The Greek says: Just when they thought he was out, they pull him back in. Tom Brady has come back, prematurely in Pittsburgh’s eyes, and with him comes a ...
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How the world sees Greece
Thursday, September 10, 2015
22,500 migrants registered on Greece's Lesbos this week: police
Some 22,500 refugees and migrants arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos have been registered by officials since Monday evening, police told AFP late Thursday.
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The annual GREEK Fest starts with the tradition of sweets
Veteran church members teach and work with volunteers for weeks to make thousands of pastries for the upcoming GREEK Festival on Sept. 13.
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New coupons: Green Giant veggies, GREEK yogurt & more!
The coupons this week include Green Giant frozen vegetables (.50/1), Plenti GREEK yogurt (.35/1), Old El Paso Seasoning Mix (.25/1), Yoplait kids ...
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Greek Unemployment Figures Show No Sign Of Decline
ATHENS, Greece -- New job figures released Thursday show that any government voted into power in Greece's upcoming election will have to make the country's staggering unemployment rates a policy priority. Data released by EL.STAT., the Hellenic Statistical Authority, shows that unemployment in the country reached 25.2 percent in June. Those numbers are slightly better than the figures from June 2014, when the jobless rate was at 26.6 percent. But the situation is worse than in May 2015, when unemployment was at 25 percent. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE MOST AFFECTED. OF THOSE BETWEEN THE AGE OF 15 AND 24, 48.3 PERCENT ARE OUT OF WORK. FOR THE 25-TO-34 AGE GROUP, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 32.1 PERCENT. Greece's unemployment rates have surged in the past seven years amid cuts in public spending and a deep economic recession. The country recently reached a bailout deal with its European creditors to bring in 86 billion badly needed euros. But the funds will be accompanied by a new round of harsh austerity measures. With the Sept. 20 elections approaching fast, candidates are under pressure to convince voters that a shift in government will bring genuine change for the millions of unemployed, and that the country's young people will not come to be remembered as a “lost generation.” > MORE ON GREECE'S CRUCIAL ELECTIONS: > > - What's At Stake In Greece's Election > > - Former Greek Finance Minister: Election Is Sad And Fruitless > > - Pavlos Tsimas: To Watch The Debate Or Go For A Walk _ALSO O_N THE WORLDPOST: -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Kiev Right Wing Violence: Time for Poroshenko to Look in the Mirror?
Amidst the emergence of politically-right-wing forces in Kiev, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko claims to be shocked and outraged by recent violence. Speaking in reference to an explosion which killed three members of the national guard outside parliament and left another officer in a coma, Poroshenko called the attack "an anti-Ukrainian action" and demanded that "all organizers, all representatives of political forces... must carry full responsibility." More than a whopping 140 were also wounded in the attack, which was apparently caused by a grenade. All three guardsmen were young, in their twenties. The incident occurred in the midst of a demonstration against a plan to provide more autonomy to separatist enclaves in the Ukrainian east where Russian-backed rebels hold sway. Authorities have blamed the explosion on a fighter in the so-called Sich volunteer battalion, which is linked in turn to far right-wing Svoboda or Freedom Party [in Ukraine, "Sich" refers to historic Cossack homelands. Though Cossack is a loaded term and carries unpleasant historic meaning for some, nationalists recently revived the word by referring to a protest area in Kiev which launched the 2013-14 EuroMaidan revolution as a "Cossack Sich." Svoboda meanwhile loves "Cossack rock" music]. Rather questionably, the government itself has ties to the Sich battalion which falls under the official control of the Ministry of the Interior. SVOBODA'S ROLE Svoboda was highly represented at the demonstration outside of parliament, and most protesters participating in subsequent violence and clashes with the police were Svoboda members. Later, the Minister of the Interior claimed that that party was "directly" responsible for clashes and the government has charged senior Svoboda members with rioting. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has declared that right wing-nationalists were "worse" than Russian-backed separatists in the east, because they were "trying to open another front" in Ukraine "under the guise of patriotism." Svoboda on the other hand denies any responsibility and claims the authorities are out on a witch hunt to deface the party. Whatever the case, it's a little odd that the authorities have only now woken up to the ominous threat of right wing groups. Indeed, the attack in front of the parliament building follows close on the heels of another incident in south-west Ukraine, in which members of Right Sektor battalion got into a shootout with local police. Perhaps, high-ups at the Ministry of Interior and elsewhere are finally paying the price for coddling the nationalist right and its backward political and social agenda. WAKING UP TO FAR RIGHT It's only now, when extremists pose a threat to the government itself, that the international media has woken up to the rise of the political right. For years now, however, the nationalist right has posed a risk to independent leftists on the ground. Denis Pilash, one such activist who I interviewed in Kiev, is no stranger to Svoboda. Even before the EuroMaidan revolution which toppled Viktor Yanukovych from power, Pilash observed Svoboda trying to stir up "anti-migrant hysteria" by holding hostile rallies. Eventually, however, Svoboda and the right may have realized that anti-immigrant messaging wasn't resonating so well, so they turned to opposing anarchists, feminists, and the LGBT community. As if such developments weren't concerning enough, Svoboda also has a peculiar habit of resuscitating dubious World War II icons. Svoboda leaders, in fact, admire "proto-Nazis" such as Ernst Jünger, and are "understanding" of Goebbels. They moreover talk about "purity of blood" and refer to Ukraine as "one race, one nation, one fatherland." Svoboda meanwhile idolizes the Ukrainian Insurgent Army or UPA, an outfit which fought against the Soviets in World War II but also collaborated with the Nazis at one point. During unrest at Maidan square, Svoboda brandished the traditional UPA flag. In addition, Svoboda has defended extremists' right to brandish this flag at local soccer matches. PROBLEMATIC POLICE Pilash adds that rightists dress up in military-style outfits with red and black insignia and some paramilitaries are "linked to the most notorious figures in Svoboda." Pilash is particularly disturbed by one case last year in which Vasyl Cherepanyn, a lecturer at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and editor of leftist _Political Critique _magazine, was brazenly attacked in broad daylight in crowded Kontraktova Square. Cherepanyn was assaulted by a group of men dressed in camouflage paramilitary uniforms. As they proceeded to pummel their victim, the thugs shouted "communist" and "separatist." Unfortunately, police arrived late to the scene and failed to catch the assailants. Pilash says the attackers had no clear insignia on their uniforms, but he suspects they may have belonged to local battalions which assist the police. There are other disturbing indications that the police may have been penetrated by right wing zealots. Azov Battalion is a military outfit fighting Russian separatists in the east which advocates right-wing nationalism and anti-Semitism. One infamous Azov commander is Andriy Biletsky, who has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the police. The military figure has openly admitted that some men in his unit "are interested in their historical roots," though this may be difficult to understand for more modern, "uprooted" nations such as the United States. LOOKING THE OTHER WAY? As if it wasn't disturbing enough that bad apples are caught up in the police, high up politicians have also gotten into the habit of appeasing the far right. To be sure, Petro Poroshenko is a far cry from such violent street toughs. Unfortunately, however, the authorities have either turned the other way or sought to incorporate far right messaging, thus perpetuating a chilling climate in which fringe ideas are allowed to thrive. Take, for example, Poroshenko's comment that the "timing is good" to define the status of the UPA. The politician then signed a decree establishing a "Day of Ukrainian Defenders" on October 14. The date is significant as it marks the anniversary of the UPA's formation. Taking to Twitter, Poroshenko added "UPA soldiers - an example of heroism and patriotism to Ukraine." Then, for good measure, Poroshenko provided a Ukrainian passport to a Belarusian neo-Nazi. The man, Serhiy Korotkykh, served as a fighter in the eastern conflict zone and helped to defend Donetsk airport from Russian separatists. During a ceremony, Poroshenko awarded a medal to Korotkykh and praised the Belarusian as "courageous and selfless." Experts however claim that Korotkykh was a founder of a neo-Nazi group in Russia and point out the Belarusian had been charged for involvement in a Moscow bombing and was also detained in Minsk for allegedly stabbing an anti-fascist organizer. Needless to say, top Ukrainian authorities reject such claims as defamatory. Like Biletsky, Korotkykh is a member of the Azov Battalion. As if all of this wasn't enough already, Poroshenko has also praised Andrey Sheptytsky, a priest who worked in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Though Sheptytsky harbored some Jews during World War II, he initially supported the Nazis during their invasion of Ukraine, favored the UPA and endorsed the creation of a Ukrainian division with the Nazi SS. Rather questionably, Poroshenko recently unveiled a monument to Sheptytsky in the western city of Lviv where Svoboda and the political right enjoy a degree of popularity. During a ceremony attended by 10,000 people, Poroshenko praised the priest. THE RICOCHET EFFECT Terrified at the prospect of being overrun by separatists or even that the nation itself might implode or collapse, Poroshenko and the political establishment have engaged in a kind of Faustian bargain with the far right. This mindset is at least partially due to Poroshenko's nervousness about upcoming local elections in the fall and the prospect of being overwhelmed by radical populists. Such firebrand politics could shock the establishment, which has failed to revive the economy or even break the power of the oligarchs for that matter. Reportedly, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's party has plummeted in popularity to such a degree that he is now joining forces with Poroshenko so as to avoid an electoral rout. Tying one's sails to the far right, however, has constituted a serious mistake. While extreme nationalists still might not command an electoral majority, the Ukrainian political class has historically displayed an alarmingly high level of tolerance and acquiescence towards right wing antics. Though certainly horrific, recent riots in Kiev will hopefully serve to highlight the real danger of the far right and the need to take a firm stand against such elements. Nikolas Kozloff is a New York-based writer who conducted a research trip to Ukraine last year. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Greek GDP Growth May Surprise Again
The Greek economy has experienced a major economic collapse leading to a loss of approx. 25% of GDP during the last 6 years, but economic indicators show signs of ...
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Migrants undeterred by Balkan storms and Hungarian clampdown
IDOMENI, Greece (Reuters) - Thousands of refugees trudged through mud and torrential rain to Greece's border with Macedonia on Thursday, swelling a human tide across Europe that authorities appear powerless to control.
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Migration monitor says 175,000 Syrians have reached Greece in 2015, double previous estimate
The International Organization for Migration says its estimate of the number of Syrians who have arrived in Greece this year has nearly doubled in just the last four days — to more than 175,000 people.
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IOM doubles estimate of Syrian migrants to Greece in 2015
GENEVA (AP) — The International Organization for Migration says its estimate of the number of Syrians who have arrived in Greece this year has nearly doubled in just the last four days — to more than 175,000 people.
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JSOnline.com AP News:
The massive wave of refugees and migrants heading toward Western Europe surged Thursday even as torrential rains played havoc with travelers from Greece to Hungary.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT hosted.ap.org |
Hong Kong sends another delegation to GREECE to tempt shipowners East
A delegation from Hong Kong plans to visit GREECE in October to encourage owners and shipping companies to make a base in the Chinese city.
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GREECE stocks higher at close of trade; Athens General-Composite up 0.87%
Investing.com – GREECE stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Banking, Household and Travel sectors led shares higher.
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Maloney relays tips on aiding GREECE
“GREECE is suffering through a terrible economic and financial crisis and international remittances are one of the most important sources of capital to ...
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GREECE in Film: 'Greek Tourism an Eternal Journey' Receives Three Awards
blue-danube-award The film 'Greek Tourism an Eternal Journey' has won three awards in three international tourist festivals, organized different cities ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greece to lift capital controls for those who bring money back to banks
The Greek authorities will try everything to get back to the banks what depositors withdrew before the capital controls were imposed on June 29th 2015. The financial ministry and its high-ranking state officials and interim government ministers are determined and will try everything to get the money back to the […]
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On the migrant trail: 'We fled war and expected to be treated differently'
From eastern Greece to the northern tip of France, thousands of migrants fleeing war and persecution tread the Balkan route each day heading for northern Europe. Follow their hazardous journey with FRANCE 24's team of reporters.
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Greek conservative to seek pact with leftists first if he wins election
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek conservative leader Vangelis Meimarakis will seek an alliance with his main leftist rivals first if he wins this month's election, insisting that the country must not miss the "last chance" to pull itself out of a seven-year crisis.
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'An exhausted quiet' on Greek migrant ferry
… Syria, have arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos. To ease …
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Syrian Refugees Clamber Through Mud And Rain At Idomeni To Cross From GREECE Into Macedonia
More than 7,000 refugees, including families with young children, braved torrential rains on Thursday, part of a 1,000-mile trek from GREECE'S northern ...
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Number of Unvaccinated Children in Greece Rises due to Economic Crisis
The Greek branch of Doctors of the World reported in a recent press conference that more than 250,000 children in Greece do not have access to public healthcare and do not receive the necessary vaccinations. Doctors of the World general secretary in Greece; Liana Mailli noted during the press conference that the number is a
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Lambros Kanellopoulos Dies at 67 – Honorable President of UNICEF Greece
Lambros Kanellopoulos, the president of Unicef’s national committee in Greece passed away on Wednesday, September 9. Kanellopoulos had also served as the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) president, a member of Parliament with PASOK and Deputy Minister of Labor in 1996. He was born in 1948 in Zacharo, Peloponnese and took part in the
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Greek Islands Voted Best in the World by Conde Nast
Conde Nast Traveler, a distinguished United States based magazine on tourism, revealed that the Greek islands received the magazine’s Readers Travel Award for the World’s Best Islands for 2015. Despite capital controls and political instability in the country, the Greek islands reclaimed the premier position they last held in the magazine in 2011. In 2013 and 2014 the Greek islands
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Ancient Greek Inventions are on Display at the Thessaloniki International Fair
Several ancient Greek machines and inventions from the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology Kostas Kotsanas, operating in Katakolo and Ancient Olympia will be presented at the 80th Thessaloniki International Fair. The exhibition entitled “The most important inventions of the ancient Greeks” will be hosted by the 80th International Fair of Thessaloniki, in pavilion 3 and
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Greece’s Supreme Court to Decide on Northern Greece Mine Dispute in October
The Greek Council of the State will decide whether or not it will strike down former Greek Environment Minister Panos Skourletis‘s decision to halt the development of mines in Chalkidki, Northern Greece on October 2nd. Skourletis ordered the stoppage in August, even though the Council of the State had already ruled that Hellas Gold; the mining company that has undertaken
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Russia offers more aid for Syria's Assad, might worsen Europe's migrant crisis
Russia's move comes after Bulgaria, Ukraine and Greece blocked their airspace to Russian flights.
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INTERVIEW-Greek conservative to seek pact with leftists ...
ATHENS, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Greek conservative leader Vangelis Meimarakis will seek an alliance with his main leftist rivals first if he wins this month's ...
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Is the Greek debt crisis one of supply or demand?
MEDIA SUMMARY. Greek crisis more difficult than just fixing debt; Deeper reforms needed Greece’s low productivity and competitiveness will hamper growth
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AP PHOTOS: Migrants face the elements as their numbers grow
The massive wave of refugees and migrants heading toward Western Europe surged Thursday even as torrential rains played havoc with travelers from Greece to Hungary.
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Desperate Iraqis join tide of migrants heading to Europe
BAGHDAD (AP) — As the sun sets over Baghdad, Mustafa Jassim Mohammed wades into the Tigris River, lifts his feet off the muddy bottom and paddles with an arm maimed by shrapnel, practicing ahead of a journey on which his ability to swim could mean the difference between death at sea and a new life in Europe. He knows that hundreds of migrants — men, women and children — have died when their smuggler boats capsized, and he's seen the heart-wrenching pictures of the drowned Syrian boy who washed ashore in Turkey last week. But he's also seen TV footage of thousands of migrants making their way across Europe and being welcomed in certain quarters. After more than a decade of chaos and war in his homeland, it's a gamble he's willing to take. "The situation in Iraq is getting worse every day," said Mohammed, a 29-year-old father of two. "I'm fed up. I can't continue living here and can't feed my family. There's nothing left in Iraq." He quit his two jobs, as a civil servant and a tea seller, and sold his belongings to buy a one-way ticket to Iraq's northern Kurdish region, where he'll cross into Turkey and join an unprecedented tide of migrants fleeing war and poverty across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. His wife and two children will stay behind, praying for his safety and hoping to be reunited with him somewhere more secure. Like many Iraqis, he's wanted to leave for years, but is only doing so now because he's seen the images of migrants being welcomed in Germany and Austria. He's found videos online offering advice on how to sail from Turkey to Greece: Check the weather forecast before leaving; wear a life vest if you can't swim; get rid of your inflatable raft as soon as you arrive in Greece so the coast guard doesn't send you back on it. Migration is nothing new for Iraqis, many of whom fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, the war with Iran in the 1980s and the crippling economic sanctions following the 1990 Gulf War. Well over a million Iraqis fled the violence and chaos that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. But until recently the only realistic destinations were neighboring countries like Syria and Jordan, where work opportunities were limited. Now Iraqis are on the move again, joining Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans and others in the largest tide of migrants since World War II. There are no official figures for how many Iraqis have left, or how many may have died on the journey. Brig. Gen. Riyadh al-Kaabi, who heads Baghdad's main passport office, has noted a "tangible increase" in requests for passports, with up to 12,000 issued each day. But he can't say how many are for people who intend to quit the country for good. Of the more than 200,000 refugees and migrants who have arrived in Greece this year, more than 5,000 hail from Iraq, making it the fifth most common country of origin after Syria, Afghanistan, Albania and Pakistan. The vast majority of the migrants do not want to stay in financially stricken Greece, and head to the more prosperous European north on an overland route through the Balkans. Mohammed says he's driven to leave by a mixture of fear and poverty. A bomb blast tore through his left side and arm as he rode on a microbus in 2006, at the height of the country's sectarian violence. He also struggles to make ends meet. Even with two jobs, his monthly income was just $575, of which $450 went to rent and electricity. "I want to end up in a state where my rights are preserved and where I can find mercy for me and my family. No more, no less," he said. With $2,100 in his pocket, he left Baghdad on Thursday. He has embarked on a long journey that will include an hours-long ship crossing from Turkey to Greece along the same route where two Syrian boys and their mother drowned last week after their ship capsized. Photos of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who washed up dead on the beach, galvanized global sympathy for the refugees, leading some countries to ease restrictions on accepting migrants. Iraqis have also perished on the journey. The bodies of an 8-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister, who also drowned in the Mediterranean, were flown back to Baghdad on Wednesday. Their relatives cried and pounded their chests in grief as they viewed the flag-draped coffins, with pictures of the children placed upon them. The body of a third migrant, 17-year-old Ameer Mohammed Hussein, from the southern city of Basra, was also flown back Wednesday. He was shot dead off the coast of a Greek island during a shootout between smugglers and the Greek coast guard. "Like other youths, he had a dream of having a bright future abroad," his father told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Basra. "Even though I lost my son, I can't urge others not to leave." Iraqi authorities have expressed concern about the migration. In a recent Friday sermon delivered by his spokesman, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's top Shiite cleric, called on the youth to "reconsider their options, to think about their country and their people, to be patient and to look to the security forces and volunteers... who are sacrificing their souls while fighting the terrorists." The belligerents themselves, oddly enough, have also urged people to stay. The Islamic State group, in the latest issue of its online magazine, devoted an entire article to migration, warning that fleeing to non-Muslim countries is a "dangerous major sin." On the other side of the battle lines, a notorious Shiite militiaman who refers to himself as Abu Azrael, or the Father of the Angel of Death, recently appeared in a brief Internet video calling on people to stay and describing Western efforts to ease restrictions as a conspiracy to rob the country of its youth. "If you are leaving the country, who will stay?" the black-bearded fighter says from behind a machine-gun. "If I die tomorrow and two or three others die the day after tomorrow, Iraqi will be left to the filthy bastards who will continue robbing the country and stealing its oil." ___ Follow Sinan Salaheddin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sinansm Join the conversation about this story »
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Ireland's remarkable turnaround leaves GREECE in the dust
Only five years ago, it was swirling down the economic toilet, along with GREECE, Portugal, Italy and Spain, and used a €68-billion bailout to spare it ...
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GREECE is now a protectorate of the European Union
According to the revelations in the Greek Press on the 5th September 2015, concerning the secret agreement signed by the Tsípras government, « the ...
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GREECE is going to the polls (again). Here is what you need to know.
With Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' decision to call for fresh elections on September 20th, GREECE will soon find itself having held three elections in the ...
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Macedonian border guards filmed threatening refugees with batons
Guards attempt to control influx of 4,000 people, the largest single wave of refugees and migrants the Greek border police has seen so far Macedonian guards have been filmed threatening refugees with batons and at times appearing to strike them as thousands of people, including many parents with young children, gathered in muddy fields on the border with Greece. In torrential rain on Thursday, about 4,000 people were trying to cross Greece’s northern border into Macedonia at the Greek town of Idomeni. Greek border police said it was the largest single wave of refugees and migrants they had seen so far. The refugees, many of them from Syria, had wrapped themselves in plastic bin bags to protect themselves from the downpour. Continue reading...
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EU Commission allocates €129 mln for Greece-Bulgaria cross border cooperation
#economy
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Europe's refugee trail: Bottlenecks ease in some places, remain in others
Obstacles eased Thursday at the northern and southern ends of Europe's ever-crowded migrant trail, with Danish authorities moving to open the path for asylum-seekers to head onward to Sweden and Greece largely clearing a huge backlog that had built up on the tiny tourist island of Lesbos.
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Migrant Boats Crossing from Turkey to Greece
The post Migrant Boats Crossing from Turkey to Greece appeared first on The National Herald.
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Take Five: Festivals celebrate blues, gourds, Greek ...
There’s no shortage of fun festivals this weekend, including the Bull Durham Blues Festival, the Greek Festival, the N.C. Gourd Festival and Beericana.
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Unemployment: The Main Suicide Cause Among Greeks
The financial crisis in Greece has caused the unemployment rate to increase dramatically, especially compared to the rest of Europe, while the number of people who are not able to repay their loans has also risen significantly. According to research data released by Escala, the main suicide causes in Greece in 2013-2014 were unemployment and
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Greek Unemployment Increases to 25.2% in June
Greek unemployment rate showed a slight increase in June 2015, rising to 25.2% from 25% in May, noted the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). The rate was at the lowest seasonal percentage since June 2012, when it stood at 24.9%, based on the seasonal data collected by ELSTAT. Furthermore, according to the data, the Greek unemployment
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Greek Baker in Kos Gives 100 Kilos of Bread to Migrants and Refugees Each Day
“Europe is the baker in Kos who gives away his bread to hungry and weary souls,” the European Commission’s Jean Claude- Juncker had said during his speech on Wednesday. This baker’s name is Dionisis Arvanitakis. Arvanitakis provides refugees and migrants that are on the Greek island of Kos with around 100 kilos of bread each day,
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Greek Finance Ministry to Loosen Up Capital Controls
The Greek finance ministry will add some new measures regarding capital flow that would loosen up certain restrictions that apply now. In order to give initiatives to Greeks to return to the banks the money they keep hidden, the finance ministry now allows people who make deposits to be able to withdraw as much as
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Leading from the front
IT IS fair to say that Europe has not been living its finest hour. Over the last few months, as crises have erupted across the face of the continent like acne on an adolescent’s brow, officials have struggled to cope with a flow of migrants unmatched in recent history. From Hungary to Greece, and from Denmark to Britain, governments have turned on each other, introducing border controls, erecting fences and suspending public transport. And with the numbers of refugees entering Greece now at 5,500 a day, there seems little immediate hope of respite. As a classic collective-action problem, the migrant crisis looks tailor-made for the European Union. But the scene is set for even greater rows, because Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission (the EU’s civil service), has abandoned the time-honoured method of slow consensus-seeking and alighted on a new tactic: brute force. Under a plan unveiled by the commission on September 9th, 160,000 asylum-seekers arriving in Greece, Hungary and Italy, the three main EU points of entry, would be relocated with little choice to most other EU countries over two years. Each would have to accept a...
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Life under capital controls
We even take American Express now ON SEPTEMBER 20th, Greeks will once again vote in an election, having last chosen a new government in January and also voted in a referendum in July. The year has been marked by economic turmoil even worse than in previous ones, culminating in the imposition of limits on cash withdrawals from banks. Circumstances are unlikely to improve, whatever the outcome of the poll. But somehow Greeks carry on, cashless but ingenious. Many households have hidden large sums in beds. The practice hails from the time of tight foreign exchange controls in the 1970s. “Mattress money makes me feel safer,” says Dina Efthymiou, a pensioner. The number of burglaries has gone up as a result but the police refuse to give out figures. Estimates put the increase at about 15%. That the number is not higher suggests Greeks are getting better at concealing their cash. Some seal it in with cement. The continuing cash shortage has also prompted more than a million people, including Mrs Efthymiou, to buy on credit. “I never got any bank cards because I worried about falling into debt,” she says. “Now I...
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Bridging the Divides: Muslims in Europe
Islam is 'incompatible' with Western civilization is what we hear at the start of a new film _Journey into Europe_ that looks at the much-hyped dilemma in much of Western Europe. The film deals with cascading phases of recent history: From the inclusive times of Muslim Spain to Ottoman Empire; and from the colonization to twentieth century immigration of Muslims into European lands. This film comes at a time when Islamophobia as a political and cultural attitude is on the rise; and Muslim extremists are asserting their political power and dictating domestic agenda in many parts of the world. Caught between these two extremes are the majority of Muslims, who, while united by their faith, are neither a monolith nor hold uniform views about organized religion or its political dimensions. The diversity within Muslims is an oft-ignored reality. Even more invisible is the variegated history of Islam and its adherents. This is why _Journey into Europe_ -- a handiwork of global scholar of Islam Dr Akbar Ahmed -- is both important and relevant to the current crises brewing across European countries. A Pew Research Center study tells us Western countries with significant Muslim populations are getting worried. Since 2011, the general population that is 'very concerned' about Islamic extremism has increased. For instance, after the murders of the Charlie Hebdo staffers, two-thirds in France are 'very concerned,' 29% more than the 2011 poll. In Spain, 61% are very worried about the extremist threat; and roughly half in Italy (53%) and UK (52%) and 46% of Germans are apprehensive. Their worries have increased in the past few years. In this context, the film explores contemporary dimensions of Islam in Europe and the invaluable contributions of Islam in European history and civilization. The film takes the viewers through a kalediscope of voices -- reasoned and enlightened -- of Europeans from a variety of backgrounds. There are high-ranking officials who speak about the Islamic past, the current state of Muslims; there are unbiased scholars and even ordinary citizens of Europe who come out making clear-headed statements on how most actually accept Muslims and are wont to acknowledge the shared past. The most revealing portion of the film deals with how various faiths co-existed together harmoniously in centers such as Andalusia. The term _La Convivencia_ (the Coexistence) in Spanish history refers to the Muslim rule from early eighth century until late fifteenth century (when the Jews were expelled from Spain) is invoked by the narrator as well as those interviewed. There is a slight reference to the counter narratives on this idyllic conception as tensions existed even then thereby puncturing the myth (for instance the 1066 Granada massacre of Jews). But there seem to be many in Spain who remember that as an period of religious amity. Muslim Spain was also the golden era of Islam in terms of its intellectual, scientific and literary contributions. The works, especially translations of Greek knowledge, by Ibn Rushd or Averroes spearheaded the intellectual foundations of reformation in medieval Europe. Many other Muslim thinkers - as one scholar tells in the film, influenced the development of medieval Jewish writings including rules of grammar etc. The advancements in science, culture, philosophy, and music could not have come through without an enabling environment and some level of state patronage. But the film underplays the currents of intolerance even then. Averroes, among others, was also persecuted for his rational ideas. As the film shows, the Europeans today are divided between those who consider Muslims incompatible with Western civilization and those who respect the differences in their compatriots. Some even acknowledge that Islam contributed to what is now referred to as European civilization by introducing newer ideas in philosophy, medicine and science. The Muslim rule in Europe ended in 1492 A.D. followed by a clear effort to erase every trace of Muslim influence on European life. Over time, the Spanish Muslims were persecuted, and looked down upon. The term "Morado" became a means to profile them. (image:Filmmakers with Mayor of Cordoba with Iqbal's poem in the background) In recent years, terrorism has led to further demonizing of the 'Muslim.' While the acts of terror are committed as instruments of politics and power (asserted with religious terminology and abusing early Islamic texts for legitimacy) the Muslims as a community have been affected everywhere. Issues of integration, racism, radicalization and narratives of victimhood have compounded matters further. A key message of the film relates to working with Muslim communities and fostering better understanding of their predicament and dilemmas. The way forward includes identifying leaders within Muslims in Europe who can challenge radicalization and promote integration with Western societies. At the same time, the European states have to deliberate why these communities are moving towards violence; and the solutions to curb violent narratives and tendencies has to come from within. Faith leaders especially a Jewish rabbi emphasises this point; and the film conveys this idea powerfully thereby shattering the myths articulated by Islamic extremists who preach against other religions. Sadly, the role and influence of extremist clerics does not feature prominently in the film. Similarly, the inability of Muslims to articulate their political concerns is also a missing link in the narrative. Perhaps, Dr. Ahmed wanted to focus more on the bridges between the past and the present, and between communities rather than dwelling on the fault lines. As Dr. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury commented, _Journey into Europe_ comes at a time when "myths and fantasies still stir up corporate fear between our communities." It wider circulation across European academy and public spaces will impact how Muslims are viewed. The recent pressure to accept Syrian refugees is a positive signal and testifies to the brighter side of European values despite the fears drummed up by the right wing. Amid the cacophony of Islamphobic and extremist discourses, _Journey into Europe_ presents insights on cementing understanding between Islam and the West. Never has the need for a redefined and updated _La Convivencia _been so urgent. Top image: Alhambra, Spain-- courtesy Farhat Shirin -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. 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