Headlines:
- Third of British People Wrongly Believe there are Muslim ‘no-go areas’ in UK Governed by Sharia Law
- Pakistan, China Ditch US Dollar for Yuan in Bilateral Trade
- Top China Diplomat Defends Crackdown in Muslim Minority Region
Third of British People Wrongly Believe there are Muslim ‘no-go areas’ in UK Governed by Sharia Law
Almost a third of British people now believe the myth that there are “no-go zones” where non-Muslims cannot enter, according to a report warning of mounting intolerance. Research by Hope Not Hate found that economic inequality was driving hostility towards Muslims, immigration and multiculturalism, particularly in post-industrial and coastal towns. “These areas also voted strongly for Leave in the referendum and, ironically, may well suffer most under a hard Brexit – making them a ripe target for the far and populist right,” the group said. “In effect, two Britains have emerged, with a more confident, diverse, liberal population now concentrated in our cities. The implications of this for Brexit, for the Labour Party, for politics in general, and potentially aiding the rise of a far-right movement, could all be profound.” The research comes following an increase street protests by far-right groups including the anti-Islam Democratic Football Lads Alliance and supporters of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson. A 2018 YouGov survey of more than 10,300 people showed that attitudes towards Muslims had been hardening in Britain in the wake of Isis-inspired terror attacks and grooming scandals where the majority of suspects have been of Pakistani heritage. It found that the perception of Islam as a threat was moving into the mainstream, with 32 per cent of respondents believing that there are “no-go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter”. The view was shared by almost half of people who voted Leave in the EU referendum, and 47 per cent of Conservative voters. The “no-go zones” theory, which is spread by global far-right pundits online has been widely debunked and where there have been isolated incidents of “Muslim patrols”, suspects have been arrested and condemned by local Muslim leaders. In the YouGov poll, a small majority felt that there was an increasing amount of tension between the different political and demographic groups in the UK. Almost a third thought Islamist terrorists “reflected a widespread hostility to Britain from among the Muslim community”, including two thirds of Leave voters. Hope Not Hate’s research mapped data from the YouGov poll across parliamentary constituencies to create a heat map of different attitudes. Overall it showed that liberal attitudes are most concentrated in areas like major cities where diversity is a normal part of everyday life, and the population tends to be better educated, younger and enjoying greater opportunities. Meanwhile, the greatest concern about immigration and Islam was found particularly in post-industrial towns and coastal areas, where populations are less diverse. [Source: The Independent]
Far right groups are not entirely responsible for such findings. On the contrary, the British media is the real perpetrator that deliberately gives nationalist voice unfettered coverage to shape the attitudes of the indigenous community.
Top China Diplomat Defends Crackdown in Muslim Minority Region
China’s foreign minister defended a security crackdown effecting one of the country’s largest Muslim minorities as a necessary response to terrorism, in Beijing’s highest-level response yet to reports of mass interment camps. Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Tuesday that conditions in the remote western region of Xinjiang were a “domestic issue” and cautioned foreigners against believing “gossip and hearsay” about the situation. Wang was asked about the reports during a visit to Beijing by German counterpart Heiko Maas. The remarks represent the ruling Communist Party’s latest effort to explain the mass detentions, which have become its biggest source of criticism from Western governments and human rights advocates. Academic estimates, which have been described as credible by the United Nations officials, suggest that authorities are holding as many as many as 1 million ethnic Uighurs and Kazakhs in “transformation through education” camps — or roughly 10 percent of their population in the province. Wang said China’s security efforts in Xinjiang “are in line with those by the international communities, and the focus is on prevention.” “If you do well in prevention, terrorism won’t have a chance of spreading and taking root. That’s the most effective way of fighting against terrorism,” he said. It was the second time this year that a German visit prompted China to address human rights concerns. A reporter’s question during Chancellor Angela Merkel’s trip in May caused Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to defend his country’s record on the issue. Two months later, the country’s diplomatic push was credited with securing the release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo’s widow. [Source: Bloomberg]
The real terrorist in the situation is the Chinese government, which uses the instrument of violence and oppression to force Muslims to give up their faith.
Pakistan, China Ditch US Dollar for Yuan in Bilateral Trade
The world’s second-largest economy, China has been largely dominating in its economic relations with Islamabad, with Chinese exports making up 87 percent of the trade. Pakistan and China have agreed to walk away from the US dollar in bilateral relations and do trade in yuan, Islamabad announced on Tuesday. According to Chaudry, the agreement will help Islamabad save up its US-dollar-denominated assets, given the massive 87-percent trade deficit with China (The Financial Daily estimates it to be $12.66 billion). Ditching the American currency would also mean Islamabad and China using yuan in transactions within the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $60 billion-worth infrastructure project funded by China that aims to boost the region’s integrity by connecting the Pakistani port city of Gwadar and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region via a network of transportation routes. The greenback has long dominated the global financial system, but it has received a series of blows here and there in recent times, with China probably making the strongest case. Earlier this year, the world’s biggest oil buyer started offering yuan-backed crude futures. India has been pushing for paying Russia’s energy and defense equipment in rupee, Russia’s energy and defense equipment in rupee, while Venezuela voiced plans to inject over 2 billion worth of dollars in euros or yuan into its economy in response to Washington’s sanctions against Maduro’s policies. [Source: Sputnik News]
The increase in value of the US dollar combined with Trump’s trade wars and sanctions against several countries is pushing several nations to question the dollar hegemony. Russia and China are leading the way to create alternative currency settlement systems not contingent on the dollar.