dailystormer--2019-01-13--President Trump Says He Didnt Do a Conspiracy at Helsinki Putin Meeting Talked About Saving Israe

President Trump Says He Didn’t Do a Conspiracy at Helsinki Putin Meeting – Talked About Saving Israel Instead  I wish so badly that everything could stop being about the filthy goddamned Jews.  President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would be willing to release the details of his private conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last summer. “I would. I don’t care,” Trump told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro in a phone interview, adding: “I’m not keeping anything under wraps. I couldn’t care less.” The president’s remarks came hours after a report by The Washington Post stating that Trump “has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details” of his talks with Putin. The Post also reported that there is no detailed record of Trump’s interactions with Putin at five locations over the past two years, according to U.S. officials. The president referred to his roughly two-hour dialogue with Putin in Helsinki — at which only the leaders and their translators were present — as “a great conversation” that included discussions about “securing Israel and lots of other things.”  What does this man not get?  Mr. President: the Jews are not going to get off of your back in any situation. There is no situation where that will happen.  Domestically, they don’t care what you do for Israel, because any Democrat will do more. In Israel, maybe Netanyahu thought you were going to do something for him more than the Iran deal pullout, but after the withdrawal from Syria, he doesn’t think that anymore.  You are not going to get out of anything by appealing to Jews. It will not work. There are no Jewish allies. Even the most hardcore Zionists – at least those with any influence – would prefer a Democrat.  You know who else they would prefer?  There is no path around the Jews, Mr. President.  You have to go through them.  “I had a conversation like every president does,” Trump said Saturday. “You sit with the president of various countries. I do it with all countries.” House Republicans in July quashed an attempt by Democratic lawmakers to subpoena Trump’s interpreter in Helsinki. “The Washington Post is almost as bad, or probably as bad, as the New York Times,” Trump said. The New York Times on Friday reported that the FBI opened an inquiry focused on whether Trump was a national security threat to his own country shortly after he fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. Asked by Pirro if he’d ever worked on behalf of Russia, Trump did not directly answer the question, calling the Times’ report “insulting.”  I’m sure that he’s covering up a conspiracy with Russia, after all these years, after all of this spying, it’s been hidden in plain sight all along: he did the conspiracy at an official government meeting.  Oh, and at a random meeting with an irrelevant lawyer, where nothing actually happened.  Maybe also when his National Security Advisor called the ambassador… at the behest of Jared Kushner… to talk about Israel.  Maybe even if it wasn’t real before, it has become real because the media has talked about it so much. Maybe reality is influenced by belief, and if the media is able to make enough people believe that Trump is a KGB shill, reality will shift, the past will change and it will become true.  Maybe that’s what the media has been working on this entire time.  Or perhaps Robert Mueller is a pedophile who is possessed by demonic creatures from another dimension that give him the ability to mold the fabric of reality. Maybe that is why he was tapped to run the Special Counsel. Maybe he used to keep these demonic entities in check by using experimental drugs from a Chinese company, and before he was appointed, the Jews bought the company and told him that they would only give him the drugs if he used his otherworldly satanic abilities to make it so Trump only won the presidency through Russian internet Facebook meme conspiracy that he planned with Vladimir Putin, and which he discussed the outcome of at an official meeting he had under the guise of discussing the security of the Jews.  Perhaps this is all linked to experiments at CERN to open a portal into the demonic realm, to overcome the nature of time and reality itself with evil power, to reshape the world in the image of that which has been promoted by the media.  This ongoing Russian conspiracy theory certainly overlaps with the dawn of the age of the tranny, which speaks to that particular theory.  It’s possible that the past is being manipulated through a series of mass-consciousness-related meddling using both satanic powers and technological instruments in order to create a new reality wherein Donald Trump is a KGB shill, hellbent on something something something Russia.  Or perhaps… perhaps the entire thing is simply a gigantic hoax.


eveningstandard--2019-03-11--Theresa May arrives in Strasbourg for last-ditch Brexit talks with Jean-Claude Juncker

Theresa May touched down in Strasbourg tonight for last-minute Brexit talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and other EU leaders.  The Prime Minister's meeting was confirmed by Downing Street on Monday evening.  It will be Mrs May's final throw of the dice ahead of Tuesday's Commons vote on her Withdrawal Agreement.  The talks with Mr Juncker will be one last opportunity to secure legal assurances on the Irish backstop - and in doing so secure the vital support of hardline Tory Brexiteers and the DUP.  Ministers in the Irish cabinet were also summoned to an emergency government meeting on Brexit.  The Irish premier, Leo Varadkar, who was due to begin his journey to the US for St Patrick's Day, returned from Dublin airport and was brought back to government buildings for the cabinet briefing.  A government source confirmed the hastily-arranged meeting took place at 7pm on Monday night.  Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliment's Brexit coordinator, confirmed he and EP president Antonio Tajani will also meet Theresa May tonight.  He tweeted: "Meeting with @theresa-may & @EP-President tonight. I hope progress can be made, if it is possible, as a no deal £Brexit would be a catastrophe. We will stand by Ireland & the need to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement."  One of those Tory Brexiteers, Iain Duncan Smith, responded to the news by telling the BBC "I think they are reaching the point where they are about to have some kind of agreement".  However, he added his support - and that of the influential European Research Group - would be dependent on the verdict of its "group of legal people" which will pore over any proposal coming out of Strasbourg.  A statement to the Commons by Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has been put back to about 10pm as a result of Mrs May's talks.  The negotiations are a boost for Number 10 after Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said earlier on Monday there would be no more high-level backstop talks.  Mr Barnier had claimed the only talks that mattered were “between the Government in London and the Parliament in London”.  Mrs May had earlier ducked a demand from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to update the House of Commons on the progress of negotiations, sending Brexit minister Robin Walker to respond to his urgent question in her place.  If her deal is defeated on Tuesday, MPs will then vote on Wednesday whether to support a no-deal Brexit.  If a no-deal Brexit is rejected, members will get a vote on Thursday on requesting an extension to Article 50 and delaying EU withdrawal.


fortruss--2019-01-07--Trump a Puppet of Israel Is Washington About to Recognize Israeli Occupation of Syrias Golan Heigh

US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements prior to an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN  Trump a Puppet of Israel? Is Washington About to Recognize Israeli Occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights  TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers it very important that the United States and the international community recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights.  Netanyahu wants Washington to recognize Israel’s sovereignty in the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory occupied by Israel, as compensation for the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.  The Israeli prime minister expressed his desire during a meeting with Donald Trump’s National Security adviser, John Bolton.  The Israeli government leader sent a letter to the White House requesting recognition, plus he transmitted a petition to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Noting that last week they met in Brazil, according to Israeli media.  During the meeting with Bolton, the Israeli prime minister thanked him for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and thanked him for US sanctions against Iran and support received by the Americans.  Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will continue to confront Iran’s military activities in Syria.  “Our position is clear. We will continue to act against the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, including at present, and we will act against any element that undermines, or attempts to undermine, the security of Israel,” Netanyahu told a government meeting as quoted on your official Twitter account.  The prime minister further added that he had plans to discuss a number of issues with the US national security adviser, John Bolton, on Sunday.  “This evening I will meet with US National Security Adviser John Bolton. I will discuss with him the efforts to block the Iranian aggression in our region, the situation in Syria in continuation of both President Trump’s decision and the conversation I had with President Putin last Friday, and the deepening of intelligence and operational cooperation between Israel and the US, which is becoming closer all the time,” Netanyahu said.  In December, US President Donald Trump said US forces would leave Syria as Daesh would be defeated. The terrorist group was banned from Russian territory.


activistpost--2019-02-07--The US Faces A Catastrophic Food Supply Crisis In America As Farmers Struggle

The U.S. Faces A Catastrophic Food Supply Crisis In America As Farmers Struggle

American farmers are battling several issues when it comes to producing our food.  Regulated low prices, tariffs, and the inability to export have all cut into the salaries of farmers.  They are officially in crisis mode, just like the United States’ food supply.  “The farm economy’s in pretty tough shape,” said John Newton, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. “When you look out on the horizon of things to come, you start to see some cracks.” Average farm income has fallen to near 15-year lows under president Donald Trump’s policies; and in some areas of the country, farm bankruptcies are soaring.  And with slightly higher interest rates, many don’t see borrowing more money as an option.  “A lot of farmers are going to give the president the benefit of the doubt, and have to date. But the longer the trade war goes on, the more that dynamic changes,” said Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, according to Politico.  With no end to the disastrous trade war in sight, many farmers have traveled to Washington to share their plights with the president himself hoping that he’ll end the trade war that’s exacerbating an already precarious food crisis.  Farmers make up a fairly large chunk of president Trump’s base, and an unwillingness to put food production in the United States first could be detrimental for Trump reelection chances in 2020. It could also be the beginning of a catastrophic food shortage.  The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis warned back in November of rising Chapter 12 bankruptcies used by family farmers to restructure massive amounts of debt. The Fed said that the strain of low commodity prices “is starting to show up not just in bottom-line profitability, but in simple viability.” The increase in bankruptcies was driven by woes in Wisconsin’s dairy sector, which shrunk by about 1,200 operations, or 13 percent, from 2016 to October 2018.  “You’ve had farms that have gone out of business, that have gone bankrupt because of this trade war,” said Kuehl of Farmers for Free Trade. “There’s a lot of farmers going through tough conversations right now with their lenders.” And so far, the government’s solution to the problem they created is to give more welfare to farmers, placing the burden on the backs of taxpayers.  As the government continues to pass the burden onto others while destroying the food industry, things could very well reach apocalyptic levels.  Nothing will see this country spiral into complete disarray like a lack of food. Alarmingly, scientists have already said that the global food supply system is broken.  To put it simply, government interference in the agriculture industry is responsible for the food crisis we all are about to face.  Click here to subscribe: Join over one million monthly readers and receive breaking news, strategies, ideas and commentary. You can read more from Mac Slavo at his site SHTFplan.com


activistpost--2019-08-14--5 Sectors of The US Economy That Are In Decline

5 Sectors of The U.S. Economy That Are In Decline

As regular readers of this site are probably well aware, it often feels like we are living in parallel worlds when it comes to media coverage of just about anything. This is extremely evident in the economy.  In a game of numbers, one would think that there would be much more obvious agreement about the conclusions we can draw from economic data. Nothing could be further from the truth, as on one end we are given persistently buoyant optimism from the Wall Street stock-market crowd; and signs of imminent economic end-times on the other extreme side of the spectrum.  However, for anyone who spends even a small amount of time on Main Street, the realities tend to be much more obvious — consumer debt is at an all-time high, bankruptcies are surging, and more than half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.  Let’s look at which areas of the U.S. economy have achieved some consensus in the determination that all might not be well. Get your silver, get your gold, get your cryptocurrency, get your term insurance, get your prepping gear and get your critical thinking caps on to at least hedge yourself against these areas of the economy that are experiencing turbulence.  Retail — Speaking of life on Main Street, perhaps this one is the most obvious to each of us. It seems like a “Retail Apocalypse” has been accepted as an apt catch phrase that reflects empty malls and disappearing mom-and-pops.  It even has its own Wikipedia entry. Some pundits have argued that “retail apocalypse” is a misnomer and is instead just a reflection of our modern shift away from brick-and-mortar establishments and over to an online economy. Nevertheless, there is a lot of physical space now left behind. Washington Post recently reported that 75,000 more stores could soon be added to the many thousands of those that already have shuttered — and they are some of the biggest names in retail.  Banking — Even beyond Main Street, the upper echelons of the finance world do not seem to be immune … at least when currency wars, trade wars, political instability and outright corruption become part of the operating expenses.  Just last week it was announced that big banks are having big troubles — HSBC, Deutsche, Societe, and Citi will account for tens of thousands of new layoffs worldwide, including some high-paid executives. Since the world at large doesn’t appear to be stabilizing anytime soon, it is probably safe to surmise that “restructuring” efforts by major banks might not offer their advertised solutions.  Agriculture — This might be the one area that will affect everyone, regardless of where you live or the level of your income bracket. The food supply itself is coming under extreme pressure from a combination of natural and political assaults.  The American farmer, in particular, is suffering under the weight of a trade war with China that CNBC says only “piles on to a devastating year.”  Farms are also suffering from historic flooding and heat waves.  This has become the perfect storm to drive up food prices and even threaten the food supply, as many large stores like Kroger’s have begun posting signs like this one:  It’s always a political talking point, and it appears no one has yet found an answer to restoring American supremacy in manufacturing. In fact, things have only gotten worse lately, and most believe it’s yet another result of the trade war. MarketWatch reports that manufacturing is now in a technical recession.  But the overall trend in the sector looks a bit more dramatic, regardless of any political messaging:  Another key symbol of Main Street economic health is the restaurant sector.  It highlights how much discretionary income is available, as well as being a solid marker for employment and even policy changes that might have unintended consequences.  The National Restaurant Association released their July report and things aren’t trending well:


activistpost--2019-05-25--US Manufacturing SLUMPS To 9-Year Low In May

U.S Manufacturing SLUMPS To 9-Year Low In May

All economic data is pointing to a slower 2019.  One of those bits of data is from the manufacturing industry. United States manufacturing growth has hit a 9-year low this month, which is a terrible sign for our volatile economy.  Faced with decreasing demand from customers and a flareup in U.S.-China trade war and tariff tensions, American businesses grew in May at the slowest pace since before President Trump was elected, a pair of new surveys show. An IHS Markit “flash” survey of U.S. manufacturers fell to a nine-and-a-half-year low of 50.6 this month from 52.6 in April. Manufacturing conditions have been soft for months.  Even more ominous, was the firm’s survey of U.S. service-oriented companies such as banks and retailers. These slipped to a 39-month low of 50.8 from 52.7. Any number over 50 represents “growth” according to Market Watch. Service companies employ about four-fifths of all U.S. workers and until very recently they’ve been expanding rapidly if you listen to the mainstream media. Retail apocalypse, anyone?  But these could drop dramatically in the next 6 months or so if the trade war rages on and tariffs continue to plague the wallets of consumers. The growth in new orders from both domestic customers and foreign buyers declined and firms have now “put the brakes on hiring,” IHS said.  “Growth of business activity slowed sharply in May as trade war worries and increased uncertainty dealt a further blow to order book growth and business confidence,” said Chris Williamson, a chief business economist at IHS Markit. “The slowdown has been led by manufacturing, but shows increasing signs of spreading to services.”  All of this is happening at a time when the labor market is still going strong and households are spending at a rapid rate. American households are also now in a record amount of debt thanks to their spending habits, and interest rates are falling after the Federal Reserve relaxed its stance. “We don’t think it’s a genuine sign that the economy is suddenly plunging into recession,” Williamson added.  But the signs that the economy is on edge are all there and impossible to miss.  Does that mean we’ll have a recession this year? Probably not, but it does look like the end of 2019 will be a much slower economy than the beginning.  The trade war and 25% tariffs may have pushed the recession a little closer, but market analysts and other economists still say that we have time, and to not expect the recession before spring of 2020.  This article was sourced from SHTFplan.  Be Free and Independent! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2019-11-06--We Haven’t Seen A Manufacturing Slowdown Like This Since The Last Financial Crisis

This isn’t what was supposed to happen. According to the economic optimists, there was going to be a great “manufacturing renaissance” as America entered a wonderful new golden age of boundless prosperity. But of course that is not what has happened.  Manufacturing activity has been declining for the past three months, and all across the country we are seeing economic conditions rapidly deteriorate. Over and over, we are seeing economic numbers that are worse than anything we have seen since the last recession, but the economic optimists keep assuring us that these are just temporary blips on the way to America’s glorious economic renewal. Well, they can keep believing in a mirage of future prosperity if they want, but the hard numbers keep telling us another story. For example, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index has now fallen to a level that was “last sustained during the financial crisis”…  In the middle of the country, it already feels like a manufacturing recession for many business owners. Manufacturing facilities are being closed down, machines are being idled and thousands of workers are being let go. The following comes from a CNBC article about our current manufacturing slowdown…  That sure doesn’t sound like a “booming economy” to me.  So far this year, thousands upon thousands of manufacturing workers have been laid off in the Upper Midwest. By now, we were supposed to be adding large numbers of these good paying jobs, but instead we are losing them at a frightening pace.  In fact, it is being reported that more than 8,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the key state of Pennsylvania alone…  Of course it isn’t just the manufacturing industry where employment is cooling off. At this point, the number of job openings in the U.S. has fallen to an 18 month low, and it is expected to fall ever further in the months ahead.  Things have already gotten so bad that the mainstream media is running articles about how ordinary Americans can prepare for the coming recession. For instance, the following comes from a CNN article entitled “What can you do now to financially prepare for a layoff later?”…  And remember, all of this is happening even though the federal government is running trillion dollar deficits and the Federal Reserve is using up all the ammunition that they should be saving for the depths of the next recession.  In essence, the authorities are already implementing emergency measures in a desperate attempt to support the faltering U.S. economy, but it isn’t working.  This week, we learned that orders for Class-8 trucks in the month of October were down 51 percent from a year ago.  Can anyone explain to me how that is consistent with the “booming economy” narrative that the economic optimists are endlessly pushing?  Unfortunately, the truth is that we can see signs of a major slowdown all around us. U.S. business hiring has fallen to a 7 year low, the Cass Freight Index has declined for 10 months in a row, and manufacturing is now the smallest share of the United States economy that it has been in 72 years.  But despite all of the evidence that is staring them right in the face, the economic optimists continue to insist that everything is probably going to be okay. In fact, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon is telling us that “the chance of a U.S. recession between now and the election is small”…  Of course the truth is that American consumers are actually not “very healthy” at this moment. Consumer confidence has fallen for 3 months in a row, and 44 percent of all Americans currently do not make enough money to cover their monthly expenses.


fortruss--2019-04-05--Diamonds are Forever Russia to Intensify Economic Cooperation with Angola

Diamonds are Forever: Russia to Intensify Economic Cooperation with Angola

MOSCOW – During the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Angolan counterpart João Lourenço, held yesterday, the two leaders have shown their commitment to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields.  Russia hopes to promote bilateral relations with Angola, including in the areas of diamond extraction, fisheries and space, said President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with Angolan counterpart João Lourenço.  “There are interesting areas such as diamond mining, fishing and space,” Putin said on Thursday. “Angola is a reliable and long-standing partner, and we need to look at what needs to be done in the near future to intensify economic-trade cooperation.”  The Russian president stressed that the two countries also have perspectives on humanitarian cooperation, for example in the preparation of personnel.  João Lourenço was also keen to expand bilateral cooperation with Russia.  “This is why yesterday I spoke at the opening of the Angola-Russia business forum here in Moscow to raise interest in Russian entrepreneurs to invest in the Republic of Angola – to diversify our economy,” said Lourenço.  Putin invited Lourenço to participate in the Russia-Africa forum, which will be held in the Russian city of Sochi on October 24. The Angolan president, for his part, thanked and accepted the invitation.  The meeting between the Russian and Angolan leaders was held as part of João Lourenço’s official visit to Russia. Earlier, the two leaders had met in July 2018 during the BRICS summit in the South African city of Johannesburg. The Russian president highlighted the political and air security cooperation between the two countries, as well as the prospects for joint projects that could increase trade between Angola and Russia.  Lourenço said that he counts on a deeper economic cooperation with Russia, emphasizing that Russian companies are already present in the extractive industry of his country and he is hopeful that other spheres of the Angolan economy gain Russian notoriety.


abcnews--2019-11-08--$800 million in disaster aid to farmers hit by hurricanes

The federal government announced $800 million in aid Friday to farmers in three southern states that were devastated by last year's hurricanes.  Nearly half that money will go to Florida, where timber farmers suffered catastrophic losses when Hurricane Michael came ashore in October 2018 and destroyed 2.8 million acres of commercially grown trees.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the funding also will help Alabama and Georgia cover hurricane losses in the timber, cattle and poultry industries.  The money, which will be distributed as block grants to communities, is part of a $3 billion disaster relief package authorized by Congress earlier this year to help communities recovering from wildfires, flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes.  "Natural disasters dealt producers some hefty blows in the past couple of years," a statement from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says. "While we can't make producers whole, we can give them a helping hand to get back on their feet and prepare for next year's planting and harvest."  Florida's share is expected to top $380 million, while $347 million is headed to Georgia, where the timber industry also suffered significant losses. Alabama gets $25 million.  While the announcement by federal officials referenced Hurricane Florence, the state hardest hit by that storm — North Carolina — was not among the immediate beneficiaries being announced on Friday. North Carolina and federal officials were still negotiating over the terms of the aid package, U.S. Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce told The Associated Press.  The remaining money, more than $40 million, could end up helping farmers in the Tar Heel State who were hit hard by Hurricane Florence.  The financial help is especially welcome in Florida's panhandle, where the timber industry suffered $1.3 billion in losses. Much of that timber is rotting in denuded forests partly because many farmers did not have the resources to harvest logs. In order to for them to reforest their land, farmers will have to invest thousands of dollars to clear their property of debris.  Unlike other farmers whose crops can be insured, timber growers are usually on their own.  "Although it won't make forest landowners whole, it will make a tremendous difference in their ability to begin recovery and move forward with clean-up and reforestation," said Alan Shelby, the executive vice president of the Florida Forestry Association.  Farmers have been waiting for relief for months, and federal officials said they hoped to finalize contracts by Thanksgiving and release money to the states soon after.  "In the coming weeks, our priority will be moving this funding forward, so that timber producers can have checks in hand and trees in the ground," Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said.  Hurricane Michael ploughed through the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm, the strongest ever recorded to hit the region, before pummeling Georgia and the Carolinas. It destroyed thousands of homes and battered coastal and rural communities, many still trying to recover a year later.  Weeks earlier, Hurricane Florence whipped through North Carolina and deluged the region with flooding rains.  Steve Troxler, the agriculture commissioner for North Carolina, said negotiations with federal officials will continue so his state's farmers get their share of aid.  "About 70% of the federal funding was earmarked for a timber program that won't help our farmers," he said, "because it stipulates that the funding cover timber that was damaged beyond repair."  While the state had significant timber losses, Troxler said, the damage did not meet the funding guidelines set by federal officials.  An earlier version of this report had an incorrect spelling of U.S. Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce's name.


aljazeera--2019-01-07--Brazils environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism

Brazil's environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism

The head of Brazil's environmental protection agency has resigned following criticism from the country's newly inaugurated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.  A spokesperson for the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) confirmed on Monday that Suely de Araujo stepped down after Bolsonaro suggested there were irregularities in Ibama's budget, Reuters news agency reported. Araujo had led the agency since 2016.  The Environment Ministry, which oversees Ibama, told Reuters in an emailed statement that it had been planning to replace Araujo and that a new head of the agency would be named within days.  Bolsonaro, a former army captain who swept to power in a tumultuous October election, has routinely attacked Ibama, which is tasked with policing the Amazon rainforest to stop deforestation and illegal mining.  On Sunday, the 63-year-old retweeted a Tweet published by Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, highlighting an alleged 28.7 million reais ($7.73m) budget allocation by the agency for rental vehicles.  "We've had a system created mainly to financially violate Brazilians without the slightest care," Bolsonaro, who has toyed with yanking Brazil out of the Paris climate accord, said.  Araujo released a written statement on Sunday saying Bolsonaro and Salles, who has previously called climate change a "secondary issue" and alleged many environmental fines are "ideological", had made "baseless accusations."  She said the cost was for the rental of 393 four-wheel drive trucks used by Ibama's armed agents across Brazil, and that the contract's amount also included all fuel costs and maintenance.  A high-ranking Ibama official told Reuters on Monday that the pressure from Bolsonaro and Salles was simply an attempt "to get rid of our ability to halt policing for those committing environmental crimes."  "It's an absurd factoid created to weaken Ibama," the person said on condition of anonymity. "This contract was approved by government regulators, and it is 10 percent less than the previous contract and for more vehicles."  The official added that the contract remained valid, but that the agency is concerned there will be attempts to cancel it, possibly leading to a crippling of its ability to patrol the Amazon and other regions.  Analysts, meanwhile, said Bolsonaro's actions demonstrated his presidency could pose a genuine "threat to the Amazon".  "The protection of the Amazon always relies on strong laws and rules," Thiago de Aragao, a director at the Brasilia-based political consultancy Arko Advice, told Al Jazeera.  "So definitely he [Bolsonaro] could be a threat in the sense that he could create a trend that the mindset of protecting the Amazon might not be the number one priority among certain individuals within the government," de Aragao added.  The rhetoric of Bolsonaro's administration has left many environmentalists deeply concerned for the preservation of the Amazon under his government.  Within 24 hours of taking office on January 1, the Brazilian leader signed an executive order making Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture responsible for the regulation and creation of new indigenous reserves, in a move widely seen as a boost for the country's powerful agribusiness lobby.  About 13 percent of Brazil's national territory is demarcated as indigenous land - defined as an area inhabited and exclusively possessed by indigenous people.  Approximately 98 percent of such areas are located in the Amazon, an ecosystem considered by environmental scientists as a crucial buffer against the impacts of climate change.  The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, also moved the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Ministry of the Environment, under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture, according to Reuters.  Additionally, the order stated that the Ministry of Agriculture will be in charge of the management of public forests.  A close ally of the agribusiness lobby, Bolsonaro pledged during his election campaign to "end all activism" in Brazil.  On Monday, he announced that funding of all nongovernmental organisations working in the country will be rigidly controlled, reflecting increased oversight by his new administration over such groups.


bbc--2019-12-10--UK economic growth slowest since early 2009

The economy suffered its worst three months for more than a decade after official figures revealed output failed to grow once again in October.  Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed the economy flatlined month-on-month in October, after two months of declines.  It was the weakest three months since early 2009.  The figures come ahead of Thursday's general election, with the main parties all promising to boost growth.  Although the service sector expanded 0.2% in the August-to-October period, that was offset by a 0.7% contraction in manufacturing and 0.3% fall in construction. The ONS said there had been "a notable drop in housebuilding and infrastructure in October".  John Hawksworth, chief economist at consultancy PwC, blamed Brexit-related uncertainty for the economy's "loss of momentum".  He said: "Growth seems likely to remain subdued through the rest of 2019, but we would hope for a gradual revival in activity over the course of 2020 if current political and economic uncertainties ease. Our main scenario is for 1% GDP growth in 2020 assuming an orderly Brexit."  Professor Costas Milas, of the University of Liverpool's management school, described the figures as "quite poor".  "The main point is that our economy continues to disappoint badly, which will probably bring a Bank of England interest rate cut much closer especially if Thursday's election turns out very inconclusive," he said.  Jack Leslie, economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said that the UK's domestic challenges come against a weak global economic outlook for next year.  "While the main parties have avoided any discussion of this challenging economic environment during the election campaign, navigating it will be a central task for the next government nonetheless," he said.  However, the pound shrugged off the figures, continuing to rise on Tuesday after gains on Monday. In early London trading, sterling was up 0.2% at $1.3157, and against the euro rose 0.1% to 84.18p  "Sterling price action is all about the upcoming parliamentary election and real economic data should continue to play second fiddle," ING analysts said in a note sent to clients.  Separately, the ONS released trade data which showed Britain's goods trade deficit widened by more than expected to nearly £14.5bn in October from £11.5bn in September.


aljazeera--2019-05-20--Pakistani traditions Selling Ralli quilts to survive

Pakistani traditions: Selling Ralli quilts to survive

The Art of Ralli, or making patchwork quilts, has existed for centuries.  The tradition lives on in Pakistan's Thar Desert, where it gives poor women an opportunity to make money.  The products have become a household name in cities all over Pakistan and beyond.  Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reports from a small village in the Thar Desert in Sindh province.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-12-21--How Muslims in the suburbs view Jesus, Mary and Christmas traditions

Abiha Khan is no stranger to Christmas.  It was an annual observance at the Catholic school Khan attended while growing up in Karachi, Pakistan.  Many Muslims like Khan attend Catholic schools for the quality of their education. But it wasn't until Khan had children of her own that she began to appreciate the more cultural aspects of the Christian holiday.  "We put up a tree every year ever since I had my kids," said Khan, 30, of Barrington Hills. "Basically, we do it in the spirit of the holidays."  Khan's children -- Kabir, 5, and Hussain, 4 -- get excited every year around the holidays. They believe in Santa Claus and make wish lists for presents. Khan puts up stockings for them, leaves out cookies and milk for Santa, and puts presents under the tree before Christmas morning -- none of which she views as religious.  "It's a fun family thing. It's just a happy time for all of us," she said.  Muslims don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. Yet many Muslims share a deep reverence for certain principal characters of the Christian faith.  Jesus is exalted as a notable prophet in the Islamic tradition, and an entire chapter in the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- is dedicated to his mother, Mary. Muslims and Christians also have shared beliefs in past prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses, as well as Jesus' virgin birth, his performing of miracles, and his prophesied return in the end of days.  "Jesus is considered one of the greatest prophets in Islam," said Rachid Belbachir, resident scholar for the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America based in Park Ridge. "As part of the faith, we have to believe in all the prophets."  Mary is the only woman named and honored in the Quran with an entire chapter.  "It just shows you the level of respect of how Muslims view her," Belbachir said. "For us, Mary, peace be upon her, exemplifies the perfect pious woman."  While Muslims really don't celebrate the birth of prophets, Christmas is an opportunity to remember their legacies and contributions to mankind.  "Jesus is exemplary in how he was kind in taking care of his mom. At Christmas, it's a reminder for us to be kind to our parents as Jesus was," Belbachir said.  Azam Nizamuddin, an adjunct professor of Islamic theology at Loyola University of Chicago, emphasizes these commonalities in interfaith work for the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park.  "We consider Mary to be one of the seminal women figures in Islamic history," he said. "Mary serves as a role model for piety."  Aside from the religious ties between the Abrahamic faiths, the sensory overload of festive songs, holiday decorations and store sales this time of year also make Christmas unavoidable, Nizamuddin said.  "That's just a cultural phenomenon that you can't really escape unless you are really not a part of society," he said.  Participating, even nominally, in these holiday festivities is becoming more common among some religious and secular Muslims, second- or third-generation immigrants, Muslim converts whose family members celebrate Christmas, and those who are part of interfaith marriages or want to indulge in the spirit of the season through gift-giving and spending time with family and friends.  The desire to be included prompts others to join in.  Abiha Khan's elder son, Kabir, is the only Muslim kid in his class. "I don't want him to feel left out," she said of holiday parties and activities.  Christmas has become such a cultural holiday that many Muslim families are putting up Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, gathering for family dinner, yet not celebrating the religious aspects, said Shazia Khan of South Barrington.  "There are still a lot of Muslim and Jewish families who don't celebrate Christmas," Shazia Khan said. "We do feel a lot of pressure for our kids that we don't celebrate Christmas because it's all around us."  Kiran Ansari Rasul of Elgin said she gives gifts to her three children's schoolteachers as well as mail carriers and housekeepers at Christmas, just as she would for the Islamic celebrations of Eid, which occur twice a year.  "Living here and the kids being born and brought up here, we can't just pretend that nothing is happening," Ansari Rasul said. "Each family draws their own line. This is how we choose to celebrate. We talk more about community and respecting others ... reminding the kids to just be extra kind."


eveningstandard--2019-04-17--How is Easter celebrated around the world 8 surprising traditions from Spain France Germany and m

How is Easter celebrated around the world? 8 surprising traditions from Spain, France, Germany and more

If you hadn't have guessed from the mountains of chocolate eggs littering the supermarket, Easter is very nearly upon us.  That's right, the Easter weekend is now just a few days away, giving you just the right amount of time to stock up on chocolate.  While most of us in the UK tend to celebrate the four-day weekend with egg hunts and stacks of sweet treats, other countries have embraced their own Easter rituals.  Here, we take a look at some Easter traditions around the globe and the history behind them.  Known in Spain as Semana Santa, or Holy Week, Easter is observed for an entire seven days on the Iberian peninsula.  Celebrations begin during the last week of Lent, and it is marked by huge and elaborate religious processions in nearly every single town and village across the country.  People parade through the streets in costumes or in hooded robes, carrying intricate religious floats depicting difference scenes from the bible, while often accompanied by live music. Some of the most well known take place in Zamora, Valladolid, Seville and Granada.  Treats such as torrija (similar to French toast), pestiños and cakes are all popular around this time as well.  Much like in Spain, many of France's Easter customs stem from Catholic tradition and as such the holiday is usually a more religious affair than the UK's.  One such tradition dictates that church bells stop ringing around Easter as a mark of respect for Jesus' death, and to explain their silence children are told the bells have flown to Rome to be blessed by the Pope.  On the morning of Easter Sunday - Jesus' resurrection - the bells then fly back to France loaded with sweet treats which they drop into gardens for the children. Once they are back in their steeples they then start ringing joyfully again.  So in France it is the "cloches volantes" or "cloches de Pâques", and not the Easter bunny, which brings the Easter eggs. Once the bells have begun to rung, the Easter egg hunt - or "chasse aux oeufs" - begins. Traditional food revolves around lamb, cheese, potatoes and chocolate. In the town of Bessières thousands of people gather on the Monday morning to make a giant omelette, usually consisting of 15,000 eggs and 40 cooks.  Good Friday and Easter Monday are both public holidays in Germany, and they celebrate by lighting bonfires around sunset on Holy Saturday.  Some places have turned the "osterfeuer" (Easter bonfire) into mini festivals with stands selling sausages, wine and funfair rides while other communities stuff huge bales of straw into a wooden wheel, set it on fire and roll it down a hill (known as the Osterrad).  Other traditions include decorating an "Easter tree" with hand painted eggs, known as the Ostereierbaum. Usually, families hang the ornaments from a small household tree, however you can hang them from bigger foliage in your garden.  It is also traditional in Germany to eat something green on Maundy Thursday, which is called Gründonnerstag - or "green Thursday". Spiced, sweet bread, enriched with eggs and dairy and dotted with almonds, candied peel raisins are also popular during Easter for breakfast and afternoon tea.  Unsurprisingly the Pope leads the Easter celebrations in Italy, holding a huge mass on Good Friday at St. Peter's Basilica where the Via Crucis, or Station of the Cross, is celebrated. During the mass, a huge crucifix made out of burning torches is raised in the night sky.  In Florence, Easter Sunday is marked by the Scoppio del Carro, a centuries-old custom in which a huge and elaborately designed antique wagon full of fireworks is set alight by a dove-shaped rocket after being hauled into a small square by oxen and hundreds of people in 15th century dress.  Elsewhere in Italy over the course of the three days, religious processions are held in which people dress in ancient costumes and parade artefacts, statues and olive branches through main squares.  One of the most popular foods on the peninsula during this period is the Colomba di Pasqua, a traditional cake which is similar to a panettone.  Across central and Eastern Europe an ancient tradition exists which sees people try to drench each other with water buckets of water, usually men soaking the women, on Easter Monday.  Known as Smigus-dyngus (Wet Monday) in Poland, Watering Monday in Ukraine, Watering in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and Sprinkling in Hungary, the ritual is supposedly based around womens' fertility, with the water having a cleansing effect in an effort to make them healthy for the upcoming spring.  In Hungary participants will often dress up in folk costumes and the men will douse the women with buckets of water or perfume. In Poland, traditionally the women get soaked but today it has become more of a country-wide water fight. After the soaking, usually the women then provide the men with food and alcohol. Another Easter tradition exists these countries in which men whip women with a special handmade whip made from willow and decorated with ribbons. Not intended to be painful, it supposedly helps women keep their youth, health and fertility throughout the year.  In a centuries-old folk ritual that looks remarkably similar to Halloween, children in both Finland and Sweden dress up as Easter witches (påskkärring) and go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods in the hope of receiving chocolate.  The youngsters wear decorated headscarves, paint their faces and carry bunches of decorated willow twigs, paintings and drawings which they exchange for sweet treats.  Devout Catholics in the Philippines will volunteer to be "crucified" on Good Friday to reenact Jesus' suffering, in a particularly gruesome practice that has been condemned by the church.  Thousands watch the reenactment, known as the San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites, in the province of Pampanga, in which believers are nailed to crosses to atone for their sins or pray for others.  Penitents volunteer to have nails measuring two inches long hammered into their palms and feet by people dressed as Roman centurions and nailed to a cross. They are only taken down from the cross once they feel atoned of their sins.  The practice, which is believed to date to the 1950s, also sees other penitents flagellate themselves using bamboo sticks tied to a rope.  As you'd expect from a tropical island, Easter is much more relaxed and a whole lot warmer than it is for us in Europe. Fittingly then, Bermudians of all ages like to celebrate Good Friday on the beach, where they fly both special homemade and store-bought kites.  The kites supposedly represent Christ's resurrection, and come in all manner of shapes, colours and sizes. Some are so big they require several people to get it airborne. Along with kite-flying, Bermudian also enjoy eating fish cakes and hot cross buns at this time of year.


eveningstandard--2019-08-07--Notting Hill Carnival Executive Director Matthew Phillip on the festivalaposs traditions and what

Notting Hill Carnival: Executive Director Matthew Phillip on the festival's traditions and what to expect from this year

It all started back in January 1959. Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian human rights activist, organised a Caribbean Carnival at St. Pancras Town Hall in London – a celebration of West Indian culture that was televised by the BBC and so successful, it ran for a further six years.  Made-up of a series of indoor events which took place around London in the early 1960s, the carnival was promoted by Trinidadian husband and wife booking agents Edric and Pearl Connor. Together, they worked alongside Jones and the newspaper she founded, the West Indian Gazette, to popularise the festivities.  Jones’ 'indoor' carnival paved the way for what we now know as the Notting Hill Carnival. However, it was social worker Rhaune Laslett who is credited for founding the very first outdoor celebration.  Of Native American and Russian descent, Laslett was a well-known community activist who had done much to relieve the inter-cultural tensions in Notting Hill following the race riots there in 1958. Laslett had a vision, to create an outdoor multi-cultural community fayre for children. But the inaugural fayre took on a more carnival style owing to the renowned pan player Russell Henderson, who Laslett had asked to perform.  Accompanied by his fellow pan band members – Sterling Betancourt, Vernon ‘Fellows’ Williams, Fitzroy Coleman and Ralph Cherry – Henderson walked along the Portobello Road as he played, piquing the interest of locals who began dancing to the music and following the band as it moved through Notting Hill.  That was Carnival number one, in 1966. And in just over two weeks' time, Notting Hill will host its 53rd. Over a million visitors are expected to attend the three-day festival, partygoers who will flock to see, to listen, to dance, and to celebrate what this world-famous gathering is all about: cultural diversity and inclusivity.  Ahead of it, Future London caught up with Notting Hill Carnival Ltd’s Executive Director Matthew Phillip, to find out how the festival has changed over the years and what Londoners can expect from 2019.  How has Carnival developed since its foundation?  Carnival is now the second largest carnival in the world (after Rio) and is currently – Brexit pending – Europe’s largest street event. More importantly to me, it’s the biggest community-led event on the planet!  Uniquely, Carnival is the only full-scale carnival in the world to feature multiple static sound systems – a feature introduced in 1973 by the then organiser, Leslie Palmer MBE.  There are live performances too. The first stages were organised by Wilf Walker in 1979, chiefly featuring reggae and punk bands. (See image above.)  Can you describe the main features of Carnival?  Mas Bands, which are themed costume bands on the parade, steel bands and static sound systems: these provide a soundtrack that is so varied I don’t think there is a musical genre that isn’t heard.  Often there are surprise performances from A-list artists as well, like Wiley and Stormzy. In addition, mobile sound systems share their sounds with the parade route, and there is also Calypso – traditional Caribbean music that can be heard on the live stages, and in the run up to Carnival, at the Calypso tent at The Tabernacle. These are the essential roots of Carnival.  We also have the live stages, surprise superstar artists, and the Children’s Day on the Sunday. Carnival began as a children’s fayre, and the Sunday has always been about children, it has just not been spotlighted in recent years. So this year, we have increased the number of children’s Mas Bands to 40.  Are there any Carnival traditions readers should know about?  J’ouvert [a procession marking the start of Carnival] takes place from sunrise on Carnival Sunday.  Look out for the Moko Jumbies on the parade route, they are stilt-walking masqueraders.  Panorama is the steel band competition that takes place on the Saturday evening.  Is there anything you are looking forward to in particular this year?  There is no one thing, it’s just an incredible event to be a part of, whether as a participant or spectator.  For me, I’m really proud and honoured to be a part of the community that spawned this world-renowned event that brings such joy and unity to the streets of London.  Everywhere you go you see happy faces – faces of people from all generations, heritages and all walks of life, united in the spirit of Carnival.  Will there be any recycling/sustainability initiatives in place to ensure as much waste is recycled as possible?  Most Mas Bands provide re-usable cups for their masqueraders so that they can refill their drinks at the mobile bars accompanying them on the parade route.  Once again we are working with Thames Water, who will provide water fountains. We ask that attendees bring their own reusable containers to reduce the impact of single-use plastic.  We are also working with the local boroughs who, we know, have briefed food traders and encouraged them to be more aware about using take-away packaging that isn’t biodegradable, recyclable or compostable.  Local councils will be collecting food waste for the second year in a row. And they will also provide composting toilets for the first time this year, which are bespoke units, specially produced for Carnival.  Top tips for someone going to Carnival for the first time?  I would say to plan ahead and use our app – to find out about travel, Mas Band details, Carnival-related events, stages and steel bands.  Everything you need is on the app, which available to download on Android and through the App store.  Notting Hill Carnival runs from Sunday 25th to Monday 26 August 2019, with Panorama, the steel band competition, taking place on the evening of Saturday 24th August. For further information visit nhcarnival.org


theguardianuk--2019-12-18--The seven most terrifying Christmas traditions around the world

In most English-speaking countries, the worst fate a naughty child can expect on Christmas is an absence of gifts (or, in the US, coal). Children in other countries, however, can expect worse.  Here are seven of the creepiest Christmas traditions around the world.  In many European countries, Saint Nicholas has companions who act as a negative counterpart. Saint Nick is the benevolent Good Cop; you do not want to meet the Bad Cop.  One particularly bad cop is Krampus, a demonic half-goat monster with horns and a long tongue. He drags chains behind him as he walks and rattles them ominously. He carries a birch to whip bad children and sometimes a basket or sack for kidnapping them.  The Eve of St Nicholas, 5 December, is Krampusnacht. Hordes of Krampuses march through Alpine towns in elaborate, sinister costumes. In recent years, the Krampuses’ tendency to go on drunken rampages, getting in fights and destroying property, has become a bit of a problem.  Frau Perchta is a witch who comes to see who has been naughty or nice. She slits the bellies of bad children and stuffs their corpses with straw. It’s sort of like Santa bringing coal, but with disembowelment instead.  Imagine: it is New Year’s Eve. You are a small Welsh child. You hear a knock on the door. You open it. Looming over you is a creature with a horse’s skull, wearing a long, billowing cloak and trailed by people chanting. In the horse’s eye cavities are fake eyeballs. Its mouth is slightly ajar. You are paralyzed in terror.  As you wet yourself in fear, adults around you wish each other happy new year.  Gryla is a giant ogre who lives in a cave. During Christmas she emerges to hunt for children, which she kidnaps, takes to her cave, and cooks in a vat of stew.  Gryla has a variety of companions, including the Yule Lads – her 13 unruly troll children/Large Adult Sons – and the Jólakötturinn, or Yule Cat.  Did you think that the Yule Cat sits on your lap as you open gifts, playing with the wrapping paper and contributing to the overall atmosphere of cozy Christmas hygge? Wrong. The Yule Cat is terrifying.  Like Satan, walking among us like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, the massive Yule Cat lopes through town in the dark, peering into the lighted windows of children’s bedrooms. The only way to save yourself from being eaten is to show him that you got clothes for Christmas because you were good this year. If you didn’t get any new clothes, you leave out old clothes, and hope to God they meet his standards.  According to Alsatian lore, Hans Trapp was a local man renowned for his greed and unscrupulousness. He used witchcraft and deals with the Devil to become rich. After being excommunicated from the Catholic church, he lost his wealth and social standing. He took to roaming the countryside disguised as a scarecrow.  At some point, Hans Trapp became consumed with the idea of tasting human flesh. He lured a shepherd boy to his death, then cooked him over a fire. Before Hans Trapp could take his first bite, however, God – finally feeling that things had gone too far – struck him with lightning.  Hans Trapp died, but he returns sometimes on Christmas, to go from door to door looking for young, tasty children.  The Kallikantzari are goblins who spend most of the year underground, trying to bring about the apocalypse. During Advent they come out on to human territory to cause mischief and evil. They are sometimes described as black furry creatures with tusks and horns. They are usually male, and grotesquely well endowed.  Père Fouettard was a butcher. He and his wife kidnapped, robbed and killed wealthy children, then carved up their bodies and hid them in salting barrels. Saint Nicholas discovered the crime and brought the children back to life. As punishment, he forced Père Fouettard into bondage as his eternal cannibal manservant. He follows St Nick around, dealing with the problem children.


bbc--2019-09-24--Meghan and Harry visit South Africas oldest mosque

Meghan and Harry visit South Africa's oldest mosque

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ate traditional South African food and visited the country's oldest mosque on day two of their 10-day tour of Africa.  The royals visited the 225-year-old Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, on South Africa's Heritage Day - a public holiday celebrating national culture.  Earlier, the couple visited a charity that works with surfers to provide mental health support for youngsters.  The tour is their first official overseas trip with their son, Archie.  On their trip to the mosque, Prince Harry and Meghan met with local faith leaders, including Imam Sheikh Ismail Londt and Muslim community leader, Mohamed Groenwald.  Meghan wore a headscarf to enter the mosque which was built in 1794 in Bo-Kaap district, which is known for its neon-coloured terraced houses.  Ahead of the visit, the royals were pictured eating at a local family's home.  Shaamiela Samodien, 63, told AFP: "We (are) used to cooking for big parties and family. So it's no effort.  "They tried koeksisters (a traditional South African sweet) and apple crumble."  Earlier, in the day the royals visited a beach in Cape Town to learn about a project helping vulnerable young people with their mental health.  The couple met surfing mentors at Monwabisi Beach to hear about the work of the NGO Waves for Change.  Harry and Meghan also learned about the non-profit Lunchbox Fund, which benefited from public donations after the birth of their son Archie.  Waves for Change offers a mix of mind and body therapy as part of a child-friendly mental health service for vulnerable young people.  The organisation, which supports 1,200 children, is based in a collection of shipping containers close to the beach.  The Lunchbox Fund provides nearly 30,000 meals a day to the children on the programme, as well as schools.  Asked about the key issue in tackling the stigma around mental health, Meghan said: "It's just getting people to talk about it and talk to each other, right?  "And you see that no matter where you are in the world, if you're a small community or a township, if you're in a big city - it's that everyone is dealing with a different version of the same thing."  Prince Harry added: "Everyone has experienced trauma or likely to experience trauma at some point during their lives.  "We need to try, not to eradicate it, but to learn from previous generations so there's not a perpetual cycle."  He said a whole generation of children that had "no role models at all" was now being given an opportunity.  Monwabisi Beach is on the edge of one of South Africa's biggest townships, Khayelitsha.  During the visit, the couple joined 25 surf mentors in taking part in a welcoming chant.  They ended the day meeting young people and community leaders at the city's residence of the British High Commissioner.  Their first day involved meeting teenage girls in the deprived Nyanga township and they spoke out about violence against women and children.


foreignpolicy--2019-03-21--International Relations Theory Doesnt Understand Culture

International Relations Theory Doesn’t Understand Culture

In today’s world politics, culture is everywhere. The rise of non-Western great powers, the return of ethnonationalism, violent extremism justified in the name of religion, and so-called white resistance—the list goes on. Yet those who should be best placed to explain it—international relations scholars—are ill equipped to do so.  Conventional wisdom holds that IR theory has little to say about culture. After all, the argument goes, its dominant schools of thought focus on struggles for material power and treat actors as self-interested egoists. In fact, IR scholars talk about culture all the time. It permeates their arguments about the Western foundations of the modern international order, about China as a civilizational state, and about the fate of the Arab Spring. And if discussions of the Western nature of human rights aren’t about culture, then what are they about at all?  The real problem is that IR scholars cling stubbornly to a view of culture that anthropologists and sociologists last took seriously between the 1930s and 1950s. Indeed, when discussing culture, IR looks like a conservation zoo for concepts long dead in their natural habitats.  The outdated view sees cultures as coherent things: as tightly integrated, neatly bounded, and clearly differentiated. They are causally powerful. Culture makes individuals who they are and defines what they want and how they think. And it is culture that undergirds social institutions. Cultural unity makes strong societies; cultural diversity is corrosive. For evidence of such views, look no further than Brexit, U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign, Russian irredentism, and Confucian nationalism in China.  Such views have long been rejected in specialist fields. Cultures are now seen as heterogeneous and contradictory, highly porous, and deeply entwined and interrelated. In her celebrated 1986 article “Culture in Action,” Ann Swidler, the eminent Berkeley sociologist, put it this way: “all real cultures contain diverse, often conflicting symbols, rituals, stories, and guides to action.”  Decades of empirical research sustains such understandings of culture. Anthropologists have demonstrated it at very local levels. Lila Abu-Lughod’s work on Bedouin women is a fine example. And historians have demonstrated it at the level of empires and international orders. Karen Barkey, Jane Burbank, Frederick Cooper, Pamela Kyle Crossley, and many others have revealed the heterogeneous cultural contexts in which such orders evolve.  The old, discredited view of culture is still alive in IR.  Yet the old, discredited view of culture is still alive in IR. And not just in little pockets. It is IR’s default conception across the discipline’s rival schools.  Realists are materialists at heart, yet they frequently make arguments that rest on cultural assumptions. They describe themselves as studying conflict groups, and when we probe the nature of these groups, they commonly appear as cultural units: nation-states with national characters, identities, and interests. The anarchic international system gives states certain primary interests—principally survival—but national culture is commonly seen as a key source of other interests.  Many realists admit that today’s international order rests on legitimacy as much as material might. And when explaining such legitimacy, they join others in emphasizing Western civilization, which is said to provide the norms and values that inform and sustain modern institutions. For former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and others, the erosion of this cultural foundation poses a fundamental threat. How can “regions with such divergent cultures, histories, and traditional theories of order vindicate the legitimacy of any common system?” Kissinger asked in his book World Order.  On the surface, it might seem like rational choice theory would have even less to say about culture than realism. Yet culture enters rationalist arguments, too, in three ways: when adherents explain the rational choice of norms, when they accommodate cultural preferences, and in their argument that common knowledge is essential to solving coordination problems. The last of these is particularly interesting, as it is here that rationalists express a version of IR’s default conception of culture. Coordination problems exist when actors have common interests but can only realize as much if they coordinate their choices, usually without direct communication.  To overcome such problems, actors rely on mutual expectations, and such expectations come from common knowledge: things I know, and you know, and we both know that we both know. Rationalists see cultural norms, values, and practices as a major source of such knowledge, and thus common culture is important to solving the variety of coordination problems actors navigate every day. Most rationalists focus on specific collaboration problems and localized common knowledge, but others make larger claims about social order. Here the claim is a familiar one: Culturally homogeneous societies, which they take as their baseline, are more conducive to the solution of coordination problems than diverse societies.  It may seem unfair to expect realism and rational choice to be abreast of current thinking on culture: It is not their game, after all. Yet constructivism and the English School, both of which see culture as core business, fare no better.  Constructivism’s core insight is that shared meanings—ideas, norms, and values—make the social and natural worlds knowable. Constructivists frequently describe such meanings as “cultural.” In principle, that tendency is entirely compatible with current understandings of culture as heterogeneous and contradictory. Yet the two main strands of constructivist research have been largely deaf to such understandings.  The first strand focuses on international norms: how they emerge and how they shape the identities, interests, and behavior of states and other actors. This work disaggregates culture, breaking it up into individual norms and then studying their causal effects. But while culture is not treated as a coherent, bounded whole, the complexity in which individual norms are embedded is neglected.  The second strand of research focuses on the institutional foundations of international relations, most notably the origins of modern sovereignty. It is here that the default conception of culture is most clear. Constructivists identify deep, system-wide cultural meanings and use these to explain key institutional developments. They see international orders as founded, in part, on what they call collective mentalities—and when these change, so do basic institutions. For example, my own early research attributes variations in the basic institutional practices of different societies to their different cultural understandings of the moral purpose of the state.  The English School is noted for its trademark claim that states can form international societies, not just international systems. That is, states can come together over shared common interests to agree on common rules and create institutions to uphold those rules. When asked what sustains such a society, English School theorists offer two main answers. One is pragmatic: States share basic interests in physical security, stable territorial rights, and the keeping of agreements, and international society is the best means to these ends. This is overlaid, however, by an argument about the cultural prerequisites for international society.  Far from seeing culture as complex and contradictory, Martin Wight, one of the school’s founders, held in Systems of States that an international society “will not come into being without a degree of cultural unity among its members.” Modern international society, he argued, had its origins in European civilization, and when decolonization admitted a host of non-Western states, international society had “outrun cultural and moral community.” The idea that pragmatism could only ever sustain a thin social order—and that a common culture was needed to undergird robust bonds, institutions, and practices—focused much of the school’s post-decolonization research on the possibility of international society in a culturally diverse world.  IR’s failure to integrate contemporary conceptions of culture is more than an academic curiosity—it has far-reaching implications for how we understand today’s global politics of culture. Take one critical issue: the impact of rising non-Western powers on the modern international order. At present, debate is dominated by culturalists, who think that the order will collapse as its Western cultural foundations erode, and liberals, who deny that cultural differences matter, holding that liberal institutions can accommodate states and peoples of diverse cultural complexions.  But what if we take seriously the insight that there is no such thing as a unified culture, that all culture is complex and contradictory? We would have to assume, first of all, that the modern order arose under conditions of cultural diversity, not unity. And we would then have to ask how these heterogeneous conditions shaped the order’s evolution and, in turn, how the order’s institutions were constructed to govern and order that diversity.  Doing so would bring the conquest of the Americas, the Protestant Reformation, the post-Versailles division of Europe into ethnically defined nation-states, and decolonization into new focus. Most importantly, it would lead us to ask not whether sudden onset diversity will destroy a formerly Western order, but whether post-decolonization practices for governing global diversity can accommodate new arrangements of power and expressions of cultural difference.  This article was adapted in part from the author’s 2018 book, On Cultural Diversity: International Theory in a World of Difference, published by Cambridge University Press.


theindependent--2019-02-25--Childbirth traditions from around the world displayed in touching photo series

A poignant series of photos has been released documenting childbirth and motherhood traditions from around the world, in countries including India, Uganda, Sweden and Scotland.  Following the birth of a child, different communities have various ways of celebrating the momentous occasion.  Take Malawi, for example, where new mothers are served a special porridge that's believed to provide them with energy and essential nutrients.  Or Madagascar, where new mothers wear a "masonjoany" mask, a paste that's made from a grounded sandalwood tree branch to protect them from evil spirits.  These rituals and several more were captured on camera by non-profit organisation WaterAid, in a series of images that pay tribute to the beauty of childbirth and familial love.  Many rituals carried out by communities following childbirth involve water.  Yet one in nine people across the globe don't have access to clean water, with one in three health centres not being able to provide patients with water that's safe to drink.  WaterAid, which was first established in 1981, helps people living in poor communities access clean water, healthy sanitation and education regarding hygiene.  Tim Wainwright, the NGO's chief executive, explained that while many communities conduct rituals for new mothers with the belief they'll be provided with protection, for some, this isn't a reality.  “The birth of a new baby is a time of great joy and celebration, and all over the world, communities hold to traditions believed to keep the mothers safe and bring the babies good luck, happiness or good health," he said.  "But for the millions of mothers who have no choice but attend a health centre without clean water, they do not have the most important thing to welcome any new life – clean water and a hygienic environment."  The photo series has been launched as part of WaterAid's Water Effect campaign, an initiative that aims to provide mothers and babies with clean water, healthy sanitation and good hygiene in health centres across the globe.  To find out more about WaterAid's Water Effect appeal, click here.


thesun--2019-04-29--Happy May Day 2019 How is 1st May celebrated in the UK and what traditions and quotes are there

Happy May Day 2019! How is 1st May celebrated in the UK and what traditions and quotes are there?

EVERYONE looks forward to the influx of bank holidays that arrive around Easter and May each year and 2019 is no different.  But what exactly is May Day and when is our early May long weekend this year?  May Day is a holiday usually celebrated on May 1 and is a day that stems from ancient celebrations of spring.  However, in England, May 1 is not a public holiday unless it falls on a Monday.  Instead, since 1978 the Spring bank holiday has always fallen on the first Monday of the month.  This year, as May Day falls on a Wednesday, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday, which is May 6.  Unlike the other bank holidays, the first Monday in May is taken off from schools by itself, and not as part of an end of term or half term holiday.  The reason for this is because the day has no Christian significance - so doesn’t fit into the usual school holiday pattern.  In the UK, May 1 is also International Workers’ Day – or Labour Day.  In England, traditional May Day celebrations include crowning a May Queen and dancing around a maypole.  It has been a day of festivities throughout history and is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime and the fertility of the land and livestock.  May 1 is also a national holiday in Russia and Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam.  For many around the world, May Day is also associated with springtime and new beginnings.  That being the case, many of the quotes about May Day refer to spring.  Here are some of our favourites:  However, May Day also symbolises labour movements around the world.  Here are some quotes that represent those May Day vibes.


abcnews--2019-12-30--Reparations and Religion: 50 years after ‘Black Manifesto’

(RNS) — On a Sunday morning in May of 1969, as clergy processed into the sanctuary of New York’s august Riverside Church, civil rights activist James Forman vaulted into the pulpit to demand $500 million in reparations for the mistreatment of African Americans from white churches and synagogues.  At the time, Forman’s interruption represented the high point for the reparations movement. A week before, Forman had debuted a radical proposal for racial justice known as “the Black Manifesto” for 500 black activists gathered in Detroit for the National Black Economic Development Conference.  “(W)e know that the churches and synagogues have a tremendous wealth,” the manifesto stated, “and its membership, white America, has profited and still exploits black people.  ”The conference determined, by a 187-63 vote, that it was time for white Christians and Jews to pay reparations and demonstrate a willingness to fight “the white supremacy and racism which has forced us as black people to make these demands.  This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.  ”Riverside, then a mostly white liberal Protestant congregation whose neo-Gothic landmark building was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., would be deeply divided over the next few years over Forman’s challenge. As the activist brought his manifesto to other congregations and denominations, Riverside established a lecture series and a “Fund for Social Justice” that aimed to raise $450,000 over three years to help the poor in the local community. It fell short of the goal by almost $100,000.  The Black Manifesto’s demands never caught fire in the broader U.S. religious community. The Rev. Gayraud Wilmore, a black Presbyterian leader in New York City in 1969, recalled 50 years later how religious institutions responded.  “I saw them withering and unable to step forward and say ‘Let’s be the church,’” said Wilmore, now 98. “I saw no bold action taken on our side to go along with the bold action Forman was taking.  ”Five decades later, the reparations debate has reentered the national spotlight, with some religious institutions leading the way.  Earlier in December, Reform Jews, declaring that “racial inequity is present in virtually every aspect of American life,” voted overwhelmingly to support a U.S. commission to develop proposals for reparations and urged conversations in their congregations to redress systemic racism.  In recent months, Virginia Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary and Georgetown University have all announced plans to fund initiatives that would benefit the descendants of slaves, while Episcopal dioceses in New York and Long Island made million- and half-million-dollar commitments as reparations committees continued their work.  In May, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland voted to study reparations and urge congregations to “examine how their endowed wealth is tied to the institution of slavery.  ”Maryland’s African American bishop, Eugene Taylor Sutton, said tears came to his eyes when the measure passed at the diocese’s general convention with no dissenting votes, and he realized that the assembled delegates, representing a membership that is 90% white, “got it.”  “They get this thing called justice, and when you put it in a frame that there is a basic injustice in this nation of stealing from generations of people and that has a direct effect on today, then people,” Sutton said, “they say, 'OK, we got to get that fixed.’  ”Sutton, who testified before Congress in June with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to advocate for the idea of a U.S. reparations commission, emphasized that reparations can come in many forms. Starting next month, members of his diocese will begin to consider options such as providing better access for people of color to home buying, job training and faculty positions at seminaries.  It has taken some American religious institutions 50 years to get their heads around reparations. When Forman hijacked that Sunday morning service, two-thirds of Riverside worshippers, including the minister, stormed out in protest. After activists occupied offices in the Interchurch Center of New York, a court issued restraining orders to bar Forman from the building. In Missouri, manifesto supporters in St. Louis carried out a series of “Black Sunday” protests, interrupting local services, which led to confrontations with white church members and arrests.  The manifesto was quite specific in its demands. Black activists would control the distribution of reparations. The $500 million (soon increased to $3 billion) would be spent on programs designed to ensure black self-determination. These included establishing a Southern land bank, publishing industries, television networks, job training centers, labor unions and a black university.  The manifesto’s rhetoric was just as controversial. Written by Forman, a former member of the civil rights group known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the preamble framed reparations in Marxist terms. “Time is short,” Forman wrote. “(N)o oppressed people ever gained their liberation until they were ready to fight, to use whatever means necessary, including the use of force and power of the gun to bring down the colonizer.  ”Prominent black and white religious leaders diverged on how to interpret Forman’s call for revolution. The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, who succeeded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, compared Forman to biblical prophets who spoke truth to power. Writing in The Christian Century, he asked, “Was there not even a physical resemblance between Amos, the dusty-road-weary prophet in his desert garb, and Jim Forman in his dashiki?”  The response from some white denominations was outright rejection. The Southern Baptist Convention dismissed the manifesto as “outrageous.” The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York called it un-American and touted its own programs for the “needy and disadvantaged” instead.  The American Jewish Committee, which as part of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization had helped organize the National Black Economic Development Conference, withdrew from the IFCO. Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, IFCO’s first president, resigned, stating hecould not “in conscience stand by in silence and appear ... to give assent to the revolutionary ideology and racist rhetoric of the Black Manifesto.  ”Other denominations were more ambivalent. The Reformed Church in America invited Forman to address its general synod after he occupied the denomination’s headquarters a month after his action at Riverside. The Rev. Rand Peabody, a 22-year-old white seminarian who had already been slated to give the sermon the next day, revised his sermon after hearing news of Forman’s “liberation” of the RCA’s offices.  “I remember I said it’s not a time for us to feel either blamed or shamed and certainly not a time to feel futile,” Peabody, now 73, said in an interview. “Our denomination, in his eye, did indeed have the power to play a part and we should accept that as almost a commissioning of the denomination to indeed step up to the plate and get involved in more focused and proactive ways.  ”Like other denominations, the RCA didn’t accede to Forman’s demand that reparations be handed over freely. Instead the synod voted to create a $100,000 fund “to be disbursed according to the decisions” of a newly formed Black Council. The council then rejected the money.“We just basically wanted to be at the table where decisions are being made and not considered an auxiliary or an offshoot or a secondhand portion of the denomination,” said the Rev. Dwayne Jackson, a Hackensack, New Jersey, pastor, who was a panelist at an RCA event commemorating the manifesto in October titled “Unfinished Business.”  Jackson, who knew some members of the council from his childhood church in the Bronx, said the staffer hired to oversee the council was the church’s first black executive. (Today, people of color comprise a third of the RCA’s executive leadership team.)  Other denominations acknowledged the grievances raised by the manifesto but rejected the solutions it proposed and even the language of “reparations.” Instead they created or continued programs aimed at helping poor blacks and others. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Fund for Disadvantaged Americans of Minority Groups and the Episcopal Church’s General Convention Special Program were all created around the time of Forman’s action.  Dominique DuBois Gilliard, the current director of the ECC’s “racial righteousness and reconciliation” ministry, recently reflected on how this kind of response “enacted a very problematic erasure of the black freedom struggle.”  Met with the manifesto’s demands, “the Covenant found it more palatable to shift the conversation to marginalization in general,” Gilliard writes in the May/August edition of its Covenant Quarterly, which focused on the 50th anniversary of the manifesto. “This response has strong parallels to proclamations that ‘All Lives Matter’ in response to the declaration ‘Black Lives Matter.’"  There has been a shift in recent years, however, which Gilliard has helped encourage. The ECC Resolution on Racism, passed in June, insists that “the time is right for white clergy to attend to the sins of our own community and make a public commitment to prioritize antiracism work within our ministerium.”  Nell Gibson, a member and former chair of the Episcopal Diocese of New York’s Reparations Committee, recalled that in the wake of Forman’s declaration — which resulted in the Episcopal Church’s $200,000 donation to the National Committee of Black Churchmen — members of her Manhattan church created a Black and Brown Caucus. After receiving the $30,000 they demanded from their St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, they developed a free breakfast program for children, a summer “liberation school” that taught minority children their ancestors’ history and a prison law library.  Fifty years on, reparations are often framed as spiritual tests as much as financial ones. This year was named the “Year of Apology” for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and each Sunday Gibson’s congregation has said a prayer that includes this sentence: “For the many ways — social, economic and political — that white supremacy has accrued benefits to some of us at the expense of others, we repent.”  Soon, the diocesan reparations committee will consider a number of possible next steps, such as a truth and reconciliation commission or education and health care initiatives.  Likewise, Sutton said his Maryland Episcopal diocese is moving methodically after years of conversation about reparations to figuring out how that will be lived out financially and otherwise.  “We don’t have all the solutions, we don’t know everything that’s going to fix the problem and so we’re going to be humble in even what we think we can accomplish,” he said. “But, by God, we’re going to do something.  ”This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience.  This story is one in a series by Religion News Service about the future of segregation and integration in American religion, produced in partnership with Sacred Writes, a project that helps scholars share their research with a broader audience.

religious institutions and state relations


aljazeera--2019-01-17--McJesus in Palestine Using bad art to whitewash Israels crimes

McJesus in Palestine: Using bad art to whitewash Israel's crimes

Hundreds of Palestinian Muslims and Christians descended on the Haifa Museum of Art last Friday to protest the display of various artworks that use mass culture merchandise and corporate mascots to depict Christian icons. An online petition has also been launched to demand the removal of Finnish artist Jani Leinonen's artworks, which included a crucified Ronald McDonald and Mattel dolls - Ken and Barbie - representing Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary.  Although Leinonen made a name for himself as a subversive anti-capitalist protest artist, the artworks he chose to put on display in the Haifa Museum's "Sacred Goods" exhibition missed the mark.  In irreverent creations such as "McJesus", the artist offered little more than an uninspiring rehash of the centuries-old critique of the relationship between religion and capitalism. More importantly, he completely ignored the political context in which these artworks are displayed, allowing the Israeli establishment to use the local population's anger about the offensive exhibition to whitewash the oppression and threats the Palestinian Christians are currently facing.  Leinonen's McJesus, like other artwork in the exhibition, seeks to show how consumer products have become "sacred goods," merchandise invested with the authority of religious power and symbolism.  However, there is nothing provocative or refreshing about this critique. The criticism of the sacralisation of capitalism and its obverse notion, the commercialisation of religion, has been ongoing for quite a few centuries now. Already in The Theory of the Moral Sentiments (1759), Adam Smith had used the "invisible hand" metaphor to draw this analogy between capitalism and religion. Ironically, the anachronistic nature of Leinonen's artwork was also highlighted in the curator's comment on the exhibition, where it was noted that "Already in the late nineteenth century, writer Emile Zola crowned consumption as the new religion, in which religious rituals in a church have been replaced by purchasing ceremonies at a department store."  Recycling the age-old critique of the complicity between religion and capitalism - as banal as it may be - could have still made an impact if Leinonen bothered to take into consideration the context in which these artworks are going to be displayed.  The local context was clearly on the artist's mind when he decided to transform a Ken doll into Jesus, as the box he packaged the doll in was emblazoned with the Hebrew word for Jesus (Yeshua). However, there was no commentary offered in any of his artworks about Israel's realities -  its occupation of Palestinian land and oppression of the Palestinian population.  In the hands of a different artist attuned to the brutal realities of the local context, the image of a crucified McDonalds' clown could have offered radical commentary on the Palestinian struggle for freedom. It could have easily highlighted the concerted efforts of both American religious institutions, especially evangelicals, and American corporate culture to provide material support and mythical narratives that legitimise the current policies of the authoritarian colonial-capitalist Israeli state.  Leinonen missed this opportunity. But even more importantly, his "bad art" allowed Israeli authorities to opportunistically exploit the indigenous population's protests about Leinonen's artworks and use the controversy to conceal the Israeli state's racist and discriminatory policies and mistreatment of Palestinian Christians.  Following protests by Palestinians, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev spared no time in condemning the art exhibition in the name of "democratic values" and" tolerance for other cultural and religious traditions".  In her letter to the museum director, Regev stated: "The values that distinguish us as a Jewish and democratic state oblige us to respect the religious feelings of all citizens of the State of Israel - Muslims, Christians, Druze and others." She insisted that disrespecting sacred symbols "may affect the delicate fabric of our democratic society, which respects the religious feelings of others as one of its most enlightened foundations."  This appeal for tolerance is belied not only by the racist, discriminatory and divisive policies of Israel but also by the past actions of Regev herself. In May 2012, for example, Regev received much unwanted public attention after she called Sudanese asylum seekers a "cancer in the nation's body." For the record, Regev later apologised to Israeli cancer patients for her offensive remarks about cancer, but never felt the need to apologise to the human beings that she likened to a deadly disease.  So what was behind the Culture Minister's uncharacteristic appeal for tolerance and newfound concern for the rights and sentiments of Israel's indigenous communities?  Regev's condemnation of the exhibition was an attempt to whitewash the ongoing Nakba and to present Israel as a state that respects the diverse religious identities of all its citizens and residents, including Christians.  This, of course, couldn't be further from the truth.  About a year ago, Theophilos III, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, warned in an op-ed in the Guardian that Israeli policies are driving Palestinian Christians out of the Holy Land. He outlined the efforts of the Israeli Knesset to strip Palestinian Christians of their church lands and property rights through a "church lands" bill that would put an end to the church's sovereignty over its lands in the old city of Jerusalem.  Theophilos III also pointed out the activities of radical settler groups in and around Jerusalem that are destabilising the status quo regarding "the protection and accessibility" of the holy sites in the city. Many of these radical settlers have been suspected of carrying out "price tag" attacks on churches and other Christian properties, desecrating and vandalising churches, monasteries, and holy sites and spraying hate graffiti on them. In most of these cases, the Israeli authorities did not apprehend any suspects and dismissed the incidents on the grounds of unknown perpetrators.  These attacks on Christian churches and properties, which date back to the Nakba, also target Christians in the West Bank. Israeli forces, for example, have raided a well-known monastery in Bethlehem and attempted to confiscate its land to continue building its apartheid annexation and separation wall in the Cremisan Valley. It is important to note that Israeli military forces aid and abet the radical settlers in their desecration of Christian sites, offering them the protection they need as they raid these sites to perform religious rituals there.  The state's racist and discriminatory laws, closure policies and the apartheid annexation and separation wall restrict the access of Palestinian Christians to the holy sites in Jerusalem, effectively censuring their religious freedom and hindering them from practising their faith. These policies, as Theophilos III warns, threaten "the very presence of Christians in the Holy Land".  Disingenuous calls for tolerance and understanding by Israeli authority figures like Regev should not trick anyone into thinking that the capitalist settler-colony that is Israel cares about the religious sensitivities of Christians or Muslims living in Israel. Needless to say, as Regev was talking about the so-called "democratic fabric" of the Israeli society, Israeli state police was using stun grenades and tear gas to squash and disperse the crowds demonstrating near the museum.  Regev's letter also exposed a major shortcoming of the Israeli liberal left. Israeli leftists were outraged not only by Regev's failure to condemn "the violence against the museum," but also by her threats to cut state funding for such offensive exhibitions. In their eyes, as always, violence was one-sided and perpetrated by the Arabs. They ignored the structural violence of the state in the name of the fight over culture and artistic freedom.  Leinonen's McJesus and other artwork in the "Sacred Goods" exhibition is uncharacteristic of his other subversive anti-capitalist protest art and the School of Disobedience he runs. In this exhibition, he misses an important opportunity to critique the more pernicious aspects of capitalist exploitation and fetishisation through a critical engagement with the structures of violence and social inequalities that constitute the authoritarian capitalist-colonial Israeli state. The only way out of the false universality of the corporate capitalist culture that the crucified clown represents and into the truly radical and egalitarian universality for which Jesus stands is the practice of decolonisation.  The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.