A Taste of Hinduism

By: Sarah Wagner

Produced & edited by: Lindsey Curnutte

 Two Hindi girls lighting candles for the Diwali Festival of Lights. Photo by  Khokarahman, via Wikimedia Commons

Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, with approximately 15 percent of the global population as its followers. The religion has influenced the citizens of the United States since the 1970s – starting with the growing practice of yoga.  From there, religious symbols such as the Ohm and the Hamsa hand have permeated U.S. pop culture. However, this draw toward Hindu symbols and practices did not lead to a thorough look at the religion itself, and how it affects the daily lives of its followers.

What is Hinduism?

    

The Indian sub-continent is the main hub for Hindu practices. Here, the religion remains strong, even though Islam is predicted to surpass Hinduism as the largest religious group in the India-Pacific region.  With Islam closing in on India’s borders, the religions can run into contestations.  However, Hinduism has more in common with the Abrahamic religions than one might think.

  

Just as Christians and Muslims believe in God and strive to be one with Him, Hindus strive for a similar goal. 

Robin Marwaha, who lives in Gurgaon and identifies as Hindu says, “Hinduism is a set of core values, beliefs, [and] actions that guides to reach the lord.” 

The biggest difference between the religions is that the God of Christianity is an all-powerful being, whereas the Hindu “God” is concept regarding the entirety of the universe.  

A Hindu Priest by the name of Dandapani says, “God is all pervasive. God is in you, in me, in the trees, in the stones. God is everywhere.”

    

“Hindu majorly believes that whole universe, galaxy, solar system, Sun, Moon, planets, Earth, humans, animals, plants, insects are a part of a powerful system which constitutes God” says Pradeep Mahaur, an avid Hinduism blogger. 

Brahman

This concept of all aspects of the universe being interconnected and holding power is known as Brahman, and it is the underlying basis of Hinduism.

    

Mahaur compares understanding the system of Brahman to understanding the ocean. While one can scoop part of the ocean into a bowl, the ocean cannot truly be seen and understood by humans at one time, making it a concept so vast one cannot truly comprehend it. It is for this reason that Hinduism uses multiple Gods and Goddesses to split-up and explain differing aspects of the universe.

   

A Hindi woman celebrating Holi, the spring color festival. Photo by murtaza_ali, via pixabay.

The three main Gods of the universe in Hinduism are Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer.  From these three branch millions of Gods and Goddesses, making up a comprehensive idea of the universe.  The stories of these deities are located in the religions important texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, although there is no one sacred text of the religion as there is in Christianity. 

    

“Hindus respect them all but have their favorites,” says Manoranjan Singh, a retired psychotherapist of New Delhi, about the different Hindu deities. “Almost every home has a small temple/worship place in the home/shop/store.”

Hinduism as a Lifestyle

   

Hinduism is more than just a religion in India, it is a lifestyle.  Hindus strive to achieve moksha, or salvation, by becoming a part of the absolute soul of the universe.  Unlike Christianity, there is no heaven in Hinduism.  Instead, they believe one’s Karma (fate dictated by how one’s leads their life) will lead them to either achieve Moksha or be reincarnated into another form of life. 

    

The main goal of the religion is to break away from Maya, the intrinsic attraction one has to this world and its illusion of reality, in order to achieve Mokosha.  Marwaha says, “Life’s a majestically woven web of various elements such as wealth, family, sad, [and] happy feelings and we must tear through this veil of Maya to reach [the lord]. The ultimate bliss is reached only when one thinks about the Lord. Anything without the Lord... would ultimately reach to disillusionment.”

    

There is no intense discrimination toward those with other religious beliefs in Hinduism.  Singh himself is Sikh, while his wife follows Hinduism.  He says, “Hinduism does not equate non-believers (or believers of other religions) with the devil, thus authorizing them to 'kill the devil before it spreads evil in the world' or save them from going to hell by converting them.”

    

Kabir Oberoi, another local Sikh of New Delhi, says, “both religions coexist and complement each other... it does not matter you are a Hindu or Muslim or Sikh, we are preached to be good humans.”

**Global Spotlight is a nonprofit educational production, constituting a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

Egyptian Agenda Behind University Flag Ceremony

By: Michelle Michael
Produced & edited by: Trianna Connolly

Pledging allegiance to the flag is a common practice in the United States. Although this is widely exercised in schools, universities and colleges do not enforce this. Egyptian school students have also been revering the flag and the national anthem at the morning assembly for years. However, the recent order is forcing 2.5 million state university students to copy this daily routine in a flag ceremony held on the first day of classes each year.

Egypt Government Creates New Rule

In September 2017, Egypt decreed all public university students to salute the flag at the beginning of each academic year. According to BBC, which quoted the Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued this order with the intention of fostering patriotism in the younger generation. Those who violate the decree can risk up to a year in jail or 30,000 EGP in fines.

University students in Egypt are required to salute the flag at the beginning of each year.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

However, this decree was received by the public with widespread criticism and mockery.

The weekend following the order, the Arabic hashtag meaning “what do you think about saluting the flag?” trended on social media with many joking and criticizing the government for forcing patriotism amidst the public’s growing frustration about the state of the country and its future.

“The move can be simply seen in light of a bigger wave of nationalistic rhetoric dominating the country's public space since 2013,” says Mai Shams, the education reporter of Mada Masr, an Egypt-based media organization.

Shams explained that this rhetoric was used to justify the seizure of the political domain following the ouster of the former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. “In this rhetoric, nationalist slogans and propaganda are systematically used to portray an image of an honorable and strong country which defeated the traitors,” he added.

New Decree or New Distraction?

According to Shams, such slogans and nationalistic sentiments are also promoted as part of the war against terrorism. He echoed the views of many social media users saying that such petty orders are attempts to prevent the public from paying attention to more serious issues such as the collapsing education system, poor government spending on education and scientific research, socially unjust policies and many more.

Similar opinion was also voiced by Rasha El-Ibiary, Assistant Professor of Communication at the German University in Cairo: “I think it is just one of the decisions meant to divert people’s attention from issues that matter such as the quality of education, the budget directed to education and research, or the fact that Egypt is now outside the international ranking of education.”

El-Ibiary also considers the decision “absurd and overtly naïve.” She explained that singing the national anthem in the morning is a common practice in Egyptian public schools and even some private schools. But with the growing presence of international schools and universities, this practice has been slowly fading away. “This decision targets students of state universities who were raised on singing [the national anthem] at schools,” added El-Ibiary.

Comparing Patriotism 
If “patriotism” is defined as love for one’s country, “I don’t think this will instill any sort of patriotism,” says Basil El-Dabh, an Egyptian-American freelance researcher of Middle Eastern politics and a former Cairo-based journalist.

El-Dabh drew parallels between Egypt’s new decree and the American controversy surrounding NFL’s Take a Knee protest. Those who are against professional football players kneeling during the national anthem believe that the flag is a symbolic representation of patriotism. Similarly, the Egyptian government is now trying to equate saluting the flag as devotion to the country. However, simply venerating national symbols may not instill love for one’s nation.

“Nationalism in Egypt is a very powerful element that transcends any regime or political figure, so a lot of what we’ve seen over the last 7 years are successive regimes attempting to harness and co-opt this nationalism. Instilling measures like mandating the saluting of the flag is largely aimed to feed this nationalist appeal,” added El-Dabh.

Unlike many other public spaces, university campuses in Egypt have historically been a safe haven for free speech and political expression. This changed following the coup of 2013 in which the former President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by the coalition led by the then army chief General and current President Abdel FattahEl-Sisi. Police, who were not allowed to enter campuses to crackdown on student protests can now enter campuses and do so quickly and violently.

Egypt's Fight for Control

Since 2015, student unions and political societies in universities have also been banned. As per BBC, Minister Abdel Ghaffer says "there will be no space for partisan activities in universities."

Commenting on such nationalistic policies being forced on university students, El-Dabh says that this may be due to the state’s need to “control the volatile segment of the population and restrict freedom of expression.”

Mohamed Abdallah, a student at Menoufia University in Egypt said that the decree produced a very small ceremony with poor attendance at his university. “We are not [school] students anymore to do such things,” he said. According to Abdallah, only the members of the Student Union participated in this short ceremony while many laughed at the absurd concept. He does not think that this order will be enforced strictly in the future.

Menoufia University is one of schools that has enforced the flag saluting decree in Egypt.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

“There is more diversity in universities than middle and high school,” says Omar Ebada, a second semester freshman at the American University in Cairo. Although his university does not have to comply to the decree as it is an international university, he believes that students from other countries at state universities should not be compelled to salute the flag. “As adults, we should not be forced to do anything,” he said. 

**Global Spotlight is a nonprofit educational production, constituting a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.  

LGBT Issues in Jamaica

LGBT issues in Jamaica
By Jacob Solether
Produced/edited by: Sarah Wagner

LGBT Issues in Jamaica

Homophobic Jamaica

Many people think of Jamaica as the most homophobic country on earth. Though it is not illegal in Jamaica to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, it is illegal to perform “homosexual acts.” There are no laws protecting the rights of LGBT members, although some people believe the country is progressing in its efforts toward equality for all. The LGBT community in Jamaica has endured a long history of violence and discrimination that have caused problems for the economy.

History of discrimination

Common Law - which banned same-sex activity - has been in practice since Britain’s colonization of the island. Jamaica gained its independence from British rule in 1962, and there continues to be a lingering impact on the island today. In a study on The Developmental Costs of Homophobia, Rochelle McFee and Elroy Galbraith report former British colonies are more likely to have laws that criminalize homosexuality than other colonies that were once under French or Spanish rule. Nearly 70% of Britain’s former colonies still ban same-sex activity, while only 8% of former French colonies still ban the practice. Other long-lasting influences on the island are deeply rooted values from religion. Throughout Jamaica’s history, religion and faith have hampered gay rights.. In the study on the developmental costs of homophobia, as of 2012, nearly 77% of Jamaicans back the sodomy law.

Costs of homophobia

Human rights are important for the health of a country’s economy as well as its impacts on the socioeconomic status of people living in that country. Fear of violence and discrimination are preventing LGBT Jamaicans from fully participating and contributing to society. Jamaica’s economy suffers when businesses, organizations and establishments refuse customers or employees simply because they are LGBT. Many Jamaicans are discriminated against in the workplace for being LGBT, resulting in mass unemployment.

Violent discrimination

Photo of Dexter Pottinger courtesy of a fan's twitter.

Severe homophobia in Jamaica has led to a lack of access to education, legal services, and healthcare for LGBT people. Nearly 93% of the people who participated in the costs of homophobia study said discrimination against LGBT Jamaicans is “widespread.” LGBT people are denied services to healthcare and education. Homophobia in Jamaica has led to violence, death, and illiteracy displacement. One-fifth of gay Jamaicans have been attacked in the last five years and many attacks on LGBT people go unreported because they are poor and cannot afford legal services. LGBT people also lack legal rights and are underrepresented in the court of law, which contribute to the ongoing problems for the LGBT community. Brian Williamson, the co-founder of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), was hacked to death by a machete in 2004. The anti-LGBT violence is so bad that J-FLAG does not disclose the location of its offices in fear of an attack. Steve Harvey, an openly gay activist was shot to death in 2005. The late Dexter Pottinger, was a famous fashion designer and the most recent face of the LGBT community to be murdered. Pottinger was killed in his home on August 31, 2017.

            Jamaican music is a force on the island that promotes anti-gay rhetoric. Popular Dancehall musician, Buju Banton, has a hit-song “Boom Bye-Bye,” which advocates shooting gays with Uzis and declares that all gays "haffi dead" - "have to die.”

J-FLAG and other signs of change

Photo courtesy: Winq.com

J-FLAG works with several advocacy groups in Jamaica. The advocacy groups promote respect for and inclusion of LGBT people in Jamaica. The groups rely on advocacy, activism and community engagement and mobilization as a part of their efforts to make Jamaica a more hospitable place for LGBT people. Although Jamaica has a history of anti-LGBT violence, Jaevion Nelson, the Executive Director at J-FLAG, says there has been tremendous progress in Jamaica.  “The country has had six incident-free staging of pride in the last three years,” said Nelson. He also said there are more LGBT members visible and open about their identities, which is creating dialogue among LGBT people and key stakeholders in the government and society.

**Global Spotlight is a nonprofit educational production, constituting a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.  

Greek Black Market Spurred by High Tax Rates

By: Lindsey Curnutte

Produced & edited by: Trianna Connolly

About 21 percent of Greece’s GDP is going unaccounted for, according to a recent study from the Institute for Applied Economic Research, at the University of Tübingen (IAW).

Greece has the highest percentage of unaccounted for GDP according to 2017 study.
Photo Courtesy: forbes.com

This means nearly one in five euro notes changing hands in Greece are not taxed, making its shadow economy, also known as the black market, the most established among developed OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.

“The size of the shadow economy and the levels of corruption in Greece have been and still are particularly high with respect to other developed OECD countries,” the IAW study reads. “Moreover, the political dimensions of the Greek crisis… suggest a correlation between the size of the shadow economy and the levels of corruption.”

Greece is struggling to recover from a nearly decade long economic crisis. The IAW study may legitimize some experts’ opinion that austerity and high tax rates are not the solution to the government’s debt issue.

“Greece appears to have suffered a slump overwhelmingly because of the austerity,” Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, said in 2015. “Surely there’s no grounds for dismissing this impact as a mere fraction of the problem.”

Why Greeks Avoid Paying Taxes

The Greek practice of evading taxes may be more common that American’s might expect. Kathimerini, a Greek newspaper, reported that government data show thousands of taxpayers finding loopholes to avoid declaring theirincomes to tax authorities.

“It is very common in Greece to not pay taxes, there is even a political movement against paying them,” said Josephine Lazaridou, a 25-year-old lab technician from Kalava, Greece. “I think one of the main reasons, especially for business men, is that we have a really high value added tax on some products. So some people, in order to stay in business, have to claim less.”

Greece has one of the European Union’s highest value added taxes (VAT), which can be up to 23 percent on industries like wine and gambling. Hungary tops the list with a 27 percent standard VAT rate.

Wine on the Black Market

Some say high VAT rates have led to an expanded black market for wine. Yiannis Vogiatzis, a wine merchant in northern Greece, told Kathimerini that experts estimate 65 percent of wine consumed in Greece is produced and sold illegally.

Winemakers blame this developing black market on the controversial VAT placed on wine starting in 2015.

“The excise tax has ultimately acted as a punishment for those who want to do business legally,” Vogaitzis, also president of The National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine of Greece, said.

The excise tax, which was sought to be a replacement for a failed value added tax on private schooling, was expected to bring 65 million euro in revenue per annum. As of June 2016, the wine tax collected 4 million euro, a fraction of the expected number.

Theodore Georgopoulos, director of The Greek Wine Federation, said winemakers face severe problems due to the excise tax. Wineries are required to pay 10,000 to 20,000 euro upfront for the tax, even for wine they had not yet sold.

“And bigger wineries have to organize tax warehouses,” Georgopoulos said. “They were asked to organize them in a week or so.”

A vineyard located in Greece.
Photo Courtesy: pixabay.com

Because of the high cost of compliance, over half of winemakers have turned to participating in a “highly organized” black market in wine, said George Skouras, president of the Greek Wine Association, and a winemaker in Nemea, Greece’s biggest wine-producing region.

“They have built tanks underground so they can’t be spotted by inspectors and have people scouring the countryside to buy grapes illegally, without invoices, off the books,” Skouras told Kathimerini in 2016.

Georgopoulos blames the hastily enacted regulation and poor enforcement for the expansion of the black market for wine.

“From the very beginning, The Greek Wine Federation was against the excise duty,” Georgopoulos said. “We reckon the need for contributing to the recovery of the Greek economy. However, the way the whole operation was planified... we knew this could not work.”

The Black Market and Tax Fraud 

The InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) reported that black markets thrive in countries like Greece that have high tax rates, expansive regulations, and weak, corrupt governments.

“A heavily regulated economy combined with weak and discretionary administration of the law provides especially fertile ground for shadow activities. These are also the conditions under which corruption flourishes,” the IMF report reads.

IMF recommends implementing lower tax rates and few regulations in order to achieve greater compliance.

“Our findings emphasize the importance of the rule of law in curbing both corruption and associated shadow economic activity.”

While the IMF report found simple solutions to limiting tax evasion, many Greeks like Georgopoulos have pessimistic views on the government’s ability to curb a tax-dodging culture in Greece.

“Tax fraud is like sin,” Georgopoulos said. “Once you taste it, it is very difficult to go back. It is an ethical matter as well as a matter of habit.”

Some estimates put the amount of taxes evaded to be at 11 to 16 billion euro annually, reaching 6 to 9 percent of Greece’s GDP.

“My godfather does not pay his taxes because he is against it generally,” Lazaridou said. “He is angry with this economical situation that we are going through and refuses to give more and more without a future prospect for him and his family.”

With this being said, relief may be on the way for Greek winemakers and drinkers. Evangelos Apostolou, minister for Agricultural Development and Food, announced plans to abolish the excise tax that brought less than desired financial results by the end of the year.

“It is the only way that can stabilize the country's path towards a period of positive prospects after the crisis and the deep recession that it experienced in the past years when about 25% of its GDP disappeared," Apostolou said at an August wine festival in Nemea, Greece.

**Global Spotlight is a nonprofit educational production, constituting a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.