Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

New Palestine's Blake Bobrow defends the net against East Central's Joseph Roden (10) during their sectional game on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. ( Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

FORTVILLE The Greenfield-Central Cougars capitalized early and often during the Class 3A Sectional 12 quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Mt. Vernon High School, while the New Palestine Dragons nearly turned the tournament bracket upside down.

The Cougars (6-8) opened the evening with a decisive 5-1 victory over the Richmond Red Devils (6-7-1) to advance into todays Mt. Vernon Sectional semifinals.

In the second game, the Dragons (7-10) had defending sectional champion East Central (13-4) on the ropes, but the Trojans found a way to survive, winning, 2-1, in overtime despite being a player short on the field for 45-plus minutes.

East Central and New Palestine battled to a 1-1 tie after the first 40 minutes, but it wasnt until the 87th minute that the ball would find the net again.

The Trojans seized a 1-0 lead behind an unassisted goal by junior Joseph Roden in the sixth minute, which the Dragons answered in the 36th minute on an assist from sophomore Elliott Canova to his older brother Garrett Canova, a senior.

The Dragons fought uphill a majority of the match as the Trojans out-shot their opponent 21-7, but an opportunity presented itself for New Palestine with 31:22 left in regulation when East Central was issued a red card.

The card was handed out to a Trojans defender during a Dragons attack as Elliott Canova was tripped on a breakaway attempt. The result was East Central having to compete the remainder of regulation and overtime with only 10 players compared to New Palestines 11.

It was nice to have one of their core defenders in the center out. That opened up a lot for our forwards, Garrett Canova said. But (Roden) is really talented and quick as well.

Roden put the game and the Trojans title hopes on his shoulders, fending off double teams and consistent pressure and accounted for nearly all of East Centrals eight shot attempts in the second half.

In overtime, Roden finally put the Trojans ahead, once again, with a sliding kick off a Riley Smith assist in the first-overtime periods final minute.

The goal rolled into the net with 28.7 seconds remaining, and the Trojans defense held on in the second, seven-minute overtime period to fend off the co-Hoosier Heritage Conference champion Dragons.

We had them. Im proud of the whole group. We fought like crazy tonight. They never quit. They never gave in. They just did what New Pal does, New Palestine head coach Brett Canova said. They worked so hard. (The seniors) have done it for four years, and theyve done it with the utmost class. But, hats off to East Central. Theyre a quality team.

New Palestine goalkeeper Blake Bobrow held his ground with the exception of East Centrals two goals with six saves, while the defense ricocheted several more away.

Theyre fast, and theyre strong, and they beat us, Canova said. They scored two, and we only got one, so hats off to them. Its still a heck of a season. We accomplished so much this year.

The Dragons season ended, but the path blazed this season wont soon be forgotten.

In 2019, the Dragons finished the year 3-13-1, followed by a 2-13 campaign in 2020 and a 1-6 record for last place for a second straight year in the HHC.

This fall, they tied with Yorktown, Greenfield-Central and Pendleton Heights for the HHC title with a 5-2 mark.

We were worst to first. To be here and actually put up a fight against East Central, which we havent done historically, was a lot of fun, Garrett Canova said. To raise it up and do so much better than we did last year is really nice, and I think it will be really good for the people below us to set a standard that they need to achieve and go above and beyond.

The Greenfield-Central Cougars will now face East Central in the semifinals today at Mt. Vernon High School at 7:15 p.m. following the first game between the host Marauders (10-6) and Shelbyville (8-8) at 5:30 p.m.

The Cougars had a much easier quarterfinal challenge, taking a 2-0 lead by halftime against Richmond and burying three more goals in the second half.

Senior John Halvorsen, who has missed time due to injury since 2019, put the Cougars up 1-0 with a goal in the fourth minute.

He added the third goal in the 43rd minute off an assist from freshman Gian Colassaco.

Calassaco flashed his speed on the field turf surface and dished out three assists.

The regular season was a little bit iffy for us. We were trying to figure out a lot of things, it seemed like, Halvorsen said. Me, myself, I didnt get to play much this year, so its been a lot, but I do feel, its a whole new team now.

The Cougars showed their potential in waves against Richmond with 27 shots on goal and goals from Jason Scrivner, Drew Davidson and Colassaco.

I love turf, Colassaco said. I feel like I can hit the ball right and just do whatever I want on it. Its really good, especially in the first game of sectional to get it going.

The Cougars last sectional title run was in 2019, which has the team motivated to possibly get past the defending champions and reach the sectional final on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Its always good to get that first one out of the way. Weve got some young kids, and its nice to get a game like that under their belt, G-C coach Matt McConnell said. We have felt like its been there all season, ready to go. It just wasnt clicking. Its starting to click thats for sure. Weve been really proud of our defense. Not enough can be said about how good theyre playing. Theyre not giving up a lot. Its hard to beat us if you cant score.

Cougars goalkeeper Jordin Jones and the defense worked for three saves.

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Highs and Lows: Cougars advance to semifinals; Dragons fall in overtime - Greenfield Daily Reporter

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

One of the subjects discussed with great passion in media outlets in the past Jewish year, 5781, and especially of late, is antisemitism. It has received broad coverage in academia, in the media and in politics, in debates over which minister is mistaken, who is eroding the unique nature of antisemitism, which professor is deceiving themselves and which journalist is engaging in scaremongering.

These discussions attest to the degree to which the subject affects people and society. These are not only political debates they are accompanied by discussions about the essence of antisemitism, which are actually debates about identity, national history and self-perception. And that is the reason for the passion and the concern.

However, anyone who is following the discussions is aware of the gap, of which we should be cautious, between the discussion taking place here in Israel, and the way Diaspora Jews relate to antisemitism. The Jews in the Diaspora, as individuals and as members of congregations and organizations, are on the front lines not we Jews living in Israel. They are the ones who get up in the morning and find a swastika on the wall of their school or their synagogue. They are attacked in the street and their children are the ones who encounter statements that Hitler was right on social media.

This gap is likely to be another reason that Diaspora Jews are distancing themselves from Israel, and for their sense that Israel is unaware of their situation and perhaps is not even aware of the nadir of its own image as they experience it in progressive and liberal circles, among leftists and academics, including former Jews and Israelis. Jewish congregations and organizations have barely discussed the words of Foreign Minister Yair Lapid at the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism (to the effect that antisemitism isnt just hatred of Jews), while in Israel their stormy reverberations were heard for a long time.

In the heat of the debate here, the basis was omitted: Various forms of antisemitism have increased in the past two years, and reached a height during the hostilities between Israel and Gaza in May. Perhaps when we have the full summary of findings well be able to point to a decline in recent weeks, but until then, the previous trend has left its mark:

It began with accusations that the Jews and Israel created the coronavirus, accompanied by medieval caricatures and imagery, including greed at the expense of the ailing world. The murder of George Floyd added accusations of alleged Jewish involvement in the slave trade, and that the U.S. police were trained in cruel behavior by the Israel Police.

The ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 exacerbated existing conspiracy theories. In the era of COVID-19, the world is living in the Jew world order. Anti-vaxxers, who are constantly making comparisons to Nazism, call the authorities vaccinazis, and the attitude toward Israel is defined as a new phobia Zionophobia.

Another central factor has joined the familiar sources of antisemitic and anti-Israeli sentiment in recent years: Iran. Over a decade ago it began with a campaign of Holocaust denial, which included caricatures, conferences and generous hosting of deniers, and now it generously finances antisemitic and anti-Israel activity in various languages on social media and on television.

Since the start of COVID-19, Iran has been investing great efforts in the campaign, and even more so during the May hostilities. Time magazine published a U.S. intelligence study that identified the intensification of Iranian propaganda being disseminated to provoke anti-Jewish Jews and anti-Israel sentiment, and the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University, headed by Dr. Liora Hendelman-Baavur, agreed with the findings.

Another area barely mentioned in Israel is the reaction of Jewish congregations and groups. At the Kantor Center we counted 16 organizations, some of them only recently established, that monitor antisemitic incidents, publish periodical reports and consider ways to respond. Innumerable seminars are taking place to find tools like the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of antisemitism.

According to the Kantor Center, the University of Haifa and the Combat Antisemitism Movement, over 700 groups have adopted the definition to date: countries, parliaments, universities, churches, municipalities and sports organizations.

The European Union published a detailed guide to the use of the definition, and hundreds of academics have signed a declaration of support for it. Indeed, the greater the international and academic support, the more the IHRA definition is criticized, and there are already three new definitions that aspire to replace it. The critics claim that the definition is obsessively involved in defending Israel, and refrains from criticizing it.

But for the most part, the definition deals with antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and is not a legally binding document. And criticism of Israel is heard constantly, with or without the IHRA definition. In fact, Jewish congregations and groups see it as an effective tool for monitoring, for reducing Holocaust denial, as a basis for submitting complaints and for educating against discrimination in general.

Currently, there are almost 7 million Jews living in Israel half of the Jewish people. The other half lives in the Diaspora, and the distress caused there by antisemitism must be a central rather than a marginal issue, because the connection between the different parts of the Jewish people is essential for us.

Prof. Porat is the director of the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University and the chief historian of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

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The front lines of antisemitism are in the Diaspora, not in Israel - Haaretz

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

OPINION: The need for Black unity on a global scale could not be any clearer. The 21st century whippings of Haitian people in Texas are proof of that.

When one hurts, we all hurt. That should be the mantra of Black people and people of African descent across the world, wherever they may find themselves. Given that sentiment, what if the Black diaspora, Black nations and Black folks wherever they find themselves in the world came together on the global stage for the purpose of political and economic power and the betterment of us?

A few recent news items point to the need for a united front of Black folks throughout the world. While Africa has some of the fastest growing economies in the world, often they are regarded as charity cases or a rich continent of vast raw materials to exploit, like the old days of colonialism and slavery. We see you, China, Europe and America.

Wealthy white nations are hoarding the COVID vaccine and banning its exports, creating a vaccine apartheid where wealthy white nations control over 82% of the world supply of the life-saving vaccines, and low-income nations have secured less than 1%. Fewer than 4% of Africans have been fully immunized, and they cannot purchase the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the linkages between slavery and immigration policy were in full view when we witnessed the harsh treatment of Haitian migrants in Texas, as Border Patrol on horseback, like overseers, whipped these already desperate and traumatized people like Kunta Kinte or a scene out of 12 Years A Slave or Django Unchained.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acua, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

The Haitian people, who paid a heavy price for daring to overthrow French colonial rule and the shackles of enslavement, have been paying a helluva price ever since. Haiti had to pay France $21 billion in debt as the price of its independence, keeping the Caribbean island nation impoverished and exploited. The specter of the Border Patrol mistreatment of Haitian migrants was triggering to Black Americans, summoning up memories in our collective DNA of those horrific days of the slave patrols.

Story continues

Black people around the world felt a deep connection to that inhumanity, because we have been there before shared experiences and shared suffering.

Anti-Black racism is universal. In Europe, Australia and elsewhere, white sports fans taunt Black athletes, call them apes and throw bananas on the field. In the U.S., Black athletes are ridiculed or penalized for taking a knee in protest against systemic racism. And then when we are off the field and out of the game, they taunt us by playing Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Our suffering is universal. Black people in the Caribbean and in the U.S. are seeking reparations. And whether were the Gullah-Geechee people in the sea islands of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, or in the Quilombos of Brazil, our land is being stolen and threatened by climate change. Black Lives Matter for Black people in America, in Israel and Palestine, in Britain, and in West Papua, where Black people are still colonized and called monkeys.

Meanwhile, what if the Black diaspora united not only as a reaction to our trauma, but in the name of power? Consider what would be unleashed if the Black diaspora including African nations, the Caribbean and Black populations in America, Brazil and beyond created some version of a European Union, or an African Union for that matter, except for the Black diaspora.

Delegates arrange themselves for a group picture during a visit by the German president at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) on March 18, 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Consider a world where all members of a global Black union would have membership without borders, including an e-passport with citizenship and free travel throughout the bloc, and the unlimited exchange of goods and services across the diaspora. A Black Diaspora Union headquartered in Accra, Salvador de Bahia, Kingston, Havana, or Atlanta would have a parliament with representation by all the member states. Respect and tribute to our ancestors, the land and human rights is codified in the founding document, the Diaspora Declaration. The vast natural resources of our indigenous lands would no longer be exploited for profit by others, as they have been for centuries so the Vibranium stays in Wakanda.

A green tech economy would help preserve the Amazon and the Congo, and promote a clean future for our children. We are building the wealth for everyone. A universal basic income across the Union would mean no poverty or deprivation wherever Black people live. Students can attend the University of Cape Town, the University of the West Indies, Spelman College or Morehouse College free of charge.

The Union invites the nations of the world for collaboration, cooperation and mutually beneficial projects and initiatives. However, non-member nations who disrespect Black people invite sanctions slapped on them, with cookout privileges revoked. Because we said so.

Those who came before us understood the need for Africans, people of African descent and Black people throughout the diaspora to get together and build a future. Marcus Garvey formed the Universal Negro Improvement Association, and Malcolm X formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) modeled after the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner to the African Union (AU), with this in mind.

circa 1962: American political activist and radical civil rights leader, Malcolm X (1925 1965) standing at a podium during a rally of African-American Muslims held in a Washington, DC arena. He is wearing a formal jacket and a white bow-tie. (Photo by Richard Saunders/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Malcolm wanted to bring together the Black people in North America, South America, Central America and the African continent. We must unite together in order to go forward together. Africa will not go forward any faster than we will and we will not go forward any faster than Africa will. We have one destiny and weve had one past, he said in 1964, calling for Black people to seek allyship among themselves.

The need for Black unity on a global scale could not be any clearer. The 21st century whippings of Haitian people in Texas are proof of that.

Follow David A. Love on Twitter at @davidalove.

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The post Imagine the power of the Black diaspora if we truly united globally appeared first on TheGrio.

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Imagine the power of the Black diaspora if we truly united globally - Yahoo News

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

United Green Movement (UGM) party has opposed plans by IEBC to register Kenyans in only 11 countries to take part in the 2022 general election.

The party termed the commissions decision to enroll diaspora voters in select countries as discriminatory and illegal, adding that all Kenyans abroad are entitled to vote because it is their democratic right.

UGM party leader Augustine Neto, a former MP for Ndhiwa, argued that registering Kenyans in 11 countries only will deny hundreds of thousands of voters in the other countries a chance to exercise their democratic right as provided in the Constitution.

Nothing stops the IEBC from having a Returning Officer in each of Kenyas Foreign Missions and Embassies abroad, albeit periodically, or even through secondment to deal with the issues of diaspora voter registration, apart from its ineptitude and the lack of will power to think out of the box, said Neto.

IEBC will list new diaspora voters in South Sudan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Others are Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Africa, which participated in the 2017 election.

IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the 11 countries meet the minimum requirement of 3,000 voters. The registration of Kenyans abroad will be done in December.

On Monday, IEBC launched a 30-day nationwide mass voter listing exercise targeting at least six million new voters who have attained the age of 18 years and have acquired national identification cards or have valid passports.

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Party Demands Registration of All Kenyans in the Diaspora as Voters - Mwakilishi.com

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

There is increased pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe one of his key allies and other Nigerians fingered in Pandora papers.

Still on the latest leaks of financial documents in the world, Pandora Papers, has uncovered how Senator Stella Oduah secretly paid N5b cash to acquire mansions in London.

And from the South Eastern region of Nigeria, Governors and other leaders from the region say Igbos in the diaspora are the ones behind the Sit-at-home order and not the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

EXPOSED: How Stella Oduah Paid N5 Billion Cash For London Mansions

Pandora Papers, one of the biggest leaks of financial documents in the world, has uncovered how Senator Stella Oduah secretly acquired mansions in London.

According to investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, including more than 600 journalists, seven London properties are connected to Oduah.

Corruption Leaks: Pressure Mounts On Buhari To Probe Bagudu, Obi, Others

There is increased pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe one of his key allies, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu; a PDP chieftain and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and all Nigerians fingered in the Pandora Papers, the latest leaks of financial documents in the world.

Pandora Papers released this week have exposed the secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires including influential Nigerians.

Over 30 Separatist Groups In Southeast Abaribe

Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, says there are over 30 separatist groups in the South East fighting to actualise their dream of Biafra.

Abaribe, in an interview on Tuesday, alleged that the people of the zone were being marginalised and treated unfairly.

Terrorists Gun Down Bandits In Kaduna

A clash between terrorists belonging to the Ansaru group and bandits has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 30 bandits around the Damari axis of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Multiple sources confirmed to Daily Trust that the two criminal groups started a battle for supremacy last week.

PODCAST: How Refusal To Use Pedestrian Bridges Costs Many Nigerian Lives

Pedestrian bridges are bridges specially designed for people to enhance road safety and not as mere architectural designs.

Why then do Nigerians refuse to use these bridges? Click this link to listen to a podcast on this.

Igbo In Diaspora Behind Sit-At-Home Order, Not IPOB Southeast Govs

Governors and other leaders of the South East on Tuesday said the Igbo in Diaspora were behind the Sit-at-home order, not the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They stated this at the end of their expanded security meeting attended by governors, traditional rulers, national assembly leaders and the clergies from the zone.

Falconets Set To Feast On CAR Girls In 2022 WCup Qualifier

Nigerias Falconets are feeling no pressure as they get set to complete the rout of Central Africa Republic (CAR) girls in the return leg of the FIFA U20 Womens World Cup Costa Rica 2022 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena this evening.

The Falconets, who walloped their opponents 7-0 in the first leg, flew into Lagos on Monday from Abuja ahead of the match, and on arrival had a little rest before heading straight to business as Coach Christopher Danjuma and his assistants drilled the girls in a two- hour intense training session at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium, Surulere.

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BBNaija: Another Phase Of The Competition Has Started, Nothing Like Bestie

Katrina Jones, a housemate on Season 5 of the Big Brother Naija show, has advised all those who just left the show that there is nothing like bestie in the industry.

Bestie is a term used to described persons who are close.

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The brief: `London Mansions; Increased pressure; Igbos in Diaspora - Daily Trust

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

The Afenifere in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe has backed the southern governors on anti-open grazing laws, resolution on Value Added Tax (VAT) and quest to produce the next President of Nigeria in 2023.

In a statement by its Secretary, Anthony Ajayi, the group submitted: We urge southern governors to further explore more areas to deepen democracy and enhance the frontiers of true federalism in Nigeria.

Since the northern governors hold the belief that they are the majority in Nigeria, they should use their population advantage to develop their region and stop the malicious statement that the judgment of the Federal high Court on VAT is questionable.

The group stated that President Muhammadu Buharis address at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, especially where he called for the reform of the world body and his recommendation of dialogue to resolve Palestinian/Israeli issues, meant that he understood the importance of restructuring.

We enjoin President Buhari to key into restructuring that the Afenifere has been advocating as similar to the reform that he wants to see at the UN.

Northern governors did not meet to discuss how to improve life, add value to their states, but they are meeting to discuss VAT, social media bill and Presidency,the group said.

The Afenifere said the northern governors did not meet to end banditry and neither did they meet to end terrorism, nor talk about economic growth and how to foster development across the regions, adding: But these governors will come and be threatening everyone on how power must remain in the North. When you talk, they claim they have the numbers.

Yes, they have the highest numbers of out-of-school children but with time, Boko Haram and banditry will be a childs play, because those you fail to empower and educate will have no option than to take up arms.

They have the lowest GDP in Nigeria, they produce nothing of commercial value. Their lands that could be used to produce large farm products for industry are tents for terrorists.

The only thing they know is power. Power without value. Power without making a difference. Power without control. They cannot continue to set other regions or zones in Nigeria backward. Restructuring will pave way for competitive development.

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Afenifere in Diaspora backs southern govs on anti-open grazing laws, others - Guardian

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 4 United Green Movement (UGM) party has protested plans by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to enrol Kenyans in select countries to take part in the 2022 General Election.

The party said all Kenyans across the world are entitled to vote back home and should be given a chance to do so because it is their democratic right.

Augustine Neto, a co-party leader of UGM said the move by the electoral body to list new voters from 6 countries over and above the five listed in the 2017 election will deny hundreds of thousands of voters in the other countries a chance to exercise their right as enshrined in the Constitution.

Nothing stops the IEBC from having a Returning Officer in each of the Kenyas Foreign Missions and Embassies abroad, albeit periodically, or even through secondment to deal with the issues of diaspora voter registration, apart from its ineptitude and the lack of will power to think out of the box, said Neto who is a former MP for Ndhiwa.

IEBC said it plans to list new voters in South Sudan, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which met the minimum requirement of 3,000 voters.

The six new voting stations in the diaspora, have now been classified as Kenyas 48th county.

The six are additional to the existing Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Africa, which participated in the 2017 presidential election.

With IEBC undertaking an enhanced Mass Voter Registration exercise targeting six million voters, Neto said that target can be achieved easily if all eligible Kenyans abroad are included.

According to the 2019 World Bank report, majority of Kenyans in the diaspora were in the USA (600,000), while the UK had 300,000, Canada 200,000, European Union at 100,000, as South Africa and South Sudan each had 8,000.

The former Ndhiwa MP has also threatened a class action suit suing the Registrar of Person for delaying in the issuance of identity cards to youth in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River counties years after they filed their applications.

We were in Garissa County where we were doing a tour. Young people in the county as well as in Lamu and Tana River have been denied access to identification cards due to the stereotype that people with Somali descent as well as those living in the coastal line are linked to terrorism activities, Neto said.

In particular he pointed out that while Section 5 of the Registration of Person Act stipulates 30 days as the waiting period, some applicants have waited for long to receive the document that will ensure they register as voters.

The UGM party has called on the electoral commission chaired by Wafula Chebukati to find innovative ways to mobilize Kenyans to register as voters, especially the youth.

IEBC last week said it aims to register six million new voters who have attained the age if 18 years and have acquired national identification cards or have valid passports, or other citizens who were not registered in previous registrations.

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UGM party says IEBC should register all Kenyans in the diaspora to vote - Capital FM Kenya

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

Terry and Barbara Bell, December 1969, with daughter Ceiren, aged three months. (Photo: Supplied)

After arriving, hot and sweaty down a dusty road through the bush, the well-built Zambian border post appeared like an oasis, but of bricks and mortar. And the reception by crisply uniformed officials was the epitome of polite officialdom. Good morning, said the senior officer as he ushered us through the door, welcome to Zambia.

But then bureaucracy and a measure to forestall corruption interfered. Without the K5 given to us by my friend at the Zambian consulate in Lubumbashi, we could proceed no further. I am sorry sir, but we do not do currency exchange, the official behind the counter responded when I offered our 50 franc Belgian note in exchange for the lesser amount of K5.

As we sat dejectedly on a bench, the senior officer told us not to worry. Sooner or later someone would arrive, travelling from Zambia back to Lubumbashi, who would be sure to exchange our note for the required K5. But soon became later and the post was preparing to shut up for the day when a sole traveller arrived from Zambia and was only too happy to exchange our Belgian currency for the K5: we were officially free to travel into Zambia.

But it was already close to nightfall and I was looking around for the most comfortable place to bed down for the night when the senior officer informed us that no overnight stays were permitted. However, he and his staff had contacted a Czech geologist working in the bush nearby and he would take us to the nearest border town, Chililabombwe, from where we hitched a single, 140km ride that night to Ndola.

The next morning I turned up at the offices of the Times of Zambia where the newspapers were again short-staffed. I was hired as features editor. That meant we would be able to fulfil our promise, especially to Barbaras parents, whom I had never met, that we would get together as soon as we reached southern Africa. Both sets of parents agreed to drive up to spend Christmas and New Year of 1968 with us.

By then we had settled in, made contact with other South African exiles and begun to discover that things on the exile front were far from rosy. Not that we had much detail at the time: that came in dribs and drabs, sometimes many years later. What we heard was that there was disquiet, bordering on mutiny, in the ANCs military camps south of Lusaka; that much of this stemmed from the disastrous 1967 Wankie and Sipolilo excursions into then Rhodesia. A memorandum was also circulating signed by seven MK fighters condemning the rot in the ANC and accusing leadership elements of nepotism and corruption.

At the same time, President Kamuzu Hastings Banda of Malawi had established diplomatic relations with apartheid South Africa and we heard that talks were ongoing between South Africa and a number of other African states. This information was at least partially confirmed in April 1969 when 14 African countries came out in support of the Lusaka Manifesto, which proposed a political talks solution to the problems facing southern Africa.

This news emerged just weeks before the ANC leadership convened a major conference in Morogoro called to review the policy, strategy, leadership structure and style of work of the movement. Officially, we exiles in Ndola were kept in the dark about much that was going on, but one of the major decisions at Morogoro was that people like Barbara and me or those classified by apartheid as Indian or coloured could be ordinary members of the exiled organisation. Since I had, since my recruitment, considered this question to be irrelevant and had acted accordingly it didnt change anything.

But we were all definitely in for a long haul. And that might mean long-term jobs. Frene Ginwala, for example, later to become the first Speaker of the post-apartheid Parliament, came to Ndola to review, with me, the Times operation before she took over as editor of Tanzanias government newspaper. Other ANC members also occasionally stopped over and we managed, generally, to keep fairly well informed while avoiding the colonial social bubble that coalesced around a series of expatriate-dominated clubs.

In any event, work on the daily Times and Sunday Times was often hectic since I not only edited pages, but also researched and wrote features, gave some help with a training course for Zambian journalists, taught a brief course on political philosophy to civil servants and coordinated a weekly radical discussion group. Our daughter, Ceiren, was born in September 1969.

A year later, with my contract at the Times having ended, I accepted the job of editor-in-chief at an Ndola-based publishing group that produced the countrys business and motoring magazines and the Zambian Medical Journal. Zambia, it seemed, was to be our home base for the foreseeable future: it was only a matter of the new contract being agreed by the government. But then came word that ANC families working in Zambia were not having their contracts renewed and were being given 48 hours to leave. Youll be next, said Qups, a school teacher comrade as he and his wife packed up to leave for Canada.

As a precaution, and on the advice of New Zealand journalist Vernon Wight, I wrote, applying for a job on the Auckland Star and received a prompt reply. I was offered not only a job, but also free hotel accommodation for a week, a settling-in allowance and $400 toward removal expenses. This was a safety net beyond any expectations: I filed it, just in case while I waited for our application to become permanent Zambian residents. Instead, the expulsion order arrived, which we were able to delay for several weeks.

Jim Thorpe, owner of the publishing company, then came to our financial rescue, handing me about six months pay in the form of banknotes in a large canvas bank bag. We had enough money not only to get to Botswana but, if need be, make it to New Zealand. ANC president OR Tambo and his close friend and comrade, Jack Simons, also confessed that the movement was powerless to help us stay.

However, rebuilding was under way on an international level. Our priority should be to settle in Botswana and establish a safe house for the ANC. Alternatively, go to New Zealand and help establish an anti-apartheid movement. An office responsible for the Oceania region had been set up in Delhi and, should we end up in New Zealand, I should file monthly situation reports via that office.

So, with all our portable belongings, a 14-month-old daughter, a dog and cat, we drove, on often unmade roads, the near-2,000km from Ndola to Gaborone where I applied for the long-vacant post of the then moribund information department magazine. The job was mine, the information chief informed me. The only formality was presidential approval. Since Barbara was not banned, her parents took her, Ceiren, the dog and cat back to Johannesburg while I waited, in a rented room, for the approval. What came instead was a blunt refusal.

At the time, the secretary to President Seretse Khama was ANC and SACP member Joe Matthews, later a deputy minister in the post-apartheid government and Inkatha Freedom Party stalwart. I went to see him. Sorry, he said, but its not just South African security. Its the Zambians as well.

I was shattered. It was close to Christmas and Barbara had also told me that Ceiren had, belatedly, started walking. Angry and frustrated, I decided on a scheme even more hare-brained than taking up a challenge to paddle a kayak from London to Dar es Salaam: in disguise, I would cross into South Africa and spend the holiday period in Johannesburg with my wife and daughter. DM

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OP-ED: Reflections of a Wayward Boy: Wanderings in the diaspora as exiled, stateless, brand-new parents - Daily Maverick

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

Deep divisions are brewing within Aotearoas Indian diaspora, highlighting parallels to the mindsets that preceded the March 15 Christchurch terror attack. Those fighting the rise of a far-right Indian nationalist ideology have spoken out. But they worry no-one is listening. Laura Walters reports.

Professor Mohan Dutta seems conflicted.

The polite Massey University academic thanks me, then thanks me again. He wants people to know about the rise of a far-right Indian nationalist movement thats made its way into the New Zealand diaspora.

He wants a mature debate about the political ideology, Hindutva, and what it means for those minority communities that feel targeted by its majoritarian views.

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But hes also worried about what having this conversation could mean for his safety. He is happy to attach his name to this story - that ship has sailed - but Dutta stops short of having his photo taken.

In the past week, a fresh round of abuse has been lobbed at him. It followed a piece in the NZ publication Indian News, accusing him of an anti-Hindu campaign, and being a left-leaning bigot under the garb of an academician, abusing his institution to spread hatred against Hindus, the worlds most peaceful community.

This is on top of the dozens of social media messages.

SUPPLIED

Protestors speaking out against the Indian Government say they have faced pressure to support the majority view. The protest was arranged by the Aotearoa Association of Progressive Indians (AAPI) in Auckland.

Bootlicker, brown servant, they say. If you were in India you would be burnt We should do anything in our power to stop him.

The stream of abuse is in response to Duttas research paper about Indias answer to white supremacy, the Islamophobia central to the ideology, and how it is gaining a foothold in New Zealand.

The blowback was hard and fast. The Hindu Council put out a press release accusing Dutta of advocating the abolishment of Hinduism. Dutta is Hindu.

It says his research promotes Hinduphobia.

The Hindu Youth Association says: It is obvious that his publication is a clear example of Hindumisia outright Hindu hatred, Hindu Youth says.

Dutta points out that Hinduism and Hindutva arent the same. One is a religion, the other is a political ideology.

But Duttas detractors have the advantage of ready-made arguments and talking points - the same ones that have been used to silence dissent around the world.

EDUARDO MUNOZ

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Those who have criticised the majoritarian view, and its support by both Narendra Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian diasporas, are often subjected to attacks similar to those experienced by Dutta. In India, those who speak up face being detained.

This could be seen as inconsequential in-fighting, but the attack on two Christchurch mosques in 2019 laid bare the dangers of ignoring concerns raised by minority ethnic and faith communities.

And this community is too big to ignore. The 2018 Census put the number of Hindus in New Zealand at 121,644, making it one of the countrys fastest-growing faith groups. At the time, more than 240,000 people identified as Indian.

As New Zealand tries to build social cohesion in a world where its too easy to become radicalised, those at the margins of the margins are raising a red flag about the dangers of Hindutva.

Dutta likens the online communication of the Hindutva machine to that of QAnon followers and other far-right groups like the Proud Boys. The Hindutva machine spouts hate against minority groups, like Muslims, women and so-called lower-caste Indians.

Since he wrote the white paper, Cultural Hindutva and Islamophobia, the issue has spilled into Duttas personal life.

Last month, he started reporting online harassment to police, who have put in place a safety plan. But there is little they can do.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said they believe the worst offenders are based overseas.

Police say theyre concerned about all forms of extremism that have the potential to manifest in threatening acts of violence.

And while theyre aware of concerns about Hindutva groups, no far-right nationalist or extremist Indian groups are designated as terrorist entities in New Zealand.

This is the type of response Dutta expected. Those who spoke to Stuff say authorities have done little in response to concerns raised by the community.

When Sapna Samant raised the issue of Hindutva at a hui earlier this year, it seemed like she finally had the ear of someone who could help.

At the end of the discussion, a representative from the Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) approached Samant and took her details. They never contacted her.

Following the 2019 attack that resulted in the death of 51 Muslims, community members said they repeatedly raised concerns about another far-right group; one that also had notions of supremacy.

Minister Responsible for Security and Intelligence Services Andrew Little believes the communitys concerns were appropriately considered, following the February hui.

New Zealand is not immune to threats, including threats from faith and politically-motivated violent extremism, Little said in a statement.

Both Little and the NZSIS refused to go into detail about what was being done in response to the communitys concerns.

Our role is to investigate violent extremism, specifically individuals who have both the capability and intent to carry out an attack or support those that do, the NZSIS said.

Concerns around Hindutva are not a new issue.

In the past decade, there has been an increase in Islamophobic rhetoric from some within the Indian community.

Last year, a Wellington JP was forced to resign, after making Islamophobic comments online.

Immediately following the 2019 Christchurch attack, misinformation originating within the community incorrectly attributed the attack to Muslims.

And last month, when a Muslim extremist stabbed people in a supermarket in New Lynn, there was a swathe of anti-Islam comments, including those who criticised the prime minister for saying the man was responsible for the attack, not the faith.

The Hindus in NZ Facebook page, which has more than 5000 members, provides a home for this sort of rhetoric.

The pages membership has also been perpetuating the criticism of Dutta, calling him a clown, and a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Media coverage has been labelled as a distraction to divert the mind of the general public from real terrorists.

DAVID UNWIN/Stuff

Omer Nazir, PhD student from Kashmir at Massey University.

PhD student Omer Nazir is worried about the tactics used to silence dissent, and what that means for fundamental freedoms.

In 2019, Nazir lost touch with his family, when the Indian government revoked the special constitutional status of Muslim majority regions Jammu and Kashmir.

Nazir worked with his professor and others to stage a protest, followed by a symposium to discuss the situation in Kashmir.

SUPPLIED

An Auckland protest in opposition to the Indian Government revoking Kashmir's special autonomous status.

The event was to be held in Parliaments grand hall, until the Indian High Commission opposed the event.

Then-foreign minister Winston Peters sent advice to all MPs advising them not to attend.

Attendance by a Minister/MP could be construed as the New Zealand Government taking a strong position in favour of one side of the conflict in Kashmir, and this is not the case, the email said.

Attached also was advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: It is not New Zealands practice to take sides on long-standing and complex international disputes of this nature.

Nazir believes the same powers are at play now.

When we try to disrupt the hegemonic structure, there is resistance.

But as academics, they were duty-bound to present an alternate point of view, he said.

Auckland GP Dr Sapna Samant has similar concerns.

Last year, she organised a protest to oppose Indias controversial fast-track citizenship law for some illegal migrants, but excludes Muslims.

After a rally in August, the head of the Manukau Indian Association, Veer Khar warned her not to criticise the Indian Government, adding that we are watching you.

The we is the High Commission of India.

On Facebook, he wrote: Now High Commission of India is getting into action and it may stop visa to India for participants of any anti India event.

At the time, the High Commission confirmed it was keeping an eye on anti-India protestors.

Samant was happy to stand up to those putting pressure on her.

But not everyone is in the same position. Some have precarious visa situations; others fear for their families back in India.

So, Samant and a small group set up the Aotearoa Association of Progressive Indians (AAPI), to help people within the community to come together and raise concerns.

You will never know what is happening on the inside, unless someone in the community highlights it, Samant says.

AAPI has started a petition calling for public support of Dutta, and the Indian Association of Minorities has condemned the "flood of hate, discrimination and hooting" against Dutta in a letter to Massey University and the Human Rights Commission.

But some continue to feel pressured to support the majority view.

In response to the recent uproar, community leaders organised a hui for Hindus in NZ. Following the meeting, those who attended were asked to add their name to an open letter criticising Dutta, Massey, and explaining the offense felt in the community.

But some see the attempts to get all temples and groups to sign the letter as coercive, and seeking to speak for all Hindus.

Wellington-based interfaith leader Pushpa Wood feels caught in the middle.

When we sit down to speak, along with Wellington Interfaith Council chairman Manjit Grewal, Wood has a list of points she wants to make about Duttas paper: its too short, it doesnt give enough historical context, it does not delineate Hindutva from Hinduism, and the academic hasnt been in the country long enough to be an expert.

Wood is surprised her fellow academic, who works at the same university, didnt consult her in doing this work, it seems she felt blindsided.

We need to have an internal discussion, rather than someone throwing darts at our belief system, she says.

But, at the same time, they imply there is nothing to discuss.

Supplied

Wellington-based interfaith leader Pushpa Wood.

Both say no-one has ever raised concerns about Hindutva with them. They say New Zealand shouldnt be importing other countries problems.

In trying to solve a problem, you have created another problem, Grewal says.

Head of the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Mervin Singham, says some people have raised concerns about Hindutva, and the ideas expressed under its banner.

While having respectful dialogue was a good thing, the ministry didnt condone organisations or individuals expressing views that marginalise or denigrate people for having different beliefs, Singham said in a statement.

Aotearoa New Zealand is an increasingly diverse country with a wide spectrum of beliefs and views, he said.

Having dialogue and creating greater understanding of different perspectives is an important part of creating greater social cohesion. This does not mean that government agencies or politicians agree with, or condone everything some organisations advocate.

Everyone who spoke to Stuff raised the issue of social cohesion, but there was a difference of opinion in how to get there.

Those who agreed with Wood and Grewal, said it was important to speak in a united voice.

As a nation, we have reached the stage where we need to take two deep breaths, take a pause, examine and re-examine what is the texture of our society going to look like in the next 30 years, Wood said.

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The rise of Hindutva and hate in Aotearoa's Indian diaspora - Stuff.co.nz

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Posted By admin on October 7, 2021

Maria Varnava, the founder of Tiwani Contemporary, a London gallery specialising in artists from Africa and the diaspora, has a long-held fear of financial speculation and bubbles when it comes to the art market.

Working in business development at Christies in her 20s gave her an "education in terms of how markets can be built but also illustrated how a specific market can crash just as fast as it is created, in a very dangerous way, especially for young artists. She was at Christie's when the Indian market went crazythey were selling things for millions, and then suddenly you could not get those prices. So I was made really aware of the danger of speculation and how one needs to navigate carefully through a purely speculative moment, which, actually, I think is what I'm seeing right now as an organisation.

This concern was a founding principle of Tiwani Contemporary (Tiwani means ours or it belongs to us in Yoruba) when Varnava established it in London in 2011. I was thinking of the ways I would handle the careers of the artists I work with from the commercial side.

Having left Christies after four years, Varnava was studying for a Masters in African studies, with a focus on African art, at London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in when she began setting up her own gallery. Shed been given a firm push by the late Nigerian curator Bisi Silva, a pivotal figure in Varnava's career: I was a big fan of the work of Bisi Silva, who was the founder and director of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos. She was an incredible woman and really empowered artists locally, but unfortunately we lost her to cancer a couple of years ago. Varnava went to see her in her office in Lagos, seeking advice, explaining that she would like to do a pop-up exhibition of artists from Africa or a really solid publication. Silva looked her straight in the eye and said: You want to do something, Maria, you need to do it all the way. All the way. You need to set up a gallery, and you need to do it properly.

Artists Rendering of Tiwani Contemporary, Lagos

Courtesy of Tiwani Contemporary

So, with some financial backing from her family, Varnava took the plunge, taking a gallery in Fitzrovia, a pricey part of central London, and opening just before her 30th birthday. It was, to say the least, bold considering the high rent that would have to be paid through the sales of "emerging artists that nobody has heard of, Varnava says. But I needed to prove myself, put pressure on. I thought, I'm going to have to make it work. It was, she says, challenging for a few years, not least because she was showing a roster of artists that "broke down any sort of expectation people might have of what art from Africa would look likefor example in my first show, I had a video piece and I think some people were expecting depictions of the Black body. We have never catered to an exotic idea of what art from Africa is about. Artists who have worked with the gallery since the beginning include Mary Evans, Virginia Chihota, Andrew Esiebo, Theo Eshetu, Dawit L. Petros and Dlio Jasse.

African contemporary art has, of course, undergone an enormous boom in interest in the past five years or so, and while such overdue recognition is a good thing, with it comes its fair share of speculators with less than honourable intentions.

Things were very different back in 2011, when artists from Africa were still considered something of a niche interest. Where once the difficulty was in getting collectors to look seriously at the work of artists such as Simone Leigh (hard to believe now), today there is a pressure to protect desirable artists from speculators and flippers. In March this year, No Wahala (2019) by the British-Nigerian painter Joy Labinjo, one of Tiwanis roster, was flipped at a Christies auction in London, where it sold for 150,000. Varnava is clear that the person who bought that work, from Tiwani, will never be sold a painting by the gallery again. [Flipping] is a problem and Joys was my first experience and it was really disheartening, because you do all your due diligence [on the buyer], you talk to other galleries, you do your research, but human beings are unpredictable. You can only do so much. She adds: I know cash is cash, but any collector that has placed a work bought from me at auction is definitely not going to be a client of mine again. And they've been made aware. I work with clients that support my programme, that support my artists. I've had to have difficult conversations with Joy because I feel extremely responsible for what has happened. Labinjo, Varnava says, is philosophical and understands [flipping] it's not something thats just happening to her, it's a moment. It's unfortunately happening to a lot of young, mid-career and established artists right now.

Andrew Pierre Hart's s3:e3s Mix 2 (2021), which will be exhibited at Frieze London

Courtesy of Tiwani Contemporary

Most important to Varnava is the sustainability of artists markets and careers: It's a marathon, not a sprint, so I do my research and Im conservative with prices to safeguard everybody's position. Tiwanis sales contracts include a standard 36-month first refusal clause to try to stop clients putting fresh works into auction, but these are hard to enforce.

Poaching of artists is also a challenge that Varnava must contend with as her artists become more desirable and are courted by bigger galleries, keen to quickly diversify their rosters. It's a shame that artists don't understand the strength they have with a gallery especially when they might leave you because they think they might do better financially with another organisationthey don't necessarily need to be part of a massive machine, you can get lost.

Varnavas love of Africa and its culture was born earlyshe is Greek-Cypriot and, although born in Cyprus, from 40 days old until the age of 11 she grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where her father still has a construction company. I spent my formative years in Nigeria and, having young children now [Varnava has three under six], I realise it really shapes you, that time of your life, she says. The people I was growing up with, the art, the visual language I was growing up with and exposed to was that of Nigeria.

And so, in February 2022, Tiwani Contemporary will open a 2,000 sq ft purpose-built gallery in Victoria Island, Lagosit was always Varnavas plan to open in Nigeria in the gallerys tenth year. It's like a homecoming for me, to a place that I love, where I had the most incredible childhood, Varnava says. I'm very excited by the number of galleries that are opening in Nigeria, the number of artist-led initiatives like residencies. What I've noticed in the past few years is that entrepreneurial, driven young Nigerians are choosing to return home whereas, back in the day of my parents, most of them chose to stay in the US or UK or wherever they were studying. So, I think that energy is electrifying and super exciting.

Warriors Inhabit Mind Body and Spirit (2021) by Charmaine Watkiss

Courtesy of Tiwani Contemporary

Working with artists from Africa and the diaspora means Tiwani needs to be on the continent, Varnava says: Especially in the early days, I was selling a lot to a few incredible European and US collectors. Thats great, but its also problematic for me because I would love to see more African, pan-African and continent-based collectors supporting artists from Africa in the diaspora. I think that would make the market more sustainable, if there was more local patronage.

While the Lagos exhibition programme will predominantly focus on Tiwanis own artists (It means a lot to our artists to show their work on the continent), Varnava also wants to show a broader mix, to bring to Lagos international artists, so students from the local art school will be able to see, in person, international contemporary art. The space will open with a solo exhibition of the work of Labinjo, as she has links to Nigeria and feels, in the same way as I do, a sense of a homecoming.

Next week, Tiwani will exhibit at Frieze London with a solo-booth of paintings, sound pieces, drawings and text works by the London-based artist Andrew Pierre-Hart, whose work is currently on view in Mixing It Up: Painting Today at Londons Hayward Gallery. Meanwhile at Cromwell Place during Frieze week, the gallery will stage an exhibition of work by the Congolese-Australian artist Pierre Mukeba and, in November, plans a debut solo show of a new series of drawings by the London-based artist Charmaine Watkiss, titled The Seed Keepers, which according to a statement fuse Watkiss' interests in botany, herbalism, ecology, history, and Afrofuturism.

In the last three years, Varnava says, the gallery has gained confidence, things have gotten easier as its reputation has matured and spread. When I was setting up the gallery, it was in the early moments of the incredible energy we're seeing nowit was before the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair started, before Tate had its Africa acquisitions committeeand I was doing something quite bold. I wanted to be in central London, I didn't want this African-led initiative to be in the outskirts. Sometimes I thought, is it worth it. But thankfully, hard work and resilience paid off.

Perceptions and reputations can change fast and, as Varnava says: Its funny to think that in 2013, I was working with Simone [Leigh] and Njideka [Akunyili Crosby] and I had to persuade people to look at them. Now look at them!.

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'We have never catered to an exotic idea of what art from Africa is about': Tiwani Contemporary to launch gallery in Lagos as it celebrates ten years...

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