Allegations of responsibility point to both armed groups and State actors.
“While armed groups are presumed responsible for the vast majority of incidents and victims and should be held accountable, I am also deeply disturbed that security and defence forces and their auxiliaries, the Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie, allegedly carried out wanton killings, including summary executions,” Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in statement.
The reported killings were among the alleged violations and abuses affecting at least 2,732 individuals in the West African country between November 2023 and April 2024.
That figure was a sharp spike of 71 per cent compared to the previous six months.
According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, armed groups, such as Jamāʿat nuṣrat al-islām wal-muslimīn, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and other similar organizations, have stepped up their attacks against civilians, including internally displaced people.
State forces are also alleged to be behind the violence.
In one particularly abhorrent incident, over 220 civilians, including 56 children, were reportedly killed in attacks allegedly carried out by the military in two villages in the north on a single day in late February.
Burkina Faso has been under military rule since early 2022 amid an insurgency by extremist militants which triggered a series of coups and counter coups. Capt. Ibrahim Traoré was named transitional president in September 2022, and the transitional government has continued to battle insurgents and further reported counter-coup attempts.
Amidst the highly volatile situation, more than six million Burkinabè, out of a total population of 20 million, have been left dependent on humanitarian assistance.
Respect international law
“I fully appreciate the complex security threats that Burkina Faso is facing. A response to these threats will only succeed if international law is fully respected throughout. I therefore reiterate my call to the authorities in Burkina Faso to take all possible measures to ensure the protection of civilians,” High Commissioner Türk said.
He urged the Government to support a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into all allegations of violations and abuses of international law, and to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice through legal due process.
“There must be justice and accountability if the authorities are to reassure the population, restore social cohesion and rebuild trust between civilians and the security forces,” Mr. Türk added.
The High Commissioner had raised his concerns on the situation in Burkina Faso with Government officials, including President Traoré, during a visit to the country in March.
Sustainability and reuse are important parts of our renewable energy strategy, with great potential for innovation and improvement. The industry lacks extensive experience decommissioning and recycling large-scale floating offshore wind farms.
While there has been progress in the reuse and recycling of wind turbine blades, there is still a gap in addressing the reuse and recycling of floating offshore wind substructures.
Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm 172MW wind farm 7 km off the Clacton-on-Sea and Holland Essex coast in the Northern Thames Estuary. Image credit: Ashley Dace via geograph.org.uk, CC BY-SA 2.0
Overview
The Seeker needs innovative solutions to manage the end-of-life phase of floating offshore wind substructures – steel and concrete. Early focus on reuse, afterlife, circularity, and recycling is important to adjust and optimize design. A scheduled Q&A session will present one example case for all challenge applicants.
The Seeker invites you to contribute your expertise and innovative ideas to help us address this challenge and advance the sustainability of the offshore wind industry.
About the Seeker
Equinor has a long history in the energy sector, with 50 years of experience in oil and gas and over 20 years in offshore wind. This unique combination of expertise makes Equinor a leader in developing and operating offshore wind projects. Our floating wind projects include the Hywind demo, Hywind Scotland, and the latest, Hywind Tampen. Hywind Tampen, the world’s largest floating wind farm, supplies power to oil and gas installations, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 200,000 tons annually.
Equinor aims to be the leading industrial offshore wind player in Norway, and we expect floating wind to play a central role in the sector’s development. Floating wind is ready for industrialisation, and we see huge potential in Norway.
Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 14:00 EDT, 26 Aug 2024.
Those who read me know that I am not gentle with the Netanyahu government and that I defend the idea of two states (Israel and Palestine) in the Middle East. I did not wait for the Israeli response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks to do so. However, in the face of the current wave of protests and criticism, I can’t help but wonder: where were all these demonstrators and politicians before this last war? Why have we never heard them talk about two states? Why have they never gone to Gaza or Ramallah? The answer is simple: they didn’t care about the Palestinians.
Silence on Assad’s crimes and intra-Palestinian conflicts
When Assad massacred thousands of Palestinians, they turned a blind eye. The world remained silent in the face of the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime against Palestinian refugees. When the two Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, slaughtered each other in a fratricidal struggle, these same critics plugged their ears. This complicit silence reveals an alarming indifference to the real suffering of the Palestinians.
Selective outrage: Israel as a scapegoat
When Israel attacks, they all take to the streets, brandishing signs and chanting slogans. But when the Russians, Assad, or others kill Palestinians, they remain silent like cowards. This selective outrage demonstrates an obvious double standard, where criticism of Israel becomes a facade for an ideology or political agenda, rather than a real compassion for the Palestinians.
Student protests and the complexity of slogans
Young students protest for Palestine, which is their right. However, before protesting, they must understand certain slogans. They shout “Two States” but, at the same time, call for the destruction of Israel with the slogan “From the river to the sea.” This glaring contradiction reveals either a misunderstanding or a manipulation of political and historical realities.
LGBT movements and ignorance of realities in Gaza
LGBT movements are in the streets to defend Palestinians. However, it is crucial that they know that homosexuals are murdered in Gaza, and many of them have sought political asylum in Israel. This ignorance of the real living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza once again shows a deep indifference disguised as solidarity.
The silence of feminist movements
It is also troubling to note the silence of feminist movements in the face of the rapes of Israeli women. When Israeli women are victims of sexual violence, these movements, so quick to denounce injustices elsewhere, remain strangely silent. This lack of support reveals yet another disturbing double standard. Women’s rights should not be selective; they should be defended universally, regardless of the nationality or origin of the victims.
The demonization of Israel in French media
Yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister was interviewed by a French television channel. A mob was in the streets to scream scandal. How could a television channel give a “criminal” a voice? Where were all these people when Assad or Putin were on television ? The answer is simple: they were silent like cowards. This media double standard fuels a biased and unfair perception of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
General ignorance about Zionism
I amused myself by asking internet users who vomited on Zionists what Zionism was. Not one could give a correct answer. This widespread ignorance demonstrates a manipulation of public opinion and the use of complex terms without understanding their real meaning.
LFI and political opportunism
La France Insoumise , an extrem left French political party(LFI), a political party in decline, hopes to gain some community votes by surfing the anti-Israeli wave. Too bad for them, but it doesn’t work, because the majority of people in France understand that everything is not black and white. This political opportunism once again shows how the Palestinian cause is exploited for electoral purposes.
The crucial question: what Palestinian State?
If I had to debate with Mélenchon or his lieutenants, I would only have one question for them: they want a Palestinian state, which is good, but a large majority of Israelis have been asking for it for years. The question is, what Palestinian state? Because if they really knew the situation, they would have understood that the inhabitants of the Ramallah region do not want to live with the inhabitants of Gaza, that a civil war exists among the Palestinians. So, which Palestine do they want? The one of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority? And above all, how to achieve this state?
Rima Hassen: complicit silence
I won’t talk about Rima Hassen, who is a prop for Mélenchon and who is the most cowardly of all. When Assad murdered Palestinians, she remained very silent. The only question would be: why this silence? This attitude reveals once again the hypocrisy and manipulation of those who claim to defend the Palestinians.
Is Israel criticized so much Because it is a Jewish State?
Finally, it is legitimate to wonder if it is not because Israel is a Jewish state that it is so criticized. This question, although delicate, cannot be ignored. Anti-Semitism, deeply rooted in history, could well play a role in the virulence and selectivity of the criticism directed at Israel. Why is Israel so often demonized in contexts where other nations guilty of human rights violations go unnoticed? This bias reveals a worrying partiality that needs to be examined and questioned. It is essential to ensure that criticisms are based on facts and principles of universal justice, not on hidden prejudices or discriminations.
In conclusion
This article does not aim to unconditionally defend Israel, but to expose the hypocrisy of certain critics who use the Palestinian cause as a political tool without really caring about the well-being of the Palestinians. The path to peace requires recognizing these double standards and sincerely committing to a two-state solution. Criticism must be fair and based on facts, not slogans or hidden agendas. It is imperative that human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, and minority rights advocates adopt a consistent and honest approach, without selecting their causes based on their political biases.
In Pakistan the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a minority group has long been facing discrimination, violence and rights violations. The inaugural annual report from the International Human Rights Desk (IHRD) founded by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Community in November 2023 has highlighted the escalating persecution endured by Ahmadis in Pakistan and globally. This piece reviews the IHRDs findings from its Annual Report 2023 focusing on uncovering discrimination against Ahmadis and stressing the need for actions to address human rights abuses targeting the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan.
Key Findings from the 2023 Annual Report
The report by IHRD exposes trends in Ahmadis persecution in Pakistan throughout 2023. Incidents of desecration of Ahmadiyya places of worship have notably increased, with features like minarets and niches becoming points of contention. Despite commitments and international obligations concerning freedom of religion and belief Pakistani authorities have consistently fallen short in safeguarding Ahmadis rights.
Additionally the report sheds light on human rights violations suffered by Ahmadis during Eid ul Adha, including assaults false accusations leveled against them. Attacks, on their places of worship.Extremist groups, such, as Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) have made life harder for the community by barring Ahmadis from participating in their practices and creating an environment of fear and discrimination. The IHRD report underscores the rooted discrimination faced by Ahmadis in Pakistan. Laws like the Second Amendment to Pakistans Constitution and Ordinance XX specifically target Ahmadis severely restricting their freedom of religion and belief. The report urges for the repeal of these laws and the implementation of legislation to protect the rights of Ahmadis.
Ahmadis often find themselves arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned because of their beliefs. The anti-Ahmadi laws are frequently misused to oppress community members without reasons. Unjust denials of bail and harsh prison sentences handed down by the judiciary only add to their persecution. In 2023 133 Ahmadis were unfairly targeted, highlighting the need for reforms.
Moreover discrimination against Ahmadis persists in sectors like education, employment and business as detailed in the report. Ahmadi students have been expelled, assaulted, harassed, given exam questions and excluded from activities that violate their rights. Ahmadi professionals working in government roles face threats, intimidation and forced transfers due, to their beliefs. Additionally businesses owned by Ahmadis have been boycotted, attacked and socially isolated by groups.
Despite facing criticism and disapproval the Pakistani government has largely overlooked pleas for action. The absence of dialogue and political initiatives has hindered progress in addressing discrimination against Ahmadis. The report underscores the necessity for leadership of effecting change to protect the rights of Ahmadis and promote a more inclusive and tolerant society.
The 2023 Annual Report from the International Human Rights Desk sheds light on the hurdles encountered by the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan unveiling a recurring pattern of persecution. It highlights instances of discrimination legal obstacles and widespread human rights abuses faced by Ahmadis across aspects of their lives. The communitys concerns and calls for action underscore the need to tackle this issue.
Efforts to address the persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan collaboration among stakeholders and engagement, from the community.
The government of Pakistan must demonstrate a commitment, to upholding human rights principles by engaging in discussions and implementing measures to abolish discriminatory laws and protect the rights of Ahmadis. The global community should continue to exert pressure on Pakistan to fulfill its responsibilities under human rights agreements and hold them accountable for any failures in safeguarding the Ahmadiyya Community.
The findings from the IHRD report serve as a reminder of the actions needed to address human rights abuses against Ahmadis in Pakistan. It is essential that the recommendations and insights outlined in this report are taken seriously leading to actions that guarantee the safety and welfare of the Ahmadiyya Community within Pakistan and, beyond.
As we approach the European Elections in June, Parliament’s press services will be publishing a weekly newsletter, highlighting the main election-related news of the week so that you do not miss anything or need a reminder of what information is available and where to find it. The newsletter will be published each Friday until 7 June.
Election days
Next week between 6 and 9 June 2024 more than 370 million European citizens are eligible to vote in the 27 Member States to elect 720 members of the European Parliament. The results will be available in real time on the European elections results website.
Practical details for media can be found here. For live coverage of election days and night, click here.
Campaigning on the ground
With the European elections right around the corner, initiatives are multiplying to inform citizens about the importance of voting. Below, a snapshot of the many actions taken across the EU.
The European Parliament’s liaison office in Greece and the municipality of Athens jointly organised a bingo for volunteers and senior citizens on 28 May. Participants had the opportunity to test their EU knowledge and the chance to win collectible gifts.
The European Parliament’s office in Slovenia worked with hosts of the RTVSLO Saturday late-night show Tilen Artač and Robert Petan on three music videos promoting the European elections. Listen here to their first song “European Elections. Come, be there”.
Volunteers from the eu community have launched an EU-wide mobile app called Palumba to help voters identify the political options that best fit their preferences at the elections.
Bulgarian choir “the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices” together with the Institute for the Development of Public Environment and the Convo Foundation have filmed several videos on low turnout. One third of singers start singing – the full choir joins in later to highlight the difference participation can make. See the video about Sofia
Multipliers
The European Parliament welcomes initiatives by private companies promoting the importance of voting in the upcoming elections. Below a few examples:
Spotify launched a “Play Your Part, Europe!” playlist on 21 May to encourage people to vote in the European elections and will be sending in-app notifications to users leading to the European Parliament’s election webpages on 6-9 June.
Oatly is encouraging business leaders in Europe to join them in mobilising their employees, communities and customers to vote in the upcoming election. With banners on buildings across Europe and the organisation of film screenings in Stockholm, Amsterdam and Helsinki, they are sharing their message: ‘VOAT! for the planet
Coca-Cola Europelaunched a communication action ”Options exist. The choice is yours. 6-9 June 2024” on social media and using tailored external amplification in some countries to encourage people to vote in the upcoming European elections.
Apple is featuring a rolling storyin all EU-27 App Store storefronts, reaching millions of users. Apple is also spotlighting official EU apps like the European Parliament’s “Citizens’ App”, as well as news apps and ride hailing apps so voters can easily get to the polling stations.
Private companies are also making efforts to counter disinformation in the run-up to the European elections. Snapchat recently committed to act – as did Meta, Google, and TikTok.
Good to know
Did you know that Estonia is the only EU country where voting online is possible for the European elections? For more facts about the upcoming European elections, click here.
In a #UseYourVote campaign video, recent Sakharov Prize laureates and their teams share messages with EU citizens ahead of the 6 – 9 June European elections.
“We are losing freedom in the world. Use your vote to defend democracy, use your voice for those who cannot”, said Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Laureate and Chair of the Center for Civil Liberties, an NGO recording war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel peace prize.
“Dear fellow citizens of Europe, in Europe you have a precious gift: the power to elect your leaders and shape your future”, underlines Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, one of the 2020 Sakharov Prize laureates.
“Democracy is a system that is difficult to build, yet also very easy to lose”, adds Lorent Saleh, former political prisoner, 2017 Sakharov Prize Laureate representing the democratic opposition in Venezuela.
The video also features Leonid Volkov, former Chief of staff of Alexei Navalny, 2021 Sakharov Prize laureate, who died in prison in Russia on 16 February 2024, and was one of the strongest oppositional voices to Vladimir Putin; members of the Sakharov Fellowship network, like the fashion designer Louise Xin (Sweden) also share their message with EU citizens.
Background
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work. It recognises individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought. Through the prize and its associated network, the EU assists laureates, who are supported and empowered in their efforts to defend their causes.
The experts highlighted recent incidents targeting the Persian language news service Iran International, its journalists and staff, and its owner Volant Media UK Limited. Death threats and intimidation against the staff escalated into the violent stabbing of journalist Pouria Zeraati outside his home in London on 29 March.
Since 2017, Iran International has faced ongoing threats and harassment from Iranian authorities and their proxies, which intensified following the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran. Persian media abroad were falsely accused of inciting unrest, exacerbating the abuse.
“Such attacks not only violate the human rights to life and personal security but are also aimed at suppressing freedom of expression and the media, including legitimate criticism of the Iranian Government,” they said.
According to the experts, there have been at least 15 credible Iranian plots to kill or kidnap individuals in the United Kingdom since 2022.
British counter-terrorism police warned two Iran International personnel, including Volant’s General Manager Mahmoud Enayat, of “imminent threats to their lives” in November 2022, prompting them to flee the UK.
Additionally, a plot to kill two television presenters, including Fardad Farahzad, was thwarted in November 2023.
Chilling effect on the press
The experts warned that these attacks and threats could have a chilling effect on journalists both inside and outside Iran.
They cited a September 2023 incident in New York where Iran International journalist Kian Amani was assaulted by a member of Iran’s delegation to the United Nations.
Iran imposed travel and financial sanctions on Volant Media and Iran International in 2022 for supposedly supporting terrorism and, in 2019, froze the assets of the owners and their family members in Iran.
“We deplore the blatant misuse of counter-terrorism law against journalists, which violates freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, the right to travel, privacy, family rights, the right to reputation and due process and judicial safeguards,” the experts said.
Pattern of attacks
The experts noted that the incidents against Iran International were part of a pattern of threats and attacks against Persian language media and dissidents outside Iran, including journalists working for BBC News Persian, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, IranWire and Radio Farda.
“We urge Iran to refrain from violence, threats and intimidation against Iran International and its staff, online and offline, and other journalists and media workers reporting on Iran from abroad, and to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such acts,” they said.
Appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteurs are mandated to monitor and report on specific human rights sectors and country situation. They are not UN staff and do not draw a salary for their work.
From time to time one has breakfast with some international news published by journalistic media of all kinds, of those that catch one’s attention. In some cases I usually read them and put them aside, and in others they simply become part of my archive of forgotten papers, a sort of newspaper pages forgotten in boxes, which from time to time pass to a better life. They collect dust, take up space and with the passing of the years they raise some comments among the people around you: …surely if a psychologist saw your work room, he would not hesitate to diagnose you with Diogenes Syndrome, I have even heard that from friends and family. Surely this Diogenes kept so many things that he got out of control. This is not my case.
Of course, from time to time, in my personal search for more space, I attack those boxes, press containers and many of them, after a discreet review, go to occupy the place that history gives them in the paper container. However, on other occasions some already forgotten headline comes back to remind me again why I kept it. In this case the headline to a column in the newspaper El País of August 13, 2014 (10 years ago) The WHO (World Health Organization) admits the use of experimental drugs. Shielding themselves behind the approval of an ethical committee belonging to the same organization (Juan Palomo, yo me lo guiso, yo me lo como – typical Spanish saying, meaning that one does everything without permisions of anybodyelse) they approved at that time the use of experimental treatments on the victims of an Ebola outbreak that was occurring at that time in West Africa, without having proven their efficacy at all. To justify this treatment, the then WHO Deputy Director of Health Systems argued that other previous treatments were not working and that therefore … it is not only ethical, but a moral imperative.
The WHO statement did not refer, according to the clipping itself, to the experimental serum that had been approved for use in human guinea pigs, but that certain ethical criteria should also be taken into account, including transparency about the nature of the drug (What transparency can there be, when the nature of its results is not known? Ah! These doctors). Of course there was also an emphasis on respect for the individual, dignity and community involvement and, I forgot, consent. Although if you live in West Africa, one of the most depressed areas of the world, where you have absolutely nothing to survive on, whatever those in control of the “medical shaman” shack tell you will be fine with them. What is the difference between dying of Ebola, malnutrition or any other disease for which you are not prepared or serving as a lab rat for the big pharmaceutical corporations, including the phony health guard empire misnamed WHO?
Furthermore, in the same clipping it was confirmed that the WHO had given the go-ahead on the use of certain experimental drugs on those humans in Africa, after a spokesman, a week earlier had advised against the use of any product …that has not gone through the normal process of licensing and medical testing.
Of course I am not going to go into this subject in depth here, but go ahead and say that a book could be written on the subject. If you have the time and opportunity I advise you to put the phrase that serves as the headline of this opinion article: WHO allows experimental drugs to be used, whatever your language, and you will see how thousands of entries on this subject will come up. The COVID 19 pandemic itself, which was not a pandemic and did not plunge the world into a terrifying end of times, was undoubtedly one of the last projects of the WHO and some big pharmaceutical companies on how to use experimental drugs on humans, with the difference that on this occasion they were used on those who could pay for them, enriching the industry in a shameful and disgusting way. Governments lied to us, some presidents even spoke openly of non-existent expert committees (as in the case of Spain), they spoke of transparency and ethics, they used us by calling us stupid and pointing the finger at us if we did not agree with their theses. All limits were exceeded. They hijacked democracy and freedom and subjected us to unnecessary stress from which we emerged, to later define us in general as mentally ill.
Someday I imagine that the truth will have to be brought to light or at least continue to publish material where we can read between the lines of how we were swindled, with the connivance of the WHO, which as on previous occasions, a week before declaring the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, declared that absolutely nothing was going to happen.
What can happen in a week for such a radical change of opinion, and even more so in an organization that, supposedly, has the obligation to watch over all of us?
Sometimes the cuts, although full of dust, are often useful to give us back a minimum of the personal integrity that was taken away from us for a couple of years and that still has not been given back to us, when we now know that there were vaccines that have generated serious health problems and some deaths. Yes, for the greater good. I expect, of course, millions of dollars in compensation to those who have been left with lifelong sequelae or to the relatives of those whose lives have been taken.
By the way, I leave the question up in the air: why in 2014 did we not already have a vaccine against Ebola? A presumed vaccine was patented in 2019, rVSV-ZEBOV, in the USA, if we consider that the disease was detected in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, why did it take 43 years to obtain results?
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 29th May 2024 – religious freedom – The Mejora Foundation, which has consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, presented its latest book at the Faculty of Law of the University of Seville, a prestigious university with more than 500 years of history. The debate was attended by professors, teachers and students. The book “10 years of Promotion and Defence of Religious Freedom (10 Años de Promoción y Defensa de la Libertad Religiosa: Análisis, Retos y Propuestas para el Presente y Futuro de la Libertad de Creencias en España y Europa)”, has been published by the specialised publishing house Dykinson. The presentation was attended by professors from the University of Seville Mar Leal and Rafael Valencia, Professor Zoila Combalia from the University of Zaragoza, Professor Ricardo García from the Autonomous University of Madrid, as well as lawyer Isabel Ayuso Puente and Iván Arjona-Pelado.
“We want not only to inform, but also to inspire a dialogue that builds and enriches communities to address the problems that still persist in the 21st century,” said Arjona. With the support of the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation and the collaboration of numerous experts, “10 Years of Promotion and Defence of Religious Freedom” stands as an essential work for understanding and promoting freedom of belief in our contemporary societies.
This collective work, coordinated by Professor of Constitutional Law Alejandro Torres Gutiérrez and Iván Arjona-Pelado, President of the “Fundación Mejora” as well as of the European Office of the Church of Scientology, has been co-published by Dykinson and FoRB Publications. It is the result of a project, co-funded with the support of the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation, which will be accessible in university libraries across the country to promote debate especially among students.
The book, which has 564 pages divided into 29 articles, is a compilation of analyses and proposals on freedom of religion and belief in the Spanish and European context. The Fundación para la Mejora de la Vida, la Cultura y la Sociedad (Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society), the beneficiary of the project, which has been presenting the Religious Freedom Awards in Spain for 10 years, has been in charge of carrying out this initiative. The aim is to promote knowledge and accommodation of religious diversity within a framework of dialogue, coexistence and the fight against intolerance and hate speech, often generated by the misuse of language. To this end, and under the coordination of Professor Alejandro Torres, all the winners of the Religious Freedom Awards from 2014 to 2023 were asked to contribute an article of their choice on the subject of freedom of belief, in order to provide knowledge not only about the origins, current situation and legal framework, but also about the current challenges and proposals for improvement from different points of view.
The rich content of the book covers a very wide range of topics, from criminal protection of freedom of religion to teaching religion in schools, religious discrimination before the EU Court of Justice, cooperation agreements with denominations, religious symbolism at the Paris Olympics, data protection, marriage, peace agendas, stereotypes, hate crimes, animal welfare, discrimination, and many other issues.
The book contains articles by full professors and lecturers from leading universities throughout Spain, experts in law, anthropology, sociology and public management: Isabel Ayuso Puente, Isabel Cano Ruiz, Adoración Castro Jover, Oscar Celador Angón, Zoila Combalía, José María Contreras Mazarío, Mónica Cornejo Valle, Juan Ferreiro Galguera, Ricardo García García, Marcos González Sánchez, Ana Leturia Navaroa, Dionisio Llamazares Fernández, María Cruz Llamazares Calzadilla, Inés Mazarrasa Steinkuhler, Igor Minteguía Arregui, Mercedes Murillo Muñoz, Paulo Cesar Pardo Prieto, Francisca Pérez-Madrid, Catalina Pons-Estel Tugores, Eugenia Relaño Pastor, Miguel Rodríguez Blanco, Salvador Tarodo Soria, Alejandro Torres Gutiérrez, Gorka Urrutia Asua, Rafael Valencia Candalija, Ana María Vega Gutiérrez and Mercedes Vidal Gallardo. It also includes acceptance speeches for the Religious Freedom Awards such as that of the British lawyer who gained recognition for Scientology in the UK, Peter Hodkin. Now that it has been published, some of the authors will be meeting in different universities to generate debate on the subject, with the first debate having taken place at the University of Seville on 27 May, and at the Carlos III University in Madrid on 5 June.
The Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society, created by the Church of Scientology in 2015 under the protectorate of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of the Government of Spain, and in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 2019, has been a key player in designing, hosting and directing this project.
“We are very happy to have been able to contribute to the compilation of this transversal work, which we hope to use as a tool to generate debates and proposals for improvement throughout the coming academic year,” says Iván Arjona, who is grateful “that a publisher as prestigious as Dykinson has shown interest in publishing this work“. The renowned Editorial Dykinson, based in Madrid, has been at the service of knowledge and culture for years, focusing on the publication of academic and scientific works, consolidating since its inception as a benchmark in the Spanish publishing field. Dykinson’s commitment to quality and the dissemination of knowledge is reflected in the careful selection of its publications and its dedication to issues of social and legal relevance.
The book’s foreword highlights the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental pillar that transcends the boundaries of individual beliefs to land at the very essence of humanity. Through its pages, the book invites readers on an intellectual journey that challenges prejudices, fostering empathy and promoting tolerance as pillars on which to create a more inclusive and respectful society.
In dedicating this collective work, Arjona did not hesitate to dedicate it to “those whose freedom is threatened; those who have suffered imprisonment for their beliefs; those who suffer slavery or martyrdom, and all those who are victims of brutal treatment, of chains and shackles, or of attacks“, emotive words taken from “A Prayer for Total Freedom” by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, thus underlining the book’s commitment to the defence of human rights and freedom of belief.
In a related development, the UN’s top court prepared to hear a new request from South Africa to issue more constraints on Israeli military action in the enclave.
In a call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” still held in Gaza, the Secretary-General told Arab League leaders at a Summit in Bahrain that nothing justified the “collective punishment” of Palestinians.
“Any assault on Rafah is unacceptable; it would inflict another surge of pain and misery when we need a surge in life-saving aid,” he added.
Flanked by Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, Mr. Guterres also renewed his strong backing for the UN agency. It “remains the backbone of our operations in Gaza and a lifeline for Palestine refugees across the region. It needs full support and funding,” he insisted, as the UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued a new warning about looming famine in Gaza.
“Food and fuel stocks will run out in a matter of days,” WFP warned in a social media post on X. “Since 6 May, we have not been able to access and receive aid from the Kerem Shalom crossing. The situation is becoming unsustainable.”
The UN agency highlighted the very real threat that any further escalation of hostilities in Gaza could bring aid operations “to a complete standstill” and lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
Although WFP has provided special nutritional foods to pregnant and breastfeeding women along with children under five across Gaza, the UN agency said that as of 11 May distributions were suspended in Rafah “and are only ongoing in Khan Younis and Deir El Balah in a limited capacity”.
In northern Gaza, WFP also warned that rates of acute malnutrition among under two-year-olds “doubled from 15 per cent in January to 30 per cent in March”.
Humanitarians warn that acute malnutrition is the most deadly form of malnutrition, leaving affected children between three to 12 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child.
The dire assessment comes as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported late Wednesday that 600,000 people – one quarter of Gaza’s population – have now been forcibly displaced from Rafah in the last week, amid ongoing Israeli military activity and evacuation orders.
Another 100,000 people have been uprooted from the north to comply with evacuation orders by the Israeli military, while heavy gun battles have reportedly raged.
Evacuation orders at scale
According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, “285 square kilometres, or approximately 78 per cent of the Gaza Strip” are now subject to evacuation orders by the Israeli military.
In its latest update, OCHA reported continuing bombardment “from the air, land and sea…across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of houses and other civilian infrastructure”.
The UN office confirmed reports of ground incursions and heavy fighting in Jabalia in northern Gaza, as well as in Deir al Balah in central Gaza and eastern Rafah in the south.
“As of 15 May, Rafah crossing remains closed. Kerem Shalom crossing is operational, but the prevailing security and logistical conditions are hampering humanitarian aid deliveries at scale,” OCHA noted.
Echoing those concerns, the WFP insisted that “multiple entry points” for aid are required “to reverse six months of near starvation conditions and avert a famine, steady flows of food supplies, every day and every week…The threat of famine in Gaza never loomed larger.”
South Africa v. Israel
In an effort to halt the military operation in and around the enclave’s southern-most city, South Africa filed a new request to the UN’s top court which it was due to hear on Thursday.
“Urgent provisional measures are required to ensure the survival of Palestinians in Gaza,” the South Africa application said, in its latest claim filed on 10 May.
The International Court of Justice delivers its ruling in the case of South Africa v. Israel in The Hague.
“The situation brought about by the Israeli assault on Rafah, and the extreme risk it poses to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza, to the survival of the Palestinian medical system, and to the very survival of Palestinians in Gaza as a group, is not only an escalation of the prevailing situation, but gives rise to new facts that are causing irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Rafah the last refuge
Rafah is “the last refuge” for Gazans, the South Africa petition continued, adding that the city is also the “last viable centre” for shelter and basic services including medical care. The Israeli military’s seizure of Rafah crossing and the brief closure and ongoing access problems to nearby Kerem Shalom crossing have blocked the main entry points for lifesaving humanitarian aid to Gaza, South Africa also insisted.
“The remaining population and medical facilities are at extreme risk, given the recent evidence of evacuation zones being treated as extermination zones, the mass destruction and mass graves at Gaza’s other hospitals and the use by Israel of Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) to identify ‘kill lists’,” ICJ court documents show.
The International Court of Justicepreviously issued special orders to Israel in late January – known as “provisional measures” – to prevent harm to Gazans, following South Africa’s allegation that Israel was in violation of its obligations as a signatory of the Genocide Convention. There was no explicit call for an immediate halt to Israel’s full-scale military operation in the Strip.
Israel strongly denied the allegations and is scheduled to respond to the latest South Africa request on Friday.
