Patriarch Kirill wishes Russians on Christmas to ‘stay on the light side’

MOSCOW, January 7. /TASS/. Christmas is an important holiday for religious Russians, which gives people an opportunity to get together at the table and exchange gifts. However, the most important thing is that the Russians remain "on the side of the light" despite temptations, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said in a Christmas interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel.

The patriarch said he hopes that "our people stay on the side of the light, despite all these temptations, all soul-destroying information flow that people are facing today. So that people can see the light and stay on the side of the light" he said.

The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church also urged Russians not to abandon the feast and gifts, since this is also an important dimension of human life.

"We know how good it is when the family gathers around the table, when close people visit, when there is an opportunity to communicate, support each other, rejoice together. Therefore, all this should remain," he added.

According to the patriarch, educated political elites and a united society are able to respond to current challenges and tasks that Russia faces. "A very big responsibility lies with those who have power. It is not only about the president or the prime minister, it is about all those people who responsibly exercise power today, and not only about them. … The future of the country is our common business. And if we are united in the implementation of it, if we have clear goals, that we want good for our people, we want Russia to be independent, strong, self-sufficient, we should act and think united," he said.

According to the patriarch, cultural and spiritual foundation plays an important role in forming elites and consolidating society. He recalled that the united society should be built on spiritual and moral education, and not on consumer ideology.

http://tass.com/society/1039077

Good Leaders Should Love the People They Lead

When I was a teenager, my grandfather, a captain in the Marines, told me a story about a general he met during the Vietnam War. When my grandfather went to meet this general, he found him making calls to save a group of Marines, after a rescue mission had turned into a full-scale battle.

The Marines have a creed to never abandon a fellow Marine, dead or alive. A group of Marines had been ambushed while trying to recover the bodies of another unit, and the next group that was sent in as reinforcements was also ambushed.

The general was desperately trying to save these young men. He turned to my grandfather with tears running down his cheeks and said, “My boys are dying out there.”

When my grandfather spoke of good leaders, this was often the anecdote he used.

A core trait of a good leader is to love the people you’re in charge of. The Han Dynasty text “Guiguzi” states, “One with talent but no kindness cannot command an army.”

How a leader regarded those in his charge was among the key traits that separated sage kings from tyrants. It was the virtue that determined whether a military leader cared about how his choices affected the well-being of his men, and whether a ruler cared about how a policy affected the everyday lives of his people.

In this same light, a boss can run an efficient and well-ordered company and still be hated by his employees. A man can have a well-ordered home and still be despised by his wife.

The reason is that being able to lead does not necessarily make someone a good leader. Efficiency, order, and even tangible results are not always the mark of a good leader. History is filled with great leaders who weren’t necessarily good men, and while their accomplishments might have been far-reaching, they left tainted legacies.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/good-leaders-should-love-the-people-they-lead_2742533.html

New anti-EU league? Italian Minister Salvini to visit Polish conservative leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski

A new anti-EU league is in the works. In a meeting in Warsaw on 9 January, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party chief Jaroslaw Kaczynski will meet to discuss “special relations”, which could be a major force in the next European Parliament.

In a radio interview with station RMF on Saturday, Jacek Czaputowicz, Poland’s foreign minister, said:

“It’s a meeting at the highest level. If [party]president Kaczynski meets another politician, it’s a sign of a certain special relationship, which is how we are treating it”. He added, “We have to discuss matters related to the European Parliament”.

It remains unclear what the meeting will deliver but that Salvini and Kaczynski will “exchange ideas … on how the European Union should function”.

“The message [of Wednesday’s meeting]is: the Polish government is shifting its position to the anti-European fringe,” Civic Platform MP Slawomir Nitras said.

“It [the Polish government]is not just sceptical [of the EU], it’s joining up with forces who are thinking of how to dismantle the European Union,” he added.

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, former Polish prime minister who left PiS says: “If he [Salvini] … persuades Law and Justice to join, it will be one of the largest groups in the next European Parliament”.

Presently, Salvini has already spoken to French and Dutch right-wing parties, France’s National Rally and the Netherland’s Party for Freedom, convincing them to join.

If PiS and Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party join, that could mean 140 MEPs making it the third largest in the European Parliament.

There is speculation that Salvini could call for a snap election in Italy and become the Prime Minister. His party has surged to incredible heights in opinion polls. This along with PiS, if they win their elections this year, which is expected, the new group would have two leaders of two of the EU’s G6.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/01/new-anti-eu-league-italian-minister-salvini-to-visit-polish-conservative-leader-jaroslaw-kaczynski/

Juncker’s criticism deepens divide between Eastern and Western Europe

Experts say Juncker’s criticism of Romania will not help, on the contrary, it risks deepening differences between Eastern and Western Europe.

Whilst the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said Romania is technically prepared he said.

“I think the government in Bucharest has not yet fully understood what it means to take over the presidency of the EU. Prudent negotiations require a willingness to listen to others, and the firm will keep their own interests aside”.

EU expert Jan Kovář has said:

“I do not think Juncker can know how they can handle it before the presidency starts. This will be seen in the course of the process – especially during the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework”.

Despite Romania’s internal political issues, Juncker’s words are exaggerated and too soon to come to a verdict. Vít Dostál, an expert of the Association for International Affairs says, “It is definitely not ok from the European Commission chief.

What he said was exaggerated. It is a typical example of the politicisation of the European Commission that is totally useless.

He did not help anyone, it was pointless and on the contrary, he even worsens the atmosphere – the cooperation of the Romanian Presidency with the European Commission is certainly not going to be easier”.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/01/junckers-criticism-deepens-divide-between-eastern-and-western-europe-experts/

China passes law to make Islam 'compatible with socialism'

New decree seeks to 'guide Islam', as crackdown against Muslims and Islamic symbols continues.

China has passed a new law that seeks to "Sinicize" Islam within the next five years, the latest move by Beijing to rewrite how the religion is practised.

China's main English newspaper, Global Times, reported on Saturday that after a meeting with representatives from eight Islamic associations, government officials "agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion."

The newspaper did not provide further details or the names of the associations that agreed to the decree.

China has embarked on an aggressive "Sinification" campaign in recent years with faith groups that were largely tolerated in the past seeing their freedoms shrink under Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

OPINION

China holds one million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps

Khaled A Beydoun

by Khaled A Beydoun

Practising Islam has been made forbidden in parts of China, with individuals caught praying, fasting, growing a beard or wearing a hijab, a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion, facing the threat of arrest.

According to the UN, more than one million Uighur Muslims are estimated to be held in internment camps where they are forced to denounce the religion and pledge allegiance to the officially atheist ruling Communist Party.

Rights groups have accused China of engaging in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. In August, a Washington Post editorial said the world "can't ignore" the campaign against Muslims.

Islamic crescents and domes have been stripped from mosques, and according to the Associated Press news agency, religious schools and Arabic classes have been banned and children barred from participating in Muslim activities.

China has rejected the criticism, saying it protects the religion and culture of its minorities

However, in the past week alone, authorities in China's Yunnan province, which borders Mynamar, have closed three mosques established by the marginalised Hui Muslim ethnic minority, the South China Morning Post has reported..

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/china-passes-law-islam-compatible-socialism-190105185031063.html?fbclid=IwAR2L0-PSjOqNIsC2ObURYtWaDTyN2qqZHlF0EJeU2nTcieUUN_tAIIdj5UE