#Neverforget To Tweet | China Detains Muslims | Suicide Bomber Attack

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.” – Christopher Hitchens

China Detains Muslims: Hotan is an ancient oasis town in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in western China between the Taklamakan desert and the Karakoram mountains. Xinjiang’s population is predominantly Uyghur, a Turkic ethnic group who practice Islam. Since 2014, China’s leader Xi Jinping has been building hundreds of “re-education” camps outside Hotan as part of an aggressive “deradicalization” campaign to remove any devotion to Islam by changing these Chinese Muslims into traditional People’s Republic loyalists. Hundreds of thousands, by some estimates a million, Uyghurs as well as Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities have been swept up and detained inside these camps, subjected to a relentless form of brainwashing to get them to renounce their heritage and traditions. Some Uyghur families have been unable to harvest their crops because so many members have been taken away. The mass internments have been breaking families apart, by forcing members to disown their kin or by separating small children from their parents.

In addition to mass detentions, the government has increased the use of informants and intensified police surveillance, even putting cameras inside some homes. Human rights experts and activists say the campaign has traumatized Uyghur society, fracturing communities and splintering families. Chinese officials deny reports of abuses, saying there is “no arbitrary detention” and “no such thing as re-education centers,” describing the facilities as mild corrective institutions that provide job training. Xi’s government says the program (read: crackdown) is “winning the war” against Islamic terrorism and separatism, which it blames for violence in recent years, although any real information about such violence is incomplete and censored. However, those who have managed to leave the indoctrination camps have said, rather than producing converts, they are hardening public attitudes against Beijing.

Additional read: “‘Human impulses run riot’: China’s shocking pace of change: Thirty years ago, politics was paramount. Now, only money counts. China’s leading novelist examines a nation that has transformed in a single lifetime.” (Guardian)

Suicide Bomber Attack: 32 civilians were killed and 128 were injured after a suicide bomber attacked a peaceful protest in eastern Afghanistan. The protest was in response to the government’s inactivity against violent taliban attacks that occur everyday in Afghanistan. In response to the attack, President Ashraf Ghani said, “The enemies of Afghanistan through such savagery cannot weaken the will of our people for a bright future and a stable country,” (WaPo)

Last Push Against ISIS In Syria: The final level stage in the war against ISIS in Syria has begun, as United States forces in coalition with Syrian forces have pushed into the final Islamic State territory remaining in Syria. Seized almost four years ago, Hajin is the final outpost for militants of the Islamic State and will be a “long and hard fight” according to Colonel Sean J. Ryan. (NYT)

More YouTube Drama: Viktor Zolotov, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has challenged noted Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to a duel during an awkward, yet tense Youtube video. The Russian official stated that he would “make a nice, juicy steak” out of Navalny. (Guardian)

The Luck You Of The Irish: President Trump has cancelled his trip to Ireland in November after groups promised protests upon his arrival. The Green Party has strongly opposed the visit since it had been first announced, stating that the American president’s demeanor and actions strongly oppose traditional Irish beliefs and values. (Guardian)

– “A Spy Story: Sergei Skripal Was a Little Fish. He Had a Big Enemy.: Six months ago, Mr. Skripal was found beside his daughter, Yulia, slumped on a bench in an English city, hallucinating and foaming at the mouth.” (NYT)

– “Pakistan has second thoughts on Chinese investment. It probably won’t be the last country to get cold feet: A top adviser to newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan said this week that Pakistan should rethink investments from China, raising the possibility of a U-turn that would be a major setback for Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.” (WaPo)

#Neverforget To Tweet: September 11th is a day of grief and remembrance. It is also a day for Trump to jump on Twitter and rant about the FBI and Department of Justice. Intermixed with tweets of remembrance Trump alleged that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page’s anti-Trump texts were a part of a “media leak strategy.”

Future Failing NYT Best Seller: With the release of Bob Woodward’s tell all book, “Fear: Trump In The White House” it is becoming increasingly clear that Trump’s staffers are the glue holding the administration together. The book is full of tales of Trump having to be reigned in and controlled by his administration. Woodward, while very critical of Trump, makes it clear that he believes that Trump can become more fit for the presidency with the right help and aid. (Slate)

Take The Car Off Cruz And Drive: Ted Cruz is a pretty unlucky guy. He lost the GOP nomination to Trump, was caught favoriting a raunchy tweet, and is often referred to as the Zodiac Killer (Google that nonsense)–which might explain why the GOP is desperately doing all they can to support Cruz in his current campaign. After seeing his lead slipping in favor of Democrat Beto O’Rourke, the GOP is calling up donors and sending Trump to do pro-Cruz political rallies in Texas. (Politico)

– “The Rio Grande Is Dying. Does Anyone Care?: Drained by farmers and divided by treaty, America’s second-longest river is running dry.” (NYT)

– “Renouncing Hate: What Happens When a White Nationalist Repents: …we’re seeing the emergence of a new type of redemption story: that of the white supremacist turned antiracist crusader.” (NYT)

– “Germany’s Nazi Past Is Still Present: It is often held up as a model liberal democracy that has fully reckoned with its horrendous crimes. It hasn’t.” (NYT)

– “Can Anyone Stop Australia’s Slut Shaming?: Following a spate of sexist taunts, one politician who was told to “stop shagging men” is fighting back.” (NYT)

– “Liberals Don’t Know Much About Conservative History: And both sides suffer for it.” Tomato tomahto. Potato potahto. Health care health cahre. Let’s call the whole thing off! (Politico)

– “The Real Cost of the 2008 Financial Crisis: The aftermath produced a lost decade for European economies and helped lead to the rise of anti-establishment political movements here and abroad.” (New Yorker)

– “Why It’s So Hard to Put ‘Future You’ Ahead of You: ‘What will my life be like after I make this decision?’’’ (NYT)

– “Don’t Let Immigrant Children Rot: If the Trump administration gets its way, the government will be able to detain the children indefinitely.” (NYT)

– “Can Mark Zuckerberg Fix Facebook Before it Breaks Democracy?: The most famous entrepreneur of his generation is facing a public reckoning with the power of Big Tech.” (New Yorker)

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