Ethiopian Court Demands Justification for Journalist's Conviction

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Marthe Van Der Wolf<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ethiopia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">'s Federal Supreme Court has postponed hearing an appeal of the conviction of prominent Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega and opposition leader Andualem Arage.  But the court gave its first indication Thursday that charges brought by prosecutors under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation may not be that strong by demanding that prosecutors justify the June convictions.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Journalist Eskinder Nega received an 18-year sentence, while opposition politician Andualem Arage is serving life in prison on terrorism-related charges.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Andualem’s lawyer, Abebe Guta, said the court has found many irregularities in the prosecution's charges.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“As they scrutinized our ground of appeal they found so many legal and factual irregularities," said Abebe. "Therefore, before the ruling passes, that means before our appeal is accepted or approved, they wanted to summon the prosecution officers to come and justify.”<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Maran Turner, the executive director of Freedom Now, a Washington D.C.- based organization that works on individual prisoners of conscience cases, said the latest developments are positive. Freedom Now has been supporting Eskinder and brought his case before the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“It seems to me that the court also is confounded by the charges against Eskinder and the other defendants," Turner said. "So the fact that the court has postponed the case, it obviously acknowledges the flaws that we see, which is that the charges themselves are flawed. In fact, the case is flawed from the very beginning of arrest.”<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Eskinder, Anualem and more than 20 others were found guilty of ties to a U.S.-based opposition group, Ginbot 7, classified as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Amnesty International and other rights advocacy groups have said the trial was a sham used to silence dissent.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The prosecution will need to justify its convictions before the court on December 19. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div> </div>

Ethiopian Court Demands Justification for Journalist's Conviction

By Marthe Van Der Wolf Ethiopia 's Federal Supreme Court has postponed hearing an appeal of the conviction of prominent Eth...

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Western Media Continue Psychological War against Afghanistan

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW5ecyh_3WSPo0UCNHML2cZA3rEjCiTaCY7BpexAiBQRY6W-B0JHm5SWZ1H_X-GeyvLpxRMuMGkB0KvcoW9YoQMpfLH-JAI0qLhC7Gn8MW9vgg7X4mjuLBCBfES32kLXBJAOfX8nVK7k/s1600/105a738216e72b9c1d60ce8a13837d26_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHW5ecyh_3WSPo0UCNHML2cZA3rEjCiTaCY7BpexAiBQRY6W-B0JHm5SWZ1H_X-GeyvLpxRMuMGkB0KvcoW9YoQMpfLH-JAI0qLhC7Gn8MW9vgg7X4mjuLBCBfES32kLXBJAOfX8nVK7k/s320/105a738216e72b9c1d60ce8a13837d26_XL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Photo © BNA<o:p></o:p></span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Kabul</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (BNA): Some western media continue psychological war and propagation against Afghan capability in order to hidden their failures in fulfilling commitments made for eradication of terrorism at the beginning of war against that evil phenomenon.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">BNA political analyst writes in that regard:<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One of the key incentives of international forces in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place> existence is to fight against terrorism in the region until the complete eradication of all terrorist elements and their hideouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">For this reason the coalition forces previously called the victory of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place> in war against terrorism the victory of its allies and the failure of Afghan forces in this war the failure of coalition forces again and again.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But now, some media of the countries which fight beside Afghan forces have started a Psychological war against <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s capability in war against terrorism. For instance, recently, some western media have released reports that cultivate the seed of mistrust among the people about the future of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As, a B,B,C correspondent in huge gathering of politicians, correspondents and layers in America said that  after 11 years,  we were hateful for Taliban and currently they express their more anger and hatred against us than ever. Taliban and Al-Qaeda not only eliminated, but have returned in to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Also, the British defense ministry claimed that the war has not ended in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. In a new incident, the Inspection Department of US in its report has said that after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014,  Afghanistan would have no the capability to preserve military instruments and installations. These kinds of statements indicate that the west launching such psychological war wants to distort the realities in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>; it is required to search for the incentives for this Psychological war.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The west had and has great commitments on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>; one of its major commitments was the establishment of a strong and professional army in the country. So far, it has not worked sufficiently to fill this commitment. For instance, the Afghan army has not equipped with air fighters, armored vehicles and artillery as they were committed in spite of repeated demand of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Fortunately, the Afghan police, army and security forces in general, in spite of all these shortages have succeed ensure security in 70 % on the territory and protect and preserve people and national institutions in those regions. According to a western official, Afghan security forces have received 100% military trainings and carry out independently all nightly operations against the enemy’s targets.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">These are the Afghan security forces which are preparing to ensure the security and peaceful holding of presidential elections. With capabilities mentioned above one can assert that the Afghan forces have the capability and courage to defend their soil against terrorists and insurgents and some media in the west exerting false and baseless fabrications try to mistrust the Afghan people to the future and in a way support the enemies of our country. But they should know that although, the Afghan people are discontent with the activities of their allies in war against terrorism, but decisively decided to never return to the dark period of the past. Now what further strengthens the Afghan government is our allies focus their attention on war against terrorism and draw a military strategy focus on eradication of the sanctuaries of terrorists located on the other side of Afghan territory and honor the achievements of our people which are the results of the blood of the Afghan and foreign troops who lost their lives in war against terrorism.<o:p></o:p></span></div> </div>

Western Media Continue Psychological War against Afghanistan

Photo © BNA Kabul (BNA): Some western media continue psychological war and propagation against Afghan capability in order to h...

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Afghanistan: International agencies to train Afghan Journalists

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M1NybDhp8-wS8DfE3oWqg4LWMA-WOkgAoATZooYASrMuRuJBZxZlncbwawFmaAuZfhHXhB2AdaFnVVLFrLkoCprW2cDiM-gDBGqiKx_xX1ZR6Hk0gFKfjKvq16Sz2nI9OePk5bCCaf0/s1600/5d1f0c309597094fa83786e1b3ac0681_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M1NybDhp8-wS8DfE3oWqg4LWMA-WOkgAoATZooYASrMuRuJBZxZlncbwawFmaAuZfhHXhB2AdaFnVVLFrLkoCprW2cDiM-gDBGqiKx_xX1ZR6Hk0gFKfjKvq16Sz2nI9OePk5bCCaf0/s320/5d1f0c309597094fa83786e1b3ac0681_XL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo © BNA<o:p></o:p></span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Kabul</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (BNA) --- Mubariz Rashidi the deputy to information and culture ministry after attending the Asia-pacific annual assembly held in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Seoul</st1:city></st1:place> recently and returning home, said that several countries and international agencies would provide training facilities to Afghan journalists.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In the assembly, beside participation of 60 nations the representatives of big media outlets had also attended.  At the sideline of the forum, Rashidi also met with his counterparts from <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">India</st1:country></st1:place> and exchanged views on matters of mutual interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He also urged his Pakistani counterpart to void using vicious term in Pakistani media on Afghan soldiers martyred, and the Pakistani dignitary promised to cooperate <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country> in this field.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">It was also decided in meeting with the deputy of the Asia-Pacific publication department that the entity would train some of Afghan journalists.  Rashidi also met with the chief of the copy right organization (ABLIO) and in it was agreed to train the modalities of implementing copy right.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The managing director of national radio and television, Zarin anzor and Abdul Rahman Panjshiri also accompanied Rashidi in the journey to <st1:city w:st="on">Seoul</st1:city> where he also met with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Philippines</st1:country></st1:place> delegation and exchanged views on bilateral relations.<o:p></o:p></span></div> </div>

Afghanistan: International agencies to train Afghan Journalists

Photo © BNA Kabul (BNA) --- Mubariz Rashidi the deputy to information and culture ministry after attending the Asia-pacific annu...

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Researchers say Racist Internet Sites Breed Hate

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=vid&id=1484399&w=640&h=360&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Mike O'Sullivan<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">American Sikhs have been mourning the victims of the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin - and are trying to comprehend an act that seems senseless.  The shooter's motives are unclear, but one organization that monitors hate groups points to the Internet as a breeding ground for racial hatred.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut, Sikhs and other community members gathered for a vigil to remember the victims of the Wisconsin shooting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some also tried to understand what motivated the accused shooter, Wade Michael Page.   <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">California temple member Nachhatar Singh Bhullar calls the act senseless.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"It could happen anywhere.  Somebody can come anywhere and do those things," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But researchers into hate groups say Page had ties to music groups with a white supremacist message and they speculate that his hatred sparked the rampage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Forty-eight-year-old Tim Zaal recognizes the message.  He came to the Sikh temple to offer condolences, but says he once viewed all dark-skinned people with hatred.  He spent a year in jail for attacking an Iranian couple and has been involved in other hate crimes.  In the 1980s, he was a skinhead and organizer for the neo-Nazi group White Aryan Resistance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The white racialist movement was moving into a different direction.  Rather than have all these great big organizations, they started to operate in these little cells," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And they started organizing online.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rick Eaton is a researcher on hate groups with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which monitors social sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and distributes an online research app - or application - to law enforcement agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He says a world of hatred, little seen by most Americans, thrives on racist music, epithets and symbols.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The name of the song is Keep Fighting, and it says their job is to keep fighting and if you don't, I'll kill you myself," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, says through music and diatribes, the online sites spread ideas, attract revenue and recruits, and strengthen their commitment to a set of beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It's empowerment, its validation," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He says, for people on the fringe, the sites create the illusion of a mass movement.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are limits to what law enforcement can do in the absence of a crime, no matter how offensive the hate speech, says Teresa Carlson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Until somebody actually threatens, there’s a threat of force or violence, we can not open an investigation," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rabbi Cooper says companies that dominate the Internet need to do more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"The social networking on the Internet could and should be doing a lot more to marginalize the message, messages and messengers of hatred and intolerance and terrorism," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, the Sikhs of California are trying to understand how a quiet house of worship could become the scene of such a tragedy. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Researchers say Racist Internet Sites Breed Hate

By Mike O'Sullivan American Sikhs have been mourning the victims of the mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin - and are trying ...

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INDIA: The Hindi-Urdu Divide in News Reporting

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A comparative reading of Dainik Jagran and Inquilab<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Shaheen Nazar*<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHL7DLK9u1itUh-k8PQjOp_uIq0dQ0BuQrrmOZpm2nBH9ctBYMGNaMorcEzmFFrYP5paCbRKPmLvr9GKBJeiRBqciiHIzzxrnVzmDlM1dhS4JfH1EAWmDFXHg4gs7bw0o7DaKfZc7Gt0/s1600/3535314627_4d5250d43e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHL7DLK9u1itUh-k8PQjOp_uIq0dQ0BuQrrmOZpm2nBH9ctBYMGNaMorcEzmFFrYP5paCbRKPmLvr9GKBJeiRBqciiHIzzxrnVzmDlM1dhS4JfH1EAWmDFXHg4gs7bw0o7DaKfZc7Gt0/s400/3535314627_4d5250d43e_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Photo © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ben Sutherland</span></a></span></td></tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">FOR those who read only Hindi newspapers and believe what is printed there, Muslims do not exist in India. Or if at all they do exist they are either actors or entertainers like Shahrukh and Salman or criminals or terrorists like Abu Salem and Abu Jundal. For an average Hindi newspaper reader a Muslim can’t be a normal human being contributing to the Indian society. If anything is to be reported about him, it must be something bizarre or at least entertaining.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In contrast, read Urdu newspapers. One would get the impression that it’s about another India. The common features of all the Urdu newspapers are stories such as: anti-Muslim riots in one or the other part of the country; police excesses against the community; Muslim men, mostly youth, being picked up by security agencies in the name of fight against terror; courts denying bail to Muslims under detention; police raiding Madrasas (Islamic seminaries); torture of Muslim men in police custody; extra-judicial killings; lack of civic amenities in Muslim neighbourhoods; waqf (endowment) properties being usurped by government departments or corporate houses; Muslim minority schools and colleges not getting sanctioned official grants in time thus teachers and staff not getting salaries every month; government departments withholding permission to build mosques in Muslim localities; etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These are not figments of imagination, rather real, hard facts. There is a possibility of some degree of exaggeration in writing the story or in its treatment. But one cannot dismiss these facts as non-news. This is happening consistently with a community, which is 14 crore strong or 13.4 percent of India’s total population.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the national press, including Hindi and English, is consistent and unanimous in not informing the public about their state of affairs. Of late there has been a spurt in the incidences of arrests and detentions of educated Muslim youths. In the name of fight against terror, the security agencies are specially targeting cities like Darbhanga in Bihar, Azamgarh in UP, Malegaon in Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. These are the places where Muslims are comparatively better off. Many young men have done well in education and got jobs within India and abroad, specially in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. This has brought considerable affluence to their families. But this has also proved to be a curse on them. It seems the police and spy agencies are running a campaign to suppress them while the Hindu ruling elites are looking the other way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Muslim leadership and human rights activists have been raising the issues of violation of civil rights. They are issuing statements and holding rallies and meetings to demand justice for those wrongly detained or persecuted. These statements and incidents of ‘arrests’ get due coverage in the Urdu press. But as usual, the national press is paying no attention to such gross violation of basic rights. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To illustrate my point I did a comparative reading of one Hindi and one Urdu newspaper. I selected Hindi daily Dainik Jagran and Urdu daily Inquilab. While Jagran is the second largest newspaper in India by circulation as of 20104, Inquilab is a prestigious Urdu newspaper which played its role in India’s independence struggle. Established in 1938 in Bombay, Inquilab was bought by the Jagran group in May 20105 and launched from 10 cities in the north, thus making it truly national newspaper. Since both the newspapers have multiple editions, I selected only Delhi editions from July 1-10. Following are my findings:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dainik Jagran carried no story of the Muslim community on its Front pages during the period of study. Even inside pages were almost blank with respect to the community, which following the decline of Urdu in post-independent India, is subscribing to Hindi newspapers in good numbers. Young Muslims generally read Hindi or English newspaper as majority of them don’t know Urdu.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only stories in which Muslim names can be seen on the Front pages of July 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are those of Mumbai blast accused Kasab and Abu Jundal, the terror accused extradited from Saudi Arabia in June 2012. Other Muslim names found place on the Front pages are those of celebrities. The July 1 edition carries a cutout of A. Rahman on the top right corner of P1 with the pointer to an inside story that the Oscar-winning music composer will perform at the London Olympic inauguration. Similarly, July 2 edition carries a cutout of actor Aamir Khan on the same place with a pointer to his syndicated column on alcoholism on P10. On July 4, there is another cutout of actor Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) on P1 with a pointer to an inside story about his ancestral house in Pakistan. On July 9, the Front page carries a report on the communal violence in Ghaziabad. It’s a balanced reporting though the name and picture of a victim is given suggesting that he was a Hindu.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Urdu newspapers also mention names of Muslim victims despite the general reporting norm of not giving the names of the warring communities). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Demolition or martyrdom?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Front page of July 6th carries a story which is close to Muslim hearts. That’s Babri mosque. The story is based on the revelation of journalist Kuldip Nayar in his book that the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had conspired to demolish the 16th century mosque. The news writer has taken care not to use the word “Babri” anywhere. Instead, he or she has referred it as “disputed structure”. Inquilab has treated the story as Front page lead.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like all the other Urdu newspapers, it refers to the demolition of Babri mosque as the ‘martyrdom’.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The few stories on Jagran’s inside pages are mostly negative. They either inform the reader about alleged terrorists or about Kashmiri separatists. One news item is about the arrest of a Muslim criminal in Dehra Doon (July 9, P5). Another story is about the rash driving of actor Salman Khan’s brother in which a woman was killed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During 10 days, Jagran has carried a total of nine stories on its inside pages which may be described as Muslim-oriented. July 2 edition: ASI begins repair work on Delhi’s Fatehpuri Mosque (P2); Jammu & Kashmir CM gives assurance on the restoration of an arson-hit ziaratgaah (P7); Dilip Kumar’s house in Pakistan will not be converted into library (P10).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">July 4: A report on the court proceeding of journalist Kazmi, accused of involvement in Israeli Embassy car blast (P2); a report on court asking the Gujarat government to furnish details on the religious places damaged in 2002 riots (P10). July 7: Again follow up on journalist Kazmi (P9). July 8: Muslim priests condemn Shab-e-barat revelry (Jagran City V); July 9: Minority students to get bicycles (P7).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is a story on page 9 in the July 4 edition. It’s about Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani blaming Indian agencies for terrorism in the valley. He made the statement after meeting the visiting Pakistani foreign secretary in New Delhi. No doubt, the statement is provocative. But it is not the job of a reporter or sub-editor to editorialize a news item. The headline reads: Pak ki shah par Gilani ne phir ugla zahar (Gilani again expresses venom at the instigation of Pakistan). There are three other stories on Kashmir in 10 days.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are stories on Abu Jundal almost every day in the newspaper. But none is Jagran’s exclusive. All are based on dossiers supplied by unnamed sources in the security agencies. Same is the case with reporting on Fasih Mahmood, a young engineer picked up from his residence in the Saudi city of Al-Jubail on May 13 by Saudi and Indian officials. He remains traceless till date, though the Indian government has reluctantly acknowledged in the Supreme Court his arrest after denying it for more than a month. He is a suspect in some cases of terror plots. But Jagran has pronounced its verdict by declaring him a terrorist straight away. Quoting unnamed sources in the government and security agencies, the newspaper reporting on July 2, 3 and 10 describes Fasih as the “terrorist of the Indian Mujahideen” and “the chief financer of IM’s Bihar module”. All the reports lack objectivity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the Edit pages, there is one article in 10 days which is Muslim-specific. It deals with the legal aspects of giving reservation to Muslims in government jobs. On July 3, there is an Edit page leader by Balbir Punj, a member of the Rajya Sabha, condemning “secularists” for raising the issue of right-wing Hindu terror, thus diluting the threat of Islamic terrorism originating from Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Arrests dominate Inquilab coverage<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The arrest of Fasih Mahmood and other Muslims dominate the coverage of Inquilab from July 1-10. Consider this headline on Page 1 of July 2: “O my son, tell me if being a Muslim is a crime in India?” And the intro of the Patna-datelined story reads: “O my son, you are a journalist who has come from Delhi to investigate my son's arrest and know about me. I will tell you everything. But first you give me one answer: Is taking birth as a Muslim in India has become a crime? Has the Indian soil become alien to Muslims? These quotes are not taken from a short story by Prem Chand, Quratulain Hyder, Asmat Chugtai or Mantoo. Instead these are the spontaneous reactions expressed amid tears by Aamira Jamali, M.A., B.Ed., and mother of Engineer Fasih Mahmood.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The news has made Front page lead for three days: Efforts on for seeking Parliament debate over arrests of Muslim youths-July 1; Preparations on for protests in Bihar over arrest of Muslim youths-July 4; Bihar teacher Kafeel Akhtar gets clean-chit by Bangalore Police, now being handed over to Delhi Police- July 8. Front page lead stories on other days are also worth-mentioning: Narasimha Rao was part of Babri demolition conspiracy-July 6; Scared Muslims of Asthan village (of riot-hit Pratapgarh district in UP) return home-July 7; and Gujarat government asked to furnish details of the damaged places of worship-July 10. Other days’ leads are: presidential poll and the Time magazine’s cover on Manmohan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On July 2, there is a small news item on page 6 which otherwise is a human interest story but tells of human suffering in the prevailing security as well as political situation in India. A bearded young Muslim, who works in an embroidery shop, was arrested from the parking lot of Ranchi airport. Reason: He had never seen an airport, so while returning from a mosque early morning he turned his bike towards the airport just to have a look at it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Jagran and other national newspapers have paid little attention to Pratapgarh riot, Inquilab has run several follow-up stories like demand for CBI enquiry or relief material delivered to the victims. National Minority Commission writing to the Rajasthan government on the reported harassment of Gopalgarh mosque raid victims by police and investigative agencies has made Front page news on July 8.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mosques make news<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the local pages, the discovery of a Mughal-era mosque in the excavation in old Delhi made prominent news for several days. Delhi government delaying recruitment of Urdu teachers, Doordarshan discriminating against Urdu producers, lack of civic amenities in Batla House, construction of walls around Nabi Karim graveyard are some of the news which are found only in Inquilab but not in Jagran.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Communal riots and mosques under siege are prominent features of Urdu newspapers. Therefore, during 10 days, Inquilab has published news items (July 3, P2; July 6, P4; July 8, P2; and July 9, P2) which relate to four different Delhi mosques having issues with the authorities. On July 2, P4, a news item highlights the dilapidated condition of a historical mosque in Hardoi (UP). On July 7, there is a story on Page 7 which tells about police high-handedness in dealing with Muslims on the issue of an Eidgaah in Agra (UP).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From July 7, Inquilab has started publishing exclusive interviews of Malegaon Bomb blast suspects released by court following several years of incarceration. Besides, there are stories, almost every day, of Muslim terror suspects perishing in jails or released after years when no charges were proved against them or were killed in prison (like Qateel Siddiqi of Bihar who was killed in a Pune jail in June 2012).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Follow-up of the cases related to 2002 Gujarat riots and right-wing Hindu terror accused like Pragya Singh Thakur and Col. Purohit are also displayed prominently. Anti-Muslim rants of Sangh parivar leaders are also a staple of Urdu newspapers including Inquilab. But news writing on these subjects is mostly sentimental and lack professionalism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, this is not to suggest that news of local, national and international importance do not find space in the columns of Inquilab. Abu Jundal, Indo-Pak secretary level talks, presidential poll, change of guard in Karnataka government, Egyptian election, all made Front page news during the days under study. In fact coverage of international news was found to be better than many national English newspapers. The 12-page daily devotes one full page to international news every day besides one or two on the Front page.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One thing which is common in both Jagran and Inquilab is lack of professionalism and absence of objectivity. Beyond this I would like to make no observation leaving this to editors, scholars and thinkers to form opinion and act. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><i><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*The author is a faculty member of Mass Communication at Sharda University. He has previously worked with several publications in India and abroad. The views expressed in this report are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global News Post.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></div>

INDIA: The Hindi-Urdu Divide in News Reporting

A comparative reading of Dainik Jagran and Inquilab By Shaheen Nazar* Photo © Ben Sutherland FOR those who read only Hindi newspapers ...

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Facebook has been banned by Nepal Government

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By   <a href="http://www.groundreport.com/weaker41"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Shreedeep Rayamajhi</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIupnpI7ObogWBVcYxPVKOWFj15O_JH_AQMUNtsNRRIQJNafwqJ4QVHnWljCY99XnWPrgYVDG5S9ksV0lL8OrXDfRLGXHgP3H6_8tuXzCO7l_NqVK_-YRMmEhDhTNTqwZhoQa0EwcTzX0/s1600/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIupnpI7ObogWBVcYxPVKOWFj15O_JH_AQMUNtsNRRIQJNafwqJ4QVHnWljCY99XnWPrgYVDG5S9ksV0lL8OrXDfRLGXHgP3H6_8tuXzCO7l_NqVK_-YRMmEhDhTNTqwZhoQa0EwcTzX0/s320/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo © <a href="http://www.groundreport.com/includes/ajax/image_popup.php?image=2947446&image_id=1"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Groundreport</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr> </tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">KATHMANDU, Nepal (<a href="http://www.groundreport.com/World/Facebook-has-been-banned-by-Nepal-Government/2947446"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Groundreport</span></a>): In the central administrative wing of Nepal Government Singha Durbar FACEBOOK has been officially banned. According to sources FACEBOOK was banned with due in consideration from the IT department reasoning more visits and clicks to the website.The social networking site has been seen as a huge threat from office effectiveness and efficiency where employees are seen chatting and wasting their times and resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the past few incidents workers have been caught writing their dissatisfaction in their status update and leaking official information in regards to their professionalism and personal life.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div></div>

Facebook has been banned by Nepal Government

By   Shreedeep Rayamajhi   Photo © Groundreport KATHMANDU, Nepal ( Groundreport ): In the central administrative wing of Nepal Governm...

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Mobile Internet Overtaking Conventional Media in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Saraswathi Muniappan<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -– Smart devices are fast overtaking conventional media in India with 20 million of the estimated 48 million mobile Internet users having shifted 50 per cent of their newspaper and television time to their mobile screens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They browse for entertainment, all categories of news, travel and sports content, a survey on Mobile Internet behaviour and usage study conducted by ViziSense, India’s leading online audience and ad measurement platform, revealed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of all mobile Internet users in India, 87 per cent are online on mobile every day and 70 per cent of the daily mobile Internet users fall in the age group of 24-34 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Almost half of these users go online through their cellphones every 2-3 hours and the duration of these visits is more than an hour. Almost 60 per cent of these users have been on this medium for over a year already,” said ViziSense in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Email and social media are the primary drivers of mobile Internet, said the study, which combined an online survey conducted with ViziSense India online panellists (Internet users with mobile phones) and recorded responses from 2,024 users who accessed the Internet through their cellphones.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, consumption of content is starting to shift in favour of the two new screens -– Mobiles and Tablets -- and the categories which see frequent or daily consumption include News, Games and Entertainment, Travel, Education and Search, it said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These users are also easing into mobile e-commerce with almost 80 per cent having performed some form of financial transaction through their mobile phone -– payment of utility bills, purchase of products and services -- and 28 per cent of mobile internet users have even used ‘mobile money’.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The penetration of tablets, and rising demand for them, is keeping the IT and media industries excited. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The survey also revealed that 14 per cent of these users already possessed a tablet while another 60 per cent planned to buy a tablet soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The survey establishes two major trends: the shift in screens is for real, and English print is migrating to mobile phones through Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) sites and applications, especially around lifestyle, travel and sports content.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The survey also tracked the usage by the 18 per cent women subset within this group of Mobile Internet users, and found that women outscore men when it comes to accessing books or education, entertainment and travel-related content through their cellphones.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">India has the world’s second largest mobile phone user base with over 929.37 million users as of May 2012. It has the world’s third-largest Internet user-base with over 121 million as of December 2011. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Mobile Internet Overtaking Conventional Media in India

By Saraswathi Muniappan NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -– Smart devices are fast overtaking conventional media in India with 20 million o...

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Famous Spanish Lawyer to Defend WikiLeaks’ Assange

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MEXICO CITY (RIA Novosti) --- Spanish ex-judge Baltasar Garzon will head the defense team of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian media reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garzon, who worked on cases concerning Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and exiled Russian media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky, has already met with Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, WikiLeaks said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Assange has been hiding at the embassy for more than a month to avoid his extradition to Sweden, where he faces a case in a rape trial that he calls politically motivated, Ecuadorian media said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Assange’s whistleblowing site WikiLeaks made an enemy of the U.S. government in 2010, when it leaked hundreds of thousands of American diplomatic cables. The U.S. authorities have not ruled out requesting his extradition from Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Assange has requested asylum in Ecuador, whose president Rafael Correa is still considering the request.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="color: #010000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garzon, 56, made a name for himself as a judge presiding over several high-profile political cases, including Pinochet's, as well as attempting to investigate crimes of the Franco regime in Spain. He was disqualified from judicial activity in Spain for 11 years in February for illegal wiretapping.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Famous Spanish Lawyer to Defend WikiLeaks’ Assange

MEXICO CITY (RIA Novosti) --- Spanish ex-judge Baltasar Garzon will head the defense team of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Ecuadorian m...

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India: Minister of Minority Affairs Highlights the Basic Thread of Unity and Harmony that Beads together the Policies and Schemes for Minorities in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Salman Khurshid</b> </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Meets Media Delegation from Gulf Countries and Wana<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVOPuJYYnH8c0dWOHZEakYj3E3fdg9LhG66KI3VGPquzEtoHr0FnR0XWI1oMt8hj7GGBz1t-b3n2f9JhNlz1jGNOxhoKsCeQ-tPa3LtlXveKBkF7j91c0mlwRxVvFdlmwtBIiOuTDErY/s1600/l2012070441233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVOPuJYYnH8c0dWOHZEakYj3E3fdg9LhG66KI3VGPquzEtoHr0FnR0XWI1oMt8hj7GGBz1t-b3n2f9JhNlz1jGNOxhoKsCeQ-tPa3LtlXveKBkF7j91c0mlwRxVvFdlmwtBIiOuTDErY/s640/l2012070441233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Union Minister for Law and Justice and Minority Affairs,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Salman Khurshid meeting a delegation of media persons from<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> WANA (West Asia & North Africa) and Gulf countries, in<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">New Delhi on July 04, 2012. Photo © PIB</span></div></td></tr> </tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">NEW DELHI (PIB) --- Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, has said that the basic idea of unity and harmony percolates to all the policies and schemes that are meant for the development and welfare of Minorities in India. And these policies, he said, have not only seen the Minorities in good stead in this country which has the second highest population of Muslims in the world, but has seen them rise to the highest offices of the State. In an interaction with a Media delegation from the Gulf countries and WANA (West Asia and North Africa) here today,  Khurshid presented various facets of the policies and schemes for the overall development and welfare of the Minorities that are part of Government of India’s basic policy ‘mantra’ of inclusive growth of all sections of society.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Media delegation, which consisted of journalists also from Egypt and Tunisia – the countries that have undergone massive politico-social changes in recent times – asked questions on a wide spectrum of issues concerning Minorities and the inter-relationship between the Majority and the Minority communities in a secular, democratic India. They also wanted to know the complexities of dealing with situations when in such a pluralistic society there may be a strife between the communities.  Khurshid informed the delegation that though there are instances when there is a communal clash, but all such instances are dealt with utmost conviction of national unity and harmony and the nation as a whole always decries such happenings and stands against them. He said that India has been lucky to have such visionary leaders and statesmen as Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, who steered this nation on a path of progress that ensures equality, development and justice to all sections of society, including the Minorities - to the extent that Indian Constitution has specific safeguards and Fundamental Rights granted to the Minoriteis. In this context Salman Khurshid gave details of various schemes and programmes being implemented by his Ministry of Minority Affairs for the welfare and inclusive growth of the Minorities.</span></div></div></div>

India: Minister of Minority Affairs Highlights the Basic Thread of Unity and Harmony that Beads together the Policies and Schemes for Minorities in India

Salman Khurshid   Meets Media Delegation from Gulf Countries and Wana The Union Minister for Law and Justice and Minority Affairs, Salma...

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PA Leader Abbas Stands for Freedom of Speech via Internet

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">GAZA (RIA Novosti)--- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ordered an attorney-general to unblock websites, that were closed earlier for the criticism of the leader’s policies, and instructed against any crackdown on the freedom of expression and media, the Jerusalem Post daily reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According to the Israeli daily, in the last two months security forces of the Palestinian Authority arrested at least nine Palestinian journalists, bloggers and activists fighting against corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Palestinian leader Abbas “instructed the attorney-general to lift a ban on all electronic websites and to halt any measure that contradicts freedom of media and information,” the daily reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According to the daily, Abbas’ decision comes after sharp criticism from the human rights organizations across the United States and the European Union.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

PA Leader Abbas Stands for Freedom of Speech via Internet

GAZA (RIA Novosti)--- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ordered an attorney-general to unblock websites, that were closed earlier for the cr...

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UN highlights role of press freedom as catalyst for social and political change

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FKgkdCTvKQFFVfF_DRJNqPH0nC5BQNk8Ga0Td8G3Yek46x_D1eodAYaHj8N6pDMdVO_9hk0HVnFOke4zUrw1TRNen0MSU7C8EqoxTYjdZCrfmP09ObtydJMAwRiamP0YRx8DuNg7O6Q/s1600/world-press-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FKgkdCTvKQFFVfF_DRJNqPH0nC5BQNk8Ga0Td8G3Yek46x_D1eodAYaHj8N6pDMdVO_9hk0HVnFOke4zUrw1TRNen0MSU7C8EqoxTYjdZCrfmP09ObtydJMAwRiamP0YRx8DuNg7O6Q/s320/world-press-day.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13px;">World Press Freedom Day logo. Credit: UNESCO</span></div></span></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">UN News--- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>United Nations top officials today highlighted the power of press freedom to spark social and political change and to hold governments accountable, stressing that this vital right must be ensured across the world by creating the conditions that allow journalists to perform their work safely.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“A free press gives people access to the information they need to make critical decisions about their lives. It holds leaders accountable, exposes corruption, and promotes transparency in decision-making,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking World Press Freedom Day, which falls on 3 May each year. “It raises awareness and offers an outlet for different voices, especially those that would otherwise go unheard.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In particular, Mr. Ban, along with the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, stressed the crucial role that both new and old forms of media have played over the past year in the Middle East and North African regions which have been at the centre of various civil movements.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The UN General Assembly designated 3 May as World Press Freedom Day in 1993. It aims to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. This year’s theme for World Press Freedom Day is ‘New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies.’<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Change in the Arab world has shown the power of aspirations for rights when combined with new and old media. Newfound media freedom is promising to transform societies through greater transparency and accountability.” Mr. Ban and Ms. Bokova said in a joint statement. “It is opening new ways to communicate and to share information and knowledge. Powerful new voices are rising – especially from young people – where they were silent before.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The President of the General Assembly, Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, underlined the importance of new technologies in empowering young people to express themselves, and added that governments should support, not censor these mediums.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Governments that try to suppress or shut-down new media platforms should rather embrace new media for the beneficial transformation of their societies. They need to create and promote a thriving environment for free media and free expression,” Mr. Al-Nasser said in remarks, delivered on his behalf at an event to mark the Day at UN Headquarters in New York this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While new voices have come forward seeking transformational change, media freedom is facing severe pressures across the world, Mr. Ban, Ms. Bokova and Mr. Al-Nasser warned, adding that crimes against journalists should not remain unpunished.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According to UNESCO, 62 journalists were killed last year and many more were injured. As of December 2011, 179 journalists were detained, indicating a 20 per cent increase from the previous year, and the highest level since the 1990s.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“These journalists must not be forgotten and these crimes should not remain unpunished,” Mr. Ban and Ms. Bokova said. “As media moves online, more online journalists, including bloggers, are being harassed, attacked, and killed for their work. They must receive the same protection as traditional media workers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To mark the Day, UNESCO is organizing a series of events in Tunis, over three days, focussing on the role of media as a vehicle for social change. The events include an award ceremony for the winner of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, which this year will go to Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Eynulla Fatullayev.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ms. Bokova and the Prime Minister of Tunisia, Hamed Jebali, will also open an international conference which will debate issues on contemporary media over the next two days. In addition, a series of side events will be held by UNESCO’s press freedom partners, which include non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, international media outlets and youth groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">World Press Freedom Day was also marked elsewhere in the UN system. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) organized a roundtable discussion in Kabul with senior Afghan journalists and others to discuss press freedom in Afghanistan; while similar discussions were held in Kunduz, Bamyan and Jalalabad – at the latter gathering, the journalists in attendance agreed on a joint document which urges officials to safeguard their safety, as outlined in the Afghan Constitution and international documents.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

UN highlights role of press freedom as catalyst for social and political change

World Press Freedom Day logo. Credit: UNESCO UN News---   United Nations top officials today highlighted the power of press freedom...

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British Parliament: Murdoch Unfit to Lead Media Company

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By Al Pessin<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Britain's parliament has released a report on the phone-hacking at the News of the World tabloid newspaper, saying owner Rupert Murdoch had shown willful blindness in the scandal and is not fit to run a global media company.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In its report Tuesday, the bi-partisan committee also said Murdoch's News Corporation had misled parliament and tried to cover up illegal phone-hacking. It said there had been huge failures in corporate governance, which raised questions about the competence of Rupert's son, James.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Members of the panel rejected Murdoch's claims that he was unaware that hacking was widespread at News of the World, and that his staff kept him in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The 11-member panel was split six to four, with the chairman not voting, and Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party rejected the conclusions in the report.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It is now up to the lower House of Commons to decide on a punishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Murdoch shut down News of the World last July after the scandal erupted, and his media empire has agreed to large payouts to 37 phone-hacking victims, including celebrities, politicians and crime victims.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The 81-year-old mogul also owns British newspapers The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun. Senior employees at The Sun have been arrested as part of an inquiry into allegations that newspaper obtained information by bribing police and other officials.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">About 40 people have been arrested due to probes into the illegal news gathering and bribery scandals. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

British Parliament: Murdoch Unfit to Lead Media Company

By Al Pessin Britain's parliament has released a report on the phone-hacking at the News of the World tabloid newspaper, saying owner...

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China’s Top Official in Tibet Orders New Media Clampdown

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">China's top leader in Tibet is urging local authorities to clamp down on Internet and mobile phone use in the region, as Beijing prepares to open its annual National People's Congress and Tibetans honor those who have died protesting Chinese rule.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The state-run Tibet Daily quotes regional Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo as saying that maintaining stability in the Himalayan region “means everything. Unstable elements must be nipped in the bud and all work at maintaining stability must be deepened.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He also said security forces “must crush hostile forces” led by the Dalai Lama — the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who is widely revered outside China, while accused by Beijing of fomenting rebellion in Tibetan regions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">China has flooded Tibetan areas with thousands of troops and police in recent weeks, in a push to prevent Tibetan activists from setting themselves on fire to protest Chinese presence in their territories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The latest crackdown call — just days ahead of the anniversary of deadly unrest in 2011 and 2008 — has reached all the way to Beijing. There, outspoken Tibetan writer-poet Tsering Woeser said Wednesday that security police prevented her from receiving a cultural award from the Dutch ambassador.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">China's showcase annual legislative session begins next week, and authorities in past years have sought to portray national unity by squelching any and all signs of public dissent in the capital.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For Tibetans, March 17 marks the first anniversary of a widely-reported self-immolation by a young monk whose death triggered the current crackdown.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">March 17 is also the fourth anniversary of a larger and deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibetan areas, and the 53rd anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape to northern India, after a failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

China’s Top Official in Tibet Orders New Media Clampdown

China's top leader in Tibet is urging local authorities to clamp down on Internet and mobile phone use in the region, as Beijing prep...

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