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Photo: Fundamentalist Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, a political-action organisation to mobilise religious conservatives, with President Ronald Reagan. Credit: Salon.com

America’s Christian Right, Republicans and Donald Trump – 3

Viewpoint by John Newsinger*

This is the third of a six-part article originally published in International Socialism under the title The Christian right, the Republican Party and Donald Trump. Click here for part two of the series. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

LONDON (IDN) – Graham was, according to one of his biographers, by this time, “something like an extra officer in Nixon’s cabinet, the administration’s own Pastor-without- Portfolio”. Or as the left-wing journalist I. F. Stone put it, he was Nixon’s “smoother Rasputin, dishing out saccharine religiosity”.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 21 February 2020

Photo: Collage of Biram Dah Abeid from Mauritania and Shaparak Shajarizadeh of Iran.

Mauritanian Anti-Slavery and Iranian Women Rights Activist Presented Awards

By Jamshed Baruah

GENEVA (IDN) – Biram Dah Abeid, a descendant of former slaves who has been called "the Nelson Mandela of Mauritania", and Shaparak Shajarizadeh, a prominent Iranian women's rights activist have been honoured for their courage to fight gross violations of human rights

Abeid, founder of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), has mobilized tens of thousands of Mauritanians to protest slavery and the government's failure to apply anti-slavery laws.

: Jamshed Baruah; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 20 February 2020

Photo: Evangelical preacher Billy Graham, one of the key figures in the religious revival of the 1950s and beyond. Credit: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

America's Christian Right, Republicans and Donald Trump – 2

Viewpoint by John Newsinger*

This is the second of a six-part article originally published in International Socialism under the title The Christian right, the Republican Party and Donald Trump. Click here for part one of the series. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

LONDON (IDN) – And this was just one campaign. The American Legion, the veterans’ organisation which in 1952 claimed more than 2.7 million members, launched its own "Back to God" campaign, helping equip the country to combat the threat of atheistic communism.

: Phil Harris; THE WORLD; USA and Canada; 20 February 2020

Photo: Presidential and legislative elections in DR Congo. Credit: Africa Renewal.

2020 Is Election Season Across Africa

By Franck Kuwonu, Africa Renewal

NEW YORK (IDN) – Voters across the continent will be heading to the ballot box this year to choose their leaders in presidential, parliamentary and local elections ending with Ghana in December.

Comorians will be electing a new 33-member national assembly following presidential elections in 2019 while Ghanaians will select their parliamentarians and president on 7 December.

: Africa Renewal; THE WORLD; Africa; 20 February 2020

Photo credit: Illustration by Marco Ventura for Rolling Stone

America's Christian Right, Republicans and Donald Trump – 1

Viewpoint by John Newsinger*

This is the first of a six-part article originally published in International Socialism under the title The Christian right, the Republican Party and Donald Trump. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

LONDON (IDN) – Donald Trump was elected to the United States presidency in 2016 by the votes of the Christian right. Some 81 percent of evangelical Christians, who made up a third of the total electorate, voted for him.

: Phil Harris; THE WORLD; USA and Canada; 19 February 2020

Photo: People march against pipelines in Smithers, British Columbia, in May 2014. Credit: Office of the Wet'suwet'en/Francois Depey. Source: indianz.com

Canada's Colonial Settler Policies Alive and Well

Viewpoint by Jim Miles*

MONTREAL (IDN) – There is a lot of obfuscation and sloganeering about the Canada wide protests in support of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation of British Columbia and their resistance to corporate and governmental greed in pushing a natural gas pipeline through their traditional territory. On February 17, 2020 a CBC reporter cited – and probably paraphrased closely – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as saying his "most important relationship is with indigenous people".

: Suresh Jaura; THE WORLD; USA and Canada; 19 February 2020

Photo: Nikita Pearl Waligwa. Source: MyClallamCounty.com

Uganda's Queen of Katwe Star Dies of Brain Cancer

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Nikita Pearl Waligwa, who starred as the friend of chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi in the 2016 Disney film "The Queen of Katwe", passed away on February 15 after a valiant struggle with cancer. She was 15 years of age.

The film, which starred David Oyelowo as the chess teacher, Lupita Nyong'o as Phiona’s mother, and Madina Nmwanta as Phiona, was based on a true story about the young Mutesi. She learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her victories at World Chess Olympiads.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 19 February 2020

Photo: U.S. President Nixon shakes hands with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Incredible Obsession With China's Supposed Malevolence

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – In Munich at the Security Conference from February 14-16 the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, nailed her anti-Chinese colours to the mast. Despite being a liberal on many issues and the leader of the fight to impeach President Donald Trump, she has joined forces with Trump in preaching that the West must not allow itself to be penetrated by Huawei’s 5G phone technology (which is cheaper than any Western counterpart).

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 18 February 2020

Photo: Marega against Lokomotiv Moscow in October 2018. CC BY-SA 3.0

Red Card for Portugal Over Racist Abuse of Malian Soccer Star

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Racism is rife in international soccer, with fans taking physical and verbal aim at players of the opposing team.

After the routine apologies of the coaches and local officials, what has really been done to end the frequent racist outbursts, often accompanied by flying chairs or banana peels? This week, star striker Moussa Marega of Mali brought the unpleasant behaviour to world attention as he stalked off the field when his successful play scoring the winning goal sparked an avalanche of ugly chants and racist taunts.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 18 February 2020

Photo: Serena the Duong. Credit: Donna Kwan

UN Agency Honours UAE for Protecting Migratory Species

By Devinder Kumar

GANDHINAGAR; India (IDN) – The United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has recognized the United Arab Emirates' Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) as a Migratory Species Champion Plus because of its contributions to the conservation of medium-sized marine mammal Dugong and African-Eurasian birds of prey.

The Dugong is a large, slow-moving animal which feeds on seagrass. The calm, shallow waters along the Abu Dhabi coastline offer the perfect environment for this marine mammal and are home to an estimated 3,000 individuals, part of the second-largest Dugong population in the world, shared with three other Gulf countries.