It takes a resolutely secular state to teach us the importance of respect for religious freedom
Islamic State insurgents in Mosul, shortly before seizing the Turkish consulate there last month
France, which has been resolutely, determinedly and doggedly secular for more than 200 years (though it did have a very nasty period of anti-Semite collaboration back there in World War II under the Vichy Regime, and its secularism didn’t start out too nicely, either) has said today that it will welcome Christians from northern Iraq who have been ordered to covert to Islam, pay a religious levy or be killed.
Islamic State (which is the name of this group) insurgents have taken power in much of northern Iraq, and hundreds of families of Christians have fled the city of Mosul, which has had a Christian community since pre-Islamic days.
France’s minister of the interior and foreign minister have issued a joint statement, saying: “We are providing aid to displaced people fleeing from the threats of Islamic State and who have sought refuge in Kurdistan. We are ready, if they wish, to facilitate their asylum in France. We are in constant contact with local and national authorities to ensure everything is done to protect them.”
The prime minister of Iraq has condemned the persecution of Christians in the north of his country, but has not gone beyond setting up a government committee to help those who have been rendered homeless. He has made no announcement about sending in the army to try to win back control of Mosul.
The women of Mosul, whatever their religion, have been ordered to wear full-face veils outdoors under threat severe punishment. The insurgents are Sunni Muslims, and they have unilaterally declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, issuing threats to the majority Shi’ite Muslims, who they view as infidels too.
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I really do hope the Kurds manage to get their own state. If anyone deserves it, it’s them. Tough as nails those people.
The they’d immediately declare a good chunk of Turkey to be part of the new state, upon which Turkey would unleash war on them, and we’d have another war on Europe’s doorstep, which the mandarins at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will obviously find rather difficult to understand, seeing as there are very few Maltese businessmen in that region.
Or take it as an opportunity to get the tourists who would have gone to Turkey to come to Malta instead.
On a slightly different topic, I had noted here that Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, Chairman of Gasol plc – the lead developer of the Electrogas consortium new gas power plant and infrastructure – died on 21 July 2014 – the same day when Gasol plc was delisted from the London Stock Exchange. I highlighted the coincidence of dates because frankly I find it rather bizarre.
The news of Dr. Rilwanu’s death has been reported by leading news organisations around the world, including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
The cause of death is still mysterious, and news services around the world have highlighted this fact. Relatives have also mentioned “speculation.”
“He was widely recognized and highly regarded in the global petroleum industry; a loyal and dedicated man, who had the best interests of Nigeria and OPEC at heart,” OPEC said, without expanding on the cause of his death.”
– Wall Street Journal (21 July 2014)
http://online.wsj.com/articles/opec-veteran-rilwanu-lukman-dies-1405940730
“OPEC announced the death but did not disclose the cause.”
– Washington Post (21 July 2014)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/washington-post-deaths-elsewhere/2014/07/21/fb5d9fac-1104-11e4-9285-4243a40ddc97_story.html
“A statement from OPEC didn’t give a cause of death.”
– Bloomberg Businessweek (21 July 2014)
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-07-21/former-nigerian-opec-secretary-general-lukman-dies-at-75
“The cause of his death Lukman’s not immediately clear. Oil industry sources said he was thought to have battled illness for a long time.”
– Businessday (21 July 2014)
http://businessdayonline.com/2014/07/rilwanu-lukman-former-opec-secretary-general-dies-at-75/
“Are you aware of the cause of his death?
Relative of Dr. Lukman: Actually, I can’t tell you the cause of his death because the issue is, there are a lot of speculations which are not good but all I can say is that in the last two months he was hospitalized and he was in and out of the hospital and as such we can’t say exactly what caused his death but as Muslims we believe that death is inevitable, when the time comes you cannot escape it, we can’t say the sickness that caused his death, it is the desire of Allah to take him away.”
– The Sun (Nigeria) (26 July 2014)
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=73809
Dr. Rilwanu Lukman has a long history with Gasol plc. Gasol has a 30% stake in the Electrogas consortium to which the Maltese government awarded the bid to build LNG power infrastructure, including a new powerplant, gas storage and regasification facilities, and to supply gas and electricity to Enemalta for 18 years.
The death of Dr. Lukman may have implications for the controversial project, and questions should be made to the Minister of Energy on the subject.
Gasol is a company registered in the UK but one of its shareholders, African Gas Development Corporation Limited, holds 66% in the company. Another company, Afren plc, holds a further 14% in Gasol. Dr. Lukman was one of the founders of both AGDCL and Afren plc.
Dr. Lukman was a strategic advisor to the board of Gasol from July 2007 to December 2008, when he resigned to take a Ministerial position in the Nigerian government.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aK8Edk3IV2HM
Dr. Lukman returned to Gasol as Chairman in August 2013.
http://www.gasolplc.com/media/18032/board_change_announcement_29jul13.pdf
With his long time in the Nigerian government and in OPEC, as well as in setting up the African Petroleum Producers Association, Dr. Lukman must have brought a wealth of experience and contacts to Gasol and to its strategy. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer. Nigeria and the neighbouring countries, Benin, Togo and Ghana, are said to be the main focus of Gasol’s business strategy.
On the Gasol plc website, there is a Q&A session with Mr. Alan Buxton. Here is one of the questions and answers:
“Q. What advantages does Gasol have in commercialising gas and LNG in the region?
A. The main advantages are, firstly, that we have a close relationship with Afren and, secondly, our political connectivity. Afren is very supportive of Gasol and is a major shareholder in the Company. Afren has established itself as a major E&P player in the oil sector with a market cap now in excess of $2.0 billion. Our alliance with Afren is important because we are working with Afren to develop gas upstream in Afren’s fields in West Africa and we hope that we can become known as a gas champion in West Africa, just as they may be seen as a leading oil player in the region. Secondly, Gasol has strong links in the West African region and plans to work with all relevant stakeholders to develop the gas sector.”
The links with Afren and the “political connectivity” in West Africa suggest connections through Dr. Lukman, although he is not necessarily the only link. But shouldn’t this lead to questions about the future of Gasol after Dr. Lukman?
Dr. Lukman was surely an important asset in the strategy of Gasol, and his presence on the board would have weighed heavily on the decisions of anyone providing finance to Gasol for its projects. Unless there was something sinister in his death, his loss at Gasol is likely to have an impact on the future of that company.
China also sets an example of freedom of speech and religious belief: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-07-28/news/chinese-police-remove-church-cross-as-crackdown-continues-5995364355/
“Hundreds of police took down a church’s cross Monday in a city known as “China’s Jerusalem” for its many houses of worship amid a crackdown on church buildings in a coastal region where thousands of people are embracing Christianity.”
As long as others don’t try to impose their religion on us and forcing us to remove crosses and other religious symbols from public places and institutions.
[Daphne – I trust you don’t realise that crosses and other religious symbols in public places and institutions are the imposition of your religion on everyone else. Given that nobody objects to it, however, I can’t see why you should object to even the thought of looking at other people’s religious symbols. You should repay other people’s tolerance of your religious symbols with tolerance of theirs.]
It ahould also be pointed that Italy brought and gave refuge to the Sudanese woman sho was condemned to death for converting to Christianity and she also was received by HH Pope Francis.
It is not the first time that Christian minorities in Muslim countries ended up at the receiving end when caught between warring Muslim factions.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140729/world/Islamic-State-militants-looking-for-potential-wives.529743