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Women and children first as Russian forces seize base
EU takes aim at Russia economy as Kiev plans Crimea pullout (AFP) / 20 March 2014 The European Union is under intense pressure to find a credible response to an explosive security crisis on the 28-nation bloc’s eastern frontier. European leaders were on Thursday to debate biting economic sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea as Ukraine tore up key ties with the Kremlin and drew up plans to evacuate its nationals from the rebel peninsula. The European Union is under intense pressure to find a credible response to an explosive security crisis on the 28-nation bloc’s eastern frontier that NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday called “the gravest threat to European security and stability since the end of the Cold War.” But the Kremlin has warned repeatedly that it would strike back hard if confronted with a new wave of Western punitive measures that EU nations — their energy and financial sectors intertwined with Russia’s — would keenly prefer to avoid. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also find himself on the diplomatic defensive in Moscow when he hosts United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as the global community almost unanimously views Russia’s absorption of the Black Sea region as illegal. But world anger has done little to halt unchallenged Russian military advances that prompted Kiev’s new Western-backed government to acknowledge preparing a Crimean evacuation plan for thousands of its soldiers and families. Tensions eased somewhat in the region on Thursday morning when acting president Oleksandr Turchynov announced the release by Crimean militias of Ukranian navy chief Sergiy Gayduk. Turchynov had threatened the Crimean authorities with “an adequate response… of a technical and technological nature” unless they immediately released Gayduk and several others seized during the storming of Ukraine’s naval headquarters in the port of Sevastopol on Wednesday. His call was backed up by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu — a signal that even Moscow considered some of the militants’ actions outside the bounds. Yet the pro-Kremlin troops’ march across the mostly Russian-speaking region roughly the size of Belgium has been unhalting since the day Putin first won the right to use force against his ex-Soviet neighbour following the November 22 fall there of a Moscow-backed regime. Kiev’s untested leaders and their Western allies now fear that Putin has set his sights on the Russified southeastern swathes of Ukraine as part of his self-declared campaign to “protect” compatriots from the more nationalistic forces who rose to power on the back of three months of deadly protests in Kiev. “Our major concern right now is whether he (President Vladimir Putin) will go beyond Crimea, whether Russia will intervene in the eastern parts,” NATO chief Rasmussen also conceded on Wednesday. Ukraine has responded by seeking protection from Western powers and planning on Friday to sign the political portion of a broad EU Association Agreement whose rejection in November by Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych sparked the protests that eventually led to his fall. Kiev on Wednesday also announced plans to withdraw from the Moscow-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) alliance that replaced the Soviet Union and to slap visas on Russians who sought to enter the country. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Four-year-old killed in desert safari accident
Four-year-old killed in desert safari accident Sajila Saseendran and Afkar Abdullah / 20 March 2014 Boy flung out as the 4WD in which the family was enjoying the desert safari turned turtle in the Madam area of Sharjah. A family picnic ended in disaster for an Indian couple when the vehicle in which they were enjoying a desert safari overturned on Tuesday evening, killing their only son instantly. The accident took place in a desert in the Madam area of Sharjah. Sources from the Dibba Hospital, where the boy was rushed to, confirmed that he was brought dead. “The paramedics in the ambulance had tried to revive the child. But, he was already dead,” said one official. The four-year-old boy, Pranav, was sitting on his mother Lakshmi’s lap when the four-wheel drive in which the family was dune-bashing met with the accident, the boy’s uncle told Khaleej Times . Pranav’s father Arun Kumar, a television cameraman who used to work for a prominent sports channel, and his brother Ajith Kumar organised the desert safari since their uncle and family had come over for a visit from India. While the brothers and their families travelled in one vehicle, the rest of the members were taken in another vehicle by the tour operator for dune bashing. “Our car had driven up a dune and it overturned when it was going down. I think the climb down the mound was steeper than what the driver assumed and he lost control,” said Ajith. He said the vehicle turned turtle a couple of times and Pranav was flung out of a side window due to the impact of the crash. He died of a head injury that caused profuse bleeding. All others, including Ajith’s two children, escaped with minor injuries. The Sharjah Police are investigating the case. The family’s friends remembered Pranav as a very smart and happy child. “They had just returned after a visit to India. That child was looking very cute after getting his head shaved in a famous temple,” said a family friend. He said that the boy was to start schooling in two weeks. “He had got admission in Delta School in Sharjah. This was not the first time they went for the desert safari. I think they have gone for it for some four to five times. It’s very tragic that his life was taken away like this,” he added. The shattered parents of the child are being taken care of by relatives and friends in Sharjah. The body of Pranav is likely to be flown to the family’s hometown in Alappuzha in the south Indian state of Kerala. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai opens window to priceless Islamic legacy
Dubai opens window to priceless Islamic legacy Staff Reporter / 19 March 2014 Offers preview of Aga Khan Museum, the first Islamic art showcase in N. America. Michelangelo. Leonardo da Vinci. Velazquez. Cezanne. Van Gogh. Sir Joshua Reynolds. Jackson Pollock. Name the artists famed worldwide and you won’t find a single Islamic artist among them, that is, not one known to the man on the street. “Most people can’t name a single Muslim artist. I find this terrible,” says Henry Kim, curator and historian. Shaikh Nahyan (3rd from R) at the preview of the Aga Khan Museum at the Ismaili centre in Dubai. He is flanked by Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of The Emirates Group, Arif Lalani, Ambassador of Canada to the UAE, and other officials — KT Photos by Juidin Bernarrd Though Islamic art has been flourishing for over 1,400 years spread over a vast canvas stretching through Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, its amazing beauty and diversity is yet to gain the recognition it deserves. But come autumn and the lacuna will be addressed as the Aga Khan Museum, the first museum in North America devoted solely to Islamic art, opens in Toronto. The sprawling museum, designed by Japanese Fumihiko Maki, will display over 1,000 artefacts from the personal collection of the Aga Khan and his family. “It will be a proud destination for Muslim and non-Muslim visitors, showcasing the art, science, music and philosophy of Islamic culture,” adds Arif Lalani, Canadian ambassador to the UAE and Canada’s Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. A tour of the Aga Khan Museum The Aga Khan Museum, says Henry Kim, its director and CEO, would promote art and culture of the Muslim world and build bridges between cultures. Besides the museum, the three-pronged project also has a park designed by Vladimir Djurovic and an Ismaili Centre planned by Charles Correa. Nearly 1,700sq m space has been kept aside for both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The objects on display are as various as the Holy Quran in different scripts, illustrations of classics like Firdausi’s Shah-Nameh (The Book of Kings), carpets, jade ware and exquisite ceramic art that shows the influence of China. Muslim explorers and navigators left an indelible mark on history. The museum pays a tribute to them, especially through its display of astrolabes, the navigating tool used by sailors of all religions to find their way by calculating planetary positions. The preview has an exquisite bronze astrolabe made in the 18th century by Qazi Ali of Iran. A special place will be given to the section of art pieces called In search of artists. The art here is all signed by the artists and Kim hopes it will help familiarise the audience with Muslim artists as well. There will also be a Garden of Ideas section, focusing on different countries. Since the Aga Khan Museum plans to bring the sights, rhythms and sounds of Islamic culture as well, Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki has created a state-of-the-art elegant auditorium that can seat 350 people and will host regular performances. sudeshna@khaleejtimes.com With Dubai being a cultural hub, the museum chose the emirate to offer a preview on Tuesday. “I wish that we were gathering today to open the Aga Khan Museum in the United Arab Emirates,” said a wistful Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, in his keynote address at the event. Islamic art, with its astonishing plurality, is an important part of the heritage of mankind. “The museum preserves important artefacts of our Islamic heritage,” Shaikh Nahyan said. “They communicate our history, culture, and art. Those artefacts convey a clear sense of Muslim diversity, a diversity that deserves global prominence.” “Culture and art are important for peace, understanding and harmony in the world,” Shaikh Nahyan added. A deeper appreciation of art and culture leads to goodwill and friendship, building bridges between diverse religions, cultures and backgrounds for a peaceful and prosperous world. Shaikh Nahyan also referred to the 88th Ogden memorial lecture delivered last month by the Aga Khan at the US Ivy League Brown University to emphasise why the world needs to retain its diversity: When people stop learning and understanding each other’s cultures, it leads to misunderstanding and hostility. Today’s world, being inter-connected, requires a thoughtful, renewed commitment to pluralism. “We understand the wisdom of that response,” Shaikh Nahyan said. “We are a cosmopolitan society bound by mutual respect and understanding… Art allows us to celebrate the principles and values that unite us across national and cultural boundaries and highlights our common values and pursuits.” He also quoted the UAE President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan: “The United Arab Emirates has relied, and will continue to rely, on the rich and diverse contributions of its true wealth, its people, to guarantee its prosperity.” Several factors contributed to make Dubai ideal for the preview. The host of the event, the Ismaili Centre Dubai, has been organising a series of cultural programmes since its inception in 2008 to share knowledge with other communities. Also, the preview comes during Art Dubai, the annual event drawing VIPs and art connoisseurs to select sites where art displays are held. Finally, as the Canadian ambassador said, Canada admires the UAE’s diversity and the Dubai preview would introduce the Aga Khan Museum to the Middle East. While Toronto would have the Islamic art museum, Abu Dhabi would have the Louvre Abu Dhabi and both countries would be home to world-class museums. sudeshna@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
