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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
Canad's position on Israel at UNHCR |
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amatullah |
03/28/02 at 17:38:56 |
Bismillah and salam, I hope that some of us can use the format or info included to write letters it is the least we can do at such terrible times that our sisters and brothers are facing. Hon. Bill Graham Minister of Foreign Affairs Dear Minister Attached below is a letter from Svend Robinson, NDP Member of Parliament for Burnaby criticizing the Liberal Government for not upholding international law and Canada's obligation under the Geneva Convention and failure for not condemning Israel's violation of human rights of the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. I strongly urge that the Canadian government uphold its obligations under international human rights law and not bow to pressure to ignore Israel's rampant and well documented human rights abuses of Palestinians. As an active Liberal I urge you to put human rights, justice and our moral obligations before political expediency. *i withheld the name* Immediate Past President Elgin-Middlesex-London Liberal Association Letter from Svend Robinson M.P. > Dear friend, > > Thank you for contacting me regarding the recent developments in Occupied > Palestine and Israel. > > On March 18, 2002, I called upon the Canadian government to take a strong > stance against Israel's human rights violations, at the current meeting of > the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva (please see the > press release and copy of my question to the Prime Minister in the House of > Commons in a subsequent email). Such a stance would be fully in agreement > with the Government of Canada's foreign policy statement, in which it claims > to regard "respect for human rights not only as a fundamental value, but > also as a crucial element in the development of stable, democratic and > prosperous societies at peace with each other." Unfortunately, the Liberals > seem to ignore their own foreign policy statement on a regular basis. I > will be in Geneva attending the UNCHR meeting next month, and I will urge > the Canadian delegation to uphold Canada's respect for the primacy of human > rights and international law, particularly in regards to resolutions > concerning Occupied Palestine and Israel. > > The Government of Canada has often paid lip service to the suffering of > millions of Palestinians by making statements calling on Israel and the > Palestinians to stop the violence, but it remains silent regarding the > grievous injustice which causes the violence - the illegal Israeli > occupation of Palestine. Yet until Canada and the world compel Israel to > abide by UN Resolutions 194 and 242 which call for an end to occupation and > the return of Palestinian refugees, and until there is real respect for > human rights, a just peace in the Middle East cannot be expected. > > My New Democrat colleagues and I share the vision of UN Security Council > Resolution 1397 (2002), which affirms the right for the two states of > Palestine and Israel to exist securely side-by-side, within internationally > accepted borders. The first step towards achieving this objective is > clearly the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Occupied Palestine, > and the cessation of the violence it engenders. Until this happens, Canada > should help to protect the Palestinians by advocating the deployment of an > international peacekeeping force to the region. > > Thank you once again for contacting me on this important issue. Please be > assured that I will continue to monitor the situation in Occupied Palestine > very carefully, and will urge the Canadian government to assert its > influence in the effort to achieve an end to the occupation. > > Sincerely yours, > > Svend J Robinson, MP > Burnaby-Douglas > > SJR/drf > CEP 232 -- |
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