Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 9, 2021, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A16 A 16 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMNEWS I WORLD 88% of business owners report positive experiences for their companies in hir ing persons with disabi l it ies FINDINGS ON EMPLOYMENT & DISABILITY 01 Only about one-in-five employers report having an excel lent understanding of the Accessibi l ity for Manitobans Act (AMA) 02 03 04 05 5@/1, 9$= B5).9145 6D?.)=?? :=5A=/? <)A=# Six-in-ten business leaders indicate that providing a basic income requires a significant degree of attention Four-in-ten employers admit they know litt le to nothing about the Accessibi l ity for Manitobans Act (AMA) that became law in 2013 More than one third of Manitoba companies employ a person with a disabi l ity October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) learn more at manitobapossible.ca 7595 21,0.%=A .) 5 B5).9145 '1??.4%= 21,,.??.1)=A '/14= !=?=5/2$ ?D/>=! 1@ +CC B5).9145 4D?.)=??=? @/1, 5%% ,5*1/ ?=291/? 1@ B5).9145 .)AD?9/! .) +C-" 4=@1/= 9$= 3&(<7;-" 05)A=,.28 M OSCOW — Journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their fight for freedom of expres- sion in countries where reporters have faced persistent attacks, harassment and even murder. Ressa and Muratov were honoured for their “courageous” work but also were considered “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions,” said Berit Reiss- Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Ressa in 2012 co-founded Rappler, a news website that the committee noted had focused critical attention on Presi- dent Rodrigo Duterte’s “controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign” in the Philippines. She and Rappler “have also docu- mented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse,” it said. Muratov was one of the founders in 1993 of the independent Russian news- paper Novaya Gazeta, which the Nobel committee called “the most independ- ent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power.” “The newspaper’s fact-based jour- nalism and professional integrity have made it an important source of infor- mation on censurable aspects of Rus- sian society rarely mentioned by other media,” it added, noting that six of its journalists were killed since its found- ing. Ressa, the first Filipino to win the peace prize and the first woman to be honoured this year with an award by the Nobel committee, was convicted last year of libel and sentenced to jail in a decision seen as a major blow to press global freedom. Currently out on bail but facing seven active legal cases, Ressa, 58, said she hopes the award will bolster investiga- tive journalism “that will hold power to account.” “This relentless campaign of harass- ment and intimidation against me and my fellow journalists in the Philippines is a stark example of a global trend,” she told The Associated Press. She also pointed to social media giants such as Facebook as a serious threat to democracy, saying “they ac- tually prioritized the spread of lies laced with anger and hate over facts.” “I didn’t think that what we are go- ing through would get that attention. But the fact that it did also shows you how important the battles we face are, right?” she said. “This is going to be what our elections are going to be like next year. It is a battle for facts. When you’re in a battle for facts, journalism is activism.” Muratov, 59, said he sees the prize as an award to Novaya Gazeta journalists and contributors who were killed, in- cluding Anna Politkovskaya, who cov- ered Russia’s bloody conflict in Chech- nya. “It’s a recognition of the memory of our fallen colleagues,” he said. “Since the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t awarded posthumously, they came up with this so that Anya could take it, but through other, second hands,” Muratov said, referring to Politkovskaya. According to the Committee to Pro- tect Journalists, 17 media workers were killed in the Philippines in the last dec- ade and 23 in Russia. Muratov said he would use part of his share of the 10 million Swedish kronor (US$1.14 million) prize money to help independent media as well as a Moscow hospice and children with spinal mus- cular problems. He said he wouldn’t keep any of the money himself. Former Soviet leader and 1990 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mikhail Gorba- chev used some of his award to help fund what would become Novaya Gaz- eta. He congratulated Muratov, calling him “a wonderful, brave and honest journalist and my friend.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also praised Muratov as a “talented and brave” person who “has consistently worked in accordance with his ideals.” But Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s en- voy to international organizations in Vienna, tweeted that Novaya Gazeta’s editorial policy “has nothing to do with strengthening peace” and that “such controversial decisions diminish the value of the Prize.” Moscow-based political analyst Ab- bas Gallyamov said the award marked “a painful strike to the Russian author- ities... because the freedom of speech and the principles of independent jour- nalism are an evil in the eyes of Rus- sian authorities.” As part of a new crackdown on in- dependent journalists in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, the govern- ment has designated some of them “foreign agents,” saying they received funding from abroad and engaged in undescribed “political activities.” Mu- ratov said he asked government offi- cials who congratulated him if he would now also receive that designation, but received no reply. The state RIA Novosti news agency quoted lawmaker Alexander Bashkin as saying the Nobel wouldn’t fall under the definition of foreign funding under the bill on foreign agents. Hours after the prize announcement, the Russian Justice Ministry added nine more journalists to its list of for- eign agents. Muratov on Friday denounced the foreign agent bill as a “shameless” at- tempt to muzzle independent voices. Referring to the hopes by many in Russia that the prize should go to imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Muratov said he would have voted for him if he were on the commit- tee, saying that he admires Navalny’s courage and adding that “everything is still ahead for him.” Some critics have questioned if hon- oring journalists respected the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel and its original purpose to prevent war, but Re- iss-Andersen said freedom of expres- sion was essential to peace. “Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propa- ganda,” she said. “Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations, disarma- ment and a better world order to suc- ceed in our time.” She also cited the danger of misinfor- mation and attacks on journalists by leaders denouncing them as purveyors of “fake news.” “Conveying fake news and informa- tion that is propaganda and untrue is also a violation of freedom of expres- sion, and all freedom of expression has its limitations. That is also a very im- portant factor in this debate,” she said. Media rights group Reporters With- out Borders celebrated the announce- ment, expressing “joy and urgency.” Director Christophe Deloire called it “an extraordinary tribute to journal- ism, an excellent tribute to all journal- ists who take risks everywhere around the world to defend the right to informa- tion.” “Journalism is in danger, journalism is weakened, journalism is threatened. Democracies are weakened by disinfor- mation, by rumors, by hate speech,” said Deloire, whose group has worked with Ressa and Muratov to defend de- fend journalism in their countries and comes under regular criticism from au- thoritarian governments. — The Associated Press Peace prize awarded to ‘courageous’ journalists Ressa, Muratov honoured by Nobel Committee for fight for freedom of expression VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, KIKO ROSARIO AND VANESSA GERA RAPPLER VIA AP; ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa reacts after receiving the news of winning the Nobel Peace Prize in Manila Friday. Right: Dmitry Muratov talks to media at the Novaya Gazeta newspaper in Moscow. KABUL, Afghanistan — An Islamic State sui- cide bomber struck at a mosque packed with Shi- ite Muslim worshippers in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 46 people and wound- ing dozens in the latest security challenge to the Taliban as they transition from insurgency to governance. In its claim of responsibility, the region’s IS affiliate identified the bomber as a Uygher Mus- lim, saying the attack targeted both Shiites and the Taliban for their purported willingness to expel Uyghers to meet demands from China. The statement was carried by the IS-linked Aamaq news agency. The blast tore through a crowded mosque in the city of Kunduz during Friday noon pray- ers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week. It was the latest in a series of IS bombings and shootings that have targeted Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers, as well as religious institutions and minority Shiites since U.S. and NATO troops left in August. The blast blew out windows, charred the ceil- ing and scattered debris and twisted metal across the floor. Rescuers carried one body out on a stretcher and another in a blanket. Blood stains covered the front steps. A resident of the area, Hussaindad Rezayee, said he rushed to the mosque when he heard the explosion, just as prayers started. “I came to look for my relatives, the mosque was full,” he said. The worshippers targeted in Friday’s were Hazaras, who have long suffered from double discrimination as an ethnic minority and as fol- lowers of Shiite Islam in a majority Sunni coun- try. The Islamic State group and the Taliban, who seized control of the country with the exit of the foreign troops, are strategic rivals. IS militants have targeted Taliban positions and attempted to recruit members from their ranks. In the past, the Taliban managed to contain the IS threat in tandem with U.S. and Afghan airstrikes. Without these, it remains unclear whether the Taliban can suppress what appears to be a growing IS footprint. The militants, once confined to the east, have penetrated the capital of Kabul and other provinces with new attacks. This comes at a critical moment, as the Tali- ban attempt to consolidate power and transform their guerrilla fighters into a structured police and security force. But while the group attempts to project an air of authority through reports of raids and arrests of IS members, it remains un- clear if it has the capability to protect soft tar- gets, including religious institutions. The Biden administration condemned Friday’s attack. “The Afghan people deserve a future free of terror,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. In Kunduz, police officials were still picking up the pieces Friday at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque. Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi told The Associated Press that 46 worshipers were killed and 143 wounded in the explosion. He said an investigation was under way. The death toll of 46 is the highest in an attack since foreign troops left Afghanistan. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack as “part of a disturbing pattern of violence” targeting religious institu- tions. A prominent Shiite cleric, Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, called on the Taliban to provide se- curity for the Shiites of Afghanistan. “We expect the security forces of the government to provide security for the mosques since they collected the weapons that were provided for the security of the worship places,” he said. Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief in Kunduz pledged to protect minorities in the province. “I assure our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their safety,” he said. The new tone struck by the Taliban, at least in Kunduz, is in sharp contrast to the well-docu- mented history of Taliban fighters committing a litany of atrocities against minorities, including Hazaras. The Taliban, now feeling the weight of governing, employed similar tactics to those of IS during their 20-year insurgency, including suicide bombings and shooting ambushes. And they have not halted attacks on Hazaras. Earlier this week, a report by Amnesty Inter- national found the Taliban unlawfully killed 13 Hazaras, including a 17-year-old girl, in Day- kundi province, after members of the security forces of the former government surrendered. In Kunduz province, Hazaras make up about 6 per cent of the province’s population of nearly 1 million people. The province also has a large eth- nic Uzbek population that has been targeted for recruitment by the IS, which is closely aligned with the militant Islamic Movement of Uzbek- istan. Friday’s attack was the third to target a place of worship or religious study in a week. IS has also claimed two deadly bombings in Kabul, including the horrific Aug. 26 bombing that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. mil- itary personnel outside of Kabul airport in the final days of the chaotic American pullout from Afghanistan. IS also claimed a bombing on Sunday outside Kabul’s Eid Gah Mosque that killed at least five civilians. Another attack on a madrassa, a reli- gious school, in Khost province on Wednesday was not claimed. If Friday’s attack is claimed by IS, it will also be worrying for Afghanistan’s northern Central Asian neighbors and Russia, which has been courting the Taliban for years as an ally against the creeping IS in the region. — The Associated Press Islamic State bomb kills 46 inside Afghan mosque SAMYA KULLAB AND TAMEEM AKHGAR A_16_Oct-09-21_FP_01.indd A16 10/8/21 9:57 PM ;