Monday, June 27, 2011
Iranian guards supplied condoms to rape Tehran prisoners, say families of victims
Letters written by prisoners in Iran make for startling disclosures—namely that prison guards are handing out condoms to criminals, encouraging them to rape opposition activists.These shocking revelations about the mass rapes were reported by the Guardian in letters smuggled out by Mehdi Mahmoudian, a jailed member of Iran’s Participation Front, a reformist political party.
Mr. Mahmoudian was detained after the disputed elections in 2009 for speaking about his party’s suppression by the government and was jailed in Rajaeeshahr prison in Kajar, 20 kilometers away from the capital Tehran.
“In various cells inside the prison, rape has become a common act and acceptable,” he wrote in a letter published on Kaleme.com, the official Website of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, writes the Guardian.
The accounts collected show that political prisoners are being locked up with dangerous criminals. Families of political prisoners have told an opposition Website Jaras that prison guards fail to protect them from abuse.
“During exercise periods, the strong ask for sex without any consideration. Criminals are repeatedly seen with condoms in hand, hunting for their victims,” the Guardian reports an unnamed family member telling Jaras.
“If the inmate is not powerful enough or guards would not take care of him, he will be certainly raped. Prison guards ignore those who are seen with condoms simply because they were given out to them by the guards at first place,” the family member said.
Iranian officials have ignored the allegations and have previously denied any claims of rape inside jail.
The family members also said that jail authorities ignore complaints of rape.
In related news, 26 political activists who have been imprisoned since the 2009 elections have written to a prison monitoring body about harassment tactics, including sexual assaults, of prisoners by guards and intelligence officials.
The letter was also signed by senior deputy foreign minister Mohsen Mirdamadi, a reformist party leader and Behzad Nabavi, a veteran activist.
Amnesty International has asked Iran to investigate these accusations after interviewing rape victims inside Iranian jails for its annual report last year.
Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s Middle East campaign manager, told the Guardian: “Rape is a terrible crime and these allegations [mentioned in the letters] should be thoroughly investigated. Amnesty International has also documented the rape of male and female detainees by security officials. Many of those detained for taking part in post-election protests were tortured and did not receive fair trials. The Iranian authorities still continue to punish and persecute those who peacefully speak up against them.”
Mr. Mahmoudian, who was transferred to solitary confinement after his letter attracted attention, said he came to know of one young prisoner being raped seven times in one night.
“In [Rajaeeshahr] prison, those who have pretty faces and are unable to defend themselves or cannot afford to bribe others are forcibly taken to different cells each night [to be raped],” he wrote in the letter.
“The situation is such that those exposed to rape even have an owner and that owner makes money by renting him out to others and after a while selling him to someone else.”
Al Arabiya News
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THE UNITED STATES OF ISLAM’: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SPOKESMAN CALLS ON ARAB YOUTH TO LAUNCH A NEW REVOLUTION IN THE WEST & ESTABLISH A GLOBAL ISLAMIC STATE
MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute) reports that in an “interview with the Egyptian daily Al-Shorouq, Dr. Kamal Al-Helbawy, former Muslim Brotherhood spokesman in the West, called upon the Arab youth to launch a new revolution that would eliminate the borders drawn by imperialist nations and bring about the establishment of a global Islamic state – called ‘The United States of Islam.’ According to Al-Helbawy, the Muslim Brotherhood is active in approximately 80 countries and strives to realize the dream of becoming a global organization.”
Interview excerpt:
“The Muslim Brotherhood is organized in 80 countries, and they and the Islamists have a right to establish a global movement, much like global socialism or Zionism…”
“Why Shouldn‘t We Have A Country Called ’The United States Of Islam’… I Propose That the Arab Peoples… Take To the Streets With the Slogan ‘The Arab People Wants To Remove the Borders [Between Its Countries]‘
“Q: Regarding the global organization – will a Muslim Brotherhood member associate himself with the [global] movement or with his homeland? And what will happen should there be a contradiction between them?”
“A: There will be no contradictions. Our thinking and our affiliation are to the exalted Allah. Our affiliation is to Islam. The global state of Islam is our ideal…
“How will countries like Bahrain or Qatar defend themselves? Why shouldn‘t we have a country called ’The United States of Islam,’ ruled by a white man or a black man…
“I propose that the Arab peoples who demonstrated for the sake of the revolution, so they could move from the stage of oppression and corruption to the stage of stability and security, organize themselves from now on and set a deadline – five or 10 years – [and] take to the streets with the slogan ‘The Arab People Wants to Remove the Borders [Between Its Countries]‘… These borders were drawn up by imperialist nations, making our rulers guardians of imperialist borders…
“I wish to say something important: Because the Muslim Brotherhood does not have an international organization with authority… the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria made a pact with [then-Syrian vice president] ‘Abd Al-Halim Khaddam, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq objected to the movement’s general direction. The idea of an international organization now needs to be transformed from a dream into a reality. While it is not part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan to come to power – they will be soldiers under any suitable regime that will be established.”
“If Ibn Taymiyya Were Among Us – What Would He Think Of Ahmadinejad’s Stance Against Israel While Arab Rulers Protect Israeli Embassies?
“Q: How would you explain the actions of some of the Salafis [that contradict this]?”
“A: The actions taken by some of the Salafis are unbefitting of Muslims. The Salafis in Egypt are not one group, but [divided] into different schools…
“I say to our Salafi brothers: Why do you focus only on [external] appearance, on the beard, the miswak [tooth-cleaning stick noted in Islamic jurisprudence], and the jilbab [religious garment]? There are many things far more important to Muslim society – chiefly a military industry, which is a means and a tool of jihad, as Ibn Taymiyya said…
“If Ibn Taymiyya were among us, what would he think of [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad’s stance against Israel, while Arab rulers protect Israeli embassies and applaud the symbols of the Zionist entity?”
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Swedish preschool special emphasis on fostering an environment tolerant of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people
Mattew 18
5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
8Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
9And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
Lotta Rajalin, director at "Egalia", a Swedish preschool
STOCKHOLM (AP) - At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys.
From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes.
"Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," says Jenny Johnsson, a 31-year-old teacher. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."
The taxpayer-funded preschool which opened last year in the liberal Sodermalm district of Stockholm for kids aged 1 to 6 is among the most radical examples of Sweden's efforts to engineer equality between the sexes from childhood onward.
Breaking down gender roles is a core mission in the national curriculum for preschools, underpinned by the theory that even in highly egalitarian-minded Sweden, society gives boys an unfair edge.
To even things out, many preschools have hired "gender pedagogues" to help staff identify language and behavior that risk reinforcing stereotypes.
Some parents worry things have gone too far. An obsession with obliterating gender roles, they say, could make the children confused and ill-prepared to face the world outside kindergarten.
"Different gender roles aren't problematic as long as they are equally valued," says Tanja Bergkvist, a 37-year-old blogger and a leading voice against what she calls "gender madness" in Sweden.
Those bent on shattering gender roles "say there's a hierarchy where everything that boys do is given higher value, but I wonder who decides that it has higher value," she says. "Why is there higher value in playing with cars?"
At Egalia - the title connotes "equality" - boys and girls play together with a toy kitchen, waving plastic utensils and pretending to cook. One boy hides inside the toy stove, his head popping out through a hole.
Lego bricks and other building blocks are intentionally placed next to the kitchen, to make sure the children draw no mental barriers between cooking and construction.
Director Lotta Rajalin notes that Egalia places a special emphasis on fostering an environment tolerant of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. From a bookcase, she pulls out a story about two male giraffes who are sad to be childless - until they come across an abandoned crocodile egg.
Nearly all the children's books deal with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. There are no "Snow White,""Cinderella" or other classic fairy tales seen as cementing stereotypes.
Rajalin, 52, says the staff also try to help the children discover new ideas when they play.
"A concrete example could be when they're playing 'house' and the role of the mom already is taken and they start to squabble," she says. "Then we suggest two moms or three moms and so on."
Egalia's methods are controversial; some say they amount to mind control. Rajalin says the staff have received threats from racists apparently upset about the preschool's use of black dolls.
But she says that there's a long waiting list for admission to Egalia, and that only one couple has pulled a child out of the school.
Jukka Korpi, 44, says he and his wife chose Egalia "to give our children all the possibilities based on who they are and not on their gender."
Sweden has promoted women's rights for decades, and more recently was a pioneer among European countries in allowing gay and lesbian couples to legalize their partnerships and adopt children.
My Way
MORE:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110626/D9O3IJ1O0.html
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Ron Paul worries Fort Knox gold is gone
WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- With the price of gold at record highs, presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul wants to make sure the U.S. gold bars at Fort Knox are really there.
Paul called a congressional hearing Thursday to grill federal officials about his bill to audit and inventory all of the gold reserves at Fort Knox, Ky., West Point, N.Y., and Denver, even though Treasury officials insist that the gold is audited annually and is all there.
During the hearing, Paul suggested that the Federal Reserve of New York, which has 5% of the U.S. gold reserves, has the ability to secretly sell or swap gold with other countries without anyone knowing.
"The Fed is pretty secret, you know," said Paul, who leans Libertarian. "Congress doesn't have much say on what's going on over there. They do a lot of hiding."
Paul, a Texas Republican who wants to convert the U.S. monetary system to one based on the gold standard, says the federal government owes it to taxpayers to make sure U.S.-owned gold is safe.(Ron Paul: Bernanke's biggest critic)
"This is one of the few legitimate functions of government: To check our ownership and be fiscally responsible and find out just what we own and whether it's really there," said Paul, who is among those running for the Republican presidential nomination.
Audits by the Treasury Department and Government Accountability Officeare based on samples. Paul wants to open up Fort Knox and other reserves and count the bars manually.
"We know where it is. We know how much there is. We know it's there. None of it has been removed," said Treasury Inspector General Eric Thorson.
Ron Paul, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi: Peek at their wealth
In September, Treasury completed its latest audit, showing that U.S. gold reserves total 9,300 tons with a market value of $320 billion, Thorson said. The recent run-up in gold prices -- the precious metal is trading at about $1,515 an ounce -- puts the market value at $340 billion as of Wednesday, according to Thorson's testimony. He added that each gold bar weighs about 27 pounds and is worth around $500,000.
Paul said that his questions were partly in response to the numerous Internet conspiracy theories, including those that accuse the government of secretly selling all of the gold in Fort Knox.
Thorson said Treasury doesn't believe that anyone, including the Fed, has taken the gold or laid claim to U.S. gold bars. Any further audit as proposed by Paul's legislation would be redundant, he said.
"There is no movement. There is nothing there that can happen, once those doors are sealed," Thorson said. "It's very obvious if those seals are ever broken."
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