Police Brutality & Cover-up 11-27-2015

27, November 2015                 Police Brutality & Cover-up

The gruesome killing of 17-year-old African-American, Laquan McDonald, in a hail of 16 bullets, including multiple times in the back, occurred more than a year ago. Chicago police officer, Van Dyke, who has been charged with first-degree murder began shooting 6 seconds after arriving on the scene. Laquan’s final moments were captured on the dashboard camera.

After months of foot dragging a judge ordered the video of the killing to be released. 400 days have elapsed and every effort was made to prevent the release of the video which clearly implicates senior police officials and high government Chicago officials including Mayor Rahm Emmanuel.  Van Dyke received full pay during the 400 days.

He had at least 20 civilian complaints against him, which included excessive use of force, illegal arrest and use of racial slurs. None of these complaints resulted in any disciplinary action.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s claim that he had not seen the video seems highly unlikely given that he approved a $5 million settlement to the family earlier this year, even before the family had filed a lawsuit. The Mayor and the State’s Attorney, Anita Alvarez stated “they were saddened, outraged, disturbed when they saw the video.” It is a pity they didn’t express outrage over Van Dyke prior unprofessional conduct and failed to take remedial action. The police chief should be fired and Mayor Emanuel should be severely censored for his complicity in prolonging the course of justice.

Migrants 11-25-2015

25, November 2015                          Migrants

It’s been four long years since the people of Syria rose up to demand democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners. Bashar al-Assad’s response was to brutally repress the protesters, pushing his country into a civil war that has attracted local and foreign fighters, among them the terrorists of ISIS.

This long and bloody conflict has already resulted in the death of a quarter of a million people, displaced 8 million civilians internally, and caused another 4 million to flee. Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have responded taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees, and while Germany opened its doors to them, the United States has accepted only 36.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, Donald Trump and the governors in 31 states have stoked up fears and called for an immediate halt to accepting any additional migrants. Largely ignored in the debate is the role the United States played in creating the crisis. The 2003 invasion of Iraq on false pretenses was the catalyst that led to the creation of ISIS from whom the refugees are fleeing.

A bill by House Republicans restricts Iraqi and Syrian refugees from resettling here. In a perfect world we should have paid billions in reparations to Iraq and Afghanistan for destabilizing their country and creating the refugee crisis. 

Jihadist infiltration is a legitimate concern but the tight vetting process should prevent them from entering. It is ironic that Americans are dying at the rate of 100 a day but an adequate vetting process for the possession of hand guns remains elusive.

The current hysteria draws historical parallels the country faced in the 1930s, when Jewish refugees sought refuge here. Case Western Reserve University history professor, Peter Schulman, recently tweeted a Fortune Magazine poll question from 1939 that asked, "Should the U.S. government permit 10,000 mostly Jewish refugee children to seek sanctuary from Germany?" A staggering 61 percent of respondents at the time said NO. Among those who were denied were Anne Frank and her family. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, made desperate attempts to enter the United States and Cuba without success.

The ordeal faced by Jewish refugees during and after World War II was portrayed in the 1976 film, "Voyage of the Damned." The film is based on the true story of the 1939 voyage of the SS St. Louis, which sailed for Havana from Hamburg Germany carrying 900 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. The Cuban Government denied entry to the passengers, so the ship made its way to the United States, where the Coast Guard delivered the following ominous message:

SS ST. LOUIS CREWMAN: “Attention, Captain St. Louis. You are violating U.S. territorial limits. Do not approach any closer. Do not attempt to land. You will not, repeat, not be permitted to dock at any United States port. Acknowledge”.

SS ST. LOUIS CAPTAIN: “Signal, message received and acknowledged”.

Consumed with fear and despair a number of people jumped off the sides of the ship and drowned. The remaining German Jews were shipped back to Germany and died in concentration camps.

Arguments were made at the time to keep out the Jews stoking up feelings of bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism; they were perceived to be an ideological threat and posed a danger that Nazi agents may have infiltrated among them.

Echoes of those arguments are heard in the present day narrative regarding the threat of terrorists infiltrating among the Syrians. What is most disturbing is not what Donald Trump said when he vehemently opposed Syrian refugees entering the United States, but the wild cheers that accompanied his racist comments. Hostility and racism has been experienced by most early immigrants - the Irish, Poles, Chinese, Catholics, Indians and many other groups. In every case such fears have proven to be completely unfounded. There is a much greater risk from home grown terrorists who have easy access to guns.

In spite of the Paris attacks, President Francois Hollande declared that France will continue to honor its commitment to take in a minimum of 20,000 Syrian refugees, over the next two years.

In the ensuing debate, it is time to remember that America is a nation of refugees and we should act with compassion and humanity to honor Emma Lazarus’s famous words, chiseled on the Statue of Liberty: “A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.”

Saudi Arabia 11-23-2015

23, November 2015         Saudi Arabia

The Obama administration has intensified its trade with Saudi Arabia ignoring warnings that it is guilty of massive war crimes and human rights violations in Yemen. The sale includes 84 new Boeing F-15 aircraft, 70 of Boeing's Apache attack helicopters and 36 of its AH-6M Little Birds. In addition, the deal will include 72 Black Hawk helicopters.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch has called for the United States to halt arm shipments to Saudi Arabia or risk being complicit in war crimes in Yemen where Saudi Arabia is continuing its intensive bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels. Thousands of civilians have died under the heavy Saudi onslaught.  

It is past time to file divorce papers and sever all connection to this xenophobic regime which exemplifies a harsh Islamic orthodoxy that is extremely misogynistic, homophobic, intolerant of other religions and excessively cruel in its archaic system of justice and punishment. Sadly, the defense contractors in Britain and the US see Saudi Arabia as a cash cow who will continue to purchase huge quantities of weapons to expand their medieval Islamic Wahhabism round the world. The U.S. has truly lost the moral high ground in its ongoing support of the Saudi monarchy. We seem to have conveniently forgotten that 15 of the 19 9/11 attackers were Saudi nationals. The lead author of the Senate’s report on 9/11 says it’s time to reveal what’s in the 28 pages that were redacted from it.

Paris Attacks 11-22-2015

22, November 2015             Paris Attacks

In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, top U.S. officials are calling for access to encryption information on smartphones; thus far there has been no evidence that the terrorists’ communications were encrypted. In a blatant attempt to exploit the Paris attacks, the FBI and NSA reiterated their defense of mass surveillance and dismissed those who challenged it. They also used the occasion to demonize Edward Snowden ignoring the fact that Snowden never released any sensitive data directly to the general public but routed it to major media organizations for proper vetting prior to publication.

This is, in large part, an effort by the Intelligence Agencies to deflect the growing criticism of their abysmal record of preventing terrorist attacks and manufacturing false threats dating back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In spite of receiving billions to support their activities, the bogus claims of WMD’s in Iraq foisted on a largely skeptical public, contributed mightily to the destabilization of the whole Middle East. The decision by Paul Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, to dismiss elite Baathist soldiers aligned with Saddam Hussein, was a monumental blunder which gave rise to ISIS. With its tentacles speading far and wide, the CIA failed to detect the 2002 bombing of the nightclub in Bali, the 2004, 2005 attacks on the trains in Madrid and London, the 2008 mass shooting spree in Mumbai, the April 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon and more recently the terrorist attacks in Paris and Mali.

Terrorists have known for decades that the U.S. government is trying to read their emails and listen to their telephone calls and have used sophisticated encryption. As far back as February, 2001, before the 9/11 attack, the FBI warned Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda were using extremely sophisticated encryption in order to prevent us from listening to their conversations. For more go to, http://callforsocialjustice.blogspot.com/

Middle East Turmoil 11-19-2015

19, November 2015             Middle East Turmoil

In the recent Democratic Presidential Debate, Bernie Sanders was right to hold Hillary Clinton’s feet to the fire for her hasty, short-sighted decision to topple Saddam Hussein of Iran and Gaddafi of Libya. Her glib response that it was ‘a mistake’ is a gross understatement. Neither Hussein nor Gaddafi were an existential threat to the US. Their removal has plunged the whole Middle East into utter chaos. Sanders was also right to condemn ‘regime change’ as a core foreign US foreign policy objective. It has been an unmitigated disaster in destabilizing so many countries in the world. Western powers, most notably the US, Canada, France, the UK and Israel have flooded the Middle East, with billions of dollars in weapons sales. The US sold Saudi Arabia over $30 billion in F-15 Boeing fighter jets and Lockheed F-16 to bomb Yemen and Syria. The Emirates will be receiving a fleet of Predator drones to run spying missions. France has just completed a $10 billion contract with Saudi Arabia.

The Emirates spent nearly $23 billion last year, more than three times what they spent in 2006.

Saudi Arabia spent more than $80 billion on weaponry last year and has become the world’s fourth-largest defense market. Our administration and defense contractors seem to be totally unconcerned that our great ‘ally’ Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of terrorism and many of the weapons will be funneled to ISIS and to wage war on Iran and Yemen.

Does trade and profits in these killing machines triumph concerns for human life? Doesn’t this conflict with our much touted “core values’? Our current polices are a prescription for mayhem where most of the victims are innocent civilians. As a first step the US and are allies should create a weapons free zone in the Middle East. We should extricate ourselves from regional proxy and sectarian wars and let the Muslim nations sort out their differences which are rooted in a profound disagreements over the rightful descendent of Prophet Mohamad.

For more go to, http://callforsocialjustice.blogspot.com/

Paris Attacks 11-15-2015

15, November 2015             Paris Attacks

As Paris reels from another barbaric atrocity, there must be wild cheers within the ranks of ISIS that their reach is wide and their thirst for revenge unfathomable. Their cowardly acts of brutality were accompanied by “Allah ah Akbar” – God is great – as though God condones such despicable behavior!

Islam does not have a monopoly on the truth. Defenders of Islam often respond by claiming that Islam is a religion of peace. But where is the evidence? Most of the current conflicts in the world, most notably in the Middle East and Africa, are being conducted by Islamic fundamentalists rooted in a deep chasm between Shias and Sunnis. 

If the Koran does indeed sanction such acts of violence then it is past time that these ‘sacred texts’ undergo a major overall and these offensive ‘kill all infidels’ passages be expunged. If Muslim scholars fail to respond there is little doubt that Islam will forever be tainted and Muslims fleeing conflict zones adversely impacted.

Host countries must protect their citizenry from Jihadists who may infiltrate within the thousands of innocent migrants seeking refuge. A probationary period (say 1 -2 years) should be imposed on all migrants seeking residence with mandatory language and job training requirements. Every effort should be made to integrate the newcomers and there should be zero-tolerance of self-styled religious fanatics spewing hatred and discord. The Paris attacks should be a stark warning that it can no longer continue “business as usual.” 

Response to Tom Elias 11-13-2015

13, November 2015           Response to Tom Elias

Tom Elias (opinion November 12) is right to condemn blatant acts of anti-Semitism on college campuses. However, it would be wrong to conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. Actions calling for a boycott of Israeli products are legitimate and endorsed by a growing number of European countries. Every effort should be made to end Israel’s crushing occupation, theft of Palestinian land and violations of international law aided and abetted by our tax dollars.

Perhaps Elias is not aware that a leading Jewish spokesman, Henry Siegman, the former executive director of the American Jewish Congress, stated recently that Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel is the main impediment to peace. According to Siegman, Netanyahu’s cabinet appointments expose a troubling overt racism. Consider the following:

Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, called for the “destruction of the entire Palestinian people, including its elderly women, cities, villages, property and infrastructure."

Foreign minister, Hotovely, sent out instructions to all Israeli ambassadors to advise governments that the Bible confirmed that God was in the real estate business and promised all of Palestine to the Jews.

Deputy Minister of Defense, Dahan and his boss called for separating Palestinians and Jews on separate busses.
Silvan Shalom the new chief of peace negotiations has been on record for opposing a two-state solution.

Dore Gold, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, currently the new director of the Foreign Ministry has a lifelong record of total opposition to a Palestinian state.

BDS Growing 11-11-2015

11, November 2015             BDS Growing    

      

Hundreds of university professors in the United Kingdom plan to halt all further cooperation with Israeli schools in an effort to draw world-wide attention to Israel's violations of international law. They hoped their action would draw attention to Israel’s apartheid policies and encourage other institutions to follow their lead. The move is part of the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that aims to isolate Israel as a form of nonviolent resistance to defend basic Palestinian rights.

"The need for solidarity with the Palestinian people is made more urgent today by the current escalation of violent conflict in Israel/Palestine. The fatalities are overwhelmingly of Palestinians engaging in street protests provoked by Israel's 48-year and ever tightening occupation," organizers said in a statement. "Palestinians are driven to desperation in the face of Israeli intransigence, and its continuing ethnic cleansing of East Jerusalem."

The 343 signatories from 72 institutions throughout the UK cited the "deep complicity" of Israeli academic institutions in Israel's violations of international law and have vowed to maintain their boycott "until the State of Israel complies with international law, and respects universal principles of human rights".

The signatories accused Israeli universities of being complicit in the countries violations of international law including research leading to the development of weaponized, unmanned bulldozers that have been used to demolish Palestinian homes. It is tragic that the Obama administration and all prior administrations continue to fund the Israeli war machine and thereby abandon its core values of promoting human rights.

Ben Carson 11-9-2015

9, November 2015               Ben Carson

It appears another Republican presidential candidate has bitten the dust. If Ben Carson’s account of trying to attack his mother with a hammer and stabbing a friend is true he has effectively foreclosed his bid for the White House. The more Ben Carson speaks, the less presidential he appears. It is truly frightening to imagine such a man have access to our nuclear codes and be on top of the chain of command.

The fact that he has so many supporters in the Republican Party is frightening and says volumes about how low the political process has sunk. We should all be afraid that Carson and a demagogue like "the Donald" are the front runners.

It seems strange that Carson would vigorously challenge reporters about facts of his bio, with an intensity that was totally absent in defending some of his policy positions.

Eagar to receive the endorsement of the Bible belt he announced a continuous stream of Bible-based stories and historical interpretations and exploded with uncharacteristic anger when challenged by the media. 

It appears a desperate attempt to convince a growing skeptical public that God had rescued him from his inner demons. This is a sad epitaph to a man who reached the pinnacle of his profession and can justly be proud of his professional accomplishments as a brain surgeon. Following his retirement he seems to have forgotten the Hippocratic Oath, “doctor first do no harm”! This includes adhering to the truth and not engaging in flights of fantasy.   

Curveball (Conned the Neocons) 11-8-2015

8, November 2015               Curveball (Conned the Neocons)

Ahmed Chalabi, nicknamed ‘CURVEBALL’, by President George Bush’s, inner circle, was  an opportunist who well understood that Bush and his close advisors, Cheney and Rumsfeld were desperate to topple Saddam Hussein and were only looking for some ‘tangible proof’ to  justify the 2003 invasion.

Chalabi was a prosperous Iraqi Shia exile with a doctorate in knot theory from Chicago who possessed a usual talent for spinning yarns. He made a fortune from a bank in Jordan, but had to hide in the trunk of a car to escape Jordanian authorities in hot pursuit who accused him of massive fraud. The Washington neocons, regarded Chalabi as the quintessential influential Iraqi insider who could bring his prodigious talents to convince a skeptical public that Saddam Hussein was an imminent threat to the US. Chalabi was put on the CIA payroll and mesmerized the neocons with his bogus stories of Saddam’s WMD’s. If the invasion had gone well there is little doubt that Chalabi would have been groomed as the next President.  Eventually he was exposed as a charlatan but managed to wiggle his way into influential and lucrative positions in successive Iraqi governments. He died a rich and free man, out of the clutches of Iraqi law enforcement. It’s hard to believe that one man could wreck such havoc on his own country and the wider Middle East

A sad epitaph to a brilliant but morally bankrupt man who was the architect of his country’s demise.

Lord of the Rings Speaks Out 11-6-2015

6, November 2015                Lord of the Rings Speaks Out

Viggo Mortensen, best known for his portrayal of the warrior-king Aragorn in the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings"(LOR) trilogy, spoke out against police brutality and American Empire. He is a fierce advocate of progressive causes and social justice. His memorial line in LOR "Let us together rebuild this world, that we may share in the days of peace" is certainly relevant in today’s troubled world.

His book, Twilight of Empire: Responses to Occupation, was published at the height of the ill-fated invasion of Iraq which most pundits agree was the biggest foreign policy blunder in American history. Mortensen paid homage to former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who was the only person in the House who voted against the invasion of Iraq.

In a recent interview he recalled the first line of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ –, "O say can you see," reflecting that so few challenged the actions of our government who goad us into so many conflicts using the Clinton doctrine that ‘America reserves the right to invade any  country in the world if our vital interests are threatened  - undeterred that such pompous arrogance is a complete violation of international law. I dare say many of those incarcerated on relatively minor charges would hardly experience much pride in the last two lines , "Land of the free and home of the brave." Mortenson was highly critical of police abuses, especially of black people and Obama’s drone attacks which has resulted in over 90% civilian deaths.

The Republican Debate 11-5-2015

5, November 2015   The Republican Debate

Following their disastrous defeat in the 2008 election, Republicans did a great deal of soul searching and came to the conclusion that they should start talking to the American people rather than serve as an echo chamber to their own base which merely reinforces their own cherished, misguided beliefs. The recent Republican debate failed to achieve this objective but used every opportunity to trash each other and Obama’s policies without offering any specifics or alternatives.

Frustrated by their collective weak performance they lashed out at the CNBC moderators for failing to offer them softball questions. A pouting Trump got his way following the successful boycott of Telemundo pitting himself against Latino voters. The candidates were frothing at the mouth when asked to explain how they might simultaneously slash taxes and the federal deficit; deport 10 million people overnight; or cut the tax code from 70,000 pages to three. To make it more interesting for future viewers, the real answers could be provided with a screen caption in real time.

Passionate familiarity with the issues, not anger and bombast should be an essential human quality for those seeking the presidency. A president who has the nuclear codes given to emotional responses and a superficial knowledge of the important issues would be an unmitigated disaster. We witnessed what happened on George Bush’s watch – an endless war in Afghanistan chaos in Iraq, a staggering federal deficit and a monumental bank crisis.

Genocide in India 11-3-2015

3, November 2015                Genocide in India

During the Vedic era, a matriarchal society existed when Indian women were honored and respected epitomized by the goddesses Lakshmi, Durga and Sarasvati and put on pedestals of glory. This concept was reinforced by the common belief, 'Yatra Naryastu Pujyante, Ramante Tatra Devta' - where woman are worshiped, God resides.

With the dawn of ‘civilization’, much has changed with new rules, customs and dogmas replacing the old Vedic traditions. Male dominance quickly supplanted  female societal roles and they quickly lost their ‘life, liberty and pursuit of happiness’. 

The 'Nari tu Narayani' woman worshiped as a goddess turned out to be a slave who suffered abuse by a partriachical society.

The many decades of oppression of girls and women was the theme of ‘Petals in the Dust (PID)’, a documentary shown at the South Asian Film Festival last Sunday. It highlights the challenges facing the class of endangered people in modern India - the vanishing female population. Whereas most of the present day focus has been on Prime Minister Modi and India’s burgeoning economy, scant attention has been paid to the plight of women. In a patriarchal society that focuses far too much attention on the value of boys, girls have been marginalized and many are snuffed out before they even gasp their first breath.

A staggering 50 million women have been murdered in the last century; that is higher than the combined fatalities in World War 1 & II, a sad indictment of a nation that boasts of being the epicenter of spirituality. A few other alarming statics; India ranks as the world's fourth most dangerous country for a woman behind Saudi Arabia and the most dangerous country in the world for female visitors; about half a million female fetuses are aborted every year; nearly half of India's girls are married off before the age of 18.

Sikhs who engage in these hideous pracices should be especially ashamed. This is a clear violation of the basic tenet of Sikhism. Guru Nanak, the founder and all succeeding Gurus vigorously promoted complete gender equality.  

Not a single religious or political leader has championed the cause of women which has allowed this genocide to continue.

PIF examines the plight of women in modern India and dispels the myth that such criminal behavior is only confined to poor or low caste families. On the contrary, female infanticide is especially prevalent in upper middle class families.

The root cause of the problem is a patriarchal mindset which favors boys over girls.

The PID filmmaker spent 7 years researching the plight of girls and women and concluded that they continue to lose their lives to infanticide, sex-selective abortions, starvation, medical neglect, dowry deaths and brutal gang rapes. The declining female population is also leading to increased crimes against women including trafficking and bride purchasing. If current practices continue it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 20 percent more men than women. The highly lucrative ultra sound clinics play a major role in abortions and infanticides.

The girls ‘fortunate’ to survive selective abortions, are usually relegated to subordinate roles – denied educational opportunities and condemned to a life of menial work and early marriage.

The skewed gender imbalance has led to wife sharing, trafficking, and bride purchasing. If this trend is allowed to continue, there will be 20 percent more men than women by 2020.

There are certain Indian customs which reinforces male superiority and must be rejected.

SATI The insidious practice of widows throwing themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre. This sends a strong message that a widow’s life has been foreclosed following their husband’s death. Although, the practice is outlawed and illegal it occurs up to the present day and is still regarded by some Hindus as the ultimate form of womanly devotion and sacrifice.

Widows often shorn their hair,  and retire to ashrams to lead lives of poverty and destitution following the death of their husbands. This further reinforces the subordinate role of women.

The film explores the cultural origins of this vast genocidal crime and includes the voices of activists and gender experts. The harrowing stories of young survivors who appeared in the film were forced to endure years of physical, mental and sexual abuse. One woman described suffering multiple jaw fractures from her upper middle class ‘cultured’ husband. One of the most gruesome acts of infanticide showed fetuses being tossed to an angry mob of snarling dogs. There were loud gasps of outrage and many of the audience turned their faces away.

FID delivers a strong message calling for a reversal of current practices. In a panel discussion following the showing of the film, the speakers spoke passionately of the urgent need for change and reinforced much of the points raised by PID. One of the speakers called attention to the practice of  Karwa Chauth, a Hindu fasting ritual practiced by wives to bless their husbands with a long and prosperous life. Few husbands reciprocate the ritual for their wife’s. Thus, the ritual only perpetuates unhealthy male dominance. To see a trailer of PID go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0QyZEY1UF4.

Response to A.K. Sharma 11-1-2015

1, November 2015               Response to A.K. Sharma (I-W Oct. 30)

A.K. Sharma’s letter (I-W October 30) contains a number of inaccuracies. He is right to challenge Khalistan as an important current issue among Sikhs; it is largely a non-issue with most Sikhs in India. A few American Sikhs still cling to the notion of creating a separate state for the Sikhs, but they are few in number. However, it was dictatorial of Indira Gandhi to declare Khalistan to be a non-issue in the 1980s. It was an important issue at that time but had been suppressed by draconian police and army methods when large numbers of Sikhs were tortured, killed or simply ‘disappeared’.

Contrary to Sharma’s assertions, it is important to define Sikhism as a separate and distinct faith to Hinduism. Our founder, Guru Nanak, born a Hindu, was a social reformer eager to propagate the ‘ek Onkar’ one God tenet in stark contrast to the pantheon of Gods endemic to Hinduism. It is ludicrous for Sharma to assert that it was a matter of convenience for Dr. Ambedkar to ‘lump’ Hinduism and Sikhism to together as a matter of convenience to distinguish them from the imported faiths of Christianity and Islam which were thrust upon the Indian population by aggressive proselytizing by Christian missionaries or the sword by the messianic Mughal invaders.

Sharma then makes the absurd assertion that there have been no forcible conversions since Modi assumed power. The British Daily, the Guardian, New York Times and many Indian language newspapers have reported widely on the forcible conversions of poverty stricken Muslims and Christians by withholding government subsidies as a conversion tool. Then Sharma makes the preposterous claim that disaffected Muslims and Christians mired in poverty could always rush to travel agents with wads of cash and visas to escape their oppressors. The absence of such an exodus, asserts Sharma, is conclusive proof that these religious minorities are content.

Sharma seems to have conveniently forgotten, that successive US governments denied Modi a visa because of his alleged role in the pogrom in Gujarat. It is surprising that a former pariah could be welcomed with such emotional adulation. I urge Sharma to see a documentary produced by Rakesh Sharma, ‘The Final Solution’ www.vimco.com/rakeshfilm’. on the Muslim/Hindu riots in Gujarat in 2002.