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President Trump Denies Making ‘Shithole Countries’ Comment

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by Aysha Qamar

President Trump described Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as “shithole countries” in a meeting with lawmakers in the White House,  in a report first published by the Washington Post.

During a discussion on a potential immigration deal- a bipartisan deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program–Trump grew frustrated at the suggestion that he restore protections for immigrants from countries who had temporary protected status, which he had revoked. He

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced it was revoking protections that allowed some 200,000 Salvadorans to live and work in the US many for more than 20 years. In November, it revoked similar protections for nearly 60,000 Haitians.

Temporary protected status is granted to citizens of certain countries that are facing manmade or natural disaster. For El Salvador, it was a deadly civil war while for Haiti, it was an earthquake.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” he said, suggesting the US bring more immigrants from places like Norway, according to the Washington Post.

Now after being called a racist and facing the anger of many citizens and countries worldwide, Trump is denying have made this comment.

In December, the White House also denied a New York Times report that stated Trump said that the Haitians “all have AIDS” and that Nigerians would never “go back to their huts” once they saw the US.

Trump is not only denying have made the “shithole countries” comment but also denying demanding that Haitians be removed from negotiations about protected status for people from certain countries.

“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!” Trump tweeted.

Trump’s response was particularly notable after White House spokesperson Raj Shah did not deny the “shithole” remark on Thursday evening, which prompted senators who were present at the meeting to answer questions Friday about their recollections of the startling remarks.

Trump later tweeted Friday morning that he “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said ‘take them out.’ Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!”

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, was amongst those who confirmed the remarks, saying Trump “said these hate-filled things and he said them repeatedly.”

Durbin, a key negotiator in DACA talks, recalled the meeting to reporters, “He said, ‘Haitians. Do we need more Haitians?’ Then he went on and started to describe the immigration from Africa that was being protected in this bipartisan measure. That’s when he used these vile and vulgar comments, calling the nations they come from ‘shitholes.’ The exact word used by the President. Not just once but repeatedly. That was the nature of this conversation.”

But two immigration hard-liners, Republican Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue, said they “do not recall the President saying these comments specifically.”

“I’ve seen the comments in the press,” Durbin said. “I’ve not read one of them that’s inaccurate.

This only adds to the racist comments made by Trump throughout his campaign and time in office. Trump has repeatedly said and denied comments against various races, cultures and identifying groups.

Muslim Woman Challenges Putin

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by Aysha Qamar

Russia’s next presidential election is set to take place on March 18, and history is made with the first-ever Muslim presidential candidate challenging incumbent Vladimir Putin.

Prominent female Muslim journalist Aina Gamzatova has announced that she’s running for president. The wife of and advisor to Akhmad Abdulayev, the head of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate (MSD) of Russia’s Daghestan, Gamzatova is the first Muslim woman ever to become a presidential candidate in Russia.

46-year-old Gamzatova comes from the Russia’s Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan. A Sufi adherent, Gamzatova serves as the editor-in-chief of Russia’s largest Muslim media Islam.ru, which includes television, radio and print outlets. She also writes books on Islam and runs several charities, according to RT.

While Gamzatova has not made her policy platform public yet, various outlets have reported her opposition to extremism. Dagestan has been troubled by violence from extremist attacks, including one that killed the presidential candidate’s first husband, Muslim leader Said Muhammad Abubakarov.

My candidacy “should not be seen within a clerical context or an attempt of Muslims to create a competitor to Vladimir Putin”, Gamzatova wrote in a piece published on Friday on Islam.ru.

“It is a desire to publicly announce and support on the federal level a harsh anti-Wahhabism stance that both local authorities and some federal officials responsible for the region have tried to silence in recent years,” she added.

Gamzatova is running as an independent contender without backing of a party. As an independent, she will need 300,000 signatures from supporters around the country. Candidates from parties outside parliament need 100,000 signatures, and those from parties inside parliament don’t need any, according to RT.

The March election will be Russia’s seventh. Putin is expected to win his second consecutive term following on from his 2012 victory, having also been president from 2000 to 2008.

In Russia, presidential terms are six years. No one can serve more than two consecutively.

“Even if she loses, people will know that a girl in a hijab is not just a mother or a woman, but is also an educated, wise and respected woman,” former Olympic champion in boxing and Dagestan’s deputy sports minister Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov wrote on Instagram.

Other candidates running against Putin include: veteran ultraconservative politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin and a former socialite-turned-liberal-journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

Reflection: On My Knees

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by Dr. Mike Ghouse

Kaepernick is my hero, I pray for Trump and may God save the American Flag and for what it stands for; Freedom.

Every time I see the flag, I say a short prayer, “May justice, liberty, freedom and pursuit of happiness be the corner stones of our flag. One thing that distinguishes us from all other nations is our emphasis on those four values enshrined in our psyche. Justice is what keeps this society, the American society successful, we are safe and secure in our day to day lives, and our worries are removed knowing that there will be justice.

No one has a right to question your love for your mother, it is personal. Likewise no one has a right to question your belief or non-belief in God, it is personal. The Flag is no different.

Flag is not our God, but under that flag we can differ and disagree, but still it is our flag.

Flag is a symbol of our freedom, it can be burned, revered, messed up – that is between the individual and the Flag. If one does not stand up for the flag, that is his or her choice. That is his birth-right, we are born to be free, it is in our DNA.

Each one of has the responsibility to defend our liberty and we thank all the people who have defended that liberty from the inception of our nation and continue to do so.

I admire the football players, they have been galvanized by criticism from the president. They ‘Protest Trump And Racism In Games Across The Country. Samantha Tomaszewski, Daniel Marans write in Huffington post,

“NFL players throughout the country demonstrated before their games in defiance of President Trump’s harsh criticism of athletes who kneel during the national anthem. Former San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick spearheaded the movement last season as a way to call out racism. In a Friday speech in Alabama, Trump called such players “sons of bitches,” and then doubled down on his criticism in a series of follow-up posts on Twitter.

The first such protest occurred Sunday morning in London, and even included the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shahid Khan. He linked arms with his players — several of whom were kneeling during the anthem — despite having donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee.

Trump’s comments sparked a large social media response from a variety of professional athletes and celebrities, including singer Stevie Wonder, who took a knee during a performance Saturday night. The vast majority of NFL team owners, as well as the league’s commissioner Roger Goodell, also spoke out.

“The callous and offensive comments made by the President are contradictory to what this great country stands for,” 49ers CEO Jed York said.

Bruce Maxwell, a catcher for the Oakland Athletics, became the first major league baseball player to take a knee during the national anthem Saturday night. “

Rick Ward at Facebook shares this information ( I have not verified this info), “We didn’t even have an official national anthem until 1931, so if everybody would stop treating it as if it was the song Mary sang while rocking baby Jesus to sleep, that would be great.

The founding fathers didn’t care, and we functioned for 155 years as a nation without an official ditty.

Veterans didn’t die for the song. Aside from the ridiculousness of that assertion, the vast majority of this countries war casualties were killed long before we had an official national anthem. “

Erica Altes Cole writes at facebook, “Governments should not mandate patriotism.”

Cindy Noble Cole also writes, “The flag is secondary, not the freedom. Without the freedom the flag does not matter.”

Trump called White Supremacists ‘Very Fine People’ but an Athlete who protests is a SOB.

Trump Ranted about kneeling NFL Players, on the other hand, Obama praised their right to protest.

MLK’s Daughter: People didn’t like how ‘My Father protested injustice either.’

Colin Kaepernick is my hero, he stood up against compulsion to obey, instead he chose to be free and paid a dear price for it, lost the great paying job of a quarter back for 49’ers. That is what freedom is all about. Personally, I have lost many opportunities in life for speaking out for freedom of speech. I would rather be free, there is freedom in it.

If you go back to the history of our nation, a lot of bad things could have happened to the country had the generations before us not protested, and a lot of bad traditions would have continued.

Had it not been for the protests the Republic women would have stayed home and cooked for their husbands and produced children, they would have been the property of their men. Thanks to the women who got beaten for protesting but they got the women the right to own property and right to vote and right to live their lives as they want. Now, the women are enjoying those freedoms because of the protests.

Same goes with the race, Rev. Martin Luther King was called names for protesting against injustice and slavery, had it not been for his protests, American would have continued to live in the guilty of treating a fellow being less than what he or she is.

Had it not been for the protests we would have killed many more Vietnamese and our own soldiers and would have destroyed their lives morally, socially and economically. Had we joined in Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan, our nation would not have killed a million Iraqis, 5000+ American soldiers, closure of businesses and budget deficit of $11 Billion that former President Bush piled up.

It was these protest that cleaned our cities from fog and other ailments that haunted us in late 70’s and early 80’s. Now, we need to take up on climate change to give a better life for the next generation. We may have to open biology and climate classes in every neighborhood and enroll all those who are blinded by their political brainwashing.

We have a good life because some one cared about the future and we have a responsibility to care for the next generation.

I pray for Mr. Trump. May God give him Sanity to work on creating a kingdom of heaven on the earth where people are not pitted against each other, nor they are afraid of each other. That is the America I have known and that is the America we all want. This is the America I love and defend.

A note about God: Even if you believe you have your own God which is better than others’ God. Let it be known that in the battle of Gods, the powerful one killed every one, and we ended up with the left over God. He is the only one now, unless you manufacture another to fight with him for supremacy. Guess what, the God that all subscribe to will win, and not your or my God.

Mike Ghouse is the executive of Washington based Center for Pluralism

New Strategy for Afghanistan Calls for More Troops

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by Aysha Qamar

“My original instinct was to pull out, and historically I like to follow my instincts,” President Donald Trump said in a speech outlining his plan for the 16-year US war in Afghanistan, at the Fort Myer military base in Arlington, Va. “I heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk of the Oval Office.”

Referring to US support as “not a blank check,” Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan that calls for a troop increase and Pakistan to do more to stop terrorists, in a speech Monday night.

“Our commitment is not unlimited, and our support is not a blank check,” Trump said. “The government of Afghanistan must carry their share of the military, political, and economic burden.”

According to the Washington Post, he acknowledged that this “approach is a departure from his campaign rhetoric, and said he would prioritize American security over attempting to ‘dictate’ the Afghan people how to live”.

He has pledged that US troops would have a clear definition of victory in Afghanistan, but did not provide any details on what that would mean.

“The men and women who serve our nation in combat deserve a plan for victory,” Trump said. “They deserve the tools they need, and the trust they have earned, to fight and to win.”

In his address, Trump avoided various details stating he would not repeat the Obama administration’s mistake of signaling plans to US enemies.

“We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities,” Trump said. “Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on. America’s enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out.”

While Trump has not specified how long for and how many more troops will be sent to Afghanistan, congressional officials have stated an estimate of about 4,000 more than the current 8,400 troops.

“US Marines from India company march as they prepare to depart the American military compound at Kandahar airport, Afghanistan”
Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The extra deployment has been delayed by the Pentagon pending agreement on an Afghan strategy. The additional troops are to serve in two roles: counterterrorism missions and training the Afghan forces.

He also stated that he would give military commanders the authority to act in real time and expand the authorities for US armed forces to target terrorists and criminal networks in Afghanistan.

“These killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms,” Trump said. “Retribution will be fast and powerful.”

“America’s enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out,” he added. “I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will.”

Trump also emphasized Pakistan’s role in his plan. The President has threatened to cut off US aid to Pakistan, in order to persuade them to help fight terrorism in Afghanistan- stating they have much to gain from partnering with the effort in Afghanistan and much to lose “by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists.”

“We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond,” he said.

While Trump stated that Pakistan has been a valued partner, he also reiterated his beliefs that the country has sheltered ‘terrorists’ that “try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting,” Trump said. “But that will have to change, and that will change immediately.”

Afghanistan’s ambassador to Washington, Hamdullah Mohib said Trump’s words were “exactly what we wanted” because it “takes into account our country’s needs and constraints. We did not want it to be about troop numbers or time lines, but to conditions on the ground,” he said while visiting Kabul. “We welcome this strategy that integrates American military power into achieving our shared goals.”

According to Reuters, “a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban condemned Trump’s announcement that he will keep American troops in Afghanistan with no set timetable for withdrawal.”

“Instead of continuing war in Afghanistan, Americans should have thought about withdrawing their soldiers from Afghanistan,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement issued hours after Trump’s televised speech.

“As long as there is even one American soldier in our country,” the Islamist insurgents would “continue our jihad,” Mujahid said.

Trump Proposes Immigration Cuts in New Bill

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by Aysha Qamar

“It’s great to be here today to unveil legislation that would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in a half a century,” President Donald Trump said at a White House event.

Trump has proposed a bill -called the RAISE Act, Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment– that would cut legal immigration in half with a merit-based entry system that rewards applicants who have job skills, education and the ability to speak English.

According to the White House, 1 million immigrants come into the country and get Green Cards granting them permanent legal status every year.

“The RAISE Act,” he said, “will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars.”

“This legislation will not only restore our competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between America and its citizens,” Trump said. “This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first.”

This proposed act would enable the most dramatic changes to the current system of legal immigration and represents the president’s latest effort to better control the flow of immigrants to the United States. Since taking office, Trump has limited visitors from select Muslim-majority countries, increased immigration arrests and encouraged the building of a wall on the southern border.

Introduced by two Republican senators, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, the bill was formulated to protect American workers from competition from low-skilled foreign workers. The proposal would limit the total number of green cards issues mainly affecting family-based immigration. It also proposes a cap on the number of refugees admitted every year and eliminates a program that provides green cards via lottery to people from countries that send few immigrants to the United States.

Only one out of every 15 immigrants to the US comes here because of their skills, according to the administration. This legislation would restrict the number of immigrants flooding into the United States with few skills and a need for government aid or health care, Trump said.

While the bill will not reduce employment-based green cards, it would change how the recipients are selected by putting in place a points-based system that rewards people who speak English and have higher degrees or work experience.

“This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy,” Trump said.

Legislators from both parties have criticized the proposal, which depicts itself as a way to protect American workers. Many have spoken out against the proposal, with some even saying it will never pass.

“Instead of catching criminals, Trump wants to tear apart communities and punish immigrant families that are making valuable contributions to our economy,” said Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “That’s not what America stands for.”

Under the current system, American citizens can sponsor spouses, parents and minor children for an unrestricted number of visas, while siblings and adult children are given preferences for a limited number of visas available to them. Legal permanent residents holding green cards can also sponsor spouses and children.

The legislation’s merit system would still allow for spouses and minor children of Americans and legal residents to come into the country, but would eliminate preferences for other relatives, like siblings and adult children.

“It’s pro-American immigration reform that the American people want, that the American people deserve, and that puts the needs of the working class ahead of the investor class,” Stephen Miller, Trump’s top policy aid said.

French

The 2017 French Elections are a Beacon of Hope to Progressives Everywhere

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by Saeed Khan

The highly anticipated French elections are over and for many, the right person won. Relative political newcomer, former investment banker and Economy Minister Emmanuel Marcon soundly defeated right-wing candidate Marine LePen to become France’s newest president. Despite his professional credentials, Emmanuel Macron was a bit of an unknown commodity in French political circles. He emerged on the electoral scene last summer, amidst the broad discontent over then-President Francois Hollande’s stewardship. The refugee crisis and stagnant economy were two major challenges facing France; a series of terrorist attacks throughout the nation added to a public frustration and perception that the government was incapable or unwilling to protect the country.

Hollande’s decision to decline a bid for reelection touched off a frenzy of possibilities, including Marine LePen, the perennial nativist and far-right candidate, as well as Jean-Luc Melenchon, representative of the far-left. Macron’s En Marche party, barely more than a website a few months ago, was well positioned as a centrist party relative to the polarized main opponents and was able to appeal to an electorate fatigued by seemingly extreme alternatives. The election system calls for the two candidates gaining the most first-round votes to square off against one another in the second round. Macron and LePen easily outpaced their rivals, setting up their head-to-head battle.

While LePen was rightly trounced in the election, garnering only one-third of the vote, it is still important—and sobering—to acknowledge that 11 million people voted for her and her party’s unapologetically bigoted platform. Equally concerning is the fact that another third of the French electorate admitted to submitting corrupted ballots or not voting for either candidate.

The French electoral system is a two-tiered process: the top two voted in the first round square off against one another in the second. This usually means that the two candidates for President have far short of a majority vote. It also usually means that a significant percentage of the French population voted for neither individual in the early stage. LePen and her National Front Party have never shied away from their far-right, xenophobic, anti-EU agenda; in fact, it is exactly that stand that had appeal to many of her supporters.

At the same time, Macron can hardly be categorized as LePen’s mirror image on the left. He is best described as a centrist. True, his positions will certainly endear him to many on the American political left, but progressives in France and elsewhere will have considerable concerns with his “establishment” credentials. Macron comes from a very firm financial sector background: former investment banker and former Economy Minister are the functional equivalents of a Wall Street, Goldman Sachs pedigree with a former stint as Secretary of Commerce or Treasury in the US. He is hardly a populist in the vein of Bernie Sanders and his policies will no doubt continue to alienate supporters of the socialist and leftist wings of French politics.

Given the recent political conflicts of polar opposite forces such as the progressives and the far right, Macron may well represent more than just a compromise position in the center. Societies fatigued by the clash of binaries, seemingly more interested in indulgent ideological confrontation than actual, constructive governance, may be asserting their resistance at the ballot box by saying, “Enough is enough.”

The situation in the European Union is fragile to the point that its very existence is considered no longer a guaranteed future on the continent. The economic strength of the EU has been wobbly for several years, particularly since the 2008 financial crash that saw countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece on the verge of complete collapse. Unemployment still runs high in many countries, especially among minority communities.

These socio-economic strains, combined with rampant racism, combine to create climates for crime, even radicalization. The counterpoint “solution” has commonly been to blame the affected, further marginalizing them and exacerbating the crisis. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the various Muslim immigrant communities throughout Europe, including in France.

LePen and her National Front Party have long been the voice and megaphone for bigotry. Her father and party founder, Jean-Marie, is an unapologetic anti-Semite and Islamophobe, targeting France’s immigrant population for the nation’s woes. Certainly, Marine LePen has exploited the majority population’s frustrations of economic stagnancy brought about not by Muslims but by automation and globalization. She ran a campaign that trafficked xenophobia and fear with the dubious promise of getting France out of the EU and off the grid of globalization so France could be restored to some former glory. Her message clearly resonated with a large segment of French society, who cling to the illusion that hypernationalism is an antidote to the status quo. Emboldened by last year’s “Brexit” referendum in Great Britain, LePen called for France’s departure from the EU as a restorative tactic. She also felt confident for a victory after she saw the election of her kindred spirit, Donald Trump gain the White House in the United States last November.

But 2017 is proving to be a different year in Europe. LePen’s far-right compatriot and fellow bigot Geert Wilders suffered a crushing defeat in the Dutch elections. Prime Minister Teresa May has called for snap elections later this summer to fortify her position as Britain’s negotiator in the upcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU. Some see these developments as optimistic signs that neo-fascist movements are being contained in a Europe that have had a very dark history with such forces in its recent past. Political firewalls are certainly important, but the defeat of the far-right requires the far more difficult and onerous cultural shift as well

It is premature to see whether Macron can marshal enough support from the French parliament to advance his legislative agenda. He may have won the presidency, but his party still has no real representation in the National Assembly, though his win has inspired many to join En Marche and stand for election. LePen’s base is still strong as xenophobia runs deep in France. But Macron may be a turning point for a country and continent seeking to move past a binaristic political climate that has done little to help the people beyond fomenting discord and division.