Latest news with #ISD
India Today
7 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Surge in hate slurs against Indian-origin people in Canada, reveals report
Canada has taken a U-turn on its welcome all policy in the past year. Now, it has seen a sharp rise in hate crimes against South Asian communities. The use of hate-filled slurs directed mainly against Indian-origin people rose by 1,350% between 2019 and 2023, according to a UK-based think to The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) – a UK-based think tank and non-profit organisation that focusses on countering extremism, hate, and disinformation – hate crimes against South Asian communities increased by a staggering 227% between 2019 and 2023. The hate crimes are reportedly both online and to the ISD, posts containing anti-South Asian slurs, primarily targeting immigrants of Indian origin, surged by more than 1,350% on X during the same period. The increase in anti-South Asian hate speech online has not just been seen in Canada but also in the US and the is not only putting the physical and emotional safety of these communities at risk but is also having an effect on their civic engagement and participation in public report claimed that the anti-South Asian rhetoric surged online ahead of the Canadian election, fuelled by domestic March 1 and April 20, 2025, in the lead-up to Canada's federal election, over 2,300 posts containing anti-South Asian rhetoric were shared across various platforms, which collectively generated over 1.2 million engagements, the report, which was released last Thursday, use of keywords, such as slurs, provides an indication of the scale of hate targeting South of the most common slurs is "pajeet", an invented name which sounds "Indian" and which emerged among far-right accounts in spaces such as 4chan. While "pajeet" and its variants remain popular among far-right users, they have also been adopted by a range of groups, according to the May 2023 and April 2025, there were over 26,600 posts which included "pajeet" and other anti-South Asian slurs in the Canadian context, compared to nearly 1,600 posts containing anti-Muslim slurs, the report stated.'DIRTY, DANGEROUS AND CLANNISH': SLURS, HATE FOR INDIANSIndians in Canada are also frequently subjected to stereotypes that portray them as "unclean", "unskilled", or "threatening"."Hateful posts contained wider stereotypes of Indians being dirty, dangerous and clannish; by contrast to earlier caricatures of Indians being overly educated, they are often portrayed as lacking formal skills or training," the report report also observed that Indians were commonly targeted with language invoking the Great Replacement, an implicitly anti-semitic conspiracy theory alleging that non-white migration to Western countries is part of a plan by elites to deliberately change country demographics, which has been influential in a number of terrorist significant contributor to anti-South Asian hate in Canada is the extremist network Diagolon, which emerged in late 2020 as a collective of far-right live streamers and their supporters, the report by de facto figurehead Jeremy MacKenzie, a former Canadian Armed Forces member, these streamers promote racism and anti-government conspiracy theories, often cloaked in heavy doses of humour and irony to shield themselves from rise of anti-South Asian hate across Canada, both online and offline, represents an urgent threat to these communities and to the country's social fabric, the report also said.- EndsMust Watch
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana School for the Deaf layoffs tell students they're not important
The difference between a student thriving and a student slipping through the cracks often comes down to one adult. The one who notices their struggles and has the time to explain, to listen and to stay after class. At Indiana School for the Deaf, 26 of those adults were laid off after state budget cuts. With them go hundreds of quiet moments that help students feel seen, safe and supported. Educational equity isn't about giving every child the same tools. It's about making sure every child has what they need to thrive. ASL is a full and complex language with its own grammar and nuance, equal in richness to spoken English. Unlike mainstream schools, where deaf students often rely on interpreters to communicate, ISD offers direct, effortless interaction throughout the day. Whether in the classroom or during unstructured moments like lunch, recess, standing in line, or chatting after school, students are surrounded by others who sign. That matters because when students are fully included in both the academic and social life of school, they begin to see themselves as capable learners. That sense of belonging helps them stay connected to their education and carry that momentum into adulthood. Without that kind of access, students may withdraw socially. Gaps in learning grow wider. Emotional and academic setbacks follow them into adulthood. It might sound like the decision to cut ISD's budget was a response to a last-minute budget shortfall, but it wasn't. These cuts were proposed months ago, when the governor's draft budget called for nearly $1 million in reductions for ISD. Sadly, that has now ballooned into a $3 million cut. This wasn't a financial emergency. It was a conscious decision to pull resources away from deaf children. Briggs: IU is lucky to have Pamela Whitten weathering the MAGA storm When we cut staff at a school like ISD, we're not just trimming a budget. We're narrowing the path to equal opportunity. We're telling deaf children that their futures are expendable. We're sending the message that they simply aren't as important as hearing children. Deaf children are rarely part of the conversation when decisions like this are made. They're not voting. They're not holding press conferences. They're counting on hearing allies to speak up and say this isn't right.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Singapore detains self-radicalised teens; 15 yr-old girl planned to join ISIS, 17 yr-old targeted mosques
Singapore detains self-radicalised teens: 15 yr-old girl planned to join ISIS, 17 yr-old targeted mosques Two self-radicalised Singaporean teenagers, aged 15 and 17, were issued with security orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in February and March 2025, Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) said in an official release. The 15-year-old female student was placed under a Restriction Order (RO), making her the first female youth in Singapore to be dealt with under the ISA. Investigations revealed that she became a supporter of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) after consuming online propaganda in mid-2023. According to ISD, the girl was deeply influenced by ISIS content and pledged allegiance to the terror group's former leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. She aspired to marry an ISIS fighter, raise a pro-ISIS family, and was willing to fight and die as a martyr in Syria. Between September 2023 and April 2024, she was actively searching for flights to Syria and tried to connect with ISIS supporters for travel advice. She was involved in multiple online romantic relationships with alleged ISIS supporters overseas. She also attempted to share pro-ISIS materials with her schoolmates and on social media, but her efforts to radicalise others were unsuccessful, ISD said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Valencia: El sеcreto de la abuela pаra alіvіar la artritіs sorprеnde a los médіcos Reumаtólogo jеfe de España Leer más Undo In a separate case, a 17-year-old male was detained under an Order of Detention (OD) for being self-radicalised by far-right extremist and racist ideologies. ISD said he came to attention during investigations into 18-year-old Nick Lee Xing Qiu, who was detained under the ISA in December 2024. The teen had been radicalised since 2022 after encountering Islamophobic content online. He reportedly adopted the belief that East Asians were superior to other ethnicities and regularly posted hateful content targeting Muslims. The 17-year-old had also taken steps to plan attacks on mosques in Singapore. Since 2015, 17 self-radicalised youths aged 20 and below have been dealt with under the ISA. Of these, nine had plans to carry out attacks in Singapore. ISD stated that the threat of youth radicalisation remains a concern in Singapore, driven by online content.
RTHK
21-06-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Xia attends NSL forum, visits security gallery
Xia attends NSL forum, visits security gallery Xia Balong attends the forum on the National Security Law at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo courtesy of ISD The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong, on Saturday gave a keynote speech at a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the National Security Law's enactment in the SAR and visited the national security exhibition gallery. On the fourth day of his inspection tour in the city, Xia warned against complacency on safeguarding national security at the forum held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The event aimed to boost the understanding and awareness of various sectors regarding the protection of national security. Xia then visited the national security exhibition gallery at the Museum of History. Chief Executive John Lee accompanied him during the museum tour. Xia is expected to wrap up his visit on Sunday.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Revenue department in Coimbatore slashes pending land survey applications in 2 years
Coimbatore: With the introduction of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) equipment and substantially increasing manpower, the revenue department has brought down the number of pending land survey applications in Coimbatore over the past two years. In 2023, a total of 50,862 applications — including Not Involving Sub-Division (NISD) and Involving Sub-Division (ISD) — were pending with the revenue department. As of June 8, 2025, the number came down to 14,337. This improvement is also being attributed to the higher number of petitions processed every month. Besides, the Madras high court directed authorities to expedite the disposal of pending NISD applications. Following this, significant progress was made, clearing a substantial backlog within a short time. Two years ago, it took a minimum of six months to one year to dispose of an application. Now, the processing time has been reduced to 15 to 60 days. A senior official from the revenue department said the number of surveyors in the district was 60 in 2022. Over the past two years, the number of surveyors has increased to 125, including 53 temporary staff. "We are now disposing of around 8,000 applications a month. Earlier, each surveyor could handle only 40 applications per month. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo That number has now doubled to 80," he said. "The state govt has instructed us to dispose of each petition within a month," he added. However, due to the real estate boom, the city is expanding rapidly, leading to a steady rise in survey applications, especially in suburban and rural areas. "In 2022, we received around 8,000 ISD applications from rural areas. This number has now increased to 12,000," the official said. For measuring water bodies and highly disputed areas, the department uses Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) equipment. "We have five DGPS units in the district. For regular surveys using tape, we charge ₹400 per side of land. For DGPS-based surveys, the fee is ₹1,000 per side," he said. The official also noted that for land, house, or property purchases that do not involve any change in land extent, the title is updated on the online Patta portal within four hours of registration. This system, implemented in 2023, is also a key reason for the reduction in pendency. "We no longer need to verify such properties again after registration," he said.
