Sunday 12 June 2011

Imperial Hypocrisy

Is this person talking about the American neo-colonial expansion in the Arab World, the exploitation of natural resources of the poor and corrupt US clientalist regimes.

Check for yourself.

Thursday 9 June 2011

Strange Allies to focus on Libya after Gaddafi

Libya Talks: The Allies of the Counterrevolution are planning to meet in the United Arab Emirates. Look at the composition of this group, especially from the Arab side.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

East Jerusalem: Sharing our house with settlers

The story of Muna & Muhammed (both 12), twins living in Sheikh Jarah, East Jerusalem and their struggle with the settlers who occupied part of their home.

You can watch the film: Here

“Four Palestinians and two Israelis used cameras provided by the Guardian and B'Tselem human rights organisation to record video diaries about their lives and experiences in East Jerusalem.”
All parts, click here.

Outrageous treatment of Libyan Eman Al-Obeidi by Qatari Security Officials

This is another reason why we shouldn't be fooled by Qatar or the dubious Transitional National Council in Libya

Islamic Brotherhood & the Civil State

Islamic Brotherhood leader thinks that “rejecting an Islamic reference for state is immoral”. The leader can't see any contradiction in a civil state and a reference to a certain religion.

Egypt and the Arab World have to chose whether they are for apartheid, inequality and second class citizens or for a system of government that reflects all segments of the society, including atheists. It should be clear in a civil state, there can’t be a reference to a certain religion but the state should be driven by strong and unequivocal reference(s) to basic rights and democratic values. Instead of having a reference to a certain religion in the constitutions, we should work on showing the rich history, culture and diversity of the Arab World.

p.s. Freedom of religion includes the treatment of all religions equally, in addition to the right of people not to have a certain religion, otherwise there is no difference between the so called “Jewish State” and the 'vision' of the Islamic Brotherhood of a civil state.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Tamimi’s full statement in front of the Israeli Military Court

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

Bassem Tamimi speaks for justice, freedom and dignity: (June 5)

Tamimi’s full statement:

"Your Honor,

I hold this speech out of belief in peace, justice, freedom, the right to live in dignity, and out of respect for free thought in the absence of Just Laws.

Every time I am called to appear before your courts, I become nervous and afraid. Eighteen years ago, my sister was killed by in a courtroom such as this, by a staff member. In my lifetime, I have been nine times imprisoned for an overall of almost 3 years, though I was never charged or convicted. During my imprisonment, I was paralyzed as a result of torture by your investigators. My wife was detained, my children were wounded, my land was stolen by settlers, and now my house is slated for demolition.

I was born at the same time as the Occupation and have been living under its inherent inhumanity, inequality, racism and lack of freedom ever since. Yet, despite all this, my belief in human values and the need for peace in this land have never been shaken. Suffering and oppression did not fill my heart with hatred for anyone, nor did they kindle feelings of revenge. To the contrary, they reinforced my belief in peace and national standing as an adequate response to the inhumanity of Occupation.

International law guarantees the right of occupied people to resist Occupation. In practicing my right, I have called for and organized peaceful popular demonstrations against the Occupation, settler attacks and the theft of more than half of the land of my village, Nabi Saleh, where the graves of my ancestors have lain since time immemorial.

I organized these peaceful demonstrations in order to defend our land and our people. I do not know if my actions violate your Occupation laws. As far as I am concerned, these laws do not apply to me and are devoid of meaning. Having been enacted by Occupation authorities, I reject them and cannot recognize their validity.

Despite claiming to be the only democracy in the Middle East you are trying me under military laws which lack any legitimacy; laws that are enacted by authorities that I have not elected and do not represent me. I am accused of organizing peaceful civil demonstrations that have no military aspects and are legal under international law.

We have the right to express our rejection of Occupation in all of its forms; to defend our freedom and dignity as a people and to seek justice and peace in our land in order to protect our children and secure their future.

The civil nature of our actions is the light that will overcome the darkness of the Occupation, bringing a dawn of freedom that will warm the cold wrists in chains, sweep despair from the soul and end decades of oppression.

These actions are what will expose the true face of the Occupation, where soldiers point their guns at a woman walking to her fields or at checkpoints; at a child who wants to drink from the sweet water of his ancestors’ fabled spring; against an old man who wants to sit in the shade of an olive tree, once mother to him, now burnt by settlers.

We have exhausted all possible actions to stop attacks by settlers, who refuse to adhere to your courts’ decisions, which time and again have confirmed that we are the owners of the land, ordering the removal of the fence erected by them.

Each time we tried to approach our land, implementing these decisions, we were attacked by settlers, who prevented us from reaching it as if it were their own.

Our demonstrations are in protest of injustice. We work hand in hand with Israeli and international activists who believe, like us, that had it not been for the Occupation, we could all live in peace on this land. I do not know which laws are upheld by generals who are inhibited by fear and insecurity, nor do I know their thoughts on the civil resistance of women, children and old men who carry hope and olive branches. But I know what justice and reason are. Land theft and tree-burning is unjust. Violent repression of our demonstrations and protests and your detention camps are not evidence of the illegality of our actions. It is unfair to be tryed under a law forced upon us. I know that I have rights and my actions are just.

The military prosecutor accuses me of inciting the protesters to throw stones at the soldiers. This is not true. What incites protesters to throw stones is the sound of bullets, the Occupation’s bulldozers as they destroy the land, the smell of teargas and the smoke coming from burnt houses. I did not incite anyone to throw stones, but I am not responsible for the security of your soldiers who invade my village and attack my people with all the weapons of death and the equipment of terror.

These demonstrations that I organize have had a positive influence over my beliefs; they allowed me to see people from the other side who believe in peace and share my struggle for freedom. Those freedom fighters have rid their conscious from the Occupation and put their hands in ours in peaceful demonstrations against our common enemy, the Occupation. They have become friends, sisters and brothers. We fight together for a better future for our children and theirs.

If released by the judge will I be convinced thereby that justice still prevails in your courts? Regardless of how just or unjust this ruling will be, and despite all your racist and inhumane practices and Occupation, we will continue to believe in peace, justice and human values. We will still raise our children to love; love the land and the people without discrimination of race, religion or ethnicity; embodying thus the message of the Messenger of Peace, Jesus Christ, who urged us to “love our enemy.” With love and justice, we make peace and build the future."

Background: Here

Monday 6 June 2011

Wir sind alle Khaled Said

"Vor einem Jahr, am 6. Juni 2010, wurde der ägyptische Blogger Khaled Mohammed Said von zwei Zivilpolizisten aus einem Internet-Café gezerrt und zu Tode geprügelt. Der 28-jährige Computerfachmann wurde posthum zum ersten Märtyrer der ägyptischen Revolution, die im Februar Präsident Mubarak die Macht kostete."

Sunday 5 June 2011

AN-NAKSA DAY REMEMBERED 1967

1967: Fourty-Four Years On...

“On the forty-fourth anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula during the 1967 war, the Institute for Palestine Studies is offering a few pertinent articles and documents from the Journal of Palestine Studies archives.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem