New rules boosting rail passenger rights across the EU, including better support in case of delays and more assistance for people with a disability, came into effect in June 2023.
The update of rail passenger rights covers several key areas and applies to all EU countries and for all types of rail service. Find out what this means for you.
Better rights for people living with disabilities
All EU rail companies have to guarantee free assistance to people living with disabilities or reduced mobility. People with disabilities needing assistance should notify railway companies 24 hours before travelling instead of 48 hours. If they need someone to accompany them, that person can travel for free. Access must be guaranteed to assistance dogs accompanying passengers with reduced mobility.
Help in case of delays or cancellations
If there is a delay of more than 60 minutes, passengers can choose between a full reimbursement of the ticket cost, continuing their journey or re-routing under similar conditions, without additional costs. If necessary, operators must provide meals and refreshments and reimburse the cost of accommodation.
If after 100 minutes from the scheduled departure passengers are not informed about rerouting options, they can arrange travel by public transport themselves, for which they will be reimbursed.
More information
Rail companies have to provide travellers with more information about existing rules, for example by including detailed information on passengers’ rights on the tickets. They will also have to be more transparent about deadlines and procedures for complaints.
Bike-friendly trains
At the moment there is not enough spaces for bikes on trains. According to the rules, all new and refurbished trains will have to have dedicated storage areas for bicycles to encourage their use.
Background
The new rail rules, approved by Parliament in April 2021, have been in force since 7 June 2023. The rules on bicycles will come into effect on 7 June 2025.
MEPs have raised concerns about the abuse of spyware like Pegasus and called for action.
In June 2023, Parliament adopted recommendations for future action against the abuse of spyware. MEPs want EU rules allowing the use of spyware only when strict conditions are fulfilled, thorough investigations into suspected abuse and help for people who have been targeted. They also called for the creation of an EU Tech Lab to help uncover illicit surveillance and co-ordination with non-EU countries such as the US and Israel.
Sophie in ‘t Veld (Renew, Netherlands), who guided the report through the Parliament, explains more about the dangers of spyware in the video. You can read excerpts below.
What is Pegasus?
Pegasus is a brand of spyware. It completely takes over your phone. It has access to your messages. It can activate your camera, your microphone. It has access to your images, to your documents, to your apps: everything. There are also other brands of spyware.
What is the danger of Pegasus and other spyware?
It’s not just an attack on our privacy. It’s also an attack on democracy. Because we need journalists who can investigate and expose crime and wrongdoing. We need opposition politicians, we need critical NGOs, we need lawyers. We need people who can freely scrutinise power, hold power to account. It’s democratic control.
What happens if such people are spied on?
They can be blackmailed, they can be discredited, they can be harassed. There’s a chilling effect. People are not so outspoken anymore, they’re worried about who they meet, what kind of information they store on their devices.
Could the abuse of spyware affect the EU elections?
The abuse of spyware is definitely a threat to the integrity of elections. And it’s not just about politicians, because how can elections be fair if journalists are unable to scrutinise government and to report on what the government has done well and what it has done wrong?
What is Parliament doing about the abuse of spyware in the EU?
The role of parliamentary watchdog is one of the of the European Parliament’s important tasks. There’s a handful of governments abusing spyware. European laws have been violated and the European Commission has not acted. The European Parliament really has to put pressure on the Commission for it to do its job.
The European Parliament’s work against abuse of spyware
The recommendations were drafted by a committee investigating Pegasus and other spyware, set up by the Parliament following revelations that several EU governments used the Pegasus spyware software against journalists, politicians, officials and other public figures.
In its final report adopted in May, the inquiry committee raised concerns about the impact of spyware abuse on democracy, civil society and the media in several Ehttps://europeantimes.news/europe/U countries.
Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that originated in Valencia. It is a rice-based dish that can be made with different ingredients, such as seafood, meat, vegetables, or a combination of them. Paella is usually cooked in a large shallow pan over an open fire or a gas burner. The rice absorbs the flavours of the broth and the ingredients, creating a delicious and satisfying meal.
Will see how to make one, but, where does the word come from?
The word paella comes from the Catalan language, which is spoken in the Valencian Community, where this dish originated. It means “frying pan” and refers to the wide, shallow pan that is used to cook the rice and other ingredients over an open fire. The word paella is derived from the Old French word paelle, which in turn comes from the Latin word patella, meaning “small pan” or “platter”.
Some people claim that the word paella has a different origin, based on the Arabic language that was spoken by the Moors who ruled Spain for several centuries. They say that the word paella comes from the Arabic word baqaayya, meaning “leftovers”. According to this theory, the dish was created by the servants of the Moorish kings, who would take home the rice, chicken, and vegetables that their employers did not finish at the end of their meals.
However, this claim is not supported by historical evidence or linguistic analysis. The word baqaayya does not appear in any Arabic documents from Spain, and it does not match the phonetic evolution of Catalan words from Arabic. Moreover, the dish of paella was not documented until the 19th century, long after the Moors had left Spain. Therefore, most experts seem to agree that the word paella comes from the Latin word patella, through Old French and Catalan.
Here are some steps to prepare and cook a paella with more details
Choose your ingredients. There are many variations of paella, but some of the most common ones are paella de marisco (seafood paella), paella de carne (meat paella), and paella mixta (mixed paella). You can also customize your paella according to your preferences and the availability of ingredients.
Some of the essential ingredients are rice, broth, saffron, olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, and paprika. Other ingredients can include chicken, rabbit, pork, chorizo, shrimp, mussels, clams, squid, peas, green beans, artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, and lemon wedges. You will need about 4 cups of rice and 8 cups of broth for a large paella that serves 8 to 10 people.
Prepare your ingredients. Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on for presentation. Scrub and debeard the mussels and clams under cold running water. Discard any that are open or cracked. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. You can also marinate the meat or seafood with some lemon juice, garlic, and parsley for extra flavour. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This will remove some of the starch and prevent the rice from sticking together.
Heat the oil in a large paella pan over medium-high heat. A paella pan is a round metal pan with two handles and a slightly concave bottom that allows the heat to distribute evenly. If you don’t have a paella pan, you can use a large skillet or a roasting pan instead. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add the paprika and saffron and stir to coat the onion mixture. Saffron is a spice that gives paella its characteristic yellow colour and aroma. It is expensive but worth it for an authentic paella. You can also use turmeric as a substitute if you don’t have saffron. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and spices. Cook for a few minutes until the rice is slightly toasted.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir the rice during this time, as this will make it mushy. You can gently shake the pan from time to time to distribute the heat evenly. You can also adjust the heat as needed to make sure the rice is cooking at a steady pace.
What is a paella and how to prepare and cook one? 3
Arrange the meat or seafood on top of the rice in a single layer. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminium foil and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the meat or seafood is cooked through and the rice is tender. You can also add some water if the rice looks too dry.
Add the vegetables on top of the meat or seafood and cook for another 5 minutes, or until heated through.
Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavours to meld together and create a crusty layer of rice at the bottom of the pan called socarrat.
The explosion of ethnic violence in Darfur largely by nomadic “Arab” groups in alliance with the RSF who have been battling national army forces for control of the country since mid-April, has led tens of thousands to flee into neighbouring Chad.
In a statement,OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said interviews with people fleeing the decimated city of El-Geneina have revealed “horrifying accounts” of people being killed on foot by the RSF-supported militia.
“All those interviewed also spoke of seeing dead bodies scattered along the road – and the stench of decomposition”, she said. “Several people spoke off seeing dozens of bodies in an area referred to as Shukri, around 10km from the border, where one or more of the Arab militias reportedly has a base.”
She said immediate action to halt the killings was essential.
“The High Commissioner for Human Rights calls on the RSF leadership to immediately, unequivocally condemn and stop the killing of people fleeing El-Geneina, and other violence and hate speech against them on the basis of their ethnicity. Those responsible for the killings and other violence must be held accountable.”
Safe passage
She added that people fleeing El-Geneina must be guaranteed safe passage and humanitarian agencies allowed access to the area so they can collect the bodies of the dead.
“Out of 16 people we have so far been able to interview, 14 testified that they witnessed summary executions and the targeting of groups of civilians on the road between El-Geneina and the border – either the shooting at close range of people ordered to lie on the ground or the opening of fire into crowds.”
The civilian exodus from the city intensified following the killing of the state governor on 14 June just hours after he accused the RSF and militias of “genocide” – raising the spectre of the hundreds of thousands killed between 2003-2005 during a Government-orchestrated campaign of violence.
Ms. Shamdasani said the testimonies recounted killings that took place on 15 and 16 June, but also during the past week.
Deadly hate speech
“We understand the killings and other violence are continuing and being accompanied by persistent hate speech against the Masalit community, including calls to kill and expel them from Sudan.”
One 37-year-old told the UN that from his group of 30 people fleeing to the Chad border, only 17 made it across, the Spokesperson recounted.
“Some were killed after coming under fire from vehicles belonging to the RSF and ‘Arab’ militia near the Chad border, while others were summarily executed, he said. Those who survived had their phones and money looted from them by armed men shouting: ‘You are slaves, you are Nuba’”.
A 22-year-old woman gave similar accounts of killings. She told how one badly wounded young man had to be left on the ground: “We had to leave him because we had only one donkey with us”.
“El-Geneina has become uninhabitable”, said Ms. Shamdasani with essential infrastructure destroyed and movement of humanitarian aid to the city, blocked.
“We urge the immediate establishment of a humanitarian corridor between Chad and El-Geneina, and safe passage for civilians out of areas affected by the hostilities.”
PRESS RELEASE – Mombasa / AIDO Network International, with its head office in London and chapters in Europe, Africa, and the Americas held its 5th International Convention in Mombasa, Kenya. Human rights issues were at the top of the agenda. Culminating in the historic Declaration of Mombasa on Human Rights, the conference raised important issues in the context of traditional African culture and how the continent can grow.
The Declaration was signed by African traditional leaders, government officials and civil society representatives from around the world and affirms their commitment to work together for equality, justice and respect for the human rights of African people.
The Convention was organized in collaboration with the African Indigenous Governance Council (AIGC) and the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC).
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The Declaration calls for the full enjoyment and full complement of human rights by African peoples everywhere and calls for African governments, Traditional and Cultural Leaders, to give full support and consistent advocacy for reparatory justice for Africans in the diaspora and on the continent bearing in mind the 400 years of illegal trafficking in the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved Africans and the disruption of social, political and economic structures in Africa; and colonialism, in keeping with the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice.
The high-level gathering further resolved:
“to build a united global Africa that is committed to the development and advancement of African people everywhere; our intention to facilitate the return and reunification of Africans in the diaspora with their roots, by advancing a progressive reconnection agenda with emphasis on spirituality, cultural education and exchange, business and investment; and our unequivocal support for reparatory justice for Africans in the Diaspora and in Africa for the crimes against humanity and denial of their human rights.”
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The Convention which focused on “Culture, Ubuntu and Human Rights,” featured a business forum and business roundtable discussion; a human rights summit with panel presentations on human rights and reparatory justice, a cultural panel along with many displays of African song, dance and costume, all facilitating a dialogue between African royals and attendees from around the world.
His Royal Highness Paul Jones Eganda, Global President of AIDO Network International, in his opening address recognized that “the promotion and protection of human rights require not only national efforts but also international cooperation. We understand that no single nation or entity can fulfill this vital task alone.”
He further emphasized that “it is by joining forces, sharing knowledge, and fostering a dialogue that we can address the challenges faced by humanity and ensure that human rights are realized in every corner of the world.” He concluded by encouraging those in attendance to ensure that the Convention serves as a milestone in our collective journey towards a world where human rights are not just lofty ideals but lived realities.
Princess Ulrike Pohlman Acom, Chairperson of AIDO’s Advisory Board, welcomed the delegates to the Convention and thanked the AIDO Kenya Chapter – headed by Ms. Ann Hamburger and supported by the Hon Millicent Odhiambo – for their hard work on the arrangements and programme of the Convention which was to “create a better world with all the different recourses every individual has, in the spirit of UBUNTU.”
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Hilary Brown, Programme Manager of Culture and Community Development, CARICOM Secretariat, representing Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission.
She highlighted the brutality of chattel slavery in the Americas, the negation of the human rights of Africans, the ideology of racism and the debt that “has not yet been paid for systemic exploitation, extraction of wealth, pain, suffering and psychological harm, leading to persistent poverty in the Caribbean and in Africa up until today,” as the basis for the establishment of the CARICOM Reparations Commission in 2013 and its consistent call for reparatory justice from Europe. She also highlighted the critical role that African traditional leaders should play in fostering a united global Africa and called upon the influential gathering to speak with one voice to advance Africa’s development.
AIDO network issues declaration of Mombasa on Human Rights 14
MombasaKey Panel Discussions
The Business Panel chaired by Prince Bimbo Roberts Folayan, Advisory Board member and head of AIDO Business explored the theme: ‘Promoting Business and Investment Opportunities within Africa and her Diaspora’. The panellists held a lively discussion and concluded the need to develop more ways to improve intra-Africa – Diaspora trade collaboration and how AIDO would work with other organizations towards this end.
The Human Rights Panel was chaired by Mr Martin Weightman, Human Rights and Interfaith Advisor for AIDO and addressed the specific issue of Women and Children’s rights. The panellists discussed how traditional roles could enhance these rights whilst also taking a critical look at practices that should be discarded such as female genital mutilation.
This discussion formed the basis for an ongoing programme and action plan that will be developed to also include other relevant areas such as modern-day slavery. A number of new groups were also formed as part of the Youth for Human Rights education campaign that was highlighted during the Congress.
The Culture Panel chaired by Ambassador Filda Lolem explored AIDOs charity work in different countries and highlighted how culture can be used as a tool that crosses into so many social areas and should be used to facilitate and promote coexistence, the implementation of human rights education and action, businesses and tourism. The entire Congress was punctuated by vivid and colourful presentations from different areas of Kenya.
The Convention also received a message of solidarity from the African Union, sent by H.E. Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, AU’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, which was read by His Majesty Dr. Robinson Tanyi, King of the Tinto Mbuo region, Cameroon and President of AIGC.
Among the officials who also welcomed the delegates to the Convention were His Royal Highness Paul Sande Emolot Papa Emorimor III, King of Ateker Iteso, East Africa; His Majesty Nabongo Peter Mumia II, King of Wanga Kingdom, Kenya; the Hon. Onyiego Silvanus Osoro MP and Majority Chief Whip; Ms Anne Mwita, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr Mahmood Noor, representing H.E Abdulswamad Shariff Nasssir, Governor of Mombasa.
In conclusion, the Convention has laid the groundwork for AIDO’s activities to be taken to a new level of cooperation and development in the coming year.
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21 June 2023, Geneva, Switzerland: Opening prayer is observed at the Ecumenical Centre Chapel, as the World Council of Churches central committee gathers in Geneva on 21-27 June 2023, for its first full meeting following the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe in 2022.
By Martin Hoegger, Lausanne, Switzerland
Geneva, June 21, 2023. In his sermon, during the opening celebration of the central committee of the World Council of Churches, Patriarch Bartholomew (Orthodox Church, Constantinople) did not go easy on it. He criticized ” the Church’s alignment with the aggressor state led by Patriarch Cyril.” He sees in this position “a sharp and grievous reality (which) has already caused generational harm to the future of Orthodox Christianity in the Slavic Lands”. He prays for “an end to the needless and heedless politicization of the Church in Russia. We cannot, and we must not allow the weaponization of our Christian faith to become the norm”.
Immediately after worship, Lutheran Bishop H. Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the central committee, puts on gloves. For him, if the WCC cannot remain silent on injustice and has condemned the war in Ukraine from the start, it has above all a vocation of reconciliation. “If we as churches are not even able to build bridges in conflicts where both sides consider themselves Christian, who else? If we did not even try, if we just duplicated the hostile activities of the parties fighting against each other, what would we as churches be good for? We would betray our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the Letter to the Ephesians says: “Christ is our peace” (Eph. 2:14)!” Indeed, from the very beginning, 75 years ago, the WCC has been on this path, he said in his address to the central committee.
That is why, led by its general secretary Jerry Pillay, a WCC delegation visited the Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia to see how these churches could contribute to the restoration of peace. He invited them to a round table to be held in Geneva this year. Invitation which the Churches have accepted.
Fernando Enns, delegate of the Mennonite Church to the central committee supports this approach. He believes that the vocation of the Church is to heal broken relationships. “We must invite around the table the other Churches of the two countries, NOT ONLY the Orthodox. Also, women, not just men because they are much more concerned with relationships”, he said.
Calling all churches to constant prayer for peace
J. Pillay emphasizes “the role and responsibility of Christians in relation to armed conflict and threats of armed force, the biblical call to be peacemakers, and concerns about the misuse of religious language and of religious authority to justify or support armed violence and invasion”.
Above all, the Secretary General calls on the Churches of the whole world to pray for God’s intervention in this dramatic situation, because Christians cannot content themselves with a political analysis. They must open the Scriptures where Jesus calls us to peace. “Praying together constantly reminds us that we are called by God to fulfil his mission in the world. Prayer allows us to feel permanently centred, focused, and encouraged …It gives us the wisdom, the energy, and the inspiration to make a difference”.
Prayer is also essential to support the proposal to invite Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox around a table. This raised some questions in the assembly. Is it realistic, too optimistic? Currently no change of attitude is observed on the part of the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church. How to put them around a table in a context of hot war? Especially since the Russian delegation to the central committee felt insulted by the words of Patriarch Bartholomew.
Bedford-Strohm is convinced of this: we must try to organize this round table. No one knows the outcome of the dialogue, but it is certain that this effort will not be in vain. This is why prayer is essential. “At the WCC assembly in Karlsruhe we prayed and that unblocked the situation. Prayer brings us back to our primary loyalty which is Christ. When we realize this is not the case, for example when primary loyalty is to a government, we need to call out to each other. Jesus Christ is our basis and nothing else”.
For J. Pillay, one should not speak of optimism, but of faith. In Karlsruhe, the WCC declared this war immoral, illegal, and unjustifiable. But that does not mean that we should remain inactive. Little has been done to find a solution to this very complex conflict. “It shows the need for churches to engage. But our basis must be the Gospel and Christ’s call to peace”.
Picture: Opening prayer in the Chapel of the Ecumenical Center in Geneva / WCC-Hillert
Many new materials are constantly being developed and researched, and the results suggest enormous potential for innovative technological advances
Official opening of Webit Summer Edition 2023, on June 28, at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia (Bulgaria) is an exciting opportunity for leaders, experts and all those interested in new materials and trends in their use to meet and exchange ideas.
Many new materials are constantly being developed and researched, and the results suggest a huge potential for innovative technological advances in various fields such as energy, electronics, biomedicine, construction, agriculture, etc. Some of these new materials that are gaining attention recently are:
Graphene is an ultra-light material made of a single layer of carbon atoms; it has significant electrical conductivity, extremely low resistance, and tens of times the strength of steel with potential applications in electronics, military, and more.
Aerogels are extremely light and porous materials with low density, low thermal conductivity and excellent thermal insulation properties with potential applications in construction, environmental protection, etc.
Shape-memory alloys are materials that can “remember” their original shape and return to it when heated; they have high strength, low magnetic loss, and excellent flowability with potential applications in aerospace, electronics, and more.
Nanocellulose is a light, strong and sustainable material produced from plant fibers; has good biocompatibility, water-holding capacity, and a wide range of pH stability with potential applications in construction materials, biomedicine, etc.
Bioplastics are plastics produced from renewable sources of biomass, such as corn starch, sugar cane or potato starch; they are naturally degradable and reduce dependence on fossil resources, i.e. less environmental pollution with potential applications in packaging, agriculture, etc.
During the last edition of Webit Founders Games in January 2023, ELEPHANT IN A BOX, an innovative materials company from the United States, was among the finalists of the competition. The company’s mission is to revolutionize the furniture and construction industry. Founded in 2020 by Daniela Terminel and Reham Khalifa, the lady-led startup takes honeycomb structures from airplanes and racing cars to sofas and sectionals by developing and patenting HoneyComb Support Technology (HoST). The products are made of paper, the material is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. They take up minimal space during transport and storage when compressed. The production process involves significantly fewer components, making it simpler and faster. From the customer’s point of view, the products are stronger, easier to move and also kinder to the environment.
At the beginning of summer and the tourist season, social media users will struggle to answer the eternal question: If you haven’t posted anything about your vacation, have you really gone?
The answer is, of course: Yes, you were, you probably had a better time because you didn’t “stick it” all over Instagram.
While it may be hard for some to resist work emails and updating social media while on vacation, the island of Ulko-Tammio in Finland is urging visitors to ignore their phones and enjoy nature, reports CNN.
Claiming to be the world’s first phone-free tourist island, Ulko-Tammio is located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland, a national park in the Scandinavian country that has been named the “happiest country in the world” for six consecutive years and, somewhat ironically , is home to Nokia, the brand behind the world’s best-selling smartphone of all time.
“The island of Ulko-Tammio, which is off the coast of Hamina, will be a phone-free zone this summer,” says Mats Selin, island tourism expert at Visit Kotka-Hamina.
“We want to encourage holidaymakers to turn off their smart devices, stop and really enjoy the islands.”
One of Finland’s 41 national parks, Ulko-Tammio is uninhabited by humans, but is home to many rare birds and plants that visitors can see while walking along the eco-trails or from the island’s bird tower.
Participation in the digital detox for Ulko-Tammio tourists is voluntary, and since the island is covered by a functioning mobile network, the temptation will be constant.
However, officials at Parks & Wildlife Finland, the company that manages the island, hope the campaign will lead to tourists going off the grid and engaging with the flora, fauna and other visitors.
“Turning off the phone, exploring nature and meeting people face-to-face will definitely improve your mood and well-being,” says Sari Castren, a psychologist and head of research at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. “We spend countless hours on social media, so taking a short break from it means you have more time for new experiences.”
Visitors can spend their phone-free nights on the island in tents or in a lodge maintained by Parks & Wildlife Finland.
Islands like Ulko-Tammio in the eastern Gulf of Finland are usually reached by private boat, suburban ferry or water taxi – just don’t tell anyone you’re using your smartphone to book them.
In 1844, a young merchant from Shiraz, Seyyed Ali Mohammad, after having a vision, proclaimed himself the Báb, someone charged by God to prepare the way for the one to come. To use a simile related to Christianity, it would be like John the Baptist was for Jesus Christ. The followers of Ali Mohammad, the Báb, defined themselves as Baháís.
Very soon the Báb bestowed the title of Bahá’u’lláh, which in Persian means the Glory of God, on one of his first followers, Mirza Husayn-‘Alí, a nobleman, and he soon gained his claim to be the messenger of God. impulse. However, in Persia, as Iran was known until 1935, and both names coexist today, any manifestation that did not agree with the state religion was considered heretical and therefore punishable by death.
The Báb was shot in Tabriz on 9 July 1950, just six years after proclaiming the religion and four years of imprisonment. Bahá’u’lláh Himself, because of His influence, was condemned to exile by the Persians and also by the entire Ottoman Empire, to which He belonged. From country to country, finally exiled, he ended up in the penal colony of Acre (present-day Israel), where, after 40 years of pilgrimage, he died on 29 May 1892. His tomb on the outskirts of the city is venerated today, and his followers pray at his grave from all over the world.
From the beginning, Baha’is have been systematically tortured, convicted and executed in the state of Iran, and this has not changed to this day.
Today, thanks to the expansion promoted by many of his followers, and especially by his son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who, until his death in Haifa on November 28, 1921, founded Bahá’í faith groups in Canada, the United States In the United States and Europe, there are more than ten million members, established in 247 countries, from more than 2,000 different ethnic, tribal and racial groups, although its strongest point of support is undoubtedly in India.
10 Bahai women murdered in Iran for their religious beliefs
However, in Iran (Persia) this did not save 10 young Baháí girls from being executed by the execrable regime of the ayatollahs on 18 June 1983. These young women remain today the symbol of all those who demonstrate every day in that territory. They are one of the largest on the planet, demanding some of the most basic human rights necessary for a life of peace and freedom.
In the early hours of 18 July 1983, night gave way to a faint light that illuminated the slow walk of 10 young women who during the previous days had been harassed and tortured by those who watched over morality in a totalitarian regime that does not understand reason and which, although applied with the greatest harshness, is increasingly being challenged.
Taheren Arjomandi Siyavushi, Simin Saberi, Nosrat Ghufrani Yaldaie, Ezzat-Janami Eshraghi, Roya Eshraghi, Mona Mahmoudnejad, Shahin (Shirin) Dalvand, Akhtar Sabet, Zarrin Moghimi-Abyaneh and Mahshid Niroumand, had been held in one of the most infamous places in Shiraz, the Revolutionary Guard Penitentiary Center, since the end of 1982. There they were interrogated so harshly to make them denounce their fellow believers that when they reached the gallows where they were to be executed, even though they held their heads high, they were is no longer strong enough. His only two crimes: being a Bahá’í and defending equal education for women in a country where women have fewer rights than dogs.
Days before, some of their parents or brothers had also been killed, suspected of the same practices, but that day, each and every one of them had to witness their sisters being hanged in the cult. Not even the youngest, Mona, just 17 years old, relented, even kissing the hands of the hangman who put the noose around her neck.
Forty years later, they are the symbols of the explosions that are taking place in Iran. Added to them every day are the corpses of those executed, whether they are lawyers, journalists, women or simply people who have tried to demonstrate for a “slightly fairer” society.
Women in Iran are second-class citizens, and not just in Iran; Their rights, permanently violated, are not the subject of debate as they are in the West, where the gender gap is clear, but where, in a permanent democratic context, dialogue between social layers makes it less and less visible. But in Iran this will never happen. Simply because there are some 24 laws designed specifically to oppress women. Women in Iran can be raped, beaten and even mutilated if caught breaking any of the rules. And if they belong to a different religion, such as the Baha’is, they are likely to face the death penalty.
In recent months, the Iranian regime has taken to the streets with all its artillery of totalitarian repression, more than 20,000 people have been arrested and at least a hundred have been officially assassinated, although there could be many more if other sources are consulted.
While in the West we seek gender confrontation as a populist issue, the real struggle is taking place in other societies where we don’t usually look and forget. I hope that the memory of Mona and those Bahá’í women will help us to rethink gender discourse and focus it exactly where it belongs, in the achievement of the most basic human rights for all women in the world who live subject to the arbitrariness of totalitarian laws and, above all, the interests of their “masters”.
“The tendency of family courts to dismiss the history of domestic violence and abuse in custody cases, especially where mothers and/or children have brought forward credible allegations of domestic abuse, including coercive control, physical or sexual abuse is unacceptable,” said Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, in a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday.
A history of intimate partner violence against women was often neglected in family courts and shared custody or parental authority, treated as the default ruling, regardless of the child’s perspective.
“When custody decisions are made in favour of the parent who claims to be alienated without sufficiently considering the views of the child, the resilience of the concerned child may be undermined.
“The child may also continue to be exposed to lasting harm,” Ms. Alsalem said. She also called out the failure of child custody processes to use child sensitive approaches that focus on the best interest of children.
The report underscores that minority women face additional barriers when being accused of using “parental alienation” in part due to increased barriers in accessing justice as well as negative stereotypes.
Parental alienation is defined as the situation when a child refuses to have a relationship with one parent, as a result of manipulation or falsehoods spread by the other parent.
In some family court systems, for example in state judicial systems in the US, some mental health professionals contend that parental alienation is a form of emotional child abuse.
The independent expert’s report, argues that the use of the unfounded and unscientific concept, is highly gendered.
While it is invoked against both fathers and mothers, it is predominantly used against mothers, the report states, with the woman being accused of turning children against the father.
The consequences of biased custody decisions can be detrimental and irreversible to those concerned leading to a continuum of violence before and after separation, the expert said.
‘Pseudo concepts’
Despite these grave consequences “parental alienation” and related pseudo concepts are embedded and endorsed in legal systems across different jurisdictions, including amongst evaluators tasked with reporting to family courts on the best interest of the child.
Ms. Alsalem’s report also provides recommendations for States and other stakeholders to reverse the long-lasting harm done to individuals, families and societies.
She said the international community needed to develop a greater “collective conscience” when considering the human rights dimension of multi-layered violence that many mothers and children experience when using family court systems.
“The protection of women and children from violence, a victim-centered approach, and the best interests of the child, must take precedence over all other criteria when establishing arrangements for custody and visitation rights,” she said.
Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed rights experts, work on a voluntary and unpaid basis, are not UN staff, and work independently from any government or organisation.
