A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Speak out Against Israeli use of CAT Bulldoozers |
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| yunus |
| 06/17/02 at 22:51:37 |
Salaam I don't think we can wait until the Caterpillar Campaign formally gets off the ground to respond to the outrageous acts which Israel has committed using Caterpillar bulldozers in the last few days. Yesterday, the IDF demolished a Palestinian factory near Karni crossing (east of Gaza City) which is the only producer of oxygen supplies for several hospitals and medical clinics in the Gaza Strip. And then last week, on June 11, they demolished seven houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Zur Baher, claiming they didn't have permits. See article from The Electronic Intifada at http://electronicintifada.net/diaries/archives/00000219.shtml about the Zur Baher demolition. Also, see attached pictures which clearly implicate Caterpillar in these two incidents. Please use the information from BoycottIsraeliGoods.org below to send a letter to Caterpillar protesting these war crimes and asking them to stop all sales of CAT equipment to the Israeli military. I would make sure to emphasize that the destruction of the factory could lead to numerous deaths and, if so, Caterpillar would be indirectly responsible for the killing of innocent civilians. Check back at www.sustaincampaign.org for more information about the Caterpillar Campaign. There is already some information about Caterpillar there but we are hoping to formally launch the campaign sometime next week. If you are interested in getting involved in the campaign, contact us at sustain@onebox.com Rami > BIG Action Alert: Protest Caterpillar use to demolish Palestinian > homes > > From BoycottIsraeliGoods.org June Campaign > > Please act during this month to write and publicize the use of > Caterpillar > equipment funded by our tax dollars to demolish Palestinian homes and > uproot > their trees and thus to continue an ethnic cleansing process that > started over > 54 years ago. > > Talking Points: > > - With 2001 sales/revenues of $20.45 billion, Caterpillar is the world's > > largest > maker of construction and mining equipment. A significant portion of > these > sales occur in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. > > - Caterpillar's Claims of Social Responsibility: "As a global company, > we use > our strength and resources to improve the lives of our neighbors around > the > world." "Caterpillar's reputation for integrity is a fundamental part > of our > heritage and one of our most valuable assets. Integrity encompasses all > that > defines and sustains us as a company - the values we believe in, the > high > ethical standards we live by, our honesty and behavior in dealing with > others, > and our commitment to deliver on the promises we make to customers, > shareholders, and each other. In great measure, we at Caterpillar have > achieved > our worldwide leadership position by upholding our reputation for > integrity. > No > document Caterpillar has published is more important than our Code of > Worldwide > Business Conduct. " > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/social_responsibility/social_responsibility.html > > - Despite these lofty words, Caterpillar provides Israeli forces with > armored > bulldozers and others tools, paid for by American taxpayers, to destroy > Palestinian homes and uproot trees (see > http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon0602.html and > http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=81&CategoryId=4 for detail) > > - According to the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions thousands > of > Palestinian homes have been demolished in the occupied areas since 1967 > and > the > pace of demolitions accelerated after Israel signed the Oslo accords in > 1993. > The latest were eight homes yesterday in occupied East Jerusalem > (picture > attached). > > - Demolition of Palestinian homes constitutes a gross violation of basic > human > rights and contravenes major international human rights conventions > including > the 4th Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. > > - International covenants on war crimes and the newly established > International > Court of Justice are authorized to punish any who knowingly support acts > that > constitute war crimes. Demolition civilian homes and rendering thousands > homeless (mostly women and children) during times of conflict comprises > grave > war crimes. > > ACTIONS REQUESTED: > > 1) Picket and protest at Caterpillar Locations making sure the manager > hears > you > and transmitts this info to the national office. Locations info: > > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/north_america.ht > > ml > > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/africa.html > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/asia_pacific.htm > l > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/europe.html > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/10_locations/latin_america.ht > > ml > > For Rental locations, call 1-800-RENT CAT (U.S. and Canada) or visit: > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/company_information/company_information.html > > 2) Write to Caterpillar Management (sample letter below) demanding > ceasing > sales > to Israel until home demolitions and other destructive actions > (uprooting > trees) > ceases and asking Caterpillar instead to donate equipment for > rebuilding. > Write > to: > > Glen Barton > Caterpillar Chairman and CEO > c/o Benjamin Cordani > cordani_benjamin_s@cat.com > Caterpillar Inc. > 100 N.E. Adams St. > Peoria, Illinois 61629 > (309) 675-1000 > > For Investor Info and to see if you want to take action through this > avenue > visit > http://www.cat.com/about_cat/investor_information/15_contact_us/contact_us.htm > l > > 3) Start a media campaign to publicize these issues. Good resources for > this > are: > > http://al-awda.org/media/begin.html > http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/main.html > > 4) Spread the word, join us and tell us what you have done. Send copies > of > your > messages to Boycotts@mail.com. > > 5) To join the actions of this group, see http://BoycottIsraeliGoods.org > > The Campaign to Boycott Israeli Goods and Services > http://BoycottIsraeliGoods.org > email: info@BoycottIsraeliGoods.org > |
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