The Dongguan Great Mosque in Xining, China, photographed in 2018.
Image Credit: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images
Warning: topics of sexual assault on news 1
October 25-29 News
1. #DoublePeine
Victims of sexual assault in France have denounced police mistreatment after inappropriate comments, questions, and orders given by police officers when dealing with reports on the topic. One rape victim was asked by police what she was wearing that day, supposedly as a way of justifying the rape, while another was instructed by a police officer to inappropriately touch herself, against her will, in order to demonstrate the sexual assault she endured. After hearing of a woman who was asked if she “experienced pleasure” during her assault, Anna Toumazoff started promoting the hashtag #DoublePeine (#DoubleSentencing) to protest the actions of these police officers. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also spoke on the issue, supporting the cause of the women and believing that “there are questions that cannot be asked to women when they come to file a complaint.”
To learn more about this, have a look at the links below:
2. China Removes Domes From Mosques
Domes have been removed from Chinese mosques in an effort to ‘sinify’ such structures, making them appear more visually Chinese. Many see this as an attack on part of Beijing against its country’s Muslim population, aiming to silence the community in order to avoid “foreign religious influence”, one of the reasons why, according to Chinese authorities, the domes were removed. Moreover, residents have been told to remain quiet about the issue, but others argue that they have no say in the matter anyway and, hence, have no reason to talk about it.
To learn more about this, have a look at the links below:
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/24/1047054983/china-muslims-sinicization
3. UN Fears Human Rights Catastrophe in Myanmar
The United Nations (UN) has begun to predict a future Human Rights catastrophe in the state of Myanmar after reports of thousands of its troops marching in the north of the country. Many believe that Myanmar’s military has been responsible for several war crimes since chaos broke out in the country last February, being caused by a supposed military coup over the alleged illegitimacy of its elected leader (who was arrested by the military and expelled from office). The state’s military was also involved in the violent repression of its civilians in protests against the military coup, hence troubling the world and the UN. Christine Schraner Burgener, the UN special envoy for Myanmar, believes that this could lead to civil war in the country, consequently urging other states to act by restricting money lending and weaponry sales to Myanmar’s military government.
To learn more about this, have a look at the links below:
https://www.dw.com/en/un-fears-mass-atrocities-in-myanmar-as-troops-gather/a-59602602
[Research conducted by Global Politics student Maria Luiza Certain]
EAC PRESS 