LONDON: The leader of Britain’s House of Commons said Thursday that tough new measures against sexual misconduct will be “a game changer for Parliament,” after a survey found one in five parliamentary workers had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the past year.
Parliament has been hit by a wave of harassment allegations in recent months that resulted in the resignation of two members of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Cabinet.
A survey of 1,377 parliamentary workers found that some 19 percent had seen or experienced sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior over the past year, while 39 percent experienced other kinds of harassment and bullying.
A cross-party report released Thursday said Parliament should adopt formal procedures for dealing with complaints of sexual misconduct. It said “a change in workplace culture” is urgently needed and called for a new code of conduct with sanctions that could include the expulsion of lawmakers found guilty of abuse or bullying.
House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said the report “is a major step in bringing about the culture change that Parliament needs.”
Leadsom told lawmakers that “it is a right, not a privilege, to be treated with dignity and respect at work, and this ambitious report is a major step toward a safer and more professional environment.”
British MP’s could be expelled over sexual harassment
British MP’s could be expelled over sexual harassment
Indonesia’s new state mosque to hold first Eid prayers this year
- Mosque is located in Nusantara Capital City on Borneo island, a $32bn project set for 2045 completion
- Famous sculptor Nyoman Nuarta designed mosque, other government structures in new capital
JAKARTA: The state mosque in Indonesia’s planned new capital city, Nusantara, will hold its inaugural Eid Al-Fitr prayer this year, as the $62 million facility opens for its first run of Ramadan programs.
The Indonesian government has plans to relocate the capital to Borneo island to replace the overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java island, with the $32 billion megaproject scheduled for completion in 2045.
With a capacity of about 60,000 people, the mosque in East Kalimantan opened to the public last month, at the beginning of Ramadan.
“This mosque symbolizes that we are building the Nusantara Capital City with careful attention to spiritual, social and environmental aspects,” Troy Pantouw, spokesperson for the Nusantara Capital City Authority — the agency overseeing the new capital city — told Arab News on Saturday.
“We will hold Eid Al-Fitr prayers here and we are hoping that it would mark a historic momentum of unity here at Nusantara Capital City.”
Locally known as Masjid Negara, construction of the state mosque began in 2024. Its design was spearheaded by Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta at the request of former President Joko Widodo.
Nuarta is one of Indonesia’s most famous visual artists and creator of the country’s tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, located in Bali.
The 72-year-old is also the designer behind other main structures in Nusantara, including the new state palace.
This Ramadan marked many firsts for Masjid Negara, including its first taraweeh on Feb. 18, which was attended by thousands of worshippers in East Kalimantan.
In the same complex where the state mosque is located, the government has plans to build Christian churches, and Buddhist, Hindu and Confucian temples.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest population of Muslims, officially recognizes Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism as religions.
“A church is now being built in the complex, and in the future there will also be houses of worship belonging to other religions. This reflects Nusantara’s values of harmony and respect,” Pantouw said.
“From the start, this area was designed to represent inter-religious harmony. We want the Nusantara Capital City to stand as a concrete example of how physical developments can be parallel to efforts to build tolerance in society.”
