EU court says Israel settlement goods must be labelled

Yahoo – AFP, Damon WAKE, November 12, 2019

France published guidelines in 2016 saying products from Israeli settlements in the
West Bank and Golan Heights must carry labels making their precise origin
clear (AFP Photo/HAZEM BADER)

Brussels (AFP) - The EU's top court ruled Tuesday that food products from occupied Palestinian territories must be labelled as such, drawing an angry response from Israel which slammed a "double standard".

The European Court of Justice said that under EU rules on food labelling, it must be clear where products are from -- particularly if they come from Israeli settlements.

That way, it said, consumers can make choices based on "ethical considerations and considerations relating to the observance of international law".

The ECJ ruling effectively backs the EU guidelines issued in 2015 on labelling goods from Israeli-occupied areas, which also prompted a furious response. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared them to the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses.

The Luxembourg-based court ruled after France's top tribunal asked for clarification of rules on labelling goods from the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, which the international community considers occupied Palestinian land, as well as the Golan Heights, which Israel took from Syria in 1967.

"Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin, accompanied, where those foodstuffs come from an Israeli settlement within that territory, by the indication of that provenance," said an ECJ statement announcing its decision.

France published guidelines in 2016 saying products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights must carry labels making their precise origin clear.

This was challenged by the Organisation Juive Europeene (European Jewish Organisation) and Psagot, a company that runs vineyards in occupied territories.

Israel's foreign ministry issued a statement Tuesday saying it "strongly rejects" the ruling.

"The ruling's entire objective is to single out and apply a double standard against Israel," it said.

"There are over 200 ongoing territorial disputes across the world, yet the (European Court of Justice) has not rendered a single ruling related to the labelling of products originating from these territories."

But a spokeswoman for the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, insisted the ruling "does not concern products from Israel itself". It would not affect the privileged trading status the Jewish state has under its association agreement with the bloc, she added.

"The EU does not support any form of boycott or sanctions against Israel and the EU rejects attempts by the campaigns of the so-called Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to isolate Israel," spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said.

Elsewhere, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Saeb Erekat, welcomed the ruling but urged the EU to go further.

"Our demand is not only for the correct labelling reflecting the certificate of origin of products coming from illegal colonial settlements, but for the banning of those products from international markets."

'Ethical considerations'

The court said that labelling products as from the "State of Israel" when in fact they come from "territories... occupied by that State" could mislead consumers.

The court added that EU regulations on labelling the origin of goods were intended to allow consumers to make "informed choices" -- not just on health, economic, environmental and social grounds, "but also to ethical considerations and considerations relating to the observance of international law".

"Such considerations could influence consumers' purchasing decisions," the ECJ said.

On the issue of Israeli settlements, the court said "they give concrete expression to a policy of population transfer conducted by that State outside its territory, in violation of the rules of general international humanitarian law".

Consumers might be misled if it was not made clear that products originated in these settlements, the court added.

But Francois-Henri Briard, the lawyer for Psagot, condemned the ruling, saying it catered to "political prejudices".

"If such labelling is applied to Israeli products, surely it will also need to be applied to scores of other countries around the world who could be argued to be in violation of international law," he said in a statement.

Francois Kalifat of the CRIF umbrella association of French Jewish groups called the ruling "discriminatory and intolerable".

He said it would strengthen the BDS movement, which calls for a broad-ranging boycott of Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

UN chief urges Myanmar to halt attacks on Rohingya

Yahoo – AFP, September 13, 2017

Rohingya Muslim refugees disembark from a boat on the Bangladeshi side of
Naf river on September 12, 2017 (AFP Photo/MUNIR UZ ZAMAN)

UN chief Antonio Guterres acknowledged Wednesday that Rohingya Muslims were being ethnically cleansed in Myanmar as he called for a halt to a military campaign in Rakhine state.

Speaking ahead of a Security Council meeting to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis there, Guterres described reports of security forces attacking civilians in Rakhine as "disturbing" and "completely unacceptable."

"I call on the Myanmar authorities to suspend military action, end the violence, uphold the rule of law and recognize the right of return of all those who had to leave the country," the secretary general said in a press conference.

Asked if he agreed the Rohingya population was being ethnically cleansed, he replied: "When one-third of the Rohingya population has got to flee the country, can you find a better word to describe it?"

The crackdown by Myanmar's army, which followed attacks by Rohingya militants late last month, has prompted around 380,000 to flee across the border into neighboring Bangladesh.

Guterres called for authorities "to assure the delivery of vital humanitarian aid" in Rakhine state, with thousands of Rohingya still crossing the border every day.

The 1.1-million strong Rohingya have suffered years of discrimination in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship even though many have longstanding roots in the country.

But Guterres said that the Myanmar government should either grant the Rohingya nationality or legal status that would allow them to live a normal life.

- UN meets behind closed doors -

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been widely condemned for a lack of moral leadership and compassion in the face of the crisis, denting the Nobel peace laureate's reputation.

However Suu Kyi, Myanmar's first civilian leader in decades, has no control over the powerful military, which ran the country for 50 years before elections in 2015.

The Security Council met behind closed doors at the request of Britain and Sweden to try to agree on a response to the crisis, but diplomats said they expected China and Russia to resist calls for a strong statement.

"We need to see an end to the violence. We need to see immediate and widespread access to humanitarian aid and relief for the people of Burma and the people of Rakhine," British Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Allen told reporters ahead of the meeting, referring to Myanmar by its name under British colonial rule.

Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said he hoped for a "unified outcome" and "clear messages about what needs to happen now."

That message should be that "the military campaign that we have seen is stopped and that there is full respect for human rights and international humanitarian law," said Skoog.

Related Article:

UN warns of 'ethnic cleansing' of Myanmar's Muslims

'Moral duty' to save Mediterranean migrants, says Gauck

The German president has called for more compassion toward migrants in view of Germany's own experiences with forced migration after WWII. He said providing them with sanctuary was 'non-negotiable.'

Deutsche Welle, 20 June 2015

 Refugees on board a ship REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello

Speaking on Saturday at a ceremony in Berlin to remember victims of displacement, Gauck said he hoped that the memory of German expellees who were forced to flee the country's former eastern territories during and after World War II would deepen understanding for migrants today.

He described how 12 to 14 million Germans lost their homelands by the end of the war, leading to a population increase of 20 percent in the former West and East Germanies.

Gauck pointed out that if Germany had been able to integrate millions of refugees 70 years ago when it was "poor and devastated," it should be able to do more in the present refugee crisis, and even benefit from it.

"Why should a Germany that is economically successful and politically stable not be able to recognize future opportunities in today's challenges?" he asked.

"Let us remember what a great part refugees and forced migrants played in successfully rebuilding Germany," he added.

More European help

He also called on European Union countries to do more to help cope with the current growing wave of refugees coming to Europe.

In view of the huge number of migrants who have died attempting the perilous boat crossing from Africa to Europe over the Mediterranean, Gauck said it was a "moral duty" to save people from drowning.

"We would lose our self-respect if we left people drifting on waters near our continent to cope for themselves," he said, adding that all European states had an obligation to provide people with a safe refuge.

This obligation was "non-negotiable," and lasted until migrants either could return home without danger or had found a place to live in safety either in Germany or elsewhere, he said.

'No easy solutions'

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere also spoke at the ceremony, warning that there were no "easy solutions" to the current migration crisis.

Last year, the German government declared the 20 June to be a day of remembrance for refugees and displaced people, in conjunction with the United Nations' World Refugee Day.

The German day is partly to commemorate the millions of Germans who were forced to flee their homes in several eastern European countries as a result of World War II and seek refuge in Germany and Austria, greatly swelling the populations there.

tj/sgb (AFP, dpa, KNA, epd)

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Rohingya hope for peaceful Ramadan in Indonesia

Rohingya women are seen standing at a confinement area in Kuala Cangkoi,

Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

US Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with Sri Lankan Tamils

US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken to Sri Lanka's top Tamil leaders as he wrapped up a visit to the island nation. Kerry's talks were aimed at promoting reconciliation between the government and minorities.

Deutsche Welle, 3 May 2015

John Kerry met with leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the main party of Sri Lanka's minority Tamil population on Sunday. The US Secretary of State spoke with TNA head Rajavarothiam Sampanthan among others in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo.

John Kerry also met with Prime Minister Ranil Wikramasinghe (picture) and praised President Maithripala Sirisena's new government for taking steps to bring peace and stability in the country.

Encouraged by democratic, inclusive steps taken by @PresidentGovLK. US committed to supporting a more peaceful, stable future for #SriLanka

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) 3 mei 2015

Kerry's two-day visit to the South Asian island country began on Saturday, marking a beginning of the US' renewed interest in Colombo and Sri Lanka's return to the international diplomatic fold.

Wonderful to be able to join celebration of #Vesak while here. Grateful to people of #SriLanka for the hospitality. pic.twitter.com/LKqmgDqR65

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) 3 mei 2015

"We intend to broaden our partnership with you," Kerry told leaders at a meeting in the Foreign Ministry in Colombo. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said Kerry's visit signified the island's return "to the center of international affairs." Sri Lanka would become "a full-fledged parliamentary democracy" and an "investor's paradise," Samaraweera promised.

hope there will be many more high-level visits & that today is just the beginning of a very, very special relationship between #lka and #US

— Mangala Samaraweera (@MangalaLK) 2 mei 2015

Quest for the truth

Shortly after landing in Sri Lanka, Kerry gave a speech demanding an investigation into the cases of thousands of missing Tamilians in the country's 37-year-long separatist war which claimed over 100,000 lives. Sri Lankan forces were accused of killing more than 40,000 Tamil civilians.

"Try to find wherever the truth may lead. No matter how painful that truth is… It's the right and the humane thing to do and it is, believe it or not, an essential part of the healing process," Kerry said.

The US official also promised technical assistance to Sirisena's administration, which promised to investigate allegations into war crimes in the Tamil conflict. Kerry also urged the government to free the hundreds of Tamils in the island who were being held without any charges against them.

As Sri Lanka's new president, Sirisena is trying to reset the country's diplomatic relations after his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse got closer to China, but ignored other regional powers like India. Rajapakse's government also came very close to sanctions after it refused UN investigators entry into the country for examining allegations of war crimes and delayed a report on the subject.

mg/rc (AP, AFP)

Turkey allows first new Christian church since 1923

For the first time in over 90 years, Turkey has permitted the construction of a new Christian church. Since the end of the Ottoman empire in 1923, only renovations of existing churches had been allowed.

Deutsche Welle, 3 Jan 2015

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass inside the Holy spirit Cathedral in Istanbul,
Turkey, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014

At a meeting of religious representatives in Istanbul on Friday evening, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Syriac Christian church will be built on state-owned land in the Istanbul district of Yesilkoy, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches. The construction work, however, will be paid for by the Syriac group.

There are currently approximately 100,000 Christians in Turkey, which has an almost exclusively Muslim population of 80 million.

Although Christians and other religious minorities are allowed to practice their religion in Turkey, they continue to face restrictions.

The Orthodox Church, for example, is forbidden from training its priests, and foreign clerics find it difficult to obtain work permits.

The Alevi sect of Islam has also come up against restrictions in its fight to have its places of worship, known as cemevi, recognized as equivalent to mosques.

ksb/nm (AFP, dpa)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran (R) outside Sultan
 Ahmet mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul November 29, 2014.

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Pope Francis and other religious leaders at the Vatican. Photograph: AP

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Obama administration announces ban on racial profiling

The US Attorney General has announced a new ban on racial profiling by federal officers. The measure is a welcome change, but not nearly enough, say civil rights advocates.

Deutsche Welle, 8 Dec 2014

After days of unrest over the failure to indict two white police officers over the deaths of two unarmed African Americans, on Monday Barack Obama's administration issued a ban on racial profiling by law enforcement. The measure forbids federal officers from profiling individuals based on their ethnicity, religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation or gender.

That means, for example, that identity checks conducted in a "routine" or "spontaneous" manner based on race, gender or religion will be forbidden, unless individuals concerned are suspected of criminal activity.

Attorney General Eric Holder unveiled the new guidelines, referencing the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City in his presentation: "In light of certain recent incidents we've seen at the local level - and the widespread concerns about trust in the criminal justice process which so many have raised throughout the nation - it's imperative that we take every possible action to institute strong and sound policing practices."

'Signature accomplishment' of Holder's reign

The policy replaces the outdated Bush-administration rules, and requires federal agencies to provide training and collect data on complaints of racial profiling. The new guidelines were not in immediate response to the protests over the failure to indict the police officers responsible for the deaths of Brown and Garner, but were rather the end result of a five-year review process.

The new rules provide concrete examples of what is and isn't acceptable, though border checkpoints and airport security will be exempt - a move that has disappointed civil rights activists. Muslim Advocates, a national organization, made a statement saying that federal law enforcement could still "map communities based on race, ethnicity or religion."

A Justice Department spokesman said that the new rules are "one of the signature accomplishments" of Holder's tenure. #link:17955948:Holder is stepping down in the next few weeks after five years as attorney general. Holder said this measure "significantly enhances protections of civil rights" of Americans, even more so than what is required by the constitution.

es/sb (AFP, AP)

Protesters march on a street in Washington DC on December 5, 2014 during

 another night of nationwide protests over the killing of black men at the hands

of white police officers (AFP Photo/Mladen Antonov)

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Kryon Q&A

Question: I’m a black woman who enjoys your teachings tremendously. It seems that there aren’t a lot of black people involved in these discussions. Is this true, and is there a reason for this? Is it cultural? Or am I wrong in this assumption?

Answer: Dear one, yes. If you’re speaking about black Americans, you’re right. It’s cultural. There are two basic reasons you won’t find many blacks in metaphysics in your culture: The first one is that in your land, your race is a minority with a history of oppression. This has created a very strong spiritual support base. Almost from birth, most of you have been exposed to very high church and spiritual support and a feeling of belonging and sticking together. There are few groups that have this kind of support and prayer base. So spiritually, you don’t look around much for answers other than what you have already learned about the love of God. This works for you and is honored.

The second reason is perhaps politically incorrect in your culture to speak of, but Kryon is not of your culture. Many of you are in survival mode due to sustained second-class citizenship you experience from birth. This causes despair, poverty, and a shift to crime among many due to despondency over life and a need to survive in a system that does not honor you. When a Human is consumed with survival in a difficult environment, they don’t have time or a desire for introspection or a search to better themselves spiritually. All their time is spent spinning within the challenges they have, many of which they assume to be their plight, many of which they have created themselves.

The sadness here is that if they did look within, they would find the tools to co-create a life outside of survival, and start processes that honors their endeavors and their lives. Blessed are those with life challenges, as so many of the minorities have, but who have decided to increase their spiritual knowledge as a solution, instead of trying to force-manipulate the reality of the cultural situation.

Indigenous peoples need better protection

The UN General Assembly is holding its first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. Yvonne Bangert from the Society for Threatened Peoples is convinced that Germany needs to do more in this area.

Deutsche Welle, 22 Sep 2014

DW: When we talk about indigenous peoples, how many people are we talking about and in how many countries?

Yvonne Bangert: Various estimates exist, ranging from 350 to 400 million people. There are 7,000 indigenous peoples in total, across all continents. Most people think that there are no indigenous people left in Europe, but there are the Sami (pictured above), who are mainly in Norway.

Why do these ethnic groups need special protection?

Mainly because they are losing their land. It's worth pointing out that indigenous peoples often feel a close connection to the land and the soil they live on. They often talk about "Mother Earth" - which tells you a lot. It's important for their survival - in a spiritual as well as a physical sense - that they have their own land with a degree of autonomy.

But they are increasingly losing that land, as it often contains natural resources like oil, gas, coal and uranium, so there are economic interests there. They often have to defend themselves and have their backs to the wall. They often say "Our land is our supermarket and our church. If we lose it, we lose everything."

How do these people live? Are they reclusive, or perhaps living on reservations, or have some of them adapted to modern urban life?

There is a great variety, just like in the non-indigenous world. For example, in the rainforest areas along the Amazon, people have chosen to live an isolated life, but there are also peoples who live in both worlds - like the Huaorani in Ecuador or the Ashaninka in Brazil.

Among them, there is now a young generation of people who have a good education and who can both uphold the traditional ways of their communities and represent their interests politically and internationally.

As the Society for Threatened Peoples, we also often have guests from these indigenous groups who come to Germany and deal critically with development projects in their country. Through us, they hope to make contact with policymakers in Berlin.

There is the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, also known as ILO 169, which is meant to protect indigenous peoples. Why has it only been ratified by 22 countries?

We suspect that it is very strongly due to the fear that if the indigenous peoples are taken seriously as a negotiating partner on an equal footing, some economic projects can no longer be carried out as might be desired - as some politicians have argued openly, even here in Germany. There is then a fear of financial losses.

So far, Germany has not ratified the Convention either. What is the political mood at the moment?

We are working tirelessly toward the ultimate goal of German ratification. By this I mean not only the Society for Threatened Peoples, but an alliance of numerous NGOs, church aid agencies and other groups who have come together in the interest of ILO 169 and are lobbying for it together with receptive politicians.

There have been several times in the past when the German government was ready to ratify it, but it always failed because of a change of government. We have a good base of support with the SPD and the Greens, and it will surely not be long before the issue comes up again.

What is the German government now doing to ensure the protection of indigenous peoples?

It says that it is committed strongly to working at the UN level. I certainly believe that the colleagues there are working with a sense of goodwill. But there's still little sign that the interests of the affected people are taken seriously.

For example, there's the highly controversial Belo Monte dam in Brazil, where German companies are earning money by building the pipeline, as they are with the pipeline in Ecuador, which was partly finaced by German bank WestLB. The pipeline has burst several times and contaminated the soil.

Another matter is the negotiations on free trade agreements with Canada and the US: Whoever wants to import natural gas from fracking needs to know that this often takes place on Native American land.

This year, for the first time, a World Conference on Indigenous Peoples is being held at the United Nations in New York (22-23.09.2014). How did this come about?

The conference is taking place now because the UN's Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People comes to an end this year. It's a kind of closing conference, in which we will assess what has been achieved in the last 20 years, what goals we can still aspire to and how things should go from here in terms of organization.

What do you expect from this event? What are you hoping for?

The indigenous speakers are already voicing criticism about the way it has been organized. They wanted to take equal part in organizing it, but they are not sitting together with the others on the podium.

This is about their rights. They have complained that they feel excluded. And although this has happened, we can look on the bright side and hope that a mechanism can be found to allow the structures and working methods of the previous two decades to continue. Mechanisms already exist, but they must be further improved.

Yvonne Bangert works in the Office for Indigenous Peoples of the Society for Threatened Peoples in Göttingen, Germany.

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Holder arrives in Ferguson as St. Louis investigates

The top US law enforcement offical has arrived in Missouri after police arrested 47 protesters in Ferguson on Wednesday. This is the 11th night of demonstrations over the killing of a black teenager by a white officer.

Deutsche Welle, 20 Aug 2014

US Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to St. Louis Wednesday to assist in the federal investigation of the murder of an unarmed black teen by a white police officer in the near by suburb of Ferguson. In an opinion piece that ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper on Wednesday, Holder pledged what he called a full, fair and independent investigation.

"And beyond the investigation itself, we will work with the police, civil rights leaders and members of the public to ensure that this tragedy can give rise to new understanding - and robust action - aimed at bridging persistent gaps between law enforcement officials and the communities we serve," he wrote.

From U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder: A message to the people of #Ferguson: http://t.co/XThg9j7nlH
— Greg Jonsson (@Jonssonville) 20 augustus 2014

State Governor Jay Nixon lifted a midnight curfew Tuesday, a day after he ordered the Missouri National Guard to restore order in Ferguson, with its population of 21,000 people. So far, however, there is no sign the protests will cease.

'As expeditiously as possible'

St. Louis County has also launched a grand jury investigation into the death. Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said his office could continue presenting evidence to a grand jury through mid-October.

Outside his office on Wednesday, a few dozen protesters called for McCulloch's removal from the case and for the immediate arrest of the officer involved in the shooting: 28-year-old Darren Wilson, who has taken leave and "gone into seclusion," according to news reports. Even politicians from the area were calling for McCulloch's removal.

Call Jay Nixon at (573) 751-3222 RIGHT NOW and tell him it's time to step up and replace Bob McCulloch.
— Jamilah Nasheed (@SenatorNasheed) 20 augustus 2014

"On one side, people are saying you're rushing to justice, and on the other side, they're saying you're dragging this thing out," McCulloch said Wednesday at a news conference. "We're going to present this as expeditiously as possible, but we are not going to present it in a half-hearted manner."

At a press conference Wednesday, state Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson said Tuesday's protests had remained peaceful, though 47 people had been arrested after, he said, and some protesters threw bottles at security forces. Officers had fired no bullets or tear gas.

mkg/glb (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)

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Kryon Q&A

Question: I’m a black woman who enjoys your teachings tremendously. It seems that there aren’t a lot of black people involved in these discussions. Is this true, and is there a reason for this? Is it cultural? Or am I wrong in this assumption?

Answer: Dear one, yes. If you’re speaking about black Americans, you’re right. It’s cultural. There are two basic reasons you won’t find many blacks in metaphysics in your culture: The first one is that in your land, your race is a minority with a history of oppression. This has created a very strong spiritual support base. Almost from birth, most of you have been exposed to very high church and spiritual support and a feeling of belonging and sticking together. There are few groups that have this kind of support and prayer base. So spiritually, you don’t look around much for answers other than what you have already learned about the love of God. This works for you and is honored.

The second reason is perhaps politically incorrect in your culture to speak of, but Kryon is not of your culture. Many of you are in survival mode due to sustained second-class citizenship you experience from birth. This causes despair, poverty, and a shift to crime among many due to despondency over life and a need to survive in a system that does not honor you. When a Human is consumed with survival in a difficult environment, they don’t have time or a desire for introspection or a search to better themselves spiritually. All their time is spent spinning within the challenges they have, many of which they assume to be their plight, many of which they have created themselves.

The sadness here is that if they did look within, they would find the tools to co-create a life outside of survival, and start processes that honors their endeavors and their lives. Blessed are those with life challenges, as so many of the minorities have, but who have decided to increase their spiritual knowledge as a solution, instead of trying to force-manipulate the reality of the cultural situation.

Alarm mounts over refugee 'nightmare' in northwestern Iraq

Thousands of northern Iraqis who are trying to flee jihadist terror have escaped into Kurdish territory, but tens of thousands more remain trapped. France, Britain and Iraq have joined US drops of food and water.

Deutsche Welle, 10 Aug 2014

Germany allocated another 1.5 million euros for humanitarian aid on Sunday as alarm grew worldwide over the fate of Yazidis, Christians and other minorities trying to flee Islamist militants in northern Iraq.

Pope Francis said the violent persecution depicted in "dismaying" reports "offends humanity."

The US, which began airstrikes on Thursday, said its drone aircraft and jets had on Sunday again targeted "Islamic State" (IS) militants near Irbil, the Kurdish regional capital in northern Iraq, as well as IS militants who had fired on Yazidis sheltering in a barren mountain range near the town of Sinjar.

France and Britain on Sunday said they had followed US and Iraq cargo planes in dropping food and water by air over Mount Sinjar, where British officials estimate up to 150,000 people could be trapped.

Some escape into Kurdish region

A spokeswoman for Iraq's Yazidi minority, lawmaker Vian Dakhil, said 20,000 of the displaced had managed to flee the IS siege with the help of Kurdish troops, by looping through a Syrian border area into northern Iraq's Kurdish-run region.

She told the news agency AFP the escape passage "isn't 100 percent safe. There is still a risk."

A Kurdish regional government official said those escaping had arrived via the Fishkhabur crossing -- between Syria and Iraq -- during the joint rescue bid by Kurdish forces from Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

France's Fabius denounces 'caliphate'

Visiting Irbil on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius denounced what he called the "Caliphate of Hate," in reference to terminology used by the "Islamic State" - formerly known as the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) - since its seizure of parts of Syria and Iraq starting in June, including Iraq's northwestern city of Mosul.

Kurdish regional president Masoud Barzani urged the international community to send arms to help Kurdish forces to hold off the militants.

"We are not fighting a terrorist organization, we are fighting a terrorist state," Barzani said.

Fabius, who had earlier visited Baghdad, reiterated his call for the "rapid establishment of a unity government" to fight the jihadists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and his Shiite-led government have long resisted Western pressure to share power with Iraqi's Sunni minority, which dominated Iraq before the US-led invasion of 2003.

'Buried alive,' alleges Iraqi minister

The Iraqi government's human rights minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani alleged in a telephone interview with Reuters on Sunday that IS militants had killed at least 500 members of the Yazidi minority after seizing Sinjar.

Some of the victims had been "buried alive in scattered mass graves" by IS militants, he claimed.

Sudani said the news had come from people who escaped the town, which is the ancient home of Kurdish-speaking followers of a religion influenced by Zoroastrianism. The IS had demanded that Yazidi convert to Islam or die as heretics, he cited the people as saying.

Sudani said the IS had also taken at least 300 Yazidi women as slaves.

Papal envoy due Monday

At the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said Iraq needed an "effective political solution" and said his special envoy Cardinal Fernando Filoni was due in Iraq on Monday.

"The news reports coming from Iraq leave us in dismay and disbelief: thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; women taken and carried off; violence of every kind," he said.

'Nightmare scenario,' says Germany

Announcing the extra 1.5 million euros in German humanitarian aid for refugees in northern Iraq, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said those displaced "must" be helped. The US aerial intervention was "important," he added.

The campaign by the IS militants "exceeds every nightmare scenario we have heard from the region," Steinmeier said. The militants were destroying "everything and all persons who did not fit their world view," he added.

Broad plea for assistance in Germany

Steinmeier's statement followed a call for immediate humanitarian aid for Iraq's persecuted Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities from a broad coalition in Germany, comprising political parties, religious communities, rights advocates and artists.

The chairman of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany, Telim Tolan, said the refugee camps in Turkey and Iraq's Kurdish region urgently needed assistance.

ipj/tj (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)

Iraqi Yazidis in a building where they found refuge in the

 Kurdish city of Dohuk. Photograph: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/

AFP/Getty Images

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