The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

US gurdwara attack victims get financial relief

Washington, August 3
The Obama Administration has announced a grant of more than half a million dollars for the victims of the Oak Creek Gurdwara shootout a year ago, as the Sikh community began a four-day memorial service observing the incident in Wisconsin that killed six Sikh worshippers.

“I'm pleased to announce that the Justice Department's Office on Victims of Crime will offer an emergency assistance grant to the Wisconsin Department of Justice providing over $ 512,000 to help reimburse, and continue to pay for, mental health and trauma services for the victims and survivors of this horrific shooting,” US Attorney General Eric Holder said in a blog posting yesterday. “These funds are intended to assist all those affected - including family members, witnesses, first responders and the wider Oak Creek community - as they continue to rebuild their lives and keep displaying the extraordinary resiliency so many of us have come to admire,” he wrote. This Monday, August 5, marks the first anniversary of the senseless murders of six Sikh worshippers at the Gurdwara in Oak Creek at the hands of a lone gunman. This heinous act of hatred and terror also seriously injured several other worshippers, as well as Oak Creek Police Lieutenant Brian Murphy, who was shot 12 times at close range while attempting to save others, said the Attorney General. Holder said the attack in Oak Creek was particularly jarring not only because of its scale, and the number of victims involved, but also because it occurred in a place of worship; of fellowship; and - above all - of peace.

Referring to his visit to Oak Creek a year ago to stand in solidarity, Holder said that day he was inspired by the response of the Sikh community, by the outpouring of support from members of other faiths, and by the heroism of the Oak Creek Police Department officers who rushed to aid victims. The Office for Victims of Crime in a statement said those affected by the crime include the 24 other congregants hiding in the temple, victims' family members, witnesses, first responders and the larger Oak Creek community.

The grant funds will be used toward expenses associated with mental health and trauma services, including specialised services for children, as well as crime victim compensation resources to assist the victims of this tragedy, it said.

Following an act of terrorism or violence, jurisdictions can apply for an AEAP grant award for crisis response, criminal justice support, crime victim compensation, and training and technical assistance expenses. — PTI

Iran’s new President vows to work to lift sanctions

Tehran, August 3
Iran’s new President, Hassan Rowhani, vowed after assuming office today to work to lift the international sanctions imposed on Tehran over its controversial nuclear drive.

Iran’s new President Hassan Rowhani (R) welcomes Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on his first day in office in Tehran. — AFP

My government “will take fundamental steps in elevating Iran’s position based on national interest and lifting of the oppressive sanctions,” the moderate cleric said in a first address, broadcast live on state television.

Rowhani was officially endorsed by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who praised the newly-elected President’s decades of service to the Islamic establishment.

“The country needs a national determination to keep its distance from extremism and needs to concentrate on the rule of law,” he added.

Rowhani begins his term as the Islamic republic’s seventh President facing grave challenges over its ailing economy and international isolation due to the controversial policies of his hardline predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

His public inauguration will take place tomorrow when he takes the oath of office in Parliament, which according to media reports will be attended by 10 regional Presidents and other high-ranking foreign officials.

He defeated several conservative rivals in the June 14 presidential election, having pledged to resolve tensions with world powers and shore up the economy hit hard by international sanctions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear ambitions. — AFP

38 killed in rains, flash floods in Pakistan

Islamabad/Karachi, August 3
At least 38 persons were killed and over 50 injured in rain-related incidents in Pakistan as torrential downpours inundated the financial hub of Karachi and the country's northwest today.

The army was called out to support relief work in Karachi, where 10 persons died. Five persons, including three children, were electrocuted while a woman drowned after falling into an open manhole, officials said.

Parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the tribal belt were also affected by rains, with 13 reported dead and 34 injured in separate incidents since yesterday. Six deaths were reported in Punjab. — PTI

40 missing as boat sinks off Malaysia’s coast

Kuala Lumpur, August 3
At least 40 illegal immigrants from Indonesia, including women and children, went missing when a boat carrying them home to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr sank off Malaysia’s coast.

The boat, carrying 44 immigrants, sank after being hit by strong waves around midnight on Thursday, about 13.55 nautical miles off Tanjung Siang in Kota Tinggi of Johor state, located in the south of Peninsular Malaysia.

The incident came to light last evening when a group of fishermen rescued three of the survivors clinging to a plastic drum. A fourth survivor was rescued by a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol boat.

None of the survivors, aged between 26 and 31, were wearing life jackets.

A MMEA official said two ships, four speedboats and two helicopters have been dispatched to step up rescue efforts, but none of the missing, including women and children, could be spotted.

Kota Tinggi police chief Superintendent Mohammad Nor Rasid said search and rescue operations by the Marine Operations Force and MMEA are still ongoing.

The Indonesian consulate in Johor has offered help to illegal immigrants who want to return, saying they could be issued temporary travel documents and even get funds. It urged them not to risk a boat ride, Bernama news agency reported.

A 26-year-old survivor said their boat was hit by big waves an hour out to sea. “We panicked and gathered on one side of the boats which caused it to tilt and capsize.” The boat sank nearly three hours into its journey from Tanjung Sedili on the state’s east coast to Indonesia’s Batam island.

While authorities are investigating what caused the boat to sink, the boat’s condition was said to be questionable based on the survivors’ accounts.

Shipping accidents off Malaysia’s coast are common as thousands of people from poorer neighbours, such as Indonesia and Myanmar, risk journeys in flimsy boats to work illegally in the relatively affluent country.

It was the second recent maritime accident involving Indonesians in Johor state’s waters. At least one woman drowned and 27 were rescued when a boat sank on July 18. — PTI

special to the sunday tribune
UK campaign urging illegal immigrants to return home draws flak
Shyam Bhatia in London

Three Indians are among 139 foreigners arrested last week following the British Home Office’s controversial campaign urging illegal immigrants to return home voluntarily rather than face deportation. But the way the Indians and others suspects have been targeted and arrested invokes comparisons with heavy handed tactics used in the past by authoritarian, rather than democratic governments.

The three Indians, who have not been named, were arrested in spot checks at London locations along with a Ukrainian, a Brazilian, an Afghan, a Nigerian, two Ghanaians and eight Pakistanis. Another 122 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested pending deportation at other addresses outside the British capital.

Last week the Home Office started its high-profile campaign against illegal immigrants by deploying vans that carried the message: “In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest. Text HOME to 78070 for free advice and help with travel documents.”

The London arrests have led to accusations that the authorities are using racial profiling to detain suspects. Britain is currently home to illegal immigrants from all over the world, including those from white majority countries, but race campaigners say officials are targeting those of Asian or African appearance.

Black human rights activist Doreen Lawrence, soon to become a member of the House of Lords and whose son Stephen was murdered by white hooligans, commented at the weekend: “I’m sure there’s illegal immigrants from all countries, but why would you focus that on people of colour, and I think racial profiling is coming into it.”

Political leader Nigel Farage, head of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), was also critical of the Home Office tactics, saying: “Spot checks and being demanded to show your papers by officialdom are not the British way of doing things.”

Deputy leader of the Lib Dems Simon Hughes warned that tactics focusing on those who are of black or brown appearance could result in the arrests of British citizens. “For people who are in this country now you have to behave with reasonable suspicion”, Hughes added.

Meanwhile, the Equality and Human rights Commission (EHRC) has started an investigation into whether immigration officials are guilty of ‘unlawful discrimination’ with their advertising campaign and the ‘stop and check’ operations.

An EHRC spokesman said: “The commission is writing to the Home Office about these reported operations, confirming that it will be examining the powers used and the justification for them, in order to assess whether unlawful discrimination took place.

“The letter will also ask questions about the extent to which the Home Office complied with its public sector equality duty when planning the recent advertising campaign targeted at illegal migration.”

But immigration minister Mark Harper has refuted accusations of racial profiling involved, saying the authorities only used their powers to stop and detain against those who were reasonably suspected of being in the UK illegally.

“These raids are not unlawful and I do not make any apologies for the work carried out by our border staff”, Mr Harper said.

“I absolutely refute the suggestion that we are targeting people based on their race or doing racial profiling. All our raids are intelligence-led. I don’t agree with an amnesty, if people are here illegally then they are breaking the law, we will find them and send them home. If we allow an amnesty then we will be sending out the wrong message.”