Montreal Perspectives
By Jalaluddin S. Hussain
[The writer is
NT's
veteran correspondent.]
Anti-Kofi Annan rantings+Same Sex marriage
+Kashmir
Daily, The Gazette, Montreal, in its December 12, 2004 issue, has
an article by an ultra-conservative and
pro-Zionist
writer, George Jonas. His article is headed : "UN has become
tragi-comedy of scoundrels". He rants in this article against the
Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, because the U.S.
Senate sub-committee's co-chariperson, Norm Coleman, looking into the
U.N.'s oil-for-food program in
Iraq,
called for Kofi Annan's resignation and Jonas agrees with Coleman,
hundred percent!.
UN should be reformed but on
American
terms
In his article, George Jonas seemed to convey the impression that the
U.N should be reformed in such a way that the membership of the U.N.
does not resist the American unilateralism and hegemony, as they can
do now. He also wants that "dysfunctional dictatorships" should not be
in a position to "punch above their weights"!
UN is not an American baby!
George Jonas, please come out clear about what do you really want?
Do you want that only U.S. should have the veto rights in the Security
Council and other members should keep their mouth shut? What do you
think about the Saudi king,
Egyptian
President and Colombian strongman? Is it that so long as these
characters toe the American line, everything is fine? I wish you
answered these questions in the newspaper in which you write your
regular column - the National Post of Canada. And mind you, so long
as the majority of the UN membership is in favour of the moderate
Kofi Annan, Uncle Sam cannot dislodge him. Perhaps, the UN Secretary
General's only fault is that, in the case of Iraq, he has not been
very forthcoming and this attitude may sound his death-knell, in the
end!
Canadian Supreme court rules in favour of same-sex unions
It is the sign of times: The
Canadian
Supreme Court, comprising of nine judges, including a woman judge,
have unanimously ruled that same-sex civil unions can be considered
as legally-constituted marriages. And surprisingly, most of the print
and electronic
media
in Canada also endorsed this ruling! Daily The Gazette, in a recent
editorial headed: "Supreme Court simply affirms reality", concludes:
"It is time to acknowledge same-sex marriage is an idea whose time
really has come". It may be mentioned that the Courts in the six
Canadian provinces and one territory (Yukon) have already validated
same-sex marriages. Also, if recent polls are to be believed, the
majority of Canadians, who were asked about the validity of same-sex
marraiges, voted in affirmative. If my grandmother were alive today,
she would have simply remarked, in bewilderment and astonishment:
"Doomsday is near, very near, son!!"
Toronto Kashmir Conference demands deadline
An international two-day Peace Conference, organized by the International
Kashmir Alliance, was held in Toronto, on November 27 and 28 , 2004. It
was addressed by a number of political leaders from
India,
Pakistan
and both parts of Kashmir. A number of Canadian politicians, including
some prominent parliamentarians, also spoke on the Kashmir problem.
Prominent among those who presented their papers were, Umar Abdullah,
a member of the Indian Parliament and a former Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, a former MNA and Secretary General
of the Pakistan National Party, Justice Ali Mohammed Mir, Chairman of
the Human Rights Commission of the Indian-controlled Kashmir, Derek
Lee and Jim Karygiannis, of the Liberal Party and members of the House
of Commons. The speakers and the participants of the Conference were
united in their demand that both the countries, India and Pakistan
should aim at agreeing on a deadline, to resolve the Kashmir dispute
and thus help in the establishment of durable peace in the Himalayan
region.
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2004-12-22 Wed 17:43ct
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