Greek Muslim Woman Stands Elections, Right Irked

ATHENS, May 9, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The choice of a Muslim woman to stand in local elections in Greece has stirred a bitter row between the right, which has questioned her allegiance to the nation, and the left, which has called it a groundbreaking move.
"This a daring and groundbreaking move which deserves to be fully supported," Socialist deputy and former European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou told Reuters on Tuesday, May 9.
Gul Kara Hasan was handpicked by opposition Socialist leader George Papandreou to run for prefect of her district of northeastern Greece, where many Muslims of Turkish or Bulgarian origin live.
By choosing her, the Socialists hope to gain Muslim votes and increase the representation of women in local polls.
The 27-year-old lawyer is the first ever Muslim woman to run the nationwide local elections, due in October.
Muslim men have been elected in the past to represent the region in the Greek parliament.
If she wins, Kara Hasan would be in charge of a large part of northern Greece, in a far more visible role than that of a lawmaker.
While Kara Hasan is a Pomak -- from a small group of ethnic Slavs who reverted to Islam centuries ago -- she lives side-by-side with the 120,000-strong ethnic Turkish community in Thrace.
Muslims make about 1.3% percent of the population in overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian Greece, according to the CIA facts book.
The capital Athens is home to an estimated 100,000 Muslim Albanians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Moroccans, Syrians and Nigerians.
Criticized
The Muslim candidacy drew immediate criticism from the ruling conservatives as well as the powerful Orthodox Church.
"We are not the same as those who have another religion," argued high-ranking bishop Anthimos.
Kara Hasan's choice has highlighted the fragile relations between majority Orthodox Greeks and the small Pomak and ethnic Turkish community, which until a few years ago was almost completely excluded from mainstream Greek social life.
Some conservative politicians have gone as far as questioning her loyality to the country.
"If she wins, I wonder if she will be standing next to me at the parade for the March 25 celebration," said George Kalantzis, minister for the northern regions of Macedonia and Thrace.
He was referring to Greece's national day marking an 1821 revolution against almost 500 years of rule by the Ottoman Turks.
Arch-rivals Greece and Turkey have long fought a war of words over what Greece calls its Muslim community but Ankara labels Turkish.
Greece vehemently denies the existence of a Turkish minority.
Kara Hasan has so far sidestepped the row, saying she is ready to work for the good of the region.
"People should not by judged by labels but by their actions."

Number of missing females in Axom / NE

Number of missing females alarming in StateBy Prabal Kr Das
http://www.assamtribune.com/ GUWAHATI, April 22 – It is a situation that no civil society can ignore. The number of missing females, both adult and children, is creating a complex problem in the State. Many of those missing have gone untraced for long, others have not been found. Missing females undergo an experience that is usually more acute than that of their male counterparts. Some are mentally and physically abused, and even after they return home, adjustment or acceptance within society is arduous. The impact on family and friends is immense as they too endure painful absence of a loved one, have little recourse to information, and even risk social stigma. “The feeling is one of hopelessness and frustration, besides there are innuendoes to cope with!” said a young homemaker, whose college-going sister went missing from Guwahati. According to police data made available to this reporter, 3,903 females went missing in the State between 2000 and 2004. Among them the number of female children was 2,175. No less distressing is the fact that out of the total that disappeared, 2,327 could not be traced till date.The data, however, is not comprehensive, because many cases of missing females, especially adults go unreported. Social mores and family attitudes on many occasions restrain people from reporting missing adult females. It is an irony that no one would be able to quantify the magnitude of the problem. For the State the growing number of missing females has implications, which go beyond effects on family and friends. The trend could be perceived as a clear violation of human rights, if female children fall victims to trafficking. Similar is the case if adult females are compelled or induced to enter into prostitution.Several factors have been identified as responsible for females gone missing, two of them being kidnapping and elopement. The other that has in recent times appeared just as instrumental is trafficking. Talking to The Assam Tribune, Gunottam Bhuyan, IGP, CID, who is also the State nodal officer anti-trafficking, said that the emerging trend was a matter of serious concern and it required concerted action involving all stakeholders. “If the situation is not tackled now, there is a chance it would evolve into something that we cannot cope with. The rise in numbers of the missing would require resources, which might not be available.”Like him, those acquainted with the situation favour three basic steps to be implemented – prevention, prosecution and precaution. All three would have to be promoted by members of the police, NGOs and other welfare bodies. However, the step that should precede these should be building up a database. Till now, the State Government does not have a comprehensive list of missing persons with their identifying details and other information. The public also need to be made aware about the need for speedy reporting of missing females.According to Bhuyan, two other measures – rescue and rehabilitation – are required to redress the problem of missing females. “While we have witnessed rescue taking place from time to time, rehabilitation efforts should be redoubled. That should take care of the victim’s mental, physical as well as economic requirements.” The problem is even more complex while dealing with missing female children. They are often the worst sufferers and carry mental scars, which are hard to heal. In order to rescue and rehabilitate them, NGOs and other civil society groups have a role that is yet to filled in the State.

New Christian pro-Israel lobby powerful than AIPAC

The Jewish lobby has long had a powerful influence on the U.S. foreign policy but there is growing evidence that Israel now found strong support from American Christians who are forging an alliance with American Jewish organizations.

A U.S. Televangelist recently announced that he will launch a new Christian pro-Israel lobby that is expected to be more powerful than the U.S.‘s largest pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to Israel‘s daily Haaretz.

John Hagee, the founder and senior pastor of the evangelical Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas - which includes more than 18,000 members - announced his plans at a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which represents 52 national Jewish groups.

He told Jewish community leaders that 40 million (out of the 50 million) evangelical Christians in the United States back Israel, adding that he is determined to use this power to help the state of Israel by launching a powerful Christian pro-Israel lobby.

More than 400 hawkish Christian community leaders, who are well-known pro-Israeli supporters, met in February to discuss the establishment of the new lobby. Other than Hagee, its leaders include evangelist George Morrison; fundamentalist Baptist minister Jerry Falwell; and Gary Bauer, president of the American Values organization.

“A force to be reckoned with”

Though Israel has always enjoyed a broad support among the American public, its most vocal and influential supporters were American Jews. But political analyst note that this began to change in recent years, as Christians took on an increasingly important role in American politics, particularly since George W. Bush recaptured the White House for Republicans in 2000.

"President Bush's election gave Christian conservatives a measure of influence with the executive branch of the United States government that they had not enjoyed since the Reagan administration," according to Robert P. George, a professor of politics at Princeton University and an astute Beltway observer. "Their influence is greater than it was with the administration of President Bush's father and, of course, they had no influence with Clinton."

Hence, according to George, "Christian conservatives are a force to be reckoned with in Washington. They are not in a position to dictate policy, but they almost always influence it on issues of concern to them." And, of course, one of those issues of concern is Israel.

Some analysts also say that the September 11 attacks reinforced many Christians‘ support for the Jewish state. "I think popular American support for Israel, certainly after 9/11, has gone back up again," says Glickman, a former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture who served in the United States Congress for 18 years. "After 9/11, that support is firmer now than it was before“ he said.

“Political earthquake”

According to Hagee, the new Israel lobby is due to be launched in July during a Washington conference that will be attended by hundreds of U.S. evangelicals. He said that the group’s activities would be a "political earthquake,” as it would target senators and congressmen on Capitol Hill. A quarter of congressmen are evangelicals, Hagee said, adding that many American legislators represent regions that include a large evangelical population.

Hagee also plans to establish an effective network of key activists across the United States who can be reached within 24 hours for emergency lobbying efforts. He said he already appointed 12 regional directors who will be responsible for lobbying activities in their areas and that he plans to appoint representatives in every state and major city.

Hagee, one of 20 evangelical leaders who met with now coma-stricken Ariel Sharon during his last trip to Washington, also said he would head a delegation of 500 evangelicals due to visit Israel this summer.

Hagee already discussed his project with Israel’s consul general in New York, Aryeh Mekel, who said that the “evangelical population's support of Israel is very important.”

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Danny Ayalon, responded in a similar manner when he discussed the formation of the new lobby with Hagee last February. "We see Christians in the United States as true friends and important supporters on the basis of shared values, and we welcome their efforts to strengthen the ties between Israel and the U.S.," he said at the time.

Rabbi James Rudin, author of "The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us," said that Hagee has been known for many years as an enthusiastic advocate of Israel, and is a typical right-wing Christian supporter of the Jewish country.

Rabbi Rudin’s words couldn't be more true. Hagee once told Christian worshippers at the Cornerstone Church in Texas, that "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish state. Not since Camp David but since King David.”

Pro-Palestinian groups say that this new alliance between Jewish groups and Christian conservatives in the United States could never bring a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, som left of centre activists like MJ Rosenberg of the Israeli Policy Forum fear that the new Christian pro-Israel lobbies may constrain the U.S.‘s ability to act as a fair mediator between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"It's more than damaging," he says. "It's frightening."
Sources: AlJazeera2006-04-03 22:05:29

Israeli artillery shelling north of Gaza Strip yesterday (Alhayat Aljadeeda, 4/2/06).

Israeli artillery shelling north of Gaza Strip yesterday (Alhayat Aljadeeda, 4/2/06).

First phase of election on 03 - 04 - 06

GUWAHATI - 03 ; Today voting started for the first phase of election . The voting is just like snail . The missdeeds of all the party concern will be the outcome of the election . Peoples those who are taking part are keeping in mind the 47 th partition , the anti Muslim agitation of AASU , the Godhra episode , the secret killing during the Hindutva rule of A B Vajpayee , the scraping of IMDT , the constable selection and so on .