkey.




“Take the recent military victories by the Syrian Kurds. With the support from the U.S., Kurdish fighters ousted the self-proclaimed Islamic State from a border town and pushed to within 30 miles of the militant's capital city. Now, in Washington, D.C., the U.S.-Kurd alliance is cited as a model to confront ISIS. But another ally - Turkey - fears the Kurds are pushing out ISIS to build a state of their own. …. . A strategic setback for the militants, the border town was a smuggling and a supply route. Kurdish fighters of the YPG, or the People's Protection Units, did the fighting on the ground, allied with Arab rebels backed by coordinated U.S. airstrikes. …. The Kurdish militia, he says, aims to kick the Arabs out of Tel Abyad and bring in more Kurds - ethnic displacement. That's what Syrian Arabs here believe. …. The Kurdish victory has also prompted anger within the wider Syrian opposition and accusations that Kurds forced Arabs out of their homes, a charge the Kurds deny. A human rights team led by Lette Taylor has been looking into those allegations and she says, so far, there's no evidence of ethnic displacement, despite the claims. …. : Much depends on the next steps. If the Kurds can reassure returning Arab residents, allow local councils to operate again, then international humanitarian aid could restart in the devastated town. But Turkey will also have a say in what comes across the border. The Turks are wary of Kurdish advances on the Turkish frontier …. Still, the Kurd's vital role fighting ISIS is a turning point. Long marginalized in Syria, the Kurds are now likely to demand a bigger say in the country's future. Deborah Amos, NPR News in southern Turkey.

“Much depends on the next steps. If the Kurds can reassure returning Arab residents, allow local councils to operate again, then international humanitarian aid could restart in the devastated town. But Turkey will also have a say in what comes across the border. The Turks are wary of Kurdish advances on the Turkish frontier….” This is exactly why I always speak up for the Kurds. I see no sign that they are trying to take over and control the areas where they fighting, but simply acting in prudent self-defense. And if they step in and save the Arab lands from being run over totally by ISIS, it seems to me that they deserve a share of the land for their people. Like the Palestinians they have occupied several different parts of the Middle East for thousands of years and have been “marginalized” in those areas. They should have a legitimate claim. I want to see both the Palestinians and the Kurds ceded a share of land for their own people.

See the following excerpts from Wikipedia on the Kurds. An earlier news article was on the religious minority called Yazidism. They are, it turns out, part of the Kurdish culture. Most modern day Kurds are Islamic, but there are three or four indigenous religions such as Yazidism and a tolerated minority are agnostic or Christian. It would be interesting to compare those Christians with others to see what their cultural links and specific beliefs are. Not now, though! All in all, I am much impressed with these Kurds, as they don’t seem to be trying to take over the rest of the Middle East and world in general, like so many modern Islamic worshippers are. I think the Turks and Syrian Arabs suspect them of that out of a general prejudice between them. The article below said that in one country, at least, they are "marginalized." I saw a photo of a Yazidi woman, one of the Kurdish religious groups, and she had a slightly different look to her facial structure than most Arabs. The Kurds were there in the region before the Arabs moved in and conquered large areas. There seems to be long-term rivalry.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_culture

Kurdish culture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurdish Culture is a group of distinctive cultural traits practiced by Kurdish people. The Kurdish culture is a legacy from ancient peoples who shaped modern Kurds and their society. Some aspects of Kurdish culture are close to that of other Iranian peoples; for example all of them celebrate Newroz as the new year day, which is celebrated on March 21.

Traditionally, there are three types of Kurdish Classical performers - storytellers (çîrokbêj), minstrels (stranbêj) and bards (dengbêj). There was no specific music related to the Kurdish princely courts, and instead, music performed in night gatherings (şevbihêrk) is considered classical. Several musical forms are found in this genre. Many songs and are epic in nature, such as the popular Lawik's which are heroic ballads recounting the tales of Kurdish heroes of the past like Saladin. Heyrans are love ballads usually expressing the melancholy of separation and unfulfilled love. Lawje is a form of religious music and Payizoks are songs performed specifically in autumn. Love songs, dance music, wedding and other celebratory songs (dîlok/narînk), erotic poetry and work songs are also popular. Kurdish folklore is a very rich one. Kurds have their own national attire. The women usually wear colored dresses. These dresses differ from area to another area. One can tell from which province or city a certain lady is by looking at her dress. As to the men, they have the "shalûshepik" or "rengûchox" a sort of baggy trousers "shirwal" with an upper shirt. Around the belt they tie a long piece of cloth. The men also use "shashik" or "cemedanî" with a "claw" on their heads. Kurds love to dance and they have hundreds of folk-dances. The music usually has speedy tacts and is high tuned. They mostly use the "zurna" (kind of flute) and "Dehol" (drum). While kurds also enjoy melancholic maqams or ballads that usually tells about events from the past. Many historians use these ballads as oral history passed through the generations.

Prominent Armenian composer Gomidas Vartabed (Soghomon Soghomonian) notated many Kurdish folk songs included "Lur dalur". Gomidas was a guest of Hasan-agha in Aslan village, where he participated in Kurdish eveningtime celebrations. Gomidas loved Kurdish popular art and in 1897 he continued diploma-related research on Kurdish music at the Berlin Conservatory. Of note, the work of Gomidas was largely lost in the Armenian Genocide

Religion

Before the spread of Islam in the 7th century AD, the majority of Kurds practised their indigenous religions, which today are referred to as Yazdânism. Yazidism and Yarsanism, which may have stemmed from and eventually replaced those religions, are still practiced among the Kurds. Most Yazidis live in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the vicinity of Mosul and Sinjar. Yazidis are also found in Syria, Armenia, Turkey, and Germany. Their holy book is "Mishefa Reş" (The Black Book). The Yarsan, or Ahl-e Haqq, religion is practised in western Iran, primarily around Kermanshah.

Before the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, a large part of the Kurdish population practised Christianity. Kurdish Christians can still be found in small numbers, especially in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdish kingdom of Adiabene, together with a large number of its Kurdish citizens, converted to Judaism during the 1st century BC. Tanna’it Asenath Barzani, who lived in Mosul from 1590 to 1670 was among the very first Jewish women to carry an official title normally reserved for rabbinic scholars.

In the 7th century, Arabs conquered the Kurdish regions and converted the majority of Kurds to Islam. The majority of Kurds today are Muslim, belonging to the Shafi school of Sunni Islam, distinguishing them in the region, (and to a much lesser degree, the Hanafi) Schools of Sunni Islam. There is also a significant minority of Kurds that are Shia Muslims, primarily living in the Ilam and Kermanshah provinces of Iran and Central Iraq ("Al-Fayliah" Kurds). The Alevis are another religious minority among the Kurds, mainly found in Kurdistan of Turkey. There are also Kurdish Agnostics and also Kurdish Baha'is specially in Iranian Kurdistan. There's not any information about Irreligion and Atheist people in Kurdistan's society.

Most Kurds have moderate tendencies toward religion.[1][2]

Female genital mutilation was an accepted part of Kurdish culture in Iraqi Kurdistan. A 2011 Kurdish law criminalized FGM practice in Iraqi Kurdistan, however this law is not being enforced. [3]





http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/03/09/390691518/in-syria-archaeologists-risk-their-lives-to-protect-ancient-heritage

In Syria, Archaeologists Risk Their Lives To Protect Ancient Heritage
Deborah Amos, Alison Meuse
MARCH 09, 2015

Photograph -- Syrian volunteers work to protect mosaics in the Ma'arra museum. Syrian volunteers cover mosaics in the Ma'arra museum with a protective layer of glue, covered by cloth.
Ma'arra Museum Project/Safeguarding the Heritage of Syria and Iraq Project

The race to protect Syria's heritage from the ravages of war and plunder has brought a new kind of warrior to the front lines.

These cultural rebels are armed with cameras and sandbags. They work in secret, sometimes in disguise, to outwit smugglers. They risk their lives to take on enemies that include the Syrian regime, Islamist militants and professional smugglers who loot for pay, sometimes using bulldozers.

Their backers, from prominent cultural institutions in the West, refer to them as the "Monuments Men" of Syria, based on the name given those who saved cultural heritage in Europe during World War II.

Academics On The Front Lines

"They are dedicated professionals," says Corine Wegener at the Smithsonian Institution. She leads a worldwide effort to protect cultural heritage. "This is a new situation," says Wegener, describing the war in Syria as a cultural emergency. "We are trying to help."

Abdul Rahman al-Yehiya and Ayman al-Nabu seem unlikely warriors. They are academics in suits. We meet them in a hotel in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border, after they made a grueling, 10-hour journey across Syria's dangerous frontier, including the last 5 miles on foot.

"We are a team of specialists in archaeology, engineering and artists," says Yehiya. He led the team in an emergency preservation of the Ma'arra museum in northern Syria's Idlib province, famous for a dazzling, world-class collection of Roman and Byzantine mosaics from the 3rd to 6th centuries A.D.

The eight-month project began last summer with an intense workshop on preservation techniques. Then the dangerous work began on the front lines of the war.

The team assessed the damage from Syrian air force strikes in an area contested by the regime and the rebels. They worked to fix what was damaged and protect the remaining mosaics.

"The mortars, the warplanes and the helicopters that drop barrel bombs" were only part of the risk, says Yehiya. "There was the danger of the snipers," he says: regime soldiers who targeted the work team in an active war zone.

Cultural Triage

In Syria, antiquities smuggling is now a multimillion-dollar business that has exploded in recent months in areas controlled by militants of the self-described Islamic State. This organized plunder has dwarfed the thieving by regime soldiers, opposition rebels and desperate civilians who mine Syria's heritage sites to pay for food.

The scale of the loss is heartbreaking, says Brian Daniels of the Penn Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center in Philadelphia, which is working with Syria's Heritage Task Force to support the preservation efforts.

Daniels calls the situation in Syria "the worst cultural disaster since the Second World War." He describes the heritage work as "cultural triage," protecting when possible and documenting what has been lost.

This documentation is where the Syrian team performs the most dangerous work, traveling across the war-torn country to photograph heritage sites on active battlefronts.

"We wear normal clothes but dress ready to run — jeans and sneakers, so we can be light on our feet," says Yehiya.

Nabu oversees a team of undercover volunteers who pose as buyers to snap pictures of ancient artifacts for sale.

Sandbags are stacked on the inside walls of the Ma'arra museum, shielding fragile, ancient mosaics from the blast of regime jets and looters.
Ma'arra Museum Project/Safeguarding the Heritage of Syria and Iraq Project

The lost treasures are cataloged in a desperate hope that one day they can be recovered. One example is a mosaic, dated to around 330 BC, that depicts the ancient city of Apamea.

"All of these are gone," says Yehiya, as he shows the grainy photos, gathered at great risk, on his laptop.

But he and his colleagues have persuaded local civilians to support the work to save Syrian heritage. They have turned in more than 1,700 ancient artifacts for safekeeping.

Shielding Mosaics From Destruction And Theft

This week, too, the archaeologists can boast about their success at the Ma'arra museum.

The Heritage Task Force supplied materials, says the Smithsonian's Wegener, including digital cameras, packing and crating equipment and large rolls of Tyvek, a protective synthetic sheeting often used in home building.

The Syrian team had to keep the project secret so the Ma'arra museum wouldn't be targeted. They needed a cover story to explain why they were bringing in so much Tyvek.

"There are a lot of people dying in Syria, so we said it was burial shrouds," Yehiya says with a smirk. "We said it's to wrap the dead like mummies."

They used the protective sheeting to wrap 1,600 square feet of ancient mosaics. The next step was to protect the Ma'arra museum itself, says Amr al-Azm, a Damascus-trained archaeologist who now teaches Middle Eastern history in Ohio. Some of the "Monuments Men" of Syria are his former students.

"We decided the best way to do this was to actually use a technique that was very commonly employed during the Second World War in Europe and the First World War — and that's to sandbag," Azm says.

The sandbags are now stacked on the inside walls of the museum, shielding the mosaics from the blast of regime jets and opportunistic looting.

It is impossible to quantify the loss in Syria, says the Penn Museum's Brian Daniels.

"How do you define heritage?" he says. "It's a place, it's the 'oldness' of Syria. It's a feeling."

Still, the Ma'arra project is a small victory in a long war of illicit trade and damage, says Azm — and the team inside Syria stepped up to the challenge:

"In many ways, they are the heroes of our stories," says Azm. "They are the guys who risk their lives every day, visiting archaeological sites. This comes from their area — this is their hometown, this is their museum. The connection is there."




“The race to protect Syria's heritage from the ravages of war and plunder has brought a new kind of warrior to the front lines. These cultural rebels are armed with cameras and sandbags. They work in secret, sometimes in disguise, to outwit smugglers. They risk their lives to take on enemies that include the Syrian regime, Islamist militants and professional smugglers who loot for pay, sometimes using bulldozers. Their backers, from prominent cultural institutions in the West, refer to them as the "Monuments Men" of Syria, based on the name given those who saved cultural heritage in Europe during World War II. …. Abdul Rahman al-Yehiya and Ayman al-Nabu seem unlikely warriors. They are academics in suits. We meet them in a hotel in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border, after they made a grueling, 10-hour journey across Syria's dangerous frontier, including the last 5 miles on foot. "We are a team of specialists in archaeology, engineering and artists," says Yehiya. He led the team in an emergency preservation of the Ma'arra museum in northern Syria's Idlib province, famous for a dazzling, world-class collection of Roman and Byzantine mosaics from the 3rd to 6th centuries A.D. …. "The mortars, the warplanes and the helicopters that drop barrel bombs" were only part of the risk, says Yehiya. "There was the danger of the snipers," he says: regime soldiers who targeted the work team in an active war zone. …. This organized plunder has dwarfed the thieving by regime soldiers, opposition rebels and desperate civilians who mine Syria's heritage sites to pay for food. The scale of the loss is heartbreaking, says Brian Daniels of the Penn Museum's Penn Cultural Heritage Center in Philadelphia, which is working with Syria's Heritage Task Force to support the preservation efforts. …. The Syrian team had to keep the project secret so the Ma'arra museum wouldn't be targeted. They needed a cover story to explain why they were bringing in so much Tyvek. "There are a lot of people dying in Syria, so we said it was burial shrouds," Yehiya says with a smirk. "We said it's to wrap the dead like mummies."

"All of these are gone," says Yehiya, as he shows the grainy photos, gathered at great risk, on his laptop. But he and his colleagues have persuaded local civilians to support the work to save Syrian heritage. They have turned in more than 1,700 ancient artifacts for safekeeping.”

If human achievement is not preserved we will degenerate rather than move forward. There is a mercenary trend to our modern culture worldwide, including the US. It’s all about money and power when the remnants of the human soul are being scrapped as “useless.” Art is especially useless, right? Unless it is made of gold, that is. No. Every drawing a three year old makes, every song sung, every family story repeated, these are cultural heritage emerging. When they are collected and appreciated, our group identity will be developed. If those things are forgotten, all links to the past will be lost, and we will become a creature no more advanced than any other animal.




https://www.yahoo.com/katiecouric/the-trans-pacific-partnership-after-almost-a-124946012698.html

Trans-Pacific Partnership
Kaye Foley
Associate Producer
July 24, 2015

After almost a decade of talks, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade ministers will gather in Maui, Hawaii on July 28-31, to try to come to a conclusion on what would be the largest free-trade deal ever.

The TPP involves the U.S., Canada, Mexico and nine other Pacific Rim nations. These countries represent about 40 percent of the global GDP, according to the Peterson Institute. By 2025 the deal could potentially increase the United States’ annual income by $77 billion.

As with any trade deal, the TPP involves more than just freeing up the trade of goods. While it would lower tariffs and ease regulations, liberalizing certain products like rice, sugar and trucks for the nations involved, it would also address some of the rising issues of a global economy, such as patent laws for pharmaceuticals and international data transfers over the Internet. President Obama is spearheading the support for the pact, which is opposed by many of his fellow Democrats. The trade deal has been the cause of a lot of contention on Capitol Hill.

Supporters believe it would be beneficial to all involved, opening up new opportunities and leveling the playing field, as labor and environmental standards would be imposed on the trading partners. The White House also thinks the deal would help the U.S. assert more influence in the area.

However, those opposing the TPP think it prioritizes corporations by limiting competition and giving foreign companies too much power in U.S. business. Foreign corporations and investors would be able to challenge the U.S. government through special tribunals when they believe regulations or actions hurt their investments.

If the Hawaii talks result in a final deal, President Obama will need only a simple “yes” or “no” from Congress — meaning they won’t be able to change any of the terms of the agreement — since “fast track” authority for the president passed this June.

So as this region of the world waits to see what happens behind closed doors at the negotiations in Maui, when it comes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, after watching this video, at least you can say, “Now I get it.”




“After almost a decade of talks, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade ministers will gather in Maui, Hawaii on July 28-31, to try to come to a conclusion on what would be the largest free-trade deal ever. The TPP involves the U.S., Canada, Mexico and nine other Pacific Rim nations. These countries represent about 40 percent of the global GDP, according to the Peterson Institute. By 2025 the deal could potentially increase the United States’ annual income by $77 billion. …. Foreign corporations and investors would be able to challenge the U.S. government through special tribunals when they believe regulations or actions hurt their investments. …. If the Hawaii talks result in a final deal, President Obama will need only a simple “yes” or “no” from Congress — meaning they won’t be able to change any of the terms of the agreement — since “fast track” authority for the president passed this June.”

This appears to be an arrangement which will consolidate trade in the West similarly to what has been done with the EU in Europe. I can see why Obama would be so fond of that idea, but if the treaty causes even fewer jobs in the US as more business is offshored, that won’t be a good thing. Besides the supporters are mainly Republicans. It seems to be certain to be adopted, but I don’t have a good feeling about it.




ANIMALS OF INTEREST – THREE ARTICLES


http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/20/new-surprising-video-shows-apes-swimming/

New Surprising Video Shows Apes Swimming
Posted by Carrie Arnold in Weird & Wild on August 20, 2013

Video -- Scientists have observed apes swimming for the first time—and captured it all on film.

A refreshing swim may be a common activity for people, but not so for our ape kin—scientists have long noted apes’ fear of the water. Enter research team Renato and Nicole Bender, who shot videos of a chimpanzee named Cooper and an orangutan named Suryia in a swimming pool, playing just like humans.

The researchers said that although some monkey species—such as snow monkeys, proboscis monkeys, and macaques—frequently swim in their natural environment, the behavior hasn’t been observed in wild apes, and only anecdotally in captive apes. (Watch a video of snow monkeys swimming in Japan.)

One of their next goals is to determine whether wild apes also swim, or if the phenomenon is limited to captive apes like Cooper and Suryia.

The Benders, who divide their time between the University of Bern in Switzerland and Wits University in South Africa, published their observations July 30 in the Journal of Physical Anthropology. Nicole spoke with National Geographic about the pair’s work.

Why were you interested in the idea of apes swimming?

As part of my husband’s Ph.D., he wanted to study humans interacting with water and also how apes interacted with water. When we did a literature search, we didn’t find anything. So we started to ask around to other people and what they knew. We wrote to zoos and asked them if they had seen anything. Finally, a colleague sent us a link to the [wildlife park] Myrtle Beach Safari, which had information about an orangutan named Suryia, with links to YouTube videos of her swimming. Suryia’s owner agreed to participate in our research and also told us about Cooper [the chimpanzee]. (Also see “Chimps, Orangutans Have Human-Like Memory.”)

How did you film these videos of Cooper and Suryia swimming?

Both apes are very used to humans, so with both of them, it was possible for Renato go to in the pool with them and film them underwater while they were swimming and playing. I was filming from the land.

It was extremely amazing to watch this. Looking at Cooper, he did so well in the water. He wanted to play all the time. It was amazing to see because normally apes are afraid of the water. I got shivers when I saw this.

What were Cooper and Suryia actually doing in the water?

Cooper really seemed to enjoy diving. We had stretched ropes over part of the pool for security reasons, and Cooper actually used these to dive deep, which you can see on the videos. He started to do this while we were there, and shortly after we left, he started swimming, actually.

Suryia was a little bit different because [she] was trained for a show. After they saw her swimming and diving, the trainers encouraged her to do this for the show. She developed these movements on her own. (See National Geographic’s ape videos.)

What are the significance of these findings?

Some researchers thought that apes could not swim because they didn’t have enough body fat. And we could show that they are able to swim, if circumstances allow. They’re like humans—they can learn to swim.

Another hypothesis said that apes couldn’t swim underwater because of breath control. A human’s ability to hold their breath was thought to be the reason we could talk and other animals couldn’t. But we saw the apes swimming under water, which showed they could control their breath for diving. But apes still do not talk, so there have to be other reasons why they can’t talk.

What are some of the topics you hope to study in the future?

We want to understand why humans started to interact more with water. We also want to compare several apes, since every individual develops his own movements, and it would be nice to have more data to compare these. We would also like to measure heart rates when they dive and see how this compares to humans’ [heart rates].




“A refreshing swim may be a common activity for people, but not so for our ape kin—scientists have long noted apes’ fear of the water. Enter research team Renato and Nicole Bender, who shot videos of a chimpanzee named Cooper and an orangutan named Suryia in a swimming pool, playing just like humans. The researchers said that although some monkey species—such as snow monkeys, proboscis monkeys, and macaques—frequently swim in their natural environment, the behavior hasn’t been observed in wild apes, and only anecdotally in captive apes. (Watch a video of snow monkeys swimming in Japan.) …. Why were you interested in the idea of apes swimming? As part of my husband’s Ph.D., he wanted to study humans interacting with water and also how apes interacted with water. When we did a literature search, we didn’t find anything. So we started to ask around to other people and what they knew. We wrote to zoos and asked them if they had seen anything. Finally, a colleague sent us a link to the [wildlife park] Myrtle Beach Safari, which had information about an orangutan named Suryia, with links to YouTube videos of her swimming. Suryia’s owner agreed to participate in our research and also told us about Cooper [the chimpanzee]. (Also see “Chimps, Orangutans Have Human-Like Memory.”) …. Some researchers thought that apes could not swim because they didn’t have enough body fat. And we could show that they are able to swim, if circumstances allow. They’re like humans—they can learn to swim. Another hypothesis said that apes couldn’t swim underwater because of breath control. A human’s ability to hold their breath was thought to be the reason we could talk and other animals couldn’t. But we saw the apes swimming under water, which showed they could control their breath for diving. But apes still do not talk, so there have to be other reasons why they can’t talk.”

I looked on Google this morning to verify the statement I’ve heard for years that “all mammals can swim.” One article listed half a dozen or so mammals that either can’t swim or don’t want to swim. Rhinos, giraffes are two. That’s predictable. Amazingly humans and apes were listed in that group! In fact a human baby until they get old enough to be afraid of the water can swim. There was a fad among American moms several years back to enroll their babies in swimming lessons specifically for them. As popular ideas go, this is a very good one, because if a kid gets to be too old without learning to swim he is likely to be afraid of water and prone to drowning if he does fall into a pool or lake. As for apes, this video (please watch it) puts the lie to that story. It just makes sense that creatures as similar as humans and apes are would be alike on this. The article above states that while we don’t take to water “like a duck” we can very easily learn it. Mainly we have to learn to blow air out through the nose and inhale it through the mouth, and only while our faces are out of the water. The other key is to relax rather than fighting the water. Just cup the hands in a relaxed manner and pull in toward the body. The orang in the video has it down pat.





http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/milwaukee-lion-sighting-police-close-streets-north-city-n398561

Milwaukee Lion Sighting: Police Close Streets in North of City
by REUTERS
NEWS JUL 26 2015

Facebook Twitter Google PlusEmbed -- FROM 22 JULY, 2015: Lion Sightings Have Milwaukee Residents on Guard 1:44

MILWAUKEE — Police closed off streets near a park in north Milwaukee on Saturday night after reports of a "lion-like animal," which came days after people said they had a seen a lion prowling city streets.

Milwaukee police and the Department of Natural Resources responded to the area, at 30th and Fairmont streets, for what a police statement called "a confirmed sighting of a lion-like animal."

The animal was not located, it added, but police would maintain a presence throughout the night. Local residents reported earlier on Saturday they had seen a lion and her cub in a creek in the park.

"I ... said 'Let's go see it in person'," said Tracie Jackson, 53, an off-duty Milwaukee police officer who drove from her home about five minutes away.

About 15 people gathered by the park, where the streets were closed off by police tape, hoping for a sighting.

On Tuesday a white pit bull dog was shot in the paw after apparently having been mistaken for the lion reported to have been prowling city streets. It was expected to fully recover.

The shooting followed a Monday telephone call to police from a woman who reported seeing a lion in her neighborhood. A cell phone video clip surfaced hours later showing a blurry image of a large cat-like animal strolling about, heightening fears and speculation.

Police subsequently received dozens of calls reporting lion sightings. The Milwaukee Zoo said via Twitter that all its lions were accounted for.




“On Tuesday a white pit bull dog was shot in the paw after apparently having been mistaken for the lion reported to have been prowling city streets. It was expected to fully recover. The shooting followed a Monday telephone call to police from a woman who reported seeing a lion in her neighborhood. A cell phone video clip surfaced hours later showing a blurry image of a large cat-like animal strolling about, heightening fears and speculation. Police subsequently received dozens of calls reporting lion sightings.”

The problem with this kind of thing is that after the first news report comes out, half the population will be out looking for a lion and as a result will see something that fits the description. I must say that the cellphone image, though fuzzy and grainy, does look exactly like a female lion or a cougar. Could be either. It definitely doesn’t look or walk like a dog of any breed. The first witness did say it was a female lion with one cub, however, which was seen in a stream. I do hope no exotic animal has been hand raised by a human and then escaped, since she will have no fear of humans and will be more likely to attack. Of course, with a cub, she will be out searching for food, and that juicy meal could be a pet dog. I hope authorities can capture her and put her in a zoo rather than killing her, but it’s definitely not good to have that kind of animal in a city. This is not the first news footage I’ve seen of cougars in town, but that was in California. Two black bears have been photographed in and near Jacksonville. We have lots of wooded areas here to provide shelter and probably food.





http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ohio-zoo-presses-charges-man-pet-cougars-video-article-1.2304251

Ohio zoo presses charges against man who jumped fence to pet cougars (VIDEO)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Saturday
July 25, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio zoo officials say they are pressing charges against a man who jumped a fence to pet cougars, then posted his video on YouTube.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium says the Delaware County Sheriff’s office has charged a suspect with a misdemeanor count of trespassing.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Tracy Whited says 35-year-old Joshua Newell was served Friday with a summons to appear in court Wednesday.

The video posted earlier this week shows an outer fence being jumped, then two cougars being petted through another fence as a voice says things such as “Kitty, kitty, kitty.”

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officials say they are pressing charges against a man who jumped a fence to pet cougars, then posted his video on YouTube.
PreviousNext

Columbus Zoo CEO Tom Stalf says in a statement that animal welfare and safety are top priorities.

He calls the video “alarming.”

A telephone listed to Newell’s suburban Gahanna address rang busy Saturday.




Though this man is just a visitor to the zoo and apparently not known to the cougars, they clearly are so well-treated there that they view humans as "those two-legged friends who bring us meat every day and pet us." The cougars both rubbed their cheeks against the man's hand on the fence while he inserted his fingers repeatedly. Watch the video. It would of course, generally, not be advisable for anyone to just walk up to the fence at a zoo and call the animals like this. He got some great footage, however.