Donovan Wants ISIS Atrocities Declared Genocide
Southern Brooklyn/Staten Island Congressman Dan Donovan, along with Staten Island City Council Member Joseph Borelli, and leaders from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities yesterday called on Secretary of State John Kerry to declare that ISIS atrocities against religious minorities constitute “genocide.”
Leaders from the world’s three major religions stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a common plea for international recognition of the systematic slaughter taking place in the Middle East.
Per a law passed in December 2015, Kerry must determine whether the United States will declare genocide by March 17. In early February, the European Parliament passed a resolution recognizing ISIS’s actions as genocide. Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that ISIS is committing genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities.
“Last year, the world watched a beach turn red as executioners sawed off the heads of 21 Coptic Christians on the shores of the Mediterranean. Last week, terrorists executed nuns caring for the elderly and frail. And in the months between, ISIS has buried hundreds or thousands of slaughtered Yazidis in mass graves. Political correctness cannot stand in the way of our moral obligation to call this what it is: genocide,” said Donovan.
ISIS forces Christians to live under its brutal ideology or face death. The terrorist organization has killed countless Yazidi men and enslaved and raped Yazidi women, selling or gifting them to one another as if they were property, he added.
Harris backs SUNY/CUNY tuition freeze proposal
Assembly Member Pamela Harris (Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights) yesterday hailed the Assembly for proposing a SUNY/CUNY tuition freeze, and took matters a step further with a bill proposal that would let qualifying New Yorkers have free tuition.
“The cost of attending college has risen significantly faster than income. This not only affects the financial well-being of our communities, but the individual lives of our children who are mortgaging their lives for a degree,” said Harris.
“While I’m happy that we’ve taken steps to freeze tuition hikes with the Assembly’s proposal, I’ll also be pushing for legislation to provide free tuition to qualifying NY students at SUNY and CUNY colleges (A.5098A). Making higher education more accessible will result in less crime on our streets and overall more productive communities – we must do more to make this a reality,” she added.
Bichotte Applauds State Settlement In Haitian Discrimination Case
Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte yesterday gave kudos to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in the settlement he reached with Interim Healthcare, Inc. of Greater New York, one of the largest healthcare staffing agencies, which unlawfully placed a help wanted ad discriminating against Haitians in October of 2015.
The ad, which ran in a local upstate penny saver publication, was looking for medical workers and included the wording, “No Haitians,” which outraged state legislators and the community that this home care, hospice, and medical placement agency, blatantly discriminated against Haitian.
The agreement between Schneiderman and Interim Health, Inc. includes measures on how the company will proceed to avoid such situations in the future. Terms of the agreement include having to pay a financial penalty of $100,000, and needing to report any complaints and how they handled them to the Attorney General’s office.
In addition, the company will have to hire a Vice President of Human Resources to oversee their recruitment, hiring, and placement processes to ensure better accountability. Furthermore, all claims of discrimination will have to be investigated, whether written or oral, and anti-discrimination training will be instated for all staff. For the full release click here.
“As a Haitian-American and as a New York State legislator, I am relieved that an agreement had been reached in this matter. This type of discrimination is damaging and I am glad that this case sets a precedent for those who continue to practice brash disdain towards any group of people. This sends a message to other businesses that discriminate in the State of New York, that this will not be tolerated by our government,” said Bichotte.
Hikind Calls Borough’s Congressmembers On Carpet After Iran Missile Tests
Borough Park Assemblyman Dov Hikind called on elected officials who supported the Iran deal for immediate action following Iran’s recent violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed by hundreds of congressional delegates within the tri-state area last year.
Iran garnered national headlines days ago after testing two ballistic missiles marked with a Hebrew phrase that translates to “Israel should be wiped.”
“While Iran continues to violate the agreement, we continue to be deafened by the silence,” wrote Hikind in a letter to the congressional delegation expressing his outrage. “Iran continues to test the United States and the United Nations; they continue to spew hate toward the United States and Israel, and continue to call for the destruction of Israel. When will we wake up and realize that, at some point, these are not just words and rhetoric?”
To make matters worse, Iran recently pledged to pay each murderer of innocent Israeli men, women and children walking the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Hikind reiterated that some of the billions of dollars given to Iran as part of a sanction relief agreement would be used to fund these murderers.
“That money is going right into the pockets of murderers,” he said. “What of message are we sending by not standing up and condemning these actions? Remaining silent is undeniably perpetuating this hatred towards Jews.”
Added Hikind: “I recall many elected officials, who backed the deal, acknowledged that should Iran violate any part of the agreement they would be there to demand immediate action. We’re all judged on our words and actions, similarly on our silence and inaction. So where are you today to fulfill your promise and speak out against terrorists and murderers? It’s time to honor your word.”
Colton Honors Local Women
Assembly Member Bill Colton (Bensonhurst, Bath Beach) and community leaders on Sunday will celebrate March being Women’s History Month with honoring several local women in their efforts to improve the local community.
“We celebrate Women’s History Month in March to show appreciation to how far women have come and recognize that there is always more we can accomplish in order to achieve true women’s equality,” said Colton.
The event is slated for 11 a.m., Sunday, March 13 at the United Progressive Democratic Club, 29 Bay 25 Street.
