Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator. I hope you have a good start to this busy week. Dominica (an island country in the Caribbean), Eswatini, Maldives and Slovakia are having elections.
In issue #350, I write about Nigeria's military and some very serious allegations, blasphemy laws in Indonesia and how they are increasingly being used to prosecute non-Muslim civilians, and the latest huge push for Indigenous rights in Brazil. I also take you to a music festival in Lebanon and Colombia, we shake our booties to an Egyptian pop song, and celebrate a good deal of good news from Africa, and so much more.
I'm not sure if you've read the previous emails but some changes are coming to this newsletter. After almost a decade, I decided to roll out a VIP Membership, starting October 16. I explain everything here. In short: If you want to continue receiving this email from me every Monday, the way it looks now, read this. If it sounds good, you can become a VIP Member here. If you're a Patreon subscriber, you didn't get that email; you're already my VIP (cheesy, right?).
Without further ado,
Have fun reading,
Sham
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Estimated reading time: 10 min
You have access to all of my sources by clicking on what's underlined.
For Maps 1, 2 and 3, say thanks to Wikimedia Commons.
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Nigeria accounts for more than half of Africa's missing. The military may know why
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What's happening
An investigation this month found that the Nigerian army, while fighting Boko Haram, may have killed and buried hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians without trial.
Why this matters
Nigeria has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance, which tasks countries to do everything they can to find people who have gone missing and, if they have died, to find and honor their bodies. Another, the Minnesota Protocol, says that if someone dies in a way that might be against the law, the government has to look into it and prosecute those responsible. It also states that victims have a right to remedy and that family members of missing people have a right to information on what (may have) happened to them, and "the right to know extends to society as a whole."
Tell me more
There are more than 25,000 missing people in Nigeria, more than in any other country on the African continent. Many of them disappeared during 2011 and 2016, as the Nigerian army fought the extremist group Boko Haram. During that time, thousands of civilians were arrested and detained at the Giwa barracks in the northern city of Maiduguri, suspected of being affiliated with the terrorists; few of them were ever released. The new report is saying that the Nigerian army had a part, and not a minor one, to play in this.
That's a grave accusation, wow
Yes, and they've got proof. HumAngle created a database of nearly 3,650 missing people in the Chibok, Gwoza, Bama and Askira-Uba areas of northern Nigeria. Collaborating with Washington-based New Lines magazine, HumAngle’s investigations editor Kúnlé Adebajo tracked stories of missing people by interviewing eyewitnesses, using geolocation data, reviewing leaked documents and visiting sites. Adebajo told The Continent that at least 200 missing people "were arrested by security agents, mostly soldiers". HumAngle also obtained figures that show the military took more than 3,320 bodies to a morgue in Borno State between 2013 and 2022. "This doesn’t include the estimated hundreds of bodies taken to mass burial/dumping sites," Adebajo said.
Has the government responded yet?
No, the government has not officially responded to the report. Things do look a little suspicious as Nigeria doesn't seem to prioritize its pretty huge missing people issue. In 2015, Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission promised to set up a database of missing persons. It is still not operational today. And last Monday, the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances said that Nigeria was nine years late in submitting a report to the UN on its progress in legislating against and preventing enforced disappearances. Mhm.
What now?
HumAngle's Kúnlé Adebajo has a list of suggestions for next steps in a video on X, "Speed up the prosecution of alleged terrorism suspects, grant them a fair trial, release those found to be innocent. Also, release the names of everyone arrested in connection with Boko Haram and acknowledge your wrongdoings in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram. Additionally, the government should establish a compensation program for the affected families or at least apologize to them. Then, the government should launch a National Missing Persons Register."
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A Muslim woman was sentenced to two years in prison for eating pork in Indonesia
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What happened
A Muslim woman in Indonesia was sentenced to two years in prison under the country's blasphemy law. The reason? While vacationing in Bali, she shared a video on TikTok on March 9, sitting in front of a plate of rice, vegetables, and a slab of crispy pork skin. Before tasting the pork, she said 'Bismillah', that translates into ‘in the name of God (or Allah)’ in Arabic.
Why this matters
In Islam, eating pork is a no-no, but many non-Muslims in Indonesia, especially in places like Bali and among the Chinese community, eat it regularly. Indonesia's the biggest Muslim country in the world. Lately, there's been a shift towards more religious conservatism. Some folks are worried about how the blasphemy laws are being used, especially against religious minorities and those seen as disrespecting Islam. More than 230 million people live in Indonesia.
Tell me more
Lina Lutfiawati, or Lina Mukherjee to her two million followers on social media, is all about lifestyle and food. For her latest video, where she's trying pork, she faced trial in the Palembang district court on Sumatra island. Even though she has since apologized for eating food of her choice and prefixing it with a common Arabic phrase, the court found the 33-year-old guilty of disseminating information that could incite hatred against religious groups. On top of her jail time, she's got to pay a fine of US$16,245, which is a lot given that the average yearly salary in Indonesia is about US$4,300. If she doesn't pay up, she could be in jail for another three months. After the verdict, she told CNN Indonesia, "I know I was wrong, but I really did not expect this punishment." It is possible that she will file an appeal.
Are blasphemy cases like Lina's common in Indonesia?
Blasphemy laws have been growing in Indonesia. Now, there are six parts of the criminal code about it. It's seen as a step back for religious freedom. Lina's case is not unique, unfortunately. More influencers on social media have been jailed for blasphemy against Islam in recent years. Even though Indonesia's laws say blasphemy against any of its six official religions is a no-go, most cases are about Islam and often involve non-Muslims. In April, a Christian YouTuber got a 10-year-sentence for his comments on Islam’s prophet Muhammad. Last year, a bar chain’s promotion of free drinks for men named Muhammad got six people arrested for blasphemy in Jakarta. One of Indonesia’s most high-profile blasphemy cases was that of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian politician widely known as Ahok who served as Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor in 50 years. He got two years in jail in 2017 for a comment he made about a verse in the Quran during his 2016 campaign. Even saying sorry didn't help.
Good to know: Officially secular, Indonesia constitutionally protects six religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
Did you know that, in Aceh province, Indonesia's got Islamic sharia law with public floggings for things like drinking or having sex outside of marriage?
What else is happening there?
So much. The country is talking about the protesters who set fire to a mayor's office in Gorontalo to demand compensation over a mining company's activity in their area, the hype around blue tea, a very controversial China-funded megaproject and a new study that found out that political parties have yet to prioritize issues of climate change and energy transition on their platforms. Oh, and for the rich folks out there, Indonesia is now offering a "golden visa" if you want to stay long-term.
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Brazil's Supreme Court protected Indigenous people's right to their ancestral lands
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What happened
Brazil’s Supreme Court has just made a big decision in favor of Indigenous rights, 'It is not constitutional to put a time limit for Indigenous people to claim their ancestral lands.'
Why this matters
This ruling affects around 1.6 million Indigenous people. Their ancestral lands, covering nearly 14 percent of Brazil, form an essential part of their culture and livelihood.
Tell me more
There was this proposed rule, "marco temporal." Nine out of eleven judges voted to strike down that rule. If it had been accepted, Indigenous groups would've needed to prove they were living on their land back in 1988 to keep it. 1988 is when Brazil’s current constitution was ratified. Many, including the UN, thought this was unfair. Why? Because over the years, many Indigenous people were forced off their lands. "Areas occupied by Indigenous people and areas that are linked to the ancestry and tradition of Indigenous peoples have constitutional protection, even if they are not demarcated," said Justice Luiz Fux, who cast the vote that established the majority. Though the case involved only one Indigenous group, the Supreme Court gave it "general repercussion" status, meaning the ruling will serve as a precedent for all instances of justice involving Indigenous groups.
Did you know that the two judges, who were okay with the cut-off date, were appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro? As you might know, he wasn't very keen on expanding Indigenous territories. The current President, Lula da Silva, on the other hand, has been more attentive to Indigenous concerns. He created the country’s first Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, headed by Indigenous woman Sônia Guajajara, and demarcated eight new Indigenous territories since coming into office in the beginning of this year.
Fun fact: A 2023 study found that when Indigenous land rights prevails in Brazil, so does nature.
What now?
"Without a doubt, this is a great victory for Indigenous peoples," Indigenous Chief Arakuã Pataxó told Mongabay. "They’ve won the battle, but not the war," said Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of Apib, an organization that represents around 300 indigenous ethnic groups in Brazil. Some are worried because leaders are trying to find a balance between farmers, businesses, and Indigenous people. This might change land boundaries and allow businesses on traditional lands. They're also talking about compensating non-Indigenous people for land they had acquired (which is now illegal) before the ruling.
Zoom out: Despite being only five percent of the world's population, Indigenous lands hold 80 percent of the planet's biodiversity. This 2022 panel discussion at The New York Times between Xiye Bastida (a young climate justice activist), Jade Begay (Director of Policy and Advocacy of NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led activist and advocacy organization) and Sônia Guajajara is all about integrating Indigenous knowledge into global climate solutions.
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Libya: Libya’s eastern government has ordered journalists to leave Derna after angry protests against the authorities a week after a flood killed at least 11,300 people. (The Guardian)
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Libya: Libya’s eastern government has ordered journalists to leave Derna after angry protests against the authorities a week after a flood killed at least 11,300 people. (The Guardian)
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Afghanistan: The Taliban has installed some 62,000 security cameras in Kabul and plans to expand this "surveillance network" to the rest of Afghanistan in the next four years. Bloomberg had previously reported that the Taliban is working with Chinese tech company Huawei to set up these cameras. (RFERL)
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Morocco: Morocco plans to spend at least 120 billion dirhams (US$11.7bn) in a post-earthquake reconstruction plan over the next five years, the royal palace has said, after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on September 8 killing more than 2,900 people, mostly in the High Atlas mountains. (Al Jazeera)
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Peru / Spain: Former police officer Luis Alberto Mío Morocho is attempting to avoid being returned to his country of origin, where he is accused of over a dozen murders. The Peruvian judiciary wants him returned to face allegations of being a member of the so-called Death Squad, a group of corrupt police officers who organized massacres of common criminals to gain prestige and promotions. (El País)
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DRC: DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has called for the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO which has been in the country for nearly 25 years. (UN)
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Rwanda: President Paul Kagame said he's running for president again next year. This isn't a shock, even though he mentioned before about possibly retiring and becoming a journalist. Technically, he's been president since 2000. But, since he led the group that stopped the 1994 genocide, he's been the defacto leader in Rwanda since then. (JeuneAfrique)
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Ghana: Many people protested against corruption, high taxes, a broken education system, the high cost of living and President Nana Akufo–Addo’s US$200-million project to build a national cathedral in Accra last week. (Africanews)
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Mali / Burkina Faso / Niger: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a security pact to support each other if any of them faced an armed rebellion or external aggression. The Alliance of Sahel States agreement comes weeks after West African regional bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily in Niger to restore civilian rule after the coup. (Al Jazeera)
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Zambia / Tanzania: Researchers found parts of what might be the oldest wooden structure ever, near a river between Zambia and Tanzania. They used to think only modern humans could make such things. But this structure is way older (by about 161,000 years) than the first known human, so it was likely made by other humans before us. (The Guardian)
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Mozambique: Mozambique has received the green light from the UK Supreme Court to pursue US$1.5 billion in damages in its long-running tuna bond fraud case. The court trial is set to begin on Oct. 3. The southern Africa country is suing Credit Suisse. (Financial Times)
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South Sudan: A South Sudanese refugee, Nhial Deng, received Chege.org Global Student Prize last week. The award comes with US$100,000. His story? After escaping Sudan's civil war and landing in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp in 2010, Nhial started the Refugee Youth Peace Ambassadors project in 2017, empowering over 20,000 young people in Kakuma. (chegg.org)
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Ethiopia: Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa ran 2:11:53 to win the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon and took more than two minutes off Brigid Kosgei‘s 2:14:04 world record. Assefa, 26, is the first Ethiopian woman to hold the world record and trained in her home country under one of its top coaches, Gemedu Dedefo. (LetsRun.com)
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Watch... the YouTube interview "MIA KHALIFA: Being Lebanese, Society & the Porn Industry" by Sarde. Depending on your age, you might either know Mia Khalifa as a Lebanese-American sex worker or as a popular TikToker and social commentator. During her time in the adult entertainment industry, she became known as the actress that would wear the hijab during adult films. She's since quit the industry and is heavily criticizing it while reflecting on her own role critically. However, she's remained a very controversial figure. Some people believe she's capitalized on the sexual objectification of the hijab, others say, 'she's not to blame for that.' Tune into the conversation and make up your own mind. They talk about the Beirut blast in 2020, women's rights and Lebanese politics.
Listen to... the main line-up of Festival Cordillera 2023 on this newsletter's own Spotify playlist 'Go Global Weekly'. The festival took place in Bogotá, Colombia last weekend. According to the Bogotá Post, "If you’re interested in contemporary Latin music, Festival Cordillera 2023 is the place to be." I checked them out like I was actually attending the festival (because, guys, I'm so tired of my environment right now). I added a selection of songs by some of the artists who performed there, like the Mexican rock band Zoé, Colombian singer of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent Totó la Momposina and Juanes (in Germany, he's known as the 'La Camisa Negra' guy), Argentinian rock icon Andrés Calamaro, reggaeton star Residente (my favorite!) and Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética.
Read... the article: "In war-scarred Iraqi city, food business gives women independence" by Mohammad Salim for AFP. In Iraq's city of Mosul, there is a food business called "Taste of Mosul" run by women, helping single mothers and widows like Abir Jassem earn a living. Abir, who lost her husband during the rule of the Islamic State group, needed a job to provide for her family, and "Taste of Mosul" was founded in 2017, right after the city was liberated from IS. Most of its employees today are women who are widowed or divorced. Speaking of food, have you ever tried the Kubba Mosul? It is one of the most famous and authentic Iraqi/Assyrian dishes out there. In simple terms, Kubba Mosul can be described as a meat pie; two layers of bulgur dough mixed with beef that is stuffed with lamb and pine nuts – ideal for a special occasion or even for unexpected guests, as it can be cooked from frozen.
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"Sayrena Ya Donia" by Ahmed Saad, an Egyptian pop singer who keeps publishing hit after hit after hit lately. He's is one of Egypt’s most popular pop stars and has been making music since the early 2000s. "Sayrena Ya Donia" is a year old but for this hit song, he's recently received the Murex D'Or Award (you can watch the entire award show in Lebanon here). Of course, it wouldn't be an Arab music award show without Nancy Ajram winning something. Her video clip "Ala Shanak" won Best Video.
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58-year-old Danish artist Jens Haaning has been ordered by a Danish court to repay the Kunsten Museum after he delivered blank canvasses to them in 2021. 'It was a breach of contract. We told him we wanted something specific,' they said.
Haaning must now repay the museum the €67,000 grant money. However, he is able to keep the worker's fee that amounted to about €3,500.
BaDum tisss 🥁
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Hey, I'm Sham, the person behind this newsletter. Since 2014, I email a bunch of strangers once a week, curating news headlines from Asia, Africa and the Americas. I work under the assumption that, here in the West (I live in Berlin, Germany), we don't read or know much about the global majority, aka the rest of the world.
My goal is to help you burst your Western-centric bubble.
If you want to know more about me, visit my website or follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
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