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China must teach Japan a lesson, says Chinese daily

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http://in.news.yahoo.com/china-must-teach-japan-lesson-says-chinese-daily-053445532.html

Beijing, Sep 12 (IANS) A lesson is necessary to dispel Japan's contempt toward China, said a state-run Chinese daily Wednesday, a day after the Japanese government inked a deal to buy the disputedDiaoyu Islands.

A strongly worded editorial - "Discard illusion of friendly ties with Japan" - in Global Times said that Sino-Japanese relations suffered a serious blow Tuesday when the Japanese government signed a deal to purchase the Diaoyu Islands with the self-proclaimed "owner".

"The friendly ties between the two countries established in the 1970s collapsed completely," it said.

The daily added: "Chinese anger of over a century toward Japan was awakened Tuesday, and will in turn affect Japanese feelings toward China. It appears inevitable the two sides will be overwhelmed by hatred again now that more conflicts can be expected. China needs to be prepared for further deterioration of bilateral ties. For Beijing, the future priority isn't to maintain stable ties, but to protect its core interests as Sino-Japanese relations sour."

The editorial said that though China was committed to building friendly ties with neighbours, the Diaoyu issue has turned China and Japan into opponents.

"China isn't used to having an adversary close by.

"...Japan inflicted painful atrocities against China in the past. It is now more developed than China, but is in decline. The balance of national power is shifting between the two. With such a close opponent, China can be spurred to action," it said.

The daily noted that Japan depends on the Chinese market more than China does on the Japanese market.

"A political confrontation will bring insignificant economic damage to China," it said. "...with China's nuclear deterrence, Japan is less likely to launch a military attack on China."

It said that China has been advocating friendly ties with its neighbour, but "Japan has created enough troubles for China over the years".

"But its behaviour toward the US and Russia demonstrates its inferiority toward strong countries. China cannot repeat what the US and Russia did to Japan. But a lesson is necessary to dispel its contempt toward China..."

Increasing its shrill pitch, the editorial went on to say that China is accumulating strength with its fast development.

"It can fully show this strength to Japan in a future conflict to reverse Japan's attitude toward China," it warned.

"Keeping friendly neighbouring ties is a good policy. But it cannot be achieved through one-sided begging and compromising."

The disputed islands in the East China Sea, which are also claimed by Taiwan, lie on a vital shipping route and are surrounded by large hydrocarbon deposits beneath them.

Japan says it has controlled the islands since 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II. The islands were controlled by the US from 1945 to 1972 and subsequently returned to Japan's control. China claims the islands' discovery and control since the 14th century.

China and Taiwan started to lay claims on the islands in the 1970s when surveys showed the area was rich in hydrocarbons.

Tensions flared between Tokyo and Beijing, after Japan last month arrested 14 Chinese nationals, including activists from Hong Kong, and deported them over a protest landing on Uotsuri, the largest of a group of disputed isles.

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California law bars discrimination against Sikhs, Muslims

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http://in.news.yahoo.com/california-law-bars-discrimination-against-sikhs-muslims-051122357.html

Washington, Sep 10 (IANS) California Governor Jerry Brown has signed two bills aimed at battling workplace discrimination against Sikhs and Muslim by shunting workers wearing turbans, beards and hijabs to backroom jobs out of public view.

"This bill, AB 1964, makes it very clear that wearing any type of religious clothing or hairstyle, particularly such as Sikhs do, that that is protected by law and nobody can discriminate against you because of that," Brown told an enthusiastic crowd of 500 Sikhs Saturday, theSacramento Bee reported.

"Breaking down prejudice is something you've got to do every day, and to help us do that, I'm going to sign a couple of bills," he said at a rally of the North American Punjabi Association on the steps of the Capitol in the state capital of Sacramento.

"Sikhs everywhere can see in California they are a powerful presence," he was quoted as saying.

The Workplace Religious Freedom Act, Assembly Bill 1964 by Democrat Mariko Yamada, ensures that employees receive equal protection under law, protecting workers who wear turbans, hijabs and yarmulkes. In California, employers faced over 500 cases of religious discrimination in 2011.

Brown himself declined to wear a turban, saying, "I've worked hard to get my head cleared," but honoured the thousands of Sikhs who have given their lives in a long history of struggle for religious freedom both in India and the United States, the Bee said.

Brown also signed Senate Bill 1540, sponsored by Democrat Loni Hancock changing how history and social sciences are taught in schools so that students learn about the history, tradition and theology ofCalifornia Sikhs.

Education can blunt hatred, prejudice and fatal misunderstandings, such as the massacre of Sikhs outside a Wisconsin temple, Brown said.

"Both bills represent landmark achievements that will increase protections for all religious observers in the workplace and expand awareness of the 100-year history of Sikhs in California," said Balbir Dhillon, president of the Sacramento Sikh Temple.

Calling it "a historic win for civil rights," Sikh Coalition said "This achievement ranks among the most far-reaching victories in the Sikh Coalition's history. It will protect the civil rights of millions of Americans."