Ukraine, Suspicion of Fabrication of a Criminal Case

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18 November 2024

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Congratulated Donald Trump

On November 7, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a congratulatory letter to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, wishing him health, strength and success in his upcoming second presidential term.

“Recognizing the enormous responsibilities of such a leadership position, we pray that your decisions will be guided by wisdom and compassion, as well as by the strength necessary to maintain harmony and security in your great and God-protected nation,” noted His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew:

“The Ecumenical Patriarchate, with its ancient history and its fundamental commitment to dialogue and reconciliation, remains a constant supporter of all efforts to promote peace and understanding between people of different cultures and beliefs. We hope that under your leadership the United States will continue to support the cause of religious freedom and human dignity – values that resonate deeply in the Orthodox Christian tradition and all faith communities,” the congratulatory letter said.

Female circumcision in Russia – exists and is not punished

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18 November 2024

Every year, millions of women and girls in the world are subjected to the procedure “female circumcision.” In the process of this dangerous practice, women have part or all of their external genitalia removed. Among the victims are also residents of the North Caucasian republics of Russia, and the Russian authorities do not punish the execution of the violent procedure.

How this violent religious-ritual tradition exists in modern Russia, do the authorities and the clergy try to fight it – reveals the Russian publication of Verstka.

What is “female circumcision”

Female circumcision is a procedure that is accompanied by either trauma or partial or complete amputation of the external genitalia. As a result of the procedure, sensitivity is reduced and the woman may lose the ability to have an orgasm.

Not for medical reasons

The procedure is not performed for medical reasons, but for ritual or religious reasons to suppress female sexuality. That is why in the international medical community this term is not used, but is called “female genital mutilation operations”. International law considers them an attack on the health of women and girls, a form of violence and discrimination.

Victims

Victims of female circumcision are girls up to the age of 15. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2024, more than 230 million women in the world suffered from such operations. They are mostly carried out in African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries. But there are also victims of female circumcision in Russia among the residents of the North Caucasian republics – Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya.

Injuries

The procedure has serious negative consequences for women’s health – from serious injuries to death due to blood loss. In addition to physical trauma and the shock of pain, female circumcision disrupts the natural functioning of the body. Women and girls may suffer from infections, their genitourinary system may be damaged, they may experience pain during sexual intercourse, menstrual disorders may occur, and the risk of complications during childbirth and death of the mother and the newborn increases by 50%.

Why do they do it?

The “necessity” of such operations is justified by honoring traditions or religious motives. In some cultures, it is part of the rite of female initiation or entry into adult life. Female circumcision is often associated with Islam, including in the Russian Federation.

Prevents lust

In the words of Dagestan journalist Zakir Magomedov, “in the local religious press, which is issued by the official clergy, articles are published in which it is written that female circumcision has a beneficial effect on a woman and protects her from lustful thoughts and desires, and is even beneficial for a woman.”

Female circumcision is performed by people without medical training, and old pocket knives or cattle shears are used as tools.

Control over female sexuality

In almost all cases, the purpose of the procedure is defined as control over female sexuality: “not to be hoika”, “not to freak out”. The official clergy of Dagestan include female circumcision in religious duties, although it is not mentioned in the Koran. Some Muslims, in addition to the Koran, are also guided by the Sunnah – traditions from the life of the Prophet Muhammad and statements of authoritative religious figures. Therefore, in some cases, female circumcision among Muslims can be interpreted as permissible, desirable and even mandatory.

Officially, the Russian authorities are against it

“All women should be circumcised so that there is no debauchery on Earth, to reduce sexuality”, this is how the head of the Coordination Council of Muslims of the North Caucasus, Ismail Berdiev, reacted to the revelations of the “Legal Initiative” organization in 2016, which confirmed the existence of practice. Later, Berdiev clarified that “he did not call for female circumcision”, but only spoke about the “problem of debauchery”, with which “something must be done”.

The Russian Ministry of Health condemns the procedure, and the prosecutor’s office of Dagestan conducts an investigation and finds no confirmation of the facts presented in the report of “Legal Initiative.”

The deputy of the State Duma from “United Russia” Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs proposes to introduce the concept of “women’s discrimination on religious grounds” into the Penal Code, and that the punishment for “female circumcision” be 10 years in prison. The Ministry of Justice of Russia does not support Maksakova’s initiative, clarifying that the procedure falls under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and more precisely under the paragraphs on “deliberately causing severe, medium and light harm to health, as well as causing harm to carelessness.”

North Caucasus

According to the “Legal Initiative” organization, in the middle of the last decade in Dagestan, at least 1,240 girls were subjected to the procedure annually. The majority of the men surveyed were categorically against the ban on female circumcision, explaining their motive not only with Islam, but also with local traditions and the desire to control the morality of women. Part of the respondents expressed an opinion against the procedure, arguing that the lack of sensitivity in women lowers the quality of sex in men as well.

And in Moscow

In 2018 one of the Moscow medical clinics announces the service of “female circumcision” for ritual and religious reasons for girls from 5 to 12 years old. On the clinic’s website, it was noted that “the operation should be performed not at home, but in a medical clinic.” After a wide public response, the clinic removed the information from its website, but an investigation was carried out, which found the existence of the procedure and other violations. A warning has been issued and the clinic is still open!

First conviction without penalty

Despite the fact that in its second report the organization “Legal Initiative” notes the disappearance of the practice in Chechnya and Ingushetia, the inhabitants of these regions remain in danger. In the spring of 2020, the father of a 9-year-old girl invited him to Magas (the capital of Ingushetia) for a visit and took him to a vaccine clinic. There, female circumcision was forcibly performed on the child. The value of the “service” is 2000 rubles. The little girl, in her bloodstained dress, was then put on a bus back to Chechnya, where she was hospitalized for severe blood loss. The father explains his motive as follows: “So that he doesn’t get excited.”

A criminal case has been opened against the gynecologist who performed the circumcision for intentionally causing minor harm to health. The case has been going on for a year and a half. The judge called on the parties to reconcile, adding that “the girl cannot be helped anyway”. In the end, the doctor was found guilty and fined 30,000 rubles, but was released from serving the sentence due to the statute of limitations. No criminal proceedings have been initiated against the clinic.

In the same year, the mufti of Dagestan issued a fatwa and recognized the removal of the external genitalia as forbidden in Islam, but clarified that “female circumcision” meant only hudectomy — the removal of the foreskin of the clitoris. This is also a crippling procedure, human rights defenders insist.

The US excludes the last major Russian state bank from SWIFT

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Gaston de Persigny

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18 November 2024

The last of Russia’s major state-owned banks, which retains access to the SWIFT system for international payments in the world’s major currencies, will become subject to new US sanctions.

The White House is considering blacklisting Gazprombank, the Russian Federation’s third-largest bank by assets, which is a “hub” for gas payments with Europe. As the Nikkei reported, citing officials familiar with the matter, GPB could be subject to blocking sanctions: it would be barred from any transactions with US banks. A decision on sanctions will be made by the end of November – the United States has notified its G7 partners about this, sources told the publication, including high-ranking European officials.

Directly owned by Gazprom with a third and another 40% by its pension fund, Gazprombank is not yet subject to strict Western restrictions: in the United States it is only prohibited from raising capital on the debt market, although its top managers and a subsidiary are subject to blocking sanctions IT company. In the European Union, GPB also avoids blacklists, and only Britain has introduced blockers against the bank.

Russian Patriarch Kirill had a hard word for Halloween

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18 November 2024

Russian Patriarch Kirill Had A Hard Word For Halloween

A toxic holiday that revives paganism, the spiritual leader believes

In a speech, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church warned against what he called attempts to “revive paganism,” saying neo-paganism had infiltrated certain “military circles” in Russia.

Patriarch Kirill criticized the former chief prosecutor of Crimea and member of the State Duma Nataliya Poklonskaya, who posted on her Telegram channel photos of herself dressed in Celtic clothing and face paint to celebrate the Gaelic festival of Samhain.

The Orthodox high priest also complained that Russian schools continue to celebrate Halloween, with some even disguising the “toxic” Western holiday with another Slavic name.

“This replacement of values, the falsification of national history and the belittling of the role of Christianity in the construction of our nation’s statehood is, in a sense, a challenge to the true values of the Russian world,” Patriarch Kirill said.

Devastating Fatwa: Top Islamic Scholar in Gaza Criticizes Hamas for October 7

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18 November 2024

А prominent Islamic scholar in the Gaza Strip has issued an atypical and strong fatwa condemning the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in the enclave.

Prof. Dr. Salman al-Dayah, former dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Hamas-affiliated Islamic University of Gaza, is one of the region’s most respected religious authorities, so his legal opinion carries considerable weight among Gaza’s population of two million. the Palestinian Territory, which is made up mostly of Sunni Muslims.

A fatwa is a non-binding Islamic legal ruling by a respected religious scholar, usually based on the Qur’an or the Sunnah – the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad.

Hamas has violated the Islamic principles of jihad

Dr. Dayah’s fatwa, published in a detailed six-page document, criticized Hamas for “violating Islamic principles governing jihad,” ie. the internal spiritual struggle and that against the enemies of Islam.

“If the pillars, reasons or conditions of Jihad are not fulfilled, it should be avoided so as not to destroy people’s lives. This is something that is easily guessed by the politicians of our country, so the attack should be avoided,” the professor believes.

For Hamas, the fatwa represents a disturbing and potentially damaging criticism, especially given that the group often justifies its attacks on Israel with religious arguments to win support from Arab and Muslim communities. In the October 7 attack, hundreds of armed fighters from the Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage in the enclave. In response, Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas, during which more than 43,400 people have already been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Dr Dayah argued that the significant number of civilian casualties in Gaza, along with the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the humanitarian catastrophe that followed the October 7 attack, meant that it was in direct conflict with the teachings of Islam. According to him, Hamas has failed in its obligations to “keep the militants away from the homes of defenseless civilians and their shelters and to ensure security and safety as much as possible in the various aspects of life… security, economy, health and education , as well as to keep sufficient supplies for them’.

The professor points to verses from the Qur’an and Sunnah that set strict conditions for waging jihad, including the need to avoid actions that provoke an excessive and disproportionate response from the adversary. His fatwa emphasized that, according to Islamic law, a military incursion should not provoke a response that exceeds the intended benefits of the action.

It also emphasizes that Muslim leaders have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of non-combatants, including by providing food, medicine and shelter to those not engaged in combat. “Human life is more precious to God than Mecca,” declared Dr. Dayah.

What is the influence of Prof. Dr. Dayah?

In the Gaza Strip, he is seen as a key religious figure and a fierce critic of Islamist movements, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

His moderate Salafi beliefs put him in direct opposition to Hamas’s approach to armed resistance and its ties to Shiite-ruled Iran. Salafis are fundamentalists who seek to follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad and the first generations who followed him.

Dr. Dayah has consistently advocated the creation of an Islamic caliphate that adheres strictly to Islamic law, rather than to systems based on political parties, a solution supported by Hamas. “Our role model is Prophet Muhammad who founded a nation and did not create political parties to divide the nation. That’s why parties in Islam are forbidden,” he said in a sermon he delivered in a mosque a few years ago, the BBC recalled.

The scholar also condemned extremism, opposing jihadist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Prof. Dr. Dayah refused to leave his home in the northern Gaza Strip, despite the Israeli military’s constant evacuation orders for civilians as they cleared the area of Hamas structures.

Nigeria: 33 million could face hunger next year

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United Nations News

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17 November 2024

Nigeria: 33 million could face hunger next year

The figure represents a sharp increase from the 25 million who need assistance today, the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a joint statement alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“Never before have there been so many people in Nigeria without food,” Chi Lael, WFP Spokesperson for the country, told journalists at the UN in Geneva.

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Avert potential disaster

A recent assessment found that immediate support is needed to avert a potential food and nutrition disaster in the face of triple-digit increases in food prices, the aftermath of devastating floods, and 15 years of insurgency in the northeast.

Nigeria faces a monumental hunger crisis in the second half of 2025, particularly in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, home to some five million people who are facing acute food insecurity.

Other areas including emerging hunger hotspots in Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states are also at risk.

Young lives at risk

Ms. Lael said 5.4 million children and 800,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face the threat of acute malnutrition or wasting.

She warned that of this number, an alarming 1.8 million children could suffer severe acute malnutrition and may require critical nutrition treatment.

“What worries us most is the speed of deterioration over the past year, the scale – in terms of number of people at risk, the geographic scope of food insecurity, and the very real risk of a significant worsening in the coming months,” she said.

Stem this crisis

She stressed the need for “immediate and massive” collective response that spans prevention, mitigation and life-saving assistance.

This includes preventative action in rural areas to halt hunger from spreading, such as providing vulnerable farmers with cash, seeds and fertilizer. Meanwhile, urgent assistance in areas such as nutrition, health support, food supply and water and sanitation will reduce the depth of the crisis.

“We have it within our grasp to stem this crisis, and avert catastrophe in Nigeria. If we respond now, it is manageable, at full stretch, but it can be done,” she said.

Rights experts call for immediate end to post-election violence in Mozambique

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United Nations News

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16 November 2024

Rights experts call for immediate end to post-election violence in Mozambique

Weeks of violent protests have marked the outcome of the disputed 9 October presidential elections, which saw ruling party Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo emerge the winner amid widespread allegations of fraud. Frelimo has been in power since 1975.

Multiple news reports indicate that violent and repressive measures were used by security forces against protesters who were taking part in peaceful demonstrations which continued until 7 November, causing at least 30 deaths – including a child – and injuring a further 200.

At least 300 protesters have also been arrested in connection with these demonstrations.

According to reports, authorities deployed the military last week to stop the protests, while protest leaders have announced multiple phases of demonstrations, including at provincial capitals and border crossings.

Protesters have also allegedly carried out reprisals against suspected police officers, including at least one killing, according to authorities.

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Violence very disturbing

“The violations of the right to life, including of a child, deliberate killings of unarmed protesters and the excessive use of force by the police deployed to disperse peaceful protests across Mozambique are very disturbing,” the Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts said.

“We call on the Mozambican authorities to promptly and impartially investigate all the unlawful killings.”

Questions on electoral integrity

The protests emerged as citizens questioned the integrity of the elections, which were marked by accusations of irregularities.

“Authorities need to take steps to halt the violence and ensure an environment in which all Mozambicans, including women and girls, can participate fully and equally in the political processes and express themselves without fear,” the experts said.

Restrictions to media freedoms have also been widely reported, including attacks, intimidation and harassment of journalists, and intermittent internet and mobile network blockages.

Human rights defenders reporting on the irregularities of the election process or participating in protests have been intimidated and threatened.

Rights must be upheld

The rights experts also emphasised that law enforcement personnel “have a duty to respect and protect” those who are exercising right to peaceful assembly and that they remain neutral and impartial during protests.

They must “prevent harm and protect the right to life, liberty and security” of those involved, the experts said.

“We urge Mozambican authorities to facilitate access to information for all and strongly condemn the widespread disruption of internet services,” they continued.

The UN experts – who are not UN staff, receive no salary and do not represent any government or organization – warned that enforced disappearances and acts of violence linked to electoral disputes could have enduring consequences on the country’s democratic framework.

They confirmed ongoing dialogue with Mozambican authorities and pledged to closely monitor the evolving situation.

Pay attention to the gender pay gap

By

Newsdesk

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15 November 2024

Statement on European Equal Pay Day

Equal pay for equal work is one of the EU’s founding principles. And yet, imagine if you stopped getting paid for the year today? Instead of getting paid for a full year, you only get paid for 10 and a half months. For women in the EU, who earn on average 13% less than their male counterparts, this gender pay gap represents their reality.

Today is the EU’s Equal Pay Day. It is the day of the year on which women in Europe symbolically stop to be paid compared to men. We mark it every year in order to keep raising awareness about the fact that female workers still earn less on average.

The day changes depending on the latest figure of the EU gender pay gap, with it falling on 15 November in 2024. Over the past ten years, progress has been slow in Europe, with only a 3-percentage point gap reduction since 2014.

The EU is working to close this pay gap by creating new legislation and monitoring its implementation. This includes a dedicated directive on equal pay, as well as legislation on pay transparency, the work-life balance and gender balance on corporate boards.

For more information

Equal Pay Day

EU action for equal pay

Actions for gender equality

Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms

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United Nations News

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14 November 2024

Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms

In an alert, the World Food Programme (WFP) described markets “in decay” across the enclave. “Fresh foods, eggs, and meat barely exist and the prices of any food available have reached record highs,” the UN agency said on X, just days since UN-backed hunger experts warned that famine thresholds may have already been crossed in northern Gaza, or will be soon.

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Starving the north

“So far in November, every attempt by the UN to access besieged areas of north Gaza governorate with food and health missions to support tens of thousands of people remaining there was either denied or impeded,” the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted in its latest update.

The development comes amid continuing Israel Defense Forces strikes in northern Gaza into Wednesday, where UN aid teams have reiterated how people fleeing attacks and evacuation orders in Beit Hanoun for Gaza City now shelter in unsafe schools that could collapse at any time. In October alone, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recorded 64 attacks against schools, “the majority sheltering displaced people”.

According to OCHA, up to 130,000 people have been displaced from northern Gaza amid intensifying Israeli attacks targeting residential buildings and repeated evacuation orders.

UN humanitarians have told UN News that dogs have been seen setting upon dead bodies left lying in open ground, while healthcare access across Gaza remains precarious, with the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, together with partners, pointing to a recent rise in premature births and maternal deaths.

‘Relentless struggle’

“Over 155,000 expectant and new mothers are caught in a relentless struggle marked by exhaustion, trauma, and severe hunger,” UNFPA said, a situation made worse by the fact that fewer than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional, along with just 47 out of 133 primary health centres, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Since Hamas-led terror attacks and hostage-taking in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza 13 months ago, more than 43,469 people have been reportedly killed in Gaza; most are civilians and at least 10,000 remain trapped under the rubble of their homes and shelters, the WHO noted.

Israeli strikes kill dozens a day in Lebanon

In Lebanon, meanwhile, UN aid agencies warned that at least 241 people have been killed and 642 injured the week to 11 November “due to Israeli airstrikes”.

Citing the Lebanese authorities, OCHA’s latest update on the emergency added that a total of almost 3,300 people have been killed – including 203 children and 644 women – with 14,222 injured since 8 October 2023.

“At least one child was killed and 10 children were injured every day in Lebanon, in October 2024 alone,” the UN agency continued, highlighting the UN children’s agency UNICEF’s appeal to the warring parties “to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect children”.

Despite such appeals, Israeli strikes have continued across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah fighters, along with strikes on Israel by the Lebanon-based group. The violence continues to “claim lives, uproot communities and destroy homes and critical infrastructure”, OCHA said.

“Intensified Israeli airstrikes have had major impacts in South Lebanon, Nabatieh, Bekaa, Baalbeck-Hermel and Mount Lebanon governorates.

An airstrike on a residential building in Lebanon’s northern Akkar on 11 November reportedly killed at least 18 people and injured 14, it added, citing the Lebanese authorities. “On 10 November, a strike on a home sheltering displaced families in Aalmat town in Jbeil, Mount Lebanon Governorate, killed at least 23 people, including seven children.”

Homes ‘repeatedly targeted’

In previous weeks residential buildings hosting displaced people have been “repeatedly targeted”, the UN humanitarian coordinators insisted, citing a strike in Aito-Zgharta, north Lebanon and in Barja-Chouf, Mount Lebanon, “which together claimed over 40 lives”.

The UN peacekeeping mission that monitors the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel, UNIFIL, has also reported “numerous violations” since the escalation of violence in late September. “This includes more than a half a dozen direct attacks on peacekeepers,” OCHA reported.

The most recent incident occurred on 8 November, when two Israeli army excavators and one bulldozer reportedly destroyed part of a fence and a concrete structure in a UNIFIL position in Ras Naqoura.

Attacks on healthcare providers

In addition to attacks on areas sheltering civilians, airstrikes on health facilities and workers continue to be recorded by WHO, interrupting operations in 127 health facilities and eight hospitals, reducing the functionality of nine hospitals. In the first week of November there were attacks on health services, and two deaths and seven injuries among health workers, according to WHO.

Since mid-September 2024, the surveillance system for attacks on health care (SSA) reported 44 attacks against healthcare resulting in 63 injuries and 91 deaths, bringing the total of attacks against health care to 103 incidents resulting in 123 injuries and 145 deaths since 8 October 2023.

Peacekeeping chief visits UNIFIL headquarters

UN Peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix met some of the thousands of ‘blue helmets’ serving in southern Lebanon with the UNIFIL mission on Wednesday.

“He spoke to peacekeepers who had been injured in direct attacks and exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah,” said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York.

“He visited UN positions in Mansouri and the Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura.
He also met UNIFIL staff who continue supporting the mission’s work in Naqoura and with the mission’s senior leadership. He also expressed his gratitude to both the military and civilian staff of UNIFIL for their dedication and commitment to the important work of the Mission during this exceptionally challenging time.”

On Tuesday he met Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati together with the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the Head of the Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon, General Aroldo Lázaro.

“The three stressed the criticality of UNIFIL’s role and highlighted the importance of resolution 1701,” Mr. Dujarric added.