A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Human Rights Watch posts | |
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| sofia | |
| 03/07/02 at 12:33:08 | |
| [slm] From time to time, there may be some human rights watch type articles posted here. This is not just to post the injustices being done against Muslims, but any oppressed groups. Feel free to post any action items here. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor a particularly effective human rights campaigner, just want to at least get the msg out. Of course, there is much more to be done than just posting atrocities, like informing your local representatives, regional, state and federal government officials, aiding the oppressed in any way, and most importantly, du'aa. The more your reps hear from you, the more it'll be left on their conscience (if they have one). But the One who hears and answers is Allah. The Prophet (saws) taught: you should hate wrong actions and stop it with your hand, and if not, say something against it, and if not, at least hate it with your heart and that's the lowest level of faith. He also taught us to help the oppressed and the oppressor (by making him stop oppression). We have too many resources we waste, and take for granted that there is something we can do. I remind myself, first. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FREE EXPRESSION IN TURKEY Human Rights Watch and partner NGOs scored a victory for free expression in Turkey with the February 13 acquittal of Turkish publisher Fatih Tas. Tas had been charged with dispensing "separatist propaganda" for publishing a book by Noam Chomsky that described human rights violations in southeastern Turkey, where a large population of Kurds lives. The essay in question, called "Prospects for Peace," includes a comment about the repression of the Kurds which Chomsky said "was largely drawn, with quite a few direct quotes, from HRW reports." Fatih Tas was acquitted in record time on the first day of his trial. At HRW's encouragement, Chomsky attended the trial; he asked that, as provided under Turkish law, he himself be named as a co-defendant. HRW's Turkey researcher, Jonathan Sugden, accompanied Chomsky. The trial and Chomsky's visit received extensive coverage in Turkey, including his challenge to the government and the judiciary to undertake sweeping changes in their approach to free expression. Find out more about human rights in Turkey at http://www.hrw.org/europe/turkey.php ----- TORTURE, DISAPPEARANCES, AND EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS IN CHECHNYA "Swept Under: Torture, Forced Disappearances, and Extrajudicial Killings during Sweep Operations in Chechnya," documents systematic human rights abuses committed by Russian forces against the civilian population in Chechnya. A delegation from HRW, the Russian human rights group Memorial, and Medecins Sans Frontieres held meetings with representatives of the U.S. Administration and Congress urging them to make the most of the forthcoming session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights as well as President Bush's May visit to Russia to press the Russian government to improve its human rights record. The New York Times devoted a full article to the report. Read the report online at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/russchech/ ----- MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS The government of Spain is violating the rights of migrants and asylum seekers who arrive illegally on Spanish shores. The report, "The Other Face of the Canary Islands: Rights Violations Against Migrants and Asylum Seekers," criticizes substandard detention conditions and the inadequate procedural rights afforded migrants and asylum seekers upon their arrival on the Spanish islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The report triggered a roaring debate on migrants' rights in Spain. On February 26, Enrique Fernández-Miranda y Lozana, Secretary of State for Immigration, appeared before Parliament to address our report and the situation of migrants in the Fuerteventura facility. He said that our report was "inapplicable and ill-focused." On the same day the Ombudsman made a visit to the facility and confirmed the report's accuracy. The report was covered extensively in Spain, on national radio, in the major papers, and on television, as well as on French Radio, Deutsche Welle, the BBC, in The Guardian and Morocco's Demain Magazine. Our report, along with contact information for the Interior Ministry, is also being passed out to tourists on the beaches of Fuerteventura by a group of members of local NGOs calling itself the "Fuerteventura Forum." Starting with Castillo Beach, the group has already handed out 500 copies of the report. Read the report online at http://hrw.org/reports/2002/spain/ En español - http://hrw.org/informes/2002/spain.html En français - http://hrw.org/french/reports/spain/spain.htm Order the report at http://store.yahoo.com/hrwpubs/otfacofcanis.html WHAT YOU CAN DO Write to the Spanish authorities to urge them to ensure humane, fair treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. For a sample letter and contact information, visit http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/spain/action.htm En español - http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/spain/actionsp.htm ------------ AFGHAN REFUGEES IN CRISIS The decades-long Afghan refugee emergency did not end with the fall of the Taliban. Three and a half million refugees remain in Pakistan and Iran, the vast majority of whom arrived before the current armed conflict. Although 140,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan and Iran in the past six weeks, fifty thousand new refugees fled Afghanistan to Pakistan during the same period. Human Rights Watch's report "Closed Door Policy: Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Iran" cautions against a hasty repatriation of Afghan refugees while conditions in Afghanistan remain unstable. HRW researchers in the field interviewed hundreds of refugees from various ethnic groups, including women and girls, who fear continuing abuses inside Afghanistan. In addition, with borders closed, most refugees had to resort to dangerous, unofficial routes into Pakistan, and many were beaten at irregular checkpoints when they could not afford to pay extortionate bribes. At official crossing points, families were beaten back, or languished in squalor without food, water or latrines -- hoping to be let in. Once inside Pakistan, refugees were harassed and imprisoned because they lacked identity documents. They also endured beatings by Pakistani police when lining up for food in camps. Human Rights Watch is working with U.S. Senator Wellstone's office on a bill that incorporates a number of the report's recommendations for protecting refugees. The report was covered by Reuters, Europa Press, Agence France-Presse, UN Radio, CNN, The Hindu, The Dawn, The Independent, The Christian Science Monitor and the BBC (in English, Farsi, and Pashto). Read the report online at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/pakistan/index.htm Order the report at http://store.yahoo.com/hrwpubs/closdoorpolr.html Visit the photo gallery at http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/afghanistan/photos/ ----- EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN GUATEMALA Tens of thousands of Guatemalan women working as domestic workers and in the maquila sector (apparel factories) face widespread discrimination that is sponsored or tolerated by the government. The government denies domestic workers basic labor rights, including the otherwise recognized right to an eight-hour workday and the minimum wage. These workers also suffer significant levels of sexual harassment. Employers in the maquila sector often require women seeking jobs to declare whether they are pregnant, and often deny pregnant workers full maternity benefits. Workers in both spheres encounter obstacles accessing reproductive health care. On February 12, at a press conference in Guatemala City, Human Rights Watch released the report, "From the Household to the Factory: Sex Discrimination in the Guatemalan Labor Force," which documents this discrimination. News about the report was carried in Guatemala on the two major television networks, two daily newspapers, and at least five radio stations. BBC Mundo and CNN español carried interviews with HRW researcher Jude Sunderland. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal also ran pieces about the report. While in Guatemala, Sunderland met with the new labor minister, members of Congress, an official in the Ministry of Economy, representatives of the private sector, the governmental Human Rights Ombudsman's Office, the South Korean embassy, and the U.S. embassy, among others. The new labor minister, Victor Hugo Godoy met HRW on his first day in office and agreed to lend his support to crucial labor code reforms to provide equal rights and protections to domestic workers. He also agreed to improve coordination with other state agencies to improve monitoring of labor rights in the maquila sector. And, he acknowledged the need to strengthen the Working Women's Unit within the ministry. Read the report online at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/guat/ Order the report at http://store.yahoo.com/hrwpubs/guatfromhous.html | |
| Re: Human Rights Watch posts | |
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| sofia | |
| 03/07/02 at 12:36:21 | |
| [slm] Bismillah ir-Rehman ir-Raheem ------------------------------------------------------------- IMAM JAMIL TODAY A Newsletter For Justice for Imam Jamil Al-Amin March 1, 2002 Issue 11 http://www.ImamJamil.com -------------- http://www.ImamJamil.com ------------------ Friday March 1, 2002; Zul-Hijja 16, 1422 AH ------------------------------------------------------------- Assalamu Alaikum, As the trial of Imam Jamil continues we would like to keep you updated on developments. So far the trial has exposed more contradictions in the statements of the witness. Let us pray that Imam Jamil's is in good health. Let us create a pressure on the Justice system to free Imam Jamil. *** Latest on the Trial *** FBI agents did not test the guns for Al-Amin's fingerprints or test Al-Amin's clothing or hands for residue of gun powder. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/030102.html White officers had tried to cover up an FBI agent's attack on Al-Amin after his arrest while three black law enforcement officers were willing to reveal the assault. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022802.html An FBI agent said he kicked Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and spat at him when he was arrested in the woods of rural Alabama nearly two years ago. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022702.html Three deputies from the United States marshals service testified that they did not see Al-Amin fire a gun. The description of the clothing that the gunman was wearing did not match the clothing Al-Amin wore when he was arrested later in the day. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022602.html The defense contends that the police have destroyed crucial evidence by repairing the car. During cross-examination Sgt. Keith Meadows said he was unaware of a May 4, 2000, court order to preserve all evidence connected to the case. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022502.html Damien Gordon, 28, testified in Fulton County Superior Court he heard pistol shots well before an assault rifle opened fire. This contradicts the account of Deputy Aldranon English. English testified that Al-Amin had opened up on him and his partner Ricky Kinchen with an assault rifle before they returned fire with their pistols. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022102.html Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Aldranon English told investigators the man who shot him had gray eyes. He repeated the description two more times to investigators and was offended when investigators hinted that he was wrong about the color of the man's eyes. Al-Amin, 58, has brown eyes and had gray hair until he began dying it red. http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/alamin/022002.html *** Support Jamil Al-Amin Donate to support the expenses of his legal defense. Justice is not cheap in this country. Please send all donations to this address: The Justice Fund P. O. Box 93963 Atlanta, GA 30377 These funds are tax deductible. This is the only account which is under Imam Jamil's family's supervision. ************************************************************ Share your thoughts and prayers on our forum http://www.ImamJamil.com/forum ************************************************************ A service of Justice For All An Illinois not for profit 501 (C) 3 organization © 2002 ImamJamil.com. All rights reserved. 730 W. Lake St. #156, Chicago, IL. 60661, USA | |
| Re: Human Rights Watch posts | |
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| sofia | |
| 03/07/02 at 12:41:26 | |
| Egypt: Ongoing violations of the right to freedom of belief Egypt's (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanors will pronounce its verdict on 5 March 2002 in the case against Amin Yussif and seven others in yet another example of people being at risk of imprisonment solely for exercising their right to freedom of belief, Amnesty International said today. Amin Yussif, a 51-year-old civil servant, his wife Amal Mahmud and six others have been held in detention since the end of September 2001 under charges of "exploiting religion......for extremist ideas" which carry up to five years' imprisonment. The group is accused of having held private religious gatherings and advocating modifications to basic Islamic rules, including rules for prayers and pilgrimage. The group is being tried by an exceptional court - The (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanors - in clear violation of fundamental principles of international fair trial standards. Established under emergency legislation, the court denies the accused the right to have a full appeal before a higher tribunal. "This case is far from being the only one. An increasing number of people are being detained and tried in Egypt simply because they exercised their right to freedom of religion and belief as guaranteed under international human rights standards," Amnesty International said. Others sentenced to prison terms under similar charges by the (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanors include mother of five, Manal Wahid Mana'i, and writer Salah al-Din Muhsin. Manal Wahid Mana'i was sentenced in September 2000 to five years' imprisonment on the basis of accusations of being the leader of a religious group which allegedly attributes divine status to a late Sufi Sheikh. In January 2001 Salah al-Din Muhsin, 44, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, accused of "offending religion" in his publications. His original trial had resulted in July 2000 in a six month suspended sentence, but the case returned to court after the authorities refused to endorse the verdict, deeming the sentence too lenient. Amnesty International considers people detained or imprisonment for merely exercising their right to freedom of religion to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. "The Egyptian authorities should review or abolish legislation that, in violation of international standards, stipulates prison sentences for acts which constitute nothing more than the exercise of the rights of freedom of thought, conscience and religion." Background The majority of people tried in connection with offences against religion are charged under Article 98 (f) of the penal code which stipulates up to five years' imprisonment for "exploiting religion (...) for extremist ideas with the aim of provoking a conflict or of showing scorn or contempt for one of the divinely revealed religions (...) or harming national unity or social peace". At the end of 2001, more than 50 prisoners of conscience were imprisoned in Egypt, including at least 10 people sentenced on the basis of Article 98 (f) who had merely exercised their right to freedom of religion and belief. Between January and April 2001 more than a dozen alleged members of the Baha'i faith, most from the Sohag Governorate were arrested and detained for several months. In February 2001 the UN Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance noted that "Baha'is are not allowed to meet in groups, especially for religious observances, and their literature is destroyed". The rights to freedom of expression and religion are provided in international and regional treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, to which Egypt is a state party. ENDS public document **************************************** For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW web : http://www.amnesty.org | |
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| Re: Human Rights Watch posts | |
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| sofia | |
| 03/07/02 at 12:42:39 | |
| US Defence lawyers 'utterly ineffective' Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman is under sentence of death and is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee on 10 April 2002. He was convicted in 1987 of the murder of Patrick Daniels. International safeguards require that defendants in death penalty cases receive adequate representation at all stages of the proceedings, above and beyond that afforded in non-capital cases. Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman's representation at the sentencing phase of his trial – when his lawyers were supposed to defend him from the death penalty – patently failed to meet this standard. The defence presented none of the abundant mitigating evidence available, including of Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman's appalling childhood abuse at the hands of his military policeman father. This included being stripped, hog-tied, and locked in a cupboard; being struck on the penis with a baseball bat; and being made to eat a pack of cigarettes as punishment for smoking, and when he vomited, forced to eat the vomit. The jurors were also left unaware of Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman's history of serious mental health problems, and that of his siblings. His brother committed suicide as an adult. His sister attempted suicide many times. In 1998 a federal judge overturned Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman's death sentence, citing the "utterly ineffective" representation, and describing the defence as "breathtakingly brief ". In Tennessee, the death penalty can only be passed by a unanimous jury. The federal judge concluded that if the trial lawyers had presented the mitigating evidence, there was "more than a reasonable probability that at least one juror would have voted for a life sentence". He would appear to be right. Eight of the original trial jurors have signed affidavits indicating that they might or would have voted for life if they had heard about Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman's background. Nevertheless, in 2000 a higher court overturned the 1998 ruling. One of the three judges dissented, citing the "constitutionally inadequate" defence. A Tennessee Supreme Court judge has noted that even the two judges who voted to reinstate the death sentence "did not seriously challenge the finding that Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman had received deficient representation". He has gone on record as stating that Governor Sundquist should commute the death sentence. Please appeal for clemency to: Governor Don Sundquist, State Capitol, Nashville, TN 37243, USA. Fax: +1 615 532 1353. e-mail: dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us | |
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| Israel: Cease Attacking Medical Personnel | |
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| sofia | |
| 03/12/02 at 13:07:39 | Israel: Cease Attacking Medical Personnel http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/03/medics030902.htm (New York, March 9, 2002) -- Human Rights Watch today called on the Israeli government to instruct soldiers to immediately refrain from attacking medical personnel in the West Bank and Gaza. During the past week, at least three ambulances have been fired upon, three ambulance staff have died, and nine other medical personnel have been injured. Human Rights Watch called on the Israeli government to respect international humanitarian law, which stipulates that respect for the safety of medical personnel and ambulances is a basic duty of all forces and individuals involved in fighting. Human Rights Watch called for investigations into all incidents of firing on emergency medical personnel. "Attacking humanitarian personnel and their vehicles is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law," said Joe Stork, Washington Director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. "Israel should take immediate steps to prevent any recurrence of these attacks." Human Rights Watch said that deliberate attacks on medical personnel, vehicles and infrastructure constitute a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions. On March 4, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Service (PRCS) emergency medical service in Jenin, Dr. Khalil Sulieman, was killed and another five PRCS staff injured when Israeli troops shot at their ambulances in Jenin refugee camp. Initial explanations from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) indicated that the ambulance was fired on when it was observed to be speeding towards a group of Israeli soldiers. Medical personnel in the area have said that, contrary to these claims, Dr. Sulieman was killed after an IDF soldier fired a projectile at his ambulance as it drove slowly down a narrow street. Oxygen containers in the ambulance then blew up as a result of either direct impact or heat, causing a secondary explosion. Ibrahim Assad, a PRCS driver, and Kamal Salem, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) were killed by Israeli fire on March 7 while en route to provide emergency assistance to wounded in the West Bank town of Tulkarem. Medical personnel have informed Human Rights Watch that Ibrahim Assad had received permission to move forward from the Israeli authorities. He drove some 750 meters, and was shot in the hand from the machine gun of an Israeli tank. He exited the ambulance, and was then shot in the head. The International Committee of the Red Cross and PRCS have publicly stated that all ambulances were clearly marked and were coordinating their movements closely with the Israeli authorities. "Israel should investigate these deaths in a credible and transparent manner, and discipline or bring to justice those found responsible for any wrongdoing," Stork said. Human Rights Watch expressed further concern that ambulances had reportedly been prevented from gaining access to injured in Tulkarem refugee camp. "Purposely hindering medical access also constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law," said Stork. |
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| Congo: Scores Killed in New Ethnic Fighting |
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| sofia |
| 03/12/02 at 13:09:42 |
| DR Congo: Scores Killed in New Ethnic Fighting http://hrw.org/press/2002/02/bunia0213.htm Prompt UN Action Urged in Ugandan-Occupied Areas (New York, February 13, 2002) -- Uganda should be held responsible for grave human rights violations taking place in territories it occupies in northeastern Congo, Human Rights Watch said today. A resurgence of ethnic fighting there has claimed scores of lives over the last few weeks and displaced at least fifteen thousand people. The dispute, rooted in conflict over land, flared in an area that is contested by three Congolese rebel factions and effectively governed by none of them. The United Nations Security Council will be discussing the Secretary General’s report on the deteriorating security environment in the D.R. Congo in the coming week. Human Rights Watch urges the Security Council to address the government of Uganda as an important agent of unrest in the eastern part in the country, and to hold it liable for the grave rights violations and massive human suffering taking place in territories under its occupation. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo (MONUC) should also exert maximum pressure on local contenders to cease fighting and should send additional military, humanitarian, and human rights monitors to the area. Uganda has occupied the area militarily since 1998 and has supported all three rival groups with arms, training, and political backing. Under the terms of the 1999 Lusaka Peace Accords, Uganda has withdrawn some troops from the Congo but maintained or redeployed others in the area. “Uganda wants to keep enough control to continue getting rich from the Congo, but doesn’t want to take responsibility for protecting civilians,” said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor for the Great Lakes region at Human Rights Watch. Ituri district is rich in timber, gold and diamonds, among other resources. On February 4, four suspected supporters of the Lendu were killed in Bunia, capital of Ituri district, in the latest of a series of ethnic clashes that cost more than a hundred lives and displaced at least fifteen thousand persons in recent weeks. With ethnic clashes increasing, Uganda pulled troops back to Bunia from elsewhere in Ituri instead of using them to contain the violence. Ugandan authorities were prepared to defend the town and to prevent the conflict from spilling over into Uganda itself. According to local sources, the Ugandan army in mid January deployed hundreds of soldiers in the border towns of Aru, Mahagi, and at Ariwara. On February 1, Ugandan Defense Minister Amama Mbabazi remarked that the situation in Bunia was explosive and called on the UN to send troops to take control of the area. “Uganda can’t foist responsibility on the UN for restoring order from the chaos it has fostered,” said Des Forges. “As the occupying power, under international law it must protect civilians and stop these killings.” |
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| "Soviet-style" censorship in Uzbekistan |
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| sofia |
| 03/12/02 at 13:13:36 |
| Meeting with President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan Letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg March 8, 2002 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg City Hall New York, NY 10007 Via Facsimile: 212-788-7476 Dear Mayor Bloomberg: We represent Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, and the International League for Human Rights, New York-based organizations that investigate and report on human rights issues around the world. We are writing regarding your March 14 meeting with President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, a leader whom the U.S. State Department has labeled "authoritarian" and who has shunned all efforts to bring rule of law and political freedoms to this former Soviet state. President Karimov has banned any and all genuine opposition political parties, eliminated all independent media, maintained Soviet-style pre-publication censorship over all media, and jailed journalists and human rights activists who disagree with him. He has presided over a ruthless five-year campaign of arrest and torture of Muslims who practice their faith outside state controls, as a result of which at least 7,000 people have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. [color=Red]In Uzbekistan, women and girls who wear head scarves are expelled from school; young men who have beards, a sign of piety, are taken off the street and forced to shave; and anyone who exchanges religious information or materials with another person without first getting permission from the government, is subject to a lengthy term in prison. [/color] In the interest of promoting harmony and tolerance in New York City and advancing human dignity-one of the goals of America's campaign against terrorism-we urge you to stress in your meeting with President Karimov the need for improvements in that country's human rights record. We understand that President Karimov plans to visit Ground Zero. We are concerned that he will try to use the attacks on New York to justify his own harsh measures at home. He will no doubt say that these measures are effective in the fight against terrorism. We hope you will convey your concern about the arrest of peaceful Muslims in Uzbekistan, and your conviction that any anti-terror campaign must distinguish between those who have committed or plotted specific acts of violence on the one hand, and those who are peaceful dissidents, on the other. The State Department's human rights report, released March 4, vividly describes the Uzbek government's campaign of arrest, torture, and imprisonment of independent Muslims, its censorship of the media, and its intolerance of political opposition. The report particularly criticizes the Karimov government for its routine use of electric shock, rape, beatings, asphyxiation, and other forms of torture of detainees-those charged with common crimes and those arrested for their non-violent political or religious beliefs. Last year, state authorities also resurrected the Soviet practice of placing dissidents in psychiatric institutions. The Bush administration has vowed to raise human rights issues during the summit with President Karimov at the White House. We hope you will also use your meeting with President Karimov to urge specific steps for progress in human rights, including the registration of Uzbekistan's domestic human rights groups and independent political parties; the reform of laws used to persecute independent Muslims and political dissidents; access for U.N. human rights monitors; and the release of political and religious prisoners. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, and the International League for Human Rights call on you also to find a way to emphasize these benchmarks publicly, since President Karimov will otherwise be able to portray the meeting to the world as evidence of solidarity between this city and his policies. The symbol of resilience in the face of tragedy that New York has become should not be tarnished or exploited by an unreconstructed Soviet-style leader bent on rationalizing the suffering he has brought to his own people. We urge you to use the opportunity of your meeting with President Islam Karimov to promote human rights and the rule of law - for the sake of the people of Uzbekistan and to advance the cause of stability and security for everyone. Please accept our best wishes for a productive meeting. /s/ Elizabeth Andersen Executive Director Europe and Central Asia division Human Rights Watch Catherine A. Fitzpatrick Executive Director International League for Human Rights Alexandra Arriaga Director of Government Relations Amnesty International USA Jennifer Windsor Executive Director Freedom House |
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| Guatemala: Girls Face Discrimination |
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| sofia |
| 03/12/02 at 13:16:07 |
| Guatemala: Women and Girls Face Job Discrimination En Español U.S. Companies Contract With Abusive "Maquilas" (Guatemala City, February 12, 2002) Women in Guatemala's largest female-dominated labor sectors face persistent sex discrimination and abuse, Human Rights Watch charged in a report released today. The 147-page report examines two sectors, export processing and private households, which employ tens of thousands of women sewing clothes for sale in the United States and working as live-in domestic workers. The report, From the Household to the Factory: Sex Discrimination in the Guatemalan Labor Force, also finds that some U.S.-based clothing retailers contract with Guatemalan "maquilas," or export-processing factories, that discriminate against women who are pregnant. The Guatemalan labor code protects women workers from this type of discrimination, but is rarely enforced in the maquila sector. Meanwhile, women and girls working in private households do not have adequate legal protection, and are frequently subject to sexual assault and other abuses by their employers. "Women workers are getting a very raw deal in Guatemala," said LaShawn R. Jefferson, executive director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. "The country's labor law has some major gaps, and in many cases it's not being enforced anyway. The Guatemalan government has got to do a better job protecting women workers." Domestic workers, many of whom come from Guatemala's historically oppressed indigenous communities, do not have the legal right to be paid the minimum wage. They also have no right to an eight-hour work day or a forty-eight hour work week, have only limited rights to national holidays and weekly rest, and by and large are denied the right to employee-paid health care under the national social security system. Many domestic workers begin working as young adolescents. Guatemalan labor laws do not provide adequate protection for domestic workers who are under the age of eighteen. International law requires Guatemala to protect children from the most serious forms of child labor, including work for long hours and employment that puts them at risk of sexual abuse. With the expansion of the export-processing sector in Guatemala, thousands of women who might otherwise become domestic workers are now seeking jobs in the "maquilas," apparel manufacturing factories. An estimated 80 percent of the 80,000 maquila workers in Guatemala are women. In order to get a job in a factory, women must often reveal whether they are pregnant, either through questions on job applications, in interviews, or through physical examinations. Workers who become pregnant after being hired are often denied the full range of maternity benefits provided for in Guatemalan law. And the maquilas routinely obstruct workers' access to the employee health care system to which they have a right - with a direct impact on working women's reproductive health. "The maquilas offer much-needed jobs to thousands of women," said Jefferson. "But the price of a job should never be working women's rights to equality." [color=Red] The U.S.-based clothing manufacturers and retailers that have contracts with discriminatory maquilas include Target, The Limited, Wal-Mart, GEAR for Sports, Liz Claiborne and Lee Jeans. All of these have codes of conduct or terms of engagement that prohibit discrimination. GEAR for Sports and Lee Jeans specifically prohibit pregnancy testing. [/color] In an era of increased globalization, corporations have a critical role to play in promoting and protecting universally recognized human rights generally, and labor rights in particular, Human Rights Watch said. "We need to globalize rights, not discrimination," said Jefferson. |
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| US: Race, Rights and Police Brutality |
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| sofia |
| 03/12/02 at 13:45:49 |
| US: Race, Rights and Police Brutality http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/police/brutality/index.html for full text 'A black teenager pedalling rapidly is fleeing crime. A white teenager pedalling at the same speed is feeling the freedom of youth' -National Association for the Advancement of Colored People commenting on the case of a black teenager shot by police after falling off his bicycle in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 1993 William J. Whitfield 3rd, an unarmed African American man, was shot dead in a New York supermarket on 25 December 1997 by police who said they mistook the keys he was carrying for a gun. Although the officer who shot him was cleared of wrongdoing, it was revealed that he had been involved in eight prior shootings. The New York Police Department (NYPD) Police Commissioner subsequently set up a monitoring system for officers involved in three or more shootings. Throughout the USA people are being injured and even killed by police using excessive force or deliberately brutal treatment. Police officers are punching, kicking, beating and shooting people who pose no threat, or are causing serious injuries, and sometimes death, by misusing restraints, chemical sprays or electro-shock weapons. Most reported incidents take place during arrest, searches, traffic stops or in street incidents. Every year there are thousands of reports of assault and ill-treatment by police officers. Inquiries into some of the largest urban police departments have uncovered systematic brutality. It is difficult to assess the true extent of police brutality because there is no reliable national data. Since 1994 the federal government has been legally required to collect national data on police excessive use of force, but Congress has failed to provide the necessary funding. More than 17,000 police agencies operate in the USA, each with its own code of practice and methods of recording and investigating abuses. Most US police departments have strict guidelines on the use of deadly force, and international standards state that force should be used only as a last resort, proportionate to the threat and designed to minimise injury. However, it is clear that these standards are frequently breached and that too often the authorities have turned a blind eye to abuses. Investigations into complaints of police brutality are often subject to delays and there are concerns about the quality and impartiality of internal investigations. Disciplinary action is rare. Sanctions, when they are imposed, are often lenient. Many police shootings raise serious doubts as to whether the victims posed an immediate threat. Amnesty International detailed more than 30 cases where NYPD officers had shot or injured suspects, including children, in disputed circumstances in its 1996 report. Nearly all the victims were black, Latino or from other minorities - a pattern seen across the country. Members of racial and ethnic minorities bear the brunt of police brutality in many areas. Black officers themselves have complained of the stereotyping of black men as criminal suspects. Caroline Sue Botticher, an unarmed African American woman, died after police from West Charlotte, North Carolina, fired 22 rounds at the car in which she was a passenger when it failed to stop at a police check-point in April 1997. There was no evidence to suggest that anyone in the car was armed. Some police departments have introduced guidelines to bar police from firing at moving vehicles unless they are directly threatened with deadly force, but many have not. There have been numerous deaths in custody after police used restraint procedures known to be dangerous. Hogtying - tying suspects' ankles to their wrists behind their backs - has been recognized as highly dangerous for at least the past decade. However, while many departments, including the NYPD, have banned the procedure, others continue to use it. Deaths in custody resulting from hogtying have been reported from various parts of the country, including Athens (Georgia), Jackson (Mississippi) and Memphis (Tennessee). ---------------------------------- See also: Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States http://www.hrw.org/reports98/police/ Warrior Cops: The Ominous Growth of Paramilitarism in American Police Departments http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-050es.html Driving While Black: Racial Profiling On Our Nation's Highways http://www.aclu.org/profiling/report/index.html Prison Activist Resource Center http://www.prisonactivist.org/ |
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| 03/12/02 at 13:47:53 |
| sofia |
| A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) |
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| sofia |
| 04/08/02 at 08:59:28 |
| Some info on A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) APRIL 20: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST WAR & RACISM On March 4 and 5, activists from the U.S. took International A.N.S.W.E.R.’s call for April 20 to be an International Day of Protest Against War & Racism to the Second International Encounter in Solidarity STOP OUTRAGEOUS ATTACKS ON MUSLIM AND ARAB PEOPLE! STOP THE ATTACKS ON CIVIL LIBERTIES! SAY NO TO WAR AND RACISM! The A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition, which is organizing the April 20 March on Washington against War and Racism, condemns in the strongest terms the U.S. government's raids on over 24 mainstream Muslim organizations and homes in Virginia and Georgia. <read more...> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- FOR BALTIMORE BUS AND VOLUNTEER INFORMATION CALL (410) 235-7040 APRIL 20 IN WASHINGTON DC GATHER AT THE WHITE HOUSE @ 11 AM !!!! - come to the Ellipse, on the south side of the White House - SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE: - Mumia Abu-Jamal (taped message) - Fadia Rafeedi, representative of Palestinian youth - Elias Rashmawi, Free Palestine Alliance - Tariq Ali Pakistani playwright & author - Rev. Graylan Hagler, Senior Minister, Plymouth Congregational Church - Dr. Helen Caldicott, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee - Ed Brown, Iman Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin?s (formerly H.Rap Brown) brother - Martin Espada, performance artist - Representative from Bayon USA (Filipino organization) - Macrina Cardenas, Mexico Solidarity Network - Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general - Ismael Guadalupe, Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques - Representative from the Zapatista Support Committee - Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit - Asha Samad-Matias, Muslims against Religious and Racial Profiling and War - Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Partnership for Civil Justice LDEF - Rev. Lucius Walker, IFCO/Pastors for Peace - Nadia Ahmed, International Students for Peace and Justice - Jane Franklin, author - Cheri Honkala, Kensington Welfare Rights Union - Chris Peters, Native American activist on a walk from California - Andy Thayer, Chicago Anti-Bashing Network - Peta Lindsey, A.N.S.W.E.R. youth and student coordinator, Washington DC high school student & many more!!! ALSO, PERFORMANCES BY - Cetiliztli Nauhcampa, Quetzalcoatl Aztec Mexican Dance group - Pam Parker & Company - Rhythms of Aqua - and with a special message from Mos Def *** BUS DROP OFF INFORMATION *** Bus drop off will be on Constitution Ave. at 16th St.this is the middle of the south side of the Ellipse, (between 15th and 17th Streets). Get off there and you'll see us! Walk north from Constitution Ave. into the Ellipse. From major highways, get on Constitution Ave. and go west to the Ellipse. *** BUS PARKING INFORMATION *** - Bus parking: There is a lot that is used for bus parking just over the Anacostia Bridge. Drive south on South Capitol, go over the Anacostia Bridge, and take the first right. - Vans and cars can drop off on Constitution Ave., or simply find parking in the area. *** THE MARCH *** - After the rally at the White House, we will MARCH east on Pennsylvania Ave. directly in front of the White House, and across Pennsylvania Ave. to the Justice Department. - At the Justice Department--directly across the street from the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building--we will rally in defense of civil rights and civil liberties and to demand the repeal of Ashcroft's USA Patriot Act. - After the rally at the Justice Department, we will march on to a concluding rally! PERMITS The A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition has met and had discussions with the National Parks Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Capitol Police. We are pleased to announce that we have secured permits for the rally and march. VOLUNTEERS To make this event a success, hundreds of volunteers are needed to help out in many areas! If you would like to volunteer, email ANSWER@afgj.org. Help is needed for handing out literature and placards, getting out t-shirts, water and more. LOGISTICAL INFORMATON ON THE WEB Check out http://www.internationalanswer.org for up-to-date logistical information. You can find MAPS, METRO INFO, HOUSING FORMS, & more! |
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| Protect Civilians, Allow Independent Reporting |
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| sofia |
| 04/08/02 at 09:02:19 |
| Israel/Palestinian Authority: Protect Civilians, Allow Independent Reporting (New York, April 3, 2002) -- Human Rights Watch is alarmed that ordinary civilians are increasingly the main victims of intensified conflict in Israel and the Occupied Territories. The organization reminds all parties that even in times of armed conflict, they are obliged to respect international humanitarian law, especially the principle of civilian immunity. "It doesn´t matter whether you call it resistance, self-defense, or a war against terror. No political or security objective can justify targeting and punishing the civilian population of an adversary,” said Hanny Megally, Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch calls on all parties to reassert their commitment to the fundamental standards governing the conduct of hostilities. These include an absolute prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians; the need to discriminate between military and civilian targets; and the obligation to ensure access to medical treatment for the wounded. Human Rights Watch once more vigorously condemns attacks on civilians by armed Palestinian groups, which in less than a week have sent suicide bombers to kill some forty civilians. Phe organization calls on President Yasir Arafat, as well as leaders of armed groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the al-Aqsa Brigades, to immediately halt all attacks on civilians, to order an end to such attacks, and to condemn them unequivocally. Human Rights Watch also strongly deplores IDF measures that disproportionately harm civilians. These include prolonged curfews with severe restrictions on the movement of emergency medical personnel; the extensive destruction of homes and civilian property; the coerced involvement of civilians to assist military operations; and disturbing but unverified reports of the use of lethal force against civilians, especially those attempting to move during periods of declared curfew. Human Rights Watch is also deeply concerned at the IDF´s refusal to permit independent media and human rights groups access to monitor and report on the impact of these measures. The organization expresses particular concern at reports that the IDF has forcibly entered offices of Palestinian human rights groups and the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and, in at least one case, has detained a staff member. “There is a desperate need for independent monitors to accurately report and verify what is happening on the ground,” said Megally. “Restrictions on the media and on rights monitors—Israeli and international as well as Palestinian—undermine their ability to deter abuse.” The organization is alarmed at increasing signs of a breakdown in law and order and in military discipline. These include reports that IDF soldiers may have executed Palestinian security forces members after having surrendered or been captured, and the execution by masked Palestinians of eleven or more Palestinians who had been in PA custody for alleged collaboration with Israel. |
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| EU to Israel: Withdraw troops now |
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| sofia |
| 04/08/02 at 09:06:02 |
| EU to Israel: Withdraw troops now April 2, 2002 Posted: 9:06 AM EST (1406 GMT) http://europe.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/04/02/eu.israel/index.html The headquarters of Palestinian Preventive Security on the outskirts of Ramallah burns after coming under attack by Israeli forces MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The European Union on Tuesday told Israel that it must immediately end its incursions into Palestinian territories, withdraw its troops and end the confinement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Spain -- which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation EU -- summoned Israel's ambassador to Spain, Hertzl Inbar, to the Spanish Foreign Ministry to deliver the message. "One thing is to fight terrorism, and another is to dismantle the Palestinian Authority's power structure," Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said at a news conference after the meeting. An immediate ceasefire, he said, is necessary to return the troubled region to a "minimum normalcy." Standing with Pique were Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, in Madrid to discuss Russia's relations with the EU, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. David Saranga, a spokesman for the Israeli ambassador, said that Inbar met with Miguel Nadal, a top aide to Pique, for about 30 minutes and told the Spaniards he would deliver the EU's message. Saranga said Inbar had conveyed the message to his government. There was no immediate word from the Israelis, however, about the communique. Saranga also said that during the meeting, Inbar called on the EU to pressure the Palestinian Authority and Arafat to end terrorism, and spoke of the Israeli victims of recent violence. The EU called on Israel to immediately implement the U.N. Security Council resolution passed last week calling for a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal and cooperation with U.S. Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni. The resolution passed the Security Council by a 14-0 vote with Syria abstaining. The Spanish foreign minister also said the EU supports the Saudi Arabian peace initiative approved last week at the Arab League summit. Pique, Solana and Ivanov agreed that the cost of the fight against terrorism must not be the destruction of the Palestinian Authority. "We share the objective of the struggle against internal terrorism," Ivanov said, "but this fight against terrorism must not lead" to the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. "We must not create collateral problems," he said. The destruction of the Palestinian Authority, Pique said, would further complicate the situation both in the region and around the world. Solana said the EU wanted to "recover a peace process" that would result in two independent states -- Israel and Palestine -- each with secure borders. Pique said that if the EU's calls for Israel to lower the violence did not have an effect, the EU would be willing to consider other, unspecified, measures to end the conflict. EU to Israel: Withdraw troops now April 2, 2002 Posted: 9:06 AM EST (1406 GMT) The headquarters of Palestinian Preventive Security on the outskirts of Ramallah burns after coming under attack by Israeli forces MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The European Union on Tuesday told Israel that it must immediately end its incursions into Palestinian territories, withdraw its troops and end the confinement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Spain -- which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation EU -- summoned Israel's ambassador to Spain, Hertzl Inbar, to the Spanish Foreign Ministry to deliver the message. "One thing is to fight terrorism, and another is to dismantle the Palestinian Authority's power structure," Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said at a news conference after the meeting. An immediate ceasefire, he said, is necessary to return the troubled region to a "minimum normalcy." Standing with Pique were Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, in Madrid to discuss Russia's relations with the EU, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. David Saranga, a spokesman for the Israeli ambassador, said that Inbar met with Miguel Nadal, a top aide to Pique, for about 30 minutes and told the Spaniards he would deliver the EU's message. Saranga said Inbar had conveyed the message to his government. There was no immediate word from the Israelis, however, about the communique. Saranga also said that during the meeting, Inbar called on the EU to pressure the Palestinian Authority and Arafat to end terrorism, and spoke of the Israeli victims of recent violence. The EU called on Israel to immediately implement the U.N. Security Council resolution passed last week calling for a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal and cooperation with U.S. Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni. The resolution passed the Security Council by a 14-0 vote with Syria abstaining. The Spanish foreign minister also said the EU supports the Saudi Arabian peace initiative approved last week at the Arab League summit. Pique, Solana and Ivanov agreed that the cost of the fight against terrorism must not be the destruction of the Palestinian Authority. "We share the objective of the struggle against internal terrorism," Ivanov said, "but this fight against terrorism must not lead" to the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority. "We must not create collateral problems," he said. The destruction of the Palestinian Authority, Pique said, would further complicate the situation both in the region and around the world. Solana said the EU wanted to "recover a peace process" that would result in two independent states -- Israel and Palestine -- each with secure borders. Pique said that if the EU's calls for Israel to lower the violence did not have an effect, the EU would be willing to consider other, unspecified, measures to end the conflict. |
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| 04/08/02 at 09:12:04 |
| sofia |
| Statements from COSATU and Cuban Ministry on Pales |
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| sofia |
| 04/08/02 at 09:07:46 |
| COSATU condemns Israeli aggression The Congress of South African Trade Unions vehemently condemns the Israeli government's siege of the Palestine Authority's headquarters in Ramallah. Its military actions are nothing less than banditry and naked aggression against the leaders of the Palestinian people. The federation welcomes and supports President Thabo Mbeki's call for the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Palestinian headquarters and demands that other world leaders and the United Nations join in condemning the Israeli government and demanding its withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian territories. It deplores the silence of the US government, which indicates tacit support for the Israeli aggression. COSATU reaffirms its total support for the legitimate struggle of the Palestine people for national independence in a sovereign Palestinian state and freedom from colonial domination and military occupation. We pledge COSATU's support and solidarity and call upon the trade union movement internationally to mobilise its support behind the people of Palestine. COSATU calls for a peaceful solution to the crisis, through genuine and free negotiations conducted by the UN, based on the following conditions: · Immediate implementation of UN Resolution 242 · The withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Ramallah and all the rest of the Palestine territories · The removal of all Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. International recognition of an independent, sovereign state of Palestine. Patrick Craven and Moloto Mothapo Acting COSATU Spokespersons patrick@cosatu.org.za 082-821-7456 339-4911 ---------------------------------------------- Declaration by Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations Israeli troops have launched a bloody offensive against Palestinian territories and population and against the Palestinian National Authority. The infrastructure and facilities this people have tried to create through years of arduous work, have been practically destroyed. At this moment there are serious threats against the life of Yasser Arafat, whose physical safety is in imminent danger. This new Israeli escalation occurs when not even 24 hours passed after the closing ceremony of the Arab League Summit in Beirut, where a peace initiative was unanimously approved, showing the common will of Arab nations to reach an accord that permits a just and lasting peace for all the peoples of the region, The response of the government of Ariel Sharon, supported and financed by the United States, has been death and destruction, making it clear as never before, his opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state and compliance with United Nations resolutions. Cuba reiterates its full support for the heroic struggle of the Arab peoples, and especially the Palestinians, against Israeli occupation and aggression and its solidarity with their resistance and rebellion. Cuba demands more energetic action of the international community, and especially of the Security Council of the United Nations to stop the massacre and the genocidal acts of the Israeli army. The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cuba energetically condemns the aggression committed against the heroic Palestinian people and its authorities. We demand an end to the isolation and harassment of Yasser Arafat and the immediate end to crimes and the outrages being carried out by Israeli occupation forces. Havana, March 30, 2002 Translation from original Spanish by Los Angeles Coalition in Solidarity with Cuba |
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| Detention and brutalization of Palestinian |
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| sofia |
| 06/19/02 at 13:46:49 |
| Stop the illegal detention and brutalization of Palestinian Activist Jaoudat Abouazza! This evening, Sunday June 16, two members of the Jaoudat Abouazza Defense Committee were able to see Jaoudat in INS custody in the Bristol County Correctional Facility in North Dartmouth, MASS. They learned that at 10:00 AM Sunday morning, prison officials forcibly removed 4 molars from Jaoudat's mouth entirely without novacaine or any other anesthetic. This constitutes midaeval torture, with unknown permanent damage or effects on Jaoudat's use of his mouth and jaw. This followed a week in which prison officials, guards and stooges engaged in other forms of brutality and torture against Jaoudat, including punching, solitary confinement, threats and racist epithets. FBI agents have continued to harrass and intimidate him and they showed him a defense committee leaflet and threw him into an isolation cell, telling him they could keep him there as long as they wanted. On the evening of May 30, Abouazza was stopped by the Cambridge police on the pretext of a minor traffic violation. Without being charged with a crime or read his rights by the arresting officers, he was handcuffed and brought to the Cambridge police station. Within hours, Jaoudat would find himself in jail being interrogated by the FBI for suspicion of "terrorism." The evidence? He was Palestinian and in possession of leaflets calling for the protest of the Israeli Independence Day Festival on June 9th in Boston. "The government's shameful policy of racial profiling is now rapidly expanding to include political profiling," said Carl Messineo, a lawyer with the Partnership for Civil Justice and a member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Steering Committee. "This was always the true goal of the attack on civil rights engineered by John Ashcroft: to stifle dissent by trying to intimidate people from speaking out against injustice. "On June 29, thousands will turn out at the FBI's Washington headquarters to show they won't be intimidated by these tactics," Messineo continued. "For every one person they place into administrative detention, as they have done to Abouazza, there will be scores who will take to the streets. It is the mass mobilization of the people that will turn back this extremist and repressive government program." Jaoudat is still being detained. Initial motions by his lawyer for a bail hearing and an official arraignment on the charges of his original arrest were circumvented in a pattern now familiar in the detention of Arabs and Muslims across the nation after September 11. Held over the weekend in jail, he was interrogated more than seven times by the FBI _ sometimes awakened at 1:00 a.m. for questioning. Although he had already obtained a lawyer, she was present at none of these proceedings. By the time of his arraignment in court on the Monday following, the INS had already filed a detainer. Jaoudat was moved to an INS detention facility in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday, June 4. Incredibly, at Abouazza's pre-trial hearing on June 12, he was found in default for failure to appear at his pre-trial hearing, after the efforts of his attorney Emily Karstetter to secure his transfer to the courtroom were rejected by the court. Jaoudat was of course unable to appear because he remains in detention. Efforts by his lawyer to either secure his transfer to the courtroom or arrange for videoconferencing, which the facility Jaoudat is being held in is equipped for, were both denied. The court found Jaoudat in default and issued a warrant for his arrest. Expanded powers of domestic surveillance put into place in the last week of May have made it easier to target political dissidents. The Justice Department and the FBI appear to have begun a new wave of arrests, specifically targeting Palestinian political activists. The case of a Palestinian student organizer in Chicago and the case of Jaoudat Abouazza here in Boston are two prominent examples. Both occur in the context of increasingly vocal criticism of Israel, and U.S. support for Israeli policies, in which Arab and Muslim immigrants have played a significant role. On April 20, 100,000 people marched on Washington to protest Bush's "war on terrorism." The large presence of Palestinian activists made itself felt across the country. In Boston, Abouazza has been a leading activist in the Palestinian struggle. His photograph appeared in the Boston Globe as one of the leaders in a local march against the Israeli occupation on April 6th that drew close to 2,000 activists--the largest to date in Boston. He has participated in weekly protest vigils in front of the Israeli Consulate. Several of those protests have come under heavy surveillance by the Boston police, who have repeatedly photographed demonstrators and their license plates. His arrest on May 30 occurred a little more than a week before a major protest against the Israel Day Festival planned for June 9th in which Abouazza has been a key organizer. Flyers for the protest which were found in his car were cited by the prosecutor in court as a reason to continue holding him. The increasing criminalization of dissent in the United States in the aftermath of September 11th endangers the rights of all of us, citizens and immigrants alike. We urge everyone who is concerned for fundamental human rights to act now in defense of Jaoudat Abouazza. We urge people to attend the meeting Monday night to plan immediate action to safeguard Jaoudat's safety and confront the INS, and to SEND LETTERS OF PROTEST to USINS District Director Steven J. Farquharson Room 1700, JFK Federal Building Boston, MA 02203, with copies to: Commissioner James W. Ziglar Immigration and Naturalization Service 425 I Street, NW Washington, DC 20536 and Jaoudat Abouazza Defense Committee c/o International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) 31 Germania Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 http://www.iacboston.org/ANSWER" http://www.iacboston.org/ANSWER mailto:abouazzadefense@yahoo.com abouazzadefense@yahoo.com Please also send copies of your letters to Jaoudat himself, and write to Jaoudat, at the address below: Jaoudat Abouazza Bristol County Jail and House of Correction Dartmouth) 400 Faunce Corner Road North Dartmouth, MA |
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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |