Recent Editorials

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Here are some recent editorials I wrote for The Gulf Today. (Posted for my records)

Conflicts leave children

scared and scarred

At a time when they are supposed to be studying at school or playing in the garden, millions of children in conflict zones are forced to face frightful situations like losing their homes, family members, friends, safety and the daily routine.

Unable to learn even the basic reading and writing skills, they risk losing their future.

The latest observation by Unicef that some 250 million children - one in nine children worldwide - live in countries affected by violent conflicts reflects a scary situation.

As per estimates, Unicef would now need a full $2.8 billion in 2016 to help millions of children in humanitarian emergencies around the world. The money would allow UN to reach 76 million people -- 43 million of them children -- across 63 countries.

The biggest chunk of that amount, ($1.2 billion), as can be surmised, is needed for aid in war-ravaged Syria and to help the millions of Syrian refugees in neigbouring countries.

Syria has suffered too much for too long. More than 260,000 people have been killed in nearly five years of brutal conflict in Syria, while more than four million people have fled as refugees and some 13.5 million people remaining in the country are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

Figures rattle: As per UN reports, more than 200,000 children applied for asylum in European Union countries in the first nine months of 2015, adding to the 30 million children across the globe forced from their homes by 2014 due to war, violence and persecution.

Actually, more people are displaced now than at any moment since World War.

Over half a billion children live in areas where floods are extremely common and nearly 160 million live in high or extremely high drought severity zones.

UN officials had mentioned last week that nearly 24 million children living in crisis zones in 22 strife-torn countries are being deprived of a school education.

The number of children trapped in humanitarian crisis around the world is beyond belief.

Unfortunately, education continues to be one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals. In Syria, one in four schools have been destroyed and more than two million children are out of school.

As UN officials point out, education is a life-saving intervention in emergencies. It should be borne in mind that if a child does not go to school for five years, a generation is lost.

A glorious example of

2-nation friendship

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s first State Visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has elevated the already-robust relations between the two nations to a much higher level.

As is well known, the two countries have been enjoying strong bonds of friendship based on civilisational links, age-old maritime trade and vibrant people-to-people contacts, the foundations of which were laid by the founding father of the nation, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Sheikh Mohamed has rightly pointed out that late Sheikh Zayed’s historic visit to India in 1975 represented a fundamental starting point for the development and progress of all relations between the two countries over the past decades.

Indians living in the UAE consider it second home and the credit for that goes to the large-hearted Emiratis, whose hospitality and affection are adorable.

Nearly 2.6 million Indians live in the UAE making up the largest UAE expatriate community.

It may be recalled that during Prime Minister Modi's historic visit to the UAE in August 2015, the two nations agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in several key areas, including trade and investment, security, counter-terrorism, joint defence production, space cooperation, IT and electronics.

The joint statement issued at the end of the three-day visit of Sheikh Mohamed has fervently emphasised the importance of expanding growth and trade opportunities to drive the strategic partnership forward.

The prevailing trade relation figures reflect a robust relationship. India is considered to be the UAE’s primary trade partner, accounting for about 9.8% of its total non-oil trade.

India is also the largest importer of goods from the UAE, buying about 14.9% of that country’s exports and about 8.7% of its re-exports, becoming the second-largest market of the UAE in the latter category.

It is not just that. India ranks third among countries that export to the UAE, accounting for about 9.2% of the total imports by the UAE.

The total volume of foreign trade between the two countries amounted to $60 billion in 2014, making the UAE India’s primary trade partner in the Middle East and North Africa.

Interestingly, economic sources expect the value of trade exchanges between the UAE and India to hit $100 billion in 2020.

The UAE and India have set a shining example of how mutual understanding and dynamic cooperation can lead to robust engagement, ultimately benefiting the people.

Ban just spoke the truth

and Israel can’t digest it

Truth is indeed bitter and it is not a surprise that Israelis are unable to digest it when United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon insists that Palestinians are losing hope in the face of nearly 50 years of stifling Israeli occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism of the UN chief for revealing the truth is nothing less than disgraceful.

This is what Ban said at the opening of the 2016 Session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People: “Young people especially are losing hope. They are angered by the stifling policies of the occupation. They are frustrated by the strictures on their daily lives. They watch as Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, expand and expand. They see the dream of a sovereign, contiguous and independent Palestinian state slip away.”

He also stated: “The people of Palestine have lived through half a century of occupation, and they have heard half a century of statements condemning it. But life hasn’t meaningfully changed. Children have become grandparents. We issue statements. We express concern. We voice solidarity. But life hasn’t changed.”

Each and every word in this is an honest reflection of world opinion, especially of peace-loving people. There is absolutely no reason for Israel to feel enraged by this honest expression of truth.

The UN has repeatedly cautioned that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, threatening to destroy the two-state solution. But Israel keeps snubbing the world body by continually building illegal settlements.

Ban has also correctly emphasised that provocative acts, such as Israel’s plans for over 150 new homes in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and the declaration of 370 acres in the West Bank, south of Jericho, as “state land” are bound to increase the growth of settler populations, further heightening tensions and undermining any prospects for a political road ahead.

The situation in Gaza too is a matter of serious concern. Eighteen months after the last Israeli war there, the humanitarian situation there remains perilous. Gazans are struggling to meet basic needs like water and electricity, besides being strangled by dire unemployment.

The message is loud and clear: The status quo cannot continue as it undermines the future of Palestinians. The one and only path to a just and lasting solution involves an end to the occupation, leading to a sovereign, independent State of Palestine.

A summit in UAE that

will benefit the world

World attention remained focused on the UAE on Monday and for valuable reasons.

The three-day World Government Summit in Dubai, titled “Shaping Future Governments,” under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has taken off in style with highly constructive ideas pouring in from top dignitaries.

The thrust of the message from the leaders from all walks of life was for governments across the world to be responsive to their citizens.

The biggest announcement came in the form of a new government that will comprise less ministries but more ministers handling national, strategic and dynamic files.

As Sheikh Mohammed explained, “We want a young and flexible government that would fulfill our youth’s aspirations and achieve our people’s ambitions.”

As expected, Sheikh Mohammed’s inspiring interaction with his 10 million social media followers during a live conversation turned out to be a major highlight of the day.

The Summit in Dubai has attracted more than 3,000 personalities from over 125 countries, and 125 speakers in over 70 sessions.

US President Barack Obama addressed the crucial subject of ongoing strife shaking the Middle East ever since the Arab Spring started in 2011. His direct message was that when governments truly invested in their citizens, their education and health, and when universal human rights were upheld, countries were more peaceful, more prosperous and more successful.

The most fertile times in the history of civilizations come from a culture of discovery, which was prevalent in the Arab world for centuries over a thousand years ago during the Golden Age of Islam.

This powerful message was well put forth by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History.

Over two thirds of all stars have Arabic names and the words algebra, algorithm find their origins in the Arabic word al-jabr. As he put it, if the region had sustained this pace of discovery, it would’ve produced Nobel Laureates every year.

A suggestion by Paul Anderson, who teaches AP science in an American school, on how classroom game design helps improve learning added another constructive element to the session.

As per Anderson’s view, a classroom should resemble a workshop where one reads, watches videos, work on skills and then applies them to a project to solve problems in the real world.

The summit holds great value especially because several priceless reports are being issued in cooperation with knowledge partners from major global scientific research institutions.

If at all anything, the summit goes to show that the UAE values peace and prosperity not only for its citizens and residents, but also beyond, globally.

Dire humanitarian

situation in Syria

The worsening human rights situation in and around the city of Aleppo and other parts of Syria is a matter of serious concern as shocking violations and abuses are committed on a daily basis.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, has aptly termed the situation grotesque.

As he explained, the warring parties are constantly sinking to new depths, without apparently caring in the slightest about the death and destruction they are wreaking across the country.

Women and children, the elderly, the wounded and sick, people with disabilities, are being used as bargaining chips and cannon fodder day after day, week after week, month after month.

Since the latest offensive by government forces began last week in the Governorate of Aleppo, reportedly accompanied by numerous air strikes by Russian and Syrian aircraft, some 51,000 civilians have been displaced and a further 300,000 are at risk of being placed under siege.

There have also been several civilian casualties and major destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Also, according to UN officials, a military offensive by Syrian government and allied forces has cut off 120,000 people in the northern Homs governorate since mid-January, worsening hunger and killing patients unable to get to medical care.

There are reports of increasingly acute shortages of food, basic commodities, medical items and fuel in the area.

With the irregular supply routes used until mid-January now cut off, food items that are still available are now being sold at much higher prices.

Sadly, bread prices are already 10 times higher than in the city of Homs, and unaffordable for most families.

The last UN aid convoy reached rural northern Homs in October 2015. The UN has been trying to send additional supplies since then, but has been unable to get approval.

The reality is that thousands of civilians in other parts of Syria are facing dire humanitarian conditions, particularly those under sieges imposed both by government forces and affiliated armed groups, and by armed opposition groups, besides Daesh.

As UN officials rightly point out, all the parties to a conflict have obligations under international humanitarian law not to place the civilian population in peril by taking shelter amongst them, or in protected structures such as schools and hospitals.

A lasting peaceful resolution of this horrific war is the need of the hour and that can be attained through urgent and serious dialogue.

An eye on the employee

(My last article in Business@Qatar - posted for my records)

 

 

Something missing

I glanced at the mirror and instantly realised something was missing.

“It has to do with your old-fashioned goggles, dad. Throw it out and grab a new branded one,” suggested my daughter.

The idea sounded good and within a week my look had changed, but the mirror reflection indicated something was still missing.

“It is because of the wrinkles, dad. Try out the new face cream. It’s awesome,” recommended my second daughter, naming a branded item.

Cool indeed it was. My face was shining the whole day, but I could sense something was still missing.

When I confided in my best friend, she studied me for a second and her face flashed with an idea.

“There you go. Look at your hairstyle again in the mirror. That’s where the fault lies. Use a gel,” she came out with a name.

I went for it and yet the problem persisted.

I remained silent and tried to comprehend what was wrong. The answer emerged from the silence. 

Next day, when I entered the office, my pretty female colleague gave a high-five, while my Ugandan colleague gave a hug. There was cheer all around and I had found what was missing.

Yes. The smile.

Recent Editorials

Here are some recent editorials I wrote for The Gulf Today. (Posted for my records)

Land-grabber Israel

does it again

For years, Israel has been obsessed with one agenda: harass, kill, humiliate or intimidate innocent Palestinians.

Among the several means that Israel adopts, land-grabbing is one, and it is now set for the largest land seizure since August 2014.

In its latest disgraceful move, Cogat, a unit of Israel's Defence Ministry, has confirmed in an email purportedly sent to Reuters, that a political decision to seize the territory has already been taken and the lands are in the final stages of being declared “state lands.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has rightly denounced the seizure, but what is demoralising is that such mere condemnations do not have any impact and Israel has been insulting the international community for too long without being pulled up.

Settlement activities are a clear violation of international law and run counter to the public pronouncements of the government of Israel supporting a two-state solution.

Senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Hanan Ashrawi is absolutely correct when she says Israel is stealing land specially in the Jordan Valley under the pretext it wants to annex it.

This should be considered a reason for a real and effective intervention by the international community to end such a flagrant and grave aggression. Israel should not be allowed to kill all chances of peace.

To compound the problems of Palestinians, the Israelis also repeatedly demolish Palestinian houses. During the year 2015, over 535 Palestinian houses in several districts of the occupied West Bank and Al Quds were razed ignoring protests from all peace-loving people across the world.

In another snub to European peace voices, Israeli forces have demolished six structures in the West Bank funded by the European Union's humanitarian arm. The structures were dwellings and latrines for Bedouins living in an area known as E1 - a particularly sensitive zone between occupied Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

Palestinians feel deep frustration over the occupation that has lasted several decades.

The world community has, unfortunately, failed to provide the Palestinian people with protection and to hold the Israeli occupation power accountable for its violations.

The continuing expansion of settlements, the demolition of Palestinian homes, the revocation of residency rights and the eviction and displacement of numerous Palestinian families from East Jerusalem are in deep contravention of international law. Such actions do not contribute to peace.

Israeli atrocities have gone on for too long. It’s time to force Israel to abide by international law.

Weed out toxic seeds

of extremist ideology

Honestly, there is not much surprise in the research carried out by the Pew Research Centre that indicates no Muslim-majority country in the world supports Daesh.

It is known that Muslims across the world hold the terrorist organisation in contempt, with highly respected Muslim religious leaders denouncing the group for its crimes against humanity.

A chart created for                         The Independent newspaper by Statista showed only 4 per cent of Indonesians declared a "favourable view" of the group.

The figure was put at 0 per cent in some countries.

Thursday was the first time Daesh had claimed an attack in Indonesia, where previous bombings had been attributed to an Al Qaeda affiliate called Jemaah Islamiyah.

More than 200 million people identify themselves as Muslim in Indonesia according to 2011 research – that is 87 per cent of the population.

In a specific reference to the dreaded Daesh group, the UN Security Council recently mentioned, “By its violent extremist ideology, its terrorist acts, its gross systematic and widespread attacks directed against civilians, violations of international humanitarian law, including those driven on religious or ethnic ground, its eradication of cultural heritage, Daesh constitutes a global threat to international peace and security.”

Terrorism is definitely not a phenomenon linked to any particular religion. There can be no cause or grievance that can justify the horrors that terrorist groups carry out against innocent people.

Interestingly, the UAE has identified the fact that terrorism and extremism are interdependent and hence there is a need to dismantle the relationship.

Right from the beginning, the UAE has stressed its firm and open stance in countering extremism, and does not accept the hijacking of the Islamic religion by takfiri groups.

The war on terrorism, as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Bin Mohammed Gargash, stated recently, begins with a fight on both its funding, and extremist educational and fundamentalist curricula which encourage its growth.

There can be no doubt that it is its consistent and unwavering stand against terrorism and extremism in all forms and manifestations that has made the UAE an oasis of peace and a model for others to emulate.

Terrorism is a scourge impacting all of humanity and people from all regions and religions.

Repeated attempts by Daesh to disturb public order and spread terror among people should not be allowed to win. The world should stand united and weed out the toxic seeds of extremist ideology.

Rein in Iran for

peace to reign

The fact that various Arab, Islamic and friendly countries and the UN Security Council have all categorically rejected the wanton attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran indicates that the world will no longer tolerate Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries under any pretext.

The attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the city of Mashhad and threats received by Saudi diplomats there from Iranian groups that stormed the two missions are definitely a major violation of diplomatic norms.

What raises serious concerns about likely official complicity is the utter failure of the Iranian security authorities to protect diplomats and Saudi diplomatic missions.

Arab foreign ministers at an emergency Arab League session on Sunday in Cairo hit the nail on the head when they blamed Iran for interfering in the affairs of other Middle Eastern states and undermining regional security.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan also raised a pertinent point that the attack "took place under the nose and within the earshot of security forces."

Judicial rulings implemented recently by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were clearly against a number of terrorists. The hostile statements by various Iranian leaders amount to blatant Iranian meddling in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia.

The GCC Ministerial Council has rightly expressed strong condemnation and rejection of these attacks, holding the Iranian authorities fully responsible for these terrorist acts in accordance with its commitment to the 1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions as well as the international law, which hold the countries responsible for protecting diplomatic missions.

Going by the background of the situation, the anger of the Gulf Arab countries is entirely justified and the various actions initiated by most of these countries are reasonable reactions to repeated provocation by Tehran.

Tehran has also obviously failed to recognise that positive relations between states should be based on mutual respect and the adoption of a clear-cut policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of others.

The international community should initiate serious efforts to prevent such attacks on diplomatic missions in Iran. Iran should realise that meddling will just not work anymore.

At a time when some countries in the region are facing turmoil, it is appalling that Iran keeps itself busy flouting international norms and principles of good neighbourliness and igniting more crises instead of promoting peace initiatives.

Cowardly killings

in Pakistan

Cold-blooded terrorists have struck again in Pakistan. The violence at the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda town in which gunmen killed several people has left the world shocked and heart-broken.

The dastardly incident has also brought back grim memories of the horrific December 2014 Peshawar school attack that killed more than 150 people, mostly children.

Only a cold-blooded mindset can plot the killing of innocent professors and students at the sacred institutions that shape the future of the country with knowledge and wisdom.

The fact that these incidents took place in broad daylight highlights the brutal nature of the perpetrators. Those who engaged in the heinous crime have no religion and can only be seen as enemies of humanity.

Pakistan’s struggle against terrorism has now reached a decisive point and it is unlikely that the momentum would be reversed.

It is believed that the intelligence agencies had received some kind of clues about these terrorist attacks beforehand. That’s the reason some schools in Peshawar were abruptly closed last week. Unfortunately, the authorities were not able to stop the criminals from hitting their targets this time.

The attackers had apparently scaled a wall to enter the campus, killing a caretaker in a school guesthouse before moving on to the boys' hostel.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has rightly vowed to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.

The latest violence has also highlighted the vulnerability of Pakistani institutions, which was dramatically exposed in the attack two years ago on Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl shot at by a Taliban gunman outside her school in Swat Valley.

The idea behind such reprehensible killings by terrorists is obviously to create fear among the public.

The law enforcement agencies need to act swiftly and track down the sponsors and planners of such heinous acts.

Last month, as the country marked the first anniversary of the Peshawar school attack, the military claimed phenomenal successes in its operation against militants and said it had killed around 3,500 insurgents.

It would be foolhardy to think that attacks by terrorists such as the one in Charsadda may weaken the Pakistan military's resolve. On the contrary, it would only strengthen its determination to eliminate extremism.

All peace-loving people across the world stand in total solidarity with the people of Pakistan.

The message should be loud and clear: Guns will not be allowed to wipe out human values.

Unprecedented level

of suffering in Madaya

It is good that a UN humanitarian convoy has finally reached the besieged Syrian town of Madaya with life-saving health and food supplies, but what is also a matter of huge concern is the condition of about 4.5 million people living in hard-to-reach areas across Syria, including nearly 400,000 in 15 besieged locations without access to the aid that they desperately need.

The 42,000 residents of Madaya have been facing desperate times and more than two dozen people have reportedly starved to death, crippled by a six-month government siege that has made even bread and water hard to find.

“Crowds of hungry kids around," Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Sajjad Malik said via text message from the isolated town as the first four trucks of the 49-truck convoy unloaded in the dark to help relieve a situation that UN officials last week called “horrendous… ghastly.”

Food has been so scarce that people repeatedly mentioned that a kilo of rice would cost $300, according to Malik. One family had to “sell a motorbike to get five kilos of rice.”

Residents told UN staff that a main source of food in recent weeks has been a soup made of grass boiled with the few available spices. With no access to electricity, people in Madaya had tried to stay warm by burning cardboard.

Deliberate starvation of civilians amounts to war crimes under the international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Top UN officials say they have received credible reports of people dying from starvation and being killed or injured while trying to leave the area, which last received UN humanitarian aid in October.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, a World Health Organisation official stated, “People gathered in the market place. You could see many were malnourished, starving. They were skinny, tired, severely distressed. There was no smile on anybody's face. It is not what you see when you arrive with a convoy. The children I talked to said they had no strength to play."

Many malnourished people were too weak to leave their homes.

It is sad to note that the level of suffering in Madaya has no precedent in Syria’s war. Ordinary citizens should be protected against the woes of armed conflicts.

All parties involved in the conflict should facilitate unimpeded access to people in besieged areas in Syria. The international community should extend every form of assistance to the victims in such blockaded cities.

Libya cannot afford

to remain divided

The terrorist attack that targeted a police training centre in the Libyan city of Zliten and left scores dead and injured is a highly condemnable, heinous act that highlights the urgent need for all stakeholders to press ahead with forming a recently-agreed national unity government.

The attack also signifies the pressing need for the activation and rebuilding of Libyan security forces.

Daesh has been expanding its foothold in Libya, exploiting the instability that has gripped the country since the 2011 uprising.

The turmoil has also led to Libya’s rise as a stepping stone for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.

The continuing attacks by Daesh-affiliates on oil facilities near Sidra, in central Libya, clearly indicates attempts by extremists to strip these natural resources from the Libyan people.

Top UN officials have correctly pointed out that every wasted day in failure to implement the Libyan Political Agreement is a day of gain for the terrorists.

In a report to the UN Security Council in November, International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that Daesh was responsible for at least 27 car and suicide bombings in the country in 2015.

The country is dependent on oil, which in 2012 accounted for 95 per cent of government revenue. As fierce fighting has disabled oil fields and ports, Libya’s output has dropped.

It is currently producing less than a fifth of exports prior to 2011.

In December, UN officials facilitated the final stages of an agreement to form a Government of National Accord with a presidency council, cabinet, house of representatives and state council, in talks between the sides in Morocco in a bid to end four years of factional fighting that has killed many Libyans and left nearly 2.4 million in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

The UN Security Council also called on the new Presidency Council to work within the 30 days prescribed by the Agreement to form a Government of National Accord and finalise interim security arrangements needed to stabilise the North African country.

The situation is indeed grave. The crumbling state could be crippled if terrorists seize control of oil resources.

Libyans need to remain united in order to confront terrorism in all its forms. All leaders should strive to create a conducive environment for the government to assume its responsibilities.

The international community should also redouble efforts to help the country overcome the security and economic challenges.

Recent Editorials

Here are some recent editorials I wrote for The Gulf Today. (Posted for my records)

American gun lobby

playing with fire

At last, good sense seems to prevail in America on the deadly issue of gun violence.

President Barack Obama’s decision to look for ways to keep guns out of the hands of "a dangerous few" without depending on Congress to pass a law reflects his determination to tackle the problem with more earnestness.

Obama has made fighting gun violence his chief resolution for 2016, calling it a major piece of "unfinished business" for his White House administration.

Indications are that steps to strengthen background checks could also come this week and that surely is encouraging news.

However, the task is not easy. The president’s attempts have drawn the ire of certain sections, especially Repubicans.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump vowed to first veto and then "unsign" Obama's possible executive action on guns at a rally in Mississippi.

The National Rifle Association has criticised Obama’s tactic as a "political stunt."

Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned in a Twitter comment: "Obama wants to impose more gun control. My response? Come & take it."

For too long, gun control has remained a hot topic in the US, where the Second Amendment of the Constitution protects the right to bear arms.

Earlier efforts to push through national reforms to gun laws following mass shootings at various places like Newtown, Connecticut and Oregon have all met firm resistance in the Republican-controlled Congress.

The Pew Research Center found last December that 57 per cent of Americans say they believe owning a gun helps protect people from crime, up from 48 per cent in 2012. The rest said owning a gun would put personal safety at risk.

Data compiled by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an advocacy group in Washington, reveals that on average 89 people die each day from gun violence in the US.

There have been incidents of horrific gun violence in the last few years. Sadly, much of the victims were innocent bystanders, including children.

Considering that America is a place where people own more guns than anywhere else in the world, any step aimed at keeping guns out of the wrong hands is necessary to save lives and should be welcomed.

Obama’s renewed determination to crack the whip on gun violence is a positive step that deserves the support of one and all.

The US gun lobby has played with fire for too long. Time has come to rein it in.

Rein in Iran for

peace to reign

The fact that various Arab, Islamic and friendly countries and the UN Security Council have all categorically rejected the wanton attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran indicates that the world will no longer tolerate Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries under any pretext.

The attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the city of Mashhad and threats received by Saudi diplomats there from Iranian groups that stormed the two missions are definitely a major violation of diplomatic norms.

What raises serious concerns about likely official complicity is the utter failure of the Iranian security authorities to protect diplomats and Saudi diplomatic missions.

Arab foreign ministers at an emergency Arab League session on Sunday in Cairo hit the nail on the head when they blamed Iran for interfering in the affairs of other Middle Eastern states and undermining regional security.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan also raised a pertinent point that the attack "took place under the nose and within the earshot of security forces."

Judicial rulings implemented recently by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were clearly against a number of terrorists. The hostile statements by various Iranian leaders amount to blatant Iranian meddling in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia.

The GCC Ministerial Council has rightly expressed strong condemnation and rejection of these attacks, holding the Iranian authorities fully responsible for these terrorist acts in accordance with its commitment to the 1961 and 1963 Vienna Conventions as well as the international law, which hold the countries responsible for protecting diplomatic missions.

Going by the background of the situation, the anger of the Gulf Arab countries is entirely justified and the various actions initiated by most of these countries are reasonable reactions to repeated provocation by Tehran.

Tehran has also obviously failed to recognise that positive relations between states should be based on mutual respect and the adoption of a clear-cut policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of others.

The international community should initiate serious efforts to prevent such attacks on diplomatic missions in Iran. Iran should realise that meddling will just not work anymore.

At a time when some countries in the region are facing turmoil, it is appalling that Iran keeps itself busy flouting international norms and principles of good neighbourliness and igniting more crises instead of promoting peace initiatives.

Israeli bullying does not

spare even UN officials

Talk of violations or brutality and Israel’s name instantly comes to one’s mind.

In its latest disgraceful act, Israel has forced the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian territories to resign by refusing to grant him access to the areas he is tasked with monitoring.

“Unfortunately, my efforts to help improve the lives of Palestinian victims of violations under the Israeli occupation have been frustrated every step of the way,” Makarim Wibisono said of his resignation, which he has submitted to the President of the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

When the official assumed his post in June 2014, he was assured by Israel that he would have access to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

However, his repeated requests for access, both written and oral, later proved to be unsuccessful.

It may be recalled that in his recent reports, the UN Rapporteur voiced concerns at Israeli raids against the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements in the occupied West Bank, at the high level of clashes in the city where Palestinians live in close proximity to a large settler population, and at the blockade around the Gaza strip, which imposes severe restrictions on Palestinian movement, imports and exports.

The lack of effective protection of Palestinian victims from continuing human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law is a matter of serious concern.

On the ground, Israeli brutality continues unabated.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least 170 Palestinians were killed in 2015 by the occupying forces, including over 140 during the ongoing Israeli escalation in the occupied territories.

At least 15,377 Palestinians were also wounded in 2015, 90% of them in demonstrations and clashes in the West Bank and Al Quds.

That’s not all. Israeli authorities demolished during the year 2015, over 535 Palestinian houses in several districts of the occupied West Bank and Al Quds.

Israel should be made to realise the importance of respecting sacred sites in occupied Jerusalem. Any change in the status quo of the religious sanctities policy will have serious effects on stability in the Middle East.

The international community should step up efforts to rein in Israel and support the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.

A just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue is the only way that can contribute towards establishing regional and international stability.

N.Korea testing

world’s patience

A comprehensive, hard-hitting international response is what the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) deserves after its shock announcement that it has tested its first hydrogen bomb.

Pyongyang has gone too far in its provocative tactics and mere verbal threats from the international community would only encourage the rogue regime to continue on its wayward path.

If confirmed, this would be the fourth nuclear test carried out by the country since 2006.

Though there is some scepticism in the air with experts suggesting the apparent yield was far too low for a thermonuclear device, harsher penalties are the only way out to rein in DPRK.

The nuclear test has already ignited anger in the region. South Korea has raised its military alert to the highest level at locations along the border where loudspeakers will resume propaganda broadcasts into the North on Friday.

Such propaganda broadcasts have in the past angered the North, prompting an exchange of artillery fire across the border.

A successful hydrogen bomb test would be a big new step for the North. Fusion is the main principle behind the hydrogen bomb, which can be hundreds of times more powerful than atomic bombs that use fission.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has already condemned the grave contravention of the international norm against nuclear testing. He has stated that the act is profoundly destabilising for regional security and seriously undermines international non-proliferation efforts.

The problem is that the latest censure and sanctions threats have a familiar tone, given similar outrage that greeted the North's previous tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

As some experts suggest, there is a need to find a strategy that combines coercion with negotiation.

All eyes at the UN will now be on China, a veto-wielding council member, to see just how far it will go in tightening the sanctions grip on its unruly neighbour.

In this, Beijing has its own worries to sort out. A North Korean collapse and the prospect of a US-allied Korea directly on its border are not expected to be greeted with merriment by China.

Nuclear weapons pose a grave threat to entire mankind.  Such activities by the DPRK pose a grave threat to international peace and security.

Resolute action is needed to make the North Korean regime understand that aggravation does not always help.

The only path forward is for North Korea to cease any further nuclear activities and meet its obligations for verifiable denuclearisation.

Optimistic start to

Daesh elimination

The flying of the Iraqi flag above the main government complex in Ramadi marks the military’s first major victory over Daesh in 18 months when the terrorists made a shock advance and is surely a huge and optimistic start to the elimination of Daesh.

The victory has broken the back of Daesh and indicates a positive beginning in the process of liberation of other areas held by it.

The task has not been easy as the terrorists are said to have planted several explosive devices on the roads and in the buildings of the government complex.

The terrorists have devastated Ramadi and a return to absolute normalcy may indeed take more time.

Defence Minister Khaled Al Obeidi had declared recently that Iraqi forces had reconquered more than half of the territory lost to Daesh.

The brave Iraqi forces that took the fight to the terrorists’ doors with courage deserve all praise.

The army no longer faces any resistance in the city and its main task now is to defuse countless bombs and traps.

Disturbingly, Daesh used civilians as human shields to escape the battle especially when it became clear that their last stand in Ramadi was doomed.

The success has visibly propped up more confidence with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi vowing to liberate the second city of Mosul and rid the entire country of Daesh in 2016.

Of course, retaking Mosul would be hard as the region is a mosaic of different ethnic and religious groups lying between Turkey, Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan. Nevertheless, precision planning, confidence and commitment can do the trick.

It is also good that the United Nations has stepped up its efforts to cut off all sources of funding for Daesh and other terrorist groups, including ransom payments, no matter by whom.

With terrorists increasingly employing elusive tricks to raise and transfer funds, covering their tracks and leaving little evidence to identify tainted resources, the international community must stay ahead of the curve to combat their ploys, as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon recently suggested.

Many countries have yet to set up the necessary legal regimes and institutions to identify and freeze terrorist assets.

The liberation of Ramadi is surely a big victory yet in the fight against Daesh.

This success will help boost the morale of Iraq's military, which collapsed when Daesh took over large parts of the country in June 2014. Daesh terrorists should know that they have no place to hide.

Happy New Year

Yes, spread cheer in New Year..Wish all my friends the very best in 2016.
(My article in The Gulf Today, Jan.1, 2016)