EU Values 101 - Turkish workshop employs Syrian minors to produce fake life jackets for refugees.

EU Values 101 - Turkish workshop employs Syrian refugee minors to produce fake life jackets for refugees. (TZ).

İzmir police on Tuesday raided an underground manufacturer in the Konak district and seized a total of 1,263 fake life jackets that were produced with low-quality materials. Two young Syrian underage girls were found among the four employees working .

Employing Syrians has become commonplace in Turkey in the recent past as the growing population of refugees in the country provide a low-cost labor force for businesses.

Even though the government previously declared an intention to issue work permits for Syrians, they are now mostly employed illegally and paid less than Turkish citizens for identical positions.

The life jackets seized in the raid included counterfeits of renowned brands padded with insulating materials, suitcase fabric and low-quality sponges used to make the life jackets look thick and safe.

The raid came on the same day that Turkish authorities found the bodies of 34 migrants, at least three of whom were children, washed up on the coast of İzmir and Balıkesir provinces after they had apparently drowned while trying to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) puts the number of migrants who have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in 2015 at 3,771. Experts argue that fake life jackets selling at low prices are the primary reason for the high number of deaths at sea. Hmmmm......When will the EU take measures against these Turkish 'slavery' practices,  refugee exploitation and unfair economic practices? Yes it's easier to label Jewish products but one law for All! 

Video - Lebanese Man Takes His ’12-Year-Old Bride’ in Public, Watch How People Reacted.

Video - Lebanese Man Takes His ’12-Year-Old Bride’ in Public, Watch How People Reacted. (Egyptianstreets).

In a renewed attempt to raise awareness about the prevalence of child marriages in Lebanon, nongovernmental organization Kafa (meaning “enough” in Arabic) staged a photoshoot with a middle-aged man and a 12-year-old girl in a wedding dress.

While some passersby did not react and others were visibly disturbed but kept their opinions to themselves, a large number of those who appeared in the video were outraged at the setup.

One woman demanded to know where the young girl’s parents were, exclaiming, “She’s 12! I was jogging but my feet froze when I saw her.”

Another bystander reminded the woman that “the law allows it.”

Child marriages continue to be an issue of great concern in many countries in the region.Read the full story here.

Related: Too young to wed.

We are not prepared for this! Lion Cubs of the caliphate: a ticking time bomb?

We are not prepared for this! Lion Cubs of the caliphate: a ticking time bomb? (Rudaw).

Journalists rarely make contact with people living in ISIS territories. They must depend mainly on those who fled ISIS and brought back the stories of its harsh rule by Sharia law and the way the radicals indoctrinate children.

One of the unique facets of ISIS is how it targets children. It starts with their education, which has been Islamized and cleansed of Western influence and anything that differs from life in the so-called ISIS caliphate.

Children go to special camps to be ingrained in the ideology of ISIS. Then they are sent to military camps where they learn how to fight. Many end up on the frontlines.

But not all, however, because ISIS understands that its future is the children they call the “Lion Cubs of the Caliphate.”

It is the youth that are the easiest to deceive and indoctrinate. Once that happens, they are lost to society unless they get help to replace these fundamentalist ideas with a healthier outlook.

In the problematic life of refugees, an existence focused on survival, this will not happen. It may even strengthen their beliefs and frustrations. Worse it could deepen the animosity ingrained in them against the “unbelievers.”

These young men, once the property of ISIS, are the time bombs the refugees carry with them when they return to their homes in areas recaptured from ISIS.

These “Lion Cubs” might follow ISIS commands to attack and kill and create chaos in order to bring back the caliphate they lost.

Even as ISIS is removed from areas it once controlled, the ideas they forced on young people remain.

Hmmmm.....If we look at what has happened in the past in Africa than we know sooner or later they will 'deploy' these kids in battle, i would hate to be among those who will be facing them for the first time.....It will take strong determination from the men or women in the 'forces' to aim and shoot a child......are we mentally prepared for this? And how do we deal with it afterwards?

Video - ‘I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced’

Video - ‘I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced’. HT: Themuslimissue.

In her first feature film, “I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced”, Yemeni director Khadija al-Salami tells the story of Yemen’s most famous child divorcee. But it’s also a retelling of the Paris-based filmmaker’s own life story.

When Nojoom first learned that her father had arranged to marry her off, she did not know her future husband – nor, for that matter, what a marriage was all about.

The 10-year-old native of the Yemeni capital Sanaa believed that marriage entailed a “fairytale princess” white dress. For her – as for many girls across the world – marriage was a sequined fantasy that included a Prince Charming and a vague “happily ever after” ending.

But that’s not what happens in Khadija al-Salami’s film, “I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced” (Ana Nojoom Bent Alasherah Wamotalagah). In the chillingly realistic film, little Nojoom is forcibly married, raped on her wedding night, and subjected to sexual and psychological abuse until she manages to escape. She seeks the protection of a judge in Sanaa who decides to take her case to court. After a farcical trial, Nojoom gets a divorce – the first-ever for a child bride in Yemen.

One in three girls is married before the age of 18 in Yemen and one in seven before the age of 15, according to UNICEF. In September 2013, the case of Rawan, an 8-year-old girl who died of internal bleeding on her wedding night, made international headlines and sparked an outcry against child marriages. Yemen ranks second in the Middle East and North Africa region in early marriages per capita, after Sudan.

The strength of al-Salami’s film is not so much the theme of violence as the way it is portrayed. To illustrate the absurdity of early marriages, the director often juxtaposes the delights of childhood against the brutality of Yemeni traditions. The 10-year-old central character trades her engagement ring for a doll – which she clutches during the wedding ceremonies – and at one point, Nojoom abandons the festivities to slip out and play hopscotch with her friends.

The gritty portrayal is sometimes forced, but never caricatured. Based on the true story of Nujood Ali, a gutsy Yemeni girl who became the world’s youngest divorcée in 2008 after escaping her marriage, the film bears the same title as a book on Ali’s story ghostwritten by French journalist Delphine Minoui.

Now 16, Ali has chosen the name Nojoom, which means “stars in the sky”, instead of Nujood, which means “hidden”.

Women are a curse’

The first feature film by the documentary filmmaker and women’s rights advocate is more than just a retelling of Ali’s case – it’s a reliving of al-Salami’s own story.

“I lived the same experience as Nujood/Nojoom at 11,” said al-Salami at a film screening earlier this week at the Arab World Institute (Institut du Monde Arabe) in Paris. “I had to fight against family, against society. Now that I’m an adult, I wanted to make a movie that was a wake-up call.”

Born in Sanaa, al-Salami was forced into an early marriage at 11 by her uncle, who was her guardian after her mother divorced her violent father. Escaping the abusive marriage was a difficult journey for the young girl, who finally received a scholarship to study in the United States before she settled in Paris.

In the film al-Salami is critical of social customs and the lack of education in a country where 54.5% of Yemenis live below the poverty line.

But the film also presents a nuanced insight into how societal values entrap individuals. During the divorce proceedings, Nojoom’s father and husband are never portrayed as villainous predators but as impoverished, illiterate men unable to comprehend the problem. “But tell me what crime have I committed?” repeats the husband, more fearful of the reaction of his village sheikh than by the court sentencing or the gravity of his act.

At times the director even seems to sympathise with Nojoom’s father. When he uncomprehendingly explains to the judge that he married off his daughter to protect her from being “dishonoured” after her sister was raped by one of the men in the village, he says, “Women are a curse.” The statement is not portrayed as a critique of the father’s patriarchal values, but as a basic postulate rooted in Yemeni society.

“The problem in Yemen is not only the behaviour of the husband or the father, it is above all poverty, illiteracy, ignorance,” explained al-Salami.

The final image of the film features the words, “Knowledge is light,” written on a blackboard.

Clandestine filming

The biggest challenge in tackling the issue of child marriages is the absence of relevant legislation. “There is no law in Yemen banning marriage between partners under 18 years, so we had to find another way of denouncing forced marriages,” al-Salami said. “With this film, I want to force parents to reflect on their actions … For that, I would like to screen the film in every village across my country.”

Given the current security situation in Yemen, it’s unlikely that al-Salami will be able to realise that dream. But the 49-year-old director has been careful to present a realistic portrayal of the story, one that Yemenis can recognise and relate to.

“I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced” was shot entirely in Yemen, despite the difficulties, the obstacles, the lack of a cinema culture — and without authorisation.

Al-Salami shot the film clandestinely, making it the first feature film to be shot entirely on Yemeni soil. “It had to be done there,” she stressed. “I was offered the chance to shoot it in Morocco, and I said no. But I must admit that this shoot was a nightmare from start to finish,” she said with a laugh.

Afraid of being blocked and unable to complete the film, al-Salami kept the subject of the film secret. Even the actors only vaguely knew the theme being addressed. “I was very discreet, all the time. I had to shoot the wedding night scene, for example, on the last day, at the last moment. I also lied to the court for permission to shoot on their premises. I told them I was telling the story of a ‘girl’ who wants a divorce, not a ‘little girl’,” she explained. “The film crew was driven out of some villages, we faced power cuts … it was completely surreal.”

Surreal, but necessary. “It was like a blow to my solar plexus,” said French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, visibly moved, at the screening. She then hugged al-Salami, prompting thunderous applause.

The next challenge for al-Salami is to find a film distributor. “It needs to be seen, it must be shown to the general public. Because everyone needs to know.” More on Child marriage can be found here.

This article has been translated from the original in French.

The Muslim Issue is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

"Advanced Sweatshop Turkey" Child labor and Syrian refugees children their plight exposed

"Advanced Sweatshop Turkey" Child labor and Syrian refugees children their plight exposed. By David Lepesca.

The size of a much younger boy, the 14 year old wears a black apron over a red-and-white checked shirt, blue jeans and plastic sandals. Over more than an hour of conversation, his expressions range from exhaustion, to concern, to concentration.

For his nearly 90 hours of weekly labour he earns 25 Turkish lira, or about $0.12 an hour. Sweatshop workers in Bangladesh earn about two dollars a day. In China they make more than four. Zain takes home about a dollar and a half.

“I asked my parents,” he says, “and they told me, according to our situation, the pay is good.” Read their full story here.

Belgium launches Website where you can report child prostitution from all over the world.

Belgium launches Website where you can report child prostitution from all over the world. (HLN).[GoogleTranslate]

Whoever witnesses child prostitution, in Belgium or abroad, on business or on vacation, can register on the website.

The message will remain confidential.

On the site are five red buttons to see the messages I support, I intervene, I sign, I testify, and promoting. "Intervention is to protect," said Ariane Couvreur Group STOP.

"Without intervention, it is difficult for the authorities to follow the child molesters abroad and to protect the victims." "Numerous factors work the supply of children in prostitution in hand: the increased poverty by the crisis, war, corruption .. . "said Couvreur.

"On the other hand it makes tourism destinations more accessible and creates new technology make it difficult to identify the perpetrators."

"The site is a new sign of the commitment of Belgium in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children, ten years after the first awareness campaign STOP "said Minister Reynders today.

The website is linked to the European platform reportchildsextourism.eu .

Around 1.8 million children are exploited annually worldwide, STOP Group, who added that reminded consists of the police, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Justice, Child Focus and Plan Belgium.

Video - Human Rights Watch documentary: "Child Brides in Tanzania"

Child marriage in Tanzania limits girls’ access to education and exposes them to serious harms. Human Rights Watch documented how child marriage severely curtails girls’ access to education, and exposes them to exploitation and violence – including marital rape and female genital mutilation (FGM) – and reproductive health risks. HT:

Compelling work by @marcusbleasdale @hrw on the plight of child brides in Tanzania, must watch http://t.co/35fjmIMtVc

— Peter Bouckaert (@bouckap) October 30, 2014

Video - Children Eating from the Streets of Hajr al Aswad in Damascus

The video shows children being interviewed whilst they eat from scraps on the ground due to shortage of food in the Hajr al Aswad area of Damascus.

This video is hereby translated under full responsibility of ANA PRESS

For more information please feel free to send your inquiries to: info@ana-press.com

India - Maharashtra branche of NGO Childline 'Sexually Abused, Made children to Eat Faeces' .

India - Maharashtra branche of NGO Childline 'Sexually Abused, Made children to Eat Faeces'.(NDTV).

Karjat, Maharashtra:  Two people have been arrested after an NGO alleged that few children, aged between 5 and 15, were being sexually abused at a shelter home in Maharashtra's Karjat, close to Pune.

The children, activists alleged, were made to watch pornography and perform sexual acts on each other. In more horrific details, they also told the police that the children were forced to eat human faeces when they were hungry. All of this was also allegedly filmed by an accused.

The accused, Ajit Dabholkar, the founder of Chandraprabha Charitable Trust and his assistant, Lalita Tonde were picked up during a raid by the local police after FIRs were filed by the Pune and Raigad branches of NGO Childline.

The NGO conducted an investigation for almost a month, after the mother of one of the children, a domestic worker, narrated the incident to her employers. Her employers then approached the NGO.

As of now, around six children have given in writing that they were abused.

The accused were presented before a special court in Alibaug, after being arrested on Monday night under various sections of POSCO (Protection of Children From Sexual Offenses Act). They have been remanded to police custody till June 5.

The private shelter home, run by a Trust, housed around 30 children, both boys and girls, most of whom belong to poor families. However, only three children were found at the shelter during the raid, as the rest had gone home for summer vacation.

Video - Plea from a Canadian child to the King of Belgium: Stop Child Euthanasia

Video - Plea from a Canadian child to the King of Belgium: Stop Child Euthanasia. VIDEO by CoalitionMD  More here.

Related:
The Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice: A Belgian doctor condemns euthanasia in his country and the deadly consequences for Quebecers.

QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 10, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - On the last day of public hearings on " end of life care ," the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice invited Dr. Georges Casteur, former medical director of a neurological rehabilitation center in Ostend, Belgium (1976 to 2012), to present results of 10 years of euthanasia in his country. According to Dr. Casteur, safeguards and controls in Belgium do not provide complete protection. According to studies, one-third of patients "euthanized" were not able to give free and informed consent. Almost 50% of "euthanasia cases" were not reported to authorities. He described the steep slippery slope and "the culture of death" that is now installed in Belgium. He gave several examples of people "exhausted of life, or depressed" who were given lethal injections without prior notification to their family members. Recently, a 44 year old patient named Nathan Verhelst (" Nancy "), unhappy with a sex-change surgery, was euthanized on Sept. 30, 2013. In contrast, several of Dr. Casteur's patients have changed their decisions to end their lives after talking with him or his colleagues. Last year, one of his patients with severe quadriplegia, following an accident, was referred to a Brussels hospital for three weeks of rehabilitation after euthanasia was already programmed. After a chance conversation with a physician at the clinic, he changed his mind and is now enjoying life. He also described how pressures such as financial problems, family members, heirs, health care providers and administrators lacking hospital beds, can prevent people from making "free and unbiased decisions." Also, there is a lack of independence of the second consulting physician who is often a member of the same team with a goal of promoting euthanasia. He showed the similarities of the Belgian and proposed Quebec law. He argued that the same tragic consequences will happen if euthanasia is legalized in Quebec. Furthermore, Dr. Casteur is astonished that the word euthanasia is not used in the Bill 52. However there is one major difference: Belgian law is a federal law unlike the proposed Quebec law which is provincial.

Also present were a couple from Lachine, Quebec, Jacques Roy and his wife Diane Bergevin, whose life has been challenged since 2011 by two tumors, one behind the left eye and another in her lung. Despite the severity of the diagnosis, they are both relieved by the good response to treatment. Mr. Roy discussed the potential dangers of a poor prognosis given by some doctors and a variety of external pressures that may endanger the health and survival of patients. He is concerned that the new law will "encourage people to look for the easiest and the fastest fix- the deadly needle. Administrators, government and some doctors will benefit. It is clear that it is more expensive to treat diseases. So, even though there may be a chance to survive or live longer, some doctors will quickly ship patients off to funeral homes. "

Dr. Paul Saba, who is a family physician and co-chair of the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice, explained the fatal consequences of euthanasia and the loss of individual autonomy if Bill 52 is passed. Euthanasia also creates significant risks such as premature deaths in those with potentially reversible conditions. In Oregon, before the government agrees to pay the cost of medical care even for young people, cancer treatment must obtain a success rate of over 50% for 24 months. People who could potentially live a long time or even get cured from a cancer diagnosis must pay out of pocket or accept the free lethal cocktail.

By legalizing euthanasia, Quebecers become second-class citizens in comparison with criminals. "We have abolished the death penalty to avoid the death of innocent people as a result of judicial error. In contrast, euthanasia denies patients protection despite the risks associated with the procedure. Governments are investing large amounts of money for prisons while 80% of patients in need of palliative care do not have access to these underfunded services. The legalization of euthanasia goes against individual rights and the protection of life. "

Finally, Dr. Saba asks " if nine million physicians of the World Medical Association condemn euthanasia, if more than 200 countries reject this procedure, and if safeguards and controls do not work anywhere in the world, what justification is there for a euthanasia law in Quebec? "

130,000 girls under 18 married in Erdogan's "Islamist" Turkey in last 3 years.

Source:  END CHILD MARRIAGE.

130,000 girls under 18 married in Erdogan's "Islamist" Turkey in last 3 years.(TZ).

The drama of “K.E.,” a young girl who was married off at the age of 12, became a mother at 13, had a miscarriage with her second child at 14, and was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in her house in Siirt's Pervari district on Jan. 12, has brought the shame surrounding “child brides” in Turkey to the spotlight once again.

Stating that there have been 130,000 girls who married under the age of 18 over the last three years in the country, Dr. Burcu Donmez of Yaşar University's law faculty notes that forced marriage must absolutely be covered as a part of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

She says: "It is definitely inhuman to force anyone under the age of 15 to marry. In fact, the United Nations defines forced marriage as a kind of modern slavery.”

Data provided in June 2013 from the Interior Ministry illuminates the situation of child brides in Turkey. While there have been a total of 134,629 marriages involving persons under the age of 18 over the past three years, the number of males under the age of 18 married was just 5,763, while the number of girls under the age of 18 married off was 128,866.

In other words, the number of underage girls married off in the past three years is 21 times the number of underage males marrying.

Should be counted as a crime

Dr. Dönmez, who stresses that marrying off children under the age of 15 needs to be seen and defined as a violation of children's rights, says: "For anyone to be forced into marriage -- whether they are under the age of 15 or not -- is an inhuman and a terrible thing. In fact, the European Union produced 11 directives between the years of 2002 and 2006 aimed at preventing forced marriages. 

Turkey must also move to make forced marriage an injustice that calls for punishment and define it as its own category of crime. Forced marriage must be defined as a solid crime.

This is why not only forcing someone into marriage, but forcing someone to continue a marriage, must be made a crime.”'

Children that are targeted for marriage should be taken from their families'Dönmez notes that if a law on this subject does get passed, the important thing is that in addition to seeing that courts hand down punishments to those guilty of trying to force young people into marriage, sanctions such as the state-backed removal of youngsters from their families are implemented.

She continues: “Sometimes we see girls married off from agreements made at the cradle, other times they are sold like goods. We hear about these dramas every day. What is important is increasing families' awareness and their education levels. This should become state policy.”

'They lose their identities'Dr. Ilgın Başaran from Yaşar University notes some of the more disturbing psychological effects of forced marriage at a young age, saying: "To marry off children who are still in primary school is to exploit them on both an emotional and physical level. These are children who are at risk of losing of their identities. For example, a young girl who becomes a mother at an early age might play with her babies as though she was playing with her dolls in his childhood. If her baby dies or she experiences a miscarriage, this child bride might feel sad as if she lost her doll and might lose self-confidence very easily.”

Hmmm.......“Thank God Almighty,” said Mr. Erdogan in 1994, when he was the mayor of Istanbul. “I am a servant of Shariah.”.   KEEP TURKEY OUT OF EUROPE.

Third of marriages in eastern 'Islamist' Turkey involve child brides: NGO.

Third of marriages in eastern 'Islamist' Turkey involve child brides: NGO.(HD).

A third of marriages in Turkey’s eastern and southeastern provinces involve brides of minor age, with a significant proportion under the age of fifteen, a study by an NGO in the area has shown.

The study, conducted by KAMER, an NGO focusing on the improvement of women’s conditions and rights, is based on interviews with 60,000 women across 23 provinces.

The results paint a worrying picture of the extent of child marriages, particularly in rural areas, and were announced following the tragic death of yet another child bride in Siirt province made headlines across the country, after she gave birth to her second baby. 

“The civil authorities should make partnerships as soon as possible with teachers, imams, the gendarmerie and mukhtars to raise awareness on the issue of child brides. Preventive measures must be adopted in every province, district and village,” KAMER’s Van branch director, Esra Gürcan, said in a written statement.

Among the women interviewed by KAMER, 4,711 were married at 16 or 17 in the last 10 years. Some 2,217 were married between the ages of 13 and 15, while 54 were married at the age of 12 or below.

Referring to the harrowing story of the child bride shot to death in Siirt, Gürcan said this matter represented a big test of women’s right and gender equality.

“If we are talking about a girl married at the age of 11, who died at the age of 14.5 after giving birth to two children, this should be shame for us all,” Gürcan said, urging the authorities to carry a thorough investigation.

“The family that marries the [child bride] off at 11, the man who marries her, whether she gave a premature birth, everything should be questioned,” she added. 

The legal age for marriage in Turkey was recently raised to 17 from 15, but many families still change the date of birth of their daughters so they can marry legally.

Experts highlight that laws lack persuasive power and are not enough on their own. Instead, many say, the importance of raising awareness on gender equality should be stressed. Hmmmm.....Please Lord keep Turkey out of Europe.

Related: End Child Marriage.