Here are some
recent editorials I wrote for The Gulf Today. (Posted for my records)
UAE marches ahead in
women empowerment
The appointment of Dr Amal
Abdullah Juma Karam Al Qubaisi as Chairperson of the Federal National Council
(FNC) is another clear indication that the UAE leads the way as a role model in
the region when it comes to women’s empowerment.
Emirati women have already
been advancing in multiple fields and their march of progress commenced right
with the foundation of the state.
This is the first time,
however, that a woman will hold the post of FNC chairperson since the nation's
inception in 1971. This is also a first among the Gulf Co-operation Council
member states.
It may be recalled that Dr
Al Qubaisi became the first woman to be elected to the UAE FNC in an historic
vote in 2006.
In 2011, she made history
again when she was elected as the first Deputy Speaker of the FNC, and became
the first woman to chair a session of the Federal National Council when she
deputised for the Speaker, Mohammed Al Murr.
The UAE Constitution
guarantees equal rights for men and women in accordance with the precepts of
Islam.
A cursory glance at the
prodigious role women play in the UAE society will reveal how Emirati women are
well represented in all echelons of society, including the political arena,
diplomatic corps, judiciary, media and the commercial sector.
Four women hold
ministerial positions in the Cabinet, including the position of
Secretary-General of the Cabinet, and women constitute 17.5 per cent of the
UAE's partially elected representative body, the FNC.
Three of the UAE's
ambassadors, one Consul-General and the UAE's Permanent Representative to the
United Nations in New York are women.
Four women have been
appointed as judges, two as public prosecutors and 17 as assistant public
prosecutors and marriage officials.
It is not just that. Women
also serve in the armed forces (one at Brigadier level), customs and police.
Women constitute 66 per cent of the public sector workforce (the average
globally is 48 per cent), with 30 per cent in senior and decision-making
positions, close to the level in advanced countries.
One should not forget that
it was Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE,
who laid the foundation for such a progressive path for women by stating,
"Islam affords women their rightful status, and encourages them to work in
all sectors, as long as they are afforded appropriate respect.”
Intensify efforts to
eradicate terrorism
There is a dire need for
the international community to redouble its efforts to eradicate terrorism and
to rid the world of its evils that threaten world peace and security, as
suggested by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud, at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit.
Horrible crimes such as
the ones in Paris come from sick minds that seek to spread chaos throughout the
world through the killing of innocent people for no reason.
As King Salman accurately
mentioned, the war on terrorism is the responsibility of the entire
international community. Terrorism is a global disease that has neither
nationality nor religion. It, as well as its funding, must be fought.
The rise in terrorism
undoubtedly undermines peace and security and endangers efforts to strengthen
the global economy.
In a move that shows its
commendable commitment in the global fight against terror, the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia has not only proposed the establishment of the International Centre for
the Fight against Terrorism under the United Nations umbrella, but has also
donated $110 million for the purpose.
Other countries need to
heed King Salman’s call to contribute to and support the organisation so as to
make it an international centre for the exchange of terrorism information and
research.
It is good to note that
the G20 Leaders agreed to show resolute stance in the fight against terrorism.
The statement issued after a meeting in the Antalya province of Turkey by the
leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies has appropriately stressed that
terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic
group.
The discovery of a Syrian
passport near the body of one of the Paris attackers does raise fears that some
of the assailants might have entered Europe as part of the huge influx of
people fleeing Syria's civil war. However, this should not be a reason to let
genuine refugee seekers and migrants suffer.
The continued acts of
barbarism perpetrated by Daesh should not be allowed to intimidate the
international community, but strengthen the resolve that there has to be a
common effort amongst governments and institutions to counter such enemies of
humanity.
The terrorists should be
left in no doubt that the world community stands together against them.
The heinous action of the
terrorist groups and their counterparts represent epidemics that must be
eradicated by civilised societies without any delay.
Do not slam the door
on genuine refugees
Top United Nations
officials are absolutely correct when they say that Paris and Beirut terror
attacks should not be used as a pretext to slam the doors on genuine refugees
and migrants.
Balkan countries have
already begun filtering the flow of migrants, granting passage to those fleeing
conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan, but turning back thousands from
Africa and Asia.
New border controls in the
western Balkans are leaving migrants stranded behind barbed wire as
temperatures start to plunge.
UN officials have stated
that the measures by Macedonia, Serbia and other states are creating tension at
border crossings and leaving some families stranded without adequate shelter.
Children, who account for
a growing percentage of the migrants, are particularly at risk from the
plunging temperatures.
It is as yet unclear how
many children are on the move, but some 214,000 children are currently seeking
asylum in Europe, according to Unicef.
The UN High Commissioner
for Refugees has indicated that more than 4,000 refugees and migrants have
streamed into Europe each day in November, adding to the influx of 846,000
people - many of them Syrians fleeing war.
Plunging temperatures pose
a major challenge putting lives of thousands at risk.
UN Deputy
Secretary-General Jan Eliasson echoed the sentiments of all peace-loving people
when he remarked, ““Those who flee this violence should not be punished twice –
first by war or oppressive forces which persecute them at home. And, second, by
unjust, dangerous stigma which even shockingly associate the refugees with
their attackers. The refugees, if any, understand better than anyone the
barbaric cruelty of violent extremism.”
The situation is indeed
alarming. It is not since the end of the Second World War that so many people –
more than 60 million – been forcibly displaced around the world.
What is needed is better
reception centres and claims processing, creative solutions to find sufficient
places of refuge through resettlement, private sponsorship, humanitarian visas,
family reunification and more opportunities for local integration and access
for refugees to job markets.
Europe’s current policies
do not evidently rise to the challenge.
As Eliasson elucidates,
sealing borders, building fences or taking a strict security approach to the
movement of refugees and migrants does not solve the problem.
Instead, there is a need
to expand safe and legal paths to safety for refugees and migrants that put
middlemen and traffickers out of business.
Climate deal an
achievable goal
The United Nations Agency
for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has declared that weather-related
disasters have claimed more than 600,000 lives in the last 20 years alone and
this a matter of serious concern for the international community.
It is not just that.
Floods, storms and other extreme weather events have left 4.1 billion people
injured, homeless or in need of emergency assistance.
It is, hence, imperative
that the United Nations climate change conference, widely known as COP21, must
be a turning point towards a low-emission, climate-resilient future when it
starts in a week’s time in Paris.
The talks on Nov.30 are
tasked with crafting a 195-nation pact to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the latest
figures, more than 166 countries, which collectively account for more than 90
per cent of emissions, have already submitted national climate plans with
targets, known as the INDCs.
UN experts say that if
successfully implemented, these national plans could bend the emissions curve
down to a projected global temperature rise of approximately 3 degrees Celsius
by the end of the century.
Although that would mean
significant progress, there is still a long way to go.
As per UNISDR data,
flooding accounted for 47 per cent of all weather disasters over the last 20
years, affecting more than 2.3 billion people, the vast majority of whom live
in Asia.
A full 75 per cent of the
4.1 billion people affected were in either China or India, underscoring the
extent to which densely populated areas in those countries were
disproportionately vulnerable.
In Copenhagen in 2009, the
last time countries sought to craft a climate deal but failed, it was agreed
that poorer nations vulnerable to global warming impacts would receive $100
billion per year from 2020.
The money is meant to help
them give up fossil fuels and to shore up defence against climate-driven food
scarcity, heat waves and storm damage.
The developing nations are
seeking assurances that the flow of money will be recession-proof and come from
public sources. There is less clarity as yet on this aspect.
Though world leaders have
expressed their support for the COP, mere rhetoric will not help. Now the world
has a chance to steer towards a low-carbon, climate resilient future. Words
should be followed by action on the ground.
Nations participating in
the conference should strike a landmark deal on climate change. After all, the
matter involves the lives of all human beings on earth.
Diabetes poses
heavy challenge
As the international
community marks the World Diabetes Day (WDD) on Saturday, there is a need to
digest bitter truths about the dreaded disease.
Diabetes is a chronic
ailment, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when
the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an
increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).
Type 1 diabetes
(previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is
characterised by a lack of insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes (formerly
called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s
ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and
physical inactivity.
Led by the International
Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and
the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the
escalating health threat posed by the disease.
Now, an alliance of 230
diabetes organisations from 160 countries has emphasised on healthy diet as the
best way out to tackle the challenge.
Figures are startling.
Data from the Diabetes Atlas 2015 disclosed that of the 7.3 billion world
population, diabetics from the ages of 20 to 79 were estimated to range from
340 to 536 million.
Of the 1.92 billion
newborns to age 14 worldwide, 20.9 million were affected by gestational
diabetes (the condition arising among pregnant women), 542,000 children were
estimated to be suffering from Type 1 Diabetes (the condition among the young
who cannot produce insulin) as 86,000 were recorded as “newly diagnosed cases
each year.”
Total deaths due to
diabetes were recorded at 5 million.
For the 387 million adult
population from the Middle East and North Africa, 35.4 million were estimated
to be diabetics while 342,000 died due to the chronic disease.
The matter is so serious
that global health spending to treat diabetes and manage complications was
estimated to cost $612 billion in 2014 alone.
It is stated that the
number of people with diabetes in low- and middle-income countries will
continue to grow, posing a threat to sustainable development.
For example by 2035, the
number of people with diabetes in the African region is expected to double.
Spreading better awareness
about diabetes could a long way in helping save lives and also alleviate
suffering. Eating healthy food, physical exercise and avoiding habits like
smoking are among the best ways to prevent or control the disease.
Need to strengthen
global war on terror
With each passing day, it
is increasingly clear, as Chinese President Xi Jinping points out, that
terrorism is the common enemy of all human beings.
So much so that leaders
participating at the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which
normally focuses on trade and business issues, departed from convention and
called on governments to urgently increase cooperation in the fight against
terrorism as they wrapped up their annual talks in Manila.
The group's 21 leaders
have justly vowed to prevent terrorism from undermining values that underpin
their economies, with the summit declaration strongly condemning all acts,
methods, and practices of terrorism.
The terrorists are
responsible for thousands of crimes and abuses against people from all faiths,
ethnicities and nationalities, and without regard to any basic value of
humanity.
The most recent terrorist
attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, last month’s apparent bombing of a
Russian plane over Egypt, and the mounting threat from Daesh, which controls
large swathes of Syria and Iraq, highlight the need for a strong and united
global effort to eliminate the scourge.
The Daesh group’s latest
crime against humanity came in the form of its killing two hostages, Chinese
Fan Jinghui and Norwegian Ole-Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad.
While the Norwegian prime
minister's office is still verifying the photographs, China has confirmed Fan's
“inhuman” death in a statement posted on the foreign ministry website and vowed
to bring his killers to justice.
The global war against
terror should be relentless, but there is also a need for caution on the part
of Western nations in the sense that innocent refugees or migrants should not
be targeted for hate crime.
Many refugees are
themselves fleeing extremism and terrorism and it is imperative that Europe
treats them with compassion.
The continued acts of
barbarism perpetrated by Daesh should not be allowed to intimidate the
international community, but strengthen the resolve that there has to be a
common effort amongst governments and institutions to counter such enemies of
humanity.
UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-Moon has stressed rightly that violent conflicts and extremism are often
rooted in a mix of exclusion, inequality, mismanagement of natural resources,
corruption, oppression, governance failures, and the frustration and alienation
that accompany a lack of jobs and opportunities. These issues need to be
addressed with all sincerity.
The international
community should intensify its collective efforts to uproot terrorism and find
drastic solutions to combat the phenomenon, which contravenes all human and
moral values.
Israel snubs world
community again
In yet another snub to the
international community and Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has approved the marketing of land for the construction of 436 homes
in Ramat Shlomo and another 18 in Ramot in East Jerusalem.
The building of the
housing units in the settlement of Ramat Shlomo on land Israel occupied in 1967
was approved in 2012. But the project was later frozen in an attempt to avoid
friction with Washington.
The latest move is a slap
in the face of Israel’s close ally, America, especially because US
Vice-President Joe Biden had publicly chided Israel when construction plans for
Ramat Shlomo, which is in territory Palestinians seek for a future state, were
first announced in 2010 while he was visiting occupied Jerusalem.
Israel’s continuation of
settlement-building is a blatant violation of international law primarily aimed
at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Just on Monday, Robert
Piper, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, cautioned that Israeli demolitions of
Palestinian homes violated international law.
Peaceful protests against
demolitions are answered with bullets. On Monday, two Palestinians were killed
and nine others injured while protesting against the demolitions. Twenty
Palestinians, eight of them children, have been left homeless in four days.
Since June 1, 2014, the
Israeli authorities have demolished, sealed or destroyed with explosives 16 structures,
displacing 90 Palestinians, including 51 children, according to the UN.
In addition, at least 12
adjacent apartments were damaged, temporarily displacing at least 55 people.
The continuing demolitions
fuel a sense of despair among innocent Palestinians for which Israel holds sole
responsibility.
Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas rightly stated recently that the human rights situation in the
occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, are the worst and
most critical since 1948 as a result of the Israeli occupation and practices.
European Union foreign
policy chief Catherine Ashton had also recently stressed that settlement
construction is illegal under international law and further complicates efforts
to find a solution to end the conflict.
The present situation
calls for a decisive intervention by the international community to rein in the
occupation forces before it is too late.
The demolition of
Palestinian homes by the Israelis is a violation of the most basic human rights
and will only aggravate the security situation. Such demolitions are unjust
since innocent people are left to suffer for the acts of others.
