Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Action Alert!!! |
|---|
| Saleema |
| 10/16/00 at 15:54:24 |
| From: Islamic Association For Palestine <Iapinfo@i...> Date: Mon Oct 16, 2000 5:19pm Subject: IAP ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD BLAME PALESTINIANS Assalamu'alaikum, IAP ACTION ALERT: OPPOSE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD BLAME PALESTINIANS *******Please circulate****** Islamic Association for Palestine In North America 10661 South Roberts Rd, Suite 202 Palos Hills, IL 60465 Tel: 708 974 3380 Fax: 708 974 3389 Pager: 1 800 916 8286 For immediate release Oct 16/00 It has come to our attention that Congresswoman Lynn Rivers (Michigan 13th District) indicated today that there are several resolutions about to be introduced in both the House and Senate which (in different formats) seeks to assign the blame for what is happening in the Middle East to the Palestinian side. (see the draft below) It is expected to be brought up in the House as early as TUESDAY, October 17th. We urge you to call, fax or e-mail your Senator and Congressperson and voice your opposition to these resolutions. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to get you representative phone and fax numbers. You can also find out how to contact your Senator by visiting http://www.senate.gov/ and how to contact your representative in the U.S. House of Representatives by visiting http://www.house.gov/ Also, to get emails of all members of house and senate and other helpful contacts you can also visit: http://www.vista-x.com/governmail/gvindex.htm Also, remember that if you send and e-mail don't forget to put the intent of your message in your subject heading, as many messages are not opened, but simply tabulated. You can use this letter as a model, but it is best to use your own words if you can: Dear Congressperson or Senator, "It has come to my attention that several resolutions are about to be introduced in the House and Senate which will attribute the responsibility for the current violence in the Mid East to the Palestinian side. Not only do I disagree with that assessment of responsibility, but I think it is extraordinarily unwise for Congress to weigh in on this matter at this time. I believe that such resolutions make a mockery of the American status as an "honest broker". I also believe that such resolutions, if passed, are likely to incite further violence and bloodshed. President Clinton has stated recently that "We have got to move beyond blame. We have got to focus on what we are going to do tomorrow and the next day." I ask the question, why is it that America is not interested in blame only when it so clearly falls on Israel, which the entire international community has agreed upon in a recent UN resolution? Please seriously re-consider this unwise course of action. I also remind you that In the past when Congress passed an "unbalanced" non-binding resolution on the Middle East, mass demonstrations occurred and lives were lost. What Congress says on behalf of the United States does matter and US role in the Middle East ought not be undermined by congressional politics. " Sincerely yours, Your name here. ----------------------- The following is the DRAFT text of the resolution to the House: House Concurrent Resolution 426 Introduced by Ben Gilman (R-NY) and Sam Gejdenson (D-CT) and cosponsored by more than 60 members of the House. WHEREAS: The Arab-Israeli conflict must be resolved by peaceful negotiation; WHEREAS: Since 1993, Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in intensive negotiations over the future of the West Bank and Gaza; WHEREAS: The United States, through its consistent support of Israel and the cause of peace, made the current peace process possible; WHEREAS: The underlying basis of those negotiations was recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization by Israel in exchange for the renunciation of violence by the P.L.O. and its Chairman Yasser Arafat, first expressed in his letter to then-Israeli Prime Minister Rabin dated September 9, 1993, in which he stated: "[T]he PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence, and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators." WHEREAS: As a result of those negotiations, the Palestinians now fully control over 40% of the West Bank and Gaza, with over 95% of the Palestinian population under the civil administration of the Palestinian Authority; WHEREAS: As a result of peace negotiations, Israel turned over control of these areas to the Palestinian Authority control with the clear understanding and expectation that the Palestinians would maintain order and security there; WHEREAS: The Palestinian Authority, with the assistance of Israel and the international community, created a strong police force--almost twice the number allowed under the Oslo accords--specifically to maintain public order; WHEREAS: The Government of Israel made clear to the world its commitment to peace at Camp David where it expressed its readiness to take wide-ranging and painful steps in order to bring an end to the conflict, but these proposals were rejected by Chairman Arafat; WHEREAS: Perceived provocations must only be addressed at the negotiating table; WHEREAS: It is only through negotiations, and not through violence, that the Palestinians can hope to achieve their political aspirations; WHEREAS: Even in the face of the desecration of Joseph's Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank, the Government of Israel has made it clear that it will withdraw forces from Palestinian areas if the Palestinian Authority maintains order in those areas; WHEREAS: The Palestinian leadership not only did too little to for far too long to control the violence, but in fact encouraged it; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The House of Representatives: 1. Expresses its solidarity with the State and people of Israel at this time of crisis; 2. Condemns the Palestinian leadership for encouraging the violence and doing so little for so long to stop it, resulting in the senseless loss of life; 3. Calls upon the Palestinian leadership to refrain from any exhortations to public incitement, urges the Palestinian leadership to vigorously use its security forces to stop all violence, to show respect for all holy sites, and to settle all grievances through negotiations; 4. Commends successive U.S. governments on their continuing efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. 5. Urges the Administration to use its veto power at the UN Security Council to ensure the Security Council does not again pass unbalanced resolutions addressing the uncontrolled violence in the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority; 6. Calls on all parties involved in the Middle East conflict to make all possible efforts to reinvigorate the peace process in order to prevent further senseless loss of life by all sides. |
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