Indonesia: When Women have been Ulema since Early Islam, Were Have their Names Gone?

June 2, 2017

In another first, coming from Indonesia, Women “ulema” – Muslim clerics – recently held their first ever national gathering in West Java. A news portal reports that the goal was twofold: to gain recognition for women religious scholars, and to advance women’s rights by sharing their interpretation of Islamic texts.

“Why is there nothing written in the Quran or the [Book of] Hadith about husbands who do not satisfy their wives sexually? Are there any punishments for men like there are for women who refuse sex?” The question drew loud applause, as the woman asking it, wearing a colorful hijab like all the 800 or so women in the audience, sat back down.

At this premier gathering of a national congregation of Muslim women “ulema” (clerics) from across Indonesia. They met for three days in late April in Cirebon, West Java, to assert themselves as scholars and preachers of Islam on par with men. The gathering was named Kongress Ulama Perempuan Indonesia (KUPI), a wide range of socio-political issues were discussed and fatwas were issued, all of them informed by the clerics’ study of Islam and their experiences as women.

The idea for the gathering was born five years ago when the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) refused to recognize women as ulema, a position conferred based on a person’s knowledge of the Quran and the Book of Hadith. In response, various women’s groups from different Muslim organizations came together and discussed the need for a space that would empower women ulama to assert their own positions, issue fatwas and question the state.

“Women have been Ulema since the beginning of Islam, but women’s names have disappeared from any references thanks to a patriarchal interpretation of Islam and political history”

The rest of the detailed report on the gathering that will have significance for the human rights of Muslim women may be read here.

Morari Bapuji, I Beg to Differ Says a Rationalist, in an Open Letter that Contests the Seer’s Praise of the Modi Regime

June 2, 2017

Gautam Thaker, a rationalist and civil libertarian has in an open letter to Morari Bapu, the Gujarat-based seer respected as Ram Katha-Kaar throughout India and the world has, in an open letter prodded him on his uncritical praise of the Modi Sarkar

Morari Bapu is a much courted seer, drawing the ear and faith of thousands. A valuable asset and voice, especially in election year. And it is election year in the western Indian state of Gujarat that goes to the poll in 2017. Last month, May 2017, at a Ram Katha-Manas Shankar held in the holy mountain region of Kedarnath, Morari Bapu has been quoted as saying that ‘three years of the Modi regime’ are the best that India has seen.

While accepting the seer’s right as a citizen to hold this view, Thaker was prompted to write an open letter, raising crucial issues of democratic dissent, financial accountability and transparency and non-performance.

Excerpts from the Open Letter:

“If one looks carefully at the reports of the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG),” it is clear, “that these agencies haveunearthed many irregularities.” “ In short, if you go through the last three years' reports of these agencies then it shall be clearly evident that there is No 'Good Governance' in the country. “

Democratic Dissent is being Quashed:

“Civil Liberties and Human Rights activists like us apprehend that "New Independence" (Nayi Azadi) in 1977 which was secured, is going to be snatched away once more. Democratic values, fundamental rights, freedom of speech, expression and the press and independence are gradually annihilated. During last three years, Civil Liberties, fundamental rights and human rights are visible nowhere.

“Freedom for peaceful, non-violent, collective resistance or for demonstration has also been grabbed away through suppression and excesses by the police. Violation and breach of various human rights of the dalits, weaker section, down-trodden and deprived masses are seriously tangible during these years. It is quite well known that Gandhiji had struggled for their cause, all throughout his life. Gandhiji and Jayprakash Narayan maintained that a human being should also have liberty. Man's life is incomplete, handicapped and atrophied without the liberty.

“Present rulers have not proffered liberty to the people. To talk of rights of minority is quite out of place. Hence, how can one call it 'Good Governance' ?

No Lok Ayukta Appointed

“..Even after lapse of three years since the NDA regime has come to power, appointment of Lokpal has not been made. The rulers are afraid that if appointment of Lokpal or Lok-Ayukta is made then they may be shunted out of power and that their corruption may get exposed. If the Govt. makes appointment of these two, then their corruption or financial malpractices may get exposed. The Supreme Court had to reprimand the Govt. on this matter. ”

Six Pointers to Modi-Govt’s Non-Performance

(a) All the steps aimed at employment generation have turned out to be hopeless. As against assurance of one crore jobs, hardly 2.13 lakh jobs created in the year 2016.
(b) Complete failure on the front of women's security
(c) Failure in checking or controlling inflation. Unbearable rise in the prices of food grains and essential commodities, hitting hard, middle-class and poor people.
(d) Failure on the front of foreign policy, resulting into obstinate, arrogant stand by Pakistan, China and other countries.
(e) Failure in establishing peace in Kashmir

Flop of De-Monetisation

“Flop-show, the Demonetization plan: Issue of black money, corruption, terrorism, counterfeit currency notes have remained as they were before.”

(The author is associated with the Radical Humanist Association and the PUCL)

The Modi & Shivraj Chauhan Govt Prepares Army & Police to Forcibly Evict 1000s of Villagers In Defiance of SC: Narmada

June 2, 2017

The moot question is, Will the Indian media leave this mammoth exercise un-monitored and un-reported?
The numbers of Narmada dam oustee families has been manipulated downward from 31,180 to 18,346, and forcible eviction is on the cards, Indian President has been told by a prominent delegation on May 31.

Reports from activists on the ground, Rahul Yadav, Mukesh Bhagoriya, Himshi indicate that at least 40,000 policemen and women, and, if needed the army, (which is is on alert) will be pulled in and used for the forcible eviction of thousands of families whose names figure in a "List announced through the extraordinary gazette notification issued by the Government of M.P., dated 27.05.2017'. This List which is in the public domain, lists the names of 18,346 families who have been falsely listed as fit for evacuation, it is alleged.

These developments are happening even as a ‘Rally for the Valley’ has been organised from Indore to Vadodara from June 5 to 7.

Various government officials are continuously moving in the villages threatening and intimidating the villagers and asking them to leave at whatever cost, mentioning different deadlines. The resistance of the people continues to rise -on one hand against the violation of established rehabilitation policies as well as Court orders. On the other hand, all villagers, including Adivasis, are worried about being rnedered homeless and jobless on account of such forced eviction. There is no doubt that the government’s plan is to make every village a battle ground, say the activists.

The latest update from the valley is that the police and revenue officials with vehicles are plying into the village after village with drone cameras to photograph long distance visuals, obviously to plan the upcoming attack. The officials are facing questions and wrath of people who are not ready to move out without all rehabilitation and proper entitlement. However the Govt of Madhya Pradesh has already announced that they will evict 8200 families from district Badwani, and 6132 families from district Dhar, and dozens of families from Khargone.

All this without even full compliance with the latest order of Supreme Court that directs complete rehabilitation and vacating the lands only on receiving the cash packages by farmers. The landless have not been not granted any special relief. Both landholders and the landless from local communities, who are collective protectors of social and cultural sites and public services that are still functional have refused to move into “tin sheds” that are being forcibly imposed on them as 'rehabilitation' by the government.

Says a note from the Narmada Bachao Andolan, ‘Thirty-one years on and every prediction of ours has come true. The Dam has brought in devastation in the downstream; the communities with forest and farmland upstream have been destroyed and impoverished; the profits have been pocketed by the rich corporates and diverted for the benefits of the urban centers; neither the state of MP nor Maharashtra are getting a single drop of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam who's water has been reserved for Coca-Cola, Adanis and the Ambanis. Gujarat’s own farmers are on the streets condemning the same. MP does not require any electricity with access produced and hence many power plants closed but even then they want to close the gates and drown everyone. This is illegal, Unjust and completely unconstitutional.’

“Rally for the Valley” to stand with the thousands of people of Narmada Valley who have been fighting for their rights; a fight against the hegemony, devastation in the name of development, corporate loot of natural resources and to protect their life that comes from Narmada.

Delegation Meets President, Urges Intervention

A Left parties-civil society organizations delegation led by CPI-M politbureau member Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the All-India Kisan Sabha, has told President Pranab Kumar Mukherjee that there is a “brazen attempt” on the part of the Government of Madhya Pradesh to “forcibly evict” thousands of Narmada dam oustees from their villages under the pretext of the Supreme Court order dated February 8, 2017.

Pointing out that the oustees are sought to be evicted forcibly before July 31, the delegation said, the state government is “ignoring” the Supreme Court order of providing “compensation and complete rehabilitation of the dam-affected villages”. Others who were in the delegation were Annie Raja of the National Federation of Indian Women and Vimal Bhai and Himshi Singh of the National Alliance of People’s Movements.

During the meeting, Himshi Singh gave crucial statistics, alleging, “the Madhya Pradesh government is manipulating its own statistics of the Action Taken Report- 2008 which gives a count of 31,180 families affected by the Narmada dam. It has now drastically reduced the number in the recently issued Gazette, 2017 by 18,346”.

A memorandum submitted by the delegation said, as per the orders of Supreme Court, the last date for giving compensation and ensuring complete rehabilitation was May 8, 2017, but till now, the state government has not done any survey which could list project affected families entitled to compensation and rehabilitation.

The memorandum wondered, how the state government could even think of evicting people without rehabilitation, insisting, this was a clear contempt of spirit of court orders and judgments along with the murder of constitutional rights of project-affected families.

Pointing out that the “forcible eviction” would prove to be a disaster, as families are without alternative land, livelihood and livable rehabilitation sites, Mollah told the President that he visited the Narmada Valley as a fact-finding team, and found that their life and culture was facing the threats of submergence.

“Our report brings out the dismal conditions of the project affected families, resettlement sites, and corruption in payment of compensations. As many as 192 villages, 1 town, 40,000 families and more than 2 lakh people will be affected”, Mollah contended, adding, “If the government does not take proper action in rehabilitating the affected families, the condition of the outsees in Madhya Pradesh would become as bad as the oustees of Gujarat or Maharashtra.”

Annie Raja claimed, “If the dam’s gates are closed down without proper rehabilitation, it will be remembered as a mass murder in human history. After the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Narmada Valley for Narmada Seva Yatra, the process of intimidation and eviction has suddenly been speeded.”

Vimal Bhai explained the environmental impact in the form of chlorofluorocarbon – an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane. Pointing out that this is happening “due to the submergence of lakhs of trees”, he also gave details of the condition of rehabilitation sites, which still lacked basic amenities, cracks on houses due to black soil and no drinking water availability.

The meeting, which took place ahead of the Rally for the Valley from June 5 to 7, 2017, reportedly saw President of India assure the delegation that he would “look into the matter and initiate necessary actions.”

In this Video Interview, Sanjay Parikh describes how the governments are clearly violating Court Orders on Rehabilitation.

Mithi Virdi Villagers Celebrate as Nuclear Project Bows Out of Gujarat

June 2, 2017

Finally, the protests worked. The Minisry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that that the 6000 MW nuclear project at Mithivirdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat, has been abandoned, and has been “shifted” to Kovadda, Andhra Pradesh on account of "delay" in land acquisition at the village Chhaya-Mithivirdi site.

Sabrangindia had reported exactly on June 3 last year how a former IAS officer had raised serious concerns over the project and that a decision was taken by Toshiba Corp’s Westinghouse Electric, which was to build the nuclear plant in South Saurashtra coast of Gujarat not to go ahead with the project in view of local opposition. Westinghouse's decision came a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to visit the US.

The withdrawal of the nuclear plant has created a wave of happiness among the villagers around Mithi Virdi. They have decided to together on June 2 in village Jaspara to celebrate and congratulate each other for it.

The villagers had approached NGT on March 3, 2015 challenging the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance given to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the Government of India undertaking, for the project.

In a statement and communication from Gujarat environmentalist Rohit Prajapati following the development quotes AR Anilkumar, executive director, NPCIL as sayingthat the proposal for “Environment Clearance (EC) before MoEFCC has been "delisted.” MOEFCC director Arvind Kumar Nautiyal has given a similar opinion, it adds.

This is a victory of mass protest. The villagers’ victory comes four years after nearly 7,000 of them en masse walk-out of the Environmental Public Hearing (EPH) for the project, which took place on March 5, 2013, alleging that it was being conducted in “blatant contravention of the environmental laws and natural justice.”

The walkout took place after the district collector, Bhavnagar, who chaired EPH, disallowed the leaders and sarpanches of the affected villages from raising issues of concern. Within no time, people started walking out. The pandal was emptied and only media persons, government and NPCIL staff was left in the huge pandal.

Subsequently, the proposed project was recommended for CRZ clearance by the Gujarat State Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). The National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) cleared the CRZ on March 3, 2015, which prompted the villagers to approach NGT.

Those who went to the NGT included Shaktisinh H Gohil, Jagrutiben B. Gohil of Jaspara village, Hajabhai G Dihora of MithVirdi, and environmentalists Rohit Prajapati and Krishnakant of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS), Vadodara.

On March 27, 2017, through a letter from the MoEFCC, the Government of India intimated the NGT that the proposed Westinghouse Nuclear Power Plant of 6000 MW was being “shifted” from Mithi Virdi due to “delay in land acquisition.”

In its order dated May 18, the NGT bench, consisting of judicial member (Justice UD Salvi) and expert member (Ranjan Chatterjee), noted that Nautiyal, director of MoEFCC, had submitted that the project at Mithi Virdhi, in whose favour CRZ clearance was granted, “is to be shifted to Kavvada, Andhra Pradesh on account of delay in land acquisition at village Chhaya- Mithivirdhi site”, hence the project does not survive and the matter is disposed of.

Taking credit for the development PSS’ Krishnakant has said, “We pushed out Westinghouse Nuclear Plant from Mithi Virdi area”, adding, “One struggle is over but anther struggle is on and people of the Mithi Virdi area have decided to extent all support and they will be part of the struggle with the people of Kovadda.”

Are we overreacting to US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate?

June 2, 2017

The Trump administration has announced the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. Should we expect any substantive effect on global climate efforts or changes to other U.S. climate policies?

There’s strong support for wind power, which aids in addressing climate change, in Kansas and other red states for economic reasons. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Some suggest there will be additional emissions of up to three billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the air a year. Others point to higher U.S. emissions due to potentially diluted auto fuel efficiency standards and changes to rules to restrict methane leaks from the oil and gas industry.

To be sure, the decision to pull the U.S. out of a global agreement is a dramatic one. But we suggest that this withdrawal is a symbolic action with little substantive impact on climate mitigation.

As such, it is critical not to overreact and lose sight of domestic issues that could significantly jeopardize future climate policies.

How to assess the impact?

To assess the impact of Trump’s decision, the questions we need to ask are the following: First, will new policies be enacted after the withdrawal that will significantly alter carbon emissions? Even before today’s announcement, the Trump administration has indicated plans to cut back on regulations, such as the CAFE auto fuel efficiency and methane rules.

Second, will this withdrawal alter the efforts of China, India or the EU in the realm of renewable energy? Or, for that matter, the states of California and Washington and the businesses that have openly argued for the U.S. to honor the Paris Agreement?

We suggest subjecting the Paris withdrawal to the “additionality” principle: that is, identify the additional impact of Paris withdrawal on climate policy over and above the existing policy trajectory. We would argue that based on the Trump administration’s actions since taking office, pulling out of the Paris climate agreement only reinforces existing actions, rather than leads to a radically new path.

Since its inauguration, the Trump administration has acquired a reputation for hostility to environmental issues. There have been severe cuts to the EPA’s budget, the Clean Power Plan has been discontinued, the Dakota Access and Keystone pipelines have been given the go-ahead and public lands have been opened up to extractive industries.

In other words, the administration had already adopted anti-climate mitigation policies prior to the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. And so we can expect all actors, be they foreign governments, state governments or businesses, to already have adjusted their expectations about climate change policy compared to the previous administration.

If the Obama administration had withdrawn from Paris, it would have been unexpected and therefore different. But withdrawal by Trump does not provide any new information to other governments and businesses. And so it will not cause them to revise their assessment of how federal government will act on climate change.

Even before announcing plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration had pushed fossil fuels by approving the Dakota Access and Keystone pipelines and sought to roll back environmental protections. diversey/flickr, CC BY-NC

Will the world look different?

So will this withdrawal derail global efforts toward climate mitigation?

China has already emerged a leader in several renewable energy areas, particularly solar and wind. It now has a commercial imperative to move more aggressively given that a growing percentage of new global electricity generation capacity is based on renewable sources. At the same time, China faces severe domestic air pollution problems due to its reliance on coal for electricity generation. Thus, China has strong incentives, both commercial and environmental, to continue its focus on renewable energy.

A similar logic, to some extent, holds for the EU and India. The bottom line is that U.S. withdrawal will probably not change the uptake of renewable energy in other countries.

Red states’ support

Closer to home, might this decision affect domestic efforts toward climate mitigation? Within the U.S., much of environmental policy innovation is taking place at the state and city level. Withdrawal from Paris does not change these dynamics in climate leaders such as California or Washington.

Some Republicans governors, such as Sam Brownback of Kansas and John Kasich of Ohio, have already become strong supporters of wind energy due to economic benefits it brings to their states. Many policymakers recognize that the decline of coal is due to technological factors resulting in cheap natural gas, and not regulations. In fact, in Wyoming, the largest coal-producing state, wind power is coming to the rescue of some coal communities. In fact, this withdrawal may energize some governors and mayors to become even more aggressive in the area of climate change mitigation.

Importantly, many large businesses support climate change mitigation. The recent open letter by leading CEOs is a case in point. One reason for supporting climate policy is that most businesses are now transnational and have incentives to develop policies that are acceptable across the world. They want a predictable and stable policy environment.

In sum, it is important not to overreact to withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Instead, pro-environment groups should focus their attention on domestic policy issues by encouraging governors and businesses to move aggressively on climate mitigation. For instance, they should be prepared to fight if the federal government seeks to revoke California’s ability to set higher auto emissions standards, which could greatly change emission policy dynamics. These are the sort of issues people concerned with climate change need to worry about.

Nives Dolsak, Professor of Environmental Policy, University of Washington and Aseem Prakash, Walker Family Professor and Founding Director, Center for Environmental Politics, University of Washington

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Student Struggles for Life after Brute Attack by Cow Vigilante Mobs: Gohana, Haryana

June 2, 2017

Media reports that a BA second-year student was stabbed multiple times on June 1 by a a mob now known as cow vigilantes for not clicking photographs of their protest after they mistook him for a journalist in Gohana town of Haryana’s Sonepat district, according to a Hindustan Times report. The student, Shivam, who is currently struggling for life at a hospital in New Delhi, went to the event with a journalist friend of his and had his friend’s camera in his hand.

As has become a pattern, the Gau Raksha Seva Dal had organised the protest demanding sedition charges against Congress workers in Kerala after they slaughtered a cow in public and held ‘beef fests’ on May 27. The Youth Congress workers allegedly slaughtered the cow to protest the central government’s decision banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

Claiming that they mistook Shivam to be a photographer as he had a camera with him and asked him to take photographs of the protest and them handing a memorandum to district officials. After Shivam reportedly refused to do so, it led to an argument, however, bystanders calmed the protesters.

Bent o0n mob violence, post the protest, the gau rakshaks followed Shivam and stabbed him on his chest and stomach with knives. “He was admitted to a local hospital initially but taken to Delhi because of his condition,” police inspector Ajaib Singh told the media.

A 19-year-old, Mohit who is the main suspect in the case, has been arrested and two more suspects, both relatives of Mohit, are on the run. An “attempt to murder” case has been lodged against the three people and the complaint mentions the accused as members of the cow protection group. It is not yet known whether Mohit belongs to a clearly defined dupremacist outfit.

Typically, despite the fact that the three persons were part of the protest, the gau rakshak group has disowned the trio, saying they were troublemakers who joined the protest, the police inspector said.

NHRC Issues Notice to MHA, Minor Beaten Up by BSF: North 24, Parganas, Bengal

June 2, 2017

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Protection of HR Act, Section 18 on a complaint that minor bor, Bappa Molla was illegally confined and beaten up by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Bengal. The NHRC has also asked the MHA to show cause why a compensation amount of Rs 25,000 should not be awarded to the victim. Investigations have found that the minor victim boy Master Bappa Molla from District-North 24 Parganas, West bengal was allegedly illegally confined, beaten up and intimidated by BSF personnel.

The complaint, NHRC Case no.267/25/15/2014-PF, was filed by human rights organisation, Masum, active in the state on the issue of custodial torture and human rights. On 1.06.2017 at 10.57 aam Masum has received a an email from the Commission intimating that the Commission issued direction on the abovementioned case registered with the Commission.

See Complaint here

#justiceforsooraj Campaign Gains Strength and Support

June 1, 2017

#Justiceforsooraj Campaign has drawn attention and support from all over Tamil Nadu

After one of the students who led the beef protest at IIT-Madras in Chennai was assaulted on Sunday evening, allegedly by students from the Akhil Bharaitya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) a right-wing group, the dean of the institute has refused to act, according to media reports. Sooraj R, a student associated with the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, was injured in his right eye in Tuesday's assault allegedly by some students claimed to be Sangh Parivar supporters. Sooraj was surrounded by seven persons near the canteen who assaulted him. The MJRD has reportedly asked for a report on the assault at IIT.

Meanwhile, support for Sooraj has poured in from all quarters. IIT-M Directors have written a strongly worded letter to the Dean. Students too have sent a strongly worded letter to the IIT management and the Dean that contains the minutes of the fateful meeting that resulted in the brutal assault.

Students have also made available the allegedly fake posts by the alleged assailant Manish of the ABVP.

Manish Threatens Sooraj and Students

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Indonesia: When Women have been Ulema since Early Islam, Were Have their Names Gone?

Morari Bapuji, I Beg to Differ Says a Rationalist, in an Open Letter that Contests the Seer’s Praise of the Modi Regime

Gautam Thaker, a rationalist and civil libertarian has in an open letter to Morari Bapu, the Gujarat-based seer respected as Ram Katha-Kaar throughout India and the world has, in an open letter prodded him on his uncritical praise of the Modi Sarkar

The Modi & Shivraj Chauhan Govt Prepares Army & Police to Forcibly Evict 1000s of Villagers In Defiance of SC: Narmada

Mithi Virdi Villagers Celebrate as Nuclear Project Bows Out of Gujarat

Are we overreacting to US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate?

How to assess the impact?

Will the world look different?

Red states’ support

Student Struggles for Life after Brute Attack by Cow Vigilante Mobs: Gohana, Haryana

NHRC Issues Notice to MHA, Minor Beaten Up by BSF: North 24, Parganas, Bengal

#justiceforsooraj Campaign Gains Strength and Support

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