Protesters from the “Danish Patriots” demonstrate in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark July 24, 2023. (Reuters)
Protesters set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Iraqi Embassy in Denmark's capital of Copenhagen on Monday, drawing condemnation from Iraq and other Muslim-majority countries.
“This applies to the burning of Qurans and other religious symbols. It has no other purpose than to provoke and create division,” he said. He noted, however, that burning religious books was not a crime in Denmark.
It was the second time in just a few days protesters from an ultranationalist group called Danish Patriots burned the Quran, following similar acts by different groups in neighboring Sweden.
The acts have set off public protests in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan and elsewhere.
Swedish and Danish officials have condemned the desecration of the Quran but allowed such actions to go forward under the countries' freedom of expression and right to protest laws.
On Monday, the Iraqi government called on European countries to "reconsider" those laws.
On Sunday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a coalition of 57 Muslim countries, suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over the string of Quran burnings, saying the decision was due to the “granting by the Swedish authorities of licenses that enabled the repeated abuse of the sanctity of the Holy Quran and Islamic symbols”.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry “strongly condemns, again, the repetition of the burning of a copy of the holy Qur’an in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark,” it said. Such acts allowed “the virus of extremism and hate” to pose “a real threat to the peaceful coexistence of societies.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also condemned the Qur’an burning. “These provocative and shameful acts do not represent the views of the Danish government. I appeal to all to deescalate — violence must never be the response,” he said.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry called on authorities in European countries to “quickly reconsider so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate.”
Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani met ambassadors from EU countries on Monday, and criticized the Qur’an desecrations. He said such actions had “nothing to do with freedom of expression,” and called on EU countries to “fight such racist acts and all those that incite violence.”
Thursday’s anti-Islam demonstration in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, prompted Middle Eastern states, including Saudi Arabia and Iran, the region’s leading Sunni and Shia powers, to summon Swedish diplomats in protest.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday urged Sweden to hand over culprits to Islamic nations’ judiciaries.
“The Swedish government should know that by supporting the criminal who burnt the Holy Quran it has gone into battle array for war on the Muslim world,” he said on Twitter.
Bandara Kertajati di Kabupaten Majalengka, Jawa Barat(SHUTTERSTOCK/RANDY IMANUEL)
Keputusan pemerintah mengalihkan penerbangan sipil dari Bandara Husein Sastranegara, Kota Bandung ke Bandara Kertajati, Kabupaten Majalengka, Provinsi Jawa Barat (Jabar), terus menunai kontroversi. Keputusan itu disambut pro kontra oleh warga yang kerap bepergian menggunakan pesawat dari Bandara Husein Sastranegara.
Mahasiswa Universitas Padjajaran (Unpad), Izzah (27 tahun), menyampaikan, sikap tidak setuju dengan rencana peralihan rute penerbangan itu. Menurut mahasiswa asal Kota Makassar, Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan, tersebut, jarak antara Kota Bandung dan Bandara Kertajati terlalu jauh. Selain akses belum terjangkau, ia juga mendapati transportasi publik menuju bandara terbesar di Provinsi Jabar itu sangat terbatas.
"Jauh banget dari Bandung, transportasi juga tidak memadai, jadi mending dari Soetta (Bandara Soekarno-Hatta) aja sekalian kalau kaya gitu," ujar Izzah kepada media Republika di Kota Bandung, pada hari Senin, 24/7/2023.
Mahasiswa Unpad lainnya, Tia (26) juga menyampaikan penolakan atas rencana pemerintah pusat tersebut. Mahasiswa asal Kota Solok, Provinsi Sumatra Barat tersebut menilai, lokasi Bandara Kertajati memiliki jarak cukup jauh dari Kota Kembang. Sehingga jika bepergian memerlukan durasi lebih lama dan tiket berpotensi juga melonjak. "(Bandara Kertajati) itu jauh, transport susah, harga tiket juga mahal karena penumpang pasti berkurang," ucap Tia.
Sementara itu, Azi (26), warga Kopo, Kota Bandung, menganggap, sejatinya kebijakan Kementerian Perhubuangan (Kemenhub) itu memiliki kelebihan dan kekurangan. Kelebihannya adalah Bandara Kertajati memiliki luas tuang tunggu dan panjang landasan dibandingkan Bandara Husein Sastranegara. Dia menyebut,, Bandara Kertajati sangat mendukung untuk menampung lebih banyak rute penerbangan, baik nasional maupun internasional.
"Sedangkan di Husein itu karena lebih kecil jadi ada beberapa penerbangan yang tidak tersedia jadi harus ke Soetta," ujar Azi. Di sisi lain, ia mencatat, akses menuju Kertajati masih kurang memadai. Hal itu jelas menyulitkan calon penumpang.
Dia menyarankan, pemerintah memerlukan kesiapan yang matang dengan melengkapi sarana dan prasarana pendukung demi memastikan kenyamanan penumpang sebelum diberlakukannya peralihan penerbangan. Dengan begitu, penumpang nantinya tidak dirugikan.
"Minusnya sarana menuju kertajati yang masih kurang mendukung jalanan, tranportasi umum, dan fasilitas pendukung lainnya masih kurang lengkap sehingga ini akan menjadi kendala dalam mengakses bandara tersebut," terang Azi.
Dengan penutupan Bandara Husein Sastranegara, warga Kota Bandung dan sekitarnya bakal dibuat lebih repot jika ingin terbang menuju Bandara Kertajati. Ke depannya, warga Kota Bandung harus menempuh jarak lebih dari 100 km menyusuri tol agar bisa sampai di bandara terbesar di Provinsi Jabar tersebut.
Jika warga Kota Bandung ingin terbang dari Bandara Kertajati dan masuk tol dengan mengebut konstans di kecepatan 100 km per jam, setidaknya membutuhkan waktu satu jam di dalam tol saja. Hal itu masuk akal karena Tol Cisumdawu masih terbilang sepi.
Hanya saja, tarif Tol Cisumdawu terbilang mahal. Menteri Menteri Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahan Rakyat (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono menjelaskan, tarif Tol Cisumdawu sekitar Rp 1.275 per km. Dengan begitu, penumpang yang naik mobil pribadi harus mengeluarkan uang sekitar Rp 79 ribu untuk tol sepanjang 60 km saja. Menurut Basuki, Tol Cisumdawu terhubung dengan Tol Cipali.
"Sudah resmi (Cisumdawu terkoneksi ke Cipali), kemarin juga saya dari Kertajati langsung ke sini (Tol Cisumdawu). Kita ingin fungsional Bandara (Kertajati) biar lebih maksimal," kata Basuki.
Jokowi melanjutkan, saat ini, Bandara Kertajati sudah terhubung dengan Tol Cisumdawu. Dengan begitu perjalanan masyarakat, khususnya dari Kota Bandung akan makin singkat dan lebih mudah ke Kertajati.
"Plus ini telah selesai dan diresmikan Tol Cisumdawu, sehingga jarak tempuh antara Bandara Kertajati dan Bandung hanya kurang lebih satu jam ini juga akan mempercepat perkembangan Bandara Kertajati," ucap Jokowi.
Pemerintah Kota (Pemkot) Bandung mendukung rencana pemerintah pusat yang akan memindahkan seluruh penerbangan dari Bandara Husein Sastranegara, Kota Bandung ke Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) Kertajati di Kabupaten Majalengka mulai Oktober 2023.
Dengan begitu, nantinya Bandara Husein akan tertutup bagi penerbangan sipil. Masyarakat Kota Bandung dan sekitarnya yang ingin terbang ke berbagai daerah dan luar negeri nantinya bisa memanfaatkan Tol Cisumdawu untuk menuju Bandara Kertajati.
Pelaksana Harian (Plh) Wali Kota Bandung, Ema Sumarna mengatakan, Pemkot Bandung akan menyiapkan langkah adaptif agar kunjungan wisatawan ke Kota Kembang tidak anjlok.
"Kita yang di bawah pasti akan mendukung kebijakan Pemerintah Pusat," kata Ema usai mendampingi Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) di Pasar Cihapit, Kota Bandung, hari Rabu, 12/07/2023.
Tim gabungan dari Satreskrim Polres Sukabumi, Polsek Nagrak dan dokter forensik RSUD Sekarwangi Cibadak saat melakukan autopsi terhadap jenazah Mandala Aditya Pratama di Kampung Selaawihilir, Desa Cibunarjaya, Kecamatan Ciambar, Kabupaten Sukabumi, Jabar pada Selasa, (25/7/2023). ANTARA/Aditya Rohman
Satuan Reserse Kriminal Polres Sukabumi melakukan autopsi jenazah Mandala Aditya Pratama (13), pelajar SMPN 1 Ciambar, Kabupaten Sukabumi, Jawa Barat, yang meninggal dunia diduga akibat tenggelam di Sungai Cileuluy saat mengikuti kegiatan Masa Pengenalan Lingkungan Sekolah (MPLS), hari Sabtu, 22/07/2023.
"Autopsi dilaksanakan hari ini mulai pukul 08.00 WIB hingga selesai. Kegiatan ini merupakan rangkaian penyelidikan Polres Sukabumi untuk mengungkap penyebab kematian dari korban," kata Kapolres Sukabumi Ajun Komisaris Besar Polisi Maruly Pardede di Sukabumi, Selasa.
Menurut Maruly, pelaksanaan autopsi ini melibatkan tim gabungan dari Satreskrim Polres Sukabumi, Polsek Nagrak dan dokter forensik RSUD Sekarwangi Cibadak.
Pelaksanaan autopsi dilakukan di lokasi jenazah Mandala Aditya Pratama dikuburkan di Kampung Selaawihilir, RT 02/06, Desa Cibunarjaya, Kecamatan Ciambar. Pelaksanaan autopsi dijaga ketat oleh personel gabungan dari Polres Sukabumi dan Polsek Nagrak.
Kegiatan autopsi jenazah pelajar kelas VII ini merupakan upaya kepolisian dalam mencari penyebab kematian korban untuk kepentingan penyelidikan lebih lanjut hingga ke tahap penyidikan.
"Kami menangani kasus ini secara profesional dan serius. Hasil dari autopsi ini sangat penting untuk mengungkap penyebab tewasnya Mandala saat mengikuti kegiatan MPLS dan untuk memperkuat jalannya penyelidikan," tambah Kapolres.
Sebelumnya, polisi juga sudah melakukan olah tempat kejadian perkara (TKP) di lokasi tenggelamnya korban di Sungai Cileuluy, Kampung Selaawi, Desa Cibunarjaya, Kecamatan Ciambar, serta meminta keterangan dari pihak sekolah dan rekan-rekan korban yang mengikuti kegiatan MPLS.
Di sisi lain, Kapolres mengimbau masyarakat untuk tidak memercayai isu maupun informasi yang tidak bisa dipertanggungjawabkan serta meminta semua pihak untuk memercayakan penanganan kasus kematian pelajar di Ciambar ini kepada aparat kepolisian.
Mandala Aditya Pratama ditemukan masyarakat dalam kondisi meninggal dunia di aliran Sungai Cileuluy saat mengikuti MPLS yang diselenggarakan pihak sekolah pada hari Sabtu, 22/07/2023.
Korban sempat mengikuti berbagai kegiatan MPLS, mulai dari lintas alam dan makan bersama dengan rekan-rekannya. Namun, setelah kegiatan tersebut bubar, Mandala tidak kunjung pulang ke rumahnya.
Orang tua korban yang khawatir kemudian menanyakan perihal kondisi anaknya itu kepada pihak sekolah dan baru menerima kabar sekitar pukul 16.00 WIB bahwa Mandala ditemukan dalam kondisi meninggal dunia dengan dugaan awal tenggelam di Sungai Cileuluy.
Ukrainian forces have spent over a month-and-a-half searching for weak spots in Russia’s defensive positions in Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson amid Kiev’s counteroffensive.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has released drone and bodycam footage showing Russian forces using man-portable thermobaric, rocket-assisted grenade launchers against an entrenched Ukrainian Army position in the Krasny Liman direction in northern Donetsk.
The footage shows Russian assault troops moving rapidly through the trenches, aiming their RPO-A Shmel single-use thermobaric rocket launchers at enemy positions and firing. Bird’s eye view drone footage shows the launchers’ powerful thermobaric rounds exploding in dense forest, much of it decimated after heavy fighting in the area.
The Defense Ministry told Sputnik that assault troops armed with Shmel rocket launchers and LPO-97 43mm pump action grenade launchers were deployed in the area, getting as close to an enemy stronghold as possible and pummeling it until its destruction after it was spotted by reconnaissance drone operators.
“We had a task in the Kremensk forests, where a machinegun point was identified, and the infantry couldn’t get through; they called us, we finished it off,” an assault unit commander going by the call sign Zhiga said.
Thermobaric weapons, also known as vacuum bombs, spray a combustible substance over an area and ignite it, resulting in oxygen from the surrounding air being sucked up and generating a high-temperature explosion. In the Shmel’s case, the explosion is deadly to any personnel in a 50 meter radius in open areas, and 80 cubic meters in an enclosed space. The US military has estimated that the RPO-A Shmel’s warhead has the same amount of power as a 107 mm artillery shell upon impact.
Along with the RPO-A, the Shmel has Z and D modifications (incendiary and smoke, respectively). The Shmel was first deployed to effect by Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, when it was dubbed the "Satan Pipe" by the CIA-backed Mujahedeen militias.
The RPO-A Shmel is used by more than a dozen nations, including Russia and other countries in the former Soviet space, plus Serbia, India, Vietnam, and North Korea.
Ukrainian Casualties During Offensive Amount to Over 350 Soldiers in Past Day - Russian MoD
The Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 350 soldiers over the past 24 hours during offensive attempts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday, adding that 11 Ukrainian attacks have been repelled.
According to the ministry, the Ukrainian military continued to make attempts to attack in Donetsk and Krasny Liman directions.
"Enemy losses amounted to over 160 Ukrainian servicemen [in the Donetsk direction], one tank, two vehicles, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mount, a UK-made FH-70 howitzer, and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer. An ammunition depot of the 110th mechanized brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the settlement of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Russian forces repelled five attacks in Liman direction and six attacks in Donetsk direction, according to the ministry.
"Enemy losses [in the Liman direction] amounted to 195 Ukrainian servicemen, four infantry fighting vehicles, four armored fighting vehicles, three pickup trucks, two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as D-20 and D-30 howitzers," the ministry said.
Moreover, the ministry said that Ukraine lost 120 soldiers in South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in the past 24 hours.
The ministry also said that Russian air defense forces have shot down 35 Ukrainian drones and intercepted one HIMARS long-range guided missile in Donbas, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions over past 24 hours.
Western leaders in private conversations cast doubt on Kiev's odds of winning at the Aspen Security Forum despite previously hailing Ukraine's alleged progress on the battlefield, according to the Western press. What's behind the change of heart?
Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and international consultant, told Sputnik that both Western officials and Washington insiders are "somewhat delusional, especially on the political level" when it comes to the Ukraine conflict.
"I think the overall perception is one of disappointment," Rasmussen said. "I think that a lot of the Western and Washington circles are somewhat delusional, especially on the political level. I think the military level knew that the whole adventure here was probably not the best."
"Ukraine was not going to win overall, but I think there was a lot of political pushing and this offensive was geared to break through. I'm not sure on the Pentagon side, but on the political side, I think a lot of them still did not fully realize, they still don't grasp the strength, the strategic position, the resolve on the Russian side, nor do they really understand the cultural issues and a lot of things they don't understand. And they're set on the one path."
Apparently, Team Biden still believes there would be a Ukrainian "breakthrough," and that the Russian military wouldn't be able to resist it, per the US military veteran. He referred to the US mainstream media that had been repeating for months that the Russian military was doomed to lose.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently insisted that Russia "already lost" while speaking to an American broadcaster. Commenting on Blinken's remark, CIA veteran Larry Johnson wrote on his blog on July 23 that "it is alarming that America’s top diplomat is so divorced from reality."
Unlike State Department officials, the Pentagon military leadership most likely understands Ukraine is unable to prevail, per Rasmussen.
US defense officials could hardly ignore heavy losses sustained by Ukraine in terms of military equipment and manpower since the beginning of the counteroffensive. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine has lost 26,000 servicemen, 21 airplanes, five helicopters, some 1,244 Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles, including 17 Leopard tanks, five French AMX wheeled tanks, 914 units of special vehicles, two air defense systems, and 25 MLRS vehicles.
"And so there's a shift in thought," Rasmussen said. "I think there's a division in thought processes between the military and the political leadership. But either way, I think everyone is, I would say, disappointed or disillusioned and are actually only now starting to realize this is not going good. And I think they feel trapped in a way."
In some respects, this shift in thought has been reflected in the recent reports by US press that, according to the expert, is no longer independent. In fact, some US leaders have realized they've gone down a rabbit hole and are now trying to shape public opinion through the media, the official noted.
"So, the media is actually validating some of the shifting and some of the discussions going on amongst the elite," the retired lieutenant colonel suggested.
Team Biden's Ukraine Project Started in Obama Era
At the same time, Rasmussen has drawn attention to the political inertia of Team Biden that has invested a lot in the Ukraine project. Per him, "a lot of this started back" during the Obama administration.
It's the same group of people that's involved in Ukraine, he noted, referring in particular to Blinken, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. For instance, Nuland actively participated in events surrounding the February 2014 coup d'etat in Kiev. An intercepted phone conversation in which she disparaged the EU and gave instructions on how to shape the future Ukrainian government stole headlines at the time.
"This is their lifelong project, their whole career projects and planning for this. And the offensive is a part of it. But it's kind of a last gasp to try to move something forward," Rasmussen said.
According to the US military veteran, the Ukrainian counteroffensive is doomed: the Ukrainian military are likely to face heavier losses. However, Team Biden does not care about it, as they are proceeding with their larger geopolitical plan, he noted.
Biden Can't Admit Defeat Before Elections
To complicate matters further, the Biden administration cannot admit its defeat in Ukraine before the 2024 election, he continued.
"No president in a wartime situation has ever lost a reelection," the expert remarked. "So they're hoping that somehow they can garner support to get (US President) Joe Biden across the finish line again. And notice all the opposition within the Democratic Party. [GOP 2024 contender] Robert Kennedy (Jr.), who's opposed to the war here, he's being demonized by the media and the political elite. You've got (former US President) Donald Trump, the counterpart on the other Republican side who's the primary opponent. He's being demonized and has five court cases now thrown against him."
"So there you got the Democratic primaries are no longer going to have any debates. It's just not a democracy anymore. Instead, we got free speech being put down, we've got censorship occurring," Rasmussen continued.
Dangerous Gambling by Biden Administration
Despite growing national debt and government deficit, the Biden administration is likely to double down on spending because the NATO proxy war in Ukraine benefits the US military industrial complex that contribute immensely to politicians, according to the retired lieutenant colonel.
"So they just will not accept the settlement, and will continue to go down," Rasmussen said. "It is like an addicted gambler. He loses a couple of hands, so he doubles down, loses more, he doubles down.
'I'm going to win it eventually.' And that's what it is. They just keep throwing money and money and money. And they're hoping, maybe that's going to at least get us through the election period and we can win the election and maybe then we can look for an off-ramp."
Seorang diplomat senior Jepang di Oregon diserang oleh seorang wanita pada bulan lalu dan menderita luka-luka, kata kementerian luar negeri Jepang pada hari Rabu, dalam apa yang dilaporkan media lokal sebagai dugaan kejahatan rasial anti-Asia.
Yuzo Yoshioka, 62, kepala kantor konsuler Jepang di Portland, didorong ke tanah oleh wanita itu saat berjalan sendirian di pusat kota AS bagian barat sekitar pukul 13.20 pada 17 Juni, kata kementerian itu. Wanita itu dilaporkan tunawisma.
Diplomat, yang mengalami luka di kepala setelah menabrak trotoar, dirawat di rumah sakit tetapi dipulangkan pada hari yang sama. Dia telah kembali bekerja, menurut kementerian.
Diplomat itu mengatakan kepada seorang petugas polisi bahwa penyerang mendorongnya tiba - tiba "tanpa alasan yang jelas", menurut sebuah laporan. Petugas melihat "banyak darah mengalir" ketika Yoshioka dibawa ke rumah sakit, kata laporan itu.
Tersangka penyerang, 23, telah didakwa dengan kejahatan bias kejahatan dan penyerangan, dan juga dituduh menyerang seorang pria keturunan Asia berusia 76 tahun pada Agustus tahun lalu, menurut media. Kementerian menolak untuk memberikan perincian tentang tersangka karena kasusnya masih dalam penyelidikan.
Polisi dapat melacak Robinson hingga ke US Bankcorp Tower, tempat dia dilaporkan bersembunyi sejak serangan itu. Menurut Departemen Sherrif Kabupaten Multnomah, dia dipesan di Central Precinct tidak lama setelah pukul 12:30.
Gambaran yang lebih besar: Robinson didakwa melakukan penyerangan tingkat empat dan kejahatan bias kejahatan. Dia juga didakwa dengan pencekikan sehubungan dengan insiden lain, yang juga melibatkan seorang korban Asia.
Catatan pengadilan dilaporkan menunjukkan bahwa insiden terbaru adalah bagian dari "pola yang lebih luas" dari serangan yang dilakukan Robinson terhadap orang Asia. Pada Agustus 2022, dia diduga menyerang senior Asia lainnya, 76, memukul kepalanya dan mencekiknya.
Pada Agustus 2021, Robinson diduga menargetkan seorang ibu dan bayinya di Pecinan Kota Tua, menendang kereta dorong bayi dan kemudian memberi tahu polisi bahwa dia "bermaksud melakukannya".
