I am a Pakistani-American and Trump's rise threatens me

When Donald Trump first made the statement about banning Muslims from entering the United States, I did not take it as an abstract concern. I did not think he didn’t mean it or that he wouldn’t want to pursue it as a policy if he became President. Instead, I thought about my Muslim parents who brought my brother and me to the United States from Pakistan in December of 2000, when I was eight years old. I thought about immigrant parents making sacrifices for their children in a new country, faced with all sorts of new challenges. And I also thought about what we had contributed to this country during our time here. I thought about my Pakistani relatives who, after September 11, 2001, found it much more difficult to visit us and perhaps now would never be able to. I thought about the trips we took to our family home in Lahore every few years and whether those trips could make us liabilities or contribute to us being seen as suspicious. I also went back to my childhood when in the wake of September 11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it became much harder to be Pakistani and Muslim in America. The more I felt that America was my home, the more reminders there were that my family and I would be perpetually foreign, suspect and untrustworthy. What does Donald Trump’s rise mean to me as a Pakistani immigrant in the United States? Donald Trump’s rise did not occur in a vacuum. He did not come up with his own bigoted rhetoric out of nowhere. Rather, he exploited fears and anxieties that already existed — the fears and anxieties of a country recovering from an economic crisis and in an age of international terrorism. By repeating beliefs about Muslims being untrustworthy or unwilling to follow the laws of the United States, he provided a convenient scapegoat for the problems the country is facing.

His rhetoric has had tangible effects.

According to the New York Times, “Hate crimes against American Muslims have soared to their highest levels...an increase apparently fuelled by terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad and by divisive language on the campaign trail.” Moreover, “hate crimes against American Muslims were up 78 per cent over the course of 2015.” This is startling data. It should be unacceptable that some people in the United States are choosing to scapegoat an entire religious group and enact violence on them.But given the success of the Trump campaign so far, hate crimes seem to be becoming more and more common.Donald Trump’s rise has made American Muslims feel less safe, and his rhetoric and policy proposals on other immigration-related issues would affect Pakistani immigrants as well.In a statement on immigration on his website, Trump laid out his plan to limit the number of immigrants who can come to the United States and to subject potential immigrants to ideology-based tests to ensure that they can assimilate.Specifically, Trump’s plan includes keeping “immigration levels, measured by population share, within historical norms” and to “select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in US society.”He has also discussed asking applicants “for their views about honour killings, about respect for women and gays and minorities, attitudes on "radical Islam", and many other topics as part of the vetting procedure”.

While this seems like an innocuous enough test, Trump is seeking to target Muslim immigrants or immigrants from Muslim-majority countries — one that plausibly includes Pakistan — by including language on asking about honour killings, people’s attitudes on ‘radical Islam,’ and 'Shariah law.' A less bigoted, more humanising view on immigration to the United States would take into account that most of the people seeking to immigrate likely do not intend to flout US laws, to enact violence or terrorism, or to spread bigotry. For example, the Wall Street Journal has reported that, “numerous studies going back more than a century have shown that immigrants — regardless of nationality or legal status — are less likely than the native population to commit violent crimes or to be incarcerated.”Specifically, a study from the Immigration Policy Center states that “for every ethnic group without exception, incarceration rates among young men are lowest for immigrants.”It is ironic that Donald Trump has proposed an ideological test that would ensure that immigrants to the United States would not spread bigotry or hatred, when his own supporters often do not subscribe to the values of diversity and tolerance.A recent Daily Show clip brought this irony to the forefront when it showed people at a Trump rally being asked questions that would be similar to the questions on the proposed ideology test and providing answers that do not exhibit the standard of tolerance and respect for the US Constitution that Donald Trump would require from immigrants.I am not just concerned about Trump's proposed immigration restrictions on Muslims, but also about his immigration policies that would affect other groups as well.The Pew Research Center has suggested that Trump’s proposed immigration policies “would reduce legal immigration through 2065 by tens of millions”. Pew’s director of Hispanic research put the number of people who would not be able to immigrate to the United States to “at least 30 million.”

I am also concerned about other facets of the Trump campaign.I am concerned about the way Trump has alienated Mexican Americans and Latino Americans throughout his campaign.As a woman, I am concerned about the continuous lack of respect that he has shown to women and the misogyny he has perpetrated.I am concerned as a student of international law about his foreign policy positions and frankly, his lack of the appropriate temperament for diplomacy and for negotiating peaceful solutions to global problems.I am concerned that in an era of increasing police violence against African Americans, a presidential candidate who has already shown so much bigotry will not be able to institute change and prove that Black lives do indeed matter. Donald Trump’s campaign worries me as a Pakistani Muslim immigrant, but it also worries me as an American. Ultimately, it is up to Americans like my family and me to make up the difference and prove that we are capable of being better than a man who has displayed so much bigotry and who has alienated so many of us.

Pakistan to play role in Gulf countries’ development:

Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday said that, “Pakistan will continue playing its role in development and defence of Bahrain and Gulf countries. He expressed these thoughts during a meeting with King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The speaker was accompanied by and Pakistan’s ambassador to Bahrain, Javed Malik, Pakistan Embassy said. During the meeting, Sheikh Hamad remarked that, “Bahrain gives great value to its unfading brotherly relations with Pakistan. “The government and people of Bahrain feel happy over the economic and social development achieved by Pakistan,” he added. Ambassador Javed Malik said that, “During the meeting both sides agreed to enhance the economic and social ties between Pakistan and Bahrain.” He also informed that, “A delegation of Bahrain investors is likely to visit Pakistan in January.”He said that, “The King of Bahrain has shown immense interest in Pakistan’s J-F Thunder Mushshak aircraft. “The J-F Thunder Mushshak will also participate in the Bahrain Air Show,” he added.  

situation at LoC

NEW YORK: Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concerns over escalation in tensions at the Line of Control and urged Pakistan and India to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogues. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, in a media briefing said, “United Nations is keeping vigil eye on escalation in tensions at LoC.” “Ban Ki-moon has appealed Pakistan and India to resolve their all outstanding issues through dialogues,” the spokesman for the world body added.  On Monday, three Pakistani civilians were martyred and five others wounded in Indian shelling across the disputed border with Pakistan in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, Pakistani officials said, as tension simmers between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Feelings have run high since July, when Indian security forces killed a young Kashmiri fighter in Indian-occupied Kashmir, prompting months of protests and a corresponding security crackdown that has claimed more than 80 lives.Tension built further in September, when 18 Indian soldiers were killed at an army base in Indian-occupied Kashmir, in an attack Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan denied that it was involved in that attack. Last week, both countries expelled each others´ diplomats, and named a number of others as being involved in spying. Violations of a 2003 ceasefire on the defacto border have regularly occurred in the last two months

Beaver Supermoon' to occur being the biggest moon after decades

A "beaver supermoon" is coming in this month of November and the sight of it in the night sky could be as spectacular as its name is silly. There won't actually be any big-tailed rodents involved, but our biggest satellite will become full within hours of reaching its closest point to Earth and, as a result, appear the largest it has for several decades. Supermoons happen several times a year and the term now generally just refers to a full moon that is closer to Earth than average. In fact, 2016 sees three supermoons in succeeding months: the first was on October 16, the second will appear on November 14, and the last will occur on December 14, which will have the downside of significantly reducing the number of meteors visible in the annual Geminid meteor shower. It's the November 14 moon that will appear the largest because it becomes full within roughly two hours of perigree – the point at which it's elliptical orbit brings it closest to the Earth. This point is around 30,000 miles (48,000 km) closer to Earth than the farthest point of the Moon's orbit, (which is known as apogee and is when we get a "micromoon"), so it will appear about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when it is at its most distant.

While 14 percent is quite a bit, noticing the difference when the Moon is high in the sky can be difficult due to the lack of any reference points, so your best bet will be to try and get a look as the full moon rises and there are things on the ground to compare it to.

The November 14 supermoon is a lot rarer than your run-of-the-mill supermoon. In fact, it will be closer and therefore larger and brighter in the sky than it's been since January of 1948, and if you miss this one, you'll have to wait until 2034 for a moon this close. Night sky watchers and photographers should definitely take note of the date and check out some of our past tips on photographing a Supermoon to get the best shots.

So what do beavers have to do with the beaver supermoon? According to Slooh Observatory, the Old Farmer's Almanac says the November full moon was named after the animal because, "for both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs."

You can get the full scoop on the three final supermoons of 2016, including the beaver supermoon in the below video from NASA. If cloudy skies prevent you from checking it out for yourself on November 14, you can always watch a live broadcast of the event via the Slooh Observatory.

CPEC

Even though China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would take a couple of years to become fully operational, it became nominally functional on October 31, as first caravan consisting of 150 to 300 shipping containers began their journey from China to Gwadar; an important milestone has indeed been met.First convoy loaded with Chinese goods rolled into the Sost dry port in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Sost is a village in Hunza. It’s the last town in Pakistan on the Karakoram highway before the Chinese border. One thousand Chinese containers would pass through the Karakoram highway in Gilgit-Baltistan every week. Two weeks earlier, the first Chinese ship had docked at Gwadar port—a vital nodal point of CPEC. The corridor is about 3,000-kilometre long, when fully complete, it would comprise of highways, railways, pipelines and communication related fiber optics that will connect Western part of China to the rest of the world through Gwadar port. China’s “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) initiative has grabbed international attention. It has a liquidity backing of 40 billion dollar by the Silk Road Fund and 100 billion dollar by the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).Other Chinese and non-Chinese banks shall also chip-in funding for various projects.

OBOR is a century long project costing over a trillion dollars. Its initial activities will be geared towards building basic infrastructure. Beijing is planning six economic corridors along the OBOR route: China-Mongolia-Russia; New Eurasian Land Bridge; China-Central and West Asia; China-Indo-China Peninsula; China-Pakistan; and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar. China has overtaken traditional donors to South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Since 2009, China has become Sri Lanka’s largest donor. China’s financial assistance to Pakistan is also substantial. In 2014, there were 12 other countries that were investing more in Pakistan in terms of FDI than China. Now the flow of Chinese FDI in Pakistan has reached the number one spot. Current financial assistance based entry of China to South Asia has some similarities with the FDI based entry of Japan to East Asia in the 1980s. The flagship project of OBOR is the CPEC. While other projects are at various stages of planning, CPEC has become operational. CPEC has fascinated a number of countries from South Asia, Central Asia and beyond. It is being perceived as a catalyst for economic activity, benefiting around three billion people of three continents.Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran have also expressed their intent to invest in CPEC.Almost all central Asian countries, including Afghanistan, wish to join CPEC to connect with the outside world through Gwadar port; this option provides these semi landlocked countries access to an around the year operational port. This route is the shortest, secure and most economical. The first CPEC convoy, was received by G-B Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman and the commander of the Force Command Northern Areas. “This is going to be the fate changer for our country,” said the G-B Chief Minister.

“We will thwart conspiracies being hatched against CPEC,” he said in a veiled reference to India which has publicly opposed the project.From Sost onwards, shipping containers would be escorted to Gwadar in smaller convoys. First such convoy of forty-five containers left Gilgit for Gwadar on the same day. Personnel of army, police and special CPEC force are providing foolproof security to the convoy. Earlier this year, Beijing had donated 25 vehicles equipped with modern security gears, to the G-B government, for the security of convoys coming from China. The G-B government has also installed 285 high-resolution closed-circuit cameras with night vision capability to keep an eye on miscreants. A Special Security Division (SSD), consisting of nine composite Infantry Battalions and six Civil Armed Forces (CAF) Wings, has been constituted at a cost of Rs 21. 57 billion, this force shall provide security to the Chinese nationals. This security cover is in addition to the security effort that will be generated by provinces within their respective areas.

There are fears that Indian spy agency RAW could ferment trouble through different strategies and launch disruptive activities. India has declared this project as unacceptable and has set-up a 300 million dollar fund to sabotage CPEC. Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is personally overseeing this nefarious activity. India has also poured in huge funds to create mistrust amongst provinces on the issue of sharing the benefits of CPEC. Some of recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan have been linked to Indian intent of disrupting CPEC. India is also trying to raise a separatist entity in the G-B province to create an impression of indigenous disapproval for the corridor. India is forgetting the reality that G-B people have been living happily with Karakoram highway since the 1960s. As the inaugural convoy drove through Danyor town in Gilgit, residents lining both sides of the road enthusiastically welcomed the containers by waving to the truckers and chanting slogans. Government of G-B is planning to introduce an ‘environment tax’ on transporters doing business under CPEC. “We will legislate to levy the environment tax,” CM G-B disclosed.

It was an important day for both Chinese and Pakistani people since trade activity under the CPEC has officially started. The federal government has approved projects worth Rs72 billion to provide GB with infrastructure and modern technology. The Shuntar pass, Babusar road and Gilgit-Skardu road would be constructed under the CPEC. CPEC could create more than 700,000 direct jobs, along the route over the next 15 years. It is an inclusive development programme focusing on benefiting lesser developed regions of Pakistan through setting up of Special Economic Zones. Province wise allocation of CPEC projects is: Balochistan 16, KPK 8, Sindh 13 and Punjab 12. Six projects have been allocated to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Evolution of CPEC is a “game-changer” for Pakistan, CPEC related cash inflow roughly equals entire foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country since 1970. This ambitious effort will effectively re-create the ancient Silk Road that for centuries linked Asia to the rest of the world. This trade route would revive Pakistan’s economy and boost employment; and for China CPEC will provide it a new trade route to the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

The involvement of China in construction and running of the Gwadar Port and its funding of CPEC are a firm guarantee for successful implementation of these projects; and now there are clear signs of the dream coming true. Chinese are known for vigorously pursuing projects and accomplishing them within the stipulated period and cost. Another point is that Chinese want to do trade through the Corridor and for this purpose they want operationalization of the route in the shortest possible time. At the first this could be done at the earliest by upgrading the existing infrastructure and providing missing links of various highways and motorways, later additional routes would supplement the effort. There are three routes under CPEC umbrella, and all of them have their own worth and value for the people of Pakistan. However, one must understand that ultimately the route that serves economic interests of the investor is the priority route. It is regrettable that some elements have been hurling baseless accusations and want all the three routes to cover a wish list of areas, but such proposition is not economically viable. Pakistan cannot afford to become complacent with the arrival of the inaugural convoy and the ship, it is just the beginning and a lot of miles are yet to be covered to make the CPEC fully operational. Federal government needs to build trust amongst the federating units and narrow down differences of opinion. Moreover, vigil must be maintained on the activities of foreign intelligence agencies, and our counter intelligence agencies must implement proactive measures to nullify hostile acts before they are committed.

Turkish, U.S. military chiefs discuss Syria and Iraq operations - Turkish military

 : The heads of the Turkish and U.S. armed forces discussed joint strategies against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq during a meeting in Ankara on Sunday, the Turkish military said in a statement.

Turkish chief of general staff Hulusi Akar met his U.S. counterpart Joseph Dunford hours after U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) launched an operation to liberate the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State.

"Joint combat methods against Daesh (Islamic State) in Syria and Iraq, namely al-Bab and Raqqa, were discussed for the coming days," the statement said, referring to two Syrian cities.

The two military chiefs also discussed the actions of the Kurdish YPG, a group backed by the United States but seen as a hostile force by Turkey, in Syria and Iraq and the risks of sectarian clashes in the region, the Turkish statement said.

Arson, vandalism rattle Hindu communities in Bangladesh

DHAKA: Vandalism and arson directed at Hindu temples and homes continued over the weekend in Bangladesh, as crowds in various parts of the Muslim-majority country appeared to target its largest religious minority group.Many of the acts were minor, like on late Saturday or early Sunday, when Hindu idols were defaced in temples in the north and south of the country, according to the police. But Hindu communities are increasingly unnerved, said Anjan Kumar Deb, the vice chairman of Nasirnagar subdistrict, northeast of Dhaka, where an angry Muslim crowd ransacked 15 temples and scores of homes on Oct. 30. Fifty-three people have been arrested in connection with these crimes.India expressed “grave concern” over the attacks, with Sushma Swaraj, external affairs minister, instructing Delhi’s ambassador to the country to visit the prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. The violence in Nasirnagar, whose population is about 40 percent Hindu, was set off by a Facebook post published by a Hindu youth. The post included an image of the Hindu god Shiva appearing at a Muslim holy site in Mecca.Deb, a Hindu community leader, received a call on Saturday that unknown people had built a fire on the veranda of his home. “The attackers want to create a panic among Hindus,” Deb said, adding that the campaigns may aim to strip Hindus of their lands.On Saturday, in the northern district of Netrakona, a youth was arrested while trying to set fire to a temple, said Zaydeb Chowdhury, the superintendent of police. In Jhalakathi, a southern district, “unknown miscreants” destroyed Hindu idols either late Saturday or early Sunday, said Mohammad Mahe Alam, the officer in charge of Jhalakathi police station. He said that there were no witnesses, and that he suspected the attack had been motivated by a dispute over the land the temple occupies.On the same night in Sirajganj, “unidentified miscreants” broke the heads off statues of goddesses from a temple, said Basudeb Sinha, the head investigatory officer at the Sirajganj police station.

China moves to bar Hong Kong activists as fears grow over intervention

China's parliament passed a ruling on Monday that effectively bars two elected Hong Kong pro-independence politicians from taking office, Beijing's most direct intervention in the territory's legal and political system since the 1997 handover.

The rare move by Beijing came after Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Baggio Leung, 30, pledged allegiance to the "Hong Kong nation" and displayed a banner declaring "Hong Kong is not China" during a swearing-in ceremony for the city's Legislative Council in October.

The National People's Congress in Beijing ruled that lawmakers must swear allegiance to Hong Kong as part of China and that candidates would be disqualified if they changed the wording of their oath of office or if they failed to take it in a sincere and solemn manner.

The prospect of the ruling sparked protests in the former British colony on Sunday and it is now on high alert for any repeat of the weekend clashes. Members of the city's legal profession are planning a rare silent march on Tuesday night amid pressure for them to take even stronger action.

Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives the territory wide-ranging autonomy, including judicial freedom guided by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law.

The protests on Sunday night were reminiscent of pro-democracy protests in late 2014 that paralysed parts of the Asian financial centre and posed one of the greatest political challenges to the central government in Beijing in decades.

"This incident shows us the Basic Law is a handicapped legal document and the so-called mini-constitution can be amended and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party at will," said Joshua Wong, 20, one of the leaders of the 2014 protests.

Foreign diplomats were watching closely, stressing the importance of the rule of the law to the city's international reputation.

Britain said it was concerned.

"We urge the Chinese and Hong Kong (special administrative region) governments, and all elected politicians in Hong Kong to refrain from any actions that fuel concerns or undermine confidence in the one country, two systems principle," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

While the decision effectively bars the two Hong Kong politicians from being sworn in, a court in the city must still rule on the case in a judicial review, taking Beijing's decision into consideration.

The promotion of independence has long been taboo in Hong Kong amid fears in Beijing it could spread among other activists and challenge the central government's rule.

'Grave Dangers'

"The nature of Hong Kong independence is to split the country. It seriously violates the one country, two systems policy," said Li Fei, chairman of the parliament's Basic Law Committee.

"The central government is highly concerned about the grave dangers the Hong Kong independence forces bring to the country and to Hong Kong."

Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, who has governed during some of the city's most violent and divisive times in decades, said his government would fully implement China's interpretation of the mini-constitution.

But Legislative Council president Andrew Leung said the Hong Kong judicial review needed to be completed before confirming if the duo were disqualified.

Simon Young, a professor at Hong Kong University's law school, said he was still evaluating the ruling but it did seem to bar Leung and Yau from taking office.

"I do worry we are only going to see more interpretations, and attempts by the NPC to flesh out local laws, if they really want to stop the separatists," Young told Reuters, referring to China's parliament.

Darragh Paradiso, a spokesperson for the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau, said by phone the United States strongly valued Hong Kong's independent judiciary.

"It is unfortunate that this particular situation was not resolved within Hong Kong's Legislative Council or within its well-respected courts," she said.

The Basic Law grants China's NPC a power of interpretation above Hong Kong's highest court. While it has made four other rulings since 1997, this ruling is its first move to preempt an ongoing Hong Kong court case.

Hong Kong Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen said he still believed the oath-taking controversy could be resolved locally, but he also had every confidence that the city's judiciary would uphold the rule of law.

Beijing's decision represents some of the worst privately held fears of senior judges and some government officials in Hong Kong, according to sources close to them.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular press briefing he hoped the international community would see the decision reflected the will of the Chinese people.

James To, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party, said the central government had undermined Hong Kong's judicial process.

"In future, people's confidence in one country, two systems will worsen," said the lawmaker.