Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator. Lol at my mistake in the headline about Henry Tse last week. Thank you for correcting me.
In issue #324, I focus on a monk who died last week and who spread Buddhism in China, the main presidential candidates running for office in Nigeria next week and the 222 political prisoners in Nicaragua who were forced into exile in the United States. Plus, some good news from Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan, a fantastic Soca soundtrack to celebrate the Trinidad and Tobago carnival and a now-banned BBC documentary on India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and so much more.
If you like this newsletter, yay! If you have any feedback or comments, I'm always happy to connect; just reply to this mail. These lengthy emails take me hours and hours to write, research and make fun-to-read. If you would like to support me on a regular basis, you can do so by becoming a Patreon subscriber or by buying me coffee now and then on PayPal.
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Master Hsing Yun, monk who spread Buddhism in China, died at 95
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A very famous Buddhist monk from/in Taiwan and China has died: Master Hsing Yun. He died at the age of 95 on February 5 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This might come as a surprise, but the 'atheist' Chinese Communist Party fought with Taiwanese authorities over sending a delegation to the former Buddhist leader’s funeral in Taiwan.
Why this matters: You know about the Pope or Justin Bieber. Update/globalize your celebrity knowledge.
Tell me more about him then
Tiffany May for The New York Times wrote a profile about him last week. Master Hsing Yun is the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order. Born Lǐ Guóshēn, Hsing Yun (his dharma name) is the third of four children of a poor family in the eastern city of Yangzhou, China in August 1927. His father, Li Chengbao, sold incense. When Japan's military invaded China, Chengbao disappeared. While searching for him with his mother, Hsing Yun visited a famous temple that ignited his interest in religion, according to his official biography. Then, history took its course.
- Good to know: A dharma name is a name that a student or disciple of a religious or spiritual tradition (like a monk or a nun) is given to mark his/her initiation or other special occasions. ‘Hsing Yun’ translates to ‘nebula’ in English and captures the monk’s Buddhist dharma philosophy.
What did he believe in?
Humanistic Buddhism, emphasizing this life over the afterlife. He wanted to make the religion more accessible to ordinary people. And, taking inspiration from Roman Catholic missionaries, he sought to promote the faith through education. His religious events looked/felt like rock concerts; imagine smoke generators and lasers. Hsing Yun believed in the power of mass marketing and entertainment in religious education. "Today, his version of Buddhism has become the most adopted religious fellowship in the Chinese cultural sphere, combining Buddhist practices with everyday life." (The Print)
What about his political affiliations?
He was a supporter of China's President Xi Jinping; he even met him four times. President Xi claimed to have read "all the books that the master sent me." His movement flourished in China, primarily because he/it never challenged the government. Generally, religious movements rarely make it in China. Fo Guang Shan has since opened more than 120 temples in 30 countries such as the United States, Australia, South Africa and the Philippines, catering mainly to the Chinese diaspora.
How did he balance the Taiwan-China dynamic?
It was quite tricky. His support for China sometimes didn't land so well in Taiwan. In 2009, in a clumsy effort to point out that the people on the mainland and in Taiwan were the same, he said that residents of Taiwan were Chinese, not Taiwanese. (Taipei Times) And in 2013, he declared his support for President Xi's "Chinese dream," saying he believed that the agenda would lead to a more egalitarian society. However, Master Hsing Yun’s relations with China were not always smooth. In 1989, he was barred from China for a few years after he reportedly sheltered an official who fled his post in the wake of the Tiananmen Square crackdown that year. The monk denied it and was allowed into China to visit his hometown in 2003. However, “I support the leadership,” he said in a 2017 interview with The New York Times. “They care for us, as well. It is mutual. We Buddhists uphold whomever is in charge. Buddhists don’t get involved in politics.”
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The Nigeria presidential election 2023 is Africa's most important election this year
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On February 25, people in Nigeria will choose the president and members of the National Assembly on 25 February and governors and members of the State Houses of Assembly on 11 March.
Why this matters: The presidential election is "one of the most important elections happening anywhere in the world this year," writes Ruth Maclean for The New York Times. "Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with about 220 million people, and what happens there reverberates across the continent and the globe."
Who's been in charge till now?
Muhammadu Buhari. He's been the president of Nigeria for nearly eight years now. He's spent his career mostly in the army, even seized power in 1983 as military ruler but was removed after 18 months by another army general. However, decades later, Buhari made history in 2015 as the first Nigerian to oust a president through the ballot box. He was born to a Fulani family in the north (is super popular there); is a Sagittarius (born on December 17, 1942). Olu Fasan's opinion clolumn in Businessday NG last year summarized his time in power, "President Buhari has failed to fulfil the promises he made in his first term to defeat terrorism, fix the economy and fight corruption." Today, over 60 percent of the people live in poverty, according to the Nigerian government's website itself. And: Nearly 90 percent of people in Nigeria believe the country is going in the wrong direction, according to a recent survey by Afrobarometer. Buhari is now stepping down.
Who are the main candidates?
There are 18 people running for president in Nigeria in the upcoming election. Here's a little info on the four main candidates:
- Peter Obi (Labour Party). He's 61 years old, a Cancer, Christian, former governor from the southeast, many young people from the south support him (they call themselves 'Obidients'). Some recent polls suggest he might be ahead. (The Nextier, The Guardian Nigeria)
- Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress). He's 70 years old, an Aries, multimillionaire, many political VIPs support him, he boasts that he brought Buhari to power (Buhari is also a member of the same political party). Tinubu's Muslim, from the southwest, known as 'kingmaker', not too popular with young voters though.
- Atiku Abubakar (People's Democratic Party). The former vice president and Sagittarius has run for president five times since 1993 and lost to Buhari in the 2019 elections. He's 76 years old, a multimillionaire too, Muslim, from the north. A recent poll sees him as the winner. (The Guardian Nigeria)
- Rabiu Kwankwaso (New Nigeria People's Party). He's 66 years old, a Libra, Muslim, from the north, very popular in the major state of Kano, but not really a competition to the other three candidates.
What are the main issues?
Safety, stable economy, national cohesion; and this is just a start. Think kidnappings (in northwest and central), terrorism (Boko Haram in the north), violence between herdsmen and farmers, etc. Plus, there's not enough fuel and cash right now (even people with money in the bank cannot get access to it, and many are unable to buy food or pay for necessities since the central bank introduced newly designed notes in December, banning old ones), and protests in some cities have turned/are turning violent. And: Many young people are unemployed. (DW, The Conversation, Africanews)
Fun fact: In this election, for the first time in decades, there are major candidates from each of Nigeria’s three main ethnic groups: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa-Fulani.
Dig deeper: Around 93.5 million people in Nigeria are eligible to vote. How do you poll this many people? The Conversation talks about this huge logistical challenge. Hint: You need to train a total of 1,265,227 people for it.
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222 political prisoners in Nicaragua were forced into exile in the United States
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In last week's issue, there was no space for this. Let's talk about it now.
On February 4, 222 political prisoners in Nicaragua were released from prison, stripped of their citizenship and loaded onto a plane to the United States. Half of them have no family in the U.S. and are wondering how to rebuild a life far from their country and loved ones. (El Faro)
Why this matters: Nicaragua is home to some seven million people. The country's president, Daniel Ortega, has been in office since 2006 and has become more and more of a 'dictator', imprisoning critics and opposition figures, rigging elections and raiding newspaper offices. (DW)
Tell me more
A State Department spokesperson told El Faro English that the operation was coordinated in "days, not weeks." Among the political prisoners are student organizers, campesino leaders, business people, ex-Sandinistas, and other dissidents. Those expelled were immediately granted two-year U.S. humanitarian parole, and their birth certificates were deleted from the civil record in Nicaragua.
One of the 222 political prisoners is Wilfredo Brenes. He was imprisoned in April 2020 following his detention and torture three times for participating in the 'tranques' (Spanish for 'barricades') in Masaya in 2018, as well as for bringing water to mothers of political prisoners who, in November 2019, staged a hunger strike inside a church in the southwestern city. Brenes learned of his release on February 8, the night before. (El Faro)
Can they take their families with them?
No. Humanitarian parole is issued to individuals, meaning that anyone wanting to opt for family reunification needs to first obtain asylum. The process can take months or even years.
What if some political prisoners had decided to stay instead?
Yeah, losing your citizenship is tough. You lose all civil and political rights in the country that issued your citizenship. Brenes had asked about the possibility to stay. After all, his father, 89, and his daughter, 24, live in Managua, Nicaragua. "What happens if I stay? Can I go free?" He was told that the United States was not responsible for what happened to him if he stayed, and that they could not guarantee his freedom. So, he climbed aboard the plane.
- Dig deeper: If you want to get to know the other prisoners, read this El Faro longread by José Luis Sanz. You'll learn about student leader Max Jerez or sports journalist Miguel Mendoza. Many also don't say their names because they're afraid that the government will now go after them.
You mentioned some of them don't know anyone in the United States. What do they do?
They are left to figure to out for themselves. They have no support network while facing the trauma of banishment. Not only that, but they also have no place to stay or anyone to feed them as they await the work permit (the U.S. government says it takes about 1–3 months) or find an income. Upon arrival on Thursday, they were told, furthermore, that they had been given a hotel room until Sunday. Some of them are allowed to stay there for as long as necessary. Spain has offered Spanish citizenship to each of the 222. A long and winding road begins for many of them. Some are like, 'at least, we are free.'
- Did you know that Salman Rushdie's first full-length non-fiction 'The Jaguar Smile' was about Nicaragua? He visited the Central American country in 1987 to observe the revolution, and came to the conclusion back then that, 'Father Miguel, Sergio Ramírez, Daniel Ortega: were these dictators in the making? I answered myself: no.' Oh, how things change. (The Conversation)
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More you might have missed
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Equatorial Guinea: At least nine people died in an outbreak of Marburg virus disease last week. Marburg is a hemorrhagic disease related to Ebola, transmitted to people via fruit bats, and spreads by contact with bodily fluids. It’s the country’s first known outbreak of the highly contagious disease. Around 90% of untreated patients die. (World Health Organization)
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Syria: Islamic State militants killed at least 53 people, including 46 civilians, in Al-Sukhnah, Homs Governorate. It is one of deadliest attacks in the region in years. (The Guardian)
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Bulgaria / Afghanistan: 18 people from Afghanistan were found dead in an abandoned truck in Sofia City Province. Thirty-five others were hospitalized. Four people have been arrested. (Reuters via The Guardian)
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Panama / United States: Another deadly migration incident. At least 39 migrants were killed in Gualaca District, Chiriquí Province, when their bus, heading to the United States, fell off a cliff. (Reuters)
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Rwanda: A sexist incident at a football match is highlighting the struggles of female referees in Africa. On Jan. 21, 2023, Salima Mukansanga, one of Africa’s female football referees, suffered the indecency of physical and verbal insults during a local football match in Rwanda between Kiyovu Sport and Gasogi United. She made history during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the first woman football referee from Africa. Earlier in January 2022, she became the first woman to officiate a men’s continental tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations held in Cameroon. (Global Voices)
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Paraguay: Paraguay's President Mario Abdo Benítez visited Taiwan to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen last week. (Reuters, Paywall) Paraguay is one of Taiwan's oldest allies (Taiwan only has 14 formal allies), which comes at a high cost for both countries. Paraguay last year asked Taiwan to invest US$1bn, 'so it doesn't hurt as much that we say no to China.' (The Guardian) China claims that Taiwan 'belongs' to China.
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Iran: A United Nations report said that former Egyptian Army colonel Saif al-Adel has become the new leader of Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda and is currently residing in Iran. (AFP via France 24)
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Armenia / Azerbaijan: Armenia submitted a peace treaty to Azerbaijan in an effort to end the decades-long conflict between the two countries. (Daily Sabah)
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Israel: An investigation by a consortium of journalists uncovered a major disinformation campaign by an Israeli firm named Team Jorge, led by ex-Israeli special forces member Tal Hanan, which is alleged to have influenced more than 30 elections in several countries. (The Guardian)
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Pakistan: Police in Punjab arrested 50 men for the lynching of a blasphemy suspect at a police station in Nankana Sahib District the week before. (The Independent)
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Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka announced a ban on disposable cutlery, cocktail shakers, and artificial plants beginning in June, citing the risk of plastic pollution on its wildlife. (AFP via RFI)
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Kazakhstan: Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law annulling many privileges of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, including lifetime financial support from the state, and the right to address the nation and propose ideas to officials, and also deprived Nazarbayev's immediate family of legal immunity. (RFE/RL)
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Listen to the Soca soundtrack of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2023
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Having been deprived of two years of in-person Carnival celebrations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival lovers have long been predicting that the 2023 festival will be epic. This year's festivities are taking place from February 15–22. Global Voices put together some of the best Soco tunes for you – even Jamaican reggae star Shaggy is featured.
Listen to the soundtrack here. Of course, I put some of my own favorites in this newsletter's own Spotify playlist, 'Go Global Weekly.'
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Article: "Video call with a traditional healer? Once unthinkable, it's now common in South Africa" by Shukri Hassan
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"Videoconferencing is becoming a common practice among traditional healers in South Africa, just as remote working has become the norm in the corporate world," writes Hassan for Rest of World.
In South Africa, you typically go to sangomas (traditional healers believed to have access to the spirit world) if you're dealing with some sort of physical disease. The country has legally recognized them under its Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007.
At the start of 2022, there were some 41 million internet users in South Africa. Some 19 million people still remain offline. (Digital 2022 report)
Read the article here.
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The documentary India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't want you to watch
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Last week, Indian tax authorities raided the offices of the BBC in New Delhi and Mumbai, seizing employees’ laptops and mobile phones. Why? On January 17, the first episode of its documentary series "India: The Modi Question" aired.
The documentary takes a closer look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which left more than 1,000 people dead, most of them Muslims. India’s foreign ministry on January 19 said the documentary was “propaganda”.
The documentary was not shown in India, but the Hindu nationalist government banned it anyway, which increased interest via “the Streisand effect,” Al Jazeera reported. Indian tax authorities have previously raided other, mostly domestic, media outlets critical of the government.
If you live in the UK (or use VPN services), you can watch it here.
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EM ĐỒNG Ý (I DO) by Đức Phúc x 911 x Khắc Hưng premiered on February 9. More than 15 million people have vibed to "I’ll be by your side till the day I die, I’ll be waiting till I hear you say I do" since. Vietnam (and Đức Phúc) is super cheesy with this one. Of course, as always, you can listen to his new song in this newsletter's own Spotify Playlist 'Go Global Weekly'.
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This is an older article but too good to pass up:
A woman swam from Bangladesh to India to marry her online boyfriend. (India Today)
Lesson of the day: If she wanted to, she would.
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That's it from me.
Have you checked out this newsletter's very own Spotify playlist Go Global Weekly yet?
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