PSG, Basaksehir teams walk off after alleged racial slur

The Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir was interrupted when players walked off the field on Tuesday after alleging fourth official Sebastian Coltescu of Romania used a racial slur against an assistant coach.

Players from the Turkish team were furious after assistant coach Pierre Webo was shown a red card by referee Ovidiu Hategan of Romania at Parc des Princes, saying Coltescu had used a racial term against Webo, who is from Cameroon, before he was sent off.

Basaksehir substitute Demba Ba demanded that the fourth official explain himself, while PSG players Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also demanded an explanation. Basaksehir coach Okan Buruk said “you are racist” to Coltescu.

The scored was 0-0 when the incident took place about 15 minutes into the match.

Webo was enraged and was heard to repeat at least six times “Why you say negro?” as he sought an explanation from Coltescu.

Moments later, Ba came off the bench and stood in front of Coltescu and said: “Why when you mention a black guy, you have to say ‘This black guy?’”

UEFA replaced Coltescu and pledged to investigate.

“Following an alleged incident involving the 4th official, the match was temporarily suspended. After consultation with both teams, it was agreed that the match would restart with a different 4th official,” UEFA said in a statement.

“UEFA will thoroughly investigate the matter and further communication will be made in due course.”

During the interruption, Basaksehir posted a message on Twitter against a UEFA backdrop with the message “NO TO RACISM.”

Seven years ago, Hategan was in charge of a match between CSKA Moscow and Manchester City when City’s black players were racially abused.

City captain Yaya Toure directed referee Hategan toward fans making monkey noises at the English club’s black players.

Michel Platini, UEFA’s president at the time, requested an internal inquiry involving the referee to examine why guidelines were not followed to respond to discrimination incidents during matches.

France: is it all about so-called Political Islam?

The Proposed Anti-Separatism Law and the International Obligations of France: is it all about so-called Political Islam?

France is a member of International organisations and indeed a country where the rule of law, democracy and the respect of human rights are fundamental principles of the “République”.

Likewise France is a country with a very diverse population from several backgrounds and belonging to several different linguistic, ethnic and indeed religious or spiritual traditions or none.

President Macron and the Premiere Dame and a number of French politicians have defended the, arguable to say the least, right of Charlie Hebdo to insult the religion of Islam repeatedly by depicting the Prophet of Islam Mohammed, and by insulting the Turkish President Erdogan, and by insulting the religious sentiments of many religious and spiritual groups as such in a number of occasions. All of this in the name of the sacrosanct right to Freedom of Expression.

Freedom of expression is indeed a fundamental freedom enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights of 1950 and in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which inspired the ECHR, and in most international human rights instruments and most national Constitutions as well.

Just like the Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right, also the Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion, or in a single expression the Freedom of Belief, is a fundamental human right protected by art. 18 of the UDHR and by art. 9 of the ECHR whose extent can only be limited in compliance with the ECHR provisions not basing on assumed national values or needs in contrast with the spirit of the Human Rights legislation.

Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights – Freedom of thought, conscience and religion “1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance. 2. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.”

Art. 9 ECHR should be read in conjunction with art. 2 Protocol 1 to the Convention which reads as follows:

Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 – Right to education “No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.”

Arguing that some groups and specifically “Political Islam” tend to isolate within the society and from the society and that a legislation is needed to prevent that from happening, and such legislation causes also to prevent private entities from setting up or to carrying out their activities, or prohibiting home-schooling, is probably not the best answer to problems that may exist from a democratic country like France, considering that France has a set of laws, including also criminal laws, to prevent and tackle extremism, terrorism and any other forms of delinquency whatsoever.

So the wonder is: what is the real agenda behind this proposed legislation? and who is behind such?

Where does it come from? Have we seen anything like this in the past in France?

Well there’s an organisation called FECRIS in France which is funded by the French Government and that advocates, all over the world, the fight against minority groups, derogatorily called cults (sectes in French). FECRIS doesn’t care about the International Human Rights obligations of France and regularly requests the International Organisations to ban Human Rights Organisations advocating Freedom of Religion and Belief from their premises and to stop interacting with them, e.g. FECRIS at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw.

The belief that behind this legislation there may be both the FECRIS and those sharing the same views, may be a legitimate possibility, at least, if we consider that very often the fight against Islam, whether the so-called Political or non Political one, goes hand by hand with the fight against cults.

The proposed legislation may just be a Trojan horse aimed at fighting against extremism but with the real intention to fight against minorities considered as cults – this could be just my own personal opinion and speculation if the Minister Madame Marlène Schiappa had not stated, in an interview she gave to the newspaper Le Parisien, as follows:

“we will use the same measures against the cults and against radical Islam”.

The United States bipartisan organisation USCIRF, US Commission on International Religious Freedom, has warned that FECRIS is an organisation that threats the human rights of minorities and recommended, inter alia, as follows:

“Counter propaganda against new religious movements by the European Federation of Research and Information Centers on Sectarianism (FECRIS) at the annual OSCE Human Dimensions Conference with information about the ongoing involvement of individuals and entities within the anti-cult movement in the suppression of religious freedom.”

To me it is clear that the proposed legislation if passed would mean a serious drift from the International legal obligations of France, first and foremost the ECHR and its fundamental freedoms and human rights.

The rule of law requires attention and intervention and indeed the extremist activities of any group must be prevented and fought against with all necessary means – but erasing the International obligations that ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms belonging to everyone is not the answer but only an excuse for other ends. The present law is the natural consequence of law no. 504 of 2001 on the prevention and suppression of cultic movements and of her sister law no. 228 of 2004 aimed at suppressing the right to show religious symbols in public places, both of which are a serious concern for a European democracy.

We hope that, while we are fighting against two viruses, the Covid-19 and the virus of intolerance, the actions recommended by the USCIRF Report may be implemented very soon and also be only the beginning of a series of further actions to contrast these hate experts, and finally guarantee everyone their right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.

Marvel releases a new comic book about real-life superheroes: nurses

The Avengers, Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man — those and many more are members of the Marvel Universe. But Marvel is now releasing a comic book that will celebrate some real-life superheroes: nurses.

In coordination with the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and the advertising agency Doner, Marvel has created a comic book, called The Vitals: True Nurse Stories, based on an amalgamation of experiences had by nurses in 13 hospital facilities in Western Pennsylvania.

Marvel’s new comic book pays tribute to nurses. (Photo:Getty Images)

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been in awe of the courage and resourcefulness of our nurses, who put their own health at risk to care for these vulnerable patients,” said AHN chief nurse executive Claire Zangerle in a statement. “We are so proud of them, and we want to make sure they know how much we appreciate their exceptional work. We hope that in seeing themselves as real Marvel Comics Super Heroes, they can take a moment to look back in pride on their exceptional work and compassion during an exceptionally difficult time for our communities.”

In a video made in conjunction with the comic book, the children of AHN nurses talked about their parents and the tireless work they’ve done throughout the pandemic. “We didn’t see her for like two months,” says one little boy of his mother, a nurse. “It makes me feel good that she’s being able to help,” says another.

In the video the children and their parents are given the comic book, which results in no shortage of tears. “That one looks like my mommy,” says one little girl as she points to a nurse on the cover of the comic. “You’re a hero,” says a little boy as he tearfully embraces his mother.

The comic books will be distributed at AHN hospitals and recruiting events, and are also available digitally on Marvel.com.

“At Marvel, we tell stories about heroes every day. But this story is special. It tells a story about our everyday heroes — the nurses and health care professionals working tirelessly and courageously to save lives,” said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Entertainment, said in a statement. “Along with AHN, we are honored to help tell these stories, which we dedicate to the real heroes who are saving the world.”

For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.

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Contribution of life in soil ‘remains largely underestimated’, says UN agriculture agency

Ahead of World Soil Day, marked on 5 December, FAO launched its first ever report on “The State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity“. The report examines the potential of soil organisms in ensuring sustainable agri-food systems and mitigating climate change.   

“Soil biodiversity and sustainable soil management is a prerequisite for the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals“, said FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo. “Therefore, data and information on soil biodiversity, from the national to the global level, are necessary in order to efficiently plan management strategies on a subject that is still poorly known”, she added.  

Biodiversity below 

According to the report, despite the fact biodiversity loss is at the forefront of global concerns, biodiversity below ground is not being given the prominence it deserves and needs to be fully considered when planning how best to boost sustainable development.  

“We hope that the knowledge contained in this report will facilitate the assessment of the state of soil biodiversity as an integral part of national- and regional-level biodiversity reporting and any soil surveys”, Ms. Semedo advanced.  

Being one of the main ‘global reservoirs’ of biodiversity, soils host more than 25 percent of the world’s biological diversity. In addition, more than 40 percent of living organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are associated with soils during their life cycle.  

The report defines soil biodiversity as the variety of life belowground, from genes and animal species, to the communities they form, as well as the ecological complexes to which they contribute and to which they belong; from soil micro-habitats to landscapes.  

These include a wide range of organisms, from unicellular and microscopic forms, to invertebrates such as nematodes, earthworms, arthropods and their larval stages, as well as mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that spend a large part of their life belowground, and a great diversity of algae and fungi.   

Keep soil alive, protect biodiversity 

Plants nurture a whole world of creatures in the soil, FAO notes, that in return feed and protect the plants. It is this diverse community of living organisms that keeps the soil healthy and fertile, which constitutes soil biodiversity, and determines the main biogeochemical processes that make life possible on Earth. 

This year, by addressing the increasing challenges of soil management, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) campaign “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. By encouraging people around the world to engage in proactively improving soil health, the campaign also aims to fight soil biodiversity loss.  

Threats to soil biodiversity  

Although soils are essential for human well-being and the sustainability of life on the planet, they are threatened by human activity, climate change and natural disasters.  

The overuse and misuse of agrochemicals remains one of the major drivers to soil biodiversity loss, thus reducing the potential of soil biodiversity for a sustainable agriculture and food security.  

Other threats include deforestation, urbanization, soil structure degradation, soil acidification, pollution, wildfires, erosion, and landslides, among other issues, the agency alerts.  

Soils and climate action  

Nature-based solutions involving soil microorganisms have a significant potential to mitigate climate change. They play a key role in carbon sequestration and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The report also found that farming activities are the biggest source of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide gases emitted by soils, which derive from the overuse or misuse of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.  

Future steps 

Generally, there is a lack of detailed data, policies and actions on soil biodiversity at local, national, regional, and global levels.  

The report highlighted the need to promote the necessary shift to include biological indicators of soil health along with physical and chemical ones.  

According to the report, the adoption of sustainable soil management practices by farmers, as a basic premise for preserving soil biodiversity, remains low due to the lack of technical support, provision of incentives and enabling environments, and needs to be scaled up. 

Buddhist Times News – 100 monks participate in robe offering event at Mahabodhi Mahavihara

100 monks participate in robe offering event at Mahabodhi Mahavihara

                            <p class="post-meta">                               <span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Dec 04, 2020</span>                               <span class="meta-user"><i class="icon-user"/> <a href="https://www.buddhisttimes.news/author/shyamal/" title="Posts by Shyamal Sinha" rel="author" rel="nofollow">Shyamal Sinha</a></span>                               <span class="meta-cat"><i class="icon-book"/> <a href="https://www.buddhisttimes.news/category/breakingnews/" rel="category tag" rel="nofollow">BREAKING NEWS</a>, <a href="https://www.buddhisttimes.news/category/topnews/" rel="category tag" rel="nofollow">TOP NEWS</a></span>                                 <span class="meta-comment last-meta"><span>Comments Off<span class="screen-reader-text"> on 100 monks participate in robe offering event at Mahabodhi Mahavihara</span></span></span>                                 </p>                           <hr class="none"/>

By  — Shyamal Sinha

Monks worship Lord Buddha under the Bodhi Tree at Mahabodhi Temple during Maha Kathina Civara Dana ceremony in…Read More

Nearly 100 monks, staying at monasteries of different countries, participated in the Maha Kathina Civara Dana (robe offering) function conducted by the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara on Monday morning. This was the first event organized at the temple amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kathina is a Pali word referring to the wooden frame used to measure the length and width by which the robes of Buddhist monks are cut. As the legend goes, thirty bhikkhus were journeying with the intention of spending Vassa with Gautama Buddha. However, the rains began before they reached their destination and they had to stop at Saketa. According to Buddha’s guidelines for Vassa, mendicant monks shouldn’t travel during the rainy season as they may unintentionally harm crops and/or insects during their journey. As such, the monks had to stop .
Earlier, around 500 monks from countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka used to attend the robe offering event, but no outsider was part of the function this year.

BTMC secretary Nangzey Dorjee welcomed the monks to the function that was also attended by committee members Mahashweta Maharathi and Krishna Manjhi.
Chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda, who led the participants offering prayers under the Bodhi Tree, told this newspaper, “After the three-month ‘varsha vaas’ or rainy retreat of the monks, devotees offer them robes and other items. During the period from July to September, they stay indoors and meditate in their monasteries.”
According to Buddhism, offering robes (‘civara’) to the monks is the highest form of donation.
The chief monk added, “The ‘civara’ is offered to one of the 10 monks of the BTMC every year. It was given to Bhante Manoj this year because he followed the ‘varsha vaas’ tradition properly.”

There is an equally strong Buddhist belief that a month after receiving his ‘enlightenment’, Buddha delivered his first sermon – called the Dhamma-Cakkappavattana Sutta – to his five former companions on the full moon day of Ashadh at Sarnath and that he spent the first four-month Vassa at Mulagandhakuti. The Sinhalese Buddhists still practise Vas or ‘rains retreat’ though their calendar is adjusted to their monsoons, while the Thais call the period from July to October as Phansa and observe it rather religiously. Other Theravada Buddhists like the Burmese also observe Vassa, and Mahayana Buddhists like the Vietnamese Thiens and the Korean Seons fix themselves to one location, just as the Tibetans are supposed to.

After the Maha Kathina Civara Dana function, the monks were offered ‘sanghdana’ (meal).

The four months of Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina and Kartika could even be trimmed to three months depending on the regional character of the rains and local needs.

                            <hr class="none"/>

The role of the elderly in times of demographic change

COMECE-FAFCE reflection on the role of the elderly in times of demographic change

COMECE-FAFCE reflection on the role of the elderly in times of demographic change

“Elderly people are a gift and a resource, […] they cannot be seen as separated from communities”, states the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) together with FAFCE in the reflection paper “The Elderly and the Future of Europe”, jointly published on Thursday 3 December 2020. COMECE-FAFCE General Secretaries: “Let’s transform the Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity for a shift of paradigm and for regenerating our way of thinking on the elderly”.

Entitled “The Elderly and the Future of Europe: Intergenerational solidarity and care in times of demographic change”, the document calls on EU and national policy makers to develop a change of paradigm and for regenerating our way of thinking in times of demographic change and in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The COMECE-FAFCE reflection paper comes following the publication of European Commission’s “Report on the Impact of Demographic Change” and as a contribution to the upcoming “Green Paper on Aging”, whose publication is foreseen for 2021.

“The elderly are an integral part of the family, a source of support and encouragement for the younger generations. They cannot be separated from society and relational networks” – reads the COMECE-FAFCE document, highlighting that elderly people are not only vulnerable persons, but also dynamic actors of social life. 

The current Covid-19 pandemic revealed hidden vulnerabilities in our societies, with the elderly often in the periphery of daily life. According to COMECE and FAFCE, it is time to recognize the crucial role of the elderly, protecting, promoting and including them, ensuring their full participation in our communities.

The reflection paper recommends national governments to make use of the resources of the proposed EU Recovery Plan for investing in intergenerational relations and in new structures of solidarity – including informal care, volunteering and age-friendly urban environments – and in demographic and family policies.

The publication has been elaborated in collaboration with the COMECE-FAFCE ad-hoc working group of experts on the situation of the elderly in EU societies. The document serves as a starting point for a deeper discussion on the topic, which will also include a webinar to be held in 2021.

Download the Reflection Paper

---

COMECE Communication Officer

Alessandro Di Maio

press@comece.eu

+32 (0) 2 235 05 15

Scientology Volunteer Ministers offer free course on drug education to offset the rising tide of drug abuse

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Brexit: How travel to the European Union from 2021 will change

Technically the UK has left the European Union, but from the traveller’s point of view, nothing significant has changed during the transition phase. This comes to an end at 11pm GMT (midnight Western European Time) on 31 December 2020.

After that, life for British visitors to the EU becomes very different. The one exception is for Ireland, where very little changes: notably customs and motor insurance rules.

For everywhere else in Europe, these are the most critical changes.

Passports

Even if you have a burgundy passport with “European Union” on the cover, it will continue to be valid as a UK travel document. The problem is, from 1 January 2021, European rules on passport validity become much tougher.Read more

On the day of travel to the EU (as well as non-members Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the plucky Vatican City) your passport must pass two tests.

1. Was it issued less than nine years, six months ago?

2. Does it have six months’ validity remaining.

The reason: the UK has traditionally given renewals up to nine months’ extra validity in addition to the normal 10 years. So a passport issued on 30 June 2011 could show an expiry date of 30 March 2022.

While this was fine when the UK was part of the European Union, British travellers must now meet the strict rules on passport validity for visitors from “third countries”.

In particularly, passports issued by non-member countries are regarded as expired once they have been valid for 10 years.

While the expiry date printed in the passport remains valid for the UK and other non-EU countries around the world, within the European Union the issue date is critical.

A passport issued on 30 June 2011 is regarded by the EU as expiring on 30 June 2021. Therefore if the holder attempted to board a plane to the European Union on New Year’s Day 2021, it would be considered to have insufficient validity and the airline would be obliged to turn them away – even though the British passport has almost 15 months to run.

Until September 2018, the government appeared unaware of the problem. Once the issue was identified, the practice of giving up to nine months’ grace ended abruptly.

Border formalities

EU fast-track lanes for passport control will no longer be open to British travellers, although countries that receive a large number of visitors from the UK, such as Spain and Portugal, may make special arrangements.

The process is likely to be slower, and with no guarantee of entry.

At present, all a border official can do is to check that the travel document is valid, and that it belongs to you.

From 1 January 2021, the official is required by EU law to conduct deeper checks. They may ask for the purpose of the visit, where you plan to travel and stay, how long you intend to remain in the EU and how you propose to fund your stay.

Length of stay

From 1 January 2021, the “90/180 rule” takes effect. For holidaymakers and business travellers who normally stay a long time in Europe, it has significant effects. You may stay only 90 days (about three months) in any 180 (six months).

Example: if you spend January, February and March in the EU – totalling 90 days – you must leave the zone before 1 April and cannot return until 30 June.

You will then be able to spend the summer in Europe until 27 September, when you must leave again – and can’t come back until Boxing Day.

Any time spent in the EU up to the end of 2020 does not count. So if you spend December in Spain, the clock does not start ticking until New Year’s Day.

The UK government says: “Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. If you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.”

British citizens can stay as long as they like in the Republic of Ireland.

People who have a work or residential visa for a specific EU country will be treated differently.

Visas

Initially they will not be needed, but from 2022 (or possibly later) British visitors will need to register online and pay in advance for an “Etias“ permit under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.

Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period?

Returning to the UK

Previously there were no limits on the value of goods you could bring in from European Union nations. From the start of 2021, the European Union will be treated the same as the rest of the world – which means that there are now strict limits on what you can bring back free of duty.

For alcohol, the limits are 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling wine, 18 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, which hopefully will see you through at least an evening. Arrivals to the UK will also qualify to bring in 200 duty-free cigarettes.

“Anything that increases the availability of tobacco is a negative step for public health,” the British Medical Association says.

If you exceed any of these limits, you will pay tax on the whole lot.

There is a limit of €430 – roughly £400 – for all other goods, from Camembert to clothing.

Health care

For more than 40 years, British travellers have benefited from free or very low-cost medical treatment in the EU and its predecessor organisations. The European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) and the document it replaced, the E111, have proved extremely valuable for many elderly travellers, and/or people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Since the EU referendum, the government has repeatedly said that it hopes to establish a reciprocal health treaty mirroring the European Health Insurance Card (Ehic).

For example, the then-health minister, Stephen Hammond, said: “The department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the Ehic to be able to travel.”

The pretence has now been dropped, and the government now says: “You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad.

“It’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition.”

The Association of British Insurers warns: “Claims costs within Europe are currently reduced due to the presence of the Ehic, which covers some or all state-provided medical costs.

“In the absence of the Ehic or similar reciprocal health agreement, insurers will inevitably see an increase in claims costs – this could have a direct impact on the prices charged to consumers.”

One bit of latitude: if you enter an EU country by 31 December 2020, your Ehic will remain valid until you leave that country.

Driving licences

Your licence carries the EU symbol but, as with passports, will still be valid as a UK document from 2021 until its expiry date.

The government says: “You may need extra documents from 1 January 2021. You might need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries.”

In fact, you may need two. A 1949 IDP (valid one year) is required for Spain, Cyprus and Malta, while the 1968 version (valid three years) is valid everywhere else in the EU.

The IDP is an antiquated document available at larger post offices. Take your driving licence plus a passport photo and £5.50 for each permit that you need.

Motor insurance

Under the European Union 2009 motor insurance directive, any vehicle legally insured in one EU country can be driven between other European nations on the same policy.

From 1 January you will need a “Green Card” – an official, multilingual translation of your car insurance that demonstrate you meet the minimum cover requirements for the country you’re visiting.

Insurers will generally provide them free of charge, but require around two weeks’ notice.

Flights

At present, there is no legal agreement for any flights between the UK and the European Union from 1 January 2021.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, says: “The government’s priority is to ensure that flights can continue to operate safely, securely and punctually between the UK/EU at the end of transition period, regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

“Air travel is vital for both the UK and the EU in connecting people and facilitating trade and tourism, and we are confident measures will be in place to allow for continued air connectivity beyond the end of 2020.”

Some UK airport disruption caused by tough new passport rules may occur in the first few days if significant numbers of British travellers are denied boarding.

Ferries/Eurotunnel

Ships will continue to sail and trains will continue to run, but the National Audit Office (NAO) warns that motorists taking their cars to France on ferries from Dover or Eurotunnel from Folkestone face waits of up to two hours once the Brexit transition ends – and that queues could be “much longer” in summer.

Eurostar

Passenger trains linking London St Pancras with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam will continue to run – but because of travel restrictions applied in response to the coronavirus pandemic, services are currently extremely limited.

Mobile phones

From 1 January 2021, the EU-wide ban on roaming charges for phone calls and internet use no longer applies to people with UK mobile phones. Providers will be free to impose whatever fees they wish.

But all the big providers have told The Independent they do not intend to bring back roaming charges.

O2 says: “We’re committed to providing our customers with great connectivity and value when they travel outside the UK. We currently have no plans to change our roaming services across Europe, maintaining our ‘Roam Like At Home’ arrangements.”

3 says: “We’ll give you free EU roaming just the same.”

EE says: “Our customers enjoy inclusive roaming in Europe and beyond, and we don’t have any plans to change this based on the Brexit outcome. So our customers going on holiday and travelling in the EU will continue to enjoy inclusive roaming.”

Vodafone says: “We have no plans to reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit.”

Should these or other providers introduce roaming charges, the government says it will cap the maximum for mobile data usage while abroad at £49 per month unless the user positively agrees to pay more.

Pets

For many years British travellers have been able to take a cat, a dog or even a ferret abroad with minimal formalities.

The government says it is “working with the European Commission to ensure a similar arrangement for pet travel between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021.

“However, if an agreement is not reached there could be new requirements in place for those travelling with a pet from Great Britain to the EU from 1 January 2021.”

The hope is that the UK will become a “Part 1 listed country” under the Pet Travel Scheme. This would be the least bad option compared with what we have now.

But the issue is still not settled, so for now we have to assume the worst – that the UK will be “unlisted”. In that case, your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after its primary rabies vaccination. That sample will be sent to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.

Then, you must “wait three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you can travel,” according to the government.

So if you start the process on 1 January 2021, you should be able to take a pet abroad from 1 May 2021.

One thing we do know: coming home will be no different. “There will be no change to the current health preparations for pets entering Great Britain from the EU from 1 January 2021,” says the government.

Algeria: European Parliament calls for action on human rights and expresses solidarity with demonstrators

On 26 November, the European Parliament adopted an urgency resolution highlighting “The deteriorating human rights situation in Algeria, in particular the case of journalist Khaled Drareni,” who was sentenced to two years in prison on 15 September 2020. Proposed by six out of the seven political groups, the resolution signals a broad agreement across the political spectrum. The undersigned national and international civil society organizations consider its adoption to be a timely and much needed step to address the escalating crackdown on civil society, peaceful activists, artists, journalists, and the independence of the judiciary.

The adopted text recalls the EP’s urgency resolution from 28 November 2019 on the situation of civic freedoms in Algeria, and expresses solidarity with “all Algerian citizens – women and men, from diverse geographic, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds – who have been peacefully demonstrating since February 2019”. It highlights that “in 2020 women’s rights movements have intensified in their denunciation of the increasing violence against women” and have called for “the review of existing laws in order to guarantee full equality.”

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Religious Freedom Awards 2020 recognizes 3 Spanish Professors

“Mejora Foundation awards three prestigious teachers in the 7th Edition of the Religious Freedom Awards”

The Church of Scientology Foundation for the Improvement of Life, Culture and Society, in consultative status with the United Nations since 2019, presented the Religious Freedom Awards, in the form of a Tizona sword, to Prof. Dr. Alejandro Torres, Prof. Dr. Rafael Valencia and Prof. Dr. Catalina Pons-Estel, in an online ceremony attended by Prof. Dr. Mercedes Murillo, Director of Religious Freedom of the Spain’s Ministry of Presidency (Prime Minister’s Office).

The ceremony, inaugurated by Ivan Arjona, President of the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, and Isabel Ayuso, Secretary General of the Mejora Foundation, began with the viewing of two videos regarding the right to freedom of thought, religion and conscience (one of them based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard‘s book “The Way to Happiness”), as well as a music video by international artists such as Chick Corea with a message of “Spread a Smile and not something else”, very suitable for the times of health crisis that are being experienced worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Mercedes Murillo – Religious Freedom Director at the Spain’s Prime Minister’s Office.

Following this, Mercedes Murillo, Director of Religious Liberty for the Ministry of the Presidency, addressed the award winners and attendees at this online ceremony, saying, “Once again this year the Church of Scientology Foundation is presenting its Religious Freedom Awards, a pioneering initiative, and so it is also appropriate for another year to recognize and appreciate this opportunity to bring together people concerned about this right around the world“

Murillo continued by saying “we are meeting this afternoon to present some well-deserved awards to three recognized specialists in this field whom I would like to congratulate” words after which the master of ceremonies went on to present the winners, who personally thanked the Fundación Mejora, of the Church of Scientology, for the award received and for the initiative that seeks to encourage people to promote and defend freedom of conscience .

Isabel Ayuso, Secretary General of Foundation, in her presentation said of these awardees that “they are the heroes of our times”…”they have changed the battleground for the classroom, the swords for the quill… on a real battle for freedom”

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Torres, Universidad Pública de Navarra

The first winner of the celebration was Prof. Dr. Alejandro Torres Gutiérrez, Full Professor of Law at the Public University of Navarra with an incredible production of publications and professor in the field of religious freedom. His publications are focused on the study of the financing and tax system of religious denominations, models of Church-State relations in Spain, Austria, Portugal and France, the status of minorities and multiculturalism in the United States, Canada and Austria. In his acceptance speech he left, among other messages, messages such as “the study of freedom of conscience is still relevant because we should not have fewer rights as a result of being less”… “in a society like ours in which there is still much violence for religious reasons I understand that the study of tolerance is important”… “the protection of diversity is key in a state like ours in which all possible interpretations of the universe have a place as long as they respect the ethical minimum of which we all participate in a democratic society”.

Prof. Rafael Valencia, Universidad de Sevilla

After which, Arjona gave the following Tizona to Prof. Dr. Rafael Valencia Candalija, currently Professor of Ecclesiastical Law at the University of Seville and that in addition to having opened religious diversity in Spain in a practical way to thousands of law students, will soon be publishing a book on Religious Freedom in Football, a pioneering prism in the field. Prof. Valencia said at the ceremony that “there is no prize today for an professor of religious freedom law giving a greater hope and joy as a recognition for protecting religious freedom” … ” we must continue to fight, therefore we must continue to work in defense of religious freedom … for those situations that violate this great right that occupies us and above all, we must continue to seek and continue to establish proposals for a better protection of the good, that is our work, and that should be our mission“.

Prof. Dr. Catalina Pons-Estel, Universtitat Illes Balears

And in this 2020, 40th Anniversary of the Law of Religious Freedom, could not miss an award for Prof. Dr. Catalina Pons-Estel Tugores, from the University of the Balearic Islands, who in addition to teaching this subject since 1997, this year has completed a series of lectures reviewing and commenting on the current Spanish law with the vision of both minor and major religious entities, as well as professionals in the field both scholars and government officials, which she has brought to the general public in addition to classrooms. In her acceptance speech, Prof. Pons-Estel explained that “religious freedom is a very current subject, a subject that is very much alive and close to all citizens” … “although we have all taken for granted the importance of the fundamental right of religious freedom, in these times in which everything seems to be in crisis, it never hurts to remember the importance of these rights that have cost us so much to achieve and guarantee”.

The ceremony was recorded online and can be accessed on the Foundation’s social networks and HERE.

The event also had space for a statement by the Director of Religious Freedom of the Ministry of the Presidency, to remind citizens about the current health situation: “I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the responsibility that all religious entities have had in this situation to limit their various forms of worship and replace them with other ways of providing spiritual care to their faithful … Therefore, I appreciate this task that they have been developing and that has not only maintained the possibility of meeting those who share their beliefs, but also in a difficult situation I know that all have maintained their solidarity activities towards the most vulnerable”.

Is France using political Islam to target religion as such?

The law meant to tackle political Islamism in France should not target religion

The resurgence in attacks by radical Islamists in France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, has rekindled fierce debates about Islam, secularism, and discrimination. The deplorable assassinations in October 2020 of Samuel Paty, a teacher, and three Catholics in the Basilica of Nice have accelerated the political will of the authorities to adopt a law meant to tackle some of the root causes of Islamist terrorism.

The proposed law announced in October by the President of the Republic and the Minister of the Interior was often titled ‘law on separatisms’, in the plural, while other times it is in the singular form. This was not a mistake, an inaccuracy or a hesitation about spelling or grammar. It reflected the current uncertainty of whether to take the risk of identifying the problem as a religious one and to exclusively target one religion: Islam.

According to the French authorities, a specific group of Muslims are said to separate themselves from the historical majority of society and from its values in a dangerous manner, for example by rejecting scientific truths such as the evolution theory or by contesting the Holocaust.

To avoid the accusation of Islamophobia and concerns about religious discrimination, the government planned to include other religious groups, especially ones labelled ‘sectes’, to instrumentalize them as an alibi of its good faith. All the while, authorities would continue ignoring some very closed Jewish communities. The inherent flaw with this approach is that the security threat is considered religious in nature, which it is not.

A few days ago, the French authorities made the draft law and its new title public. It has changed entirely and is now the “Draft Law Strengthening Republican Principles”. Its scope is much wider than what had been announced, but it still targets separatism. The Council of State has begun examining it. 

The source of the problem that France is attempting to solve is a political ideology: radical Islamism. It is not Islam.

Radical Islamism’s objective is to impose a theocratic governance in Muslim minds whether they are in Muslim majority countries or not. This is accomplished by instilling its ideology in Muslim families, parents, and children, even before school education.

The enemy to combat is not a religion or some religions and their disciples, but a political project. If the French authorities persist in singling out an entire religious community as a threat, they will make the work of radical Islamism all the easier.

Therefore, the law should not target Islam as a religion, but should instead tackle political Islamism, in particular Salafism and its organisations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its satellite associations.

In line with this objective, about 50 suspicious mosques have been closed since the appointment of Gerald Darmanin as Minister of the Interior in July 2020. However, closing ‘suspicious’ mosques is not a solution and is in fact counterproductive. Such a restrictive measure angers the Muslims who are deprived of their right to collective worship, which is a violation of the international standards on freedom of religion or belief. It’s not ‘mosques’ that disseminate extremist ideas, but rather the individuals in leadership roles in some mosques who instrumentalise religious teachings for political purposes. Certain imams and preachers, who have been identified by the authorities for a very long time, behave as political militants instead of providing faith-building to their communities. The draft law must combat them, not the religious community they belong to.

The draft law sets the fight against radical Islamism at the religious level when it should only be carried out at the ideological and political one instead. Other religious or spiritual communities and other categories of believers have nothing to do with this political militant activism and should not be targeted.

The French government’s plan is to present the draft law to the Council of Ministers after it has been finalized on the basis of the remarks of the Council of State. The choice of the date of 9 December 2020 will coincide with the anniversary of the 9 December 1905 Law which regulates the relations between state and religions in France.

All religions should feel concerned by this law. Indeed, several vague concepts in the draft law such as ‘behaviours threatening human dignity’ and ‘psychological pressures’ may open the door to many abuses in the implementation of the law on other religious groups as well.

Moreover, an article of this law provides that if any member of a group is considered to have acted in violation of a point of the law, it will allow the ban of the whole association by the Council of Ministers.

It is to be hoped that the Council of State will keep in mind the guidelines of the OSCE/ ODIHR about freedom of religion or belief and the Venice Commission recommendations and will contest these questionable provisions.

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Photo by Sung Shin on Unsplash