INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014 French court upholds the controversial burqa ban Woman convicted of wearing full-face veil in public

VERSAILLES: A French court yesterday convict- impinges on religious freedom and unfairly tar- The European Court of Human Rights is ed a young woman for wearing a full-face Islamic get Muslims, had asked for an emergency ruling expected to rule later this year in a case brought veil in public and threw out her bid to have the on the constitutionality of the ban before sen- by a French Muslim who argues that the burqa country’s controversial burqa ban declared tencing. But that request was rejected on the ban violates her rights to freedom of religion, unconstitutional. Cassandra Belin, 20, was also grounds that the Constitutional Council had pre- freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, convicted for insulting and threatening three viously upheld the 2011 law. Belin’s lawyer, and breaches a prohibition against discrimina- police officers at the time of her arrest, which Philippe Bataille, said he would consider an tion. France argues that the ban is necessary for sparked two days of rioting in the town of appeal and pledged to continue to fight to have security reasons and to uphold the country’s sec- Trappes, near Paris, in July, 2013. She was given a the ban overturned. “I’m not throwing in the tow- ular traditions. But critics say if security is a con- one-month suspended prison sentence for the el,” he said. Thibault de Montbrial, the lawyer for sideration, then motorcycle helmets should also clash with the police and a 150-euro ($200) fine the three police officers, welcomed the court’s be outlawed. In theory the ban covers all face for wearing the veil. ruling. “We cannot tolerate exceptions to the law coverings, but in practice the only arrests have BAMAKO: Deputy general of the Serval operation Vincent Guionie (left) speaks with Her lawyers, who argued that the burqa ban of the land,” he said. been of women wearing Muslim veils. — AFP an unidentified officer at the Damien Boiteux camp, the French army headquarters in Bamako. — AFP After Mali’s action, France Gunmen kill 3 in remains Africa’s gendarme north Nigeria

DAKAR: A year after dispatching warplanes favor of backing United Nations and African mosque attack and troops to repel an Islamist incursion in Union peacekeeping operations when crises Mali, France is fighting in another of its for- arose. In 2003 and 2008, France led KANO: Gunmen opened fire on wor- mer colonies, demonstrating it is destined European Union operations respectively to shippers at a mosque near northern to play reluctant “gendarme” in Africa, say combat rebels in north-eastern Democratic Nigeria’s main city of Kano, killing three analysts. With the Mali intervention deemed Republic of Congo and to secure the Central of them and wounding 12 as they a success by the international community, African and Chadian borders with Sudan’s prayed, witnesses and police said yes- France is withdrawing most of its soldiers Darfur region. terday. Islamist insurgent group Boko but has launched another operation in the France went into Ivory Coast in 2011 to Haram is active in Kano, Nigeria’s sec- Central African Republic (CAR) to stop esca- help fighters loyal to election winner ond biggest city and relic of a medieval lating inter-communal religious conflict. Alassane Ouattara arrest defeated former Islamic empire that thrived for cen- France’s Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le president Laurent Gbagbo and in the same turies on trade routes crossing the Drian has welcomed the achievements of year led an intervention in Libya to support Sahara to the Mediterranean coast. The Operation Serval, launched on January 11, rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi. Current militants see anyone who does not fol- 2013 to drive militants linked to Al-Qaeda President Francois Hollande underlined the low their austere brand of Islam as out of Timbuktu and Mali’s other northern new approach in a speech to Senegal’s par- apostates and have assassinated cities. The country has been “liberated” and liament in October 2012, vowing that the Muslim clerics who oppose them. They ARIZONA: Photo shows a US Air force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter conducting a rescue operation often target the security forces or the mission’s success was “universally recog- days of francafrique were over. The broad during Exercise Angel Thunder, near the town of Bisbee in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Four people are Christians, but they have attacked nized in the international arena”, he said on approval both in Africa and in the West for believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash in eastern England on Tuesday January 7, 2013, mosques in the past. a New Year’s Eve visit to Mali. But he struck a France’s intervention in Mali has created a police said, with a local US Air Force base confirming they were ‘working on an incident’. — AFP Police spokesman Musa Majiya more solemn tone two days later in Bangui, climate which makes its operation in the declined to speculate on who was where the principal task was to boost the CAR more palatable to its former colonies. behind Tuesday night’s attack in morale of troops bogged down in the quag- Kwankwaso village, about 30 km from US military copter mire of the CAR crisis. About 7,000 French ‘BARBARIAN FORCES’ Kano and home of Kano state governor soldiers have been deployed in UN-backed A year after Operation Serval was Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. Criminal military and humanitarian missions in Mali launched, the government in Bamako has gangs also operate in the area. “We and the CAR. reasserted itself through nationwide polls crashes in Britain were inside the mosque praying when which saw former premier Ibrahim we heard gunshots just as we were ‘GENDARME OF AFRICA’ Boubacar Keita elected president and parlia- almost finishing the prayer,” witness Four killed; munitions across the site “Broadly, you’d say-and this has been the ment reopened. “At the institutional level, all Adamu Inuwa said, speaking by tele- case for quite some time-that France finds is well... On the security front, things are phone from a hospital bed where he itself obliged to intervene and is, despite more mixed,” Bamako-based political analyst CLEY NEXT THE SEA: British police said yesterday mission is “to conduct day or night operations into was nursing a gunshot wound. they would be working with the US Air Force and hostile environments to recover downed aircrew or itself, the gendarme of Africa,” said Bruno Souleymane Drabo said. “Overall security is “It was terrible. They were shouting Tertrais of the Paris-based Foundation for largely restored in the regions of Timbuktu others to find out why a US military helicopter other isolated personnel during war”. RAF ‘Allah akbar’ (God is Greatest) and crashed on the coast of eastern England, killing all Lakenheath is home to Europe’s only F-15 fighter Strategic Research. With nearly 6,000 men and Gao but there are still sporadic terrorist shooting sporadically everywhere. I permanently stationed across the continent, activities taking place there,” he added. four crew on board. Wreckage included munitions wing. escaped through the fence.” Boko was spread over a wide area of the crash site in dif- France is uniquely placed to act quickly The challenge for Mali now is to seek a Haram has fought for the past four when law and order breaks down and peaceful settlement with its Tuareg sepa- ficult terrain. The helicopter, a Pave Hawk assigned SCATTERED DEBRIS years to carve a breakaway Islamist to the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath Scully told reporters at Cley next the Sea that regimes collapse. Its deployment is organ- ratist movement, restore its authority in the state out of majority Muslim northern air base, was performing a low-level training mis- debris was scattered across an area about the size ized around two main poles, Libreville in the rebel bastion of Kidal and wipe out the Nigeria, and is now the gravest security sion along the Norfolk coast when it went down in of a football field. Most of the debris was in marsh- west (940 troops), and Djibouti in the east Islamist insurgency. The economy is also an threat to Africa’s top energy producer. marshland on Tuesday evening. The cause of the land although some of it was vulnerable to high (2,000) and it also has troops in Chad (950), urgent issue in a country ravaged by conflict They have killed thousands since crash, which occurred in a nature reserve near the tides and was being removed swiftly. Scully said a Senegal (350) and Ivory Coast (450), as well and ranked 182nd of 187 nations in the launching an uprising in 2009 - the vast village of Cley next the Sea, was not known. The coroner, who under English law will be responsible as special forces stationed notably in Niger. 2012 Human Development Index. In his majority Muslims - and an offensive area is about 130 miles northeast of London. for the investigation into the four deaths, was car- With the gradual return to stability in New Year address, however, Keita put Mali’s President Goodluck Jonathan ordered “We will be working with our partners at the rying a daylight assessment and once he had given Mali, the emergence of the CAR crisis and ongoing woes in perspective, recalling that in May last year has so far failed to Ministry of Defense, Air Accident Investigation his consent, authorities would arrange for the the more general threat of Islamist terrorism before France’s intervention “three-quarters quell them. Branch and US Air Force to gather all evidence from removal of the bodies. across the vast, ungovernable Sahel region, of the country was in the hands of barbarian But there is also a patchwork of the scene and then recover the aircraft,” said Chief “The situation that we have now is that we are France is in the process of redrawing its mili- forces, jihadists... (who) did not think twice criminal gangs loosely associated with Superintendent Bob Scully of Norfolk obviously moving from a potential rescue opera- tary presence across Africa. “I’m seeing the about rape, amputations, floggings, ston- the rebels who take advantage of Constabulary, the local police force. “This is difficult tion to one of preserving the scene and carrying heads of state to discuss with them how we ings, vandalism, executions”. northern Nigeria’s security vacuum to terrain with marshland and tides coupled with out an investigation,” Scully told reporters. “We are will in the coming months... reorganize and Paul Melly and Vincent Darracq argued in rob and kill. Some are connected to wreckage containing munitions covering a large now working with the US military and the RAF expand our presence geographically in a paper for the Chatham House think-tank local politicians. “I don’t know why area,” he said in a statement. A 400-metre (quarter (Britain’s Royal Air Force) to assist in their investiga- Africa,” Le Drian said Thursday last week in published last year that Hollande’s Africa Boko Haram would attack the home- mile) area around the crash site remained cor- tion and ours at the present time, and at some doned off to preserve public safety. No one on the point we will hand over to the air investigation side Bangui. strategy has amounted to rather more than town of the state governor,” said the ground was thought to have been hurt, authorities of the military, both UK and US.” France intervened in Africa 19 times the military action in Mali. “He has attempted governor’s special assistant Suleiman said. A second helicopter, which had been taking between 1962 and 1995, often to sway a to refashion France’s wider political approach Iliya, pointing out that the governor state’s internal politics under the murky towards the continent and make a distinct Earlier, the 48th Fighter Wing, which also flies F- part in the same training exercise as the one that defected to the opposition last month. 15 fighter jets, confirmed the deaths of all four air- crashed, had landed at the site and was still there, “francafrique” system put in place by Charles break from the message and policy priorities “I think maybe the attack was political.” men on board and said their names would be Scully said. “It will be a matter for the investiga- de Gaulle to maintain political and business of the Sarkozy era. “President Nicolas Sarkozy Political violence is expected to released 24 hours after their next-of-kin had been tion to determine whether or not there was any interests in the former colonies. But it began was self-confident and direct, but Hollande increase this year, ahead of closely informed. The Pave Hawk is made by Sikorsky causal link. My understanding is that apparently to adopt a more multilateral approach has shown a subtler ear for the tone of fought presidential and regional elec- Aircraft Co, a unit of United Technologies Corp. not, but we don’t know. And that’s the important under Jacques Chirac’s 1995 to 2007 presi- African diplomacy and how this can be used tions in 2015. — Reuters According to the US Air Force website, it is a modi- thing, we shouldn’t be speculating here,” Scully dency, eschewing political meddling in to productive effect.” — AFP fied version of the Army Black Hawk and its primary said.— Reuters German population rises as Scandal-hit Catholic group immigration debate rages tests papal reform drive BERLIN: Germany saw a boost to 905,000, according to the provi- its population last year due to the sional official figures. VATICAN CITY: A scandal-tainted conservative Catholic ‘AUTHENTIC, PROFOUND RENEWAL’ biggest influx of immigrants in Without immigration, the pop- religious movement whose founder was a sexual preda- Father Felix Alarcon, 80, one of eight Legion priests two decades, mainly from Europe’s ulation would have shrunk by tor begins a series of meetings in Rome yesterday in who denounced Maciel’s abuses to John Paul II in the crisis-hit countries, according to more than 200,000. Chancellor what is being seen as a key test of Pope Francis’s reform 1980s, told Religion Digital that the congregation. “The official estimates published yester- Angela Merkel has called drive. Top members of the Legionaries of Christ are Legion, such as we know it, should be eliminated,” he day. The announcement came as Germany’s rapidly ageing popula- meeting to reform their congregation and elect a new said, adding that he hoped the pope “resolves this”. the German cabinet debated tion and low birthrate the biggest leadership in their first meetings since they were put Francis in June called for “an authentic and profound whether the country needed new long-term challenge facing the under Vatican oversight in 2010 after the scandals first renewal” of the congregation and has instituted a com- measures to grapple with immi- country, and acknowledged that exploded. “Pope Francis faces the first major challenge, mittee to look into the thousands of child sex abuse gration from poor EU member more immigration will be crucial the first major clash of his pontificate,” said Jesus scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church. states Romania and Bulgaria fol- to keep Europe’s biggest econo- Bastante, a columnist for the Spanish-language Vatican The Legionaries have in recent years embarked on a lowing the lifting of work restric- my humming. But some of her affairs website Religion Digital. Francis has called for a transparency drive and internal investigations has tions from January 1. conservative allies have recently radical overhaul of the group and a Vatican-appointed revealed that a total of nine priests committed child sex The figures released by the seized on fears of a mass invasion delegate, Italian cardinal Velasio De Paolis, will inaugu- abuses while 10 more are still being investigated. The federal statistics office Destatis of poor Romanians and rate the proceedings with a mass and will take part in investigations brought to light other disturbing aspects showed that the number of peo- Bulgarians seeking to benefit the discussions. There have been tensions between sen- of the congregation, such as the personality cult sur- ple living in Germany had surged from the country’s relatively gen- ior Legionaries in favor of the status quo and De Paolis, rounding Maciel and the rules on secrecy instituted to to 80.8 million in 2013 from 80.5 erous social welfare system. whose mandate runs out at the meetings. ensure there were no whistleblowers. million-the third annual increase As the debate gathered steam, “The Legion is not some internal issue to be dis- Victim support groups say the reforms so far are cussed and decided on exclusively by the Legionaries,” insufficient and complain that senior members of the in a row. “Once again, the high Merkel and her new left-right Bastante said, adding that the gravity of the scandals group from Maciel’s time are still in place and there is level of positive net immigration “grand coalition” government meant “the pope cannot be gentle”. The Legionaries talk of the movement being disbanded altogether. “You offset a lack of births,” Destatis agreed to weigh whether to take were once held up by late pope John Paul II as a model might say we’re refounding,” Sylvester Heereman, the said in a statement. action to curb so-called “benefits because of their ability to gain new followers and German cleric appointed as acting general director in It said that the difference tourism”. Bulgaria and Romania encourage vocations to the priesthood. The group was 2012, said in an interview with the National Catholic between the number of newcom- joined the EU in 2007, becoming founded by a Mexican priest, Marcial Maciel, in 1941 Register magazine in the run-up to the talks. “We’re ers and those leaving the country the bloc’s poorest members. Wary and currently counts 953 priests and 70,000 lay people building on something that in a mysterious way has was believed to have surpassed of an inundation from the two among its members in 22 countries and is particularly been very damaged by the flaws of the founder and 400,000 for the first time in 20 countries, some EU members strong in North and South America. human nature but we stay because we believe there’s years, due in large part to heavy kept their job markets closed to Maciel, who died at the age of 88 in 2008, was more to it than that,” he said. immigration from the ailing Romanian and Bulgarian citizens revealed to have sexually abused seminarians and A total of 84 priests have left the congregation since economies of southern and east- for several years until this month. fathered at least three children despite his vow of 2010 and the number of ordinations of Legionary ern Europe. In 1993, the figure Weeks before the expiration, BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) arrives chastity. He was also accused of abusing his own chil- priests have gone down from 60 in 2010 to 30 in 2013. had reached 462,000. The num- Britain rushed through measures on crutches followed by vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel to dren. The Vatican has been criticized for failing to do Heereman admitted that there were some Legionaries ber of births in Germany tallied to require new EU migrants wait lead the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in enough despite reports about Maciel’s behavior dating who wanted a return to the past and were hurt by the between 675,000 and 695,000 for three months before applying Berlin yesterday. Merkel received get well message from back to the 1980s which went public in the 1990s. criticism of the role played by the founder. The group’s while the number of deaths for unemployment payments and her cabinet staff at their first meeting of 2014 after her Maciel was only removed from leadership of the move- “extraordinary general chapter” will continue for weeks, reached between 885,000 and other benefits. — AFP Christmas holiday skiing accident. — AFP ment by the Vatican in 2006 after John Paul II’s death with no major announcements expected before late and the crimes have cast a shadow over his pontificate. January or February. — AFP