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Archives for December 2014

Third Test drawn, Australia seal series

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Dhoni

Melbourne: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24 not out) played a responsible knock to force a draw for India against Australia on a tense fifth and final day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Tuesday.

Dhoni’s patient innings, together with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (8 not out) put on a brave 32-run seventh-wicket partnership to bail out India from a tight spot and avoid a third consecutive defeat against the hosts. The match ended with India reaching 174 for six.

But the draw wasn’t enough for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy as Australia now have a unbeatable 2-0 lead after three Tests in the four-match series. The fourth match begins from Jan 6 in Sydney.

Australia declared their second innings at 318 for nine courtesy of middle-order batsman Shaun Marsh’s 99, to expand their lead to 383 runs.

Chasing a stiff target of 384 in 70 overs, India’s run chase began on a disastrous note, losing the wickets of openers Shikhar Dhawan (0), Murali Vijay (11) and Lokesh Rahul (1) in quick succession.

Australia’s pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Harris and Hazlewood collectively wrecked havoc as they shared the three wickets to fall.

However, the Indians pulled things back, posting 104 for three at tea, with in-form first innings centurions Virat Kohli (54) and Ajinya Rahane (48) holding fort at the MCG.

But pacer Ryan Harris (two for 30) took the massive wicket of Kohli with the first ball after tea, that snapped the 85-run strong fourth-wicket partnership, to give Australia the upper hand.

The hosts stepped up the pressure after the Indian vice-captain’s departure and got further impetus from the quick dismissals of Cheteshwar Pujara (21) and Rahane that reduced India to 142 for six with 15 overs still to play.

India needed a strong foundation in their stiff run chase to give them any hope of a win but began on a disastrous note, losing the struggling Dhawan for zero, trapped leg before wicket off Harris.

Debutant Rahul was promoted up the order but fared no better, hopelessly mistiming an attempted pull off Johnson to be caught by a back-pedalling Shane Watson.

The crisis deepened when in-form Vijay was adjudged out leg before off Hazlewood to reduce India to 19 for three.

Kohli and Rahane were faced with the tough task of rebuilding the innings and scoring at a fast clip to keep India in contention for the win.

They began in an enterprising fashion, pulling Johnson for boundaries through the mid-wicket region.

Kohli survived a run out chance on four after a terrible miscommunication. That brought to the fore the animosity between Kohli and the Australians, spearheaded by Johnson, that has been one of the highlights of the series so far.

That started a continuous flow of chattering in the middle but Kohli and Rahane hung in there till tea to steady India’s innings.

But once Kohli was dismissed pressure mounted intensely until Dhoni-Ashwin stood tall.

Earlier in the morning session, Shaun Marsh missed his maiden Test century on home soil, getting run out on 99 runs, but steered Australia to 318 for nine declared at lunch, to set India a tall order.

Marsh was dismissed by a direct hit from an onrushing Kohli from mid-on while trying to complete what would have been his third Test century with a quick single.

Harris, unbeaten on eight overnight, was first batsman dismissed during the morning session that was halted twice by rain. He was out for 21 by Mohammed Shami, who picked up his second wicket of the innings to give two wickets each to India’s four bowlers.

Rain stopped the action twice but Australia weren’t willing to declare their innings despite the time loss. They waited till Marsh’s century to declare their innings, but Marsh was dismissed just on the stroke of lunch.

India didn’t take the second new ball as the old one was offering some reverse swing. Australia were uncharacteristically slow as they batted without any urgency, intending to nullify India’s chances of a win.

(IANS)

Muslims are Indians by choice, not only by birth: Asaduddin Owaisi in Bhatkal

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Asaduddin Owaisi Bhatkal

Bhatkal: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said that those who suspect Indian Muslims’ patriotism should know that Muslims are the only community who are Indians not only by birth but also by choice.

Addressing the valedictory ceremony of the centenary celebration of the Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem, a leading social organization in Bhatkal, warned the communal forces against maligning the image of this coastal town.

Criticizing the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ re-conversion drive taken up by Hindu outfits, he said, “Instead of talking about Ghar Wapsi (‘homecoming’), let them talk about ‘black money Wapsi’. This is the land where Prophet Adam stepped his feet. We are from this land. Our faith is not so weak that we will listen to the Ghar Wapsi propaganda.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to bring black money within a month after coming to power, and depositing Rs 15 lac in every person’s bank account. What happened to that promise now?” he questioned.

Asserting that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism and terrorist activities, he said, “I condemn the global attitude of relating violence with Islam. There is no relationship between ISIS, the terrorist organization and Islam. ISIS was born in the US.

“There are thousands of Dalit and Muslim prisoners languishing in jails for no fault of theirs. They should be released. Innocent Muslim youth should be acquited of the accusations of violence,” he opined.

He further said, “The police had warned that peace would be disrupted if I came to Bhatkal. Bhatkal is a part of India and I will keep coming here. Nobody can silence me.

“Those who call me communal should answer a few questions first. What is the reason for Muslims in India to remain backward and poor? There are Muslims in India who live under abject poverty. There are 42 percent of poor Muslims in Gujarat, 52.7 percent in Assam and 22.4 percent in Karnataka. Who is responsible for this? We are not vote bank machines. This is our land too, and we have every right to run the country and strive for its prosperity. Our children too should get education and reach the moon. Do not play politics with education. Give us scholarships and better facilities, so that we also get quality education. Do not deprive us of our fundamental rights,” Owaisi urged.

Owaisi congratulated Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem on completing 100 years and appreciated the service it has been rendering to society, especially with relief aids during natural calamities like the Kashmir floods.

Convener of the centenary celebrations committee Abdulla Damudi compered the programme while Tanzeem secretary Mohideen Altaf Kharuri proposed the vote of thanks.

Markazi Jamatul Muslimeen chief qazi Muhammed Iqbal Mullah Nadvi, Khalifa Jamath qazi Maulana Khwaja Mohideen Akrami Nadvi, Tanzeem president Muzammil Qaziya, vice-president S M Syed Parvez and others were present.

Nato ends its war in Afghanistan as Taliban continues to grow

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Event carried out in secret due to threat of Taliban strikes in Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated bombings.

Photo: EPA/CPL JANINE FABRE / ISAF

Photo: EPA/CPL JANINE FABRE / ISAF

by Al Jazeera

NATO has held a ceremony in Kabul formally ending its war in Afghanistan, officials said, after 13 years of conflict and gradual troop withdrawals that have left the country in the grip of worsening conflicts with armed groups.

The event was carried out on Sunday in secret due to the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years.

On January 1, the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission will be replaced by a NATO “training and support” mission.

“Resolute Support will serve as the bedrock of an enduring partnership” between NATO and Afghanistan, US Army General John F Campbell told an audience of Afghan and international military officers and officials, as well as diplomats and journalists.

He paid tribute to the international and Afghan troops who have died fighting in the conflict saying: “The road before us remains challenging but we will triumph”.

The closing of NATO’s combat mission comes at the end of the country’s deadliest year during the war, which saw at least 4,600 Afghan soldiers and police killed and many other civilian deaths.

About 12,500 foreign troops staying in Afghanistan will not be involved in direct fighting, but will assist the Afghan army and police in the battle against the Taliban, who ruled from 1996 until 2001.

When numbers peaked in 2011, about 130,000 troops from 50 nations were part of the NATO military alliance.

‘Milestone for US’

Obama called the ceremony “a milestone for our country.”

“Now, thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion,” he said in a statement.

Obama thanked the troops and intelligence workers who served in Afghanistan, crediting them with “devastating the core al-Qaeda leadership, delivering justice to Osama bin Laden, disrupting terrorist plots and saving countless American lives”.

“We are safer, and our nation is more secure, because of their service.”

But, Obama warned, “Afghanistan remains a dangerous place, and the Afghan people and their security forces continue to make tremendous sacrifices in defence of their country.”

Sunday’s ceremony completes the gradual handover of responsibility to the 350,000-strong Afghan forces, who have been in charge of nationwide security since the middle of last year.

Al Jazeera’s Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said that Afghans were very concerned with the complete pullout, citing a security vacuum and political instability as the main threats as heavy fighting rages across the country.

“The government has also failed to name a cabinet, so it is not just the lack of security that is a concern, but also political instability”.

Notes from the field: Al Jazeera’s Jennifer Glasse reports from Kabul

There was a lot of mingling before the ceremony among Afghan officials, military officers, ambassadors, and diplomats from more than a dozen countries. It was a gathering befitting NATO’s largest and longest ever coalition.

In the blue and white gymnasium on ISAF’s main headquarters, a small brass military band played in the corner as US General Joseph Campbell rolled up the green flag emblazoned with ISAF for the International Security Assistance Force, he has commanded since August.

He unfurled a green flag with RS on it – the new colours as the military call them, of the NATO Resolute Support force that takes over on January 1.

The changeover marks the end of the 13-year long NATO combat mission. But about 5,500 US forces will remain in Afghanistan outside the NATO mission, carrying out counterterrorism operations.

In total, that puts about 17,000 international troops in Afghanistan in 2015.

The head of the Afghan Army, General Sher Mohammad Karimi says his forces will miss ISAF, and all the resources NATO offered. “ISAF had everything,” he told me. “We are limited. We do not have enough equipment to get rid of the IEDs [improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs] or equipment to give us early warning, but still we are doing better.”

But Afghan forces continue to take punishing losses with more than 4,600 killed this year, and thousands more wounded.

The speeches acknowledged the sacrifices made. Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar said, “We will never forget your sons and daughters who have died on our soil. They are now our sons and daughters. Afghan and Coalition personnel have spilled their blood to ensure a brighter future for our country and to bring peace to the world.”

No one here thinks peace will be easy. After 13 years and more than a trillion dollars spent in military and humanitarian support, Afghanistan is still in a perilous position.

It’s heavily dependent on foreign aid, and the Taliban and other groups that oppose the government continue to battle Afghan forces on a number of fronts.

The mood at the transition ceremony was one of deep camaraderie between allies who have come a long way, but recognise there is still a long way to go. Not necessarily a mission accomplished – more a mission continued.

Missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 likely 'at bottom of sea'

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As ships and planes search Indonesian waters, official says jet carrying 162 people is presumed crashed at sea.

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport.

Relatives of the passengers of AirAsia flight QZ8501 comfort each other at Juanda International Airport.

by Al Jazeera

The AirAsia plane that went missing with 162 people on board after takeoff from Indonesia is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency chief said as aircraft and ships were dispatched to search for the jet.

“Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea,” Bambang Soelistyo told reporters on Monday.

“That’s the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search.”

First Admiral Sigit Setiayana, the Naval Aviation Center Commander at the Surabaya air force base, said that 12 navy ships, five planes, three helicopters and a number of warships were searching an area of east and southeast of Indonesia’s Belitung island and nearby waters.

Malaysia, Singapore and Australia have joined the operation.

The Airbus A320-200 went missing after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft about 45 minutes after it left Juanda international airport at Surabaya in East Java at 5:20am on Sunday (22:20 GMT Saturday).

Shortly before disappearing, AirAsia said pilots of the plane had asked permission from Jakarta air traffic control to change course and climb above bad weather in an area noted for severe thunderstorms.

Investigation ongoing

Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler, reporting from Surabaya, said investigators were checking all passenger profiles and footage of X-rays of the luggage taken on board, as well as looking into the maintenance of the plane.

“There are also reports that some fishermen might have heard something before the news that the plane had disappeared off radar came out,” he said.

The airline said 155 of those on board Flight QZ8501 were Indonesians, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France.

Steven Wallace, a former accident investigator for the US Federal Aviation Authority, told Al Jazeera he was confident that the plane would be found..

“Typically airplanes break up and light interior components, sometimes even pieces like the tail, float to the surface,” he told Al Jazeera.

“And if the recorder is under water, it will emit a ping. For at least 30 our up to 90 days it will send out a signal to help investigators locate the wreckage.”

The aircraft was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia’s booming low-cost airline market.

Disastrous year for Malaysian aviation

AirAsia said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16. The company has never suffered a fatal accident.

An official from Indonesia’s Transport Ministry said the pilot asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.

“The plane is in good condition but the weather is not so good,” Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at Jakarta’s airport, addressing reports of severe storms in the area where the jet went missing.

Climbing to dodge large rain clouds is a standard procedure for aircraft in these conditions.

The plane’s disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished in March after inexplicably diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing course. No trace of it has been found.

Another Malaysia Airlines plane went down in July in rebellion-torn eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard. It was believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile.

Rajasthan: 'IM' mail sender held, no terror link, not a Muslim

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email_case

Jaipur: The Rajasthan ATS on Saturday arrested a 34-year-old resident of Jaipur’s Murlipura area for for allegedly circulating emails to 16 ministers warning them of terror strike by Indian Mujahideen on Republic Day.

The police have identified accused as Sushil Chaudhary who was held on Saturday night for circulating threatening email claiming of orchestrating terror strikes in the state on the eve of Republic day.

The email sent to 16 Rajasthan ministers to their official email id on 22 December read, “We are Indian Mujahideen. You people be careful. We are going to give you a Big Bang surprise. You can do whatever you want, but it’s a challenge that we will carry out many bomb strikes in Rajasthan on January 26. Stop us if you can.”

“We have arrested Sushil Chaudhary, a resident of Murlipura area in Jaipur, after tracking IP (internet protocol) address of a cyber cafe,” the officer told IANS.

“Chaudhary confessed that he sent those e-mails to the ministers from a cyber cafe,” official said.

“The accused was arrested by the ATS from his residence after Google provided us the IP address through which he circulated the mails. It was traced to a cyber cafe in Vidhyadhar Nagar here,” ATS ADG Alok Tripathi told PTI.

“We were provided the IP address yesterday and the accused was held last night,” Mr Tripathi said.

“Prima facie there is no terror link and the accused is being interrogated to verify his motive,” he said.

The accused created a fake email id and sent the emails from a cyber cafe, ATS officials said. The ATS had requested the email company to provide details of the email id which led to the arrest, they added.

However, as per reports, even after getting the IP address, it proved very difficult for the police to trace him via cyber-crime investigation as he had skipped Gmail’s phone verification process while creating a fake Gmail account.

As reported by ToI, he had searched ‘how to bypass Gmail verification process’ on Google. He followed some steps after learning to bypass the process, so his contact information was routed through a website which generates fake phone number of the account creator for Gmail verification. The number which he used was US-based which initially confused the police.

Nevertheless, the IP address suggested that the email had been generated using a Reliance network. After getting the address from where the email was generated, the police reached the cyber cafe. Though Sushil provided a fake ID card, the police worked out some clues and identified him.

Low-intensity blast kills one, injures three at busy Church Street in Bengaluru

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PTI Photo

PTI Photo

Bengaluru: A low intensity blast rocked Church Street in Bengaluru on Sunday December 28. The explosion, which was minor, took place outside Coconut Grove restaurant.

A woman was killed and three persons were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on the crowded Church Street at 8.35 p.m. on Sunday.

The deceased woman, hailing from Chennai, was identified as Bhavani Devi (38). The injured persons were identified as Karthick, Sandeep and Vinay. While Sandeep and Vinay were admitted to HOSMAT Hospital, Karthick and Bhavani Devi were shifted to Mallya Hospital.

No organisation has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

The IED wrapped in a piece of cloth was placed behind an ornamental flower bush in front of Coconut Grove, a popular joint on the Church Street. The injured were pedestrians who were passing by. People ran helter-skelter after the blast while some others thought was a fire cracker burst. One of the persons injured was even thrown to a distance of over five feet, eyewitnesses said.

An auto driver named Narasimha Murthy rushed the injured to Mallya hospital in his auto, with the help of people who were at the spot.

Top police officials including city police commissioner M N Reddi rushed to the spot and are collecting evidence.

As soon as explosion took place, people were seen running helter skelter and eyewitnesses said that lot of confusion prevailed at the spot. The police have cordoned off the area.

M N Reddi said that additional police forces including the KSRP, canine squads and forensic experts have been pressed into action. He said the injured were hit by shrapnels from the IED.

Asked whether there were threats to the city, Reddi said there was a general threat perception due to the festivities, the New Year and recent happenings, but no definite threat, and the police have been alert.

The police commissioner has reportedly sent communique to all police stations, sources said and asked the Bengalureans to be on high alert. “One low intensity blast on Church Street. 2 injured, 1 serious. All requested to be alert & inform 100 if any unintended object found,” Reddi stated in his Twitter account.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced a compensation of Rs five lac to the kin of a woman who was killed in the low-intensity explosion outside a popular restaurant here that also left three persons injured.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured at a hospital here in the wee hours, Siddaramaiah said the government would provide a compensation of Rs five lac to the family of the woman, who succumbed to injuries sustained in the explosion last night.

(Agencies)

Salman Khan turns 49

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Salman Khan

Mumbai: Salman Khan is celebrating his 49th birthday today. The film fraternity took to Twitter to wish the ‘Dabangg’ star.

Smith's 192 puts Australia on top

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India's Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

India’s Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Melbourne: Steven Smith continued to haunt India as he compiled a career-high Test score of 192 runs to help Australia amass a mammoth 530 in the first innings and put his team on top after day two of the third Test ended with the visitors 108 for one, trailing by 422 runs, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here Saturday.

Australian stand-in captain’s knock landed India into an uncomfortable position of playing catch-up for the rest of the match. They were 108 for one at stumps with Murali Vijay (55 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25 batting) at the crease.

Shikhar Dhawan (28) was the lone batsman dismissed by pacer Ryan Harris. Pujara was dropped on 12 by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin off Josh Hazlewood.

Smith’s centuries in Brisbane and here Saturday made him the first Australian to score two centuries in their first two Tests as captain.

The right-handed batsman’s imperious form saw him become only the 13th Australian to score centuries in three consecutive Tests.

He also crossed 500 runs in the four-Test series during his marathon knock, getting valuable support from Haddin (55), Mitchell Johnson (28) and Harris (74) at the MCG.

They were all aggressive with the bat with Harris hitting his highest Test score.

The Indian team again failed to polish off the tail that wagged resolutely to essentially bat the tourists out of the contest.

But it was Smith who was undoubtedly the star of the show, smashing his third consecutive century of the series with a knock studded by 15 boundaries and two sixes.

Australia resumed the day at 259 for five with the game in the balance and Smith on 72, accompanied by Haddin on 23.

And it was Haddin, overnight not out on 23, who came out with a more menacing mentality.

Aware that the Indians would target his perceived weakness against short-pitched bowling, he waited on the back-foot to counter the strategy.

Willing to pull and hook at the slightest provocation, he carted the short balls to all round the park for a form-finding half-century, cracking seven boundaries and a six on its way.

The Indians continued to feed Haddin despite seeing their plan becoming counter-productive.

Haddin perished much against the run of play, edging while trying to leave a Mohammed Shami delivery to give India a ray of hope at 326 for six.

But Smith quashed any such prospect by continuing to score freely. The Indians had neither any concrete plan nor any inspiration to stop the 25-year-old.

To make matters worse, they couldn’t dismiss the bowlers at the other end to minimise the damage.

Just like the Gabba Test, the Aussie tailenders hung around, setting up crucial partnerships with Smith. Initially they were circumspect, content only to defend but flashed their bat around when they grew confident.

Smith upped his scoring pace after the dismissal of Harris to guide Australia past the 500-run mark and was ultimately bowled trying to scoop an Umesh Yadav delivery towards fine leg.

Shami was the most successful bowler for the Indians, claiming four wickets for 138 runs from 29 overs. He was followed by Yadav and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, both taking three wickets each.

But all wickets claimed came at the cost of bleeding considerable amount of runs, with all four frontline bowlers giving away more than 100 runs each for their efforts.

(IANS)

Dutch Muslims concerned by mosque attacks

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Dutch citizens joining ISIL and far-right rhetoric are cited as factors fueling assaults on Muslim houses of worship.

More than one-third of the Netherlands' 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism [EPA]

More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism [EPA]

by Brenda Stoter, Al Jazeera

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: An unidentified man wearing a hoodie placed fireworks in the window of the Selimiye Mosque in Enschede, a city in the Netherlands, on December 14. A few seconds later, the fireworks exploded, breaking the window.

The motives of the perpetrator remain unclear – he has not yet been caught – but mosque board member Sezgin Akman said he suspects the attack was inspired by hatred of Islam.

“Maybe someone wanted to tell us we are not welcome,” he said, adding the mosque has received several threatening letters in the past.

More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques have experienced at least one incident of vandalism, threatening letters, attempted arson, the placement of pigs’ heads, or other aggressive actions in the past 10 years, according to research by Ineke van der Valk, author of the book Islamophobia and Discrimination.

The Kuba Mosque, in the city of IJmuiden, said it has counted more than 40 such incidents since its founding in 1993.

“Lines like ‘go to hell, Muslims’ on the wall, graffiti that contains Nazi symbols, pig heads on the doorstep, Molotov cocktails … A lot has happened,” said Suleyman Celik, a board member of the Kuba Mosque.

“Two years ago, a female visitor who left the building was pelted with beer bottles by men driving by in a car. She broke her teeth and had to go to the hospital.”

On June 23, two men shouting racist slogans entered the Kuba Mosque after an argument outside. They threatened to kill those inside, and broke the nose of one of the mosque’s board members. They were arrested two days later by police.

Van der Valk has found that attacks on mosques happen more frequently in small rather than large cities, adding that “many of these attacks appear to be a response to national or international events, such as a terrorist attack or Dutch jihadists leaving to Syria to join terrorist groups”.

About 160 Dutch Muslims are believed to have joined armed groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), raising fears that they might carry out attacks in the Netherlands when they return. A few pro-ISIL demonstrations have even taken place in The Hague.

Far-right: ‘Wrecked by immigration’

For their part, Dutch Muslims blame what they describe as biased media coverage of Muslims and far-right politicians such as Geert Wilders for inciting mosque attacks.

In the past, Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) has compared the Quran, Islam’s holy book, to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf; has called Islam a “fascist” religion, and has proposed raising taxes on headscarves. On November 26, Machiel de Graaf, one of the PVV’s members of parliament, claimed that “Dutch schools are overwhelmed with a number of children who are named after Mohammed”.

“The Dutch unity, identity and culture are being wrecked by immigration and via wombs. Various Islamic leaders have said this, such as Qaddafi,” de Graaf said during a debate about integration.

However, the PVV denies its politicians’ statements regarding Muslims and Islam incite aggression.

“We are against all forms of violence, violence against mosques included. We do not promote that,” Michael Heemels, a party spokesman, told Al Jazeera on behalf of Geert Wilders.

“But we do feel that it is terrible that more mosques are being built in this country. Mosques don’t belong here.”

The PVV’s website offers tips for Dutch citizens to prevent the construction of mosques in their neighbourhoods. Research by van der Valk shows that newly built mosques are attacked more often than older ones.

‘We should be more open’

Mohamed Amezian, the chairman of a mosque in the southern city of Roosendaal, told Al Jazeera in 2010 a sheep’s body was placed on the construction site where the mosque was to be built. Green paint on the fur read, “No Mosque.” But Amezian said he thinks the attack was likely “an act of a loner”.

“After the mosque was opened, we talked to a lot of people in the neighbourhood. Some were against the building of it, perhaps because they were afraid that would decrease the value of their homes,” Amezian said. “But soon after that, they invited their friends and family to come over to see how beautiful it is.”

Like many Muslims, Amezian said mosques have a responsibility to involve local, non-Muslim residents. That’s why he organises football matches for children and barbeques for the whole neighbourhood.

“I am not afraid of the people in this country, and I do not want people being afraid of me,” he said. “As a Muslim and a Dutchman, I think we should be more open to each other.”

Tracking Islamophobia

In addition to “more openness from both sides”, the police can also contribute to the prevention of violence against mosques, Ahmed Marcouch, a member of the House of Representatives for the Dutch Labour Party, told Al Jazeera.

In the Netherlands, he said, vandalism or attacks on mosques are often registered as “insults” or “destruction of property”, without mentioning the underlying motives.

An umbrella organisation for the Netherlands’ Jewish population has kept track of the number of anti-Semitic incidents since the 1980s. No similar counts have been made of anti-Muslim incidents in the country.

Next year, though, that is set to change. In 2015, two groups – SPIOR (Foundation for Islamic Organisations Rijnmond) and RADAR, an organisation opposing discrimination – plan to work together to monitor attacks and discrimination against Netherlands’ Muslims.

“It is important to register forms of Islamophobia,” said Marcouch. “Islamophobia is a serious offense. If we make that clear, we also give a signal to the perpetrators: We do not accept this.”

U.S female military veterans battling PTSD from sexual trauma fight for redress

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Army veteran Kate Weber is a survivor of military sexual trauma who now spends most of her time doing MST advocacy. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Army veteran Kate Weber is a survivor of military sexual trauma who now spends most of her time doing MST advocacy. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

by Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, The Washington Post

Thousands of female veterans are struggling to get health-care treatment and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the grounds that they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by sexual trauma in the military. The veterans and their advocates call it “the second battle” — with a bureaucracy they say is stuck in the past.

Judy Atwood-Bell was just a 19-year-old Army private when she says she was locked inside a barracks room at Fort Devens in Massachusetts, forced to the cold floor and raped by a fellow solider.

For more than two decades, Atwood-Bell fought for an apology and financial compensation from VA for PTSD, with panic attacks, insomnia and severe depression that she recalls started soon after that winter day in 1981. She filled out stacks of forms in triplicate and then filled them out again, pressing over and over for recognition of the harm that was done.

The department labels it “military sexual trauma” (MST), covering any unwanted contact, including sexual innuendo, groping and rape.

A recent VA survey found that 1 in 4 women said they experienced sexual harassment or assault. And the problem is growing more pressing because female veterans represent the military’s fastest-growing population, with an estimated 2.2 million, or 10 percent, of the country’s veterans. More than 280,000 female veterans have returned home from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

About two weeks ago, when Atwood-Bell checked the department’s Web site, as she does every day, she was stunned to discover that the agency had accepted her claim for compensation.

“It’s taken over 20 years, and that should’ve never happened,” said Atwood-Bell, who retired as a sergeant first class and lives in New Hampshire, her voice cracking with emotion. “My fight is not over. It’s not done for so many other women out there. I want to help them to get what we are entitled to.”

The Pentagon has been conducting a high-profile campaign to prevent sexual attacks and punish offenders amid concerns that defense officials neglected these assaults for years.

But advocacy groups say VA has been slow to adjust to the rising number of women in the military.

Some health centers, for instance, only recently opened female restrooms. Women who go to VA centers for treatment say they are routinely asked whether they are waiting for their husbands or are lost. And while there are a few showcase centers for female veterans, a third of VA medical centers lack a gynecologist on staff, according to a report by Disabled American Veterans, or DAV. Thirty-one percent of VA clinics lack staff to provide adequate treatment for sexual assault, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine.

Female veterans, in part, are pressing for more VA centers that specifically treat military sexual trauma, with separate waiting rooms for women and child care.

VA Secretary Robert McDonald says the department is taking steps to improve health services to address sexual trauma, such as asking all veterans during intake whether they suffered such an assault or trauma and hiring more doctors, therapists and social workers with experience in issues of sexual assault in the military. The agency also says it is increasing the staff responsible for promoting VA benefits to women veterans and helping them with claims, especially those involving sexual abuse.

This month, the department announced it would expand mental health services to reservists and National Guard members who were sexually assaulted while on inactive duty.

“VA simply must be an organization that provides comprehensive care for all veterans dealing with the effects of military sexual trauma,” McDonald said. “Our range of services for MST-related experiences are constantly being reexamined to best meet the needs of our veterans.”

This year, it became easier for survivors of sexual trauma to get treatment because the government ended the requirement that military members produce proof that they were assaulted or harassed before they get health care.

But advocates say thousands of female veterans confront an even larger problem: They are unable to get disability compensation benefits for sexual trauma because they do not have enough paperwork to support their claims. Advocacy groups and VA officials blame a culture of secrecy and denial inside the military that heavily discourages women from reporting sexual assault.

VA officials said that they are encouraging female veterans to reapply for benefits for PTSD caused by sexual abuse and that they are re-reviewing cases.

Elena M. Giordano says she was raped about 10 years ago by two men on separate occasions while serving aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean as an airman apprentice. When she reported the attacks, she says, Giordano was discharged with “pre-existing personality disorder,” a label that advocates say is often applied by military officers to women who report rape.

Giordano, now 29, said she had never wanted to go public with her complaint. She had originally asked to be assigned to the carrier and didn’t want to leave it. But after the second attack, she said, “I just had to leave. I couldn’t be around men without having a panic attack.”

When she returned home to Arizona, VA agreed to provide counseling and medical treatment. But the department denied her disability benefits, citing the “totality of the evidence.”

Veterans with service-connected disabilities — whether it’s a back injury or PTSD, and including sexual trauma and assault — are entitled to compensation if they are causing lasting pain or make the individuals unable to work. The benefits can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand a month, depending on the injuries and their impact, according to federal law.

But in cases of sexual trauma, veterans often lack medical records and other documentation required for compensation through VA because the women do not report the incidents. Also, until recently, the Defense Department allowed the destruction of rape kits after one year and of sexual harassment and sexual assault reports after as little as two years.

Atwood-Bell, for instance, said sexual assault was something female troops did not dare talk about for fear that they would face retaliation and be discharged with a “mental health diagnosis.” She said her application for benefits was rejected twice due to lack of evidence.

The Pentagon released new data on Dec. 4 that showed that 62 percent of those who reported being sexually assaulted had experienced retaliation or ostracism afterward, whether from superiors or peers in the service.

Since many survivors of sexual trauma lack a traditional paper trail, VA officials who evaluate claims have to search for what they call “markers,” such as a change in a performance review, e-mails or letters with friends or clergy about an attack, reports of depression and anxiety, weight loss or gain, requests for a pregnancy test or a test for a sexually transmitted disease.

“These are not easy claims. But I am very passionate about this issue,” said Diana Williard, the quality assurance officer with the Veterans Benefits Administration.“And you do almost have to be like a little detective putting it together. But if there is even one bit of circumstantial evidence, we send them to a mental health counselor to see if they have PTSD.”

Anu Bhagwati, executive director of Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), calls the marker system “unfair and absurd.”

Her organization, along with the Vietnam Veterans of America, filed a federal lawsuit against VA in July, alleging that the department’s policies are discriminatory and that claims experts consistently impose a higher burden of proof on military-rape survivors than on other veterans when it comes to verifying reports of PTSD.

The plaintiffs argue that veterans seeking disability benefits for combat-related PTSD do not have to provide evidence other than their own statements and a mental health professional’s review linking their illness to military service.

“It’s just a broken policy. So veterans experience betrayal from the sexual assault, from the way they are treated by their units after the assault, and then by the VA when they file claims,” said Bhagwati, a former captain in the Marine Corps. “The VA became the last place, after a long line of places, where any hope they had left of getting help just dies.”

VA officials would not comment on the pending ligation.

Former Army private first class Katie Weber said she was raped by another soldier when she was 18 while posted in Nuremberg, Germany. She tried to report the attack but was told, “in the same breath,” that it didn’t really happen and that she was not to tell anyone about it, Weber said. “When I told another official,” she recalled, “they said I was ‘jumping the chain of command’ and that I was probably ‘just really confused and a little slut.’ ”

When she went home, she discovered that there was a severe lack of suitable medical and mental health services at the department and little understanding of how sexual trauma can cause PTSD. So Weber started a Facebook group called “Women Veterans for Equality in our VA System” to advocate for the interests of those who suffered sexual trauma in the military.

“We were really isolated,” said Weber, now 40 and living in California. “So enter Facebook.”

It was her encouragement and the Facebook group that ultimately persuaded a weary Giordano to resume her fight for benefits.

Giordano said she got “the letter” in late November, saying she would, indeed, be getting compensation benefits.

“I may never understand why they changed their mind and finally believed me,” she said. “But I am glad they did. That’s my hope for justice and dignity for all of the other women who have suffered this. ”

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