#best police force in india

[radfemverity]

“Not all men” you cry, as all the rest who aren’t the legislators, soldiers and politicians sit back and watch. Whether it be in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan where women have quite literally lost their right to speak in public, India with a sexual and domestic violence epidemic almost unheard of, Iran where women are murdered by police for removing their veil, the United States where women’s reproductive rights have been lost, South Korea with their spycam epidemic, France where a woman’s husband invited round dozens of men who lived locally to rape her as she lay unconscious, Iraq seeking to decriminalise marrying young girls, or how literally anywhere in the world you can access footage of women being sexually abused on page 1 of the biggest porn sites and google images with the simple click of a mouse.

“Not all men are violent oppressors” the rest sit back and watch. Immediately after telling us that they are our natural protectors, best equipped to defend us against hostile forces, men sit back and watch, or even cheer, as those oppressors roll into town.

[purgatoryandme]

Cannot recommend seeing Monkey Man enough. Such a genuine love letter to both Indian culture and minorities, while also being an action film that takes a hardline political stance - this movie COMMITS.

Violence is a choice in Monkey Man, against others and yourself, and Kid embodies that choice in every scene. It's heartbreaking, infuriating, raw...it's exactly what this kind of underdog story SHOULD feel like.

Also in Dev's own words:

"So I wanted to talk about issues like violence against women,” he adds, “and police brutality, the caste system, religion — and specifically, the kind of duality of religion that see not just in India but in so many places around the world right now. Religion at its best is actually a uniting and unifying force, you know. It should make people fight for each other, instead of against each other. But all of that stuff is connected, and so much of my rage over these divisions made it into this film. I had so much anger in me when we were writing this.”

Go watch it!

[whenmemorydies]

Violence and Love in Monkey Man

Dev Patel's Monkey Man has played at my mind for two weeks now. This is for reasons that I'm able to articulate and for many that I probably have not yet been able to find the words for. This post is, in part, my attempt at sorting through some of my thoughts. My tumblr is all spoilers all the time. If you don’t want that, then please don’t read on.

Violence

Like most places in the world, systemic violence is a scourge in India. Monkey Man does not shy away from this reality and depicts Hindu nationalist state violence and violence against women and gendered minorities in the country to chilling effect.

We come to see this in the brutal rape and murder of Kid's activist mother at the hands of the police, while she tries to shield her child and her land from police and state terror. We see it in the treatment of (largely femme-presenting) sex workers in the two brothels featured in the film, including one frequented by the police and political elite. We see it in the violence and ostracisation meted out against the hijra, or third gender community by individual actors and the state more broadly. We see it in the state-orchestrated razing of an entire community after the land on which it sits is declared a "holy site". We see it in the movement of people from the regions to the city after their land has been stolen and the grinding poverty they face as a result.

Unlike so many action films, none of the violence in Monkey Man occurs in a vacuum. Even Kid's original means of making money in an underground fighting ring is done against the backdrop of his forced displacement from regional India to the city - a migration pathway that many in the country have been forced to take and which is a direct result of land theft and resource extraction in the regions by local and multinational corporations as well as federal and state governments.

The truth is that so much in relation to state and societal control is enacted in painful and violent ways on the bodies of the marginalised and oppressed. And I often think about how the horror and action genres are some of the best suited to speak about systemic injustice because of their capacity to make that violence uncompromisingly visible (one recent example is Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass which depicted the bloody fallout of the Christian missionary/colonial project in vivid crimson, splashed all over a non-descript maritime town in present-day America). The violence in Monkey Man is no different.

While Kid's realisation of the interconnectedness and heavy hand of the state not just in the violence experienced by his mother, but also by the hijra, and by sex workers like Sita comes later in the movie, we as the audience are given this insight earlier. Recall Kid pointing out to Sita that her tattoo is of a koel, not a sparrow as originally misidentified by the Australian client sexually assaulting her minutes earlier in the film.

Kid goes on to say that he grew up in the forest and woke up to koels singing everyday. Its the longest conversation that the two have but in those brief words, we understand that Sita too has likely been displaced to the city from the regions, probably under very similar circumstances to Kid. The way this displacement maps itself onto her body is distinctive to how it does so for Kid, with gender playing a large role in this.

Other factors like caste, class and religion also impact on how the characters in this film experience or perpetrate violence. I would write more on these intersections but then this post is going to get more unwieldy than it already is.

I will say though, that in India, where fascist Hindu nationalism is being used by government to harm minority communities, steal land and secure populist votes, Patel makes a distinction between revelatory and weaponised faith. Kid is raised in peace by his mother with the former, but as an adult he lives in a world where the latter has taken hold and is being used by those in power to shore up more of that power for themselves.

For me - as the descendant of parents, grandparents and great grandparents who lived through anti-Tamil pogroms led by Sinhalese chauvinists weaponising Buddhism as part of their fascism in Sri Lanka, who like the rest of us, is living in an election year for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, and who is also frustratingly, helplessly bearing witness as the state of Israel and it’s allies conflate Zionism with Judaism in defence of the genocide being waged against Palestinians - watching this action film make the distinction between revelatory and weaponised faith was profound.

Love

Patel makes it a point in this film to show how Kid's most nourishing relationships, the ones that sustain him - indeed the ones that literally save his life - are those that he has with women and with people who don’t conform to the gender binary. In doing this, we see what Kid is fighting tooth (quite literally) and nail for throughout the film. We see what is at stake - what we stand to lose - if perpetrators get to rule without accountability.

Its also no mistake that these relationships are all tied visually to the natural world in the film: Kid's mother's deep ties to the earth, rivers, trees and roots that she leads him through as a child. Alpha and the hijra's sanctuary, the Ardhanareeshvara temple with its most sacred space being the roots of a holy tree. Sita and her koel tattoo: the memory of the forest carried on her skin while she traverses the brutal reality of the city. Patel is making a point here too. About nourishment of another kind, through our connection with the earth instead of extraction from it. The visuals in the film drive this point home, particularly when contrasted with the industrialisation and poverty of the city.

Two particular loving relationships that stood out for me were the love shared between Kid and the hijra community as well as between him and his mother.

Alpha, hijra Elder and the hijra community

Keeper of the Ardhanareeshvara Temple and hijra Elder, Alpha becomes a mother-figure to Kid after he is rescued with near-fatal injuries. It is Alpha who keeps watch over him as he recovers, helps Kid to confront the totality of his past memories which his trauma has kept fragmented, and who ultimately leads a veritable hijra army to join forces with him to assassinate some fascists.

Alpha's gentleness with Kid was so moving to see, in particular during the conversation they have about his attempt as a child to save his mother from the fire set by her rapist and murderer. That exchange moved me to tears.

Kid: I failed her.

Alpha: No. You tried to save her. You see scars. I see the courage of a child fighting to save his mother.

The wider hijra community at the temple also take Kid in and care for him during his recovery. Truly, the scenes at the temple were some of my favourite in Monkey Man. Outside of his memories of his mother, they are the only scenes where we see love, peace and joy on the faces of any of the characters in this film.

Also witness this moment of delight below as the hijra at the temple appreciate a fine ass man channelling his righteous anger and fucking up a punching bag full of rice. I note that the music during this training montage is simply stunning. Ustad Zakir Hussain's rapid fire tablas punctuated by each of Patel's landed punches and kicks and then followed by Jed Kurzel's achingly soaring instrumentals (listen to "The Kid" from the movie's score) were just *chef’s kiss*.

Another favourite moment for me was when Kid decides to go back to the underground fight ring one last time and not throw his matches (as he had been doing prior). He bets on himself and when he inevitably wins his fights, he takes the money and gives it to the hijra, ensuring that they can continue to live at the temple without fear of being evicted. We love to see a man who literally pays his rent.

Neela, his mother

Kid’s first teacher and the center of his life as a child. In almost every memory we are shown of her, Kid remembers his mother walking through a forest, sharing her ecological and religious knowledge with him and in doing so, positioning him within the wider world.

GIF by dailyflicks

We watch as he takes this understanding with him forward through the remainder of the film. His conversation as an adult with Alphonso as they drive through the city in the latter's tuk tuk is emblematic of this. "They don't even see us", Kid says of the elite who frequent the club where he has just gained employment, "they're all up there living and we are stuck in this."

His mother showed him what it was to live: to be still and in concert with the world and the Divine around you, to be loved fiercely, and to thrive as a result. This is in stark contrast to what Kid has had to learn to do in the city: to survive, to merely exist. He is never depicted resting or at home as an adult. He's always working, hustling and planning for the next thing, his next step. When he loses his village, his land and his mother as a child, Kid also inevitably loses his sense of home. It’s no coincidence that the tracks “Home” and “Mother” on the movie’s score sound almost identical.

Later at the end of the film, we see Kid close his eyes, having done what he set out to do. The last thing he sees is his mother, smiling at him in the forest. Her face is the face of God he gazes at before he succumbs to his injuries. This devotion to his mother is not just that of a child to a parent. Its also deeply tied to his Hindu faith which calls on its followers to honour the Divine Mother, the supreme feminine energy, Aathi Parashakthi, in all her manifestations including in those who mother us.

The movie ends with Kid’s deep, revelatory faith - instilled in him by his mother - and with the death of the man who weaponised that faith for power and wealth. It left all of us in the cinema seated in stunned silence even as the credits began to roll.

To describe Monkey Man as simply a revenge film does it an absolute disservice. This is not revenge. It is defence borne out of deep love for community and righteous opposition to injustice. Seeing hijra warriors dressed as Kali, the goddess of destruction, dealing death blows against fascists while spinning in the most beautiful lenghas was exhilarating (I literally screamed “YESSSSSSS!” at the screen when they arrived). Seeing Sita take out pimp and sex trafficker Queenie got me cackling and yelling “whoooop!”. Seeing Kid, a masculine character act to defend women and people outside of the gender binary, from further systemic harm without any ulterior motive was absolutely unreal to witness on the big screen. Seeing a person of faith act in deep connection to that faith without judgment against anyone but those who perpetrate harm made me feel hopeful in a way that took me by surprise. Kid acted out of love and respect. I would argue that Sita, the hijra and Kid all acted out of recognition of a shared humanity.

And at a time when folks from marginalised communities are being subjected to horrendous violence worldwide, both interpersonal and systemic, watching the oppressed take their perpetrators out…and I mean out (see: a rapist and murderer getting bludgeoned to death with a glittery high heel and a fascist, self-proclaimed “holy man” being stabbed in his third eye by the blade he hid in his own “sacred” pathankal/paduka), well, it was cathartic to see.

Am I saying violence is the answer to systemic violence? I think the answer to that question is context-specific. Non-violent resistance has a place, but it’s by necessity a performance and requires an audience. What do you do when no one’s watching? What do you do when the people who are watching are doing nothing to stop your suffering? What then? These questions are what many liberals refuse to grapple with because the answers are too uncomfortable for their polite sensibilities. But if you keep your foot on someone's neck long enough, you should expect them to fight back, by any means necessary. In Monkey Man, we have an action film where we get to witness that resistance in all its visceral glory.

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

I had a question about hinduism can I ask you

I read that hinduism doesn't allow conversions.. Is that true? If true will that make hinduism an ethno-religion?

It'd be a bold claim to call a religion that around a BILLION people follow an "ethno-religion".

Ethnicity is already a pretty vague term and the current definitions of it have a viewpoint colonial viewpoint for it. Most people even view it as interchangeable with "race"(which is usually also defined by aUS imperialist lens). Personally, I would not consider the entire country of India as one ethnicity because it doesn't really meet the criteria of a single homogenous ethnicity to me. In fact, a lot of the national myth-making that one could say does point to it being one ethnicity was directly created to unite the country against a colonial force.

Hinduism has become largely homogenous now due to brahminical hinduism taking the centre stage and leading to the erasure of the different form of hindu religious practices/rituals and stories that were previously practised in different pockets all over the subcontinent.

Using this recent homogeneity to claim that all hindus could be classified as a single ethnicity, does a disservice to the entire religion, I think.

So no, if you ask me Hinduism is not an ethno-religion. People's opinions may differ but this is mine and I stick by it.

On the topic of religious conversions, I'm not the best person to ask because my response to anyone stopping other people from doing something completely harmless is to go "What are you, a cop?" Fuck people who police other people's actions for no reason other than to control people's actions and bodies, actually.

- Mod S

[dzthenerd490]

News Post

Palestine

Palestine is a glimpse of the dystopic future that awaits us | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

IDF operates in central Gaza Strip - Palestinian report - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

Ussama Makdisi, Overwriting Palestine — Sidecar (newleftreview.org)

Iran’s response to Israel looms. What are the possible scenarios? | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera

Ukraine

Russia asked US to convince Ukraine not to attack it on Russia's Navy Day – media – photo | Ukrainska Pravda

Ukraine Was Poised to Destroy Russia’s Best Warplanes, but White House Restrictions Shut Their Window of Opportunity (kyivpost.com)

Russia suspected Ukrainian attack on Navy Day parade, state TV says (yahoo.com)

Ukraine's defence forces shoot down Russian helicopter over Sumy Oblast | Ukrainska Pravda

Sudan

Sudan mandates sorghum planting to avert famine as conflict disrupts agriculture - Sudan Tribune

UN Appeals for Security Council Help to Combat Famine in Sudan (usnews.com)

Why are Sudan’s warring sides blocking humanitarian aid? | Humanitarian Crises | Al Jazeera

At least 32 killed, 107 wounded due to heavy rains, floods in Sudan-Xinhua (news.cn)

Other

Biden speaks to leaders of Qatar, Egypt on regional tensions, ceasefire (yahoo.com)

Congolese police officers flee to Uganda as fighting intensifies - The East African

Africa is heading toward another deadly war - The Japan Times

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and now Bangladesh: What's going on in India's neighbourhood? - Times of India (indiatimes.com)

The Taliban says people in Afghanistan on previous government's visas can stay for now | AP News

At least 13 killed and 300 evacuated after deadly landslide in southern Ethiopia (voanews.com)

Min Aung Hlaing admits pressure after Myanmar anti-coup forces claim base | Conflict News | Al Jazeera

Pentagon Hands Over Last Base in Niger as Extremism Spreads in the Sahel - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Arson Attacks on Schools in the Sahel: Addressing the Issue through Prevention, Mitigation and Effective Response, July 2024 - Niger | ReliefWeb

[reasonandempathy]

How do you overlook/downplay the atrocities and breach of human rights in communist countries?

Can you please name all the huge, systemic atrocities committed by capitalist, developed nations? A few potential arguments would be homelessness/healthcare not being a human right, both of which don't even compare to the brutality seen even in the 'best' communist regimes.

Not a communist.

Have you...seen...US History or US Foreign Policy?

"Yes, millions of people were bought transferred, and sold as livestock to ensure a cheap working class that benefited rich capitalists across Europe and the Americas, forming significant portions of international wealth and economic practice, both in agriculture unskilled labor, but that's not capitalism."

"Yes, the largest companies across the U.S. had internal police and security, forced employees to move to towns they controlled, and killed union leaders who tried to organize against them, leading to what is commonly referred to as 'Almost America's 2nd Civil War', but that's not connected to the underlying economic and political power dynamics of a capitalist system."

"I mean, yeah, the US killed millions of people directly in the Korean and Vietnam wars as explicitly capitalist, anti-communist actions, and sponsored/installed military juntas and dictatorships all across South and Middle America and across the Middle East and SE Asia to ensure private companies could always make a profit and an international capitalist system thrived, but that's not the same."

That's just one Capitalist, Developed Nation. And even internally we've got endless "those Native Americans have gold/food/arable land under their feet. Time for another genocide."

Then you have the DE India and DW India trading corporations, the British Empire (including Irish Occupation and the Irish Genocide and the Troubles), you've got the German Congo genocides, South Africa, the actual literal ongoing genocide in Ghaza.

And before any rebuttal of "those nations weren't developed when they did that!", neither were Russia nor China when the main thrusts of their horror stories happened. Those genocides and abuses that people fall back to describing (Holodomor, the Great Leap Forward, etc.) were their fucked up and wrong attempts to develop their countries. If we're exempting Capitalist systems their atrocities because "they weren't developed yet" then we need to do the same to communist countries/systems as well.

[starswallowingsea]

trying to pick out my next book to read at the lighthouse (for all of one day...) i'll put summaries and whatnot below

Double Exposure: David Toland, a decorated Korean War veteran, has done all he can to leave a life of combat behind. Now Director of Preservation for the Library of Congress's National Film Archive, Toland has made it his mission to preserve what he loves most: the Golden Age of American cinema, moving pictures full of romance, adventure and American Dream. That is, until CIA Agent Lana Welles drops in unannounced with a film canister, smuggled over the Berlin Wall at great cost, that may prove WWII never really ended--it just went underground. David reluctantly agrees to serve his country one last time and help recover the film for Lana and the CIA. But it seems not everyone is as eager as they are to dig up the past. David and Lana's discovery awakens shadowy forces who will do anything to keep their findings a secret. In search of the truth, David and Lana find themselves pursued across the globe in a cat and mouse game with enormous, world-altering consequences.

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line: Down market lanes crammed with too many people, dogs, and rickshaws, past stalls that smell of cardamom and sizzling oil, below a smoggy sky that doesn’t let through a single blade of sunlight, and all the way at the end of the Purple metro line lies a jumble of tin-roofed homes where nine-year-old Jai lives with his family. From his doorway, he can spot the glittering lights of the city’s fancy high-rises, and though his mother works as a maid in one, to him they seem a thousand miles away. Jai drools outside sweet shops, watches too many reality police shows, and considers himself to be smarter than his friends Pari (though she gets the best grades) and Faiz (though Faiz has an actual job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants, and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and rumors of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again. Drawing on real incidents and a spate of disappearances in metropolitan India.

The History of Bees: In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees, to their children, and to one another against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis. England, 1852. William is a biologist and seed merchant who sets out to build a new type of beehive, one that will give both him and his children honor and fame.

[commandantacademy]

Commandant Academy: The Best NDA Training Academy for Defense Aspirants

The journey to join the Indian Armed Forces requires dedication, discipline, and expert guidance. Commandant Academy, a premier NDA training academy, is committed to shaping the futures of defense aspirants by offering specialized coaching for various defense-based services. From preparing for the prestigious NDA - SSB interview to guiding students through various defense entrance exams, Commandant Academy stands as a beacon of hope for those seeking to serve the nation.

This blog explores the courses offered, the unique coaching methodology, and why Commandant Academy is considered the best academy for NDA preparation.

Courses Offered at Commandant Academy

Commandant Academy offers a wide range of courses to cater to the needs of defense aspirants at different stages of their preparation. These courses are meticulously designed to cover every aspect of defense entrance exams and interviews.

1. SSB Interviews

The NDA - SSB interview is one of the most challenging phases of the defense selection process. It evaluates candidates on various parameters, including leadership skills, communication abilities, and mental agility. Commandant Academy specializes in preparation for SSB interviews, offering personalized coaching that focuses on the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR), Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT), and Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks.

Our comprehensive SSB interview program provides students with in-depth knowledge of the five-day selection process, including psychological tests, personal interviews, and group tasks. With Commandant Academy, students develop the confidence and skills needed to succeed in the SSB interview.

2. NDA (National Defence Academy)

The NDA exam is one of the most sought-after defense entrance exams in India. It opens the door to joining the Indian Army, Navy, or Air Force. Commandant Academy offers an extensive coaching program that covers the NDA syllabus, including Mathematics, the General Ability Test (GAT), and preparation for the SSB interview.

Our NDA training academy ensures that aspirants not only excel in written exams but also ace the rigorous NDA - SSB interview. The SSB interview is a crucial part of the selection process, and at Commandant Academy, we focus on grooming students for this all-important interview through mock interviews, group discussions, and personality development sessions.

3. NDA Foundation Course (11th & 12th)

Commandant Academy’s NDA foundation (11th and 12th) program is designed for students who aim to join the NDA immediately after completing their schooling. This course covers the CBSE curriculum and simultaneously prepares students for the NDA entrance exam.

The NDA Foundation (11th and 12th) program focuses on building a strong academic base while also preparing students for physical fitness tests and personality development. This foundation course ensures that students are NDA-ready by the time they complete their school education.

4. CDS (Combined Defence Services)

The CDS exam is conducted twice a year for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. Commandant Academy offers comprehensive coaching for the CDS exam, ensuring students are fully prepared for every subject, including English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics.

Our best academy for CDS interview preparation program helps students excel in both the written exam and the subsequent SSB interview. We offer personalized coaching for each stage of the CDS selection process, helping students achieve their dream of joining the Indian Armed Forces.

5. CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces)

Commandant Academy provides an extensive CAPF exam preparation strategy that covers every section of the exam, including General Ability and Intelligence, General Studies, and Essay Writing. The academy also focuses on preparing students for the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Medical Standard Test, which are critical components of the CAPF selection process.

Our CAPF exam preparation strategy ensures that students are well-equipped to face the challenges of the CAPF selection process and emerge successful.

 

6. AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

The AFCAT exam is the gateway to joining the Indian Air Force as an officer in the flying, ground duty (technical), or ground duty (non-technical) branches. Commandant Academy’s AFCAT exam guide covers every aspect of the exam, from Verbal Ability to Numerical Ability, Reasoning, and General Knowledge.

Our AFCAT exam guide also includes comprehensive coaching for the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) interview, ensuring students are well-prepared for the final stage of the selection process.

7. Air Force (Agniveer)

The Agniveer recruitment process is a special initiative by the Indian Air Force to recruit airmen for various technical and non-technical branches. Commandant Academy provides expert coaching for the Agniveer exam, covering all subjects, including Physics, Mathematics, and English. We also focus on physical fitness training, ensuring students are prepared for both the written exam and the physical fitness test.

Why Choose Commandant Academy?

1. Expert Faculty

At Commandant Academy, we take pride in our highly experienced and qualified faculty members who specialize in defense coaching. Each faculty member brings years of experience in coaching students for defense entrance exams and interviews, ensuring that students receive the best possible guidance.

2. Comprehensive Study Material

Our study material is carefully curated by defense experts and covers every aspect of the syllabus for exams like NDA, CDS, AFCAT, and CAPF. The material is regularly updated to reflect the latest exam patterns and trends, ensuring students are always well-prepared.

3. Personalized Attention

At Commandant Academy, we believe in providing personalized attention to every student. Our small batch sizes allow for one-on-one interaction with faculty members, enabling students to clear their doubts and receive individual guidance.

4. Mock Tests and Practice Sessions

We conduct regular mock tests and practice sessions to help students assess their progress and identify areas for improvement. Our mock tests are designed to simulate the actual exam environment, helping students build confidence and reduce exam-related stress.

5. Physical Fitness Training

Physical fitness is a crucial aspect of defense exams. Commandant Academy offers specialized physical fitness training to prepare students for the physical tests that are part of exams like NDA, CDS, and CAPF. Our fitness trainers provide personalized training programs to help students achieve the required fitness levels.

6. Personality Development

Personality development is an integral part of the preparation for the SSB interview. At Commandant Academy, we offer personality development sessions that focus on improving communication skills, leadership qualities, and overall confidence. These sessions are designed to help students excel in group discussions and personal interviews.

Conclusion

Commandant Academy is more than just an NDA training academy—it is a place where dreams of serving the nation come true. With our expert faculty, comprehensive coaching programs, and personalized attention, we have established ourselves as the top NDA coaching in Patna.

Whether you're preparing for the NDA - SSB interview, aiming to clear the CDS exam, or looking for the best academy for NDA preparation, Commandant Academy is your one-stop destination for all defense-related coaching. Our commitment to excellence and our proven track record make us the best choice for defense aspirants in Patna and beyond.

Choose Commandant Academy for your defense career, and take the first step toward serving your nation with pride.

For More Info: https://commandantacademy.com/

[justforbooks]

Best crime and thrillers of 2023

Given this year’s headlines, it’s unsurprising that our appetite for cosy crime continues unabated, with the latest title in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, The Last Devil to Die (Viking), topping the bestseller lists. Janice Hallett’s novels The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, which also features a group of amateur crime-solvers, and The Christmas Appeal (both Viper) have proved phenomenally popular, too.

Hallett’s books, which are constructed as dossiers – transcripts, emails, WhatsApp messages and the like – are part of a growing trend of experimentation with form, ranging from Cara Hunter’s intricate Murder in the Family (HarperCollins), which is structured around the making of a cold case documentary, to Gareth Rubin’s tête-bêche The Turnglass (Simon & Schuster). Books that hark back to the golden age of crime, such as Tom Mead’s splendidly tricksy locked-room mystery Death and the Conjuror (Head of Zeus), are also on the rise. The late Christopher Fowler, author of the wonderful Bryant & May detective series, who often lamented the sacrifice of inventiveness and fun on the altar of realism, would surely have approved. Word Monkey (Doubleday), published posthumously, is his funny and moving memoir of a life spent writing popular fiction.

Notable debuts include Callum McSorley’s Glaswegian gangland thriller Squeaky Clean (Pushkin Vertigo); Jo Callaghan’s In the Blink of an Eye (Simon & Schuster), a police procedural with an AI detective; Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy (Pushkin Vertigo), featuring queer punk nun investigator Sister Holiday; and the caustically funny Thirty Days of Darkness (Orenda) by Jenny Lund Madsen (translated from the Danish by Megan E Turney).

There have been welcome additions to series, including a third book, Case Sensitive (Zaffre), for AK Turner’s forensic investigator Cassie Raven, and a second, The Wheel of Doll (Pushkin Vertigo), for Jonathan Ames’s LA private eye Happy Doll, who is shaping up to be the perfect hardboiled 21st-century hero.

Other must-reads for fans of American crime fiction include Ozark Dogs (Headline) by Eli Cranor, a powerful story of feuding Arkansas families; SA Cosby’s Virginia-set police procedural All the Sinners Bleed (Headline); Megan Abbott’s nightmarish Beware the Woman (Virago); and Rebecca Makkai’s foray into very dark academia, I Have Some Questions for You (Fleet). There are shades of James Ellroy in Jordan Harper’s Hollywood-set tour de force Everybody Knows (Faber), while Raymond Chandler’s hero Philip Marlowe gets a timely do-over from Scottish crime doyenne Denise Mina in The Second Murderer (Harvill Secker).

As Mick Herron observed in his Slow Horses origin novel, The Secret Hours (Baskerville), there’s a long list of spy novelists who have been pegged as the heir to John le Carré. Herron must be in pole position for principal legatee, but it’s been a good year for espionage generally: standout novels include Matthew Richardson’s The Scarlet Papers (Michael Joseph), John Lawton’s Moscow Exile (Grove Press) and Harriet Crawley’s The Translator (Bitter Lemon).

Historical crime has also been well served. Highlights include Emma Flint’s excellent Other Women (Picador), based on a real 1924 murder case; Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s story of a fortune teller’s quest for identity in Georgian high society, The Square of Sevens (Mantle); and SG MacLean’s tale of Restoration revenge and retribution, The Winter List (Quercus). There are echoes of Chester Himes in Viper’s Dream (No Exit) by Jake Lamar, which begins in 1930s Harlem, while Palace of Shadows (Mantle) by Ray Celestin, set in the late 19th century, takes the true story of American weapons heiress Sarah Winchester’s San Jose mansion and transports it to Yorkshire, with chillingly gothic results.

The latest novel in Vaseem Khan’s postcolonial India series, Death of a Lesser God (Hodder), is also well worth the read, as are Deepti Kapoor’s present-day organised crime saga Age of Vice (Fleet) and Parini Shroff’s darkly antic feminist revenge drama The Bandit Queens (Atlantic).

While psychological thrillers are thinner on the ground than in previous years, the quality remains high, with Liz Nugent’s complex and heartbreaking tale of abuse, Strange Sally Diamond (Penguin Sandycove), and Sarah Hilary’s disturbing portrait of a family in freefall, Black Thorn (Macmillan), being two of the best.

Penguin Modern Classics has revived its crime series, complete with iconic green livery, with works by Georges Simenon, Dorothy B Hughes and Ross MacDonald. There have been reissues by other publishers, too – forgotten gems including Celia Fremlin’s 1959 holiday‑from-hell novel, Uncle Paul (Faber), and Richard Wright’s The Man Who Lived Underground (Vintage). Finished in 1942 but only now published in its entirety, the latter is an account of an innocent man who takes refuge from racist police officers in the sewers of Chicago – part allegorical, part brutally realistic and, unfortunately, wholly topical.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[lgbtqiamuslimpedia]

A Jihad for Love (2008)

Director - Parvez Sharma

Producer - Sandi Simcha Dubowski

Cinematography - Parvez Sharma, Berke Baş,David W. Leitner

Writer - Javed Haider Zaidi

Cast - Imam Muhsin Hendricks,Arsham Parsi,Maryam,Abdellah,Mazen,Ferda,Qasim,Ahsan,Amir,Mojtaba,Kiymet,Sana,Maha,Pedram Abdi (Payam)

Languages - Arabic,Farsi,Urdu,Bengali, Hindi,English,French,German,English,Turkish,etc

Genre - •LGBTQ •Islam •Documentary

Year of Release - 21 May,2008

Box office - $105,651

Awards - •Best Documentary Award,MIX BRASIL •Best Documentary, Image+Nation Film Festival •Best Documentary,The Tri-Continental Film Festival,India • GLAAD Media Award •Teddy Award,etc

A Jihad for Love (preceded by a short film called In the Name of Allah) is an award-winning international documentary on Homosexuality & Islam.It took total six years to make this groundbreaking documentary.Parvez Sharma took the risk to film this documentary in most dangerous country (like Islamic Republic of Iran,Iraq, Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Egypt).Homosexuality is a punishable crime in most Muslim World.

The work that Sharma started with this film has become a staple in many books on Islam and at U.S. University libraries.The website Faith in Equality put it at number 9 in a list of LGBT films about faith.IMDb rates the film at 13 on its list of 58 titles under the category of "Best documentaries on religion, spirituality & cults".The film first premiered at the TIFF in 2007, and has been screened to great acclaim at several film festivals around the world.The film went on to win 15 other international awards.

Plot

At starting it shows a glimpse of Islam across the globe.The film first featured Hendrick Muhsin, a South African,Pakistani Gay & Muslim.He is also the first Out Gay Imam of Africa.Filmmaker Parvez got into the deep of Hendicks's personal life struggles,his understanding of Islam & reconciliation of intersecting identities.

Mazen, an Egyptian effeminate muslim was arrested in 2001, in a gay nightclub named Queen Boat.He was beaten,forced to stand trial twice on "debauchery" charges & sentenced to a total of 4 years in prison, where he was raped.He eventually moved to Paris.Mazen also has left his families & friends in Egypt.

Sana is a Black Lesbian refugee, & a victim of FGM.She has a deeper understanding of Islam & told Parvez that Queerness is not against Islam.Sana didn't have any kind of sexual relation with any women.But she had intimate loving relations with women.Like others, she came to France as a refugee.Sana befriend with Maryam & Mazen.

Maryam is Moroccan-born queer womxn who lives in Paris.Her girlfriend Maha lives in Egypt.Both lovers met each other on Bint-al Nas - a meeting site for Arab LBTQ womxn.Maryam still believes that she deserves punishment for her lesbian sexual relationship.Both have survived abusive marriages and can only share their love for each other in private.Maryam & Maha go on a shared journey of search and discovery of female homosexuality.In Al-Azhar, they discover an old bookstore where they find a copy of the Fiqh al-Sunnah(The Laws of the Prophet).In the heart of an ancient mosque in the Citadel,they discover beautiful Islamic calligraphy as they declare their impossible love for each other.

Amir, an Iranian gay shia who has respect for Imam Hosseini.He sacrificed his life for Allah & reconciling his muslim faith.While in Iran, he was persecuted under the charges of illicit sexual conduct,illicit mannerism & received 100 lashes.After being brutally beaten and tortured in the police custody.The judge also threatened Amir that he should be punished by stoning.However he was sentenced to flogging.He told Sharma that Allah helped him to escape this traumatic situation.He fled to Turkey as soon as well.There he met 3 gay refugees - Arsham,Payam,Mojtaba.Mojtaba, another (Persian) gay muslim who ran away from Iran,due to his same sex marriage ceremony in 2005.

Ferda & Kiymet are a happy couple in Turkiye.Kiymet belongs from a conservative family.In her early Kiymet's marriage was fixed with a man.Kiymet's marriage ended up at divorce.Then she found Ferda, her soulmate.Ferda's mom is very supportive & tolerant of sexuality.Ferda is a devout sufi queer muslim, who honors Rumi - a prominent sufi icon for both LGBTQ+ & Straight Muslims.

Ahsan & Qasim are queer platonic friends.Ahsan is a Sunni Muslim & Qasim is a Shia Muslim.Both men, belongs from poor backgrounds do not adopt the western peronae of ‘gay’ and instead rely on vernacular terms.Ahsan & Qasim are part of transvestite,transgender community called Zenana,Kothi in Northern India.Most of these community hide themselves from public.Ahsan,Qasim find a safe space in his community.While Qasim is struggling with his sexuality in heteronormative society.

The filmmaker also documented the diverse tolerance of sexuality in sufi traditions (Pakistan,India & Turkey).

Is it the first film on Islam & Homosexuality?

''A Jihad for Love'' is called world's 1st film on Islam & Homosexuality.A Jihad for Love would be an international feature documentary film rather than world's first film on LGBT muslims.However there are several films that focused on LGBTQ muslim or Queerness in Islam.For Example:

Road to Love (2001)

Act of Faith (2002)

Haremde dört kadin (1965)

Hammam al-Malatily (1973)

Köçek (1975)

Ihtiras Firtinasi (1984)

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

Marcides (1993)

Istanbul Beneath My Wings (1996)

Hamam (1997)

Lola & Billy the Kid (1999)

Production

Bismillah (In the name of Allah) was considered as an early working title for this documentary.Among muslims,the word Bismillah is very auspicious & used before beginning actions,speech,writing.But the tittle was not considered as the final title of this film due to controversy.

A Jihad for Love is produced by Halal Films, in association with the Sundance Documentary Film Fund,Channel 4 (UK),ZDF (Germany),Arte (France-Germany),Logo (US) & SBS Australia.The director & producer Parvez Sharma & co-producer Sandi Dubowski raised more than a million dollars over a 6 years period to make the film.

In an interview with The NY Times,Parvez Sharma said that he "would shoot touristy footage on the first 15 minutes & the last 15 minutes of a tape", with interviews for documentary in between, to avoid having his footage seized at customs.He compiled 400 hours of footage from a dozen countries ranging from Iraq to Pakistan to the UK.The nature of the work placed him at considerable personal risk.He adopted hardcore guerrilla film-making tactics,pretending to be a tourist in one country,a worker for an AIDS charity in another country.Wherever he went,he asked his queer friends to keep copies of footage and destroy the tapes once he had successfully smuggled the masters out of the country.

During his filmmaking Parvez traveled several countries including Pakistan, Iraq, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, USA, UK, Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,[...].

Interviews

In an interview with NY Times magazine,Parvez Sharma said,"Being gay and Muslim myself,I knew that this film had to be about us all coming out— as Muslims. It's about claiming the Islam that has been denied to us." With a target audience of "faithful Muslims," he undertook a variety of outreach tactics, including leafleting mosques,blanketing MySpace,screening in Astoria for 15 key progressive Muslim leaders.In an interview to Der Spiegel, Sharma explained the significance of the title: "I'm not looking at jihad as battle.I'm looking at the greater jihad in Islam, which is the jihad as the struggle with the self.I also thought it was really compelling to take a word that only has one connotation for most -- to take that, reclaim it and put it in the same phrase as love,which is universal.I really think it explains it very well.

Film Screening

A Jihad for Love first premiered in Toronto International Film Festival(TIFF) in September 2007.At its premier,the director was given a security guard for safety reasons.After this film festival A Jihad for Love got huge applaud internationally.A Jihad for Love film premiered as the opening film of Panorama Documente of the Berlin Film Festival in February 2008.

The film was screened in The Rio Film Festival,Brazil on September 2007,Morelia Film Festival,Mexico, on October 2007,The Sheffield DocFest on November 2007,London Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on March 2008,Melbourne International Film Festival on July 2008,Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival on March 2008,etc.A Jihad for Love's first premier in African continent was The Out in Africa Film Festival in Johannesburg and Cape Town,November 2007. On April,2008 A Jihad for Love film was successfully screened at Istanbul International Film Festival.It was the first time that the film allowed to screen in a muslim-majority country.Film also screened in Q! Film Festival of Indonesia.Although singapore banned the film from festival in 2008 due to its sensitive subject.

Popularity

A Jihad for Love film's sale and broadcast on NDTV, South Asia's largest network in 2008 would have a "remarkable" impact on this LGBTQ cause. "NDTV's broadcast has in effect made the film available to over one billion viewers in India,Bangladesh,Pakistan, & large portions of the Middle East and Africa.The various distributors and their Total Rating Points in European television, the Indian/South-Asian sale with its claimed footprint of 15 billion viewers, the theatrical release & the purportedly large numbers of Netflix viewers made the filmmakers and the TRP experts arrive at a number of 8 million total viewers calculated over a period of four years for this documentary.

International Muslim Dialogue Project

Immediately after the film's theatrical launch around the USA,Parvez & Sandi launched the International Muslim Dialogue Project on 2008.The aim of the project was to organize screenings of the film in Muslim Capitals.Sharma called it the "Underground Network Model" of film distribution.He invented this model sending unmarked DVD's of the film with friends & colleagues to Muslim capitals across the world with full permission to sell pirated copies.Some of the boldest were Beirut,Cairo,Karachi,eight cities in Indonesia & Kuala Lumpur

The film was screened privately screened in Iran,Palestine,Bangladesh and Somalia.

[theroseandthebeast]

yo, i read a tag of yours that said that the US police was the second best funded military in the world— what’s number 2?

*third, but yes!

re: military (and police) spending -- The US is #1 with $731B, China #2 with $261B, and then the US Police Force at #3 with $118B

next few are India $71B, Russia $65B, Saudi Arabia $61B, France $50B, Germany $49B, UK $49B

there are definitely other countries with high police spending, but as always.... the US gotta be #1...... on all the wrong metrics.......

[gurkiransindianlitblog]

Ten Interesting, Indian Novels

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Jai drools outside sweet shops, watches too many reality police shows, and considers himself to be smarter than his friends Pari (though she gets the best grades) and Faiz (though Faiz has an actual job). When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks Pari and Faiz to be his assistants, and together they draw up lists of people to interview and places to visit. (Amazon.com)

But what begins as a game turns sinister as other children start disappearing from their neighborhood. Jai, Pari, and Faiz have to confront terrified parents, an indifferent police force, and rumors of soul-snatching djinns. As the disappearances edge ever closer to home, the lives of Jai and his friends will never be the same again. (Amazon.com)

The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi

Returning to India is an overwhelming experience for Priya. When she was growing up, summer was all about mangoes—ripe, sweet mangoes, bursting with juices that dripped down your chin, hands, and neck. But after years away, she sweats as if she’s never been through an Indian summer before. Everything looks dirtier than she remembered. And things that used to seem natural (a buffalo strolling down a newly laid asphalt road, for example) now feel totally chaotic. (Goodreads.com)

The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

She rose from commoner to become the last reigning queen of India's Sikh Empire. In this dazzling novel, based on true-life events, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni presents the unforgettable story of Jindan, who transformed herself from daughter of the royal kennel keeper to powerful monarch. (Goodreads.com)

The Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth's novel is, at its core, a love story: Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, are both trying to find—through love or through exacting maternal appraisal—a suitable boy for Lata to marry. Set in the early 1950s, in an India newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis, A Suitable Boy takes us into the richly imagined world of four large extended families and spins a compulsively readable tale of their lives and loves. A sweeping panoramic portrait of a complex, multiethnic society in flux, A Suitable Boy remains the story of ordinary people caught up in a web of love and ambition, humor and sadness, prejudice and reconciliation, the most delicate social etiquette and the most appalling violence. (Goodreads.com)

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community. (Barnesandnoble.com)

Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind. (Barnesandnoble.com)

The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar

Madurai, 1992. A young mother in a poor family, Janani is told she is useless if she can’t produce a son—or worse, if she bears daughters. They let her keep her first baby girl, but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born and murdered. But Janani can’t forget the daughters she was never allowed to love. (Goodreads.com)

Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret; one she’s been keeping from her parents for too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai. Nila knows very little about where her family came from or who they left behind. What she’s about to learn will change her forever. While The Daughters of Madurai explores the harrowing issue of female infanticide, it’s also a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, and the power of love in overcoming all obstacles. (Goodreads.com)

Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai

In a small town in northern India, a house still smolders from a devastating fire. Inside a young girl is found severely beaten and barely alive, along with the lifeless bodies of thirteen people. Inexplicably, the local police accuse the girl of the murders. But Simran Singh, an independent-minded, unconventional social worker, is convinced of the girl's innocence. As Simran goes against the authorities to seek out the truth, she discovers a terrifying web of deceit that will change her forever. Seamlessly weaving themes of sexism, police corruption, and infanticide, this captivating mystery plunges readers into the thrilling heart of modern India. (Barnesandnoble.com)

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

he Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. On the heels of their arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An engineer by training, Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family. When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name. (Goodreads.com)

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may never come. Shirina, the peacemaking "good" sister married into wealth and enjoys a picture-perfect life. (Goodreads.com)

Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again. (Goodreads.com)

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

Married as a child bride to a tenant farmer she had never met, Rukmani works side by side in the field with her husband to wrest a living from a land ravaged by droughts, monsoons, and insects. With remarkable fortitude and courage, she meets changing times and fights poverty and disaster. (Amazon.com)

[mariacallous]

Foreign Policy Morning Brief: Did Iran abolish its morality police?

By Christina Lu 

Welcome to today’s Morning Brief, where we’re looking at the controversy surrounding Iran’s notorious morality police, El Salvador’s crackdown on gang violence, and the world this week. 

What Actually Happened to Iran’s Morality Police? 

Iran’s notorious morality police force may have been disbanded, Iranian Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri suggested on Saturday, in vague and ambiguous remarks that have been met with confusion and skepticism. 

Montazeri had been responding to a question about the force, which enforces Iran’s conservative dress code and appears to have been less publicly active in recent weeks. 

“The morality police has nothing to do with the judiciary, and it was abolished by those who created it,” Montazeri said, adding that the judiciary is continuing to monitor behavior. He did not offer further details or any explanation. 

Without separate corroboration, as of Sunday night it remained unclear if the force had actually been abolished. Montazeri does not direct the morality police, state media said, and some outlets said foreign media had taken his words out of context, the Washington Post reported. 

“It’s not 100% sure that this is a done deal,” Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute, told Foreign Policy on Sunday. “It could be that they’re just testing the waters to see how it will be received by the protesters.”

Iran’s most recent wave of anti-government protests erupted in September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died while in the force’s custody in September. In the months since, security forces have launched a deadly crackdown in order to stamp out dissent, though the defiant demonstrations still show no sign of slowing. This week, protesters have planned a three-day-long strike. 

On Sunday, Iranian lawmaker Nezamoddin Mousavi appeared to strike a conciliatory tone towards protesters, reportedly saying that Tehran believes “paying attention to the people’s demand that is mainly economic is the best way for achieving stability and confronting the riots.”

The “Iranian regime is still very much in the thinking and planning stages. They know what the problems are; they don’t know what the solutions ought to be,” said Vatanka. “They’re worried that if they make the wrong kinds of concessions, that this protest movement will feel emboldened.”

In an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed his support for Iran’s protesters—sentiments also echoed by Robert Malley, the Biden administration’s Iran envoy, in a recent FP Live conversation with FP’s Ravi Agrawal. 

The U.S. position is “one of support for the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people and for their fundamental freedoms and rights that all citizens across the globe should enjoy,” Malley said. “We have made clear we are mobilizing international attention and putting the spotlight on what’s happening in Iran at a time when the Iranian regime is trying to hide and distort what’s happening.”

The World This Week

Monday, Dec. 5: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets his counterpart from Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits the United Arab Emirates. 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visits India. 

Tuesday, Dec. 6: South African lawmakers debate holding impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Lavrov meets his counterpart from Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov.

Wednesday, Dec. 7: – Dec. 9: Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Saudi Arabia. 

Friday, Dec. 9: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets his Estonian counterpart, Kaja Kallas.

What We’re Following Today

Russian oil price cap. The European Union, G-7, and Australia have agreed to a set a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian crude oil in a bid to deprive the Kremlin of crucial revenue; the cap is set to take effect today. 

On Saturday, the Kremlin said that it would “not accept” the cap, further underscoring uncertainty about how effective it would be in practice. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized the cap as “weak.” Negotiators were “trying to avoid hard decisions,” he added. 

El Salvador’s gang violence. El Salvador has deployed 10,000 police and soldiers to extract gang members in Soyapango, a town known for its significant gang presence, in its latest clampdown on gang violence. “Soyapango is totally surrounded,” President Nayib Bukele tweeted. “8,500 soldiers and 1,500 agents have surrounded the city, while extraction teams from the police and the army are tasked with extricating all the gang members still there one by one.”

Since announcing a state of emergency in March, authorities have arrested over 50,000 people accused of gang involvement. Rights groups have warned of major human rights infractions, including arbitrary detentions and torture.

Keep an Eye On 

South Korea’s labor protests. Protests swept Seoul on Saturday, days after the government ordered 2,500 striking cement truck drivers to resume working—or face potential jail time or hefty fines under a controversial law. Of the thousands of protesters, many were part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. For more than a week, as many as 20,000 truckers have been on strike for improved minimum wage protections.

Indonesia’s regressive new laws. Indonesian lawmakers are expected to approve a new criminal code that would ban sex outside of marriage, disparaging Indonesia’s president and institutions, and living together prior to marriage, Reuters reported. The code will likely pass on Dec. 15. 

“We’re proud to have a criminal code that’s in line with Indonesian values,” Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, Indonesia’s deputy justice minister, told Reuters. Human Rights Watch’s Andreas Harsono warned it would be a “huge setback to Indonesian democracy.”

This Weekend’s Most Read

• Sanctions on Russia Are Working. Here’s Why. by Agathe Demarais

• Why Switzerland vs. Serbia Is Really All About Kosovo by Aleks Eror

• China Has India Trapped on Their Disputed Border by Sushant Singh

Odds and Ends 

Soccer players weren’t the only ones battling for victory in Qatar last Friday. On the sidelines of the World Cup, another tournament was also underway: a camel beauty pageant.

With a prize of $55,000, the stakes are high—and people have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that their camels are as beautiful as can be. Last year, 40 camel contestants were banned for receiving botox treatments and undergoing other prohibited cosmetic procedures. 

That’s it for today.

For more from FP, visit foreignpolicy.com, subscribe here, or sign up for our other newsletters.

[whatisonthemoon]

Excerpt:

Capitalism’s attempt at preservation of gender roles, premised on preserving the family institution, led to strict enforcement of criminalization of homosexuality and this crisis reached its crescendo with militant confrontation between the police and visitors to the illegal gay bar, Stonewall Inn, after the police attacked some of the people they arrested at the bar. For the next few days, streets and nearby parks were cleared and overrun by queer persons while police were pushed back from the areas surrounding Stonewall Inn. This is pertinent to the phrasing of Stonewall as a “riot.” In the present, many attempt to assert Stonewall as a riot while trying to portray the militant nature of the incident but it is a conscious choice by us to use the word uprising. A riot is a disturbance to the norm, in the language utilized by the state. Stonewall on the otherhand, was a spontaneous militant uprising by oppressed masses against the forces of the state. It should be pertinent to note that the most militant sections during the Stonewall uprising were the proletariat and lumpenproletariat of New Afrikan and Chicano national background, most of them homeless and/or sex workers.

Post-Stonewall, organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) cropped up, many of them aligned with the anti-imperialist politics of the time, with GLF also engaging in joint action alongside the Black Panther Party. But with imperialism shifting on the offensive, internally with the FBI’s fascistic COINTELPRO tactics and ideologically with post-modernism, a shift in this trajectory of the queer movement can be seen. Perhaps this is best represented by the Boston group Combahee River Collective. Comprised particularly of black lesbian women, the collective asserted that they aim for a socialist revolution while at the same time, coming up with the term “identity politics” to argue that struggle against capitalism, that the struggle for socialism, is waged on lines of identitarian oppression. The statement goes further to argue that the members of the collective cannot differentiate between racial, class-based or gendered oppression and that the combinations of the same led to their oppression. 15 years after the release of this statement, Kimberle Crenshaw would propound her theory of intersectionality, a keystone in post-modernist obfuscation of reality. In practice, this meant two important changes in queer political assertion. First, queer politics would only articulate itself in the language of queer identity politics. Second, queer politics would aim to seek normalization and compromise within patriarchy, going so far as to even reinforcing existing patriarchal constructions of gender while claiming liberation.

The first change led to the diminishing of the principled anti-imperialist character of early queer political assertion. Many communist organizations in the United States faced isolation from queer political formations for highlighting the national contradiction within the US and the practices of white nation chauvinism over the New Afrikans, Chicano and indigenous queer persons both within queer political formations as well as in their political practice. Many such groups solely focused on the issues of queer persons and even within this homogenizing category, contradictions were clear between the dominant aspect comprised of those who asserted their identities as gay, lesbian etc. versus those who chose to transgress the construct of gender itself. The second change is the aim of seeking legal recognition of said identities for a normalization of queerness within capitalist society. The issue with this practice is that it assumes that resolution of oppression premised on capitalist relations of production will somehow be found within the realm of capitalism itself, without changing the basic premise of this oppression. Many activists from the early period of queer politics rejected the motley collection of identity labels that emerged during this period of political deterioration. This distinction between sex and gender as categories itself was cleverly crafted for the now ‘sexually-queer’ section to comply within gender norms, relegating the transgressing section (then, the transsexuals), to the margins (now, transgender). Instead, the sexually-queer section now became compliant within the bourgeois assertion of individuality. Being gay or lesbian simply became a matter of one’s private affairs, part of an individual’s experience. These two developments completely transformed any capacity of liberation from gender oppression for queer persons into a politics of compromise and opportunism. A pamphlet from 1992 summarizes this change, “many gay and lesbian pride rallies across the country are organized by white men and do not project an anti-patriarchy and anti-imperialist program. Instead, organizers call for yuppie job protection against gay discrimination…. And like pseudo-feminists, these gay men only fight against their own particular oppression, oblivious of their own privileges.”

Related

On Anti-Gay Legislative in Japan Supported by Moonies Socialism is the Answer to Patriarchy, Including Moon’s Patriarchy Interrogating the Unification Theology of the Family and Finding a Better Way Patriarchal nationalistic faith and the devoted daughter-in-law

Parapolitics and being an ex-Moonie on the Left

[seolawchef]

Understanding the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act: Your Legal Rights

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) is a landmark legislation in India designed to safeguard women from abuse within domestic relationships. At LawChef, we understand the emotional and legal challenges faced by victims of domestic violence and aim to provide comprehensive support. Whether you’re seeking a domestic violence lawyer in Noida, Delhi, or need urgent legal help, this guide highlights your rights under the Act and how to exercise them effectively.

What Constitutes Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is not limited to physical harm; it encompasses a wide range of abuses, including:

Physical Abuse: Beating, slapping, or any physical harm.

Emotional Abuse: Insults, threats, and humiliation.

Sexual Abuse: Forced sexual acts or harassment.

Economic Abuse: Denying financial resources, withholding income, or preventing employment.

If you are facing any of these forms of abuse, seeking help from a lawyer for domestic violence cases is a critical step toward protection and justice.

Key Features of the Domestic Violence Act

1. Comprehensive Definition of Violence

The Act recognizes physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, offering broad protection to women.

2. Wide Range of Relationships Covered

The Act applies to abuse within:

Marital relationships, including live-in partnerships.

Relationships with family members or relatives.

If you are unsure whether your case qualifies, consult with an experienced domestic violence lawyer near me for clarity and guidance.

3. Immediate Relief for Victims

Victims can seek immediate relief through:

Protection Orders: To prevent further harm.

Monetary Relief: Compensation for medical expenses, loss of earnings, or damages.

Residence Orders: Ensuring the right to live in a shared household without interference.

A lawyer for domestic violence cases in Delhi or Noida can assist in filing these petitions promptly.

Legal Rights Under the Act

Right to Reside in the Shared Household

Victims have the right to reside in their shared home, irrespective of ownership or tenancy.

Right to Protection Orders

Protection orders prohibit the abuser from contacting or harming the victim.

Right to Monetary and Custodial Relief

Compensation for abuse-related expenses.

Custody of minor children for the safety of the victim.

Right to Free Legal Aid

Victims can seek free legal assistance to navigate the judicial process. At LawChef, our team of expert lawyers ensures swift action and compassionate support for victims of domestic violence against women.

Steps to Take if You’re a Victim of Domestic Violence

1. Seek Immediate Help

If you feel threatened, reach out to the police or a domestic violence lawyer near me.

2. File a Complaint

You can file a complaint under the PWDVA at:

Local Police Station

Magistrate Court

3. Consult a Lawyer

A skilled domestic violence lawyer in Noida or Delhi can guide you on:

Drafting the complaint.

Filing for protection orders.

Pursuing legal remedies for damages.

4. Gather Evidence

Document instances of abuse through photos, medical reports, or messages to support your case.

How Can a Domestic Violence Lawyer Help?

1. Case Evaluation

An experienced lawyer assesses the strength of your case and advises on the best course of action.

2. Filing Petitions

From drafting protection order applications to custody requests, a lawyer for domestic violence cases ensures all legal filings are error-free.

3. Representation in Court

A domestic violence lawyer in Delhi or Noida provides robust representation to ensure justice is served.

4. Mediation and Negotiation

In cases where reconciliation is possible, lawyers can mediate to achieve amicable solutions.

Domestic Violence and Divorce: Legal Intersections

Victims of domestic violence often pursue divorce as a step toward reclaiming their lives. The Act complements divorce proceedings by offering immediate protection and relief.

If you are contemplating divorce and need legal support, our divorce lawyer in Noida Extension team ensures your interests are protected during this challenging phase.

Why Choose LawChef for Domestic Violence Cases?

At LawChef, we prioritize client safety and justice. Whether you need a domestic violence lawyer Delhi, Noida, or legal aid online, we provide:

Experienced Representation: Skilled lawyers specializing in domestic violence cases.

Compassionate Support: We handle sensitive cases with care and confidentiality.

24/7 Legal Help: Access to expert advice anytime, anywhere.

Conclusion: Take Action, Protect Your Rights

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act empowers victims to stand against abuse and reclaim their lives. With the right legal guidance, you can ensure your safety, dignity, and rights are upheld.

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