MANILA: A wave of drugs-related killings in the Philippines appears to be “systematic, planned and organized” by authorities and could constitute crimes against humanity, according to an Amnesty International report released on Wednesday.
Amnesty said its investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs was based on 59 drug-related killings in 20 cities and towns. The agency said it concluded most appeared to be extra-judicial killings, and police accounts of shootouts and deaths during operations were “startlingly similar,” and often far different to witness testimony.
The release of the report comes amid uncertainty over the anti-drugs crackdown and a government suspension on Monday of all police operations due to rampant corruption. The Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has now been given the lead role in the campaign.
Duterte made the decision after a security meeting on Sunday triggered by the kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by drugs squad police. He said the incident, which took place at the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP), had embarrassed the country and dented the image of the police.
Amnesty said the vast majority of the killings it investigated “appear to have been extra-judicial killings — unlawful and deliberate killings carried out by government order or with its complicity or acquiescence.”
“The Duterte administration’s relentless pressure on the police to deliver results in anti-drug operations has helped encourage these abusive practices,” the report said.
The Presidential Communications Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Amnesty’s findings.
The government has denied sponsoring extra-judicial killings, or police collaboration with assassins.
The investigation by the London-based advocacy group was carried out mainly in November and December and was completed in January. It said it interviewed 110 people and included witness accounts of victims being shot dead despite having shouted they would surrender.
It said it also found “strong evidence” of links between the authorities and unknown gunmen, as well as connections between cursory and speculative drugs “watch lists” created by local officials, and the people killed by police.
Amnesty’s report included numerous references to a series of Reuters stories and investigations into the war on drugs in the Philippines The latest police data shows 7,669 people have been killed since Duterte unleashed his war on drugs seven months ago, 2,555 in police operations, which the PNP says were all in self-defense. The other deaths are classified as investigated, or under investigation.
Human rights groups believe most of those are drugs-related, carried out by vigilantes or hit men.
Amnesty’s top recommendation to Duterte was to “immediately order an end to all police operations involving unnecessary or excessive use of force,” especially lethal force.
It said police should suspend officers suspected of unlawful killings, planting evidence or involvement with hit men, and thoroughly investigate paid killings.
It recommended Duterte appoint a new independent head of police internal affairs and the justice ministry prevent intimidation of witnesses and victims and set up a task force to prosecute extrajudicial killings.
“The Philippine government needs to urgently adopt a different approach to drugs and criminality,” it said.
“The impunity that currently reigns has facilitated killing on a massive scale, hitting the poorest and most marginalized segments of the population in particular.”
(Reporting by Martin Petty)
Philippines drugs war killings systematic, planned — Amnesty
Philippines drugs war killings systematic, planned — Amnesty
Israel qualifies for Eurovision final amid protest about its participation
- Israeli PM Netanyahu wished Golan good luck and said she had “already won” by enduring the protests
MALMÖ, Sweden: Israel qualified for this weekend’s Eurovision song contest grand finale as thousands of demonstrators marched through Sweden’s Malmo on Thursday to protest its participation over the Gaza war.
Singer Eden Golan performed her song “Hurricane” in Thursday’s second semifinal without incident in front of 9,000 spectators at the Malmo Arena and booked her place in Saturday’s final after a televote.
Earlier in the day, more than 10,000 people including climate activist Greta Thunberg gathered in Malmo’s main square before marching through the southern city’s central pedestrian shopping street, according to police estimates.
“I am a Eurovision fan and it breaks my heart, but I’m boycotting,” 30-year-old protester Hilda, who did not want to provide her surname, told AFP.
“I can’t have fun knowing that Israel is there participating when all those kids are dying. I think it’s just wrong.”
Alongside signs that read: “Liberate Palestine,” banners that said “EUR legitimizes genocide” and “colonialism cannot be washed in pink” could be seen in the crowd.
About 50 protesters made it to the front of the Malmo Arena, where the event is taking place, before being dispersed by a heavy police presence. Protesters also entered the Eurovision Village, where spectators can follow the concert on large screens.
In a different neighborhood, about 100 counter-protesters gathered under police protection to express their support for Israel.
Earlier Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday wished Golan good luck and said she had “already won” by enduring the protests that he called a “horrible wave of anti-Semitism.”
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 128 of them remain in Gaza, including 36 who officials say are dead.
Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Protests calling for an end to Israel’s punishing Gaza campaign have broken out on university campuses in North America, Europe and Australia.
In 2022, Russia’s state broadcaster was excluded from the European Broadcasting Union, which oversees Eurovision, in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
“I feel like if they can remove Russia why can they not do it to Israel?” said protester Marwo Mustafa.
“Hurricane” has already been partially re-written and given a new title after Eurovision organizers deemed the original version to be too political.
Since the beginning of the year, several petitions have demanded Israel’s exclusion from the 68th edition of the annual music competition, which opened with the first semifinal on Tuesday.
At the end of March, contestants from nine countries, including Swiss favorite Nemo, called for a lasting ceasefire.
Protester Cecilia Brudell told AFP: “At six and nine, my children are now at an age where they want to watch Eurovision but this year we are completely boycotting it.”
Apple apologizes for iPad ‘Crush’ ad after backlash
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple apologized on Thursday after an ad for its latest-edition iPad caused an uproar for showing an industrial press crushing objects linked to human creativity, infuriating artists.
Social media users immediately criticized the ad, which was posted on X by Apple CEO Tim Cook, as painfully tone-deaf at a time when the creative community is worried about its future with the emergence of generative AI.
“Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it’s incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world,” Apple’s vice president of marketing Tor Myhren told Ad Age.
“Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry.”
The company also said it won’t air the ad on television as planned.
Set to the song “All I ever need is you” by Sonny and Cher, the one-minute ad titled “Crush” sees the pile of creative artifacts — including a guitar, piano and paint cans — explode under the pressure of Apple’s press.
At the end, the press pulls back and reveals Apple’s latest tablet, the iPad Pro, touted as ultra-thin.
“The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley,” wrote actor Hugh Grant on X in response to Cook’s tweet.
Hollywood director Reed Morano urged Cook to “read the room,” calling the ad “psychotic.”
The ad harked to viral TikTok videos of industrial presses and other machines that are watched by millions on the platform.
Many critics said the ad betrayed Apple’s iconic 1984 commercial that launched the first Mac computer and depicted the company as a hammer-throwing rebel against a monolith big brother.
The ad comes as ChatGPT and Dall-E creator OpenAI, as well as other AI giants, are facing lawsuits from artists and publishers saying that their material was used to train AI models without permission.
Russia celebrates victory in World War II as Putin accuses the West of fueling global conflicts
MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, as President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by hailing his forces fighting in Ukraine and blasting the West for fueling conflicts around the world.
Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory remains the most important and widely revered symbol of Russia’s prowess and a key element of national identity.
Putin has turned Victory Day — the country’s most important secular holiday — into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in power and a justification of his military action in Ukraine.
Two days after beginning his fifth term in office, he led the festivities across Russia that recall the nation’s wartime sacrifice.
“Victory Day unites all generations,” Putin said in a speech in Red Square that came on the coldest May 9 in decades amid some snow flurries. “We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia.”
As battalions marched by and military hardware — both old and new — rumbled over the cobblestones, the sky cleared briefly to allow a flyby of warplanes, some of which trailed smoke in the white, red and blue of the Russian flag.
Putin hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine as “our heroes” for their courage, resilience and self-denial, adding that “all of Russia is with you.”
He accused the West of “fueling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centers of global development.”
With tensions with Washington over Ukraine soaring to their highest level since the Cold War, Putin issued another stark reminder of Moscow’s nuclear might.
“Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us,” he said. “Our strategic forces are in combat readiness.”
Nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were pulled across Red Square, underscoring his message.
The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in World War II, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family.
Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSR’s hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The US, U.K, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8.
The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Putin’s native Leningrad — now St. Petersburg — still serve as a powerful symbol of the country’s ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges.
Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring missiles, tanks and fighter jets. Medal-bedecked veterans joined him Thursday to review the parade, and many — including the president — wore the black-and-orange St. George’s ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day.
About 9,000 troops, including about 1,000 who fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursday’s parade.
Although the US and UK ambassadors did not attend, Putin was joined by other dignitaries and presidents of several former Soviet nations along with a few other Moscow allies, including the leaders of Cuba, Guinea-Bissau and Laos.
In his speech, he accused the West of “revanchism … hypocrisy and lies” in seeking to play down the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany.
Putin described Victory Day as “very emotional and poignant.”
“Every family is honoring its heroes, looking at pictures with dear faces and remembering their relatives and how they fought,” he said.
Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded.
As Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Putin did not believe she had died — saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was 3, one of more than 1 million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation.
For several years, Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches — as did others honoring relatives who were war veterans — in what was called the “Immortal Regiment.”
Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine.
As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalized the “rehabilitation of Nazism” that include punishing the “desecration” of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of World War II history.
When he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin evoked World War II in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis.
Putin tried to cast Ukraine’s veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who cooperated with the Nazis in World War II as a sign of Kyiv’s purported Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, who was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, as an underlying justification for the Russian military action in Ukraine.
Many observers see Putin’s focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the USSR’s clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices.
“It’s the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare ‘denazification’ as the goal of the war,” Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
The Russian leadership, he said, has “locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past.”
International Muslim History Month participation increases tenfold, organizers say
- A key objective of the annual event, founded in 2021, is to counter Islamophobia and shatter stereotypes by highlighting contributions to society by Muslims throughout history
- The theme this year is #MuslimLegacies ‘in various fields such as science, art, literature, philosophy and architecture, as well as their influence on social and political development’
LONDON: Global participation in the fourth annual International Muslim History Month, which began on May 1, has increased tenfold compared with last year, organizers said, and more countries are taking part.
The aim of the annual global event, which was founded in 2021 by the World Hijab Day Organization in the US state of New Jersey, is to highlight the achievements and contributions of Muslim men and women throughout the ages.
The month-long celebration therefore “serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of Muslim heritage and the indelible mark Muslims have left on history,” the organization said, adding: “IMHM is an inclusive commemoration, welcoming participation from people of all ethnicities and religious affiliations.”
The organization told Arab News: “IMHM is fairly a new initiative and change is slow. However, looking at our social media platforms, we can see that our reach and engagement are 10 times more than that of last year.
“We are very happy to see actual events taking place in countries like Scotland to commemorate IMHM. Additionally, we had prominent scholars such as (Zimbabwean) Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk retweeting our post to bring awareness of IMHM.
“From pioneering scientists to visionary artists, from compassionate leaders to groundbreaking scholars, Muslim history is filled with stories of resilience, innovation, and compassion.”
One of the key objectives of the event is to actively counter Islamophobia on a global scale by encouraging students, educational institutions, workplaces, businesses and organizations to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the valuable contributions to society made by Muslims.
The theme this year is #MuslimLegacies, which the organization said “refers to the lasting impact, contributions, achievements and cultural heritage left behind by Muslims throughout history.” This “includes their advancements in various fields such as science, art, literature, philosophy and architecture, as well as their influence on social and political development in different regions of the world.”
The event is using social media platforms to draw attention to the stories of Muslim change-makers in the modern era, the specific inventions, innovations or developments they brought about, and their lasting effects on the world.
The Muslim figures in the spotlight this year include: Saudi biotechnologist Dr. Hayat Sindi; Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan; Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza; Saudi medical student Renad Al-Hussein, who developed technology to make driving safer for hearing-impaired people; Afghan tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob; and the late African American civil rights activist Malcolm X.
“Additionally, we are conducting a month-long International Muslim History Month Virtual Conference every Friday in May, live on (all the World Hijab Day social media platforms), with lineups featuring esteemed speakers from diverse backgrounds, including technology, medicine, politics, humanitarianism and fashion, offering invaluable insights into their respective fields,” the organization said.
“Through IMHM, our objective is to unite the world in learning about, acknowledging and celebrating the significant contributions of Muslim men and women, both historical and contemporary, who have profoundly influenced humanity.
“With Islamophobia at its peak amid the current situation, our aim is to foster connections between communities by embracing and honoring IMHM.”
It continued: “In the last 25 years, especially after 9/11, people seem to have forgotten about all the good things Muslims have done. Instead, they unfairly stereotype Muslims as terrorists. That’s why we’re using this hashtag (#MuslimLegacies), to gently remind everyone of the positive impact Muslims have had.
“It’s a way to highlight the many great things Muslims have accomplished throughout history and still do today. We want to challenge those stereotypes and show the world the true diversity and richness of Muslim culture and contributions.”
World Hijab Day is collaborating with Islamophobia Awareness Month, which was founded in 2012 by several British organizations and takes place in November each year, to help promote International Muslim History Month.
Organizers invite people to participate by posting messages of support and joining in the conversations on social media platforms using the #MuslimLegacies hashtag. They are also encouraged to contact government officials around the world to request a UN resolution officially recognizing May as International Muslim History Month, call for support of Muslim businesses, and encourage them to donate to Muslim organizations such as World Hijab Day to help them tackle discrimination against Muslim women and girls who choose to wear the hijab head covering.
Supporters of the event are also urged to read a biography of an influential Muslim figure, share the story, and call out any discrimination or prejudice against Muslims when it is identified in their communities.
The organization in particular called on educational institutions to raise awareness of International Muslim History Month in schools and universities and provide support by, for example, adding Muslim-related literature to curricula, making an effort to accommodate fasting students, providing halal meal options, offering areas designated for prayer, and inviting Muslim professionals, such as police officers and firefighters, to share with students details of the ways in which Islam plays a part in their working lives.
Lawyer accuses Arizona university of ‘double standard’ in treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters
- 27 students at Arizona State University were arrested and suspended on April 26 for ‘creating a disturbance’ while protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza
- Attorney David Chami says they were treated ‘far more unfairly’ than pro-Israel activists, including a faculty member accused of harassing a female Muslim student not involved in the protests
CHICAGO: Students protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza are being treated more harshly and unfairly by authorities at Arizona State University than pro-Israel activists, including a professor accused of harassing a Muslim woman who was not involved in the protests, according to a lawyer in Michigan.
Authorities arrested and suspended 27 pro-Palestinian protesters at the university on April 26 for “creating a disturbance.” The suspensions could prevent them from graduating. Attorney David Chami, who is representing 22 of the students, described the response as “disproportionate and unfair,” and said the intention was to “quell free speech.”
The lawyer told Arab News that ASU officials were treating pro-Palestinian protesters “far more unfairly” than pro-Israel activists, including an ASU postdoctoral research scholar, Jonathan Yudelman, who is now on leave pending an investigation into allegations that he aggressively harassed a 20-year-old female Muslim student who was wearing a hijab but not involved in the campus protests.
Chami graduated from ASU Law in 2009 and said that during his time there he worked in the university’s Student Legal Services Department defending student rights.
“I can tell you without a doubt, there have been students (involved in past incidents) who caused property damage, vandalized dorm rooms, gotten DUIs, … breaking the law, violating the student code of conduct, doing things that are not free speech, constitutionally protected activities, and they don’t get suspended from school,” he said.
“Some of them have been kicked out of dorm rooms but they don’t have their access to complete their course work disrupted. I think the evidence will establish that ASU’s actions were disproportionate and intended to quell free speech. This has nothing to do with any alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. This is about shutting down protests and future protests.”
Authorities at ASU argued that the action taken by students “was more than a protest,” and said it violated university policies that prohibit erecting tents.
Chami described this as “ridiculous” and “a double standard,” comparing the way in which the university had responded to “non-violent” protests by students with its response to a faculty member, Yudelman, who he said had engaged in a verbal assault that might be classified as a “hate crime.”
In a video of the incident on May 5, Yudelman can be heard mocking the woman, who tries to walk away and asks him to leave her alone, saying: “You’re disrespecting my religious boundaries.”
Yudelman responds menacingly, saying: “I am literally in your face. That’s right … You disrespect my sense of humanity.” He also uses a derogatory word for a woman. Another man is heard calling the student a “jihadi.”
Chami said another man seen in the video, who also confronts the woman, is believed to be an “outside agitator,” allegedly an Israeli soldier who has harassed students during pro-Palestinian protests.
“I don’t think there is any doubt that what ASU has done is to make an example of these (pro-Palestine) student protesters in order to do exactly what the law doesn’t allow, and that is to chill future protests, to place these students and other students in fear that if they were to come to campus and protest they could face expulsion or suspension, and to discourage them from participating in these types of activities,” Chami said.
"On May 6, ASU President Michael Crow gave one final assignment to graduates, and that was to fight; he literally used the words ‘fight for your freedoms,’ and he identified the freedoms to be — and I will limit it to the two important ones — freedom of speech and freedom of religion. This was one week after he suspended 27 students for free speech and freedom of religion.”
Neither Crow nor Yudelman responded to requests for comments.
The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee on Wednesday said that the harsh responses to pro-Palestine demonstrations at dozens of college campuses across the US, including arrests, expulsions and harassment, while similar conduct by pro-Israel protesters is ignored, is a problem.
“ADC is outraged at the continued reckless endangerment of university students by the very administrators responsible for their well-being,” the organization said.
“Early this morning, we witnessed another excessive show of force against student protesters, this time in Washington, D.C. at the George Washington University Gaza solidarity encampment. This follows the military-style invasion of hundreds of NYPD officers into Columbia University.
“Across the country, police officers have physically assaulted students, torn hijabs off Muslim students, violently thrown students down stairs, used mace from point-blank distance, and choked students with their knees as they were handcuffed.”
The ADC denied allegations that pro-Palestinian protests are “antisemitic,” pointing out that many Jewish students and activists have also been “speaking out against Israel’s government actions.” It said it has established a legal defense fund for student protesters assaulted by university officials, police or counterprotesters.
