Magic Statistics

This blog covers news from a lot of places around the world, but this is the time I’ve mentioned Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian republic formerly part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  (It’s the orange country bordering China.)  It’s in a remote part of the globe, but this is a very bizarre story.

Hak Ja Han, wife of Sun Myung Moon, founder and leader of the Unification Church, arrived in Kyrgyzstan last month and was publicly received by Kyrgyz academic and political leaders.  At a nationally televised formal ceremony, she handed out certificates to government officials, a UNESCO representative, and university administrators.

Other groups in the country are scandalized by what they see as a violation of Kyrgyzstan’s constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.

At the ceremony, certificates conferring the honorary title of “ambassador of peace” were handed out to a district government chief in Bishkek, the head of the Kyrgyz committee of UNESCO, and four university and college rectors.

The reaction that followed was swift, and highly critical of the decision by officials to publicly align themselves with the Unification Church.

The Forum of Young Politicians, a non-government association of young civil society leaders, led the attack, issuing a statement addressed to the Kyrgyz president and prime minister on June 22 saying the participating officials had contravened both the constitution and the law on public service, which require the secular institutions of state to remain separate from religion.

“It can’t be ruled out that this event was held with the cognisance of the country’s leadership - if not with its [explicit] approval, then with silent assent,” said Alisher Mamasaliev, a member of the youth forum’s coordinating council. “Had it been otherwise, the Moonies would not have been given the [state-owned] philharmonic hall.

He concluded by saying the officials concerned should face sanctions, including dismissal.

Mamasaliev said later that after making these critical remarks, he received several anonymous threatening phone calls. “This means that influential people in Kyrgyzstan are behind Moon’s sect,” he said.

This is not the first time a Unification Church leader has been officially received in Kyrgyzstan.  Rev Moon himself visited last October and was granted use of a state residence to meet with his followers.

Also, Tursunbek Akun, chair of the Kyrgyzstan human right commission, was made an “ambassador of peace” by the Moonie church while on a visit to South Korea.

The Moonies like to hand out those titles.

The leading religious groups in the country, Muslims and Orthodox Christians, are not happy with the Unification Church’s inroads among national leaders.  Muslim clerics have not commented on last month’s public ceremony, but an Orthodox priest said he had refused an invitation to attend.

Gordon O’Connor, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, re-iterated the Conservative Party’s election pledge to acquire at least three new icebreakers and construct a deep-sea port in the Arctic.  He made the remarks during a visit to Iqaluit earlier today.

O'Connor, who was in the Nunavut capital as part of a northern tour, said his government intends to make good on an election promise to protect northern sovereignty.
. . .
"My idea was icebreakers, heavy icebreakers, and they may ultimately be what we acquire, but the navy staff is also looking at other possibilities," O'Connor said.

A fundamental difference of defence philosophy is evident between our current defence minister and Bill Graham, minister in the former Liberal government.  Mr Graham said earlier this week that plans to bolster military presence in the North are “unwarranted” because he doesn’t “see a military threat in the North”.  Waiting until threats are visible seems (to me, anyway) an odd approach to protecting national sovereignty.

Previous related post: If we wait for an “immediate” threat, it’ll be too late

UPDATE (15 Jul.): Maclean's has more information about Mr O'Connor's plans.  He hopes to build a deep-sea port by 2007 at a yet-to-be-determined location in Nunavut, and has also promised a military training centre for Resolute, Cornwallis Island.

via Bourque. 

San José State University’s English Department has announced the results of the 2006 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, in which the worst opening sentences of bad hypothetical novels are recognised and appropriately rewarded.

The Grand Prize-winning sentence is a worthy honouree, but I agree with Darrell Pursiful of Disert Paths that the runner-up is even more memorable.  (I used it in my headline.)

"I know what you're thinking, punk," hissed Wordy Harry to his new editor, "you're thinking, 'Did he use six superfluous adjectives or only five?' - and to tell the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement; but being as this is English, the most powerful language in the world, whose subtle nuances will blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' - well do you, punk?"

In addition to the Grand Prize winner and Runner-up, bad opening sentences and their writers are recognised in the following categories: Adventure, Children’s Literature, Detective Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Purple Prose, Romance, Science Fiction, Western, and Vile Puns.  This year there is also a Special Salute to Breasts Category.  All winners, runners-up, and dishonourable mentions are posted here for your reading pleasure.

The contest is named in honour of Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, who penned the 1830 novel Paul Clifford with the immortal opening line:

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

A picture of the 2006 Grand Prize winner, and a ton of related links, can be found on this page.  The Lyttony of Grand Prize Winners lists all the winning sentences since the contest’s 1983 inception.

via Disert Paths.

Members of the European Parliament have condemned pillaging of churches and monasteries in northern Cyprus.

MEPs have adopted a written declaration condemning the pillage of Greek Orthodox churches and monasteries and the removal of their ecclesiastical items. MEPs call on the Commission and the Council to take the necessary actions to ensure respect for the Treaty and the protection and restoration of the affected churches to their original Greek Orthodox status. So far, 403 MEPs have signed the written declaration.

Since Turkish troops occupied northern Cyprus in 1974, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus has been unable to ensure respect for Article 151 of the EC Treaty, which calls for preservation and promotion of cultural heritage.  The MEP declaration notes that more than 133 churches, chapels, and monasteries in northern Cyprus have been desecrated since 1974.  78 churches have been turned into mosques, 28 used as military depots and hospitals, and 13 as stockyards.  Also, ecclesiastical items, including 15,000 icons, have been surreptiously removed.

Because this declaration arises from violation of a provision of the EC Treaty, continued occupation of northern Cyprus would appear to jeopardize Turkey’s application for EU membership.

The full English text of the declaration can be downloaded here (Word document).

via Le Salon Beige.  Thanks, Alphonso.

Previous related post: Christianity obliterated in northern Cyprus