The Worsening Plight of Refugee Women and Children

As Europe continues its conversation over the sexual assaults by male refugees on New Year’s Eve in Germany, Sweden, Finland and Norway, female refugees around Europe are facing the fear of sexual assault and attacks everyday in refugee shelters and camps around the continent.  

In 2015 reports from German social work organisations spoke about how women and children in German refugee centres are being raped, assaulted and even forced into prostitution by male refugees who deem them to be ‘wild game’.

In August last year four social work organisations and women’s rights groups in Hesse, Germany wrote a two page letter requesting help for women in mixed gender shelters.

"The ever-increasing influx of refugees has complicated the situation for women and girls at the receiving centre in Giessen (HEAE) and its subsidiaries. The practice of providing accommodation in large tents, the lack of gender-separate sanitary facilities, premises that cannot be locked; the lack of safe havens for women and girls — to name just a few spatial factors — increases the vulnerability of women and children within the HEAE. This situation plays into the hands of those men who assign women a subordinate role and treat women travelling alone as 'wild game'. The consequences are numerous rapes and sexual assaults. We are also receiving an increasing number of reports of forced prostitution. It must be stressed: these are not isolated cases."

Women’s Rights Not a Priority  ?

This situation has now spread across many European nations where female refugees and children are travelling. Jina  More, a reporter for Buzzfeed  argues that many of these women and children are not aware of the dangers and aid agencies are not taking the problem into account. According to an interview with the Senior Public Information Officers for the UNHCR Melita Šunjiæ,

“ I’m fully aware of what you’re talking about, but these issues happen when you register women in refugee camps, when certain people get privileges and aid and others don’t, things like that. … At the moment this, [sexual assault or exploitation] is definitely not the problem”

But the problem is, it is.

From forced marriages, domestic abuse to the trafficking of women, female refugees are facing a brutal gauntlet to seek a better life and due to a culture that hides sexual assault and violence, much of what these women suffer is kept hidden from the public eye.

Backlash

Many female refugees fear a backlash if they report these abuses. From being rejected by their husbands or relatives to death threats and honour killings, the repercussions for many female refugees who are perceived to have destroyed their families’ honour by being victims is very real.

Take the case described by one psychologist in Germany , who told of a female refugee she was treating whose husband had prostituted her to their smugglers to pay for their way to Europe. He had then attacked her himself for damaging his honour. They are now separated and her husband has been subjected to a restraining order, but she lives in fear of an attack.

A very real fear given that in October last year Germany witnessed an honour killing of a young Syrian migrant who is only known as Rokstan M. She had been attacked by three men in Syria and had fled to Germany with her family gaining asylum and working as an interpreter for the German government.

 In October 2015 her body was found with stab wounds in her family’s garden in the German city of Dessau while she had been visiting her family. In the days before her death she posted on her Whatsapp profile that  “I am awaiting death. But I am too young to die.” 

Europe’s Response

The governments in Europe agree that they need to do more for refugee females and children. The UNHCR in a statement in October 2015 asked,

“All concerned national authorities in Europe to take measures to ensure the protection of women and girls, including through providing adequate and safe reception facilities. UNHCR also asks authorities, as a matter of urgency, to find alternatives to the detention of children.“

However, due to the extensive nature of the refugee crisis many shelters are overwhelmed. Furthermore, westernisation of refugees will take time. The concept that women should be treated in accordance with western mores, will still be an anathema to many of these young men who have been raised in an environment which secludes women.

 Women rights although a burgeoning area of discourse are often abrogated in the Middle East and North Africa and it is not just men who must be educated but the women themselves who need to know their rights.

Why tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran could Destroy the Middle East

Iran has chosen to escalate its ongoing war of words with Saudi Arabia this week’s by accusing the Saudis of bombing the Iranian Embassy in Yemen on Thursday night.


Iranian state run media, IRNA, announced the attack stating that the Saudi Arabian Airforce had targeted the embassy and injured several staff members. Later reports downgraded this bulletin stating missiles fell in the vicinity of the Embassy and a few were injured by shrapnel. According to Reuters, eye witnesses from the Yemeni capital of Sana’a indicate this may not be the case, stating that a missile had exploded 700 meters from the embassy with shrapnel and rocks landing near the building.


Warmongering


So is this simply a case of overzealous Iranians stirring up trouble with their Sunni neighbours?Perhaps, the Iranians are deeply upset over the beheading of the Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheik Nimr al-Nimr who was a staunch critic of the ruling Saudi and Bahraini monarchies. From the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani stating “One does not respond to criticism by cutting off heads” and ceasing 172.5 million dollars worth of trade, to the statements by the Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring “divine retribution”, Iran’s leaders are visibly upset. The Iranians themselves have also demonstrated their ire with the destruction of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and a consul in Mashhad.


Saudi Arabia likewise is understandably cooling its relations with Iran with equal vigour. Iranian diplomats were given 48 hours to leave Saudi Arabia and all diplomatic ties have been severed. In a recent report from the Economist the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated that the Saudi’s were not intending to make this a hostile confrontation.


"It is something that we do not foresee at all, and whoever is pushing towards that is somebody who is not in their right mind. Because a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran is the beginning of a major catastrophe in the region ... For sure we will not allow any such thing."


Perhaps this is because there are alternate proxy theatres where the tensions can be discharged.


Yemen , Syria and Iraq


Since 2011 Saudi Arabia has been engaged in the Yemeni civil war which it believes is being driven by Iranian support of the Houthis.


Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, as they have become known are a Zaidia Shia group from Sa’dah. Originally formed in 2004 during the insurgency against the former President Saleh they are said to have received weaponry and training from Iran and are regarded by the Saudis as a proxy for Iran in the region.


In the aftermath of the 2011 Yemeni Revolution the Houthis became dissatisfied with the Saudi run peace accord refusing to recognise the Saudi backed government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. In 2014-15 they seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the southern city of Aden, taking control of the government and forcing President Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia. In an attempt to reinstate Hadi to power, Saudi Arabia and its allies since this time have been bombing Yemen in an attempt to force the Houthis into retreat.


In Syria the original rebellion against Assad was turned into a sectarian conflict when the Saudis armed hard-line Sunni militias to fight against the Iranian supported regime of Assad, one of which was ISIS. As ISIS spread throughout Syria, Shia women and children were slaughtered and the group soon spread to neighbouring Shia led Iraq destabilising another country.


Sectarianism or Defence


Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been rivals in the Middle East. As the recognised leading proponents of the Sunni and Shia Islamic sectarian traditions, both have a history of trying to extend their influence over the Middle East since the 1970’s.


In 1978 Iran went through a theology based revolution and started supporting Shia militant groups throughout the Middle East. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hezbollah al-Hejaz in Saudi Arabia, Iranian supported groups have initiated several domestic conflicts across the Middle East since the late 1980’s.


In an effort to combat this domestic disturbance and meddling, Saudi Arabia has countered the Iranian destabilisation efforts by creating the Gulf Co-operation Council and supported Sunni based groups and governments throughout the region


Far Reaching Effect


The effect of the zero sum policymaking is that the entire region is often littered with conflicts based along sectarian divisions. Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq are all undergoing severe civil conflicts based around sectarian divisions which have their roots in the Sunni Shia Cold War.


The recent cooling of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has ruined the pending ceasefire in Yemen and has derailed the peace negotiations in Syria and Iraq. It has set back the fight against ISIS which will require all surrounding states to cooperate together and may cause further chaos as Iran ramps up its support of Shia militants in the region.

ISIS in Retreat

By Victoria Kelly-Clark


The expansion of ISIS in Iraq and Syria seems to have reached a turning point in the past 24 hours. In Iraq the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in coalition with the Popular Mobilisation Unit (PMU) took back the Iraqi city of Ramadi which was just one hour from the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Lost in May 2015, ISF troops along with US air support have besieged the city for the past two months but were only able to enter the city in the past 24 hours routing the 500 or so ISIS fighters that controlled the city.

On the Syrian side of the Islamic State’s territory, the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) in coalition with the moderate FSA and the Kurdish YPG have captured a large swathe of territory south of Kobani, including the strategic Euphrates River crossing point of Tishrin Dam. This means that ISIS control over Syrian territories west of the Euphrates is now under threat and there are indeed reports that towns on that side have already fallen.

All of this would not have been possible without the significant actions of the Kurdish minorities in Syria and Iraq who form the largest component of the SDF and ISF infantry.

The Kurds on Top

According to military think tank IHS Janes, in a recent study the Islamic State has lost approximately 14% of its territory in Iraq and Syria, with its territory shrinking from 90,000 square kilometres to 78,000 in the past year. 12,800 km2 of that territory has returned to the hands of the Kurds of Iraq and Syria. Rudaw.net, a Kurdish news site stated that in the past year alone the Kurdish autonomous forces have been able to triple the size of their fledgling autonomous territory since they broke the siege on Kobani and thanks to their actions ISIS has also suffered financial difficulties.

According to IHS Janes senior Middle East analyst Columb Strack there has been “a negative financial impact on Islamic State (ISIS) due to the loss of control of the Tal Abyad border crossing prior to the recent intensification of air strikes against the group's oil production capability,".

This financial loss will now be compounded with the return of Tishrin Dam to the SDF. But ISIS may have already reached its limits; Janes also noted that its gains in Iraq came at the expense of the Kurdish territories as it reportedly pulled fighters from one area to the other indicating it was overstretched.

Roadblock Turkey

The biggest threat to the defeat of ISIS at present is Turkey. Turkey has allowed their border to be somewhat permeable to ISIS supporters and since it views the Kurdish YPG, who make up the bulk of the SDF, as aligned with a Turkish terrorist group called the PKK this is unsurprising.

Some theorists have speculated that Turkey is utilising the war against ISIS to try and hinder the development of an autonomous Kurdish area on their border. Supporting this theory was the turkish bombings of areas near the Kurdish town of Zargala, in August 2015 .

The Turkish PM Davutoğlu has also said that Turkey will not allow any “hostile groups” to cross the Euphrates, something which appears to be a thinly veiled threat against the YPG and SDF.

However, Turkey has yet to close their borders or create a buffer zone towards Syria and Iraq. This may be a good sign as a hostile Turkey determined to hinder the Kurdish Syrian forces is not a positive outcome for the war against ISIS.

 This article appeared in The Vision Times In Focus on the 4th of January 2016

http://www.visiontimes.com/2016/01/01/isis-is-fast-losing-ground.html

The Winter of Chinese Discontent

As the world focuses on the current crisis in the Middle East, the Communist Party in China (CCP) has again illustrated its incompetence. Last week Chinese authorities’ sentenced Pu Zhiqiang, one of China’s most prominent human rights lawyers and an advocate for internal change in the CCP, to a three year suspended sentence over a series of tweets.

Demonstrating the decision making of a despotic power desperate to maintain its grip on power the Communist authorities appear to be determined to crack down on all dissent. Given the current state of China, it is probably like trying to stop the tide.

No Legitimacy

In recent months the Chinese Communist Party has lurched from one crisis to another, constantly under pressure to demonstrate its ability to govern. The current leaders’ mismanagement of the economy this year has created potential conditions for a financial collapse in China, With the recent exposure of high level government corruption ( one state official had amassed 30 billion dollars) and the CCP’s inability to allow any accountable recourse the public’s trust in the CCP’s management has eroded.

Coupled then with constant failure to ensure public safety is the inability of the government to deal with the environmental disaster that is unfolding in China. Air pollution in the northern cities like Beijing is 20 times worse than what the World Health Organisation deems safe. At present the levels of PM2.5, the finest and most dangerous particles of pollution due to their ability to be stuck inside the respiratory system, in Beijing was at 331ppm (particles per million), safe levels are 50-100ppm.

The most recent Red Alerts in Beijing have only highlighted what people have known for months, that China’s environment is a ticking time bomb. The situation is so bad that in Beijing many people have resorted to buying clean air from overseas. Parents of inner Beijing city school children are fighting to allow the government to let them buy air purifiers for the cities many schools. Furthermore with industrial pollution in the rivers also so rampant that potable water supplies are now undrinkable. Ten percent of all farmland is unsafe for crop cultivation and the crisis is only going to get worse. As a result of this many of the younger generations are now openly questioning the legitimacy of the CCP to run the country.

Has China outgrown the CCP ?

Whilst China’s growth, economically and socially, has been massive, like many countries that have a dictatorial regime, the Communist Party has not been able to develop along with these changes. At present the CCP sits like a pimple on top of a seething mass of corruption, red tape and bureaucracy that represents the state. It takes years for practical decisions to be made and new ideas are constantly pushed to the margins as the regime seeks to maintain its power instead of looking after its citizens.

Consequently many netizens are releasing their frustrations with the CCP via the Internet. Making fun of the government in obscure ways on social media forums has become a rite of passage for many the younger generations, who feel empowered to freely criticize the government in blogs, tweets and social networking sites. As Larry Diamond explained in his recent article entitled Liberation Technology in the Journal of Democracy,

In order to spread defiance [against the CCP], the Chinese have an array of digital tools. Twitter has become one of the most potent means of political and social networking and the rapid dissemination of news, views and withering satire.

Democracy Needed?

While this social discontent bubbles along beneath the surface of Chinese society, the state and society are becoming more detached from one another. According to economist David Dollar, countries that industrialise quickly into what he identifies as a middle–income country, which China now is, often find themselves entering this phase where the government and the economy stagnate.

To move forward these countries need to undergo a transition to become democracies with strong civil liberties and independent judiciaries. If China is to move forward and solve its increasing social discontent it cannot just rely on repression. It needs to transition away from the dictatorial party and towards democracy.

This article appeared in The Vision Times In Focus Section on the 4/1/2016

http://www.visiontimes.com/2016/01/01/the-winter-of-chinese-discontent.html

Putin's Bluster

As Russia and Europe slowly make inroads against ISIS this week Vladimir Putin demonstrated why he is a force to be reckoned with. During a meeting with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergey Shoigu, Putin was captured stating,

“We must analyze everything happening on the battlefield, how the weapons operate. The Kalibrs (sea based cruise missiles) and KH-101 (airborne cruise missile) have proved to be modern and highly effective, and now we know it for sure - precision weapons that can be equipped with both conventional and special warheads, which are nuclear,” Putin said.

“Naturally, this is not necessary when fighting terrorists and, I hope, will never be needed,” the president added.

Reality or Just Machismo

The question on everyone mind was; Is Putin serious? Certainly as the war against ISIS continues, it is routine for weaponry to be analysed, but rarely will this be done on camera for all to see. Putin’s meeting with the Defence Minister was recorded live before an audience of journalists, like a piece of well choreographed theatre. So it is possible that this was merely fear mongering against ISIS, or was it for another audience entirely?

According to Natalia Antonova from the International Business Times, Putin’s casual dropping of the nuclear option was more about cultivating Russia’s image as a superpower at home and abroad. Currently Russia is in the trenches of an economic depression with poverty and inflation on the rise, so in utilising these old methods of redirection Putin is attempting to divert attention away from the domestic crises and install a renewed sense of nationalism. Furthermore, by demonstrating a calm decisiveness with his weapons of last resort, Putin appeals to the demagogues at home and abroad seeking to find a new superpower who can deal with the pressing threat posed by ISIS more quickly than the measured American led alliance.

Ending Isis

But while all this bluster may further cultivate Putin’s macho image, in reality Russia has never utilised its nuclear arsenal on an enemy at home or abroad and, given the international co-operation on ISIS, it is highly unlikely that it will utilise these weapons.

Rather, ending ISIS‘s reign of terror will be done through a good old-fashion siege. Currently Global Research reports that ISIS’s strongholds in Syria and Iraq are able to utilise permeable borders in countries such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to support their regime. Germany’s international broadcaster Duetsche Weller supported this claim with a recently released article that contained a video that comprehensively demonstrated that ISIS is not surviving off black market oil exchanges or hostage ransoms. Instead it appears that ISIS is utilising support groups from inside countries like the Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey to facilitate all its needs.

This is where the problem in destroying ISIS lies. To completely starve ISIS out, the NATO powers are going to have to secure all the borders around Iraq and Syria in a concerted effort. This means that current tensions between the opposing states of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and Turkey would have to be overcome. They would then have to join forces and allow each other access to borders and share military information and data in a show of goodwill. However without this cooperation on all fronts ISIS will be able to play a game of cat and mouse exhausting all those who try to end its existence.

This appeared as 'Did Putin just put the world on Notice?' in The Vision Times In Focus Section on
Dec 14 2015

http://www.visiontimes.com/2015/12/14/did-putin-just-put-the-world-on-notice.html

While Turkey Blusters, Russia quietly backs down

While Turkey Blusters, Russia quietly backs down

By Victoria Kelly-Clark

In the 17 seconds the Turkish Airforce utilised to take down a Russian bomber, a 63 year peace between Russia and NATO was destroyed. As the tentative alliance between Russia and the NATO powers splinters, many have been surprised by the restraint Russia has shown in simply placing economic sanctions on Turkey rather than taking military action.

Declaring that Turkey’s attack was a ‘stab in the back’ Russia announced that as of January the 1^st 2016 Russia would end charter flights between the two countries; place a ban on hiring any new Turkish nationals and place import restrictions on certain Turkish goods.

It Could Have Been Worse

Certainly it could have been worse; Russia in previous years would have resorted to military action as they did in Georgia. However, extenuating circumstances appear to have caused Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to exercise restraint.

At present Russia is overextended, engaging in two theatres of war. Concurrent with the ISIS campaign, Russia is continuing its activities in the Ukraine where this week it suffered a setback thanks to Ukrainian nationalists.

On Tuesday while Turkey was downing the Russian plane, Ukrainian nationalists blew up several Ukrainian power transmission towers which were providing the bulk of electricity for the breakaway Crimean republic. Although now an independent province, the region still receives all its electricity from the Ukrainian power grid. This resulting state of emergency has caught the Russian government of guard as it cannot afford another incursion into Ukrainian territory to fix the problem.

Russia’s Impotence

Russia now faces a challenge; militarily it cannot respond to the Crimean crisis because sending troops in will cause a backlash from western powers, endangering any alliance in the Syrian campaign. Likewise, it will only do so much to Turkey, who, as a NATO member, has the support of 28 European allies and is Russia’s second biggest consumer of gas and oil due to the current energy climate. As Mikhail Kruitkin, a partner in the RusEnergy consulting firm, told Reuters.

 ‘The loss of such a big market as Turkey would be very sensitive for both the (Russian) state budget and for Gasprom (government owned oil and gas company)’.

A Wayward Turkey?

Turkey is also not getting off the hook. According to recent reports, many of its NATO allies are aghast at its actions this week.  France, Germany, Serbia and Greece have all made negative statements about Turkey’s recent behaviour, with RIA NOVISTI reporting that France at Wednesday’s emergency meeting of NATO allies declared that ‘Turkish activities were undermining the operation against the Islamic State militant group.’

But Turkey’s recent behaviour is more about protecting their domestic security and its current frustration with Russia’s involvement in Syria. In recent months Turkey has been successfully playing its own domestic security game in northern Syria. Aiding Washington in its war on ISIS, Turkey has utilised its access to United States military installations to destroy its own enemies who are fighting ISIS in northern Syria, the Kurds.

Currently engaged in an open civil conflict with the 20 million Kurds inside Turkey, the Kurdish forces in northern Syria are regarded by Turkey as a serious threat to their domestic stability. Kurdish separatist have attacked Turkey on numerous occasions and, now allied to Russia, the Kurds are no longer an easy target. Moreover, they are being armed by the United States and Russia and Turkey worries that these weapons may end up in the hands of their domestic terrorists instead of the anti-ISIS militia. If this is the case, Turkey fears it to may have a civil war on its hands causing further instability in the region.

 While Turkey Blusters Russia quietly backs down was published in The Vision Times on

Dec 1 2015

http://www.visiontimes.com/2015/12/01/while-turkey-blusters-russia-quietly-backs-down.html

The Next Causalities of ISIS

The Next Casualties of ISIS

In the aftermath of the attacks and bombings in Beirut, Nigeria and Paris and the bombing of the Russian Passenger Plane, it has become apparent that Isis is desperate to strike at the heart of those who are eradicating their hold over Iraq and Syria.

ISIS has stated that it is seeking to initiate a global war between Muslims and the rest of the world. They believe this is possible if they utilise small terrorist cells whose attacks will strike fear into western society and cause the estimated 44 million Western Muslims to be vilified and radicalised. To this end we see the Parisian terrorists utilise a stolen Syrian passport and travelled from Turkey, through to Greece and the Balkans and then on to Western Europe.

This news quickly exacerbated an already tense environment and, as planned, created a backlash against Muslims in countries like Australia and America. In Europe the attacks have had a much larger consequence for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are fleeing war torn Syrian and Iraq.

The Backlash

In October alone it was estimated that 218,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrived in Europe from across the Mediterranean while another estimated 500,000 refugees (mainly women and children) have arrived in Lebanon and Turkey over the past year. While the actual figures are expected to be much higher (as many pass through undetected), it is clear that these people now face being locked out of Europe.

In Poland for example, less than 24 hours after the Parisian attack the incoming European Affairs Minister Konrad Szymanskic stated,

"In the wake of the tragic events in Paris, Poland doesn't see the political possibilities to implement a decision on the relocation of refugees," he said. "The attacks mean there's a need for an even deeper revision of the European policy regarding the migrant crisis."

Hungary has also rolled out thousands of meters of barbed wire around its borders in an effort to stop refugees entering. Far-right politicians in Britain, Paris, Belgium, and the Netherlands have called for a closure of their borders in the past few days. Sweden, a country usually seen as progressive and peaceful, saw racism taken to a new level with two schools that were being converted into refugee shelters burned to the ground over the last weekend. In Germany a leading Mayoral candidate who supported refugee resettlements was stabbed in the neck by an anti-immigration activist.

Is ISIS the Winner?

So as the xenophobia runs rampant across Europe an estimated 700,000 refugees are seeking a new home. Who, if anyone, benefits? According to Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and author on Islamist politics, in the case of France it is ISIS.

“Anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiment really play into ISIS's hands. The more that happens, the more French Muslims feel alienated and are susceptible to extremist recruitment. France has long had a problem with integrating its Muslim population, and France does have a disproportionately high contribution of foreign fighters to ISIS. So there’s a deeper issue here and it hasn’t gotten better, it’s only gotten worse.” Shadi Hamid stated to The WorldPost

The Real Losers

So as ISIS goes full steam ahead with its plan to set the west against the Muslim world it is the refugees that are going to pay the price. Locked out of decent shelter and food as the brutal European winter approaches, refugees shunned from countries will have to be housed by other less prepared or equipped nations. In places like the German-Austrian border where many refugees have gathered a police spokesperson told the Guardian that “We’re doing our best to get the people out of the cold as quickly as we can,” he said. “But it will not be long before a child freezes to death.”

The Next Casualties of ISIS appeared in Vision Times on Nov 22 2015

http://www.visiontimes.com/2015/11/22/the-next-casualties-of-isis.html