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Sunday, January 23, 2022

KULTUREKAMPF FOR THE RIGHT

Mars gives M&M’s a makeover to promote inclusivity

AP – Candy maker Mars is giving a makeover to its six M&M’s characters as a way to promote inclusivity.

The company said that it will provide a modern take on the appearances of the characters – which Mars calls “lentils” – and give them more nuanced personalities. The lentils, which are featured in red, green, orange, yellow, brown and blue, will also come in different shapes and sizes.

Some of the changes to the M&M characters include making two of them less stereotypically feminine. In the new version, the green M&M ditches the high-heeled boots in favour of sneakers and the brown candy no longer wears stilettos, opting instead for lower heels.

“Our ambition is to upend the expected, break through barriers, and discover the little joys shared in everyday life. Imagine a world with less judgement and more connection and consistent laughter,” the company said on its website.

Mars, whose brands also include Twix and Snickers, said that it will also put added emphasis on the ampersand in the M&M’s logo to demonstrate how the brand aims to bring people together.

TUCKER HAS A BOOT FETISH FOR SEXY M&M

The move toward inclusivity and embracing individual differences comes at a time when consumers are growing increasingly aware of how products are marketed to them. Mars is aware of this, having had to change the name of its Uncle Ben’s rice brand in 2020 due to criticism. Quaker Oats’ Aunt Jemima brand pancake mix and syrup – part of PepsiCo – rebranded last year because it said that Aunt Jemima was based on a racial stereotype.

But some marketers believe that Mars may be overthinking the marketing of its M&Ms.

LGBTQ M&M'S

Co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce Allen Adamson said the move to overhaul the character of the M&Ms is a “good idea” but it’s just an example of how worried marketers are to offend consumers. And he believes this step is on the “verge of potential overthink”.

Marketing consultant Laura Ries agreed, though she praised Mars’ emphasis of the ampersand as a symbol of unity.

“They’re looking for some attention and trying to jump on the bandwagon of trying to be more inclusive,” Ries said. “I don’t think there was an overall outcry of the overall sexualisation of the M&M. It’s just an M&M.”

TRANS M&M

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Diver spots ghostly transparent sea creature in South African waters

A photo shows the eel-like creature.

Gulf Today Report

Incredible footage shows the moment a diver encounters a ghostly eel-like creature that is almost completely transparent.

Experts are divided over the bizarre sea creature spotted by Amy Wainman, 36, off Simon's Town near Cape Town in South Africa.

In Amy's footage, the creature is seen undulating through the water, its transparent body seemingly devoid of any organs.

The diver said the 'amazing, magical' creature was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

Bradley Stevens, a retired marine science professor, formerly of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, said it seemed to be at the end of its larval stage.

He said, “Its size and location suggest that it is nearing the end of its migration from the mid-oceanic spawning grounds, and will soon become a normal-shaped juvenile eel.”

However, Kevin Kocot, an associate professor at The University of Alabama specialising in invertebrate zoology, believes it's actually a 'very unusual' type of jelly.

He said, “Some baby eels have larvae called leptocephalus larvae that look superficially very similar.

'But if you look closely, they have a head and mouth at one end whereas this animal's mouth is in the middle of the body,” he added.

UN experts: UK Nationality and Borders Bill breaches International Law

5Pillars (RMS)

5 days ago

Five United Nations special rapporteurs have said that the government’s proposed Nationality and Borders Bill increases the risk of discrimination and serious human rights violations and seriously undermines the country’s obligations under international law.

The government says the bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, targets terrorists, war criminals and spies.

Under the bill, if the British government wants to remove someone’s citizenship it will no longer need to tell them.

Home Secretary Priti Patel says the law would be used in “exceptional circumstances” on people who pose the most risk to the UK.

But the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Siobhán Mullally, said: “If adopted, the Nationality and Borders Bill would seriously undermine the protection of the human rights of trafficked persons, including children; increase risks of exploitation faced by all migrants and asylum seekers; and lead to serious human rights violations…

“The bill fails to acknowledge the Government’s obligation to ensure protection for migrant and asylum-seeking children, and greatly increases risks of statelessness, in violation of international law.”

According to UN experts, seeking and enjoying asylum is a fundamental human right.

“If passed, it could penalise asylum-seekers and refugees, violating the principle of non-punishment in international law and discriminating between categories of asylum seekers, which is contrary to international law,” Siobhán Mullally said.

The experts said the bill does not respect the UK’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law, but instead dismantles a core protection of democratic societies and pushes vulnerable people into dangerous situations.

The experts also highlighted the specific risks faced by migrant and refugee women. Under this bill, they said, women that have experienced gender-based violence can be turned away from the UK rather than be allowed to seek and find safety.

“The Government’s repeated public statements on combating trafficking and modern slavery must be matched by concrete action to ensure equal protection of the law for all victims of trafficking and modern slavery, without discrimination,” the experts said.

“We are alarmed that the bill will increase the possibility of arbitrary deprivation of citizenship – which has a troubled history rooted in racism and discrimination – and increase the risk of statelessness. The bill instrumentalises national security concerns, increasing risks of discrimination and of serious human rights violations, in particular against minorities, migrants and refugees. We urge the Government to reverse these proposed measures.”

The UN experts who raised the alarm include Felipe González Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, and Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

Earlier this month an open letter, organised by CAGE and Media Diversified, and endorsed by a broad coalition of experts, civil society and community organisations and leading actors, condemned the Nationality and Borders Bill as an “Islamophobic” and “overtly racist” piece of legislation.

The Nationality and Borders Bill is currently at the committee stage in the House of Lords. It has already been approved by MPs.

CAIR urges U.S. govt to investigate group accused of spying on Muslims

5Pillars (RMS)

2 days ago

*Steven Emerson. Pic: WMAL DC (Twitter)*

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged the U.S. government to investigate a group which it has accused of spying on Muslims.

CAIR is currently holding an internal investigation over claims that the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), a Washington based research group, was spying on the organisation.

Nihad Awad, CAIR’s National Executive Director, has also called upon U.S. authorities to investigate the IPT and its alleged involvement in spying on the group.

Awad said: “I would like to take this opportunity to call on the Justice Department, on the FBI, on the US Treasury to investigate and hold IPT Director, Steven Emerson, and his Investigative Project on Terrorism accountable. Why is he allowed to spy … in service of the state of Israel? Spying on American Muslims, on legal organisations, should not be allowed…

“We are working diligently to uncover, disrupt and expose every attempt that this anti-Muslim hate group and its allies have made to spy on American Muslims in service to the Israeli government. We commend the whistle-blowers who are coming forward to apologise, take responsibility and provide information. In the coming weeks, we plan to continue releasing additional information as we uncover and validate it.”

CAIR National Deputy Director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, said: “The fact that anti-Muslim bigots and anti-Palestinian racists have invested so much time and effort in spying on our community is a sign of the importance of our community. These hate groups are terrified that American Muslims will use our political activism, civic engagement and legal work to advance justice here and around the world. They’re right to be afraid because that’s exactly what we’ve been doing and will continue to do, God willing.”

Last month, CAIR announced that CAIR-Ohio director Romin Iqbal had been fired for passing information about CAIR’s civil rights work to the IPT which is led by far-right activist Steven Emerson, who has been described as an “anti-Muslim activist” by the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

Days after Iqbal’s termination, a Virginia Muslim voluntarily came forward to admit and apologise for working as a paid IPT spy from 2008 to 2012. Tariq Nelson of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Centre in Falls Church, Virginia, said that he spied for IPT because he was going through financial distress at that time.

He said: “For about four years starting in 2008, I provided information to IPT. Emerson used SAE Productions, one of his for-profit companies, to pay me about $3,000 per month. Looking back on those times, it’s now clear to me that Emerson’s main goal in spying on Muslims was to protect the Israeli government; essentially, to ensure there would never be a ‘Muslim AIPAC’ to challenge U.S. support for Israel.”

In addition to CAIR, Muslim organisations and leaders surveilled or spied on by IPT are alleged to include then-Congressman Keith Ellison, the Park51 community centre, the Muslim Alliance of North America, the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim American Society, the Muslim Legal Fund of America, Muslim Advocates, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Zaytuna College, among others.

IPT rejects being characterised as anti-Muslim. It says it is focused on exposing what it calls “radical Islamist activity on American soil.”

It says Steven Emerson is considered one of the leading authorities on Islamic extremist networks, financing and operations as well national security and intelligence.

Aafia Siddiqui: one of the most famous Muslim prisoners in the world

5Pillars (RMS)

5 days ago

One of the demands made by Malik Faisal Akram when he took hostages inside a Texas synagogue on Saturday was the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently serving 86 years in prison in the U.S. So who is Aafia Siddiqui and why has she become such a cause célèbre in the Muslim world?

The case of Aafia Siddiqui has brought with it a wave of emotion from all corners of the Muslim world. The detention of this woman, and allegedly her children, has evoked condemnation from politicians, lawyers and activists.

For millions of Muslims, Aafia Siddiqui symbolises the abuses of the “War on Terror.”

According to advocacy group CAGE, which produced a report on her case, from the day of her initial detention, no information regarding Aafia Siddiqui seems consistent, especially in relation to information released by the U.S. administration.

Some accuse her of being an extremely high level Al Qaeda operative. However, at the same time, the statements of lawyers, family and friends render her incapable of any acts of terrorism.

Disappearance from Pakistan

Aafia Siddiqui is a U.S. national of Pakistani descent who studied for a Masters in biology at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and later went on to do a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience at Brandeis University. She is also a mother of three children.

Siddiqui is currently serving an 86-year prison sentence in a Texas federal prison on charges of attempting to murder U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. She was convicted by an American court in February 2010, two years after she was arrested in 2008 by Afghan police on suspicion of trying to blow up the governor’s house in Ghazni.

She was 36 at the time and it should be noted that she has never been charged with those alleged crimes.

Siddiqui disappeared from Pakistan between 2003 and 2008 with her three children before her mysterious appearance in Afghanistan. It was alleged that she was abducted by either U.S. or Pakistani intelligence agencies. Not much information is available about her whereabouts during those five years.

But according to multiple reports Siddiqui may have been held in Afghanistan’s notorious Bagram prison and then at Guantanamo Bay. Multiple accounts also tell of her torture in those prisons.

At the time of her arrest, court documents in the U.S. alleged that she was carrying chemicals and handwritten notes that referred to a mass casualty attack that listed various locations in the U.S. including Plum Island, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge. The U.S. authorities also alleged that she was carrying notes on the construction of “dirty bombs.”

Again it should be noted that she has never been charged with any of those offences.

One of the frequent allegations made against her is that she was an Al Qaeda’s “microbiologist/biochemical expert.” However, according to advocacy group CAGE, these are fields which are very far from what she was actually doing.

In reality, Siddiqui’s PHD was based on the concept of human beings learning by imitation. When one of her supervisors, Professor DiZio, was questioned regarding her research and how it could be used by Al Qaeda, he stated that it was highly unlikely that she would have the technical knowledge to be involved with such things. Her PHD focused on the use of computers to understand human behaviour and had nothing to do with biochemical weapons.

Calls for release

Over the years, Pakistan, the Taliban and mainstream Muslim organisations around the world, as well as some jihadi groups, have sought her release.

In 2010, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan described her as a “daughter of the nation” and a resolution was passed in parliament for her release.

Pakistani officials in 2012 even offered to help secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. army sergeant who was held by the Taliban, if the U.S. agreed to release Siddiqui.

Yvonne Ridley, a British journalist who has investigated Siddiqui’s case, said: “Aafia has iconic status in the Muslim world. People are angry with American imperialism and domination… Aafia will continue to be a symbol of everything that is wrong with George W Bush’s never-ending War of Terror.”

The 17 victims of the New York apartment fire were all Muslim

5Pillars (RMS)

6 days ago

All 17 victims who lost their lives eight days ago in a New York apartment block fire were Muslims, according to the names released by fire officials.

The deceased ranged in age from two to 50. Some died at hospitals, others at the 181st Street scene.

All succumbed to smoke inhalation as ash clouds enveloped hallways in their 19-story Bronx building and blocked escapes.

These are the names of the 17 casualties who came from West Africa, mostly from the Gambia:

Ousmane Konteh, age 2, male

Fatoumata Dukureh, age 5, female

Omar Jambay, age 6, male

Haouwa Mahamdou, age 5, female

Mariam Dukureh, age 11, female

Mustapha Dukyhreh, age 12, male

Seydou Toure, age 12, male

Muhammed Drammeh, age 12, male

Nyumaaisha Drammeh, age 19, female

Foutmala Drammeh, age 21, female

Sera Janneh, age 27, female

Isatou Jabbie, age 31, female

Hagi Jawara, age 37, male

Haja Dukureh, age 37, female

Fatoumata Tunkara, age 43, female

Haji Dukary, age 49, male

Fatoumata Drammeh, age 50, female

The fire was sparked by a malfunctioning heater in one of the third-floor units. Two safety doors that should have automatically closed did not close, which fuelled the spread of smoke and fire.

Here are the stories of some of the victims which have been culled from media reports:

Sera Janneh, 27

Sera was a psychology major and wanted to be a social worker. She was an active member of the Gambian Youth Organization, a community group that serves the neighbourhood and the borough’s west African communities at large.

Seydou Toure, 12

Seydou was an eighth-grade student at the Angelo Patri middle school. His classmate and friend Chanel Álvarez, 13, described him as “a bit of a troublemaker, but a very good kid.”

Haowa Mahamadou, 5

Mahamadou was one of at least four siblings caught in the blaze, according to an online fundraising page set up by her aunt, Khadidja Timbaye, for the family.

The Dukureh family

Haja Dukureh, 37, and her husband, Haji Dukuray, 49, moved from the Gambia more than a decade ago, settling in the Bronx. They had three children in the United States: Mustapha, 12; Mariam, 11; and Fatoumata, five.

The couple worked hard to support their children – Haja as a home health aide and Haji at a local Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The family was devoutly Muslim, and Haji frequented a nearby mosque to pray in the mornings.

The Drammeh family

Fatoumata Drammeh, 50, and her husband, Ishak Drammeh, 57, moved to Twin Parks from the Gambia and lived on the 15th floor for nearly 20 years.

Fatoumata and three of the couple’s children, Fatoumala, 21; Nyumaaisha, 19; and Muhammed, 12, were killed in the fire. They are survived by Ishak and their daughter Fatima, 23, and another son, Yagub, 16, who remains in critical condition.

Isatou Jabbie, 31, and Hagi Jawara, 47

Hagi Jawara worked jobs in construction and at a fried chicken restaurant, and his wife, Isatou Jabbie, was a home health aide. The Gambian couple are survived by their four children, ages six to 15, who were visiting relatives in the west African country at the time of the fire.

Ousmane Konteh, two

The youngest of the fire’s victims, Ousmane Konteh, was staying at a relative’s apartment on the 19th floor when the smoke engulfed the Bronx building.