Fed up with Islam Yet???

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CSIS asks court to toss out employee's discrimination claim
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Jim Bronskill
Publishing date:Apr 28, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
A sign is pictured outside the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) headquarters in Ottawa November 5, 2014.
A sign is pictured outside the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) headquarters in Ottawa November 5, 2014. PHOTO BY CHRIS WATTIE /REUTERS
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OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency is asking a court to toss out the claim of an employee who alleges he endured racial discrimination and physical abuse from colleagues.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service says Sameer Ebadi should have turned to internal grievance and harassment processes instead of filing a suit in Federal Court.


Ebadi, who uses a pseudonym due to the sensitive nature of his work, says he pursued his claim in court because he has no faith the spy service’s internal procedures will provide anything close to a fair and impartial hearing.

“I have tried on multiple occasions, with varying levels of CSIS management, to address my well-founded issues of workplace harassment and discrimination,” Ebadi says in an affidavit filed with the court.

“With each effort, I was met with resistance and, what is worse, faced increased discriminatory treatment for blowing the whistle on my fellow employees and managers.”

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Ebadi, a practising Muslim who fled to Canada from a repressive Middle Eastern country, has worked as an analyst since 2000 in the Prairie region.

Ebadi’s statement of claim, filed in January of last year, says he was passed over for promotion despite an excellent work record, and that he suffered bullying, discrimination, emotional and physical abuse, and religious persecution from fellow employees.


Ebadi believes CSIS put him under surveillance following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, even though he worked for the agency. He recounts being covertly followed and discovering a GPS tracking device in his car.

The claim says Ebadi was later shunned by many fellow employees and subjected to endless rumours, gossip and innuendo, most of which involved his Muslim faith.

It also alleges employees would quickly open Ebadi’s office door when he was at prayer, smashing it into his body or head. “They would then feign surprise that Sameer was at prayer, but would laugh outside the door afterwards.”

In his recently filed affidavit, Ebadi says the discrimination and harassment caused severe stress and led to the breakdown of his marriage. He is on permanent sick leave.

“Knowing what I would face going back to the workplace leaves me with unbearable levels of dread.”

CSIS has filed a notice of motion with the court asking that Ebadi’s claim be thrown out, saying the terms of his employment are subject to intelligence service procedures.

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The availability of internal grievance and harassment resolution processes preclude the Ebadi from initiating “a civil action for matters that could be subject to a grievance or harassment complaint,” the notice says.

The notice is supported by an affidavit from CSIS’s chief of labour relations.

In his affidavit, Ebadi says he believes CSIS has an established history of protecting harassers “who are white and non-ethnic” from responsibility for their religious or racially motivated behaviour, and that CSIS has a workplace culture of discrimination.

“I do not believe that internal CSIS processes can be trusted to provide me with a fair hearing and to protect me against reprisals for bringing forth concerns about the breaches of my rights, including my charter rights.”

He points to the experience of other CSIS employees, including five staff who went to court in 2017 alleging discrimination. Ebadi also cites a Federal Court ruling last year that chastised the spy service for a lack of candour about surveillance warrants.


“Given that CSIS is willing to hide information from this Court, I have concluded that it is even more likely to hide relevant information from a grievance process that it controls,” Ebadi’s affidavit says.

Ebadi’s lawyer declined to comment.

CSIS spokesman John Townsend, while stressing he could not comment on specifics of the case, said CSIS takes any allegation of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace very seriously.

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“Our employees are always encouraged to report incidents of harassment, discrimination or bullying without fear of reprisal and all of our managers are required to act promptly on any issues brought to their attention, and if necessary, request a formal investigation,” he said.

In the case of founded harassment or discrimination, appropriate disciplinary and corrective measures, which can include firing, are determined by a separate discipline committee, Townsend added.

“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is at the core of CSIS. We make every effort to ensure that all employees feel respected and valued,” he said. “It is our diversity that allows us to better understand all the Canadian communities we protect.”
 

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MANDEL: Sleep deprived trucker convicted in Hwy. 400 crash that killed four in 2016
His victims didn't stand a chance

Author of the article:Michele Mandel
Publishing date:Apr 30, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 3 minute read • 23 Comments
Xhemile Vokshi, 55, Valbona Vokshi, 35, and Isabela Kuci, 5, were killed in a crash on Hwy. 400 on June 24, 2016.
Xhemile Vokshi, 55, Valbona Vokshi, 35, and Isabela Kuci, 5, were killed in a crash on Hwy. 400 on June 24, 2016. PHOTO BY GOFUNDME PHOTOS /Toronto Sun
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Guilty on all counts.

Long haul trucker Sarbjit Singh Matharu was driving from Winnipeg to Toronto on only two hours sleep, he was busy talking to his friends and never slowed down when he approached bottleneck traffic in a construction zone near the base of Hwy. 400 on June 24, 2016.


His five victims didn’t stand a chance.

In a lengthy judgment delivered over Zoom, Ontario Superior Court Justice Michael Code said he didn’t believe a word of excuses or alternate theories proposed by Matharu and convicted him on four counts of criminal negligence causing death and one causing bodily harm.

“He knew that driving on insufficient sleep put public safety, and his own safety, at risk. He simply chose to take the risk, apparently giving his own financial self-interest priority,” Code said.

Matharu, 40, had been driving for 26 hours to deliver a 21,500 kilo-trailer of pork to the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Hannon, near Hamilton. He had been told to get there “ASAP.”

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Xhemile Vokshi, 55, Valbona Vokshi, 35, and Isabela Kuci, 5, were killed in a crash on Hwy. 400 on June 24, 2016.
MANDEL: Trucker involved in killer crash accused of falsifying hours he slept
Xhemile Vokshi, 55, Valbona Vokshi, 35, and Isabela Kuci, 5, were killed in a crash on Hwy. 400 on June 24, 2016.
MANDEL: Emotional trucker recalls trying to save victim of horrific Hwy 400 crash in 2016

In his testimony, the trucker admitted lying on his daily log and sleeping just four hours — still far less than the legislation requires — but the judge said gas receipts and cellphone tower data showed he’d only stopped for half that time.

In a span of 29 metres, Matharu set off a chain of death consuming three vehicles in front of him.

While all other traffic had slowed in lane 3 of the busy southbound lanes near the Hwy. 401 interchange, Code said Matharu’s Volvo tractor-trailer was barrelling at 90 km/h when he first plowed into the rear of a grey Hyundai Accent.

The charred remains of Maria Lipska, 27, were later found in the driver seat. She died of “multiple blunt force trauma” and suffered post-mortem burns to 95% of her body.

As the Volvo tractor continued south in that lane, it pushed the mangled Hyundai into a white BMW driven by Blerta Vokshi, which in turn was shoved into the rear of a Honda Accord driven by her sister Valbona.

The Vokshis, with their mother and children, had spent the day together at Canada’s Wonderland. Three of the five would never make it home.

Firefighters attend the scene of a multi-vehicle crash in Toronto on Friday, June 24, 2016.
Firefighters attend the scene of a multi-vehicle crash in Toronto on Friday, June 24, 2016. PHOTO BY VICTOR BIRO /THE CANADIAN PRESS
The impact drove the Accord into the rear of a stopped Freightliner tractor-trailer where it burst into flames, killing Valbona Vokshi, 35, her mother Xhemile Vokshi, 55 and daughter Isabela Kuci, 5.

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Despite frantic efforts by truck driver Troy Lehmann, Isabela died of smoke inhalation because no one could extricate her from the burning car.

Meanwhile, her aunt’s BMW had flipped and landed on its roof, sparing her little boy but leaving her with serious shoulder and knee injuries that have required multiple surgeries.

Matharu claimed a “brown car” had suddenly cut in front of him and he managed to avert a major collision by swerving into another lane. He insisted he played no role in the deadly crashes and they all happened behind him.

Code found him neither credible nor reliable. All the evidence — from eyewitnesses to the accident reconstruction report — contradicted his version.

“In my view, Mr. Matharu’s account should be completely rejected,” he said.


The judge concluded his reckless driving showed a “marked and substantial departure” from that of a reasonable long haul trucker

“He must have known that by exceeding the speed limit in a busy construction zone on a six-lane highway while approaching a major interchange with another highway in a large heavy transport truck that requires a longer distance to brake and slow down, puts public safety at risk,” Code noted.

“Any experienced truck driver would know this,” he said.

“Mr. Matharu was either willing to take the risks because he was under pressure to deliver the load of meat to Maple Leaf Foods in Hannon by 10 p.m. that evening. He was running late and he thought he could change lanes at the last moment if necessary.

“Alternatively, he was unaware of the risks because he was falling asleep and/or he was distracted by his cellphone. Both of these alternative states of mind or fault are culpable.

“The former indicates subjective recklessness and the latter indicates gross negligence.”

A permanent resident, Matharu has already surrendered his Indian passport and will continue on bail in Winnipeg until sentencing in June.

mmandel@postmedia.com
 

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Blasts targeting Afghan school in Kabul kill 40, injures dozens
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:May 08, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read • 12 Comments
People transport an injured woman to a hospital after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 8, 2021.
People transport an injured woman to a hospital after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 8, 2021. PHOTO BY MOHAMMAD ISMAIL /REUTERS
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KABUL — The toll from blasts targeting a school in Afghanistan’s capital on Saturday has risen to 55 dead and more than 150 injured, many badly, a security official told Reuters.

The blasts were caused by a car bomb and then mortars present inside the car, the high-ranking official, who requested anonymity, said.

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The official death toll reported by the country’s interior ministry still stands at 30.

Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, spokesman for the health ministry, said 46 people had been taken to hospitals so far.


Kabul is on high alert since Washington announced plans last month to pull out all U.S. troops by Sept. 11, with Afghan officials saying the Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country.

No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the insurgent group’s involvement and condemned the incident.

The explosions took place in the western part of Kabul, a heavily Shi’ite Muslim neighborhood that has frequently been attacked by Islamic State militants over the years.


The school is a joint high school for girls and boys, who study in three shifts, the second of which is for female students, Najiba Arian, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education, told Reuters.

The wounded are mostly female students, she said.

“The horrendous attack in Dasht-i Barchi area in Kabul, is an despicable act of terrorism,” the European Union’s mission in Afghanistan said on Twitter.

“Targeting primarily students in a girls’ school, makes this an attack on the future of Afghanistan.”
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At least 68 killed in Afghan school blast, families bury victims
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:May 09, 2021 • 17 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Men dig graves for the victims of yesterday's explosion during a mass funeral ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan May 9, 2021.
Men dig graves for the victims of yesterday's explosion during a mass funeral ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan May 9, 2021. PHOTO BY STRINGER /REUTERS
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KABUL — The death toll from an explosion outside a school in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has risen to 68, Afghan officials said on Sunday, with doctors struggling to provide medical care to 165 injured and officials trying to identify bodies.

Multiple blasts on Saturday evening shook the neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, home to a large community of Shi’ites from the Hazara ethnic minority which has been targeted in the past by Islamic State militants, a Sunni militant group.


At first a car bomb was detonated in front of the Sayed Al-Shuhada school on Saturday, and when the students rushed out in panic, two more bombs exploded.

Officials said most of those killed were school girls. Some families were still searching hospitals for their missing children.

“The first blast was powerful and happened so close the children that some of them could not be found,” said an Afghan official, requesting anonymity.

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An eyewitness told Reuters all but seven or eight of the victims were schoolgirls going home after finishing studies. On Sunday, civilians and policemen collected books and school bags strewn across a blood-stained road that was busy with shoppers ahead of this year’s celebrations for Eid al-Fitr next week.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday blamed the attack on Taliban insurgents but a spokesman for the Taliban denied involvement, saying the group condemns any attacks on Afghan civilians.

Pope Francis condemned the attack in Kabul, calling it an “inhuman act” in remarks to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday.


United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack and expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Afghanistan.

Families of the victims blamed the Afghan government and Western powers for failing to put an end to violence and the ongoing war.

Bodies were still being collected from morgues as the first burials were conducted in the west of the city. Some families were still searching for missing relatives on Sunday, gathering outside hospitals to read names posted on the walls, and checking morgues.

“The entire night we carried bodies of young girls and boys to a graveyard and prayed for everyone wounded in the attack,” said Mohammed Reza Ali, who has been helping families of the victims at a private hospital.

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“Why not just kill all of us to put and end to this war?” he said.

Security was intensified across Kabul after the attack but authorities said they will not be able to provide security to all schools, mosques and other public centers.

Conflict is still raging in Afghanistan, with security forces locked in daily combat with the Taliban who have waged war to overthrow the foreign-backed government since they were ousted from power in Kabul in 2001.

Although the United States did not meet the May 1 withdrawal deadline agreed in talks with the Taliban last year, its pull-out has begun, with President Joe Biden announcing all troops will be out by Sept. 11.

But the foreign troop withdrawal has led to a surge in fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents with both sides trying to retain control over strategic centers.

Critics of the decision say that Islamist militants will try to make a grab for power and civilians fear of being once more under brutal and oppressive Taliban rule.
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Man assaulted several people and dog, crashed into fire truck: Toronto cops
Author of the article:Kevin Connor
Publishing date:May 11, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 1 minute read • 12 Comments
A Toronto Fire truck.
A Toronto Fire truck. Toronto Sun
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A man is facing numerous charges after he allegedly assaulted several people — including a firefighter — as well as a dog and crashed his vehicle into a fire truck.

Early Sunday afternoon, Toronto Police say a 34-year-old man and a dog in the Glenavy and Glazebrook Aves. area, near Bayview and Eglinton Aves., were assaulted by a man, who then fled in a white Volkswagen Jetta.


The vehicle was located and pursued by police south on Bayview, but officers lost sight of it near St. Clair Ave. and Mount Pleasant Rd.

Police say the driver then crashed into a fence near Parkwoods Village Dr. and Victoria Park Ave., got out of his car and assaulted another man with a belt.

The man then drove south on Victoria Park and, around Ellesmere Rd., hit a fire truck that was responding to a call.

Cops allege the man assaulted a firefighter and tried to flee on foot but was apprehended by police.

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Toronto Fire Deputy Chief Tony Bavota said there were no serious injuries to the firefighters involved.

Aliasghar Behrouzi, 26, of Toronto, is charged with two counts of assault, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, injure an animal, fail to stop/flight from police, two counts of dangerous operation, assault with a weapon, and obstruct police/resist arrest.

Police are asking anyone in the area who has dash camera video or cellphone video to call them at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

kconnor@postmedia.com
 

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Scugog woman charged after TikTok video of her hurling racist comments goes viral
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Sep 02, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Scugog woman charged with causing a disturbance after yelling racist comments and insults at South Asians in Port Perry, Ont., park.
Scugog woman charged with causing a disturbance after yelling racist comments and insults at South Asians in Port Perry, Ont., park. PHOTO BY RABIA ZAMIR /TikTok
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A Scugog woman was charged with causing a disturbance after a TikTok video of her hurling racist, hateful comments and insults at a family went viral.

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Rabia Zamir was with her family at a park in Port Perry when they were confronted by a racist attacker on a motorized scooter.


Zamir recorded the irate woman, as she drove around her family and other South Asian people at the park, yelling racist slurs at them and posted the video on TikTok(Link contains foul/offensive language) for “awareness purposes only.”

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A wild street brawl, that may have been racially motivated, outside the Toronto Queen Street pub the Dog & Bear during the Euro Final last Sunday afternoon, was captured on video and posted on social media.
Wild Toronto street brawl the result of a racial comment?
Mourners pray at the funeral of the Afzaal family that was killed in London.
GOLDSTEIN: Whether London attack was terrorism isn't for politicians to decide
A Hamilton Police cruiser.
'SHAKEN BUT UNBROKEN': Man charged in alleged hate crime against Muslim mom, daughter in Hamilton

In the three minutes of footage, the woman shouts at Zamir, telling her to get out of her way and stop speaking her language.

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“I’m the Canadian here,” she screamed, as she drove around in circles. “I’ll f—–g speak my language, but f–k you and yours!”

Zamir, who is eight months pregnant, wrote that she couldn’t ignore the woman if she tried because she was “driving super-fast back and forth” around her and “posed a risk.”

The woman also stops her scooter in front of Zamir’s husband, who is holding their daughter, and blasted him as well.

“Hey, not in front of my daughter, man! Chill out!,” Zamir can be heard saying.

“Don’t swear in front of my daughter!”


Bystanders can be heard telling the woman to “go home” and she’s a “total embarrassment.”

Locals gathered to protect and stand up for the family. In fact, one older gentleman looked like he was ready to lay her out.

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Her response was pretty standard: Two middle fingers, and a little scooter jig to go with it.

Zamir thanked everyone for their concern and she appreciated all the kind words of support. She even went so far as to give the woman the benefit of the doubt, saying she clearly had “underlying issues.”


That being said, Durham Regional Police showed up to the waterfront in Port Perry after receiving multiple reports of a disturbance.

“Eyewitnesses called to report a female yelling racial slurs at several people,” police said in a news release.

“When police arrived, both the female suspect and victims had left the area.”

Officers were able to identify the suspect thanks to the viral video, but they have not released her name.

The unidentified 61-year-old woman from Scugog was charged with causing a disturbance.

Anyone with new information about the incident is asked to call the North Division Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2674.
 

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OPP seek witnesses to alleged hate-motivated assault on Hwy. 401 off-ramp in Pickering
Author of the article:Kevin Connor
Publishing date:Sep 08, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
opp shoulder
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The OPP are investigating an alleged hate crime on the roads in Pickering.

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Police say there was an incident on Friday, Aug. 13 between 5:20 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the off-ramp to Hwy. 401 eastbound collector at Whites Rd.


A black Nissan Pathfinder was stopped on the left-turn lane and a black Dodge caravan was on the right-turn lane.

The driver of the Caravan allegedly assaulted the driver of the Pathfinder and police believe it was hate-motivated.

On Aug. 14, 1947, Pakistan became an independent nation and the Pathfinder had a flag recognizing the date.

Both vehicles exited the highway at Whites Rd., at which point police say the driver of the Caravan ripped down the flags and punched the driver of the Pathfinder, who had his entire family in the vehicle.


The Pathfinder driver told police there were people at the scene that filmed the incident.

Anyone with footage is asked to call the OPP at 905-668-3388 with any cell phone or dash camera videos of this event. We believe this to be a HATE motivated crime.
 

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Teen in India says she was raped by hundreds of men in six months
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Nov 16, 2021 • 12 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Activists of Student Federation of India (SFI) and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) hold placards during a protest against the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl, in New Delhi on August 4, 2021.
Activists of Student Federation of India (SFI) and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) hold placards during a protest against the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl, in New Delhi on August 4, 2021. PHOTO BY PRAKASH SINGH/AFP /Getty Images
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A 16-year-old girl in India alleges she has been raped by 400 men in six months in what is being called “the most tragic case in history.”

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Seven men and one minor have been arrested so far, though the teen said she would be able to identify at least 25 of her alleged attackers, reported CNN .


The teenager from Beed, in the state of Maharashtra, is two months pregnant.

The court heard that after her mother died, her father married her off at the age of 13 to a 33-year-old man who sexually abused her, according to a police statement.


She escaped and returned to her father, who also sexually assaulted her, and refused to allow her to return home.

Rather than go back to her abusive marriage, she became homeless, sleeping and and begging for money at a bus stop. It was there that three men approached her and forced her into sex work, said Abhay Vitthalrao Vanave, chairman of India’s Child Welfare Committee.

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The child attempted to file a police complaint against one of the officers she accused of beating her up but a report reportedly was not registered, according to Vanave.

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Students light candles next to placards near the spot where a 23-year-old rape victim, who died in a New Delhi hospital last week, was set on fire by a gang of men that included her alleged rapists, in Unnao, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. (REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo)
HASSAN: Sexual violence a serious problem in Indian subcontinent
Activists of the Valmiki Dharam Samaj Sangathan shout slogans during a protest against the alleged gang-rape and murder of a low-caste teenaged woman at Bool Garhi village in Uttar Pradesh state, in Amritsar.
Five-year old raped, killed in India, reportedly because culprits fear she would tell police
Demonstrators are detained by police during a protest after the death of a rape victim, at Delhi University, in New Delhi, India, October 1, 2020. b
India's federal police to probe alleged gang rape of woman who died of injuries: Statement

Women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana called it “the most tragic (rape) case in history,” and police failed to protect her.

“This girl was tortured every single day,” said Bhayana. “We want strict action against all culprits.”
 

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Teacher removed from post in Quebec elementary school for wearing a hijab

School board says it had no choice because of Bill 21
Author of the article:
Montreal Gazette
Publishing date:
Dec 09, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read •
53 Comments
Controversy has swirled over a law introduced by Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2019 that bars some public employees, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab.
Controversy has swirled over a law introduced by Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2019 that bars some public employees, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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A teacher employed at an elementary school in Chelsea, Quebec, has been removed from her teaching position because she wears a hijab, CTV News reported Wednesday evening.
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The Western Quebec School Board confirmed that a Grade 3 teacher at Chelsea Elementary School, located 20 kilometres north of Ottawa, was moved from her job as a teacher in the classroom because of Bill 21, Quebec’s law that bars some civil servants from wearing religious symbols.

Parents were sent an email Dec. 3 telling them the teacher would no longer be in the classroom. They learned later that it was because of Bill 21. The woman is still working at the school in “another function,” but the school board would not say what type of work she is now doing.

Parents placed green ribbons on a fence outside the school as a sign of support for the teacher.

“It’s shocking as a parent to see this come into action within our small little community,” parent Amanda DeGrace told CTV News. “It’s very sad to me that we’re seeing Bill 21 come into action and the impact that it’s having on everyone involved.”

Wayne Daly, the interim chair of the Western Quebec School Board, said the board removed the teacher once the human resources department became aware of the situation. Daly said most residents in his sector of Quebec oppose Bill 21, and the board had told the Quebec government that it was against it “from a human rights perspective” and because it was “unethical,” but the board has no choice because it’s the law.
 

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Teacher removed from post in Quebec elementary school for wearing a hijab

School board says it had no choice because of Bill 21
Author of the article:
Montreal Gazette
Publishing date:
Dec 09, 2021 • 1 day ago • 1 minute read •
53 Comments
Controversy has swirled over a law introduced by Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2019 that bars some public employees, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab.
Controversy has swirled over a law introduced by Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2019 that bars some public employees, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols such as the Muslim hijab. Photo by John Kenney /Montreal Gazette
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A teacher employed at an elementary school in Chelsea, Quebec, has been removed from her teaching position because she wears a hijab, CTV News reported Wednesday evening.
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The Western Quebec School Board confirmed that a Grade 3 teacher at Chelsea Elementary School, located 20 kilometres north of Ottawa, was moved from her job as a teacher in the classroom because of Bill 21, Quebec’s law that bars some civil servants from wearing religious symbols.

Parents were sent an email Dec. 3 telling them the teacher would no longer be in the classroom. They learned later that it was because of Bill 21. The woman is still working at the school in “another function,” but the school board would not say what type of work she is now doing.

Parents placed green ribbons on a fence outside the school as a sign of support for the teacher.

“It’s shocking as a parent to see this come into action within our small little community,” parent Amanda DeGrace told CTV News. “It’s very sad to me that we’re seeing Bill 21 come into action and the impact that it’s having on everyone involved.”

Wayne Daly, the interim chair of the Western Quebec School Board, said the board removed the teacher once the human resources department became aware of the situation. Daly said most residents in his sector of Quebec oppose Bill 21, and the board had told the Quebec government that it was against it “from a human rights perspective” and because it was “unethical,” but the board has no choice because it’s the law.
she lost her hijob. ;)
 

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UK lawmaker says she was fired from ministerial job for her 'Muslimness'
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Michael Holden
Publishing date:Jan 23, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
MP Nusrat Ghani speaks during a session in Parliament in London, Britain May 12, 2021.
MP Nusrat Ghani speaks during a session in Parliament in London, Britain May 12, 2021. PHOTO BY JESSICA TAYLOR /Handout via REUTERS
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LONDON — A British lawmaker has said she was fired from a ministerial job in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government partly because her Muslim faith was making colleagues uncomfortable, the Sunday Times reported.

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The allegation added to the turmoil Johnson’s government is facing over parties held at his Downing Street office during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Nusrat Ghani, 49, who lost her job as a junior transport minister in February 2020, told the paper that she had been told by a “whip” – an enforcer of parliamentary discipline – that her “Muslimness” had been raised as an issue in her sacking.

The government’s chief whip, Mark Spencer, said he was the person at the center of Ghani’s allegations.

“These accusations are completely false and I consider them to be defamatory,” he said on Twitter. “I have never used those words attributed to me.”

Johnson met Ghani to discuss the “extremely serious” claims in July 2020, a spokesperson from the prime minister’s office said on Sunday.

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“He then wrote to her expressing his serious concern and inviting her to begin a formal complaint process,” the spokesperson said. “She did not subsequently do so.”

“The Conservative Party does not tolerate prejudice or discrimination of any kind.”

Ghani’s remarks come after one of her Conservative colleagues said he would meet police to discuss accusations that government whips had attempted to “blackmail” lawmakers suspected of trying to force Johnson from office over the lockdown parties.

The scandals have drained public support from both Johnson personally and his party, presenting him with the most serious crisis of his premiership.

MAKING COLLEAGUES ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’

“I was told that at the reshuffle meeting in Downing Street that ‘Muslimness’ was raised as an ‘issue’, that my ‘Muslim women minister’ status was making colleagues uncomfortable,” the paper quoted Ghani as saying.

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“I will not pretend that this hasn’t shaken my faith in the party and I have at times seriously considered whether to continue as an MP (member of parliament).”

In his response, Spencer said Ghani had declined to put the matter to a formal internal investigation when she first raised the issue.

The Conservative Party has previously faced accusations of Islamophobia, and a report in May last year criticized it over how it dealt with complaints of discrimination against Muslims.

The report also led Johnson to issue a qualified apology for any offense caused by his past remarks about Islam, including a newspaper column in which he referred to women wearing burqas as “going around looking like letterboxes.”

The main opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said the Conservatives must investigate Ghani’s account immediately.

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“This is shocking to read,” he said on Twitter.

INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL

Ghani’s comments about the whips’ behaviour echoed allegations last week from another senior Conservative, William Wragg, that some of his colleagues had faced intimidation and blackmail because of their desire to topple Johnson.

“Nus is very brave to speak out. I was truly appalled to learn of her experience,” Wragg said on Twitter on Saturday. He has told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that he would meet the police early next week to discuss his allegations.

Johnson has said he had neither seen nor heard any evidence to support Wragg’s claims. His office has said it would look at any such evidence “very carefully.”

Johnson, who in 2019 won his party’s biggest majority in more than 30 years, is fighting to shore up his authority after the “partygate” scandals, which followed criticism of the government’s handling of a corruption row and other missteps.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is expected to deliver a report into the parties next week, with many Conservative lawmakers saying they will await her findings before deciding whether they will take action to topple Johnson.
 
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Adult sentence no longer sought for Kingston teen who pleaded guilty to terror charges
The boy was 16 when he was arrested by RCMP in 2019 following a FBI tip

Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jan 28, 2022 • 22 hours ago • 3 minute read • 14 Comments
Supt. Peter Lambertucci, left, Officer in Charge INSET Ottawa answers questions from reporters as Chief Supt. Michael LeSage, Criminal Operations Officer, RCMP "O" Division and Kingston Police Chief Antje McNeely look on during a press conference, after RCMP charged a youth with terrorism, in Kingston, Ont. on Jan. 25, 2019.
Supt. Peter Lambertucci, left, Officer in Charge INSET Ottawa answers questions from reporters as Chief Supt. Michael LeSage, Criminal Operations Officer, RCMP "O" Division and Kingston Police Chief Antje McNeely look on during a press conference, after RCMP charged a youth with terrorism, in Kingston, Ont. on Jan. 25, 2019. PHOTO BY JUSTIN TANG /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Prosecutors are no longer seeking a life sentence for a teenager who pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges including possession of explosive material and counselling someone to detonate a bomb.

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In a virtual hearing Friday, the Crown said it is instead making a joint submission with the defence for the maximum youth sentence of three years, with two years spent in custody and one in the community under supervision.

Prosecutor Tom Lemon said the proposed sentence would be on top of the three years the Kingston, Ont., teen has already spent in custody, with no credit given for time served.

Last year, prosecutors asked the court to sentence the teen as an adult, meaning he would face a life sentence or one in the range of 20 to 25 years behind bars. The defence, meanwhile, said a youth sentence of three years would be appropriate.

The Crown changed its position after reviewing evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, including reports indicating the teen has made “significant rehabilitative efforts,” Lemon told the court Friday.

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He noted the youth has completed Grade 12 while in custody and remains committed to his studies, takes part in twice weekly spiritual counselling and is described as a “model resident” at the facility where he’s held.

A three-year sentence would “adequately hold (the teen) accountable) and ”promote his rehabilitation and reintegration into society,“ as well as reducing his risk of recidivism, the prosecutor said.

“From the Crown’s perspective, the joint submission is a just and fair result. It serves the public interest and achieves the applicable principles of sentencing,” Lemon said.

The Crown is also asking the court to impose a series of “stringent conditions” on the teen during his time in the community. These include a “wide-ranging” ban on weapons and explosives, a curfew, and continued education or employment.

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The teen should also be prohibited from owning or using a digital device that can access the internet, unless he receives approval from his youth worker, Lemon argued. Any permitted device should be monitored, he added.

Defence lawyer Sean Ellacott argued layering too many conditions on the teen could work against his reintegration “and therefore the safety of the society.”

“The key point has been about isolation and the way that you can be more subject to manipulation with greater isolation,” and a curfew could contribute to a feeling of isolation, particularly for someone his age, Ellacott said. As well, “the nighttime really has nothing to do with these offences,” he argued.

Ellacott also argued a prohibition on accessing the internet isn’t realistic in this day and age, given that even activities such as paying bills require going online.

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“In my submission, especially for someone his age who wants to be in school and who we want to have relationships, the internet has to be treated like the real world where you’re allowed into it, but there’s certain things you’re not allowed to do,” he said.

The teen, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was 16 when he was arrested by RCMP in January 2019 following a tip from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An agreed statement of facts said the teen unwittingly communicated with an FBI undercover agent he believed to be a “lone wolf” terrorist in Virginia, and sent him instructions on how to build a pressure-cooker bomb.

The statement said the teen also encouraged the agent to plant the bomb in a public place, such as a bar, to kill “enemies of Allah.”

No bomb was planted but the statement said a search of the youth’s home found all the materials needed to create one.

The youth pleaded guilty in 2020 to facilitating a terrorist activity, possession of an explosive substance with intent to injure or kill, taking action to cause an explosion and counselling another person to detonate an explosive device to cause injury or death.

He also admitted to breaching his bail conditions for failing to wear a monitoring bracelet.

The judge is expected to deliver her ruling in person at a Belleville court on Feb. 9.
 

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Iranian man carries wife’s severed head after ‘honour killing’
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 1 minute read • 15 Comments
Sajjad Heydari, walking through streets in Iran with wifes severed head
Sajjad Heydari, walking through streets in Iran with wifes severed head PHOTO BY NEWSFLASH
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An Iranian man was filmed carrying the severed head of his wife whom he decapitated in an “honour killing” after she fled the country.

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Sajjad Heydari is seen grinning as he walked barefoot down the streets of a neighbourhood in the city of Ahvaz on Saturday, with the severed head of his 17-year-old wife, Mona Heydari, in one hand and what appears to be a machete in the other, reported East2West News.

Mona was forced to marry her cousin Sajjad when she was 12, according to the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

She allegedly was the victim of domestic abuse but stuck around for the sake of their three-year-old son.

Mona Heydari, 17, beheaded by husband in honour killing in Iran (Newsflash)
Mona Heydari, 17, beheaded by husband in honour killing in Iran (Newsflash) PHOTO BY NEWSFLASH
Mona eventually fled to Turkey but was brought back to the country by Sajjad and her father — who is also the husband’s uncle, Iran International reported.

A few days later, Sajjad enlisted the help of his brother, and together they killed and beheaded Mona, in what has been described as an “honour killing,” then dumped the body.

A police official said the motive was “family differences.”

The two men were reportedly arrested, but it is unclear if they will face any punishment.

According to a women’s rights organization in Ahvaz, about 60 women have been victims of honour killings in the past two years, some of whom were as young as 10.

Iran International reported none of the murderous relatives has been brought to justice as most families do not file a lawsuit.
 

spaminator

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Iranian man carries wife’s severed head after ‘honour killing’
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Feb 08, 2022 • 21 hours ago • 1 minute read • 15 Comments
Sajjad Heydari, walking through streets in Iran with wifes severed head
Sajjad Heydari, walking through streets in Iran with wifes severed head PHOTO BY NEWSFLASH
Article content
An Iranian man was filmed carrying the severed head of his wife whom he decapitated in an “honour killing” after she fled the country.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Sajjad Heydari is seen grinning as he walked barefoot down the streets of a neighbourhood in the city of Ahvaz on Saturday, with the severed head of his 17-year-old wife, Mona Heydari, in one hand and what appears to be a machete in the other, reported East2West News.

Mona was forced to marry her cousin Sajjad when she was 12, according to the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

She allegedly was the victim of domestic abuse but stuck around for the sake of their three-year-old son.

Mona Heydari, 17, beheaded by husband in honour killing in Iran (Newsflash)
Mona Heydari, 17, beheaded by husband in honour killing in Iran (Newsflash) PHOTO BY NEWSFLASH
Mona eventually fled to Turkey but was brought back to the country by Sajjad and her father — who is also the husband’s uncle, Iran International reported.

A few days later, Sajjad enlisted the help of his brother, and together they killed and beheaded Mona, in what has been described as an “honour killing,” then dumped the body.

A police official said the motive was “family differences.”

The two men were reportedly arrested, but it is unclear if they will face any punishment.

According to a women’s rights organization in Ahvaz, about 60 women have been victims of honour killings in the past two years, some of whom were as young as 10.

Iran International reported none of the murderous relatives has been brought to justice as most families do not file a lawsuit.
he severed their relationship. ;)
 

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Alleged gang rape of woman on Pakistan train sparks fury
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Jun 02, 2022 • 5 days ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

A woman was allegedly raped on a moving train in Pakistan, shining the spotlight once again on the country’s poor track record on women’s rights.


The 25-year-old mother of two was travelling from Karachi to Multan last week when she was allegedly lured by a ticket checker to an empty compartment with air conditioning where he and two other men raped her, Railways Police Chief Faisal Shahkar said, according to CNN.

The three men have been arrested on suspicion of rape, according to a police report seen by the outlet.

The alleged rape sparked anger in the nation where brutal acts of gender-based violence and sexual assaults are a common occurrence and had people calling for stricter punishment for the alleged attackers.

Fouzia Saeed, a women’s rights activist in Pakistan, called on the police to “make the environment safer” for women.

Pakistani newspaper Dawn called the incident “a ghastly crime” and questioned why proper security arrangements were not made in the train.


“Another horrific incident of sexual violence has come to light, underscoring how a cavalier approach to security arrangements can embolden criminally inclined men to indulge their worst instincts,” the editorial read. “[Women’s] safety is the barometer of a nation’s values.”

Salman Sufi, the head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Implementation Unit, told CNN the government had ordered railway operators to improve the safety of women on trains, with measures including security cameras in common areas, emergency buttons in cabins, and patrols by female police officers.




Local reports said the security and administration of the Bahauddin Zakaria Express, the train in which the attack took place, is owned by a private company.

More than 5,200 women reported being raped in Pakistan in 2021, according to the country’s Human Rights Commission, but fewer than 3% of the offenders were convicted.

In November, Pakistan passed an anti-rape law that allowed courts to order the chemical castration of sex offenders convicted of multiple rapes but the legislation was quickly dropped after it was criticized by Amnesty International which called the punishment “cruel and inhuman,” and called on authorities to address the root of the problem.

“Instead of trying to deflect attention, the authorities should focus on the crucial work of reforms that will address the root causes of sexual violence and give survivors the justice they deserve.”
 

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‘TASTELESS AND TWISTED MINDS’: Indian body spray ads blasted for joking about rape culture
Author of the article:Denette Wilford
Publishing date:Jun 07, 2022 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Screen shot of ad from India that makes light of rape culture.
Screen shot of ad from India that makes light of rape culture. PHOTO BY ASHOK SWAIN /Twitter

Two ads for men’s body spray that start off with jokes about rape culture have been slammed by government officials and celebrities including Priyanka Chopra.


One of the ads shows four young men lurking behind a frightened-looking woman shopping in a store.

One of the men says, “We’re four, there’s one, who takes the shot?”

That’s when the woman turns around to see one of them grab a bottle off the store shelf and spray himself.

The other ad shows a man and woman in an intimate setting when three of his friends barge in, the Hindustan Times reported.

One of them asks the boyfriend, “Did you take the shot?” and he says yes. The woman is shocked as one of the other men rolls up his sleeves, approaches the bed and says, “Now it’s our turn.”

As the woman fears the worst, the man reaches over and grabs the body spray from the dresser.

“This ad is not an accident,” tweeted actress Richa Chadha. “To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad needs to be sued for the filth they’re serving.”




Chopra replied, calling the ad “shameful,” “disgusting” and “appalling.”

Writer, director and UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador Farhan Akhtar tweeted: “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads. Shameful.”



The ad premiered a week after a case in the city of Hyderabad was making news, in which a teen girl was allegedly gang-raped by five men.

“This advertisement is clearly promoting sexual violence against women and girls and promoting a rapist mentality among men,” Swati Maliwal, chairwoman of the Delhi Commission for Women, wrote to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, according to CNN.

The ministry took down the commercial less than a day later and asked Twitter and YouTube to remove it from their platforms.

Layer’r Shot has since apologized for the ad in a statement on social media.

“We never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments or feelings or outrage any women’s modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some,” the company wrote. “However, we sincerely apologize for the advertisements that consequently caused rage amongst individual and several communities and beg their pardon.”
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