Alexander the Great: Gay or Not?

BI FER SHURE

Netflix's new docudrama series "Alexander: The Making of a God" has gotten many people talking.  ON X

Jack Izzo
SNOPES
Published Feb 8, 2024

Image Via Wikimedia Commons

On Jan. 31, 2024, Netflix released a six-part docudrama titled "Alexander: The Making of a God," detailing the life and times of the legendary Macedonian king Alexander the Great. Six minutes into the first episode, a young Alexander and his friend Hephaestion are sword-fighting. Two minutes later, they kiss. Users on X (formerly known as Twitter) went wild.

First, let's get the obvious out of the way: Alexander the Great lived around 350 B.C., so we can't just ask him about his life directly. Instead, historians and archaeologists must use a variety of sources to speculate on the past, like one of several biographies of Alexander written much closer to the time he was alive (the one by Quintus Curtius Rufus, for instance).

Unfortunately, looking at the sources does not give us a definitive answer either way. Because the Netflix series is a docudrama instead of a true documentary, the filmmakers were able to dramatize aspects of Alexander's life and therefore had to choose one of the theories about his relationships to maintain a consistent narrative.

But before examining the limited evidence we have about Alexander's sexual orientation, we need to investigate same-sex relationships in ancient Greece as a whole, because what we consider "normal" would not necessarily be considered normal in 350 B.C. Examining how the ancient Greeks felt about same-sex relationships overall has given historians at least some insight into how Alexander saw the world and what he would have considered "normal" behavior.

What we know about those attitudes tells us that if he did have homosexual relationships, Alexander would never have thought of them in the way that we do now. The ancient Greeks considered how one loved, not whom one loved. Instead of dividing the relationship into gender, the Greeks divided sexual experiences into how each person participated in the act. The active role was associated with masculinity and the passive role with femininity.

It's also important to acknowledge that each Greek city-state had a different culture (think of the stereotypes of the militaristic Spartans versus the philosophical Athenians), and so their opinions on same-sex relations differed. In Athens, for instance, sources suggest that men who took on a passive and submissive role during sex were looked down upon. The crime of hubris, "the act of humiliating or dishonoring another person for one’s own gratification," could be used in this manner to argue against same-sex relations. Meanwhile, in Thebes, a military unit called the Sacred Band, considered one of the most powerful armies of its time, reportedly consisted of 150 pairs of male lovers.

But regardless of what each city-state believed, we must discuss the practice of pederasty first. For an ancient Greek, pederasty was a socially acknowledged relationship between a younger man (the "erastes") and a teenage boy (the "eromenos"). In modern times, it's difficult to escape the mental connection to pedophilia and child abuse. But evidence from sources written at the time has led scholars to disagree with this connection in regards to ancient Greece.

First, we know the relationship was not always completely sexual. We have depictions of erastai giving their eromenoi gifts, and in some city-states like Sparta, the erastes was expected to help introduce the eromenos to adult society. In addition, some historians have argued that because many of these Greek cultures looked down on being penetrated during sex, a pederastic relationship would not predominantly feature penetrative sex.

Backing up some of these ideas is a whole load of classical literature. Plato and Aristophanes both mention pederastic relationships and of course, the poet Sappho was so influential that she gave us two words for female same-sex relationships: "sapphic" from her name and "lesbian" from her home, the island of Lesbos. Classicists also have turned to Greek mythology, identifying Ganymede and Zeus or Heracles and Iolaus as potential pederastic relationships. Some scholars interpret the relationship between the main hero of Homer's "Iliad," Achilles, and his friend Patroclus, in the same way, which is a perfect tie-in back to Alexander the Great.

One piece of evidence supporting a romantic same-sex relationship is that Alexander reportedly embraced comparisons of his relationship with Hephaestion to that of Achilles and Patroclus. There's also the case of Bagoas, a Persian eunuch and another of Alexander's potential lovers. If these relationships did happen, it's unclear how much they resembled the pederastic relationships common at the time.

The argument against Alexander having these relationships is simply that nobody explicitly described them as such. Critics might dismiss this as a writer assuming that everyone understood the greater context, but because time travel has not yet been invented, historians and classicists are stuck with their educated guesses.

As for the Netflix series, we repeat: "Alexander: The Making of a God" is a docudrama, not a straight documentary. There are better, more trustworthy sources to get information.

Past to Present: 100 Years Since the United States’ First Lethal Gas Execution, a Recently Renewed Practice

FIRST VICTIM OF STATE MURDER WAS A

CHINESE MIGRANT


Posted on Feb 08, 2024



Today, February 8, marks the 100-year anniversary of the first lethal gas execution in the United States, exactly two weeks after Alabama carried out the first execution using nitrogen gas.

On February 8, 1924, Nevada executed Gee Jon, a Chinese immigrant convicted of killing the owner of a laundromat, using cyanide gas. A fellow prisoner, Thomas Russell, was also scheduled to be executed the same day but was resentenced to life by the Board of Pardons and Parole the previous evening. The gas chamber, which was built by prisoners, was first tested on two kittens, who died within 15 seconds of the gas’ release. During the test, a small leak was identified and subsequently fixed so it would not pose any danger to witnesses, 30 of whom attended Mr. Gee’s execution. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, four Carson City prison guards resigned two days prior to the execution to avoid taking part. Four physicians, at the request of the prison warden, were present for the execution and, from outside the gas chamber, determined that Mr. Gee had no signs of life after six minutes. Due to the level of gas present in the chamber, prison staff waited two and a half hours before opening the chamber; an autopsy was not permitted.

The execution, which was Nevada’s first execution since 1916, was widely reported as a success by Prison Warden D. S. Dickerson and supported by physicians as painless and humane. “The execution was a success, but the method of application is dangerous,” said Prison Warden Dickerson, who preferred another method, like firing squad, that was safer for witnesses and staff. When the body of Mr. Gee was removed from the gas chamber, one of the physicians present, medical reserve officer for the U.S. Army Maj D. A. Turner, claimed to be able to resuscitate him, though his request was denied; a month later, the Nevada State Journal reported that Dr. Turner repeated these claims when addressing the Reno Lions Club, adding that “Gee Jon died of cold and exposure.”

After the execution, reporter Arthur Brisbane wrote, “If government insists on killing it should kill as savages usually do, choking with a rope, cutting off the head, or in some other savage fashion. Science and scientists should not be disgraced in the operation.” His article, published in the Nevada State Journal, continued “While ‘civilization’ was killing” Mr. Gee, five others were electrocuted in Texas, resulting in one warden’s resignation and another stating: “‘Pulling the switch of an electric chair means nothing to me.’” Countering this apathy, Mr. Brisbane wrote, “It means something to civilization. Ten thousand years hence this will be spoken of as an age that used to hang, shoot, asphyxiate, kill with electricity, and then foolishly expect criminals, with the undeveloped mind of children, NOT to imitate a murderous example set by government itself.”

 


On January 25, 2024, Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith using the experimental method of nitrogen hypoxia. Mr. Smith inhaled the nitrogen gas through a mask, rather than a gas chamber, and witnesses reported he initially “shook and writhed.” Witnesses were not allowed to take phones or watches with them and had to rely on a clock with no second hand, resulting in a complicated execution timeline. Although it took 32 minutes from the curtains being opened to Mr. Smith being declared dead, the execution was deemed a “success” by state officials.

Since 1976, there have been 12 lethal gas executions conducted by six states (Alabama (1), Arizona (2), California (2), Mississippi (4), Nevada (1), and North Carolina (2)). Mr. Smith’s execution was the first lethal gas execution since 1999. Execution witnesses of previous lethal gas executions have similarly observed signs of distress to lengthy executions. Attorney Jim Belanger wrote of his client Donald Harding’s 1992 execution in Arizona: “It took 10 minutes and 31 seconds for Don Harding to die. For at least eight of those minutes, he was writhing in agony.” Dan Morain, one of 18 journalists among a total of 48 official witnesses, described the 1992 execution of Robert Alton Harris as a “macabre and surreal scene” and concluded that he would never attend another execution. The international community has criticized past executions as they did with Mr. Smith’s: the German Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, called the 1999 execution of German national Walter LaGrande, which took 18 minutes, “barbaric.”

Currently two other states, Mississippi and Oklahoma, have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative execution method. The head of Oklahoma’s prison system, Steven Harpe, and his chief of staff, Justin Farris, have said they’re also exploring using the method as an option. But Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has stated that his opposition to switching to nitrogen gas. “I know exactly how it works. I know exactly what they’re doing. I don’t want to change a process that’s working,” he said. Legislation to introduce nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method is under review in the Nebraska and Ohio legislatures, both states that have allegedly had difficulty obtaining the chemicals required for lethal injection executions. Airgas, a private industrial gas distributor, has already announced its opposition to supplying nitrogen gas for executions.


SOURCES

JULIE CARR SMYTH, Could Ohio be the next state to use nitro­gen gas in exe­cu­tions? A new method would end a 5‑year halt, Associated Press, January 30, 2024; 

SEAN MURPHY, Oklahoma gov­er­nor says he’s not inter­est­ed in chang­ing from lethal injec­tion to nitro­gen exe­cu­tions, 

Associated Press, January 30, 2024, Randy Dotinga, Execution by gas has a bru­tal 100-year his­to­ry. Now it’s back., 

The Washington Post, January 24, 2024; Arthur Brisbane, Today they killed Gee Jon, 

Nevada State Journal, February 9, 1924; Gee Jon is Declared Victim of Cold Exposure Instead of Gas, Nevada State Journal, March 7, 1924; Could Have Revived Gee Jon Doctor Says, 

Reno Gazette Journal, March 6, 1924; Chinese Slayer Pays Penalty for Mina Crime When Poison Spray is Released at Prison, 

Reno Gazette Journal, February 8, 1924; Gee Jon Nods, Dies In Vapor, Nevada State Journal, February 9, 1924

FLORIDA PARENTS MANDATED TO SIGN PERMISSION SLIP FOR STUDENTS TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH 

This is just bold....

by Sharelle Burt

February 8, 2024

A public school in Florida is asking parents to sign a permission slip – just so their children can participate in Black History Month activities.

Parents at IPrep Academy say they were shocked at the request from the administration. The form asks parents and guardians to decide if they want their kids to participate in “class and school-wide presentations showcasing the achievements and recognizing the rich and diverse traditions, histories, and innumerable contributions of the Black communities.”

One parent noted concern over the problematic ask.

“I was shocked,” Jill Peeling said. “I’m concerned. I’m concerned as a citizen.”

Peeling said initially, she thought she may have just misunderstood the form, but she was correct in her thoughts. 

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on numerous mandates on how state teachers are required to teach Black history – including extolling the benefits of slavery. One mandate from July 2023 pushed for lessons about Black history to be taught in an “objective” way and aimed not to “indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.”

Several lawmakers, including Byron Donald – Florida’s only Black Republican congressman – have bashed the antics against teaching Black history. But Florida is not the only state pushing against teaching Black history. Protests erupted after a conservative-dominant Missouri school board voted to remove Black history electives just months after canceling an anti-discrimination policy. 

African American history expert and Florida International University Professor Marvin Dunn says antics like this will create a generation of people who are misled about Black history.

“When parents become involved in making that decision, keeping some kids out, some kids in, you have unequal learning,” Dunn said. 

He continued to say that DeSantis’ administration’s interference in the classroom is inappropriate and will have serious consequences.

“The intent of the DeSantis attack on education is to make schools more cautious, to make teachers more cautious about what they teach, and it’s working,” he said. “It’s not about banning books necessarily. It’s about banning ideas.”

Miami-Dade School Board Member Steve Gallon says the permission slip was just the district following state board rules.

“We have to follow the law,” Gallon said, according to Business Insider. “Something feels very off here, and the fact that the school needs to cover themselves against the state feels even worse.”

He continued to claim the permission slip was just to get parental consent for when individuals come on campus.

See Iceland’s Volcano Eruption in Photos

TIME

A view of lava crossing the main road to Grindavík and flowing on the road leading to the Blue Lagoon, in Grindavík, Iceland, on Feb. 8, 2024. A volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the third time since December and sent jets of lava into the sky. The eruption on Thursday morning triggered the evacuation the Blue Lagoon spa which is one of the island nation’s biggest tourist attractions.Marco Di Marco—AP

TEXT BY SOLCYRE BURGA | PHOTO EDITING BY ELI COHEN
FEBRUARY 8, 2024 

An Icelandic volcano system erupted for the third time since December on Thursday, in a phenomenon that could impact the world-famous Blue Lagoon hot springs.

The eruption, which began around 6 a.m. local time, has already affected roads and structures, damaging a pipe that supplies hot water for tens of thousands of locals. Volcanic activity also caused a 3000-meter crack running from Sundhnúk to Stóra-Scógfell, with plumes from the eruption measuring 3000 meters high, according to the Icelandic Met Office.

The nearby fishing town of Grindavik has been evacuated since November, when a previous round of eruptions damaged roads, power lines, and caused deadly cracks in the ground. Reports indicate that the power of the eruption has since decreased, though this most recent instance of volcanic activity signals a rise in eruptions that experts expect to continue to see.

See Iceland’s Volcano Eruption in Dramatic Video

The Reykjanes Peninsula has been active since 2020, when it experienced seismic activity for the first time in eight centuries, though eruptions prior to 2023 were harmless to the surrounding region.

Iceland houses more than 30 Holocene volcanoes, which are volcanoes that have erupted sometime in the last 11,700 years.

Here’s a photo roundup of the volcano eruption.

 

People look at the volcano erupting, north of Grindavík, Iceland, on Feb. 8, 2024.Marco Di Marco—AP

People fill up their vehicles at a petrol station as lava and billowing smoke pours out of a fissure during a volcanic eruption near Grindavík, in western Iceland, on Feb. 8, 2024.Kristinn Magnusson—AFP/Getty Images

Lava crosses the main road to Grindavík and flows on the road leading to the Blue Lagoon.Marco Di Marco—AP

An aerial view shows lava after volcano eruption northeast of Sylingarfell, near Grindavík, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, on Feb. 8, 2024.Iceland Civil Defense/Anadolu/Getty Images

Emergency services close a road as lava erupts from a fissure in Grandavík, Iceland.Micah Garen—Getty Images

A view of lava crossing the main road to Grindavík and flowing on the road leading to the Blue Lagoon, in Grindavík, Iceland.Marco Di Marco

An arial view of a volcano spewing lava and smoke as it erupts, near Grindavík, on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, on Feb. 8, 2024.Iceland Civil Protection/Reuters

Molten lava is seen overflowing the road leading to the Blue Lagoon.Kristinn Magnusson—AFP/Getty

Lava crosses the main road to Grindavík and flows on the road leading to the Blue Lagoon.Marco Di Marco—AP

Floridians shaken by 4.0 magnitude earthquake about 100 miles off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean


CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Authorities are collecting reports from Floridians who felt shaking from a 4.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast, the National Weather Service reported.

By Associated Press 

Thursday, February 8, 2024

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Authorities are collecting reports from Floridians who felt shaking from a 4.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast, the National Weather Service reported.

The earthquake happened shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

More than 80 reports of shaking were sent to the USGS, but no serious damage or injuries were reported, authorities said.

Earthquakes are relatively rare in Florida and off the Florida coast, experts say.

“It's a stable region,” said Paul Earle, a seismologist with the USGS. “That being said, as we just learned, it does have earthquakes but much rarer than in other areas.”

Earthquakes have been felt in Florida before. In September 2006, a 5.9 magnitude quake in the Gulf of Mexico was felt in Florida and other states. In parts of Florida, items were knocked from shelves and some Floridians saw waves in their swimming pools during the 2006 quake, according to reports from the USGS. That earthquake was felt all over Florida and even in several other southern states including Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and the Carolinas.

In 1879, an earthquake in north Florida — believed to be among the strongest in the state’s history — jolted residents awake and knocked kitchen items off of their shelves, according to an account from the University of Florida.

The USGS sometimes gets reports of earthquakes that are later determined to be sonic booms or military testing, Earle said. Most indicators point to Wednesday's earthquake as being a natural earthquake, he said.

Muslims lament loss of identity amid rising attacks on mosques in India

In an attempt to erase Muslim contributions from India's history, right-wing Hindu groups have been targeting centuries-old houses of worship across the country. Critics say the campaign amounts to "a bloodless genocide."

KAISAR ANDRABI
TRT

A police officer stands guard near the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi on February 1, 2024 (AFP/Niharika Kulkarni).

In the wake of last month's ruling by the Varanasi High Court allowing Hindus to conduct prayers within the 17th-century Gyanvapi Mosque in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a palpable sense of sadness and helplessness has pervaded the city's Muslim community.

The court made its determination on the basis that a Hindu temple had once existed on the site.

Hindus jubilantly celebrated the court's decision, but Muslims like 53-year-old Muqeem Ahmad found themselves grappling with profound frustration.

Walking with a bowed head and a heavy heart, Ahmad struggled to contain his emotions, his eyes showing the heavy disappointment he felt because of the court’s decision. Speaking to TRT World, he said:

"I think it’s high time for the government or even the Supreme Court to allow Hindus to openly demolish mosques, build temples, and ask us to vacate the places without resorting to hollow arguments about law and constitutional rights."


Hindu devotees gather near the illuminated Ram temple following its consecration ceremony in Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state on January 22, 2024 

(AFP/Money Sharma).

Ahmad said he feared that the recently inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, built on the site of the former Babri Mosque, which was torn down by Hindus in 1992, has emboldened right-wing Hindus.

They now aim to claim ownership of two other historical mosques in India – the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura. This signals potential peril for Muslims and puts these buildings at risk.

Attacks on mosques in India have escalated since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strengthened its power in 2019.

Among the promises outlined in their election manifesto was the revocation of Article 370 in Indian-Administered Kashmir and the construction of the Ram Mandir on the disputed land of the Babri Mosque, both of which have been fulfilled by the ruling party.

These actions have garnered satisfaction among the country's Hindu majority, potentially securing the party's hold on power for a third term in the upcoming election in May.

Despite opposition from Muslim organisations, the judiciary's rulings and subsequent actions have left little room for safeguarding these sites. Muslims constitute 17 percent of India’s population.

Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath delivered a resolute speech in the state assembly, leaving no room for ambiguity about the aspirations of the Hindu right.

Adityanath, renowned for his decisive actions against Muslims in the UP, talked about grand plans for Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura and the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi – the remaining targets on the Hindutva agenda.

Hindu claimants argue that these sites were once grand temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva before their purported destruction by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Mosques under threat

The UP is home to several recent high-profile mosque demolitions.

Last January, bulldozers tore down the historic Shahi Mosque in Prayagraj city as part of a road-widening project. This demolition occurred despite the mosque's committee filing a petition in a local court to halt the city's plans.

And in November 2022, a 300-year-old mosque in UP’s Muzaffarnagar district was razed to make room for a highway.


The Shamsi Jama Mosque is one of the oldest and largest mosques of India. Situated in Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, it was the largest mosque in India before the development of Jama Mosque in Delhi (Photo courtesy of thenoorfatima/CC).

Meanwhile, another significant mosque, the Shamsi Jama Mosque in the city of Budaun, became embroiled in a dispute in 2022 when a case was filed by a local Hindu farmer, supported by the right-wing Hindu nationalist group Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM).

They claimed that the mosque, which is 800 years old and a national heritage site, was illegally built on the site of a demolished temple. The fate of the mosque remains uncertain as the case awaits resolution in the courts.

The assault on mosques and shrines in Uttar Pradesh is part of a broader trend also observed in India’s capital. Last month, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished a 600-year-old mosque in the Mehrauli area of the city, citing encroachment — a move that drew sharp criticism from political and heritage activists across India. Many questioned how a structure with such historical significance could be labelled as encroachment.

These demolitions coincide with a campaign by Hindutva groups targeting Sufi shrines and mosques in other states such as Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The Muslim community in the vicinity continues to mourn its loss, with caretakers grappling with emotional trauma triggered by the disappearance of a place that once provided solace.

These incidents underscore growing concerns about religious tolerance and communal harmony in India, revealing a disturbing pattern of targeting Muslim religious sites under the pretext of addressing alleged land encroachments.


It's not just mosques. Last year, authorities demolished five revered shrines in the heart of Delhi, including Dargah Sunehri Baba and Dargah Hazrat Qutb Shah Chisti, located outside the headquarters of the Election Commission of India on Ashoka Road.

Two of these demolished shrines were among a list of 123 Muslim religious sites in New Delhi embroiled in a legal dispute between the central government and the Muslim Waqf Board of Delhi.

Last August, the Mamun-Bhanja shrine at Faiz Road, Paharganj, was covertly demolished under the cover of night, due to alleged land encroachment. The Muslim community in the vicinity continues to mourn its loss, with caretakers grappling with emotional trauma triggered by the disappearance of a place that once provided solace.

Muslims allege that most of the demolitions were carried out without prior notice to the managing bodies, resulting in the loss of mosques and shrines that held significance for the community for years.

This has exacerbated fear among Muslims, who are already living under constant threat due to increasing anti-Muslim sentiment and physical attacks by right-wing Hindu groups.

Losing identity

Asaduddin Owaisi, a prominent Muslim politician and parliamentarian, recently accused the Modi government of attempting to erode the cultural identity of Indian Muslims. In a speech to India’s Parliament this month, he said, "They want to snatch every mosque from us, our identity from us."

He also posed a critical question to the PM: "What message are you sending to 17 crore Muslims? Civilisation cannot be rewritten by hatred, history cannot be corrected by demolition."

He added, "(Modi) wanted to be immortalised in history for transforming India into a Hindu nation, but I implore the people of India to reject this divisive ideology."

For many Muslims in India, the most troubling aspect of the mosque demolitions is the growing intolerance the actions represent.

Speaking to TRT World, Omar, a young Muslim college student who asked to go only by his first name for fear of reprisal, said there appears to be an open threat to people like him these days.

"(The demolitions) signal that Muslims are destined to face similar consequences with no alternative escape from this dire reality."

He added, "Earlier, such incidents were perceived as isolated ones, often containing concealed messages for the broader community."



But the recent surge in violence against Muslim places of worship sends the unequivocal message "that Muslims are second-class citizens and compelled to accept the dominance of the majority."

Citing a recent incident from Chhattisgarh, he stated that the condition of Muslims in the country has reached a point where an imam of a mosque, who was nearly lynched by Hindu mobs, sought help from the police.

Instead of offering assistance, they jailed him for days. "These actions are evidently backed by the state, indicative of a deliberate agenda to keep us in fear," Omar lamented.

Violating the law

The demolitions and attacks on Muslim religious sites have become so commonplace in India that they no longer evoke shock.

Speaking to TRT World, Zafarul-Islam Khan, ex-chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission, said that the successful replacement of the Babri Mosque with the Ram temple whetted the appetite of Hindu zealots.


Hindu zealots chant slogans at a religious procession in Hyderabad on January 22, 2024, on the occasion of Ayodhya Ram temple's consecration ceremony

 (AFP/Noad Seelam).

Since then, they have revived their old claims for many well-known old mosques around the country. "They have a list of 3,000 such mosques, which means the process will go on for thousands of years," he said.

However, he believes this plan is in clear violation of a 1991 law protecting religious places in India as they stood upon the founding of the country on Aug. 15, 1947.

For him the actions of demolitions are another method of erasing Muslim religious places by bulldozing them out of a sudden claim that they are "illegal."

Speaking to TRT World, Mridula Mukherjee, a renowned historian and author of the book RSS, shed light on the significance of the Places of Worship Act of 1991, emphasising its pivotal role in preserving the religious status quo.

There is a law that guarantees our religious sites and practices, but the present scenario of the Indian judiciary seems to compromise the constitutional right granted for us. It’s a bloodless genocide.

"Except for the Babri Masjid, all other religious sites and buildings were to maintain their status as of August 15, 1947. This law was enacted to prevent disputes and political manipulation of controversies."

She added that the issue is not one of right or wrong, but of legality, "It's important to note that current events are in violation of this law."

Addressing the complexity of architectural heritage, Mukherjee highlighted the intertwined nature of Hindu and Islamic motifs in historical buildings. "There has been significant blending of architectural styles over the years, making it challenging to categorise structures solely based on religious affiliation. It's convenient to exploit such issues during elections to stoke emotions."

She called for unified criticism from all sections of society to uphold the rule of law and provide assurance to minority communities. "Counter-mobilisation is the answer."

But Varanasi's Muqeem Ahmad said he worried that efforts by the Muslim community to safeguard their houses of worship are an exercise in futility.

"There is a law that guarantees our religious sites and practices, but the present scenario of the Indian judiciary seems to compromise the constitutional right granted for us. It’s a bloodless genocide."

SOURCE: TRT WORLD

Kaisar Andrabi is a journalist based in India. He writes on politics, tech, human rights, gender and health. His work has been published in Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast, and Nikkie Asia among other publications.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for HINDUISM IS FASCISM 

 

Texas Bans Barclays from Bond Market over Bank’s ESG Policies

 Mark Segal January 29, 2024

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the state has banned UK-based bank Barclays from participating as an underwriter in Texas’ municipal bond market, following the company’s failure to respond to requests for information over its ESG policies.

The announcement marks the latest in a series of moves in an ongoing anti-ESG movement by Republican politicians in the U.S. Texas has been one of the most active states in anti-ESG initiatives, with actions including having several asset managers placed on a list for potential divestment for allegedly “boycotting” energy companies, as well as joining a multi-state alliance to “protect individuals from the ESG movement,” through actions such as blocking the use of ESG in all investment decisions at the state and local level, and prohibiting state fund managers from considering ESG factors in their investments on behalf of the state.

Texas is the largest net energy supplier in the U.S., providing nearly a quarter of the country’s domestically produced energy, and accounting for over 40% of the nation’s crude oil proved reserves and production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

According to a statement released by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Barclays was identified as a potential “fossil fuel boycotter” due to its participation in a net zero alliance, and was sent a letter in November, alongside other banks including Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, among others, asking for more information concerning its ESG commitments.

The OAG said that Barclays informed the AG that it would not be able to respond to the inquiry, leading to the ruling that “until further notice, we will not approve any public security issued on or after today’s date in which Barclays purchases or underwrites the public security or is otherwise a party to a covered contract relating to the public security.”

The OAG added that “we have not heard from any of the remaining banks under review that they will not be able to respond to our inquiries.”

Paxton said:

“The Office of the Attorney General will continue to vigorously enforce our laws that prevent taxpayer funds from going to companies whose ‘ESG’ policies harm Texans or key Texas industries.”

While Barclays is a member of the Net Zero Banking Alliance, which involves commitments including transitioning lending and investment portfolios to align with an 2050 net zero pathway and setting interim financed emissions reduction targets, the bank has faced scrutiny from investors and sustainability-focused groups over its continued oil and gas financing.

Mark founded ESG Today following a 20 year career in investment management and research. Prior to founding ESG Today, Mark worked at Delaney Capital Management (DCM) in Toronto, Canada, most recently as the firm’s head of U.S. equities. While at DCM, Mark was part of the firm’s ESG team, responsible for evaluating and tracking the sustainability factors impacting portfolio companies, and assessing the suitability of companies for portfolio inclusion. Mark also spent several years in the sell-side research industry, covering the technology and services sectors. Mark holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York, a BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, and is a CFA charterholder.

Mount Everest climbers to carry their poop back down mountain in new initiative: ‘Our mountain has begun to stink’ 

By Alyssa Guzman
Published Feb. 8, 2024

No bulls–t.

Those looking to climb Mount Everest will now have to carry poop bags on them to bring their waste back down to camp.

The tallest mountain in the world is estimated to have around 3 tons of poop laying between Camp One, at the bottom, and Camp Four, which is near the summit, according to BBC.

“Our mountains have begun to stink,” Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, told the BBC.

Due to extreme temperatures, especially near the top, human waste is not properly disposed of because it doesn’t fully degrade, causing some climbers to fall sick.

“We are getting complaints that human stools are visible on rocks and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable and erodes our image,” he said.

The new initiative will help keep the Chinese-Nepali mountain, as well as Mount Lhotse, cleaner and trill-seekers will have the option to buy poop bags at the base camp.
4The tallest mountain in the world is estimated to have around three tons of poop laying between Camp One and Camp Four.AFP via Getty Images

And if climbers think they can get around the initiative, they would be sorely mistaken as poop bags will be “check upon return,” he said.

As of now, many climbers dig holes in the snow to relieve themselves, but as they get closer to the summit, less snow is available to cover their waste, forcing them to go out in the open.

Add on top that it takes an average of seven to nine weeks to even scale the mountain, most aren’t too thrilled to carry about bags of poops.

“Waste remains a major issue, especially in higher-up camps where you can’t reach,” Chhiring Sherpa, the CEO of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), told BBC.

The new initiative will help keep the Chinese-Nepali mountain, as well as Mount Lhotse, cleaner and trill-seekers will have the option to buy poop bags at the base camp.AFP via Getty Images

And if climbers think they can get around the initiative, they would be sorely mistaken as poop bags will be “check upon return,” Sherpa said.China News Service via Getty Images

The bags will contain a powder that helps solidify human waste and help make it odorless. Each bag can be used five or six times and each climber will need about two bags each.Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Half of the stool samples are believed to be in South Col, also known as Camp Four.

SPCC is now obtaining around 8,000 waste bags from the US, which should help 1,200 people this coming climbing season, which begins in March.

The bags will contain a powder that helps solidify human waste and help make it odorless, BBC reported.

Each bag can be used five or six times, Chhiring predicts, and each climber will need about two bags each.

Poop bags aren’t a new concept for climbers as mountaineers have using them on Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, and in the Antarctic for a while, according to the report.

Pharma exec won't commit to selling life-saving drug in U.S. for lower price offered in  Canada

(EVEN CHEAPER; OUR $1 IS WORTH O.74 CENTS US)

Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Chris Boerner would not commit to selling Eliquis in the U.S. for the same, cheaper price it's offered at in Canada when asked to do so by Sen. Bernie Sanders in a congressional hearing. Eliquis is a life-saving medication that prevents blood clots.

 

MYANMAR/BURMA

Arakan Army captures two junta battalions in Rakhine state

RFA Burmese
2024.02.08

The Arakan Army displays weapons seized after the capture of the Myanmar army’s Light Infantry Battalion 379 in Minbya township, Jan. 30, 2024.

 

Arakan Army insurgents have captured two key military units in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, giving the group effective control of Minbya township and putting it in a position to challenge junta control of the state capital Sittwe, according to an ethnic rebel alliance and regional sources.

On Tuesday morning, the Arakan Army, or AA, routed Light Infantry Battalions 379 and 541 – the two junta battalions that remained in Minbya after the ethnic rebels captured the 380th battalion on Jan. 28 – the Three Brotherhood Alliance, of which the AA is a member, said in a statement.

“All junta soldiers surrendered to the AA,” said a resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. It wasn’t clear how many soldiers this entailed, but the latest estimates by military experts suggest most battalions in the Burmese Army have around 200 men.

The takeover means “the AA now controls Minbya,” he said. People are worried about possible airstrikes by the military and “don’t dare go outside.”

​​The capture of the two units are the latest in a series of victories for the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which launched a campaign in October on junta forces in the northern and western parts of the country.

In northern Rakhine and neighboring Chin state, the AA seized arms and ammunition during several attacks on junta positions in January.

The latest gains by the AA rebels followed their capture of a junta-affiliated Border Guard Police camp in Maungdaw township at the weekend that led to droves of BGP members abandoning their posts and fleeing across the border into neighboring Bangladesh.

As of late Thursday, as many as 330 BGP members who had crossed over, were sheltering in the southeastern Bangladesh districts of Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar as they waited to be repatriated by Myanmar’s military government.

On Jan. 16, nearly 300 junta troops surrendered to the AA after it took control of two major military junta encampments in Kyauktaw township. And on Jan. 24, the Three Brotherhood Alliance said in a statement that the AA had won full control of Pauktaw, a port city just 16 miles (25 kilometers) east of the Rakhine capital Sittwe.

The takeovers follow the AA’s occupation of the entirety of western Chin’s Paletwa region – a mere 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the border with Bangladesh – in November, after it ended a ceasefire that had been in place with the junta since the military’s Feb. 1, 2021, coup d’etat.

In a statement late Tuesday, the alliance claimed that the AA had now captured all but two of the 10 light infantry battalions under the aegis of the No. 9 Military Operations Command in Kyauktaw. They include the 379th, 380th and 541th battalions in Minbya; the 374th, 376th and 539th in Kyauktaw; and 378th and 540th in Mrauk-U township – the last two of which were also taken on Tuesday morning, the alliance said.

The two remaining light infantry battalions under the No. 9 Military Operations Command are 377th in Mrauk-U and 375th in Kyautaw, according to the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which added that the AA had also taken control of Artillery Battalion 377 in Kyauktaw.

Central Rakhine offensive

The No. 9 Military Operations Command in central Rakhine’s Kyauktaw township is one of three junta command centers in the state, the other two being No. 5 in southern Rakhine’s Toungup township and No. 15 in northern Rakhine’s Buthidaung township.

A Rakhine-based military observer told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the AA was focusing on taking control of No. 9 Military Operations Command so that it could launch offensives from the region against battalions under No. 5 and No. 15.

“If the AA can capture the [Operations Command] in Kyauktaw, then they will control the central area of the state,” the observer said. “This area is important for military offensives, so the AA could use it to launch strategic attacks on the military in other areas.”

The observer noted that the junta is ceding battalions and townships despite its use of the air force, navy and ground troops, suggesting that it no longer has the capacity to counter AA offensives.

Arakan Army forces display arms and equipment seized after the capture of the Myanmar army’s Light Infantry Battalion 540 in Minbya, Feb. 2, 2024. [AA Info Desk]

He also suggested that if the AA was able to take complete control of Mrauk-U and Kyauktaw, it would likely push on to fight for control of the capital Sittwe and Ann township, where the junta’s Western Military Headquarters is located.

“If the junta loses these towns, it can be assumed that the next phase of battles will occur in Sittwe … and Ann,” he said. “It may then spread further to Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships.”

The AA had yet to issue any statements about the junta battalions they have captured, casualties suffered in the fighting, or the number of military troops who have surrendered.

Rapid gains

Another resident monitoring the military situation in Rakhine told RFA that the AA could assume control of as many as five townships in the north of the state by the end of February, before advancing south.

“We earlier thought that the AA would proceed with attacks in southern Rakhine only in 2025, after first taking control of the north,” he said. “However, they have made significant gains in Ramree and Toungup townships in a short span of time. The junta soldiers have fled [across the borders] to Bangladesh and India, and more soldiers will surrender soon.”

In its statement on Tuesday, the Three Brotherhood Alliance said it also expected that the AA would fully capture the Taung Pyo Let Wei and Taung Pyo Let Yar border outposts north of Rakhine’s Maungdaw township along the border with Bangladesh, days after launching attacks on the two areas.

The alliance claimed that AA fighters had located the bodies of several members of the junta-affiliated Border Guard Forces killed in the fighting and confiscated a large cache of arms and ammunition, adding that “more than 200 junta soldiers fled the area to Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, fighting remains fierce in Ramree township, where the AA launched attacks on a military outpost in December, residents of the area said. More than 10,000 civilians have fled the clashes and at least 60 homes were destroyed in military airstrikes and artillery attacks, they said.

The junta has yet to release any statements related to the military situation in Rakhine state.

Attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and AA spokesman Khaing Thukha went unanswered Wednesday.

In the three months since the AA ended its ceasefire, more than 110 civilians have been killed and at least 250 injured in fighting in Rakhine state, according to data compiled by RFA.

Radio Free Asia, a news organization affiliated with BenarNews, produced this report.

Global Heating Exceeds 1.5°C For 12 Months - Greenpeace Reaction

Friday, 9 February 2024, 
Press Release: Greenpeace


Amsterdam, Netherlands - Reacting to Copernicus ClimateChange Service EU climate service data showing the first time global warming has likely exceeded a global average of 1.5C above the pre industrial baseline across an entire year, from February 2023 to January 2024:

Ian Duff, Greenpeace International Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said:

“The announcement of a year-long period in which the average global temperature very likely exceeded 1.5C above the pre-industrial global average in 2023-2024 is a frightening reminder that government action to bring down emissions to zero is more urgent than ever. Every fraction of a degree of warming spells more extreme weather and more sea level rise impacting millions of people and other living creatures.

That is why all new oil and gas projects must stop and polluters like Chevron, Exxon, Shell, and TotalEnergies must be made to pay for the damage they’ve caused and finance the just and fair transition away from fossil fuels that we need.

It’s fundamentally unjust that whilst Big Oil announces mind-boggling profits Chile is burning, countries from Spain and Morocco to Ethiopia are facing killer droughts, Australia faces a severe heat wave, and DR Congo faces its worst floods in decades.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Big Oil knew about climate change for seven decades and invested millions of dollars to deny it and delay any action. Now it's too late for small changes, but it's not too late to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to protect our homes and maintain a livable planet by radically transforming the economy.

The fossil fuel giants will not reform themselves: governments around the world must force that industry to stop drilling for new oil and gas and start paying for the immense damage that the climate crisis does to the planet and the people living on it.

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Monarch butterfly numbers dip to second lowest level in Mexico wintering grounds


Experts say the endangered insect numbers fell by 59% this year, blaming pesticide use and climate change for the reduction

  Monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexippus) rest on a plant in El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary, in Michoacan State, Mexico. Experts say there has been a drop in numbers at their wintering areas in Mexico. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Associated PressThu 8 Feb 2024

The number of endangered monarch butterflies at their wintering areas in Mexico has dropped by 59% this year to the second lowest level since record keeping began, experts said, blaming pesticide use and climate change.

The annual butterfly count doesn’t calculate the individual number of butterflies, but rather the number of hectares they cover when they clump together on tree branches in the mountain pine and fir forests west of Mexico City. Monarchs from east of the Rocky Mountains in the US and Canada overwinter there.

The butterflies’ migration from Canada and the US to Mexico and back again is considered a marvel of nature. No single butterfly lives to complete the entire journey.

Mexico’s Commission for National Protected Areas said on Wednesday the butterflies covered an area equivalent to 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres), down from 2.21 hectares (5.4 acres) last year.

The lowest level was in 2013 at 0.67 hectares.

“It has a lot to do with climate change,” said Gloria Tavera, the commission’s conservation director. She cited storms, drought and higher temperatures.

Experts noted there were almost no butterflies at some traditional wintering grounds.

“The monarchs looked for other sites,” Tavera said.

View image in fullscreen

A tree full of monarch butterflies at the Rosario Sanctuary, Michoacan, Mexico in 2020. 

Photograph: Brian Overcast/Alamy

The number of a smaller population, the western monarch butterflies that overwinter in California, has dropped, too.

In 2022, there was a reported increase, when experts said that 35% more monarch
butterflies arrived to spend the winter in mountaintop forests compared with the previous season of 2021.

Gregory Mitchell, a researcher for Environment and Climate Change Canada, called the decline “very sobering,” but noted that “we have the drive, we have the tools, we have the people” to address humans’ impact on the monarch migration.

Humberto Peña, the head of Mexico’s protected areas, proposed creating a “safe corridor” for migrating butterflies with reduced herbicide and pesticide use and stricter measures against deforestation.

The use of herbicides in the US and Canada has reduced the amount of milkweed, the butterflies’ preferred food.

But there was some good news. Deforestation in the Mexican forests where monarch butterflies spend the winter fell this year to about 4.1 hectares. Almost all was lost to illegal logging.

That was a large reduction from last year, when 58.7 hectares of forest cover was lost.

Illegal logging has been a major threat to the forests where the butterflies gather in clumps to keep warm. Diseases, drought and storms have also caused tree losses.