Mayor of Hamtramck says banning LGBTQ flag ensures fairness, as all groups must be equal

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Updated 08 July 2023
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Mayor of Hamtramck says banning LGBTQ flag ensures fairness, as all groups must be equal

Mayor of Hamtramck says banning LGBTQ flag ensures fairness, as all groups must be equal
  • Only flags of US, state, city, veterans should be on public properties, argues mayor Amer Ghalib
  • ‘All groups must be equal rather than recognition for a few’, he added

CHICAGO: The mayor of an all-Muslim city council in Michigan says the recent controversy over the banning of the LGBTQ community flag on public buildings is being misrepresented by them for “political reasons”.

Amer Ghalib, who was elected mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, in November 2021, said that the decision to ban the LGBTQ flag, which is used by gay and transgender rights activists, was not an act of discrimination but rather an effort to treat everyone equally and fairly.

Ghalib said that his goal is to ensure that every community is treated the same and past policies, which recognized some minorities while ignoring others, must end.

“I have nothing against the LGBTQ community. They belong to Hamtramck. We serve them equally just like everybody else. Everybody in this community is equally important to me. I don’t believe I should discriminate against anyone or give preferential treatment to anyone,” Ghalib told Arab News during The Ray Hanania Radio Show.

“So, the fact that we ... are a community of minorities. Every minority is in need of support. We believe we are subject to discrimination in one way or the other. Therefore we are equally in need of that support. So, the fact that I can just show support for one group and ignore the others is not appropriate. The moment people heard they (the LGBTQ community) want their flag to be flown, they came to me and said … we have also our specific flags we want to fly on the public streets or the city building.

“I looked at them. Some of them are religious, some of them are tribal. Some of them are sectarian. So, I was like this is going to look like a mess. This is not appropriate and I cannot just pick and choose which flag I should fly and which I should reject.”

Ghalib said that Hamtramck has been a majority Muslim city for many years with Yemenis making up at least 30 percent, and a Bengali community at 25 percent. Despite those numbers, the city has never recognized the Islamic Eid holidays, unlike the recognition for those of Christianity and other faiths.

“Everyone should be treated equally in the city. We will support every group. The fact that your flag won’t be flown at City Hall doesn’t mean your rights and freedoms will be impacted in any way or that your quality of life will be impacted in any way (if) your flag is not flown somewhere,” Ghalib said.

“We still serve people equally and we will protect them and do everything. My job is not to go out and ask people what is your background or what is your religion.”

“I'm not here to enforce my values on others. And I don’t want others to impose their values on me. I respect you, and your values, your lifestyle. You do whatever you want,” Ghalib said, noting he understands that lifestyle values may differ among many communities.

“It’s not my job to come and tell you this is right or this is wrong. But for you to try to enforce your values on me or your agenda, then of course you will face some resistance.”

Ghalib first ran for mayor in the August 2021 non-partisan election, in a contest which included the 16-year incumbent Karen Majewski, who is Polish, and two other candidates, who are Bengali and Yemeni Muslims. Many pundits believed that the three Muslim candidates would divide the Muslim vote in Hamtramck and result in Majewski being reelected.

But Ghalib took first place in the primary election followed by Majewski. And in the runoff election on Nov. 2, 2021, Ghalib won with a landslide 68 percent and Majewski received only 31 percent of the vote.

Ghalib said that when he took the oath of office to become mayor, “there wasn’t a single Yemeni employee working in the City Hall.”

He said his intent is to limit individualism and “treat everyone as equals.” Ghalib added that he is working to amend the city’s code to allow for the display of only four flags — of America, state of Michigan, city of Hamtramck and one representing veterans and prisoners of war — on publicly-owned property.

Ghalib said individuals can display whatever flags they want on their own property.

“Up to 95 percent of employees at City Hall were of a specific race or color. That is why I try now to diversify the City Hall as well. We started bringing people from different (communities), you know, to reflect the demographics of the city,” Ghalib said.

“And that is also challenging because the institutional knowledge is with a certain group of people. We try to train others and make them qualified and able to serve as well in case something happens. Because when I started, (officials in) big key positions resigned from the city, about 10 of them. And that was a crisis and we had to hire some firms to come and cover for us just because they (the officials) were not willing to work with us.”

Ghalib said he thought the resignations were “suspicious” but added: “We tried to diversify City Hall and represent everyone and (ensure) equal opportunity for everyone.”

Ghalib made his comments during an appearance on The Ray Hanania Radio Show broadcast Wednesday May 31 live in Detroit and Washington D.C. on the US Arab Radio Network and sponsored by Arab News.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh ebbs as Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control

Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh ebbs as Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control
Updated 58 min 58 sec ago
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Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh ebbs as Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control

Armenian exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh ebbs as Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control
  • The Armenian government said Monday that 100,514 of the region’s estimated 120,000 residents have crossed into Armenia

The last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh left the region Monday, completing a grueling weeklong exodus of over 100,000 people – more than 80 percent of its residents – after Azerbaijan reclaimed the area in a lightning military operation.
The bus that entered Armenia carried 15 passengers with serious illnesses and mobility problems, said Gegham Stepanyan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s human rights ombudsman. He called for information about any other residents who want to leave but have had trouble doing so.
In a 24-hour military campaign that began on Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army routed the region’s undermanned and outgunned Armenian forces, forcing them to capitulate. Separatist authorities then agreed to dissolve their government by the end of this year.
While Baku has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, most of them hastily fled the region, fearing reprisals or losing the freedom to use their language and practice their religion and customs.
The Armenian government said Monday that 100,514 of the region’s estimated 120,000 residents have crossed into Armenia.
Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said some people had died during the exhausting and slow journey over the single mountain road into Armenia that took as long as 40 hours. The exodus followed a nine-month Azerbaijani blockade of the region that left many suffering from malnutrition and lack of medicines.
Sergey Astsetryan, 40, one of the last Nagorno-Karabakh residents to leave the region in his own vehicle Sunday, said some elderly people have decided to stay, adding that others might return if they see it’s safe for ethnic Armenians to live under Azerbaijani rule.
“My father told me that he will return when he has the opportunity,” Astsetryan told reporters at a checkpoint on the Armenian border.
Azerbaijani authorities moved quickly to reaffirm control of the region, arresting several former members of its separatist government and encouraging ethnic Azerbaijani residents who fled the area amid a separatist war three decades ago to start moving back.
On Sunday, Azerbaijan prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan, who led the region before stepping down at the beginning of September. Azerbaijani police arrested one of Harutyunyan’s former prime ministers, Ruben Vardanyan, on Wednesday as he tried to cross into Armenia.
“We put an end to the conflict,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a speech Monday. “We protected our dignity, we restored justice and international law.”
He added that “our agenda is peace in the Caucasus, peace in the region, cooperation, shared benefits, and today, we demonstrate that.”
After six years of separatist fighting ended in 1994 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia. After a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back back parts of the region in the south Caucasus Mountains along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had captured earlier.
Armenian authorities have accused Russian peacekeepers, who were deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh after the 2020 war, of standing idle and failing to stop the Azerbaijani onslaught. The accusations were rejected by Moscow, which argued that its troops didn’t have a mandate to intervene.
The mutual accusations have further strained the relations between Armenia and its longtime ally Russia, which has accused the Armenian government of a pro-Western tilt.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan alleged Thursday that the exodus of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh amounted to “a direct act of ethnic cleansing and depriving people of their motherland.”
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry strongly rejected Pashinyan’s accusations, arguing their departure was “their personal and individual decision and has nothing to do with forced relocation.”
A United Nations delegation arrived Sunday in Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor the situation. The mission is the organization’s first to the region for three decades, due to the “very complicated and delicate geopolitical situation” there, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Friday.
Local officials dismissed the visit as a formality. Hunan Tadevosyan, spokesperson for Nagorno-Karabakh’s emergency services, said the UN representatives had come too late and the number of civilians left in the regional capital of Stepanakert could be “counted on one hand.”
“We walked around the whole city but found no one. There is no general population left,” he said.


Philippines, US hold joint naval exercise as Manila seeks to boost territorial defense

Philippines, US hold joint naval exercise as Manila seeks to boost territorial defense
Updated 48 min 41 sec ago
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Philippines, US hold joint naval exercise as Manila seeks to boost territorial defense

Philippines, US hold joint naval exercise as Manila seeks to boost territorial defense
  • Drills take place as tensions rise between Manila, Beijing over dispute in South China Sea
  • Japan, Canada, UK, Australia, France also sending navy personnel to take part this year

MANILA: Philippine and US navies on Wednesday launched their joint exercise and were joined by seven partner countries, as Manila seeks to boost its naval warfare capabilities and readiness to confront security challenges in the region.

Exercise Sama Sama started off as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in 1994 between the Philippines and America but changed into its current form in 2017. It seeks to increase interoperability, foster regional cooperation, and tackle non-traditional challenges.

This year, more than 1,800 navy personnel are taking part in the drills from Oct. 2 to 13, including from Japan, Canada, the UK, Australia, and France, while New Zealand and Indonesia are sending observers.

Philippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr. noted that Sama Sama equips participating nations to “face an array of threats together,” from territorial defense to countering transnational crimes.

“For us in the Philippine Navy this activity serves as a vital platform for capacity building and empowers us to refine our naval warfare capabilities.

“This exercise enhances our readiness to confront a wide spectrum of security challenges,” Adaci said during his speech at the opening ceremony.

“This year, our interoperability exercises with the US Navy will center on warfighting serials, reinforcing our readiness for joint operations in the face of evolving threats.

“With this show of force and active engagement of our allies and partners, Sama Sama transcends (mere) military exercises. It is a symbol of our enduring partnerships and our shared commitment to security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.

The exercises are taking place as tensions continue to rise between Manila and Beijing over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines and China have repeatedly sparred in the resource-rich South China Sea, as Beijing maintained its claim over the region in its entirety while other nations also have claims.

Vessels of the two countries have faced off several times this year in areas Manila said is part of its exclusive economic zones.

Sama Sama also reflects increased defense engagements between the Philippines and the US since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year, after relations ebbed during the previous administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who leaned more toward Beijing.

Through Sama Sama, the Philippines was seeking to build relationships with allies and partner nations to boost its territorial defense capabilities, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said.

“When it comes to territorial defense, we cannot do it alone. So, we have to leverage our alliances and our partnerships with like-minded nations. So that’s what we are doing,” Brawner told Arab News.

“Part of our defensive posture in the West Philippine Sea is doing operations together with our partners. So, the joint sail, joint exercises, these are all part of that overall build-up of our defensive posture in the area.”


Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
Updated 02 October 2023
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Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
  • The secretary of the Nobel Assembly announced the award Monday in Stockholm
  • The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor

STOCKHOLM: Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
The award was given to Katalin Karikó, a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Drew Weissman, who performed his prizewinning research together with Karikó at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the panel that awarded the prize said.
Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly, announced the award and said both scientists were “overwhelmed” by news of the prize when he contacted them shortly before the announcement.
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was won last year by Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for discoveries in human evolution that unlocked secrets of Neanderthal DNA which provided key insights into our immune system, including our vulnerability to severe COVID-19.
The award was the second in the family. Paabo’s father, Sune Bergstrom, won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1982.
Nobel announcements continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award on Oct. 9.
The prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). The money comes from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
The prize money was raised by 1 million kronor this year because of the plunging value of the Swedish currency.
The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. The prestigious peace prize is handed out in Oslo, according to his wishes, while the other award ceremony is held in Stockholm.


Court rules against Italian PM over Tunisian migrant detention

Court rules against Italian PM over Tunisian migrant detention
Updated 02 October 2023
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Court rules against Italian PM over Tunisian migrant detention

Court rules against Italian PM over Tunisian migrant detention
  • 3 asylum-seekers who applied for international protection must be ‘immediately released’
  • Use of detention a breach of Italian and EU law but Interior Ministry will appeal

London: Italy’s detention of three Tunisian migrants awaiting asylum decisions has been ruled illegal under domestic and EU law by a Sicilian court, The Times reported on Monday.

The ruling is viewed as a rebuke to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is seeking to tighten controls on refugee intake. The Interior Ministry said it will appeal the court’s decision.

The three Tunisian asylum-seekers entered Italy on Sept. 20 and applied for international protection but were sent to a detention center in Sicily, in a move that a Catania court has deemed illegal.

A fourth Tunisian who withdrew his asylum request was not included in the court order, which called for the “immediate release” of the trio.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party recently launched measures to stem the flow of migrants from the Mediterranean, with 133,171 people reaching Italian shores since the start of the year.

The detention of the three migrants, given their pending asylum applications, was determined to be in breach of Italy’s constitution and EU law.

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister, accused the Catania court of political bias. “Serious reform of the justice system is required,” he said on X.

The court’s findings come amid heightened tensions between EU member states over migration, and as the Italian government seeks to boost the number of detention centers nationwide.


Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak on record

Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak on record
Updated 02 October 2023
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Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak on record

Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak on record
  • Number of deaths so far this year was higher than every previous year combined from 2000
  • WHO has warned that dengue and other diseases caused by mosquito-borne viruses are spreading faster

DHAKA: More than 1,000 people in Bangladesh have died of dengue fever since the start of the year, official figures showed, in the country’s worst recorded outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease.
Figures from the country’s Directorate General of Health Services published on Sunday night said 1,006 people had died, among more than 200,000 confirmed cases.
The agency’s former director Be-Nazir Ahmed said that the number of deaths so far this year was higher than every previous year combined from 2000, when Bangladesh recorded its first dengue outbreak.
“It’s a massive health event, both in Bangladesh and in the world,” he added.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last month the outbreak was “putting huge pressure on the health system” in Bangladesh.
Dengue is a disease endemic to tropical areas that causes high fevers, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and, in the most serious cases, bleeding that can lead to death.
The WHO has warned that dengue — and other diseases caused by mosquito-borne viruses such as chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika — are spreading faster and further due to climate change.