Dr Kaukab Siddique | Editor-in-Chief
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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