Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/07/01/best-movies-of-2013-so-far-the-results-are-in/
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Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Best Movies Of 2013 (So Far): The Results Are In!
Last week, we asked you to pick your top three favorite movies from the first half of 2013 in no particular order. Since today marks the official start to the second half of 2013, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at what those results were and how you voted. Click [...]
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What's behind the attacks on Shiites in Pakistan?
Twin bombings June 30, killed 28 people, primarily Shiites, in Pakistan's city of Quetta. More than 300 Shiite muslims have been killed in a string of major attacks in Pakistan since the start of 2013. Despite country-wide protests among Shiites and supporters since the start of the year, the state has yet to carry out a crackdown against militant groups.
1. Who is responsible?
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), both Sunni militant groups, have taken responsibility for the bulk of attacks against Shiite Muslims in Pakistan. Both of the groups are adherents of the Deobandi school of Islam, known for its hardline stance against many common and popular religious practices carried out on the Indian subcontinent.
SSP was established in the early 1980s under the reign and patronage of the second military dictator in Pakistan, Zia ul-Haq. LeJ broke off from SSP in 1996 after its founder, Riaz Basra, had differences with his seniors.
2. Why are they targeting Shiites?
At face value, Sunni extremist groups target Shiites because of a historic conflict between the two branches of Islam. Theological disagreements between Shiite and Sunni Muslims date back to 680 A.D., when the former refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the new caliphate, or leadership. The refusal and the subsequent response from pro-Caliphate Sunnis sparked a historic battle ? the Battle of Karbala ? where the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, Husayn, was killed. Shiites mourn the martyrdom of Husayn to this day.
However, though the historical and theological differences between the two groups surface in explanations provided by Sunni militants, analysts and activists in Pakistan surmise that Saudi Arabia and Iran are carrying out a proxy war on Pakistani soil by providing financial and other support to militants from both camps. For example, the banned Shiite militant group, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, was formed with the explicit purpose of targeting leaders in SSP and LeJ in response to increased attacks against Shiites.
3. How many Shiites have been killed in the last decade?
In 2012 almost 400 Pakistanis lost their lives in sectarian violence, and the bulk of them were Shiite Muslims, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies.
Six months into 2013, the Shiite community has already lost more than 300 members in four major attacks ? three in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's largest province Balochistan, and one in Karachi, the country's commercial metropolis.
The majority of the Shiites killed are members of the minority Hazara population, which is situated mostly in Quetta?s Hazara Town and Mehr Abad. The persian-speaking and mostly Shiite Hazaras are known for their distinct Mongolian features, making them easy to pick out in a crowd. More than 1,000 Hazaras have been killed in targeted attacks in the past 10 years.
4. What has the government done?
Not much. The last government, the Pakistan People?s Party (PPP) was heavily criticized for it?s lack of action. Then, on May 11, 2013, Pakistan elected a new government to power, led by the center-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). However, The PML-N has been running the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan's largest province and the birthplace of the militant groups who have claimed to be behind the bulk of the attacks, since the latest transition from military rule to democracy in 2008. And the continued presence of both militant groups has prompted critics to accuse the party of being incompetent or complicit.
Despite their public statements promising to get to the bottom of the killings, government officials seem reluctant to move beyond references to vague ?intelligence failures,? and say little about how to get around those.
The outcry and protest against the killings came to a head earlier this year when the country's most vulnerable Shiite minority, the Hazara population, staged a four-day, 24-hour sit-in, where they refused to bury the bodies of their loved ones. The refusal to bid farewell to those killed in the first attack was a powerful statement coming from an Islamic community as it goes against the Islamic injunction to bury the dead as soon as possible, so that those left behind can be at peace.
At first, many thought the sit-in successfully pushed the government into action. The federal government, led by the PPP at the time, dismissed the sitting provincial government of Balochistan ? where the bulk of anti-Shiite attacks take place ? for failing to maintain law and order. However, no real action was taken, said critics.
And when a second attack took place in February, it brought Hazaras to the streets again, this time demanding immediate action. This time, the Punjab's PML-N-led provincial government ? which is now ruling Pakistan ? carried out arrests of 152 militants from SSP and LeJ across Punjab. But by the end of March, 2013, the same government released the militants. The government explained that the they could not legally detain the prisoners for more than 90 days without putting them in front of the courts. Pakistani courts, on the other hand, have been notoriously incapable of seeing through successful prosecutions and punishments of militants behind the attacks ? despite public statements sent out by both the SSP and the LeJ claiming responsibility.
Analysts say that the attack in March at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Karachi shows that the militants threaten more than just Quetta. But a call for a government-led country-wide crackdown seemed to fall on deaf ears. The current attack has Shiite groups, again, demanding action.
The lack of action has caused some analysts to accuse the government of incompetence, or complicity.
5. Is the state complicit?
Though there is no conclusive proof of state patronage, some analysts say that elements within the state are ? at best ? allowing the militants to operate with impunity.
Quetta, the site of most attacks against the Shiite community, is known for the enormous presence of the paramilitary Frontier Corps. Though the Frontier Corps is officially separate from the Pakistani Army and intelligence services, other analysts say that Pakistan?s central security establishment calls the shots.
Their overwhelming presence has caused many to wonder why the Frontier Corps has failed to arrest perpetrators who carry out attacks ? attacks that are sometimes recorded on video and by people whose faces are easily visible.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhury Nisar Ali Khan has hinted at the critical role played by the Frontier Corps. "How can Quetta be the repeated victim of terrorist attacks with police, Frontier Corps, security, and intelligence agencies on every corner?" asked Mr. Khan in a speech following a deadly attack against a university bus and a medical complex in the same city.
There are now some indications that the LeJ is cooperating with the Pakistani Taliban in launching attacks against Pakistani state and Shiite targets. Some analysts say that the government has an interest in maintaining good relations with the LeJ, so they can ensure that the latter do not intensify attacks against the Pakistani state.
The lack of action against the perpetrators reflects a policy of ?good Taliban, bad Taliban,? says Arif Jamal, a US journalist and political analyst referring to Taliban who are dangerous only to outsiders, versus Taliban who pose a threat to the Pakistani state. Both Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) do not target the military, government, or judicial sectors, and this makes them ?good Taliban.? The corps has a strategic interest in maintaining ties with militant groups that keep away from attacks on the Pakistani state's installations.
Mr. Jamal points to the 2009 attack against the Army's general headquarters in Rawalpindi by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ? a group considered to be ?bad Taliban? because of their attacks against the state. In that instance, the government acted quickly: Gen. Pervaiz Kayani flew in the head of LeJ, Malik Ishaq, to negotiate a settlement with the TTP.
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/whats-behind-attacks-shiites-pakistan-193625514.html
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Democrat predicts House will pass Senate immigration bill
By John Whitesides
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled House of Representatives will bow to political pressure and pass the immigration bill approved by the Democratic-led Senate by the end of the year, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer predicted on Sunday.
Schumer, a member of the bipartisan Senate group that crafted the immigration measure, said House Republicans who are now vowing they will not pass the Senate measure will ultimately be convinced by political concerns about the party's future.
"I believe that by the end of this year, the House will pass the Senate bill. I know that's not what they think now. And they'll say, 'Oh no, that's not what's going to happen.' But I think it will," Schumer told the "Fox News Sunday" program.
Senior House Republicans rejected Schumer's prediction. Republican Speaker John Boehner has said the House will write its own immigration bill rather than bringing up the Senate bill passed on Thursday, which is supported by Democratic President Barack Obama.
Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Senate Democrats in backing a Senate bill that features a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States, an approach vehemently opposed by many conservative House Republicans who view it as rewarding law-breakers.
Some Republican leaders worry that rejecting the Senate bill could further alienate Hispanics, a fast-growing bloc of voters who overwhelmingly supported Obama's re-election in 2012, and could handicap the party in future presidential elections.
Schumer said House Republicans eventually will allow a vote on the Senate bill to get the issue off their backs and ease the pressure from immigration reform supporters including religious, civil rights and business groups.
"Within several months, Speaker Boehner will find two choices: no bill or let a bill pass with a majority of Democratic votes and some Chamber of Commerce-type Republicans. And he'll find that the better choice," the New York senator said.
House Republicans sarcastically shrugged off Schumer's prediction.
"I was moved almost to the point of tears by Senator Schumer's concern for the future prospects of the Republican Party. But we're going to not take his advice," said Republican Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, who heads the immigration subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.
"The Senate bill is not going to pass in the House, and it's not going to pass for myriad reasons," Gowdy said.
"I'm more interested in getting it right than doing it on Senator Schumer's schedule," he added.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
Boehner has said an immigration bill will be put to a vote only if a majority of House Republicans back it. Boehner supports a piecemeal approach using smaller, targeted bills rather than the sweeping Senate legislation.
Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, another member of the bipartisan group behind the Senate bill, said it would not be easy to convince the House to pass broad immigration reform but held out hope.
"I really hesitate to tell Speaker Boehner exactly how he should do this. But I think Republicans realize the implications (for) the future of the Republican Party in America if we don't get this issue behind us," McCain said on "Fox News Sunday."
"I believe that the coalition that we've assembled of support ranging from evangelicals, to the Catholic church, business, labor, farm workers, growers ... I frankly have never seen such widespread support. And I am hopeful that we can convince our House colleagues," McCain said.
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the top Democrat in the House, said she was optimistic the political realities of immigration would force House Republicans to come around.
"It's certainly right for the Republicans if they ever want to win a presidential race," Pelosi said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.
A proposal being talked about in the House as an alternative to the Senate bill would offer possible citizenship in the future after illegal immigrants spend a decade working through a legalized status that gives them work permits.
Representative Robert Goodlatte of Virginia, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said it was possible the House could pass a measure that did not include a pathway to citizenship but focused on a "pathway to legalization" for undocumented immigrants. On ABC's "This Week" program, Goodlatte also made clear the House would not pass the Senate bill.
"When you use the word pathway to 'legalization' as opposed to pathway to 'citizenship,' I'd say, 'Yes,'" he said when asked about the chances for an immigration bill getting through the House.
"Not a special pathway to citizenship where people who are here unlawfully get something that people who have worked for decades to immigrate lawfully do not have," Goodlatte added.
(Additional reporting by Will Dunham and Deborah Charles; Editing by Will Dunham)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrat-predicts-house-pass-senate-immigration-bill-165735744.html
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Gay, evangelical and seeking acceptance in church
Evangelicals are being challenged to change their views of gays and lesbians, and the pressure isn't coming from the gay rights movement or watershed court rulings: Once silent for fear of being shunned, more gay and lesbian evangelicals are speaking out about how they've struggled to reconcile their beliefs and sexual orientation.
Students and alumni from Christian colleges have been forming gay and lesbian support groups ? a development that even younger alumni say they couldn't have imagined in their own school years. Gay evangelicals have published memoirs that prod traditional Christians to re-examine how they think about gays and lesbians. Among the most recent is Jeff Chu's "Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America." Paul Southwick, a gay evangelical attorney in Oregon, has started an "It Gets Better" style video project, "On God's Campus: Voices from the Queer Underground," with testimonials from gays and lesbians at the Christian schools.
The goals of these activists and writers vary. Some argue monogamous same-sex marriages are consistent with traditional Bible views and hope to remain in conservative churches. Others agree with traditional teaching on marriage and have committed to staying celibate for life, but are speaking out because they feel demonized within their communities.
Whatever their aims, they are already having an impact.
"There are a growing number of us who grew up hearing a certain origin story about our same-sex attraction that didn't resonate with us," said Wesley Hill, 32, who teaches at a conservative Anglican seminary, Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania, and wrote the book "Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality." ''We are wanting to have conversations that older generations of evangelicals haven't had or haven't wanted to have."
A February survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found seven in 10 white evangelicals overall were against gay marriage. However, younger respondents backed same-sex marriage by 51 percent. Younger Christians grew up with openly gay friends and relatives, and often found their elder's fight for traditional marriage damaging to the church, according to studies by the Barna Group's David Kinnamon, among other surveys.
Still, it is only in the last few years that gay and lesbian evangelicals have discussed their same-sex attraction so openly. It has been far more common for gays and lesbians from traditional faith groups to join liberal houses of worship or leave organized religion altogether. In a recent survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans by the Pew Research Center, 48 percent said they had no religious affiliation, compared with 20 percent of the general public. Of the LGBT adults with religious ties, one-third said there is a conflict between their religious beliefs and their sexual orientation.
Evangelical leaders are taking notice. After the U.S. Supreme Court last week gave federal recognition to gay marriages, several evangelicals responded not only by renewing their commitment to traditional marriage, but also by urging like-minded Christians to be more sensitive in the way they express their beliefs. For those outside conservative Christianity, this may not seem significant, but it's a notable change for Christians who believe their faith requires them to challenge same-sex relationships.
"We need to show grace and friendship to those who struggle, while holding fast to what the Scriptures teach. Without hiding our beliefs, we need to look for opportunities to have conversations, build relationships and demonstrate grace," wrote Ed Stetzer, head of the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, on his blog, "The Exchange."
A week earlier, the head of Exodus International, a Christian ministry that helped conflicted Christians rid themselves of unwanted same-sex attraction through counseling and prayer, apologized to the gay community for inflicting "years of undue suffering." Alan Chambers said he continues to hold "a biblical view that the original intent for sexuality was designed for heterosexual marriage." Still, he said the organization would shut down and he would instead work to promote reconciliation between people with opposing views.
In the last few years, more than 40 gay and lesbian support groups have been formed at Christian colleges, by Southwick's estimate. The 29-year-old lawyer has been reaching out to the groups as part of his video project and is also active in OneGeorgeFox, the support group founded by gay and lesbian alumni and students of his alma mater, George Fox University, a Christian school in Oregon.
He said few of the groups have been formally recognized by their schools and some meet secretly off campus. Christian colleges generally have community standards policies barring sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Students fear publicly identifying as gay ? celibate or not ? could jeopardize their futures at the schools.
"The goal is survival," Southwick said. "If you talk to any of the LGBT students at these campuses, they are in environments that are really hostile."
However, at least one prominent evangelical school, Wheaton College in Illinois, officially recognized its support group, called Refuge, four months ago. Wheaton is known as the Harvard of evangelical schools, graduating evangelist Billy Graham and other influential leaders. LaTonya Taylor, a Wheaton spokeswoman, said the goal of Refuge "is for students who experience same-sex attraction to be mentored by a Christian community" within traditional biblical standards, "rather than to struggle alone in silence." Other schools, including George Fox, have responded to the groups by organizing campus discussions about the Bible and homosexuality, including speakers who support same-sex relationships.
Another sign of change: Gay evangelicals have already prompting a backlash.
The influential Pentecostal magazine Charisma ran a critical three-part series starting in May, titled "Can a Christian be Gay?" in response to the recent book "Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays vs. Christians Debate" by Justin Lee, founder of the Gay Christian Network.
Lee is gay and celibate, but encourages dialogue among evangelicals with different views. He frames the discussion as "Side A" and "Side B" Christians. "Side B" believes gays should be celibate because of a consistent Christian teaching that sex is only for marriage between a man and a woman. "Side A" Christians believe God blesses same-sex relationships because the particular Bible verses cited to condemn homosexuality do not reflect advances in knowledge about same-sex attraction.
Lee started the network as an online-only community in 2001. It has since grown to become a national organization based in Raleigh, N.C., with annual conferences that organizers say draw hundreds of people.
In his Charisma articles, evangelist Larry Tomczak wrote that he wanted to clear up confusion caused by Lee's arguments.
"An entire chapter in the Old Testament lists certain activities and calls them 'detestable,' stating in no uncertain terms, "Stay away!" The New Testament uses five terms to describe both male and female homosexual conduct: 'unnatural,' 'perverted,' 'degrading,' 'shameful' and 'indecent,'" Tomczak wrote. "Not to be facetious, but is that hard to understand?"
Tomczak said being gay is a choice ? and one that dishonors God.
Inadvertently, Exodus and other ministries that have promised a gay-to-straight transformation have played a role in prompting gay and lesbian evangelicals to go public. Many gay evangelicals who unsuccessfully sought out a "cure" in the programs have emerged with profound misgivings about the way Christians approach the issue.
A 2005 graduate of George Fox University, Southwick said he was encouraged by the school to enter a two-year counseling program with a local affiliate of Exodus, which included a graduation ceremony that Southwick dismissed as "a straight diploma." He became depressed and suicidal during the program.
Lee, of the Gay Christian Network, was raised Southern Baptist believing that gays could become straight "if they trusted God and had the willingness to do so." In college, he attended Exodus conferences and sought out other similar ministries hoping to become attracted to women. It didn't work. Lee says he's always been celibate, so the ministries' focus on changing behavior wasn't helpful.
"I was focused on changing the attractions. That led me to ask a lot of tough questions about whether people's attractions were changing and I realized they were not," Lee said.
The Rev. Russell Moore, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, cautioned against reading too much into the collapse of Exodus International or any talk of a more compassionate evangelical response to gays and lesbians.
' 'There is no change in the Christian sexual ethic, because there can't be. For us it's a matter of Gospel fidelity," Moore said.
Instead, he considers the Exodus shutdown the end of a misguided therapeutic approach that Moore argues promised a quick fix it couldn't deliver. "We like conversion stories, and we like them to be quickly resolved in two or three minutes with a happy ending, but that's not what the Christian life is like in Scripture," he said.
Still, Moore agrees religious conservatives are at least approaching the debate about homosexuality differently in what he calls "a more authentic, honest conversation about sexuality."
At Fuller Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., the group OneTable formed to foster open discussion about religion and homosexuality.
Last October, Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first bishop in world Anglicanism to live openly with a same-sex partner, spoke to the students, at a screening of a movie "Love Free or Die," about the uproar that followed his 2003 election as the New Hampshire bishop.
"Everyone thought there would be some horrendous blowup. It was a wonderful evening. The questions to me were absolutely honest and thoughtful and faithful," said Robinson, who recently retired from his diocese. "A lot of people came in certain and a lot of people left confused ? which is huge."
___
Follow Rachel Zoll at www.twitter.com/rzollAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gay-evangelical-seeking-acceptance-church-161522243.html
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Gulf Based Airlines ambitions and its implications on its customers ...
ABSTRACT
The view from Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways headquarters has stroked fears into the hearts of rival airline companies around the world especially in Europe and North America. Well, why not, the rapid growth of these airlines has been phenomenal and the markets they have captured are beyond expectations. As these three airline companies are growing so as their hub and therefore more passengers handled by these airports every day in coming years. This is good news for them (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways) and for their passengers who will have some great services on the way to and from their destination. With, every good news, there is a bad news waiting; but the bad news is not for these airline companies but for their rival companies in Europe and North America. The objective of the study will relate to some of the information regarding these 3-airline companies? expansions and it sought to examine more closely the implications on consumers and their rival airline companies in Europe and North America. In addition to that, the report outlines some of the appropriate strategic options about Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways in order to keep itself economically sustainable. Different sources are used in order to execute this report.
INTRODUCTION
Airplanes, a bird with engines fly through the air has developed in less than a century.? Commercial aviation is an important industry around the world and over the years, aviation has perfected itself from a simple glider to space shuttles. Commercial aviation is highly competitive in the world due to the arising costs of operation and maintenance and as people travel for leisure and business, and airplanes are most reliable mode of transportation. The Airline industry is one of the world is largest growing industries, which has generated over $300 billion in 2001 single-handedly and in addition to that it has the second highest industrial growth rate, after the software (computer) industry, with standard growth rates of 3% ? 5% per annum over the last 20 years (Airliner World, 2012). The introduction of new jet planes such as Boeing 707 and DC-9 at the late 1950 has brought a new era in the commercial aviation, which is known as ?The Jet Age? (?The Era of Commercial Jets?, n.d.). In 1927, Charles Lindbergh successfully completed his first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean and created a massive interest in flying with the public. Since then, air travel grew rapidly until 2001 expanding at a number of 172 million passengers in the year 1970 to approximately 642 million passengers in 2003 (?The Era of Commercial Jets?, n.d.).With the production of jets in the commercial aviation, airline companies revolutionized their short routes; the structure of civil aviation air management and ground operations changed tremendously with the introduction of jet planes in the commercial aviation industry (?The Era of Commercial Jets?, n.d.). Air travel has grown in the past decade and it keeps on growing rapidly for both leisure and business purposes. This also affected the short routes and had some social effects on people worldwide. With the growth of air travel in past decade travel grew simultaneously strongly for both leisure and business purposes. Elasticity of demand, externalizations, wage inequality, monetary policies and fiscal policies extremely influences the airline industry (Aviation News, 2011).
The current market conditions decide the direction of airline industry; recently the International Air Transport Association (IATA) further downgraded its 2011 airline industry profit forecast to $4 billion. This is a disaster as this is a 54% drop compared with the $8.6 billion profit forecast in March and a 78% drop compared with the $18 billion net profit (expectations from $16 billion) recorded in 2010. On predictable revenue of $598 billion, a $4 billion profit will equate to a 0.7% margin (IATA, 2011). The past two years airline industry has seen many disastrous economic conditions, which includes an unparalleled number of airlines, worldwide, filing for bankruptcy and many more, would have followed suit if there was no government intervention (Airliner World, 2012). The main factors leading to their failure and the problems currently faced by the airline industry is very general, they have their roots in the existing economic, and political climate, which is according to IATA (2002), continues to remain very challenging. At first, starting with the Natural disasters in Fukushima, Japan, then the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (Arab Spring), in addition to that, the sharp rise in oil prices has reduced the industry profit expectations to $4 billion this year. If the industry is making any money annually is a combination of unmatched disasters with a result of a very fragile balance (Airliner World, 2012). The high fuel price affected by the industry is balanced by the efficiency gains of the last decade and the strengthening global economic environment. Even with all these conditions, some airlines have projected an excellent profit rate and increased their load factor unlike anyone (Airports International Council, 2012). Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways has become the new face of the airline world, a leader in the industry that has captured different markets and leaving its impression worldwide (Airliner World, 2012).
Throughout the paper, it will discuss some of the questions that will lead to the answers of this research:
1)????? What are the factors, which has made these three airlines so strong and powerful and a world leader in the airline industry?
2)????? What airline companies in Europe and North America needs to do in order to keep themselves competitive to Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways?
3)????? Can Etihad, Emirates and Qatar airways be this economically sustainable in the future?
INTRODUCTION-THE BEGINNING
On 1971, most of the Persian Gulf countries marked their independence from Great Britain. During the year from 1951 to 1971, a British company; BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) became one of the major shareholder in the Gulf Aviation, holding about 22% stake in the company (Gulf Air Company, n.d.). The company Gulf Aviation began its services to London on April 1970 with a regular aircraft (Vickers VC10) then, with the beginning of BOAC, saw a sequence of updated aircraft entering the fleet (Gulf Air Company, n.d.). The greatest turning point for Gulf Aviation came after 1971 as most of the Persian Gulf countries got their independence and from these; the governments of Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Dubai; and the Sultanate of Oman purchased BOAC?s shares in Gulf Aviation (?21st Century?, 2008). On January 1, 1974 under the Foundation Treaty created a national carrier of the four Gulf States and named it ?GULF AIR?. Then, in 1983, Gulf Air was startled with two big blows on itself (?21st Century?, 2008). ?Then later in June 1980, the UAE Federal Government was proposing to set up a national airline, which will compete with Gulf Air. The Federal Cabinet asked the Emirate of Dubai and Sharjah to carry on with the proposal under the open skies policy in the region (?21st Century?, 2008). In a very grouchy stir, both the Emirates (Dubai and Sharjah) refused to recognize Gulf Air as the national carrier. Moreover, the worrying factor came in, as State of Qatar who was one of the important shareholders in the company was also interested in starting its own Airline Company (National Carrier) (Gulf Air Company, n.d.). Therefore, in 1993, Qatar started its own national carrier: Qatar Airways and almost after nine year on 2002, the Government of Abu Dhabi also withdrawn its shares from Gulf Air and started its own carrier Etihad Airways (?Gulf Air welcomes.? 2009). On 1993, the Government of Oman also founded its national carrier ?OMAN AIR? and later became a joint stock company and purchased 13 aircrafts of Gulf Air. Currently, Bahraini government solely controls Gulf Air and it is the national carrier of Bahrain with its headquarters in Manama, Bahrain (?Gulf Air welcomes.? 2009).
Emirates Background
Emirates airline (also known as by marketing phrase Fly Emirates) is the national airline of the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the largest airline companies in the Middle East including in the Persian Gulf and it operates more than 2400 passenger flights per week from its hub Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 to world?s 105 cities in 62 countries across six continents (IATA, 2011). The company also operates three of the ten world?s longest non-stop moneymaking flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Houston (Skytrax, 2011).
Anyhow, everyone has a humble beginning so did Emirates, Emirates started its first operation out of Dubai with just only two aircrafts?- a leased Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4 from Pakistan International Airlines in 1985 (Borenstein, S. 1992). As mentioned in the beginning, the Government of Dubai wanted to have its own national carrier and so separated it from Gulf Air. Due to this decision taken by government of Dubai, a tense relationship was created between the government and the airline, in reaction to that Gulf Air reduced the flight frequencies and capacities to and from Dubai between two thirds between the year 1984 and 1985 (Borenstein, S. 1992). Emirates have focused its differentiation in a legacy airline of luxury, high tech, state of the art and its excellent quality. It has been very successful in its operations, it is Gulf?s largest carrier, and one of the world?s largest airline company and expected to be the world?s largest airline by 2015 (?Aviation in the Gulf?, 2010).? Since the foreign airline companies were unable and unwilling to fill the gap, therefore ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammad Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum convened a team of experts headed by Maurice Flanagan and Tim Clark and later the son of the Dubai?s ruler, Sheik Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum to deal with the emergency. However, there were two conditions by the ruler: First, the airline should meet the highest quality standards as possible and there would not be any additional capital injections by the government other than the promised US$10 million startup capital (Emirates, 2012). ?With few destinations in the beginning on 1985 (Dhaka, Colombo, Amman and Cairo), by 1987 it added first two European destinations- London Gatwick and Frankfurt. Later, in 1995, Emirates started to operate all wide body fleet and in 2001, 2003 and 2005 Emirates placed some of the largest aircraft orders ever (Emirates, 2004). ?Since 1985, Emirates airlines entered in the industry it improved its operations, they rapidly increased their size, recruited more people and added more destinations each year. With all these improvements lies some sources of competitive advantages for Emirates Airlines, they have provided some operating efficiency compared to other flag carriers or foreign airlines. Now there are direct (non-stop) flights from New York to Dubai twice daily and this means that Emirates has succeeded in providing quality, innovation and efficiency that is considered as the building blocks of the competitive advantage (J. Johnsson, 2007). The second source of Emirates competitive advantage is its low fares and since cost is one of the important factors that determine the competitive advantages among rival companies and beat the competitors out of the market. Emirates airline has captured almost every market with its great service and lower fares, for example: flights within South America; Buenos Aires to Rio De Janiero one way is only US$290 compared to TAM, Pluna and LAN, which is US$350. In addition to that, the service by Emirates is phenomenal, legroom and above all the baggage allowance (2 bags per person) compared to others only one bag policy (Emirates, 2012). ?For its long- haul flights, Emirates provides layover in Dubai with free hotel and airport transfer whereas other airlines could not provide it as it increases their costs. Some of these benefits keep Emirates very competitive in the Aviation Market. Another factor, which is an advantage for Emirates against other carriers in the industry, is the family based structure. Additionally, they do not have as strict governance practices like in the Western companies; their distinctive characteristic is that unlike most other airlines in the industry. They do not have a board but do regular meetings on Wednesday. One thing about Emirates is that ?Sky is no more the limit!? (J. Johnsson, 2007).
QATAR AIRWAYS BACKGROUND
Qatar Airways is the national carrier of Qatar and its headquarters is in Doha, Qatar. One of the top airlines in the Middle East, in fact according to Skytrax 2011 Qatar Airways has been ranked no. 1 Airline in the industry and one of the four airlines, which has been given Five Star Statuses (Skytrax, 2011). Furthermore, it is also a member of the Arab Air carrier?s organization; Qatar Airways story starts in a similar fashion like Emirates. Qatar Airways was established on November 22, 1993 but it started its flight operations on 20 Jan 1994. At the beginning, Qatar Airways was completely owned by the Royal Family of Qatar (Government) and it started as a low fare airline company. As Qatar was, also part of Gulf Air (national carrier) and it got the idea about establishing its own national carrier after Emirates been successful (?Aviation in the Gulf?, 2010).? At the beginning, Qatar Airways used wet leased Boeing 767-200 aircrafts from Kuwait Airways (owned by Qatari royals), however it was re-launched in 1997 as Qatar Airways. On February 1 1999, Qatar Airways had their first delivery of Airbus A320 aircraft on lease from Singapore Aircraft and on May 2002, the Government of Qatar withdrew its shares from Gulf Air completely and at that time, Qatar Airways had 21 aircrafts (Gulf Air Company, n.d.). Currently, the government of Qatar controls 50% of the stake at Qatar Airways and 50% by private investors. Qatar Airways also ordered new Airbus A380s and A340 on January 11, 2011. The operations of the company have not reached as far as Emirates but currently they are operating more than 80 destinations all over the world but on June 27, 2007 (TNN, 2009). As, Qatar Airways began its services to New York, it has marked its long haul flights; it will also be serving more US cities and South American cities. Qatar Airways has also trying to capture the market in South America like Emirates, which would be an interesting scene as both the Gulf Based Airlines competing with each other in order to control the market. (R.Balakrishnan, A. Fadnees, 2012).
As the company is operating on a very competitive market but known for its large capital base and a growing fleet size, it is becoming a threat to its competitors. In realizing the benefits of the industry, Qatar Airways as one of the participants in the fleet industry is expecting to expand its operations in more destinations and in all continents just like Emirates. With its expansion in process, some relevant strategies are required in order to keep it profitable and sustainable; in short, this is an industry where competitiveness should be first attained at all level (R.Balakrishnan, A. Fadnees, 2012).
ETIHAD AIRWAYS BACKGROUND
This is one of the airline companies, which was born with golden spoon on its wings. It was established by a royal ruling on July 2003 but its first flight commenced on November 2003 with a ceremonial flight from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain, a small city 160 km (125 miles) east of Abu Dhabi and 120 km (95 miles) south of Dubai. Just like Emirates (Government of Dubai) and Qatar Airways (Government of Qatar), the government of Abu Dhabi was also part of Gulf Air; it was also the national carrier of Abu Dhabi. Etihad is the national carrier of United Arab Emirates, so it is company?s Slogan ?From Abu Dhabi to the World?, and pretty much, it is doing it. Etihad means ?United? and it portrays the unity and goodwill between all the Emirates of United Arab Emirates (Adam Schreck, 2012).
Etihad has been one of the fastest growing airline companies and it has increased its destination and routes rapidly; almost ten to twelve routes every year and its fleet size. Etihad has announced the largest aircraft order in aviation history at International Air Show on 2008, it was up to 205 aircraft. By May 2010, the airline started services to more than 61 destinations around the world from its hub Abu Dhabi International Airport (Adam Schreck, 2012). The Airline is currently operating more than 1200 flights per week with over 82 destinations in more than 50 countries with a fleet of 66 Airbus and Boeing aircrafts. Etihad introduces a major campaign every year and invests seriously on marketing as the marketing department as the marketing is an important part of the industry. The Marketing department in Etihad has three divisions: Sponsorship and Exhibitions, Brand Management and Visual Communication (PTI, 2008, July 15). In the year, 2010 Etihad carried more than 7 million passengers compared to 6.2 million passengers; now this is a 13% increase for the airline. In spite of all the record revenues by the airline, which was US$300 million in 2010, unfortunately Etihad has not yet been profitable but recently on 2011 Etihad has claimed to have a full year profit. As Etihad posted a 39% jump in its third quarter revenues and increased its network and passenger numbers (PTI, Jan 26, 2012). On the year of 2012, Etihad has invested in many other airline companies like Virgin Australia and Air Berlin. On 5 June 2012, Etihad invested almost in 4% of the stocks of Virgin Australia and recently when Air Berlin was almost bankrupt, Etihad injected its wealth. Since its beginning in 2003, Etihad Airways has received more than 30 awards; it was also the winner of World Travel Awards (WTA) for having the best Business Class in the world and for its outstanding service in 2009. In addition to that, on November 2009 Etihad Airways won the ?World Leading Airline? award. In 2010, Etihad was awarded as the ?World?s Best First Class?, ?Best First Class Catering?, ?Best First Class Seat? and for consecutive years it has been awarded as ?World?s Leading Airline? by Skytrax.
| ? | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010?? |
| Number of passengers (millions) | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 7.1 |
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 6 | 12 | 22 | 37 | 42 | 52 | 57 |
After the background of the three airlines, it is important to know more about these Airlines Economic Forces, Key Success Factors, SWOT analysis and above all the Economic Recession Strategies.
ECONOMIC FORCES OF
QATAR, EMIRATES & ETIHAD
In the airline, industry demand for travel extremely depends on the economic conditions, an organization?s marketing strategies. Qatar, Etihad and Emirates has grown and developed its business in their home cities (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha). The economy of these three cities or the two countries (Qatar and United Arab Emirates) is very strong. In fact according to Forbes, World richest country of 2011 was Qatar with a GDP of US$88,222 per capita whereas United Arab Emirates being the sixth richest country with a GDP of $47,439 per capital just slightly above United States of America (CIA FACTBOOK, 2011). Unquestionably, a stable economy and sustainable wealth is a key to success and an increase in the demand for air travel whether it is for business or leisure. With recent economic crisis Emirates, Etihad and Qatar airways has shown a lot of revenues and profits which unfortunately many other rival companies in Europe and North America (United States) have not posted. Demand is deteriorating, as the economic conditions look grim around the world; now the challenge is how to survive this crisis but for these three airline companies it does not look that grim as it is government sponsored airline companies and enough wealth to inject it does not seem much trouble for these three airlines in the present.
Another factor employed by these three airline companies is diversity; both of its domestic and international markets Emirates, Etihad and Qatar operate in a cultural diversity. U.S.A., U.K., Canada, Australia and other parts of Europe where it is a melting pot and there are variety of consumers and as most of the, stable incomers; this gives these three airlines to cash in with strong demand for travel on holidays (?Middle East Airlines?, 2011).
Below is the profile and data of these two countries compared with United States of America:
?
| UNITED STATES | QATAR | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | ||
| GDP Growth | 2.?8%? | 16.30% | 3.20% | |
| Inflation rate | 1.40% | 1.10% | 2.20% | |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.60% | 0.50% | 2.40% | |
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DUBAI SUNSET
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DOHA, QATAR : A new city on the rise
ABU DHABI: ?New York of Middle East
Porter? Five Forces
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Whenever there is a profitable market, more firms that are new will enter the market to establish itself. Asia Pacific is one of the great examples for this; it is the region of a vibrant market where an inbound tourism enjoys a growth of 7.9% and outbound with a 25%. All the airlines operating in this region during the financial crisis were having high profits; for example- Qantas profits were US$618 million in 2007, Cathay Pacific profits on 2007 were almost US$905 million. In this situation Emirates, Etihad and Qatar airways exploited the market for high profitability as demand was growing.
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Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways compete with some of the largest airlines in Europe and America: Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and United Airlines. As these well-established airline companies are operating the same destination in Asia Pacific, Australia and America, the competition is so aggressive that the global industry is witnessing a growth of low cost airlines.
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As competition between the companies are becoming intense, Emirates Etihad and Qatar Airways may face a threat now and in future when customers have an ability to make demands on their products in terms of lower prices, a phenomenal service and great product quality. Therefore, these three airlines are unlikely to exhibit high rates of return (turnover) due to price reducing and investing more in the product innovation.
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- Suppliers Bargaining Power
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World?s dominant aircraft producers are Airbus and Boeing and every other airlines places orders with the, as a large buyer these three airliners still faces a threat of paying higher prices or even delivery delays. Furthermore, they also depend so much on these suppliers as required products and are differentiated while the suppliers have high proficiency.
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Most airliners offer similar products with similar features: Low Price, outstanding quality,
and phenomenal service. In other regions, there are some direct substitute products to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. There will be challenges for these three airlines when there will be enough competition to launch new products globally. For Example: Virgin Atlantic has its subsidiaries around the world: Virgin America in United States, Virgin Australia in Australia and Virgin Nigeria in Nigeria and its nearby regions. Consumers (Passengers) will benefit from these low fares and higher quality; in addition these products will meet the customer demands and understand what they want.
Key Strategies Employed
?
Reviewing these three airlines business strategies, one can understand its focused differentiation as a five star airline or ?Airline of the Year? underlines the product development in terms of luxury, excellent quality and outstanding performance (service). These three have proved to be successful companies exploiting the market with high profitability. Secondly, none of these three airlines is in the major alliances (Star Alliance, One World Alliance and Sky Team). With these competitive markets, will they be able to compete with the big giants?
Unambiguously, this explains how strategic the management is and they consider the possible impact of entering the major alliances with their strong competitors of similar level economies of scale, operating within the markets and channels.
Key Success Factors
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It is very important for good managers to cut costs and increase the revenue and it is vital for capital-intensive industry such as in the airline industry. For these three airlines to balance the total operation costs, the management must work very to costs and keep profits high. According to my own experience, this year on January when I was traveling from Abu Dhabi to Doha and later Doha to Zurich, it was shocking that Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways on these flights were 30% empty. In this recession economic situations these scene would not be seen on any other airlines (J. Wensveen, 2007).
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Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are well ? established companies with strong alliances over international destinations and other the other hand they keep on continuing to invest on new fleets. This means they will increase their capacity and maintain fixed costs with other players. They will access the global market with greater geographical coverage and this will create a high barrier to new entrants due to high costs and scope of business ?(J. Wensveen, 2007)..
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Emirates, Etihad and Qatar are legacy airlines where advanced technology, staff skills, state of the art technology and auxiliary services are the main drivers for success. Therefore, they are aware of the need for continuous innovations, and not only in the fleet and staff expansion but in the premium services for everyone. They have been renowned for technology development and skilled staff of multi culture backgrounds (?Aviation in the Gulf?, 2010).
RIVAL COMPANIES
As explained the key success factors of these companies, here are some of the rival companies in Europe and in North America, how they are performing. From the graph and data some assumptions can be done:
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In Europe, we can see the low fare airline companies are performing better than the international carrier can and a lot of them are merging with each other like British Airways and Iberia, then KLM and Air France. As markets are getting competitive low fare, airlines are trying to capture the market. In Europe because of the EU establishment, there is open sky policy and in addition, most European cities are just few miles away from each other and only maximum 2-3 hours flight from each other. Most passengers do not mind to travel in less legroom and give away some comfort as they are paying a very low price for the tickets.
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In this graph for the US carriers, it is the mirror image of European market. The bigger international carriers are performing much better than the low fare airlines except Southwest Airlines, which is a low fare airline. First, Delta acquired Northwest airlines, in result to that, it has the largest, and the most state of the art fleet in the US Aviation industry.? Secondly, United Continental after their merge it has the most routes, in fact as recently my trip to Tokyo, Japan I have noticed United Continental second biggest hub is Tokyo. In addition, the Eastern Region Marketing Manager Ms. Monica from United Continental have confirmed that they have more flights in operating in that region than Japan Airlines, Tokyo- Singapore, Tokyo- Guam, Ho Chi Minh City. US airways and American Airlines who are lagging behind with the
big players are soon likely to merge which will make create competition for Delta and United Continental, this might even increase the fares for the passengers.
For the low fare airlines like JetBlue, that has a good reputation and outstanding service has lower revenues than Southwest because of its network and routes. JetBlue does not have too many routes and destinations for its passengers whereas Southwest provides an alternate route (airport) in that same city for a lower price. For Example: Instead of flying from JFK New York- Chicago O Hare International Airport, Southwest flies from New York?s LaGuardia Airport to Chicago Midway Airport. In addition to that, they provide some benefits to their passengers like free baggage allowance and better legroom, which the big international carriers in the US do not provide. Air Canada, West Jet, Spirit Airways and Allegiant Airlines serves few destinations and with less destinations served less revenues earned and they are totally unable to match with their competitors.
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??Strategic Options for an Economic Recession
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Currently, the airline industry is facing financial crisis and many airlines are filing bankruptcy.
Some of the issues:
- Economies are slowing down in US, Japan, EU and China.
- There is overcapacity in many markets especially in the long haul markets; it is because due to reregulation and alliances when there is intensive competition.
- Rising demand of? low fare airlines
- Reconstructing the routes, whether the routes are profitable or not.
- Cutting costs and increasing the revenues.
Well, so far these three airlines are not facing anything like or in a mood to set things in that way. It all depends in the future if the countries or cities are dried with their oil money.
HUBS
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London Heathrow?s terminal 5 is one of the amazing and biggest airport terminal in the world but just after six months Dubai airport Terminal 3 was opened and it has almost in third position in annual passenger handling. Both terminals can handle almost 30 million passengers a year and both of them were designed for the exclusive use for serving their flag carriers. Unfortunately, this is where the similarities end because London?s Terminal 5 is kind of cramped site, whereas Dubai?s T3 has 3 times more space; on the other hand Terminal 5 of London Heathrow would not get any bigger, Dubai?s Terminal 3 will soon be the largest building in the world by floor space. It will handle more than 43 million passengers a year and can accommodate 23 Airbus A380s (?Aviation in the Gulf?, 2010).
As years will, pass Dubai International Airport will be third busiest international airport and as passenger growth running a rate of 20%, the capacity will reach to 90 million passengers a year. It is only a matter of time that Dubai International airport will overcome London. Similarly, Abu Dhabi International Airport has claimed 21.2% increase in passenger traffic in 2012. In this year (2012) between the months of January and March, the airport has welcomed 29,123 flights and passenger traffic reaching to 15,197,000, which is almost a 22% increase. According to 2010, Skytrax, Qatar?s Doha International airport is 27th busiest airport in the world and the passenger traffic has been 15,108,521 compared to 13,113,224 in 2009 that is a 19% increase. By 2013, a new phase of Doha International airport will be opened which will be able to handle more than 16 million passengers (?Aviation in the Gulf?, 2010).
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SWOT ANALYSIS FOR
EMIRATES, ETIHAD & QATAR AIRWAYS
| STRENGTHS
| WEAKNESS
? |
| OPPORTUNITIES
? | THREATS
|
CONCLUSIONS
From analyzing all the factors internally and externally it is worth that Emirate, Etihad and Qatar Airways management identify its capabilities and competitive advantages and makes a proper way to use those resources in the field.? From these analyses, one can say that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar need to respond to the changes in the economic conditions. Management needs to be aware of those situations and plan accordingly (Adam Schreck, 2012). Another factor to survive in this current financial crisis; these three airlines needs to outsource some of its operations in the value chain such as Engineering, Maintenance, catering and ground handling. This will surely reduce some costs of the company and they will benefit from high expertise and efficiency. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways also need to strategize its prices and penetrate into the low cost markets as passengers are looking for low fares and better services. So far, these airline companies have a great potential and prospects, they have been awarded in numerous occasions.? All of them can gain from its marketing benefits and network to spread and reduce competition (Adam Schreck, 2012).
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SOURCES
?
?
- Brueckner, J.K., ?The Economics of International Codesharing: An
Analysis of AirlineAlliances,? International Journal of Industrial
Organization19, 1475-1498(2001).
?
?
- Emirates Airlines, n.d. Emirates? Story; Fleet; Chauffeur Drive;
Emirates? Experience, Emirates News, retrieved: 2000/2004/2009/2012,
<www.emirates.com>
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- Borenstein, S., ?The Evolution of U.S. Airline Competition,? Journal
of Economic Perspectives6, 45-73 (1992).
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- Wensveen, J. (2007).Air Transportation: A Management Perspective (6th Edition). Burlington, VT. Ashgate
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Texas lawmakers reconvene for new abortion fight
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? State troopers lined the halls of the Texas Capitol, and 5,000 protesters rallied outside against proposed abortion legislation, as lawmakers convened Monday for a second special session that Republican leaders pledged wouldn't descend into chaos like the first.
The Texas House and Senate each met for less than an hour before recessing for the week. That was just long enough to schedule new committee hearings for the proposed restrictions that would make Texas one of the toughest places in the nation for women to get abortions.
Less than one week earlier, Democrats scored a rare victory in the GOP-dominated Legislature by running out the clock on the first special session.
Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth was on her feet for more than 12 hours ? speaking most of that time ? during the Democratic filibuster. When Republicans used parliamentary technicalities to silence her, hundreds of protesters in the public gallery and surrounding Capitol corridors cheered so loudly that work on the bill couldn't be completed before the midnight deadline.
"You're going to see a completely different debate this time around," said Rep. Steve Toth, a Republican from The Woodlands. "We're not under that kind of timeline this time around."
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst took no chances with raucous protesters in the second special session on Monday. Security was much tighter than before, with troopers ? some of them in riot gear ? throughout the Capitol complex.
When protesters filed into the House and Senate galleries, pages provided them with copies of the rules warning them that if they disrupted the proceedings, they'd be ejected. There were no arrests or any incidents of violence reported.
And Dewhurst said the Senate would make one major procedural change as well. Rather than follow tradition and require a two-thirds vote to bring up a bill for consideration, he said it would take only a simple majority during this session. That could prove critical because Democrats hold 12 out of 31 seats and successfully blocked the abortion law during the regular legislative session.
On the House side, State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, said he would only allow less than nine hours of public testimony on the bill. Public protests erupted two weeks ago when he cut off testimony during the last session after 12 hours and denied more than 260 women the chance to speak.
"A wise man once said, nothing good happens after midnight," Cook said, explaining why he was limiting testimony.
Although there would be no action on either floor during the Fourth of July week, committees were set to hold public hearings to consider the measure.
Cook said his committee could approve the bill early Wednesday morning. The soonest the bill could pass the full Legislature is July 10, unless the Republican majorities suspend the rules to move it sooner. Gov. Rick Perry could sign the bill into law almost immediately.
"The Texas Legislature is poised to finish its history-making work this year by passing legislation to protect the unborn and women's health," Perry said Monday in a statement.
Democrats can do little to stop the bill this time, only slow it down with parliamentary procedure. A late start gave Davis a chance to filibuster the bill on the last day of the session, but with 30 days in the new one, a repeat seems nearly impossible.
"We know where the votes are. We also know what the calendar is. We know how difficult that calendar can be when its working against you," said Austin Democratic Sen. Kirk Waston, suggesting the bill will likely end up in court. "If they win this battle ... I believe we will win the war."
Davis, whose filibuster helped catapult her into the national spotlight, told a crowd of some 5,000 opponents in orange T-shirts that their support helped her maintain the effort.
"You were at the crux of a turning point in Texas history," Davis said.
The rally on the Capitol's south steps was the largest seen in Austin for years. Although far outnumbered, a few hundred supporters of the bill wore blue and recited the Lord's Prayer outside the Senate chamber.
The legislative process now starts over, with lawmakers filing bills, committees holding public hearings on each, then passing them to both full chambers to consider. That means reviving the proposals Davis and the protesters killed: banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requiring that the procedure be performed at ambulatory surgical centers, and mandating that doctors who perform abortions obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.
Only five out of 42 clinics qualify as ambulatory surgical centers and they are located only in major metropolitan areas. Dewhurst has acknowledged that the ultimate goal is to shutter abortion clinics.
Lainie Duro sat on the Capitol floor at 8 a.m. Monday with a stack of feminist literature and sex education books.
"I'm always part of the unruly mob. We refuse to be ruled," she said. "Poor women, women of color, rural women. If they need abortion they will not be able to get an abortion. Health care in Texas is already difficult for people in poverty to access."
Outside the Capitol, Sean Ollech and another protester in blue held up a large photo of an aborted fetus.
"This is so they can see the face of abortion," said Ollech, 32, of Austin. "This is what's going on right now across Texas."
___
House Bill 2: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=832&Bill=HB2
___
Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-lawmakers-reconvene-abortion-fight-230235820.html
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