Daily Archives: February 15, 2017

Over the weekend, Prime MinisterStefan Lofven led a Swedish delegation to Iran. Lofven was received warmly by the Islamic Republic's political elite Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tweeted positively about his meeting withLofven, adding that Sweden had a good reputation in Iran and the two countries agreed upon a number of trade-related deals.

Back home, however, coverage of the Swedish government delegation's trip to Tehran has focused on something else. As Sweden's media noted Monday, a number of female officials who joined the trip, including Trade Minister Ann Linde, chose to wear Islamic headscarves while in Iran.

According to Expressen newspaper, there were 11 women on the trip out of 15 total in the Swedish delegation. The women were photographed wearing headscarves almost all of the time they were in Iran, with the exception of a number of events that took place at the Swedish Embassy.

By law, women are required to cover theirhair and wear loose-fitting clothes when they appear in public in Iran, a country governed by a conservative Islamic elite. Many choose to wear loose-fitting hijabs, like the one worn by Linde in the picture above.

These rules require international visitors to dress modestly even if they are only in the country for a short time.

Lofven's Swedish government describes itself as a feminist government, and it has spoken of the need for a feminist foreign policy. Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch, a human rights group and frequent critic of Iran ,noted this apparent contradiction in a tweet shared Sunday night.

Masih Alinejad, a journalist and activist who started a Facebook page that invited Iranian women to share photographs of themselves without a hijab, also criticized the Swedish delegation.

By actually complying with the directives of the Islamic Republic, Western women legitimize the compulsory hijab law, Alinejad wrote on Facebook. This is a discriminatory law and it's not an internal matter when the Islamic Republic forces all non-Iranian women to wear hijab as well.

Alinejad later shared to Facebook a recent image of Sweden's deputy prime ministerIsabella Lovin signing a document with an all-female staff behind her. That imagerecently went viral, as many viewed it as a criticism of President Trump's abortion policies. Trump's words on women are worthy of condemnation; so are the discriminatory laws in Iran,Alinejad wrote.

Speaking to Expressen,Linde said she had not wanted to wear a headscarf. But it is law in Iran that women must wear the veil. One can hardly come here and break the laws, she explained.

Other Swedish politicians were more critical.Jan Bjrklund, leader of the opposition Liberals party, told Aftonbladet newspaper that the headscarf is a symbol of oppression for women in Iran and that the Swedish government should have demanded that Linde and other female members of the delegation be exempted from wearing it.

Iran's rules on female attire often draw the ire of international visitors just last year, U.S. chess starNazi Paikidze made waves after refusing to travel to Iran to play inthe world championshipsbecause she would not wear a hijab. For female politicians, it represents a bigger challenge, however, as flouting the rules or refusing to travel to Iran could damage relations with the country.

Almost all female politicians who visit Iran cover their hair when they appear in public, but in some cases that has not stopped criticism. Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, was criticized by Iranian conservatives for wearing relatively tight clothes and a headscarf that did not cover her neck during a visit to the country in 2015.

The year before that, Italy's then foreign minister, Emma Bonino,was reported to have briefly not worn a headscarf after arriving in the country, which resulted in a back and forth with the conservative Iranian press.

Questions over Islamic attire on diplomatic visits are not limited to Iran. In 2015, first lady Michelle Obama was pictured without a headscarf in Saudi Arabia, where conservative religious dress is customary but not required by law for foreigners. While other female dignitaries visiting Saudi Arabia in the past had also chosen to not cover their hair, Obama's attire sparked criticism on social media from a small but vocal group of Saudi conservatives.

Linde toldAftonbladetthat she will of course not be wearing a veil when she visits Saudi Arabia next month.

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Read the original here:

Sweden's 'feminist' government criticized for wearing headscarves in Iran - Washington Post

In the amendments to the bill tabled by Minister of Finance, Chris Sinckler, it was noted people were selling properties for millions of dollars without paying any taxes to the government while many of them owed were in arrears for the paying of income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT).

But Opposition Leader, Mia Mottley, in her contribution to the debate, said the amendments to the legislation were "ill-advised". While she acknowledged that the paying of taxes is necessary, Mottley said the ease of doing business in Barbados was already difficult and this legislation will make it worse for home owners, hotels and restaurants.

"This debate is not about DLP and BLP and winning an election. This debate is about the passage of legislation that will come to act as an instrument of oppression on both the righteous and unrighteous in this country."

Mottley said the single tax ID number under the proposed amendments will make it difficult for people to dispose of their property "in a way that makes sense"whether it be by lease or sale.

She also said the legislation will impact on the countrys level of competitiveness by making it less attractive to investors. Quoting from the Ease of Doing Business 2017 Report, Mottley noted that Barbados ranked at number 130 out of 138 countries for the registration of property.

She said statistics such as these, along with others in the report, prove that the country cannot affordto bring any legislation which will make it more difficult to operate in the local business environment.

Mottley also said the legislation couldcause financial institutions to add a "new layer of questions and processes" to the loan approval process.

"As members on this side have pointed out, it doesnt only relate to you as an individual, if you are married, if you have partners, to the other persons who are in partnership with you in the ownership of assets - this legislation will grind business in Barbados to a halt."

She suggested the government instead utilise an enforcement unit to cut down on those who take advantage of the loopholes in the tax collection system.

Read more from the original source:

Mottley: Tax clearance certificate an 'instrument of oppression' - Loop Barbados

WASHINGTON

Feyisa Lelisa, the 27-year-old Ethiopian silver medal winning marathoner, reunited with his wife, Iftu Mulisa, and two children, 5-year-old daugher, Soko, and 3-year-old son, Sora, on Tuesday at the Miami International Airport after being separated from them for six months.

It's been tough living alone, he said speaking to VOAs Afaan Oromoo Service over the phone in his native Afaan Oromoo. Back home, I had a lot of support. It hasnt been easy, but that's part of the struggle. You don't give up, he said.

Lelisa has been given a U.S. special skill visa with the help of his lawyer and has settled in the U.S. state of Arizona in Flagstaff. His family entered the country on immigrant visas. The distance runner made headlines around the world when he crossed his wrists above his head, making a symbol for protests in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. The anti-government gesture at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro put the runner at grave personal risk, and possible retribution toward his family.

Olympic silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa, rear, of Ethiopia, hugs his wife Iftu Mulia, his daughter Soko, right, 5, and son Sora, left, 3, while picking up his family at Miami International Airport, Feb. 14, 2017.

Shortly after his refusal to go back to Ethiopia, his wife said that she was scared for the familys safety but wasnt surprised by what he did. He was burning inside when he saw on social media all these dead bodies; people being beaten and people being arrested. So I was not surprised because I know he had a lot of anger inside, she told Reuters when she was back home.

Ethiopia is currently under a state of emergency after a wave of protests persisted in the Oromia region starting in November 2015 and continued throughout 2016 spreading in the Amhara region. The anti-government protesters initially were about land related issues. However, protesters demands shifted to demands for basic human rights and political representation. Since then, security forces are accused of killing hundreds and detaining tens of thousands of protesters, according to Human Rights Watch.

Olympic silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa, of Ethiopia, carries his son Sora, 3, and pulls along his daughter Soko, 5, after picking up his family at Miami International Airport, Feb. 14, 2017.

One of many restrictions under the current state of emergency is the very political gesture that Lelisa is famous for. I didn't make the decision to protest because of my family, he said speaking about his decision to continue protesting. I did so to shed light on the oppression, imprisonment, killing and displacement of my people.

At the time of his protest in the Olympics, the Ethiopian information minister, Getachew Reda, congratulated the athlete, then and assured him that he is safe to return home. Lelisa, however, decided to stay abroad.

Lelisa has no regrets and he pledges to continue working for the betterment of his people back home. I actually don't think I have done enough for my people. I am still young and have some time to help, he said. I would do it all over again. And I am prepared to do all I can and do my part until the Oromo people win their freedom. It remains my biggest preoccupation.

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Ethiopian Athlete Who Made Anti-government Gesture in Rio Reunites With Family - Voice of America

"In the beginning of the so-called revolution, there was no talk of overthrowing the regime. When it started, there was some political oppression by the government, the shah. But socially, there were a lot of freedom, people could do anything, even you could criticize the government, but not the shah himself."

On this week's episode of the "Us and Them" podcast, we hear fromEssi and Katie, who fell in love before the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution and growing antipathy between America and Ayatollah Khomeini. Despite many fantastic twists and dangerous turns, their love has triumphed over archenemies hatred.

From West Virginia Public Broadcasting, this is "Us & Them" the podcast where we tell stories from America's cultural divides.

Subscribe to Us & Them oniTunesor however you listen to podcasts.An edited version of Us & Them airs bi-weekly on West Virginia Public Broadcastingsradio network, and the full version is available atwvpublic.org/podcast.

Share your opinions with us about these issues, and let us know what you'd like us to discuss in the future. Send a tweet to@usthempodcastor@wvpublic, or reach us on the feedback page atusandthempodcast.com.

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Excerpt from:

Us & Them: Love, the Ayatollah & Revolution - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

We believe in the Constitution. It is the bedrock of our freedom and the supreme law of the land. No person great or small is above it not the president, not any of us. It establishes order the three branches of government and their functions and powers and it protects us lest the government overreach and try to take away our liberties.

We, and our Constitution, face two significant perils today: political parties have become more important to our leaders than serving all the citizens, and the First Amendment is under attack. I am trying to be nonpartisan, but let me give just one example. Vice President Pence, when he was chosen, described himself as a Christian, a father and a Republican in that order. What about being a citizen? What about serving all of the people, not just those on ones own team? Democrats are no better. If the Republicans want it, they are against it.

We have to start listening to each other. Each of us, regardless of education or economic status, knows where our individual shoe pinches and that is the genius of democracy: that each person has something to contribute. The great patriot of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine addressed this issue: He that would make his own liberty must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach himself. What goes around comes around and if we Democrats and Republicans can think of nothing but beating each other up, our government will continue to be dysfunctional and our democracy flawed.

Here comes the civics quiz: What five freedoms does the First Amendment protect? No fair looking ahead. Here are the most important 46 words in the Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

First, religion. The government cant make you pray. Belief is off-limits for the government. It can neither favor nor persecute any religion, and that includes Islam. You can worship as you please or not at all. A uniform ban of people of a particular religion would seem to offend both ends of the religion clause.

Speech, press, petition and assembly. These four freedoms are how we avoid violent revolution. They give us the machinery to change and a democratic form of government is always in the process of becoming. The notion that there are alternative facts (namely, that if you believe something, it must be true) is totally contrary to the marketplace of ideas upon which the First Amendment is based (put all of the information out there and the truth will emerge). The founders protected the press because the people have to have accurate and timely information to govern themselves.

Petition and assembly are the other two ways we speak to power. We gather; we discuss. We march; we protest. But the government has to listen for this to work. A government with a closed and armored mind one that can not abide criticism is immune to the petitions of its citizens and is, therefore, undemocratic by definition.

My wish for us all is that we listen to each other with patience and good humor, and that we protect each others right to speak and try to persuade with facts and logic. After all, the Constitution is just paper unless it lives in the hearts and minds of citizens. So here is an exercise we can all try: each day engage a stranger on a topic you care about and actually listen to what that person says. Who knows. We might learn something.

John Frohnmayer was chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts during the first Bush administration.

See the rest here:

As I See It: The perils facing the Constitution - Corvallis Gazette Times