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Issue of human rights of minorities discussed with Indian ministers: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, the first senior member of the Biden administration to visit India, said on Saturday he had raised issues of human rights of the country’s minorities with members of the Indian cabinet as “partners need to be able to have those kinds of discussions”.
Austin, the first African-American to hold the post of US defence secretary, made the remarks while responding to a question during a media briefing on whether he had raised the issue of human rights of India’s minorities during his interactions with Indian interlocutors.
Indian officials, however, said there was no specific discussion with Austin on human rights in India at his meetings with defence minister Rajnath Singh or external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Human rights and values were discussed as shared strengths of the two countries, senior Indian officials said.
Austin said human rights and values are important to both sides, and the US will lead with these values. Jaishankar agreed and emphasised that a strong India-US relationship was important for both countries and the rest of the world, people aware of the conversation between the ministers said
The only specific discussion on these issues pertained to minorities and women in Afghanistan, the officials said.
Austin acknowledged he had discussed with defence minister Rajnath Singh the issue of India’s acquisition of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, which faces potential sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Austin, however, said the sanctions were not “on the table” as India is yet to acquire the weapon system.
He also said the US never considered that “India and China were on the threshold of war” during their ongoing standoff in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Asked specifically if he had raised the violation of human rights of India’s minorities as the first member of the Biden administration to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Austin replied that he “did not have an opportunity to talk with him [Modi]” about the issue during their meeting on Friday.
“Having said that, I did have a conversation with other members of the cabinet on this issue. I think we have to remember that India is our partner and a partner whose partnership we value, and I think partners need to be able to have those kinds of discussions. And certainly, we feel comfortable in doing that, and you can have those discussions in a very meaningful way and still make progress,” Austin said.
Prior to his arrival in India, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Bob Menendez wrote a letter to Austin, asking him to raise concerns about India “trending away” from shared democratic values, including the Indian government’s handling of the farmers’ protest and a crackdown on journalists and critics, and the S-400 deal with Russia.
Responding to a question on Menendez’s letter, Austin said, “You’ve heard President Biden say that… human rights and the rule of law [are] important to the United States of America. We always lead with our values and as a democracy, that’s pretty important to us. And again, India is a democratic country and you treasure your values as well. So, there are a number of things that we can and will work on together.”
Austin evaded a direct reply to a question on whether the S-400 deal would pose a problem for the India-US relationship and only said sanctions were not on the table as the weapon system had not been delivered to India.
India has defended its $5.4-billion deal with Russia for five S-400 systems, the first of which is expected to be delivered by September. The US has already imposed sanctions on its NATO ally Turkey for a similar deal.
Austin said, “We have countries that we work with from time to time that have Soviet or… Russian equipment that they’ve acquired over the years and we certainly urge all our allies and our partners to move away from Soviet or Russian equipment… and really avoid any kind of acquisition that would trigger sanctions on our behalf.”
“There’s been no delivery of an S-400 system and so that conversation, that issue of sanctions is not one that’s been discussed but we did address with the minister of defence the issue of the S-400,” he added.
Austin dismissed a question on whether a war between India and China was imminent, and said India and the US could work with like-minded countries to check Chinese aggression in the region.
“On the first part of the question, the answer is no. To my knowledge, we’ve never considered that India and China were on the threshold of war,” he said.
The US, he said, is working with like-minded countries such as India, Australia, and Japan to maintain freedom of navigation, promote peace and stability, and “ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region”. Working with these countries with shared interests is “the way you check any aggression in any region,” he added.
Austin was equally dismissive of a question on reports about US troops staying on in Afghanistan till November, several months after the deadline for their withdrawal in May under a deal with the Taliban. He said, “You know I am a pretty prominent guy in those discussions typically, and to my knowledge the president has not made a decision or made any announcements on when he will decide to remove the troops.”
“As you know, there is a rigorous process that’s ongoing as the president really works his way through making that decision and no decisions have been made, no decisions on length of stay or troop numbers have been made to this point,” Austin stated.
He said his discussions with defence minister Rajnath Singh covered a wide range of topics, including equipment, information-sharing, and additional opportunities for logistics support. “We consider India to be a great partner and… there’s just a lot of opportunity there to strengthen that partnership and to do some additional things to make sure that we’re promoting peace and stability in the region and providing for a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that Austin’s hour-long meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar focused on the strategic situation in the Indo-Pacific. Jaishankar spoke on India’s current security challenges and the discussions also covered the changing scenario in Europe and West Asia.
The situation in Afghanistan was addressed in detail and Austin and Jaishankar exchanged their assessments of the ground situation and the peace process, the people said. They also discussed the concerns and interests of regional powers.
While highlighting the commonalities and convergences in India-US ties, Jaishankar said the relationship was unique for the breadth and intensity of cooperation in numerous domains, the people said.
ലണ്ടന്: ഓസ്ട്രേലിയക്ക് പിന്നാലെ 16 വയസിന് താഴെയുള്ള കുട്ടികളില് സോഷ്യല് മീഡിയ നിരോധനം കൊണ്ടുവരാന് യുകെയും. ഓണ്ലൈന് സുരക്ഷ ഉറപ്പാക്കാന് തനിക്കാവുന്നത് ചെയ്യുമെന്ന് യുകെ സാങ്കേതിക വിദ്യ സെക്രട്ടറി പീറ്റര് കൈലേയെ ഉദ്ധരിച്ച് ബിബിസി റിപ്പോര്ട്ട് ചെയ്യുന്നു. എല്ലാത്തിന്റെയും രേഖകള് കയ്യിലുണ്ടെന്നും തനിക്ക് ആദ്യം കൂടുതല് തെളിവുകള് ലഭിക്കണമെന്നും അദ്ദേഹം വ്യക്തമാക്കി. യുവാക്കളിലെ സോഷ്യല് മീഡിയകളുടെയും സ്മാര്ട്ട്ഫോണുകളുടെയും സ്വാധീനത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് കൂടുതല് ഗവേഷണം നടത്തുമെന്നും കൈലേ പറഞ്ഞു.
16 വയസുവരെയുള്ള കുട്ടികളില് സോഷ്യല് മീഡിയ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നത് നിരോധിക്കുന്നതിനുള്ള നിയമം ലോകത്തിലാദ്യമായി ഓസ്ട്രേലിയ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നു. ഓസ്ട്രേലിയയിലെ കമ്മ്യൂണിക്കേഷന് മന്ത്രി മിഷേല് റോളണ്ട് അവതരിപ്പിച്ച ബില്ല് ഓണ്ലൈന് സുരക്ഷയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടുള്ള രക്ഷിതാക്കളുടെ ആശങ്കയ്ക്ക് പ്രാധാന്യം നല്കുന്നു. ബില്ല് പാസായാല് നിയന്ത്രണമേര്പ്പെടുത്താന് ഒരു വര്ഷം വരെയെങ്കിലും സമയമെടുക്കും.
കുട്ടികള് അക്കൗണ്ട് എടുക്കുന്നത് തടഞ്ഞില്ലെങ്കില് സാമൂഹ്യ മാധ്യമങ്ങള് നഷ്ടപരിഹാരം നല്കേണ്ടി വരുമെന്നും ബില്ലില് പറയുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇങ്ങനെ സംഭവിച്ചാല് ടിക് ടോക്, ഫേസ്ബുക്ക്, സ്നാപ്ചാറ്റ്, റെഡ്ഡിറ്റ്, എക്സ്, ഇന്സ്റ്റാഗ്രാം തുടങ്ങിയ പ്ലാറ്റ്ഫോമുകള് 3.3 കോടി ഡോളര് പിഴ നല്കേണ്ടി വരും. സോഷ്യമീഡിയ പ്ലാറ്റ്ഫോമുകളില് സംരക്ഷണം ഒരുക്കേണ്ട ചുമതല കുട്ടികള്ക്കോ മാതാപിതാക്കള്ക്കോ അല്ലെന്നും മൈക്കിള് റോളണ്ട് പറഞ്ഞു. 18 വയസിന് താഴെയുള്ളവർക്ക് ഓണ്ലൈന് പോണോഗ്രഫി നിരോധിക്കാനുള്ള നിയമവും ഓസ്ട്രേലിയ ആലോചിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com
LONDON – An ex-Muslim turned Christian evangelist has been beaten, chased by angry mobs, unlawfully jailed and even stabbed, all for the sake of the Gospel.
This is not in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia. It is officially happening in Christian Britain.
Her name is Hatun Tash, and what has been done to her has even caught the attention of the British media.
Tash grew up in Turkey as a Muslim and became a Christian after moving to England. And being an ex-Muslim speaking out against Islam has made her a target.
She told us she has changed residences more than 50 times in the past four years because she knows Muslims are looking for her in order to kill her. One man has already been sentenced to 24 years in prison for trying.
Because of this ongoing danger, she asked that we interview her from a secret location.
Tash told us her conversion to Christ began when she learned the truth about Islam and Mohammed.
“As I read biography, it was very disturbing to me. So, the man you grew up to love and honor suddenly turns out to be like, yeah, not good, not good. And I decided, I can’t be Muslim.”
Then she learned about a very different God than the one of Islam, telling us, “As you dig into it, you get to meet with a God who is not silent or far or distant from you, but you meet with a God who loves you, who pours out himself on you. And not only that, He just puts himself on the cross and then says, ‘I love you from everlasting to everlasting, Come to me.'”
Tash began sharing this message to Muslims at Speakers Corner, in London’s Hyde Park, where speakers climb atop stepladders and vigorous debates ensue, often between Muslims and Christians.
Her preaching and criticism of Islam has sometimes enraged Muslims, and three years ago a man slashed her face with a knife. He has never been caught.
She however has been arrested unlawfully more than once. The London Police have twice paid her damages for wrongful arrests, including two years ago when she refused to leave the area where she was preaching. Tash was forcibly marched through Hyde Park, followed by Muslims celebrating her arrest. She was placed in a police van, strip-searched, and jailed.
This has not stopped Tash from going to mosques and sharing the Gospel daily.
“I would simply stand in front of the mosques, and I’d say ‘Muhammad is a false prophet. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Tell me, what is your objections?’ Hundreds of Muslims just stop and then they want to talk to you. Sometimes you get harmed, sometimes it gets dangerous. Sometimes you end up in hospitals, sometimes you end up in people’s homes for a cup of tea,” Tash said.
“I don’t care whether people reject me or not. They need to hear the gospel,” she said.
Christian Concern’s Christian Legal Centre has defended Tash. Christian Concern’s Andrea Williams told us, “The truth is that those that have attempted to kill her have been caught on camera. The police know who they are, but they have not been arrested. She is feared by and targeted by Muslim groups because she is fearless for the gospel. She loves Jesus so much that nothing will halt her.”
Tash says she will continue to preach and continue to challenge Islam.
“Things are dangerous. Should I choose to stay silent? Like when people are spending 5,000 Pounds to buy a gun, to shoot you and shoot your loved ones? The Gospel is so glorious, I cannot be silent. And the Lord is the giver of life. So, when it’s my time, He will take me home. But until He gives me breath, we continue to preach.”
Sources:CBN News
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‘Christ Laid His Life Down for Me’: Greg Laurie Gives Powerful Gospel Presentation to Jordan Peterson
Christian megachurch leader Greg Laurie recently appeared on psychologist Jordan Peterson’s podcast, where he gave the professor-turned-cultural commentator a powerful presentation of the Gospel.
“When everything’s said and done, what’s more important than the afterlife?” the California-based pastor asked Peterson. “What’s more important than where we spend it? According to the Bible, I believe there’s a literal heaven, a literal hell, and I believe we choose in this life where we will spend the afterlife.”
Laurie added he’s going to spend eternity in heaven “not because I’ve lived a good life — because I failed in many ways — but because Christ laid His life down for me on the cross.”
“Coming back to Abraham, and what a picture, the son was willing to go and be sacrificed by the father,” the pastor continued, referring to the Old Testament story of Genesis 22. “[Isaac] knew what was going on: ‘Hey, Dad, where’s the sacrifice?’ ‘My son, God will provide for Himself a sacrifice.’ But Isaac made that sacrifice, too. The Son Jesus made that sacrifice for us, because He knew there was no other way that we could reach God, no other way we could satisfy the righteous demands of God. So Heaven isn’t for good people, as it’s often said; heaven is for forgiven people.”
The conversation between Peterson and Laurie stemmed from the 71-year-old minister opening up about the death of his son, Christopher, who passed away in 2008 as a result of a tragic car accident.
He described that day in July of 2008 as the “worst” day in his life. Nevertheless, Laurie said he is not without hope — because of his faith in the redemptive work of Jesus.
“I believe I’ll see my son again, because he believed in Jesus,” Laurie explained. “He won’t be in heaven because I’m his dad; he’ll be in heaven because he put his faith in Christ and he had that relationship. He’s a part of my future as well, so that gives me hope. But, also, I realize that God can allow these things in our life. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. I don’t even try to explain it.”
Peterson, author of the new book, “We Who Wrestle With God: Perceptions of the Divine,” admitted to Laurie he struggles to intellectually reconcile a desire to perfect the earthly world with the knowledge the Christian life is heavily weighted toward considering eternity.
The famed psychologist and podcast host asked, “How do you reconcile, in your own mind, the insistence that part of the Christian moral pattern is to perfect the world and to raise the material up to the heavenly with the notion of the afterlife and immortality?”
Laurie referenced 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, in which the Apostle Paul wrote about experiencing a “third heaven,” as well as the thief on the cross next to Jesus, Who promised the man, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43, NIV).
The pastor explained he has felt closest to God — and His promises of eternity — through life’s trials.
“God made a lot of promises,” said Laurie. “I’ve put those promises to the test, including the worst thing of all, to lose a child. And I’ve seen how God had come through for me. If He hadn’t come through for me after my son died, I would have given up preaching, for sure. Why carry on? But He came through for me.”
Sources:faithwire
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