Minority Watch # 11, Feb 15, 2008

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters

An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Iraq Shias

"Iraqi Shiites see the mediocrity of their own leaders" comments Abd Al-Hussein Shaaban in The Daily Star, February 07, 2008, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=88760

2. Bahais in Egypt

'A question of faith" by Gamal Nkrumah in Al-Ahram Weekly, Jan 31, 2008, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/882/fr2.htm

3. Armenians and Turkey

On Feb 6, 2008, The Daily Star reports about a legal against in the US against insurance companies for claims dating back to the final stages of the Ottoman Empire. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88729.

4. Muslims in UK

Text of the Feb 7 speech of The Archibishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams where he observed that the introducation of sharia laws in UK "seems unavoidable" is availabel at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/1575 and a BBC survey of Sharia laws in different parts of the world see, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7235357.stm.

5. Arabs in Israel

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit announced that his ministry will submit a proposal to build a new Arab city with the Galilee region as the possible location, report Ha'aretz, Feb 13, 2008, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/953649.html

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Minority Watch # 10, Feb 1, 2008

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters

An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Bedouins in Israel

Bedouin village of Attir-Alhiran in the south is faced with demolision to pave the way for the construction of a new Jewish neighborhood, reports Ha'aretz, Nov 18, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/925221.html

2. Shias in Bahrain

Bahrain denies claims of torture of Shias, reports The Daily Star, Jan 18, 2008, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88118

3. Shias in Iraq

On the eve of the Ashura ceremony, a suicide bomber attacked a shia gathering in a mosque in Diyala province northeast of Baghadad, reports The Daily Star, Jan 18, 2008, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88133

4. Bahais in Egypt

On January 29, a court in Cairo allowed the Bahais to leave their religion blank in official documents, reports The Jordan Times, January 30, 2008, http://jordantimes.com/?news=5353

Articles, Books, Reports, etc.

1. Israel and Druze
"Israel's state-Druze rift"" by Dominic Moran in ISN Security Watch, Nov 16, 2007, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=18363

2. Egypt and Bahai
Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom, report by Human Rights Watch and EIPR report, Nov 2007, http://hrw.org/reports/2007/egypt1107/

3. Lebanon and Shias

"The reinvention of Lebanese Shiite history" commentary by Hussain Abdul-Hussain Commentary in The Daily Star, January 21, 2008, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=88206

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Minority Watch # 09, Nov 15, 2007

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters

An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Druze in Israel

The response of the police against Druze protesters in Peki'in evoke strong criticisms from political leaders, reports Ha'artz, Oct 31, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/918690.html

Knesset Interior Committee votes in favor of a state commission of inquiry to go into the violence in the Druze village of Peki'in in late Oct, reports Ha'aretz, Nov 5, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/920209.html

2. Arabs in Israel

Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman calls for the disbanding of Higher Arab Monitoring Committee because "it challenges the Jewish people's right of self-determination", reports Ha'aretz, Nov 8, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/921625.html

3. Kurds in Turkey

Democratic Society Party of Turkey calls for autonomy for predominantly Kurdish southeast region, reports The Daily Star, Nov 9, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=86646

******

Minority Watch # 08, November 1, 2007

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters
An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Bohras in Kuwait
Plans to construct a Bohra mosque generates heated debate in Kuwait, reports The Daily Star, Oct 17, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=86010

2. Druze in Israel

According to Foreign Ministry officials Kadima MK Majallie Whbee would soon be appointed as Deputy Minister reports The Jerusalem Post, Oct 22, 2007, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380617397&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

3. Christians in the Occupied territories

Citing security considerations Israel has cancelled reentry visas to Arab Christian religious leaders wishing to travel to and out of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, reports Ha'aretz, Oct 26, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/917189.html

4. Non-Jews in Israel

Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann told a Knesset Committee that the High Court should not review petitions by non-Jews on citizenship issues, reports Ha'aretz, Oct 28, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/917489.html

Articles, Books, Reports etc.,

1. Bedouins in Sinai
Bedouin unrest troubles Cairo, says a commentary in ISN Security Watch Oct 15, 2007, http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=18237

2. Kurds and Turkey
"Iraq's Kurds hold key to Turkey's dilemma", says Charles Recknage, in Radio Free Europe, Oct 25, 2007, http://www.rferl.org/newsline/5-not.asp

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Minority Watch # 07, October 15, 2007

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters

An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Armenian massacre

US President George W Bush opposes moves to characterize the deaths of thousands of Armenians during the World War I as 'genocide', reports The Daily Star, Oct 6, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85815

On Oct 10, US House Foreign Affairs Committee's approved a motion call the killing of Armenians during the World War I as a 'genocide' and now it goes to the full House, reports Ha'aretz, Oct 11, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/911629.html. The same paper carries a report by Anshel Pfeffer on Israel's reaction and responses to the whole controversy, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/911630.html

Citing potentional tension with Turkey, the White House has opposed the Committee move, reports The Daily Star, Oct 11, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85916

2. Bedouins in Sinai

Police used tear gas to put down protests by Bedouins in Sinai, reports The Daily Star, Oct 8, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85836

3. Druze in Israel

Israeli Druze town of Hurfeish is being discriminated financially complaints its major, reports Ha'aretz, Oct 9, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/910722.html;

A group of Druze women from the Golan Heights held a protest in front of the Red Cross Office in Jerusalem demanding right to visit their relatives in Syria through the Quneitra border crossing, reports Ha'aretz, Oct 9, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/910721.html

Articles, Books, Reports etc.,

1. Muslims in Germany

Beneath the secular surface, Germany fears conversion argues Halima Krausen in The Daily Star, Oct 10, 2007,

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=85833

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2. Druze in Israel

In his article in Ha'aretz (Oct 9, 2007), Meron Rapoport warns of an impending Druze Intifada in Israel, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/910757.html

Minority Watch # 06, October 1, 2007

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters
An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the news

1. Muslims in the Occupied territories

Israel restricts Palestinians from the West Bank to attend prayers in Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on the first Friday of Ramadan reports Ha'aretz, September 16, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/903965.html

2. Arabs in Israel

Citing "discriminatory security checks" leaders of Israel's Arab community are planning to boycott the Israel's national Carrier El Al, reports Ha'aretz, Sep 19, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/904964.html

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) would agree to market lands under its control for the Israeli Arab citizens, reports Ha'aretz, September 24, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/906491.html

3. Jordan and Muslims

The Hashemite Kingdom allocated US$1.5 million to Jordan Hashemite Fund for the Reconstruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock and the head of the Fund Prince Ghazi that the Kingdom grant Jordanian passports to 90,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, reports Ha'aretz, September 24, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/906483.html

4. Kurds in Iraq

Iranian government has admitted that its forces had attacked Kurdish positions inside Iraq reports, The Daily Star, September 26, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85581

5. Bedouins in Israel

Non-recognition of Bedouin villages in the Negev makes their lives harsher reports The Daily Star, September 29, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=85658

Reports, Articles etc.,

1. The 2007 Report on International Religious Freedom was released on Sep 14. Though the US itself would be found wanting in many of its standards used by it, The Report continues to be the most detailed information regarding religious minorities in different parts of the world. Country-wise reports can be assessed from http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/

******

Minority Watch # 05, September 15, 2007

Let noble thoughts come from all quarters

An understanding, not judgement

Minorities in the News

1. Jews of Iran

Constructions begin for a state-funded Jewish cultural and sports complex in Central Tehran, reports The Daily Star, September 3, 2007, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=84993

2. Arabs of Israel

Plans to grant $50 million for improving educational facilities in the Arab sectors generates fears that local authorities would misuse the funds, reports Ha'aretz, September 6, 2007, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/901585.html

3. Bahais in Iran

The Iranian government is accused of trying to expel Bahai students from the universities, reports Radio Free Europe, August 29, 2007, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/1EB34090-1BF1-42AE-8C8F-0006E518BC54.html

Articles, Reports etc.,

1. Islam and Dhimmi

"Islam and Minorites: Need for a liberal framework", by P R Kumaraswamy in Mediterranean Quarterly, Summer 2007. Full text can be find at: http://mq.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/18/3/94