Response to NYT op ed “Mohammad Javad Zarif: Let Us Rid the World of Wahhabism” 9-15-2016

Response to NYT op ed “Mohammad Javad Zarif: Let Us Rid the World of Wahhabism”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/14/opinion/mohammad-javad-zarif-let-us-rid-the-world-of-wahhabism.html?comments#permid=19797164

The US is the largest enabler of Saudi extremism. We continue to flood the Middle East with weapons of perpetual war to enrich our defense contractors.
Consider our latest transgression in Yemen, one of the most impoverished nations in the world, ranked 154th out of the 187 nations on the U.N.’s Human Development Index. One in every five Yemenis goes hungry. Such was the dire conditions of the country prior to Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign last year, which has destroyed, factories, power plants, warehouses, ports, hospitals, schools, water tanks, gas stations, and bridges. In a grotesque effort to inflict more pain and misery, the Saudis have enforced a blockade, cutting off supplies of food, fuel, and medicine.
The tentacles of Saudi money penetrate deep into Washington. They have donated money to Hilary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation which recently received $10 million. Scores of US lobbyists are funded by the House of Saud.
Yemen has never been a threat to the US and there can be no justification for our complicit role in Saudi’s war crimes. President Obama bypassed Congress to facilitate the sale of $110 billion of the most sophisticated weapons.
What an appalling legacy of a man who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, allowing US defense contractors to enrich themselves at the expense of human lives.
Recent Clinton’s emails showed her to be supportive and euphoric of weapon sales to Saudi Arabia while she was Secretary of State.

USA for Sale? 9-14-2016

14, September 2016               USA for Sale?

The New York Attorney General has launched an investigation into the Trump Foundation.

The investigation reveals that Trump has falsely claimed that he is the source of money he has received for his foundation, noting he has not donated any money to his charity since 2008.  Among other egregious activities - $20,000 of the foundation money was used to buy ‘the love of his life’ - a six-foot-tall painting of himself!  To make matters worse, the foundation has made political contributions, including a campaign group for Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had threatened to investigate Trump University.

This comes on the heels of another investigation by Newsweek  which raises questions about the Trump Organization’s potential serious conflicts of interests if Trump would became president. The investigation reveals the Trump Organization consists of a vast financial network that stretches from New York City to India, Ukraine, China, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Russia, where the organization has strong financial interests to Russian mining, banking and to real estate billionaire Vladimir Potanin. Potanin has close ties to the Russian government. This may explain Trump’s adulation for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Newsweek warns that if Trump is elected president and his vast overseas network is not shut down or severed from the Trump family, the foreign policy of the United States of America could well be for sale." Trump’s ‘latest fan’ – Colin Powell whose hacked email said Trump is a "national disgrace" and an "international pariah."

Burkinis 8-30-2016

30, August 2016                        Burkinis

The recent ban of Burkinis in France has predictably conflicted many Muslim women. In the wake of terror attacks in France Moslems are encountering greater scrutiny. It is unlikely that the Burkha/Burkini is one of personal choice but everything to do with pressure to conform by a deeply entrenched male dominated system. I wonder how many Muslim women would respond affirmatively if asked their personal views on wearing the Burkhas anonymously.

It was only late last year when women in Iran were disfigured and blinded in acid attacks for daring to challenge the country’s strict hijab code. No, the hijab is a symbol of oppression of women in much the same way as the ban on prohibiting women driving in countries like Saudi Arabia. The Somalian born author and activist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, describes Muslim headscarves as a means in which a deeply patriarchal culture oppresses women. “The veil deliberately marks women as private and restricted property, non-persons. The veil sets women apart from men and apart from the world; it restrains them, confines them, grooms them for docility. It is the mark of a kind of apartheid, not the domination of a race but of a sex. You risk not only being judged, denounced and reviled but completely ostracized. Being a source of shame to your family for not abiding by accepted cultural practices can be traumatic for any young girl let alone one raised in cultures where she’s considered subservient to men”.

Response to NYT op ed article on France’s ban on Burkini 8-28-2016

28 Aug 2016          Response to NYT op ed article on France’s ban on Burkini

I wonder how many Muslim women would respond affirmatively if asked their personal views on wearing the Bukhas anonymously.

I wonder how many men would be willing to wear burkas to cover their alluring bodies from the gaze of women. It was only late last year when women in Iran were disfigured and blinded in acid attacks for daring to challenge the country’s strict hijab code. No, the hijab is a hideous symbol of oppression of women in much the same way as the fatwa on prohibiting women driving in countries like Saudi Arabia. The Somalian born author and activist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, describes Muslim headscarves as a means in which a deeply patriarchal culture oppresses women. “The veil deliberately marks women as private and restricted property, non-persons,” she said. “The veil sets women apart from men and apart from the world; it restrains them, confines them, grooms them for docility. “It is the mark of a kind of apartheid, not the domination of a race but of a sex.”

The pressure to conform is overwhelming.  risk not only being judged, denounced and reviled but completely ostracized. Being a source of shame to your family for not abiding by accepted cultural practices can be traumatic for any young girl let alone one raised in cultures where she’s considered subservient to men.

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The unpalatable truth is that the root cause of much of the world’s entrenched misogyny in 2015 is Islam and it manifests itself in a variety of ways including the requirement for women to cover up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/opinion/sunday/at-the-beach-in-my-burkini.html?comments#permid=19619493

Response to Desmond Tuck’s letter 8-27-2016

27, August 2016       Response to Desmond Tuck’s letter

Desmond Tuck, in his letter Friday 27, accuses African-Americans of “engaging in anarchy”. It is apparent that Tuck has never experienced the sting of racism or the living hell many blacks have to endure on a daily basis especially when confronted by rogue cops that prey on poor African-Americans hurling racial epithets with guns blazing. Perhaps, Tuck is not aware or is unconcerned that eevery 36 hours, a black person is killed by a police officer. This year a staggering 1136 blacks have been killed by police officers. Comprising only 2% of the total US population, African American males between the ages of 15 and 34 accounts for than 15% of all deaths logged this year by an ongoing investigation into the use of deadly force by police. The rate of police-involved deaths was five times higher than for white men of the same age. Specific examples are too numerous to mention. However, the tragic death of Tamir Rice, a 12 year old African-American fatally shot by police within two seconds on arrival, is especially disturbing. When Tamir’s 14-year-old sister rushed to her brother’s side she was thrown to the ground and handcuffed. No effort was made to administer first aid to Tamir. African-Americans have tried to seek justice within the system to no avail. Tuck owes African-Americans an unconditional apology for his insensitive comment.

Those “Damned” Emails 8-26-2016

26, August 2016                    Those “Damned” Emails

Disturbing questions have once again arisen over the close ties between Clinton’s emails and her Foundation. It took three years of persistent effort by the Associated Press, using the Freedom of Information Act, to pry her fingers from the closely guarded data.

The released emails only cover half of her four-year tenure. Blaming Colin Powell as a defensible precedent doesn’t cut mustard when it has been shown that her private server was created 12 months before Powell’s created his private server. Furthermore, Powell always used the State Department’s server for classified work.

According to the AP investigation, more than half of the private citizens Clinton met while serving as Secretary of State donated huge sums of money to the Clinton Foundation. The analysis shows that at least 85 of 154 people Clinton had scheduled phone or face-to-face meetings were foundation donors. This does not include meetings Clinton held with U.S. or foreign governments. As Secretary of State she approved huge increases in arms sales to some of the most brutal regimes in the world including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE who rewarded her efforts with huge donations. None of these Gulf nations can ever be accused of having stellar reputations for their philanthropic work.

Criticism of Algeria’s human rights abuses were abruptly soft-pedalled following a generous donation.

UBS, embroiled in huge tax problems, abruptly received special dispensation after they made a generous donation. The quid pro quo may be difficult to prove but the odor is strong and lingering.

Disturbing questions have once again arisen over the close ties between Clinton’s emails and her Foundation. It took three years of persistent effort by the Associated Press, using the Freedom of Information Act, to pry her fingers from the closely guarded data.

The released emails only cover half of her four-year tenure. Blaming Colin Powell as a defensible precedent doesn’t cut mustard when it has been shown that her private server was created 12 months before Powell’s created his private server. Furthermore, Powell always used the State Department’s server for classified work.

According to the AP investigation, more than half of the private citizens Clinton met while serving as Secretary of State donated huge sums of money to the Clinton Foundation. The analysis shows that at least 85 of 154 people Clinton had scheduled phone or face-to-face meetings were foundation donors. This does not include meetings Clinton held with U.S. or foreign governments. As Secretary of State she approved huge increases in arms sales to some of the most brutal regimes in the world including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE who rewarded her efforts with huge donations. None of these Gulf nations can ever be accused of having stellar reputations for their philanthropic work.

Criticism of Algeria’s human rights abuses were abruptly soft-pedalled following a generous donation.

UBS, embroiled in huge tax problems, abruptly received special dispensation after they made a generous donation. The quid pro quo may be difficult to prove but the odor is strong and lingering.

Comment submitted in response to NYT op ed Saudi Arabia 8-25-2016

 25 Aug 2016             Comment submitted in response to NYT op ed Saudi Arabia

HC expresses outrage of Saudi’s close ties to terror groups! What hypocrisy! As Secretary of State she played a lead role in expediting huge arms sales to SA which they have used to launch a relentless bombing campaign on neighboring Yemen, one of the most impoverished nations in the world. The bombs have destroyed, factories, power plants, warehouses, ports, hospitals, schools, water tanks, gas stations, and bridges. In a grotesque effort to inflict more pain and misery, the Saudis have enforced a blockade, cutting off supplies of food, fuel, and medicine. To demonstrate their financial muscle, the Saudi’s coerced the UN from removing them from a blacklist of nations responsible for killing children, threatening to withhold their UN dues. The UN cravenly crumbled to a morally bankrupt bandit regime. The tentacles of Saudi money have penetrated deep into Washington. They have donated money to H C and the Clinton Foundation. Scores of US lobbyists are funded by the House of Saud. Red Cross President, Peter Maurer,  reported that Yemen, after five months, looks like Syria after five years. Yemen has never been a threat to the US and there can be no justification for our complicit role in Saudi’s war crimes. The only beneficiary of this appalling policy is to enrich US defense contractors at the expense of human lives. SA is the largest purveyor of terrorism in the world.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam.html?comments#permid=19598253