JANUARY 3, 2018

NEWS AND VIEWS

THIS FIRST ARTICLE IS CONCERNING, IF IT MEANS THAT THERE IS A THREAT OF A SITUATION IN BRITAIN SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE IN THE USA. IF IT IS WORSE, AN INFLUX OF WOULD-BE TERRORISTS COMING UNDER THE RADAR OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL, THE STABILITY OF BRITAIN COULD ACTUALLY BE COMPROMISED. THAT IS UNDOUBTEDLY WHY THE BRITISH ARE REACTING TO THESE BOATLOADS OF PEOPLE. THE ARTICLE DIDN’T SAY WHO OR WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE THEY ARE, BUT THE UNWILLINGNESS TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS SHOWS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BACKGROUND ISSUES WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE GOOD BRITISH CITIZENS.

THE US IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO ME, IN THAT MEXICAN AND OTHER SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CROSSING BACK AND FORTH DAILY FOR WORK AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANY YEARS. IT’S LIKE NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA THEIR FAMILIES ARE HERE. THERE IS AT LEAST ONE AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBE THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED – I DON’T REMEMBER WHICH ONE – WHOSE TRADITIONAL LANDS LIE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIO GRANDE. THEY WERE HERE BEFORE WE WERE.

WE SHOULD NOT CONSIDER THIS MODERN MIGRATION “AN INVASION,” BUT A FLOW OF RELATED COMMERCE. THE MEXICANS WOULD NOT BE COMING TO THE FARM LANDS AND FACTORIES IN THE USA IF THE AMERICANS DIDN’T HIRE THEM, AND EVEN PREFER THEIR LABOR OVER AMERICAN WORKERS, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY WILL WORK FOR MUCH LESS MONEY AND THEY DON’T MAKE WAVES. WE NEED MORE THAN BORDER SECURITY – A GENUINE CONTROL OF BUSINESSES IN THE USA. WE ALREADY HAVE LAWS PROHIBITING THE HIRING OF ILLEGAL ALIENS, BUT THE BUSINESSMEN SIMPLY “FORGET” TO CHECK THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS THAT WOULD ESTABLISH THEIR IDENTITIES AND WORK PERMISSION, OR THE LACK OF THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS OUR SACRED COW IN THE USA, WITH OUR IDEAL OF UNFETTERED BUSINESS ACTIVITY, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE “FREE MARKET.” THAT IS A REPUBLICAN ISSUE MORE THAN A DEMOCRATIC ONE, THOUGH THERE WAS A HUGE DEMOCRATIC SCANDAL CALLED “NANNYGATE*,” INVOLVING WHAT AMOUNTED TO A FORM OF SLAVERY CARRIED ON BY WEALTHY AMERICANS. GO TO WIKIPEDIA: HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/NANNYGATE.*

IF SOME, EVEN MANY, OF THEM WANT TO LIVE HERE FULL TIME THAT ISN’T SURPRISING. WE NEED TO GET PAST THIS “WHITE NATION” IDEA, BECAUSE SKIN IS MORE OF A BARRIER THAN LANGUAGE IS. THE GENETIC MAKEUP IN THIS COUNTRY IS HIGHLY MIXED, AND THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ IDEALS ARE ALREADY LONG PAST. LET’S SET UP A MORE ACTIVE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MEXICO AND ALL OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES WHICH WILL ENABLE EVERY COUNTRY, NOT JUST MEXICO AND THE US, TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS AND STOP UNREGULATED FLOW OUT AND TO THE NORTH.

THOSE NATIONS NEED, ALSO, TO STOP THE DRUG AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WITHIN THEIR BORDERS WHICH IS MAKING ORDINARY CITIZENS LEAVE IN FEAR. THEY NEED TO CAPTURE AND PROSECUTE THE COYOTES, ESPECIALLY, WHO BRING LARGE NUMBERS OF HISPANIC PEOPLE IN TRANSFER TRUCKS AND DEPOSIT THEM IN PREARRANGED MEETING PLACES WITHIN THE USA, TO BE PICKED UP IN CARS BY FAMILY OR FRIENDS. ONE SUCH TRUCK WAS IN THE NEWS TWO YEARS OR SO AGO WITH A NUMBER OF BODIES IN IT AS WELL AS LIVING PEOPLE BECAUSE OF SUFFOCATION. THAT TRADE IS SO CRUEL AND GREEDY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE NEW TREATY BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES THAT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD WORK TO ESTABLISH. THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS, NOT A SIMPLE LAW AND ORDER ISSUE.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/uk-minister-questions-asylum-claims-migrants-sea-60117035
UK minister questions asylum claims by migrants from the sea
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON — Jan 2, 2019, 8:58 AM ET

PHOTOGRAPH -- The Associated Press
Britain's Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes talks to a Border Force officer as a Border Force RIB passes in the harbour, in Dover, England, to discuss recent attempts by migrants to reach Britain by small boats, Saturday Dec. 29, 2018. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is cutting short a family holiday to help deal with the "major incident" of a rising number of migrants attempting to cross the English Channel by boat from northern France. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Britain's Home Secretary has questioned whether migrants trying to enter England from France by taking small boats across the English Channel are genuine asylum-seekers.

Minister Sajid Javid said Wednesday during a visit to the coastal city of Dover that almost all the migrants who make the risky crossing seek asylum in Britain even though they are coming from France. He noted that France is regarded as a safe location.

Javid says "if you are a genuine asylum-seeker, why have you not sought asylum in the first safe country that you arrived in?"

Javid says about 230 migrants tried to cross the English Channel in December alone. He has called the rise a "major incident" and has redeployed two Border Force vessels to deter such crossings.


THIS SHORT PIECE DEALS WITH THE BORDER AGREEMENT BETWEEN UK AND FRANCE, NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE REPUBLIC. THIS SHORT SUMMARY STATEMENT FROM www.openaccessgovernment.org ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TERMINOLOGY AND WHAT IS INVOLVED. THE SNATCHES OF DISCUSSION, SINCE THE INCREASE IN POWER BY CONSERVATIVE PARTIES AND BREXIT, ABOUT WHAT BRITONS SEE AS ISSUES HAVE LEFT ME THOROUGHLY CONFUSED.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN VOCAL AGAINST AN OPEN ACCESS BORDER BETWEEN US AND MEXICO. WE MAY BE NEEDING AN AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO OF THIS KIND. AS WITH DOVER AND CALAIS, THE CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE US AND MEXICO IS HEAVY AND A DAILY THING, WITH ECONOMIC EFFECTS AS WELL AS CULTURAL. BRITAIN’S FAR RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXERCISED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF BREXIT AND BRITISH AUTONOMY. ONE BLOOD, ONE SOIL.

https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/the-future-of-britains-border-control-after-brexit/46150/
Open Access NewsGovernment News
The future of Britain’s border control after Brexit
May 29, 2018

There are many questions that surround the control of our border after Brexit — this article looks at the plans set out by the UK government and the EU and analyses what they mean

It won’t be too long before Britain formally departs from the European Union after the vote for Brexit in the 2016 referendum. One topic that is regularly discussed as Brexit gets closer is how the nation’s borders will be affected.

During the most recent release of the Henley Passport Index, residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners’ Group Chairman Dr Christian H. Kälin pointed out that a “global mobility divide exists” and that “2018 will bring further uncertainty, with the UK still in the grip of ongoing Brexit negotiations”.

The position of the Dover-Calais border
It has been discovered that Dover handles up to 17% of Britain’s entire trade — with a worth expected to be around £112 billion in 2017. With this in mind, the Freight Transport Association’s Deputy Chief Executive James Hookman urged the government to make the free flow of traffic through Dover a “top priority” in the year ahead.

The Port Boulogne Calais President-General Manager, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, has notified both Theresa May and European Chief Negotiator for the UK Exiting the European Union Michel Barnier that they should not delay plans to avoid any congestion across Dover and Calais. Mr Puissesseau requested that Mrs May and Mr Barnier “be intelligent” about the economy when carrying out Brexit negotiations, before stressing: “At the moment, 70% of food imported comes from the EU. Even if that goes down to 50% after Brexit because of controls, it still needs to flow smoothly; people still need to eat. If there are delays it could end up rotting on the side of the road.”

Prime Minister, Theresa May and French President, Emmanuel Macron have already discussed the relationship between Dover and Calais. This is after the Sandhurst Treaty was signed in January, which is the first joint treaty on the Calais border to be set up in the past 15 years and is set to see the time taken to process migrants wishing to come to the UK from Calais to fall from six months to just one month for adults and 25 days for children. Mr Macron hailed the signing of the treaty as an opportunity that will: “enable us to improve the relationship and the management of the joint border”.

The outcome of that meeting revealed that Britain would be investing an addition £44.5 million on the English Channel’s border security, whilst also announcing that both Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron would continue to be committed to ‘Le Touquet’ — a border agreement in Calais which allows British immigration officials to complete border checks in France rather than in Dover.

The position of the UK—Ireland border
With Brexit negotiations still ongoing, Theresa May is still yet to look at the Irish border — which is presenting itself as being one of the biggest issues as the date for the UK to leave the EU gets nearer.

The UK and EU have come to an agreement which states that there will be no border, infrastructure or customs posts between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit. However, there are those — including members of the Scottish government — who are of the belief that due to the Republic of Ireland remaining in the EU post-Brexit, Northern Ireland will need to remain in the single market too in order to avoid any border being created between the two nations.

“Those wanting greater control and enforcement of rules on immigration after Brexit imagine the reinstatement of a hard border on the island of Ireland will help. It won’t. The common travel area has allowed citizens of both countries to move freely, give or take the occasional interruption, since 1925,” commented Jenny Chapman, the Labour MP for Darlington who is also positioned on the Labour shadow Brexit team, in The Times.

However, it must be remembered that over 100 million crossings are carried out yearly on the Irish border. Within this huge number, about 35% of Northern Ireland’s exports, which involves 7,000 small businesses, head south across the border, while an estimated 15,000 individuals cross the border on a daily basis for work and hundreds of children do the same to attend school.

Actions have been made to reduce the number of complications the Irish border could encounter when Britain leaves the European Union — including a recent announcement that both Brussels and London sealed a deal in December. This deal set out three options for the Irish border:

Option A: an overall agreement to be established that allows frictionless borders to be set up between the UK and all its frontiers with the EU.

Option B: a bespoke agreement for Ireland to be established.

Option C (to be used in the event of either a no-deal scenario or a hard Brexit): a guarantee of ‘full alignment’ to be established both north and south of the border, in a move that would in effect see Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union and single market.

Both Theresa May and the Irish Fine Gael Leader, Leo Varadkar will work together to achieve frictionless plans that will aid the Irish border after Brexit, which will not result in the EU requesting that Northern Ireland stays within both the customs union and single market. Speaking after the announcement and subsequent bilateral talks in Belfast, Mr Varadkar stressed: “We both prefer option A as the best option by which we can avoid any new barriers [on the] border in Ireland, and that is through a comprehensive customs and trade agreement involving Britain and Ireland.

As the time for Britain to depart from the European Union comes closer, we will undoubtedly see more debates and discussions around the subject.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/09/record-number-of-lorries-using-dover-port-raises-fears-of-brexit-delays

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/customs-checks-will-cause-huge-tailbacks-warns-calais-port-boss

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/14/dover-could-suffer-20-mile-permanent-traffic-jam-after-brexit

https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/operation-stack/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42723401

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/906732/Le-Touquet-agreement-what-is-treaty-mean-UK-France-immigration

http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-michael-russell-may-irish-border-dilemma-should-keep-the-uk-in-the-single-market-2018-4?r=US&IR=T

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/we-must-not-return-to-a-hard-border-in-ireland-25bnwhcvv

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/12/irish-pm-to-raise-brexit-border-concerns-in-talks-with-may


THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES A PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE PLAN THAT THE BRITISH ARE USING TO “DE-RADICALIZE” DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE LONG DESIRED FOR THE USA. OUR POPULATION, IN LARGE MEASURE, DOESN’T BELIEVE IN MENTAL ILLNESS AND MALADJUSTMENT, AND TOO OFTEN OPTS FOR PRISON OR DEATH, WHILE THE IN-HOUSE RESIDENCY MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRAMS HAVE SHRUNK. THESE PROGRAMS, “DESISTANCE AND DISENGAGEMENT,” AND “PREVENT” LOOK LIKE GOOD SUBSTITUTES, I THINK FOR PRISON. A BIT ABOUT THOSE TWO PROGRAMS FOLLOWS THIS BBC ARTICLE.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN EXAMINING THE FACES OF PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND THEIR MASKS. LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF LUDLOW, AND OF HIS NOTE TO AN ISIS RECRUITER. HE SAYS IN THIS ARTICLE THAT HE IS “NAIVE” BUT NOT “STUPID OR MAD.” I THINK HE’S A LITTLE OF BOTH, PLUS THAT STRANGE AND CUNNING HALF SMILE THAT I HAVE SEEN ON PEOPLE’S FACES A FEW TIMES, LIKE THEY HAVE A SECRET THAT WE SHOULD ALL WISH TO KNOW. I THINK THAT IS THE INNER DEMON PEERING OUT THROUGH THE EYEHOLES IN HIS “MASK.” THERE IS A BOOK I BOUGHT ABOUT PSYCHOPATHY SOME 20 YEARS AGO, CALLED “THE MASK OF SANITY.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-46750782
Oxford Street terror attack plotter 'resisted' de-radicalisation
JANUARY 3, 2019 1 hour ago

SOCIAL MEDIA
Image caption -- Lewis Ludlow hoped to kill 100 people

A man who planned to drive a van into 100 people in London was working with a government de-radicalisation programme at the time, a court has heard.

Islamic State (IS) supporter Lewis Ludlow pleaded guilty last August to planning the Oxford Street attack and raising money for terrorism.

But a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey has now heard he was engaging with the Prevent programme at the time.

Ludlow, from Rochester, Kent, told a contact: "They think I'm stupid."

The former Royal Mail worker, a Muslim convert, has also used the name Ali Hussain.

A phone, found in a storm drain near his home, contained images of "hostile reconnaissance" carried out at London landmarks, prosecutors said.

He was put under 24-hour police surveillance and then arrested in April.

The first of several attempts to engage Ludlow with Prevent had come in 2008 after he had been found carrying a knife at college, the court heard.

Image copyrightCPS
Image caption -- Ludlow swore allegiance to Islamic State

Ludlow, an associate of the convicted terrorist Anjem Choudhary, consistently refused to engage until late 2017 and early 2018 when he met an assigned mentor 16 times.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said an undercover police officer had observed Ludlow telling a contact: "I have been exaggerating my depression and they think I'm stupid. I'm naive but not stupid or mad."

In messages with the contact, recovered by police, Ludlow wrote: "I resisted the same programme twice in the past."

The woman had advised him to "be polite with them," adding: "Even if u dont believe it, fake it."

Ludlow, by then under intensive surveillance, replied: "Yes."

Analysis: The Prevent strategy
Daniel De Simone, BBC News Home Affairs

The government's controversial Prevent strategy is intended to stop people becoming involved in extremism or terrorist activity.

Unlike its Desistance and Disengagement strand, which can be mandatory and is aimed at people already convicted of terror offences or returning from conflict zones, other parts of it are voluntary for adults and cannot be forced on those identified as needing support.

Ahmed Hassan, the Parsons Green bomber, is one of several extremists who have notionally engaged with Prevent, while carrying on regardless.

The details of Ludlow's meetings with his Prevent mentor are confidential and were not set out in court.

However, it's understood that some involved in his case thought he was engaged in a sincere attempt at change.

Those who were already investigating him had a different view.

Attempts were made to involve Ludlow in Prevent over a decade, but if someone does not want to honestly de-radicalise they cannot be forced.

During the hearing, Ludlow took to the witness box.

Evidence was being heard despite Ludlow's guilty pleas because there are still unresolved issues between the prosecution and defence ahead of sentencing.

Asked by defence barrister Rebecca Trowler QC why he had said "yes" to a suggestion from the contact about faking engagement with Prevent, Ludlow said "I just thought that's her advice and I'll take it. I just didn't want any hassle."

'Nothing but trouble'
Ludlow, who converted to Islam aged 16, said he had felt harassed by MI5 and Prevent, which is why he planned to move to the Philippines early last year.

He told the court he first met Islamic extremist Anjem Choudhary and the now banned group al-Muhajiroun in 2010, adding that at first 'they seemed very nice" before "things went sour".

Ludlow said he fully disengaged from the group in 2016 after concluding "this is giving me nothing but trouble".

Image copyrightCPS
Image caption -- Ludlow made detailed notes of possible targets in London

Police discovered he was communicating with a leading extremist in the Philippines, planning a multiple casualty vehicle attack in central London, and scouting targets such as the Disney Store on Oxford Street, the court had heard earlier.

In a torn-up note recovered from a bin hear [sic] his home, Ludlow wrote "it is a busy street it is ideal for an attack. It is expected nearly 100 could be killed."

Mr Heywood said images taken by Ludlow of various London landmarks were "an exercise in reconnaissance" to identify locations to carry out "possible attacks against civilians".

Image copyrightCTP SOUTH EAST
Image caption
Ludlow carried out "hostile reconnaissance" at landmarks including Madame Tussauds

In January 2018, Ludlow bought a ticket to fly to the Philippines but he was stopped at the airport and his passport was seized.

He claimed he was going to the country as a sex tourist but was found to have been in communication with a man named Abu Yaqeen in an area with a significant IS presence.

In March, Ludlow sent him money via PayPal and created the Facebook account Antique Collections, which he was alleged to have used as a front to send money to south-east Asia for terrorism.

The Old Bailey heard he filmed himself pleading allegiance to IS and stated: "I spit on your citizenship, your passport, you can go to hell with that."

Image copyrightCTP SOUTH EAST
Image caption -- Ludlow was filmed in the company of Islamic extremist Trevor Brooks
Image copyrightCPS
Image caption -- Ludlow called himself "The Ghost"

The court was also shown images of Ludlow at public events with prominent Islamic extremists Anjem Choudary and Trevor Brooks.

The hearing, which is expected to last three days, continues.


DESISTANCE AND DISENGAGEMENT, PREVENT

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/securing-the-future-counter-terrorism-strategy-published
Press release

Securing the future: counter-terrorism strategy published
English العربية
Home Secretary Sajid Javid sets out the UK’s response to evolving threat of terrorism.

Published 4 June 2018
From:
Home Office and The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP

Reducing the risk to the public and preventing safe spaces for terrorists to operate are at the heart of an updated counter-terrorism strategy launched by the Home Secretary today.

The threat from terrorism is shifting and evolving in the UK and globally. A marked shift was demonstrated by the appalling attacks in London and Manchester in 2017 which cost the lives of 36 innocent people and changed the lives of many more.

It prompted a fundamental review of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy – CONTEST – to respond to the scale of the threat and the speed with which plots are now developing.

The result is a new, more agile, flexible and co-ordinated approach designed to better prevent, detect and disrupt terrorist attacks, and where attacks get through, to limit the impact and recover swiftly.

Central to the new strategy is working in partnership at international, national and local level, between government, agencies, the private sector and communities.

Delivering his first keynote speech on security to an audience of community leaders, academics and counter-terrorism experts, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

As Home Secretary my priority will always be to keep our country safe. The threat from terrorism is one of the starkest we face and it is clear there has been a step change.

The biggest threat is from Islamist terrorism particularly from Daesh, but extreme right-wing terrorism is also an increasing threat. Both exploit grievances, distort the truth, and undermine the values that hold us together.

As the threat evolves so must our response. Ultimately, our approach is about ensuring that there are no safe spaces for terrorists to operate – internationally, in the UK or online.

Our greatest strength lies not only in what we do but who we are and the values and freedoms we hold dear. That is why everyone has a part to play in confronting terrorism. I want to say to all those who stand up against all forms of extremism that this government stands with you. I stand with you. But there is more for us all to do.

The counter-terrorism strategy will be underpinned by new legislation to enable the police and security services to disrupt terrorist threats earlier. This legislation will:

amend existing terrorism offences to update them for the digital age and to reflect contemporary patterns of radicalisation and to close gaps in their scope, including making it an offence to repeatedly view streamed video content online

strengthen the sentencing framework for terrorism, including by increasing the maximum penalty for certain offences, to ensure that the punishment properly reflects the crime and to better prevent re-offending

enable further terrorism offences committed overseas to be prosecuted in the UK courts

Responding to the recommendations of MI5 and the counter-terrorism police’s Operational Improvement Review into the 2017 terrorist attacks, which was overseen by David Anderson, new multi-agency approaches – initially in London, Manchester and the West Midlands – involve MI5 and the police using and sharing information more widely, working with partners such as local authorities to improve our understanding of those at risk of involvement in terrorism and enable a wider range of interventions.

Through Prevent, the government, local authorities, police and communities will continue to safeguard and support vulnerable people from the risk of being drawn into terrorism, working with a wide network of partners to prevent radicalisation and build resilience.

Work to enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to withdraw and rehabilitate will be further developed, including through the expansion of the Desistance and Disengagement Programme, a new element of Prevent.

The government will work more closely with the private sector on a range of issues including protecting our economic and physical infrastructure, gaining faster alerts to suspicious purchases, continuing to make it difficult for terrorists to use the internet for propaganda and ensuring we have critical access to communications.

Just as terrorists seek to exploit technology, the government will harness developments in technology including machine learning and quantum computing which have the potential to dramatically change and enhance counter-terror operational capabilities.

The Home Secretary also reaffirmed his commitment to the UK’s leading role internationally in tackling terrorism – committing to the Global Coalition’s campaign against Daesh and focusing specifically on raising global aviation security standards and preventing terrorist use of the internet.

The Home Secretary will be travelling to the west coast of the United States on Friday 8 June to attend the next meeting of the Global Internet Forum on counter-terrorism.



ONE OF THE EARLIEST MALE/FEMALE INTERACTION PATTERNS, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY STILL EXISTS IN SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY WHERE A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ISOLATED FOR A VERY LONG TIME OR WHERE MEN AND WOMEN ARE SEGREGATED, SUCH AS ISLAM AND APPARENTLY ALSO IN HINDU INDIA. IT IS THE SOURCE OF MALTREATMENT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS THAT CAN REACH APPALLING LEVELS. READ THE BBC ARTICLE ABOUT A WOMAN OF EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY, HOPE AND COURAGE, WHO OVERCAME THAT KIND OF REPRESSION THE HARD WAY. HER INSISTENCE ON GOING TO SCHOOL WAS MET WITH AN ATTACK THAT SHOULD HAVE KILLED HER, BUT NO. SHE LIVED AND IS NOW A WORLD-RENOWNED LEADER OF WOMANHOOD, MALALA YOUSAFZAI. GO TO: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24379018.

IT REMINDS ME ALSO OF THE BELIEF THAT SEX BETWEEN MEN AND BOYS IS SOMEHOW LESS UNCLEAN THAN THAT BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. I AM AFRAID THAT JUST SUCH A BELIEF IS BEHIND THE ANCIENT TRADITION AMONG GREEKS AND ROMANS REGARDING SUCH SEX. PLATO AND ARISTOTLE WERE, IN ADDITION TO BEING A KIND OF SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY, A GROUP WHO WERE DEEPLY INVOLVED WITH MAN/BOY SEX. I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES FOR THE ELDERS TO PUT THE TRULY GREAT PHILOSOPHER ON TRIAL FOR “CORRUPTING THE YOUNG.” THEN THEY FORCED HIM DRINK HEMLOCK AS A FORM OF SELF-EXECUTION. HE DID, AND HE DIED.

ALSO, IN ROME AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE THE “VESTAL VIRGINS,” WHO WERE VERY LIKELY ALSO INVOLVED IN LESBIAN SEX WITH EACH OTHER. AM I SAYING THAT THOSE THINGS ARE UNACCEPTABLE? NO. THAT, TOO, IS A PART OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. IT’S THERE, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. YOU MIGHT SAY, NO, THAT’S NOT TRULY BUILT INTO NATURE, BUT IT IS SOMETIMES OBSERVED IN ANIMALS AS WELL. WHEREVER THERE IS A DEEP EMOTIONAL NEED, WE WILL DO SOMETHING TO FULFILL IT. I’M SAYING THAT GAY AND LESBIAN SEX ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE HUMAN MIND AND PERVASIVE JUST AS “STRAIGHT” SEX IS.

THIS IDEA OF CONTAMINATION IS OF COURSE PART OF REALITY. SEX VERY OFTEN REALLY IS “DIRTY.” THE SPREAD OF VENEREAL DISEASE, IF WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MICROSCOPIC LIFE FORMS, IS FRIGHTENING. SUCH AS WHEN THE BREAD IN YOUR CUPBOARD GETS OLD AND GROWS A TOXIC FUNGUS ON IT, THEN IT SEEMS TO A SUPERSTITIOUS MIND TO HAVE BEEN THE WORK OF AN EVIL SPIRIT. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE THAT, JUST EAT THAT BREAD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU. WILL YOU BELIEVE WHAT I TELL YOU NOW? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A HUMAN CULTURE IN WHICH SUPERSTITION DOES NOT OVERTAKE KNOWLEDGE BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, BUT I NEVER WILL. IT IS PASSED FROM PARENT TO CHILD LOVINGLY.

IN THIS PARTICULAR TEMPLE WHICH BANS THE MERE PRESENCE OF WOMEN WHO ARE “OF AN AGE TO BE MENSTRUATING,” WHETHER THEY ACTUALLY ARE AT THAT TIME OR NOT, THE WOMEN HAVE REVOLTED! I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY THE ROOT OF THIS BAN ON WOMEN, RATHER THAN THE FACT THAT A MYTHICAL LEADER OR LORD OF THAT TEMPLE WAS STRICTLY NON-PARTICIPATORY IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH WOMEN, BECAUSE THEY ARE “UNCLEAN.” WAS HE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED IN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER? VERY LIKELY, BUT I THINK THAT BAN PROBABLY GOES BACK TO THAT OLD “CONTAMINATED” VIEW OF WOMEN.

PAUL THE APOSTLE MADE A REFERENCE TO SEX WITH WOMEN AS BEING A DISTRACTION OR OTHERWISE AN IMPEDIMENT TO A MAN’S MAINTAINING INNER PURITY IN SEEKING GOD. WHO STILL CARRIES THAT VIEWPOINT OUT TODAY? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, IN THE SEXUALLY SEPARATED MONASTERIES AND CONVENTS DOES, AND IT TENDS TO INCLUDE SAME SEX ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE VERY “PURE” INDIVIDUALS, THE PUBESCENT AND PREPUBESCENT BOYS AND GIRLS. THERE IS A CERTAIN BEAUTY ABOUT A CHILD THAT GOES AWAY WITH MATURITY. EVEN I CAN SEE THAT, THOUGH IT DOESN’T CAUSE ME TO DESIRE SEX WITH THEM. THE SMALL NOSE GROWS “TOO LARGE” WITH AGE, AND THE LARGE, LUMINOUS WIDE EYES ARE MET BY THE FULL-SIZED FACIAL FEATURES AND BODY. SOME OF US WILL STILL BE BEAUTIFUL, BUT SADLY, NOT ALL.

SO, FROM THAT BACKGROUND, WE GET A MODERN-DAY TEMPLE IN INDIA WHICH BANS WOMEN. A FEW DAYS AGO THERE, TWO WOMEN DID BOLDLY ENTER, AND THE PRIESTS RUSHED THEM OUT THE DOOR AND PERFORMED “PURIFICATION RITUALS.” THE COUNTRY IS NOW RIOTING. PEOPLE DISAPPOINT ME BECAUSE THEY RARELY GO ABOVE THEIR PARTICULAR WORLDVIEW INTO NEW KNOWLEDGE OR FORMS OF VIRTUE. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT JESUS’ WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES TO FEED THE HUNGRY AND CLOTHE THE POOR WERE MUCH MORE “PURE” THAN MAKING MORE AND MORE RULES TO KEEP WOMEN DOWN IN SOCIETY. BUT IF YOU READ THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL SEE THAT “THE TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGIN’” WHETHER MEN LIKE IT OR NOT. IT’S QUITE A SCENE OVER THERE RIGHT NOW.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46744142
Sabarimala: India's Kerala paralysed amid protests over temple entry
JANUARY 3, 2018 5 hours ago

GETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- The entry of two women into the Sabarimala temple sparked angry scenes

Violent protests have paralysed the southern Indian state of Kerala after two women made history by entering a prominent Hindu temple.

Schools across the state are closed and public transport too has been suspended. One person was killed in clashes on Wednesday.

The Sabarimala temple was historically closed to women of "menstruating age" - defined as between 10 and 50.

The Supreme Court revoked the ban in September, which prompted outrage.

On Wednesday, Bindu Ammini, 40, and Kanaka Durga, 39, entered the shrine around dawn and became the first women to do so.

Media caption -- Sabarimala: Women defy historic temple ban

Thursday saw a second day of protests across the state.

Right-wing groups, supported by India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded a state-wide shutdown. They wanted schools, colleges and businesses to remain closed as a sign of protest.

The state government, which supports the Supreme Court ruling, stepped up security and deployed police across the state for protection.

But fearing violence, schools and shops were closed. And buses did not run as protesters blocked highways and other roads.

In total, more than 700 people were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday. Sixty police officers were injured, more than 80 public buses were damaged and at least a dozen police vehicles were attacked.

How big are these protests?
Violence broke out in several cities and towns on Wednesday as groups of protesters clashed with police, who fired tear gas to disperse crowds.

Image copyrightKAVIYOOR SANTOSH
Image caption -- Police used tear gas to break up protests

Police told news agency AFP that at least 15 people were injured after protesters hurled stones at them.

According to local media reports, around 100 people were arrested by police in one district, where a mob assaulted a woman police officer.

Police told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi that they have also detained two people in connection with the death of a man during the protests on Wednesday.

Image caption -- Shops were closed as they feared violence

Several journalists were also attacked in the protests that engulfed the state capital, Thiruvathapuram. Police said they are investigating the matter.

Indian airlines have issued warnings to passengers travelling to Kerala.

Why has the issue become so political?

The Kerala state government supports the court verdict and Mr Vijayan has repeatedly said his government will provide the security to enforce it.

But India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has argued that the court ruling is an attack on Hindu values.

The issue has become increasingly contentious in the run-up to India's general election, scheduled for April and May. Critics have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pursuing a religiously divisive agenda to court the BJP's mostly-Hindu support base.

The Indian god who bars women from his temple
Why has a Hindu temple divided India's women?

Even the protests have turned into an ideological battle between the right and the left - most of the protesters belong to right-wing groups affiliated to the BJP; and those who support the court ruling are affiliated to Kerala's left-wing coalition government.

Why are women of a certain age not allowed to enter Sabarimala?
The Supreme Court decision to let women worship at the Sabarimala shrine came after a petition argued that the custom banning them violated gender equality.

Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals - but most temples allow women to enter as long as they are not menstruating, rather than banning women in a broad age group from entering at all.

Protesters have consistently argued that the court ruling goes against the wishes of the temple's deity, Lord Ayyappa.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption -- Devotees believe Lord Ayyappa is a an avowed bachelor

They say that the ban on women entering Sabarimala is not about menstruation alone - it is also in keeping with the wish of the deity, who is believed to have laid down clear rules about the pilgrimage to seek his blessings.

According to the temple's mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy and hence, women of a certain age are not allowed into the temple.

Related Topics
India Hinduism


WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS IF YOU HAVEN’T. THE LONG, LONG STANDING OVATION THAT THE DEMS GAVE NANCY PELOSI WAS CLEARLY PARTLY FOR HER AND PARTLY FOR THE PARTY. HAVING A PRESIDENT LIKE DONALD TRUMP HAS GALVANIZED ALL TRUE AMERICANS. I KNOW. THAT STATEMENT IS UNKIND AND UNFAIR BECAUSE IT IS SO SWEEPING IN SCOPE, BUT SO HAS THE RAVISHING OF ALL THINGS GENTLE BY THE REPUBLICANS BEEN. WE NEED TO COME BACK TO A POSITION OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DECENCY IN THE USA.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-says-its-up-to-speaker-pelosi-to-end-the-government-shutdown/
White House says it's up to Pelosi to end the government shutdown
BY CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ
UPDATED ON: JANUARY 3, 2019 / 5:43 PM / CBS NEWS

CBS NEWS VIDEO

As the partial government shutdown reached its 13th day on Thursday, the White House said newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be responsible for brokering a deal with President Trump to reopen the government. "Her test of leadership will be: Can she control the radical progressives who support open borders and can she successfully negotiate opening the government and working with President Trump?" White House director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp told reporters on Thursday.

After recapturing the speaker's gavel, Pelosi vowed to pass six appropriations bills in the House to fund most of the government and a continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until Feb. 8. The Democratic-controlled House is scheduled to vote on these bills Thursday night.

Two Republican senators suggested they're open to supporting the spending bills which House Democrats are likely to pass. "My goal is to get government reopened as fast as possible. And six of those bills, we've got agreements on and so I'd like to see those signed into law," moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told POLITICO. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, said he would back a continuing resolution without any border wall funding to end the shutdown.

Because Democrats' proposals do not include any additional funding to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, it is unlikely that they will be backed by the White House. Schlapp said the president preferred long-term budget legislation to fund all agencies for an entire year, over a short-term spending measure.

"DHS is part of the federal government, they should be able to be funded as well," she said. "And as the president has made it clear, he wants to make sure that there is border wall funding included."

After administering the oath of office for the new class of senators, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters the White House planned to meet with top Republicans and Democrats on Friday. "We're going to continue to engage Democrats and Republicans to come together and to achieve the kind of agreement that will provide the border security that the American people need," Pence said. "That means the wall, that means a physical barrier but also a broad range of border security measures that will make our country more secure."

The White House invited congressional leaders to meet late Friday morning, CBS News confirmed, and Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accepted the invitation, though there's no assurance either side will budge on their demands.

A meeting in the situation room on Wednesday that included the president, Pelosi, Schumer and Republican leadership yielded no results.

Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, said on Thursday the shutdown could last "months and months."

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said Mr. Trump can showcase "real historic leadership" by ending the impasse in budget negotiations on Capitol Hill.

"I think it could be his Reagan to the Berlin wall, or Nixon to China moment. I think one way to resolve this shutdown is for the president to sit down with the new congress and say let's get this done," the Tennessee Republican told reporters Thursday.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said it is up to the president to reopen the government. "The length of the shutdown is dependent solely and simply on one person, Donald Trump. And anybody who can read Donald Trump's mind may well eventually win some kind of Nobel prize," he said.

Alan He, Kathryn Watson and Sara Cook contributed to this report.

First published on January 3, 2019

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



THIS 60 MINUTES SHOW WILL BE ON THE AIR THIS COMING SUNDAY JANUARY 6 AT 7:00 PM. CBS CLAIMS THAT EL-SISI HAS NOT A FEW, BUT 60,000 POLITICAL PRISONERS. I PLAN TO TRY TO WATCH IT. SINCE I BELIEVE NEARLY EVERYTHING THAT CBS SAYS, I BELIEVE THE STORY, THOUGH IT IS HARD TO IMAGE 60,000 SUCH PRISONERS. THEY MUST HAVE MULTIPLE PRISONS MADE ESPECIALLY FOR THE PURPOSE. THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT MAKES ME REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT OUR HOLDING OF SO MANY “ILLEGAL” IMMIGRANTS IN PRISON AND IF CHILDREN, IN OTHER ENCLOSURES. HOW MANY WILL WE KEEP BEFORE WE MAKE SOME USEFUL TREATY RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE BORDERS ALL UP AND DOWN FROM TIERRA DEL FUEGO TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE AND END THIS IDIOCY? IT IS A MISTAKE IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS TO EXCLUDE, EVEN IF WE DO THINK A COUNTRY IS TOO POOR OR UNDERDEVELOPED TO BE INCLUDED IN INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. I LIKE A BLACK PHRASE THAT I’VE HEARD: “GOD DON’T MAKE TRASH.” WE NEED TO CORRECT OUR NATIONAL ATTITUDE ABOUT THAT. THAT’S THE BRITISH WAY, AND I THINK IT’S A GOOD ONE.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/cbs-interview-Egypt-Sisi-60-Minutes-831104908
CBS refuses to bow to Egypt's demand to pull upcoming Sisi interview
#EgyptTurmoil
In 60 Minutes interview, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says Egypt has no political prisoners and its ties to Israel are stronger than ever
MEE staff
Thursday 3 January 2019 23:47 UTC
Last update: Friday 4 January 2019 0:15 UTC

PHOTOGRAPH -- CBS says 60 Minutes interview with Sisi will air on Sunday 6 January at 7pm ET (AFP)

Topics: EgyptTurmoil
Tags: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, CBS, 60 Minutes

Egypt demanded that CBS News not air an in-depth interview with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the US news outlet said, after the Egyptian president had participated in the interview.

CBS said on Thursday that it rejected Egypt’s demands and will air the interview on its 60 Minutes programme at 7pm ET on 6 January.

"The 60 Minutes team was contacted by the Egyptian Ambassador shortly after [the interview] and told the interview could not be aired," CBS said on its website, where it shared a short exerpt of the interview.

The news outlet described it as "the interview Egypt's government doesn't want you to see".

In his sit-down with 60 Minutes, Sisi claims “there are no political prisoners in Egypt”, despite widespread reports that the country currently holds tens of thousands of political prisoners.

Human Rights Watch, a global watchdog on rights abuses, said Egypt currently has about 60,000 people behind bars on charges that range from spreading fake news to insulting the president.


Declan Walsh
✔
@declanwalsh
Egypt's government doesn't want you to see President Sisi's interview with 60 Minutes, in which he admits to close cooperation with Israel, and claims Egypt has "no political prisoners". It airs on Sunday. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/egypt-president-abdel-fattah-el-sisi-denies-holding-political-prisoners/ …

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4:23 PM - Jan 3, 2019
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Egypt's President El-Sisi denies holding political prisoners
In an interview with 60 Minutes the Egyptian government later asked not be shown, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi denies estimates of 60,000 political prisoners in his country. See the full interview,...

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In May 2018, Amnesty International also said dozens of political prisoners in Egypt suffer from abuse and torture in “prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement”.

In the 60 Minutes interview, Sisi says that when he came to power in 2013, following the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi, the government “tried every peaceful means to disperse” Muslim Brotherhood sympathisers who protested Morsi's forced removal.

In what became known as the Rab’a Massacre, Egyptian security officials killed as many as 1,000 people, Human Rights Watch said in 2014.

Sisi also says in the 60 Minutes interview that his country is closer to Israel than ever before.

“We have a wide range of cooperation with the Israelis,” he said.

For years, human rights groups have raised alarms about the situation in Egypt, which saw a 2011 uprising that unseated longtime leader Hosni Mubarak and then the 2012 election of Morsi and his ouster a year later by the military.

The groups say Sisi has presided over a widespread crackdown on the media, non-profit organisations, human rights defenders and other perceived critics of his government.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Egypt also ranks in the bottom 20 countries globally on media freedom.


FROM VICTIM TO HERO. THIS YOUNG MAN IS CHRONICALLY OVERWEIGHT, SO HE ENDURED HARASSMENT DAILY. HIS SADNESS AT THE MALTREATMENT LED HIM TO BE CHRONICALLY DEPRESSED AS WELL AS FEELING PHYSICALLY UNATTRACTIVE. THIS ARTICLE GOES INTO HIS STORY AND THE MENTAL HEALTH HELP THAT HE DID PURSUE. HE FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH HELPING OTHERS WITH THE SAME KIND OF PROBLEM, WHICH HE DEFINES HERE AS A FEAR OF CONFRONTATION. THAT IS PRETTY COMMON. PARENTS ALMOST NEVER TRY TO HELP THEIR KIDS WITH LIVING THROUGH THIS KIND OF THING BY GIVING THEM SOME FORM OF INNER MECHANISM TO SIMPLY STAND THEIR GROUND – NEITHER FIGHTING NOR RUNNING, AND USING WORDS TO STOP THE ATTACKS. I BELIEVE IT IS MY DUTY TO TRY TO INTERFERE VERBALLY FOR OTHERS WHO ARE BEING BULLIED AS WELL AS MYSELF. THAT USUALLY WORKS FOR ME, BECAUSE WHEN I AM REALLY ANGRY I GET MORE VERBAL RATHER THAN LESS SO. RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, I DO VERBALLY FIGHT BACK. I KNOW THAT IS NOT THE JESUS PRINCIPLE, BUT IT DOES SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/self-funded-organisation-combats-bullying-egypt-s-schools-466737638
This Egyptian tried to kill himself due to bullying. Now he leads a crusade against it
#InsideEgypt
MEE correspondent
Thursday 3 January 2019 10:29 UTC
Last update: Thursday 3 January 2019 10:54 UTC

A victim no more, Mostafa Ashraf took it upon himself to fight back and help others, founding an organisation that has helped many youth


PHOTOGRAPH -- Mostafa Ashraf - the founder of 'Advice Seekers' - giving a speech on bullying (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)

CAiRO – Dressed in casual clothing and sneakers, Mostafa Ashraf is a young man with a kind face, who always wears a smile. He dreams of an Egypt that one day will be free of bullying.

Ashraf lost his best friend to suicide caused by bullying at school. Later he would try to take his own life as a result of the same bullying that drove his friend, Jasmine, to kill herself.

“Jasmine was always upset and depressed a little before she was 12. She didn’t even share with me what was going on, only mentioning she was bullied,” Ashraf recalled with sadness.

It was a very dark time for me. I was always alone, never really wishing to interact with others, which made them get to me

- Mostafa Ashraf, founder of Advice Seekers

“I lost the only person I could talk to. I got depressed afterwards and I exhibited anger management behaviour,” he said.

What started as a painful and shocking experience for a child, years later led Ashraf to found Advice Seekers, a self-funded organisation that combats bullying.

“When I was almost 11, I used to get bullied a lot because of my looks. Wicked kids also made fun of me as I would speak English most of the time for my Arabic was weak,” he recalled.

Ashraf attempted to kill himself twice.

“It was a very dark time for me. I was always alone, never really wishing to interact with others, which made them get to me,” Ashraf recalled.

When he was 14, Ashraf tried to commit suicide at a friend’s house by slitting his wrist, but his friend stopped him just in time.

Advice Seekers sometimes show films they have produced on bullying to children (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)

“That night I slept over at his place because we had a school project coming up. He stayed awake all night watching over me fearing that I would repeat my attempt,” Ashraf recalled.

“What he did made me think that I should be helping others rather than kill myself.”

At the time, Ashraf did not resort to any kind of therapy but rather depended on his supportive father. But four years later, he got severely depressed and attempted to end his life again.

Helping lots of people felt good, but sometimes you could help others and fail to help yourself

- Mostafa Ashraf, founder of Advice Seekers

“Helping lots of people felt good, but sometimes you could help others and fail to help yourself,” Ashraf said.

“I tried to suffocate myself using a pillow, but it didn’t work out. Then I tried to cut my wrist, and I also failed,” he said.

At this point, Ashraf sought psychological help.

“At the age of 18, I totally broke down and I started seeing a psychologist and I kept taking psychotherapy sessions for a while to get treated for depression, which helped a lot,” he said.

When he founded Advice Seekers in 2014, Ashraf only promoted the organisation online, yet he soon realised he wanted to have a presence on the ground.

“I kept posting tips on how to combat bullying…and I received messages from victims that I answered relying on my personal experience,” he explained.

Doors open

Although many schools rejected Ashraf’s attempts to give presentations when they learnt of his age, he did not give up.

“I took one year off from school as I had finished all the subjects of grade 12 in grades 10 and 11, and I studied psychology courses. When I realised I had a fear of confrontation, I learned skills of public speaking as well as people’s body language,” he recalled.

Mostafa Ashraf has spoken to and influenced hundreds of students (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)

The initiative developed slowly until, one year later, Modern Academy, the computer science and management technology school in Cairo's Maadi, opened its doors to Ashraf, offering him the chance to start an anti-bullying campaign on campus.

As things progressed, Ashraf was joined by several volunteers and they became anti-bullying consultants for a number of private and international schools in Egypt. Ashraf was almost 18 at the time.

Ashraf currently works as a freelance video editor when he is not doing the advocacy work. Even though he was offered scholarships from prestigious universities in the US and England, he has decided to not pursue higher education in order to dedicate his time to Advice Seekers “at least for the time being”.

Positive impact

Ashraf, who will soon turn 21, has positively influenced the lives of hundreds of students.

“I was a victim of bullying and I thought about suicide every single day," a middle school student, who declined to mention his name or his school for fear of being bullied, told MEE.

"I always sought excuses to skip school even though I was a straight-A student. I usually kept to myself, but after I communicated with Advice Seekers volunteers, I felt much better. They taught me how to stand up for myself.”
- middle school student

The volunteers from Advice Seekers carry out a range of during their school sessions that differ based on the age of the participants.

For example, roleplay is offered to students belonging to grades three to six.

“We interact with the students, asking the teachers to roleplay with them about bullying scenarios. We also play short films produced by the organisation on bullying,” Ashraf said.

“Children usually go way off course, so I get teachers involved. I play two scenarios when in one I’m the bully and another, a teacher is the bully,” Ashraf said.

There is a favourable scenario when a teacher acts as if he bullies Ashraf, and he responds in a good way.

“For instance, if a bully tells me ‘you are ugly,’ my answer would be: ‘you see me this way, but I believe I’m handsome. In another scenario, I answer saying: ‘you are the one who is ugly.’ At this point, I ask the participants about what the right response is,” he explained.

A third scenario depicts physical bullying.

“For instance, a teacher pushes me, and I push back. Out of this, we teach the students that violence is not the answer and that hitting back makes a person a bully too," Ashraf said.

What is bullying?

UNICEF defines bullying as “a form of aggressive behaviour that occurs in an intentional and repeated manner causing another child to feel hurt”.

Bullying can take multiple forms: spreading rumours, threatening physical or verbal assault, engaging in insidious practices such as excluding a child from a group to hurt the victim or any other gestures or actions that occur in a less visible manner.

Cyberbullying involves posting or sending electronic messages including text, pictures or videos aimed at harassing, threatening or spreading rumours about another person via a variety of digital platforms such as online social networks, chat rooms and blogs.

Victims of victims

According to a psychologist and counsellor at an international school in Cairo, both bullies and those they bully are “victims”.

“Usually bullies were subjected to psychological ordeals and oppression that led them to act in such a way,” she explained on condition of anonymity. “Some got bullied themselves before, whether by their peers or by oppressive parents or siblings.

“We handle a bully by tackling the feeling that led to the bullying behaviour…but unfortunately, bullies mostly don’t resort to counselling,” she added.

School administrators follow a similar approach.

“In most cases, I use guidance and advice with bullies…and in many cases they back off. But if the act is repetitive, the bully is referred to the school counsellor,” said a high school principal also at an international school in Cairo, who declined to be named.

“We resort to suspension in cases of physical bullying, which are not as common as verbal bullying,” she added.

Even though not a single day passes without receiving between 5-10 bullying complaints, “90 percent of the cases are not reported, mainly out of fear of the bullies”.

In an interview last September with Egyptian TV presenter Amr Adeeb on the El-Hekaya show on MBC Misr, Hala Abu Khatwa, the communication manager at UNICEF Egypt, said that about 70 percent of schoolchildren in Egypt aged 13 -17 have been subjected to bullying, making it a common phenomenon in the country.

For Advice Seekers, holding campaigns at public schools is not an easy job.

PHOTOGRAPH -- Children in a school auditorium listen to Mostafa Ashraf as he speaks to them (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)

“We proposed to hold sessions at public schools before and when we were asked about the material of the session, we faced rejections. They told us we can’t talk about depression, self-harm or suicide,” Ashraf said.

“How am I supposed to warn kids about the consequences of bullying, then?" he wondered.

In September, a few days ahead of the new academic year in Egypt, the government-backed National Council for Children and Motherhood (NCCM) sponsored the first national campaign calling to end peer-to-peer violence.

The initiative was done in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MOETE) in cooperation with UNICEF and was funded by the European Union (EU).

A number of national celebrities as well as actors Ahmed Helmy and Mona Zaki - ambassadors for UNICEF Egypt - echoed the campaign messages on social media and shared their stance against bullying.

The campaign encouraged children and young people around the country to voice their experiences, views and solutions to end bullying using the campaign hashtag #IAmAgainstBullying.

Teachers can be bullies

Not only do students get bullied by their peers, but teachers can also be bullies.

During the last week of November, 18-year old Iman Saleh committed suicide by leaping off a balcony in Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

In a voice message she had sent earlier to a friend of hers, she complained of school supervisors who had made fun of her dark complexion, her hair and the way she dressed, telling her she looked like a boy and questioning her femininity.

The victim’s mother reported the school supervisors to the prosecution, accusing them of causing her daughter’s suicide. There is still an open investigation pending.

In the same week of the Alexandria incident, a teacher bullied and mocked an eighth-grade child named Basmala Ali at a Damietta school in north-western Egypt.

Roleplay is often used to bring awareness about bullying to children in grades three to six (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)

State-run news site al-Ahram online quoted Ali as saying that her Arabic teacher left her in tears after “he referred to [her] as ‘black’ in a question for classmates to identify the grammatical inflexion in the sentence ‘Basmala is a black student.’”

Because the parents took action and reported the incident to both the education ministry and the prosecution, the teacher was suspended, interrogated and even remanded in custody for several days. His fate is yet to be known.

We can’t stop it but we can prevent it from happening by raising awareness and standing up for the person getting bullied

- Mostafa Ashraf

With campaigns such as Ashraf's raising awareness about widespread bullying in Egypt, the question is, can it be ended?

“People always tell me that I have been holding campaigns for five years now and bullying has never stopped,” Ashraf said. "My answer is: bullying will never end. You have generations and generations to come that will start bullying others.

“We can’t stop it but we can prevent it from happening by raising awareness and standing up for the person getting bullied,” he concluded.

For the time being, Mostafa Ashraf is dedicated to his work with students and will not pursue university (Courtesy of Mostafa Ashraf)


WAS THIS STORY PLANTED BY THE EVIL PEOPLE IN THE POLITICAL WORLD SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE SANDERS LOOK REALLY AND TRULY BAD, NOT JUST WRONG POLITICALLY? WELL, THEY DIDN’T SUCCEED.

I KNEW THAT BERNIE WAS PROBABLY NOT EVEN AWARE OF THESE SITUATIONS AND STORIES, MUCH LESS THE OBJECT OF A COMPLAINT. AS HE SAID, “‘I WAS A LITTLE BIT BUSY RUNNING AROUND THE COUNTRY, TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE,’ SANDERS RESPONDED.” MY INSTINCT FOR HONEST PEOPLE IS RARELY SO FAR WRONG AS TO CHOOSE A BLACK HAT RATHER THAN A WHITE HAT. GRAY, MAYBE, BUT THAT INCLUDES ALMOST THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE.

https://www.npr.org/2019/01/03/681815362/bernie-sanders-responds-to-allegations-of-sexism-and-harassment-on-2016-campaign
POLITICS
Bernie Sanders Responds To Allegations Of Sexism, Harassment By Aides During 2016 Race
January 3, 2019 11:30 AM ET
TIM MAK

PHOTOGRAPH -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., offered an apology on Wednesday after allegations were made public of sexual harassment and discrimination on his 2016 campaign.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

In the midst of accusations of sexism and sexual harassment by aides on Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, the senator's former campaign manager acknowledged Wednesday that there had been "a failure," and Sanders is promising to make sure the same problems do not emerge if he runs in 2020.

Over the past week, alumni of Sanders' presidential campaign have stepped forward to allege inappropriate behavior and unfair treatment of women. Numerous individuals said that staff on the campaign had not taken a complaint about sexual harassment seriously and had treated women unfairly.

POLITICS
Pelosi Retakes Gavel As House Speaker With New Session Of Congress

On Monday, Politico reported that former Sanders aides requested a meeting with the senator and his top political advisers to "discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign, for the purpose of planning to mitigate the issue in the upcoming presidential cycle." The letter did not provide details of what was being alleged.

Two days later, the New York Times reported a specific instance in which a Latino outreach strategist for the campaign complained to a supervisor that she had been harassed by a campaign surrogate, but the issue was not appropriately addressed.

Erika Andiola was the press secretary for Latino outreach, then later the political director for Our Revolution, a progressive organization that spun off from the 2016 Sanders campaign.

She told NPR that she recalls a phone call in spring 2016 with senior officials on the Latino outreach team. The alleged case of sexual harassment first reported by The New York Times was brought up, as well as broader complaints about pay equity for women on the campaign.

Female staff members and interns also expressed concerns that they were being made to do unimportant work compared to their male counterparts.

The response to their concerns, Andiola said, was disappointing.

"I remember being very frustrated around that call," she said. "They did not take the complaints seriously, at least in my perception."

POLITICS
'We Can Win': Elizabeth Warren Outlines 2020 Presidential Bid

Lucy Flores, a former Nevada assemblywoman and a surrogate for the Sanders campaign during the 2016 presidential primary, said she was contemporaneously aware of these same allegations of "misogyny" during the campaign.

"There was essentially a cover-up" when issues were raised, she told NPR.

Flores added that sexism isn't an issue isolated to the Sanders campaign, saying it commonly occurs in campaigns.

"Frankly, I do think it's a little unfair ... that the attention and all of the conversation is including Bernie's name, because this isn't just something that's limited to Bernie's campaign," Flores said.

POLITICS
The New Congress Has A Record Number Of Women — But Very Few Republican Women

Responding to allegations of sexual discrimination and harassment during the 2016 campaign, former Sanders presidential campaign manager Jeff Weaver acknowledged shortcomings during that period.

"Speaking generally about 2016, was it too male? Yes. Was it too white? Yes. Would this be a priority to remedy on any future campaign? Definitely, and we share deeply in the urgency to make the necessary changes," Weaver said in a statement, first provided to The Times. "In 2016, as the size of our campaign exploded we made efforts to make it a positive experience for people. That there was a failure pains me very much."

A Sanders aide told NPR that they intend to meet with those who signed the letter first reported by Politico.

POLITICS
The Next Commander In Chief? Democrats Hone Foreign Policy Pitches

On Wednesday, Sanders' team released the sexual harassment policy for their 2018 senatorial re-election campaign, which showed that a third-party hotline to report sexual harassment had been established. Andiola said that she was unaware of any such line during the 2016 campaign.

The 2018 Senate campaign also had a mandatory briefing for all staff about their "zero-tolerance" sexual harassment policy and required supervisors to report any complaint of harassment they received.

POLITICS
Democrats Can't Avoid Identity Politics In 2020

Asked about the reports on Wednesday evening, Sanders issued an apology.

"I certainly apologize to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately, and of course, if I run, we will do better next time," Sanders said on CNN, stressing the steps that his 2018 senate re-election campaign had taken.

Pressed by host Anderson Cooper about whether he was aware of the allegations during the 2016 campaign, the U.S. senator from Vermont said he was not.

"I was a little bit busy running around the country, trying to make the case," Sanders responded.

NPR Congressional Correspondent Scott Detrow contributed reporting.

2020 presidential election
pay equity
sexual harassment
2016 presidential election
sen. bernie sanders


https://www.npr.org/2019/01/02/681799426/mexican-archaeologists-discover-pre-hispanic-temple-of-the-flayed-lord
LATIN AMERICA
Mexican Archaeologists Discover Pre-Hispanic Temple of 'The Flayed Lord'
January 2, 20197:20 PM ET
RICHARD GONZALES

PHOTOGRAPH -- The Ndachjian–Tehuacan archaeological site in Puebla, Mexico, the first known temple to the Flayed Lord, a pre-Hispanic fertility god.
Meliton Tapia Davila/AP

Mexican archaeologists have discovered what they say is the first temple of a pre-Hispanic fertility god known as the Flayed Lord who is depicted as a skinned human corpse.

The discovery is being hailed as significant by authorities at Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History because it is a whole temple, not merely depictions of the deity, which have been found in other cultures.

Experts found two skull-like stone carvings and a stone trunk depicting the god Xipe Totec.

"It had an extra hand dangling off one arm, suggesting the god was wearing the skin of a sacrificial victim," the Associated Press reports.

A skull-like stone carving and a stone trunk depicting the Flayed Lord, a pre-Hispanic fertility god depicted as a skinned human corpse.
Meliton Tapia Davila/AP

"Priests worshipped Xipe Totec by skinning human victims and then donning their skins. The ritual was seen as a way to ensure fertility and regeneration," according to the AP.

The temple was recently uncovered in excavated ruins of the Popoloca Indians in the state of Puebla in central Mexico.

The temple was built by the Popolocas between A.D. 1000 and 1260 at a complex known as Ndachjian-Tehuacan. Authorities believe the victims who lost their skin were involved in gladiator-style combat and were later flayed.


XIPE TOTEC

THIS WHOLE ARTICLE ON A FAIRLY TYPICAL FERTILITY GOD IS INTERESTING, BUT IT IS GRISLIER AND MORE AND MORE BLOODY AS THE DESCRIPTION PROCEEDS. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I’M GLAD TO HAVE BEEN BORN INTO A MODERN DAY CHRISTIAN HOME, EVEN THOUGH IN ANCIENT GREECE, WHERE MANY OF JESUS’ WORSHIPPERS ORIGINATED, THEY HAD A FERTILITY GOD ALSO WHO DIED AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD. IF YOU SEE A COINCIDENCE THERE, DON’T MENTION IT. THAT MIGHT CAUSE SOME PEOPLE TO BECOME VERY ANGRY AT YOU. I’LL JUST LOOK AT THE MIRACLE THERE OF INNER REGENERATION TIME AFTER TIME UNTIL DEATH.

THIS IS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING THE NEW RELIGION BY INCORPORATING IT TOGETHER WITH THE ANCIENT ONE. THE CENTRAL THEME IS FROM DEATH COMES LIFE, BUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF IT ARE PRETTY HARD TO TAKE. REMEMBER THE “BLOOD FEAST” WHICH WE CALL HOLY COMMUNION? I WAS NEVER COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, AND NOW THAT I AM A UNITARIAN, I DON’T THINK ABOUT IT. RELIGION IS AN EXTREMELY ANCIENT THING, AND NOT ENTIRELY COMFORTABLE UPON CLOSE EXAMINATION. ITS’ ROOTS ARE MAGICAL MORE THAN PHILOSOPHICAL. IT’S ABOUT POWER MORE THAN PERSONAL VIRTUE.

THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT ANY LESS INTERESTING TO ME. IT ANSWERS THE HUMAN ANXIETY, WHERE DID WE COME FROM AND WHERE ARE WE GOING? IS THERE A PURPOSE TO IT ALL? MY ANSWER TO IT IS TO TRY TO LIVE MY LIFE CONSCIOUSLY AND IN THE MOMENT, MORE A MEDITATION THAN A TRANSFORMATION. AFTER THAT ALL THOSE TINY MOLECULES WILL GO INTO THE SOIL OR THE SEA OR THE AIR TO BE RECYCLED. NOW THAT’S A COMMUNION TO ME.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xipe_Totec
Xipe Totec
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xipe Totec as depicted in the Codex Borgia, shown holding a bloody weapon and wearing flayed human skin as a suit.
In Aztec mythology and religion, Xipe Totec (/ˈʃiːpə ˈtoʊtɛk/; Classical Nahuatl: Xīpe Totēc [ˈʃiːpe ˈtoteːkʷ]) or Xipetotec[1] ("Our Lord the Flayed One")[2] was a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, vegetation, the east, disease, spring, goldsmiths, silversmiths, liberation and the seasons.[3]



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