Mau Mau win UK ruling

Via BBC News

Three Kenyans who were tortured by British colonial authorities can proceed with their legal claims against the UK government, a court has ruled. London's High Court ruled the case, relating to the 1950s Mau Mau uprising, could proceed despite the time elapsed.

The ruling means the case will now go to a full trial. Lawyers for the three hailed it as a "historic" judgement. While the government accepts UK forces tortured detainees it denies liability and will appeal against the decision.

Thousands of people were killed during the Mau Mau revolt against British rule in Kenya in the 1950s and 1960s. The government had initially argued that all liabilities for the torture by colonial authorities were transferred to the Kenyan Republic upon independence in 1963 and that it could not be held liable now. 

Lawyer Martyn Day (l) described the judgement as historic. But in 2011, the High Court ruled the claimants - Paulo Muoka Nzili, Wambuga Wa Nyingi and Jane Muthoni Mara - did have "arguable cases in law".

Their lawyers allege that Mr Nzili was castrated, Mr Nyingi was severely beaten and Mrs Mara was subjected to appalling sexual abuse in detention camps during the rebellion. A fourth claimant, Ndiku Mutwiwa Mutua, died earlier this year.

After the 2011 ruling, the case went back to the High Court in July to consider a claim by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) that the actions had been brought outside the legal time limit. The FCO said it faced "irredeemable difficulties" in relation to the availability of witnesses and documents.

What a Good Prayer!

Universal Prayer
Post-communion Group  

Lord, I believe in You: 
but let me believe more strongly. 
I love You: but let me love You more ardently. 
I sorrow, but deepen my sorrow for my sins. 

I adore You as my first beginning, 
I long for You as my last end, 
I praise You as my constant benefactor, 
I call on You as my loving protector.

Guide me by Your wisdom,
hold me with Your justice,
comfort me with Your mercy, 
protect me with Your power.

I offer You, Lord, my thoughts, 
my words, to be fixed on You, 
my actions, to be according to You, 
my sufferings and to be endured for You.

I want to do what You want, 
in the way You want, 
for as long as You want, 
because You want.

I pray, O Lord, enlighten my understanding, 
inflame my will, 
purify my heart, and sanctify my soul.

May I weep for my former iniquities, 
repel future temptations, 
correct my faults, 
and cultivate suitable virtues.

Grant me, O God, love of You, 
hatred of myself, 
zeal for my neighbor, 
and contempt for the world.

May I be eager to obey my superiors, 
be courteous to my inferiors, 
faithful to my friends, 
and to forgive my enemies.

Help me to conquer sensuality with austerity,
greed with generosity, 
anger with gentleness, 
apathy with fervor.

Make me prudent in planning, 
steadfast in danger, 
patient in adversity,
and humble in prosperity.

O Lord, make me attentive in prayer, 
temperate in drink, 
diligent in my duties,
and firm in purpose.

May I take care to have an innocent interior, 
a modest exterior, 
exemplary speech,
and a well and ordered life .

May I be ever-watchful in guarding against my weaknesses, 
cherishing Your grace, 
keeping Your laws,
and coming to salvation.

May I learn from You the passing nature of this world, 
the grandness of heaven, 
the shortness of this life,
and the life to come eternal.

Grant that I may prepare for death, 
fear judgment, 
flee from Hell, 
and obtain paradise.
Grant this though Christ our Lord. Amen.

Breaking: Nigerian Gunman Kills Students

At least 20 students have been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Mubi, north-eastern Nigeria, a police source has told the BBC. The attack happened at a student hostel away from the Federal Polytechnic Mubi campus, the source said. A lecturer told the BBC that more than 40 students had been killed but there has been no official comment. The reported killing comes days after a major operation against the Boko Haram militant group in the town.

Western Double Speak: Nuclear Iran v Environment Protection

Nicodemus Minde

October 1, 2012: Iran has always provided us with interesting foreign policy perspectives. The phases of Iran foreign policy have witnessed a different treatise ever since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This defining moment in their history has continued to shape their politics and relations with other nations. It is difficult to argue that there is a consistent foreign policy behavior in any state. The only consistent factor in defining foreign policy behavior has always been consistent national interests. States, in the realist tradition will always pursue policies consistent to their national interests, which in most occasions are state survival, security and prosperity. The Islamic theocracy under Ayatollah Khomeini was modeled on anti-imperialism establishment and a return to Islamic values which had been eroded by the ousted Western backed Shah of Iran. Contemporary Iran was labeled ‘axis of evil’ by the former US president George Bush on the pretext sponsoring terrorism. Further deluge has been generated by Iran’s nuclear ambition. Iran has consistently said that they seek to enrich uranium for peaceful uses of nuclear energy. My preposition is that Iran should be given the benefit of the doubt and not be subjected to pernicious economic sanctions. 

Iran is a signatory of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a key player of the International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA). The NPT which is built on three pillars of ‘Non-proliferation’, ‘disarmament’, and ‘peaceful use’ is the principle international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. Israel, the ardent critic of nuclear Iran is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons and to be the sixth country in the world to develop them. It is one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized as a Nuclear Weapons State by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the others being India, Pakistan and North Korea. Israel maintains a policy known as "nuclear ambiguity" (also known as "nuclear opacity"). Yet it has always questioned the intentions of Iran, which subscribes to the dictates of the NPT and the IAEA. The other ardent critic of Iran nuclear process is the US. The US has gone on to draft sanction policies to Iran due to Iran’s pursuit of nuclear program for peaceful energy purposes. The same countries slapping these sanctions have not been cooperative to the environmental treaties that call for the minimizing of poisonous gases that cause global warming and climate change. 

The Kyoto protocol and many other subsequent climate conferences such as the Copenhagen and Durban have been a failure mainly due to frustrating efforts by the same Western powers that see Iran’s pursuit of nuclear power as wrong. States that advocate for environmental protection should also do the noble task of punishing those who don’t conform to international environment treaties the same manner they are ‘dealing’ with Iran.