, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20210304STO99236/
Future of Europe: Engaging with citizens to build a more resilient Europe | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210304IPR99242/
European parliament strips Catalan leaders of immunity
Brussels/Barcelon — The European parliament has voted to waive the immunity of the former head of Catalonia’s regional government and two other separatist lawmakers, taking them a step closer to extradition to Spain, where they are charged with sedition.
The chamber announced on Tuesday that EU MEPs had voted clearly in favour of stripping the immunity from prosecution of Carles Puigdemont and two former cabinet members, Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati.
The three told a news conference at the parliament in Brussels that they would appeal against the vote at the EU’s top court, a move that could extend legal proceedings for at least a year. Ponsati said they had strong legal grounds.
“It’s a sad day for the European parliament. We have lost our immunity, but the parliament has lost even more than that, as a result it has also lost European democracy,” Puigdemont said.
Puigdemont and Comin, who are in self-imposed exile in Belgium, formally became members of the European parliament in June 2019, while Ponsati, who is in Scotland, was officially a member from January 2020.
All are subject to European arrest warrants issued by Spain which is seeking their extradition related to their role in organising a 2017 independence referendum deemed illegal by a Spanish court.
The referendum brought on Spain’s biggest political crisis in decades and was followed by a unilateral declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament in October 2017, which prompted the central government to impose direct rule from Madrid and authorities to arrest separatist leaders.
Nine of them were convicted in Spain of the same charge of sedition in 2019 and sentenced to up to 13 years in prison.
Belgium has so far denied Spain’s extradition requests. A court in January refused to extradite Lluis Puig, another separatist former member of the Catalan government living in Belgium, over charges of misuse of public funds.
Puigdemont has also been charged with misuse of public funds.
Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said the parliament’s decision was a sign of “respect for the work of the Spanish justice system”. A European legislator cannot use his position to “protect himself from appearing in a national court”, she said.
“Problems in Catalonia are solved in Spain, not in Europe,” she said, defending a solution through dialogue.
Puigdemont’s party, Junts, tweeted that the conflict had stopped being an internal affair.
“We have brought it to the heart of Europe to continue denouncing the repression and political persecution of the Spanish state,” it said.
The European parliament said the events pre-dated their election and it was for national judicial systems of EU countries to determine criminal proceedings.
Reuters
Sculpture honours Daphne Caruana Galizia in European Parliament
A sculpture in tribute to murdered journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak has been placed in the European Parliament permanently.
The two metre high steel and iron sculpture has the words ‘Immortal Truth’ wrapped around it and emblazoned in lights above it.
A phrase cut into its base says “In memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak and all the journalists murdered for the truth.”
The journalists were both murdered outside their homes and within four months of each other. Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb in Bidnija, Malta in October 2017 and Kuciak in a village outside Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava.
Slovak artist Martin Mjartan created the sculpture, which is is being presented to European Parliament president David Maria Sassoli and will have a permanent place in the European Parliament building. The decision was taken this week by the College of Quaestors, of which Maltese MEP David Casa is a member.
Casa said on Wednesday that the EP took the protection of journalists very seriously, especially since the Caruana Galizia and Kuciak murders.
This, he said, could be seen through various reports, resolutions and initiatives taken, not only to remember the murdered journalists, but also to propose new methods on how to protect investigative journalists and ensure that their work is followed-up by judicial processes.
“A few days after Daphne was murdered, the EP named its press room in Strasbourg after Daphne Caruana Galizia. Late last year, we were successful in launching the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism which will be awarded for the first time in October this year,” he said.
The two-metre high steel and iron structure will have a permanent place in the European Parliament. Photo: Martin Mjartan
“This is a concrete example of how much the EP is on the side of truth and justice. This contrasts with the way the Maltese authorities continue to treat Daphne Caruana Galizia, even after being assassinated by individuals allegedly very close to the Prime Minister’s office,” Casa said.
There is no permanent memorial to Caruana Galizia in Malta. A temporary memorial to her, outside the Law Courts in Valletta, was repeatedly removed until Prime Minister Robert Abela came into power this year.
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Webinar: Religious and political implication of Pope Francis’ historic journey to Iraq
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) are pleased to invite you to join a webinar on the political and religious implications of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Iraq. The webinar, under the theme “You are all brothers” will take place on Monday 15 March 2021, from 18:00 to 19:30 (CET).
Pope Francis’ historic visit to Iraq was the first visit of a Pope to the homeland of Abraham. The visit was not only dedicated to the Christians living in the war-torn and fragile middle eastern country, but it was also a significant contribution to inter-religious dialogue in view of advancing peace and reconciliation in the region and globally.
Pope Francis’ journey to Iraq included a meeting with Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, an interfaith prayer held in the ancient city of Ur and a prayer on the rubble of Mosul where seven years ago Daesh proclaimed its “caliphate”.
What will be the religious and political implications in Iraq and in the region? How these events will shape EU policies and international action? These and other questions will be at centre of the webinar, together with H. E. Mgr. Franz-Josef Overbeck (Vice President of COMECE), Fr. Jens Petzold (Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Sulaymaniyah) and Stefan von Kempis (Vatican News).
Monday 15 March 2021
18:00 – 19:30 CET
Programme EN – DE
Language: EN, IT, DE
Greece: EIB co-finances Crete-Attica interconnection
The Independent Power Transmission Operator announces the participation of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the financing of Crete-Attica interconnection, a project with a total budget of 1 billion euros, being implemented by IPTO’s fully owned subsidiary “Ariadne Interconnection”.
“Ariadne Interconnection” and EIB signed a 200-million-euro loan agreement, with the option of extending the funding by 100 million euros. The funding is guaranteed by the Greek State and has a duration of 20 years, including a 5-year grace period. The possibility of EIB’s participation in the financing of the project was provided as an option in the loan agreement signed in July 2020 with Eurobank, which was activated ensuring even better financing terms.
Crete-Attica interconnection is the largest energy infrastructure project currently under construction in Greece. Its financing comes from three sources: bank lending, equity and EU funding. The equity amounts to 200 million euros. As to the bank lending, the project is now co-financed equally by Eurobank and EIB (with 200 million euros each). For the remaining amount of 400 million euros, the co-financing tools of Greece and the European Union will be deployed.
Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas, commented: “The electrical interconnection of Crete with the mainland is pivotal in achieving our goal to overhaul the electricity system in the next few years. Connecting the largest Greek island with the national electricity transmission network is a decisive step in this direction, as well as in the transition of the country to a low carbon footprint economy”.
Mr. Manos Manousakis, President and CEO of IPTO, pointed out: “The participation of EIB secures even better financing terms for the flagship project of Crete’s interconnection to the mainland grid, while it reaffirms the confidence of the European bank in the projects of IPTO. We are particularly satisfied with the implementation progress of the project, which brings significant economic and environmental benefits for all citizens of Greece”.
Mr. Christian Kettel Thomsen, European Investment Bank Vice President, commented: “The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting transformational energy investment across Greece. The new EIB 200 million long-term financing backs one of the longest submarine power links in the world essential to increasing transmission of green energy from Crete and increase use of clean energy in Greece.
BELGIUM: Jehovah’s Witnesses and sexual abuse (Fake news debunked in a recent webinar)
BELGIUM: Jehovah’s Witnesses and sexual abuse (Fake news debunked in a recent webinar)
Former Minister of Justice Koen Geens misinformed
HRWF (09.03.2021) – At an online conference on “Limitations of Religious Freedom in Europe” organized on 4-6 March by two European universities[1], the Belgian panelist representing Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) declared that former Minister of Justice Koen Geens had been misinformed about the CIAOSN’s report on sexual abuse and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
On 30 November 2018, the CIAOSN closed a 28-page report[2] about the management of sexual abuse on minors inside the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses and transmitted it to the Federal Parliament with a recommendation to set up a parliamentary inquiry commission on this issue.
In its report[3], the CIAOSN justified the rationale of its decision as follows:
“In June 2018, the CIAOSN received the notification according to which three of the 286 testimonies received by the Foundation “Reclaimed Voices” in the Netherlands concern facts which have allegedly taken place in Belgium. From June 2018 on, the CIAOSN received several direct and indirect testimonies from individuals claiming to have suffered from sexual violence in the midst of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Belgium when they were children. These testimonies suggest that the management of sexual abuse in Belgium is similar to other countries.”
A Dutch-speaking member of the board Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) contacted Reclaimed Voices in The Netherlands to check the credibility of this information and get more details about the three alleged cases of sexual abuse in Belgium.
In his answer, the head of Reclaimed Voices in The Netherlands denied such a news made public in Belgium, saying in a private correspondence dated 10 February 2021:
“The information in the report of the CIAOSN is not correct. On 29 March 2019, we sent an email to Ms Kerstine Vanderput about this inaccuracy. At that time, it came to our attention that Koen Geens, Minister of Justice (CD&V) had said on Radio 1 in Belgium: ‘It is the CIAOSN itself which has gone to the Netherlands to find this information and has stated that among the 286 Dutch complaints there were three Belgian ones’. Something similar was said on television at ‘Van Gils & Guests’. In the Dutch media, we have only testified about the situation in the Netherlands. The figures that were mentioned are only alleged victims of abuse in the Netherlands.[4]
Moreover, Aswin Suierveld, a founding member of the Dutch association, declared in an interview dated 30 August 2020 and available on YouTube[5] that in fact there were not around 300 complaints but only 70 to 90 testimonies, although she had not really counted them. The 200 remaining ones were from people who had heard about a story that had happened in their congregation, in their family or among their relatives.
The second argument of the CIAOSN for setting up a parliamentary inquiry commission was that they had received other testimonies ‘directly or indirectly’.
No further details are available in their report, such as the number of ‘direct and indirect’ testimonies received by the CIAOSN, the methodological and statistical treatment of the data, the type of sources (first-hand or second-hand testimonies), the nature of sexual abuse, the context of the alleged facts (abuse in families or in an institutional setting), the time period of the allegedly committed offences (the last five years, ten years, twenty years or more).
The members of the federal parliament need to get such details before taking a decision and public opinion also needs to be informed with full transparency.
[1] Sigmund Neumann Institute for the Research on Freedom, Liberty and Democracy (Germany) in cooperation with the Center for Regional and Borderlands Studies/Institute of Sociology of the University of Wrocław (Poland).
[2] Official title: “Signalement sur le traitement des abus sexuels sur mineurs au sein de l’organisation des témoins de Jehovah” du 30 novembre 2018. As of the end of February, the report was still not available on the website of the CIAOSN. HRWF got it from another researcher working on this issue. It is said by the Belgian Federal Parliament to be an intermediary report (See https://www.ciaosn.be/54K3713001.pdf).
[3] This report comprises of four parts:
Part 1: The organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses (pp 1-4)
Part 2: State of play in 13 countries about initiatives denouncing internal procedures of Jehovah’s Witnesses in cases of sexual abuse on minors (pp 6-10)
Part 3: State of play in Belgium (pp 12-14)
Part 4: Conclusions (pp 15-17)
Annexes (pp 18-28)
The section on Belgium only covers two pages of short descriptions of seven alleged cases or reports published in the Belgian media in 20 years’ time, between 1996 and 2017.
[4] Excerpt from the email of Reclaimed Voices: “De informatie in het rapport van het IACSSO is incorrect. Wij hebben op 29 maart 2019 mevrouw Kerstine VanderPutte over deze onjuistheid gemaild. Het viel ons destijds op dat Koen Geerts, minister van Justitie (CD&V) daags ervoor in België bij radio 1 het volgende meldde: ‘Het is het IACSSO zelf die in Nederland informatie is gaan halen en heeft vastgesteld dat van die 286 Nederlandse klachten er drie Belgische waren’. Iets soortgelijks werd op tv gezegd, bij Van Gils & gasten. Wij hebben in de Nederlandse media steeds alleen gecommuniceerd over de Nederlandse situatie. Aantallen die genoemd zijn betreffen alleen (vermeende) slachtoffers van misbruik in Nederland.”
HRWF note: Kerstine Vanderput is the director of the CIAOSN. Van Gils & Gasten is a Flemish TV program.
[5] See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ayJU4BtcC4
Major reform of teaching on religion and belief passes in Wales
Legislation which will substantially reform the teaching of religion and belief, including by requiring coverage of secularism as a key concept, has passed its final parliamentary vote in Wales.
The Senedd has today voted to pass a bill which provides the legal framework to introduce a new skills-based curriculum in all schools in Wales.
The National Secular Society, which has strongly lobbied ministers in Wales over curricular reform, has welcomed some significant changes introduced by the bill.
These include:
- Replacing religious education (RE) with religion, values and ethics (RVE), a new subject which will fit in a humanities section of the curriculum.
- Introducing statutory relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in all schools, under a health section of the curriculum.
- Explicitly requiring RVE to cover secularism as a key concept and include non-religious worldviews alongside major religions.
- Requiring faith schools to provide families with the option of RVE according to the locally agreed syllabus, which is more pluralistic than the faith-based alternative.
Ongoing NSS concerns
But the NSS also warned that the bill represented a missed opportunity in other regards, noting that:
- Some faith schools will continue to be able to teach faith-based RVE, meaning they are likely to face practical difficulties in running two syllabuses and undervalue the locally agreed option.
- Ending parents’ right to withdraw children from RVE may lead to legal challenges where the subject is insufficiently pluralistic and objective.
- The RVE syllabus will continue to be determined by local bodies, known as SACREs or ASCs, where representatives of faith and belief groups hold significant influence.
- Faith schools will continue to teach RSE from a faith-based perspective. NSS research has shown this has led to inaccurate, shame-based or incomplete coverage of issues deemed ‘controversial’ by some religious groups.
- The curriculum reform does not address the legal requirement on all schools in Wales to hold a daily act of broadly Christian collective worship, despite recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
NSS comment
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: “This landmark piece of legislation will give pupils across Wales access to a more objective way of learning about religion and belief.
“But government concessions will mean religious groups’ interests continue to enjoy a privileged input into this subject area – and to shape the way it’s taught in many faith schools.
“All children should be entitled to an impartial and pluralistic education on religion and belief. Policy makers across the UK should work to make this a reality.
“We also welcome the Welsh government’s move to make relationships and sexuality education statutory. This represents a significant step forward for children’s rights.”
Notes
- Ministers will consult on and agree statutory guidance by September 2021 to allow the new curriculum to come into effect in September 2022.
- Religious interest groups unsuccessfully lobbied against several of the changes in the bill, including the inclusion of secularism and non-religious worldviews on the curriculum.
- The NSS campaigns for all children to have an entitlement to a pluralistic and objective education on religion and belief.
Image: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com.
BJP Asks US University to Look Into Allegations Against Academic Accused of Vilifying Hindu Religion
India’s ruling BJP has asked Rutgers University to look into concerns raised by a Hindu student outfit about academic Audrey Truschke in the South Asian studies programme. She has been accused by the group of denigrating Hindu traditions through her academic research and comments.
The concerns against Truschke were highlighted on Tuesday by Vijay Chauthaiwale, a federal parliamentarian who heads the foreign policy cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) .
Associate Professor Truschke is the author of a book on Indian Muslim Emperor Aurangzeb. And she claims to have blocked more than 5,000 Twitter accounts in recent days after being sent vile and hateful Islamophobic messages on her social media account over her criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government.
5,750 blocked accounts and counting.
In the last 3 days, I have endured an avalanche of hate speech, anti-Muslim sentiments, misogyny, violent threats, things endangering my family (yes, I have to leave that vague for safety reasons), and aggression towards my students.
Stop.
— Dr. Audrey Truschke (@AudreyTruschke) March 8, 2021
Truschke is no stranger to criticism from BJP supporters for her critical take on contentious issues such as India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Jammu and Kashmir situation, and “persecution” of Muslims under the current Indian government.
But the latest barrage of insults came after a Hindu student organisation at Rutgers University launched a signature campaign to highlight and express concern over Truschke’s “conduct”.
In another instance, the academic sparked indignation among many Hindus for calling Lord Rama a “mysogynistic pig” for his treatment of his wife Sita. Both Rama and Sita feature in the Hindu religious epic Ramayana and are epitomised as an ideal couple by millions of followers of Hinduism.
In its signature campaign, endorsed by over 5,000 people as of 8 March, Hindus on Campus accused Truschke of vilifying Hindu religious texts, spreading misinformation about Hindu culture encouraging the gang rape of women, and endorsing the burning of Hindu scriptures during her classes.
The student group further accused Truschke of encouraging “racism” against Hindus, not only in India but across the world.
Truschke entered the limelight after her 2017 book “Aurangzeb, The Man and The Myth” was released. She riled up many Hindu nationalists in India and across the world because she portrayed Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in a rather more favourable light than he has been shown in Indian history textbooks. Many of these books described the policies during his reign (1658-1707) as being responsible for promoting Islam in India at the expense of Hinduism.
Critics of Aurangzeb and Mughal rule in India, in general, are of the view that many ancient temples were razed and Indian customs erased during the reign of the Muslim rulers in India. This Islamic rule began around the 16th century and continued until the onset of British colonial rule in the mid-nineteenth century.
In her book, Truschke draws upon some historical evidence and documents to claim that Aurangzeb has been used as an “excuse” by the Hindu right to denigrate Muslims in India. The argument is disputed by many nationalists in India.
Her critical take on many Hindu traditions as well as many issues held dear to the BJP have triggered protests against her in the past. Truschke’s scheduled lecture in Hyderabad had to be called off following protests by local Hindu outfits over her controversial views during her India visit in 2018.
Company Removes Billboard Near Central Mosque After A Muslim Described It As An Insult To The Religion
The manufactures of Tropical Fiesta have removed its giant billboard near the Central Mosque in Kanda after a Muslim described it as inappropriate and an insult to the religion.
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The Muslim known as Mustapha Abubakar took to Facebook to react strongly at the billboard which had celebrated rapper, DBlack in the midst of two ladies wearing bikinis while advertising a product sold by the company.
He wrote;
Can someone inform this company that the position of their advert on this billboard near our Central Mosque at Kanda is an insult to Islam and our values. Pls remove it.“
His post sparked serious deliberations on social media where he was lambasted for relating everything to religion. In other not to spark chaos, the company has reportedly taken off the image on the billboard.
READ ALSO: “Stop Disrespecting Sarkodie, Shatta And Stonebwoy Because Of An Achievement Made By We Newbies” – Kofi Jamar
See image below;
Before
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