This blog started with the uber-aggressive Israeli attacks on Gaza in January 2009. I now intend to make it a platform for exposing the lies, oppression and aggression that are inflicted upon the Muslim world with impunity. Please consider subscribing to my RSS feed so that you don't miss any important news:
Killed During Iran Election Protests: A Tribute to Neda
In loving memory of Neda….
I know it’s horrible, but I felt it was necessary to include the video of Neda’s death right here on the page. We need to remember, and we need the world to remember that lies, cheating, dishonesty and travesties of justice can never lead to good in this world.
This post is intended as a Tribute to Neda: hopefully we will be able to exert enough influence that her death will not have been in vain. If you knew her, please tell us more about her in the comments below.
The last thing you think of when you’re 18 is dying, especially when you’re in a familiar place and with your family. The world is at your feet when you’re that age: so much to look forward to, and so much to do.
For one young woman in Iran this week, all hopes of a life of fulfillment were cut short by the cruelty and lust for power that has been uncovered by the latest election there, said to have been hijacked by the ruling party.
In addition to closing down news sites and arresting reporters, Ahmadinajad’s ruling party is taking an increasingly hard line against the opposition who accuse him of rigging the election on a huge scale.
On June 20, Basij (Iranian paramilitary organization) shot to death a young woman in Tehran’s protests. It transpires that the girl’s name was Neda Agha Soltan, and she was doing nothing–no demonstrating–she was no threat. But she lost her life all the same.
Here is the initial message from a doctor who tried to help Neda at the scene:
[Time:] 19:05 June 20th Place: Karekar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father watching the protests was shot by a basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim’s chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know.
Two Twitter accounts have been set up to keep Nida’s memory alive: nedasoltan and nedaaghasoltan.
Blocking the Enemies of Truth
Wherever there is oppression in the world, you will find the authorities make attempts to suppress those who would expose them.
So, once again, this scenario of oppression is playing itself out in the capital of Iran, Tehran. We’re not surprised. And think about it, funny this should happen now when the US has been threatening Iran for several years now, because it refused to toe the line and give up all rights to self defense like the rest of the Muslim world.
Civil war is a lot cheaper from a US perspective than invasion. They learned from Afghanistan and Iraq that this can be costly in every sense of the word. An Iranian civil war would solve all their problems for them.
So I’m not with the US administration on this, and I”m definitely not on the side of the oppressive Tehran regime that just ’stole’ an entire election.
I’m with the weak, sick and oppressed wherever they are.
To this end I’m asking you, if you have a Twitter account (takes five minutes to create one–just sayin’), change your time zone to Iran (GMT + 3.30) and your location to Tehran so together we can create a logjam that will thwart the attempts by the imposter Iranian regime attempting to keep news of their deeds quiet.
Here’s more on causing the Twitter logjam over at Stumbleupon.
Israeli Zionists: Shameless, Deluded Liars!
I think this short documentary film says it all:
What Happens To Assistance To Gaza?
This arrived in my email in-box this morning and I thought you should all be able to read it too….
Sunday, March 01, 2009
D
uring and directly following the vicious attack on Gaza by Israel in January 2009, with the news full of the plight of women, children, hospitals and so on, all over the world people quickly sprang to contribute humanitarian help. Goods have poured in from the Arab world, including governments and the peoples. Here in Jordan, there is hardly an organization, company, school or club that has not made the effort to send help. Donations large and small have made their way to those Gaza families who so desperately need food, blankets, personal products, medicines and equipment to survive, not just the cold winter, but just to live for the next months or years.
As a member of a local group of women, I was part of a team that made generous donations of goods specifically aimed at women and children: milk, formula, disposable diapers, feminine napkins, and blankets. One of the team members did the ’shopping’ by contacting producers, providers and wholesalers of these items. She purchased and directed the delivery of these goods to a collection point in Amman. Together we went to observe the delivery of our goods, and confirm the receipt with the officials.
In mid-winter Amman can be cold, wet and windy. Not until this last week\end did we experience typical winter weather, with precipitation varying from rain, hail, sleet to snow accompanied by gusty winds, and near freezing temperatures. After two days of this kind of weather, we awoke this morning to see feathers falling from above—it looked like the angels had a pillow fight and all the feathers escaped. But luckily the snow melted as it hit the ground. Even so, I thought—what about the trip this morning—I was the driver, and didn’t know where we were going. People are cold and hungry—I need to go. By the time I got in the car, it was just a drizzle, and slightly foggy, and as we got on our way, it was clearing up.
Though some of our goods were already stacked on pallets, more was yet to come, so we chatted with the man in charge. We walked around the huge warehouse, with a flat bed semi parked in the middle aisle, looking at the piles of goods— medical equipment, wheel chairs, blankets, flour, sugar, etc being made ready to put on the trucks.
He gestured to a 10 foot high stack of cartons containing cooking oil—”Those are from Syria, made there, he said, “but the Israelis won’t let anything from Syria across.” And we saw piles of vital food stuffs forbidden because of the country of origin. Next to us were boxes stacked again maybe 10 high, and he opened one to show us—food to feed a family: flour, milk, vermicelli, rice just the basics— not allowed in. Why? No food stuffs to individuals—no care boxes. Not allowed by the Israelis.
Just last Thursday a large number of trucks were delayed from entering at the Gaza entry until late Friday—no reason given. However, he assured us that his organization does not dispatch trucks until they are sure thee earlier shipments get through. He also confirmed that all the goods get to UNRWA distribution centers, and not into the hands of Hamas, or individuals/
During our discussion, it became clear that “war is good, in that it brings donations” but now the need is even more urgent than a couple of weeks ago because the level of giving has dropped so noticeably. We humans tend to forget too quickly. The hour of need is really months and years. A month ago, the warehouse was full, and the trucks moved out as soon as they were loaded. Here and there are gaps that need filling, because the need never ends.
But when it comes to humanitarian aid—must the Israeli authorities act like the despots of Myanmar? Remember? Is the country of origin so important when people are starving, ill, and struggling to survive? Or is it paranoia? Or just plain damn mean? If the Israelis were on the receiving end, I am sure they would over look “Made in Syria”. And what gives the Israelis the right to search the goods, prevent vital foodstuffs from entering? Paranoia? A bomb in the rice? A gun in the sugar?
If airport security can detect explosives and weapons—is it too complex and expensive to screen food? No, it is just paranoia! Meanness to the Palestinians.
And, oh, yes—lets not forget what cause this desolation and destruction of lives —
It wasn’t the Gazans.
Politically speaking—they only want to live. They haven’t the will to speak out against the rulers—they haven’t the means either. They barely have the means to survive—but they do have a will.
So the best move anyone can make is to be sure they have what it takes to physically survive, and also to survive knowing the rest of the world cares that they do.
A brief note here: unfortunately used clothing is not accepted, though many countries have donated. For one thing, it can be a health hazard, and another reason is that the type of clothing may not be useful for the climate or lifestyle.
Please share this with others. It is a right to know so that others may survive.
Alma Lou
Neo-Cons Try to Set Galloway Up: Miserable Fail
George Galloway, as usual, is superb in his defense of the truth. He exposes the US Government exactly for what it is: listen to find out.
He makes me so proud of my Scottish heritage.
Note that Google has turned the volume right down on this, so you have to press right up against your laptop to hear. Small inconvenience to get at the truth really.
Think that Iraq and what happened in Gaza are unconnected? No. It’s part of the same plan to plunder Arab wealth and land, and to leave the Muslims defenseless against the Zionist onslaught. Not difficult to follow the leads if you’re devoted enough. Watch the pages of this blog in the coming months.
Forward Thinking Director Oliver McTernan: What’s really going on in Gaza
Forward Thinking Directer, Oliver McTernan has been closely involved with trying to get negotiations going between Israel and the Palestinians, including Hamas in recent years. He has visited Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on numerous occasions, and as you will see, was there just days before the beginning of the vicious Israeli attacks on Gaza on December 27, 2008. Here is a sample of his emails from that time in my husband’s inbox:
I would liked to have wished you a happy Muslim New Year 1430 but given the terrible atrocities we are witnessing in Gaza I fear such greetings would be in appropriate. Let us pray instead for the people of Gaza and for a year in which the international community may rediscover its conscience based on true spiritual values.
I was in Gaza this time last week and I met with a group of civilian policemen who were taking a course in crisis management at the Institute we helped to establish with the support of the Swiss government. These were mostly young men who were committed to serve their communities to the best of their ability. We had a very good discussion.
I learnt yesterday that less 15 minutes after finishing their class and leaving the Institute two days ago twenty of them were killed by the Israeli bombing.
The events of the past few days and the apparent indifference of many Western governments to condemn such a disproportionate response by the Israelis underlines the importance of our work together to create a new world order in which all human life is regarded and respected as sacred.
You may have heard on the news today the accusation made by the Egyptians that Hamas are stopping seriously wounded people from leaving Gaza to get medical treatment in Egypt. This is not true. For the past two days I have been in regular contact with the senior Hamas people in Gaza responsible for the Rafah Crossing and with officials at the highest level of the Turkish and Swiss Governments to ensure that the seriously wounded in Gaza are given the medical attention they need. Over two hundred people are in danger of death unless they are treated. Both governments are anxious to help but were wrongly informed by the Egyptian authorities that Hamas officials would not co-operate. On the contrary the officials at Rafah have repeatedly asked the Egyptian authorities to send ambulances to collect the most seriously wounded and they refused. Yesterday they allowed a few ambulances supplied by the Turkish and Qatari governments to cross but permission was refused to allow any of their own ambulances that were queuing on the Egyptian side to cross and to assist [with evacuating] the wounded despite repeated requests from those responsible for the crossing. The Turkish Government told me that they prepared a plane especially equipped to evacuate the wounded. It would fly to El Arish, the nearest Egyptian airport to Gaza, but the Egyptians refused permission on the grounds that the airport was closed for safety reasons. The Swiss are ready to fly in medical supplies but also require Egyptian permission.
May I ask you to take immediate action to help the wounded by:
Writing to or calling Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, demanding the UK put pressure on the Egyptians to co-operate and that we help to evacuate the wounded.
Writing to or calling the Egyptian Ambassador demanding that they stop playing games with peoples’ lives and to send ambulances to evacuate the wounded and to open El Arish immediately to receive air ambulances and medical aid.
Please get as many people to act immediately as the longer the delay the more lives are at risk!!!
Dear Friends,
I would like to share some thoughts on the escalation of the violence on the people of Gaza: I am in daily contact with Hamas officials as well as independent Palestinian journalists living in Gaza. I feel humbled by their courage and their faith which sustains them as they face unimaginable vulnerability each day. When I told close friend Dr Ahmed Yousef to keep safe as Israeli jets bombed close by, his immediate response was there is no such word in our language; in these present circumstance he explained ‘save’ could only mean “being with your family so if we die we all die together”. I received an email today from the young recently married man who is the secretary of the Centre we recently established in Gaza with the support of the Swiss government. He wrote: “This is the day 8 of the aggression on Gaza, it is the most horrible assault that I have ever witnessed in Gaza. Here no place is safe, as every area contains an official building. I had to leave my apartment and I am now in my parents’ home. There is a lot of damage in my apartment because it is close to the Presidential compound. Actually I have a lot to write about this war, but I have no time because the electricity is not stable.”
Government
The moral paralysis of our own government is frightening to witness.
We have a government that appears incapable of stating unequivocally that what is happening to the people of Gaza is wrong on both moral and legal grounds. We have a repeat of the Lebanon fiasco when the Blair government was found morally wanting. The excuse for this apparent moral indifference is the fact that rockets are still being fired. Having been on the receiving end of one of these rockets when it fell close by as I crossed as Erez less than a month ago I can testify that it can be a frightening experience. But that said there is no comparison whatsoever with what the people of Gaza have been suffering from for the past three years. [In] calling for a ceasefire no one seems to ask how can Hamas agree to a ceasefire when the leadership are not allowed to meet together for the simple reason they will be assassinated. The government are aware of this fact and yet they seem to have chosen to ignore it. Besides the rockets are being fired by a number of groups some of which are affiliated to the Fatah group; this does not stop UK ministers engaging in direct talks with Fatah.
Action:
We need to encourage people to write to Gordon Brown, David Miliband, and their local MP’s stressing the lack of moral integrity for Britain’s failure to condemn unequivocally the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the Israelis.
We have joined Crisis Action in asking the Foreign Office for David Miliband to meet with a representative group from the Muslim community to discuss their concerns. As to date there has been no response.
Media
There are no western media correspondents inside Gaza. The lack of direct information and objectivity particularly on the BBC is deeply disturbing. Time and again we have witnessed Israeli officals and supports to present a one-sided view or even to distort the facts deliberately and to go unchallenged. In particular there has been no effort to put in context the reason for the rockets in the first place. The fact that Gaza has been under an economic blockade since Hamas were elected to power is being ignored. In the past three years I have spent many a night without light in Gaza. For the past 18 months they have lived in virtual isolation imposed by the Israelis and Egyptians. Simple commodities like cement were forbidden so the whole construction industry grinded to a halt over a year ago. According to the latest UN figures 80% of the people living in Gaza are dependent on humanitarian aid. Hamas observed a unilateral cease fire for almost two years but were given no credit for this achievement.
We are told that the media in the US is even worse in the bias of the presentation. The UN organization the Alliance of Civilizations gave my name as someone who could provide objective comment to no less than 700 US media outlets and yet we had not one single response. This is a story in itself.
Action:
We have expressed our concerns to the head of BBC News.
We have asked the Arab Media Watch to do an analysis of the coverage in our media.
We need [to] encourage as many people as possible to respond immediately to stories or comments that are clearly biased or lack objectivity .
It is essential that people are encouraged to do this otherwise the current imbalanced output will continue.
International
The plight of the seriously wound remains a major concern. We have been keeping the Swiss and Turkish Governments closely informed of the situation at the Rafah crossing.
The Swiss Foreign Minister wrote a very tough letter to the Egyptians demanding more co-operation. The Turkish government sent a high level delegation to Cairo to demand a more humane response.
Both government have shown a remarkable clarity in their position on the excessive use of force and the need for a more immediate response from the Egyptians. The situation we are told has improved but insufficient medial aid is getting through to Gaza. The Health authorities in Gaza would prefer doctors to come into to Gaza to help them. We have approached the Swiss and French on this. The Turkish government are ready to send medical experts.
It would seem inappropriate to end this short update with words other than an expression of deep concern for the people of Gaza.
Oliver
Director
Forward Thinking
Examples of True Honor and Integrity East & West
In company with millions of ordinary people everywhere, I find myself gagging at the obsequiousness of present world leaders who, almost without exception, compete in their haste to throw themselves at the feet of Zionists whose only aim is to control and manipulate, and ultimately to bring about the end of anything good left in this world. But there are a few righteous, upstanding individuals, whom I admire greatly. I’m sure you will join me in giving a hand to the following:
Dr. Mads Gilbert
To say that Dr. Gilbert is a hero is an understatement that tells only a part of the story. Just yesterday I saw this brave, brave man sobbing and unable to carry on while reporting on the situation in Gaza.
Tony Benn: one of the few true Brits left in the world!
Turkish PM Erdogan–One of the few True Men left in the world!
Mr. Erdogan took on the might of the entire world when he spoke his mind on Thursday (January 29). This man truly deserves to lead the Muslim World.
Oliver McTernan of Forward Thinking
Oliver McTernan, humanitarian and Director of Forward Thinking, a UK-based organization that strives to open up dialogue between the various parties in the Middle East. We have found him to be fair and objective in his assessment of the Palestine-Israel situation.
George Galloway
If this man were to lead the British Parliament, Britain just might recover a tiny glimmer of her former glory.
Robert Fisk
I don’t always agree with everything Robert Fisk has to say, but he really does have the courage of his convictions: unequivocally tearing down Zionist-sympathetic media and exposing their so called ‘reporting’ for what it really is: Zionist propaganda (Google Hasbara).
Feeling the Trauma of the People of Gaza
Where is the Israeli/Zionist Lust for Blood Leading Us?
After two weeks of monitoring three live TV stations and a host of websites, and running a very active Twitter account for the people of Gaza, I admit I am traumatized. But you know what did it? It’s not all the blood and the tragedy of this heartbreaking, unnecessary bloodletting on the part of that US-sanctioned terrorist state Israel, even though that’s beyond terrible. Rather, it is the fact that there are people harassing me who obviously delight in the fact that such terrible things are being done to innocent people.
While Israeli bombardment turns everything into clods of sod, masonry and human flesh that can hardly be distinguished, can you believe that there are actually people gloating over it and enjoying every second? Want to know who these sickos are? Here’s my wall of infamy:
Lusting for Genocide
I would love to be able to tell you that these examples are just a tiny minority of sick people, but sadly, it’s not true. Take a look around and you’ll find that we have an entire generation of people hooked on genocide.
Here is a list of bots that Israel has created to harrass decent people who deplore the bloodshed
And a list of people who are reveling in the loss of life:
I can’t go on with this now. Even looking at the words these people write makes me ill. More tomorrow.
Tenth Day of Gaza Seige: Israeli Massacre Continues
Everyone monitoring what is happening to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is exhausted and traumatized. We should stop and ask ourselves what that means for the people of Gaza.
It is well known, and study after study in the medical field has proven, that children exposed to emotional and physical trauma often grow up to have personal issues that affect the way they interact with the outside world. If the children of Gaza don’t grow up to be an army that will go on to kill, then it will be through the infinite Mercy if God, and not because of those murdering Israelis.
I for one am sick to my stomach by Israeli Zionist propaganda. It is nothing but mechanical claptrap. They know that most of the people of the world do not sympathise, but they don’t care. The truth of the matter is they have the US and UK governments by their sensitive parts, and they practically own the UN. Why else would we be seeing what we are?
Diary of a Chilean Jew: Message to All Zionists
by Chilean Jew
Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 11:07:48 AM PST
Like davidminzer, I’m Jewish and descendant of holocaust survivors. Moreover, I’ve been a Zionist all of my life. I went to a Zionist school, I was active in Zionist youth groups. I’ve always been a fervent supporter of Israel as a refuge for Jews around the world who seek a place to exercise their traditions and embrace their identity in peace.
I sang the Israeli anthem in the train rails of Aushwitz-Birkenau and I pledged to fight every day of my life to make sure the savage crimes that had taken place there would never happen again. Every year I pledged: Never Again. Remember and Never forget.
Well, I haven’t forgotten. And so to honor that pledge, to honor the memory of my family members who died in those death camps and because “there comes a time when silence is betrayal”, today I finally and publicly end my support for the state of Israel.
Chilean Jew’s diary :: ::
I do this with great pain in my heart, but nonetheless with the overwhelming conviction that it is the only right thing to do. I was patient: I tolerated the destruction of the Oslo process by refusing to end or slow down the constant and criminal construction of settlements. I held my nose and stood my ground when Barak killed the final status negotiations at Taba 2001. I even remained loyal after Sharon’s massacres in the West Bank, the brutal Annexation wall, the illegal “selective assassinations” and Olmert’s war crimes in Lebanon.
I had to defend Israel and Israelis with my friends and others who demanded I be consistent with my progressive views and oppose a country that was responsible for horrible crimes against innocent human beings. “Israelis are scared, they are traumatized, you have to understand…”, “Israel is responding to attacks on itself, tell me one other country that wouldn’t respond when attacked…”, I demanded understanding, I pleaded for a fair and comparative analysis.
ENOUGH. I’m done justifying crimes against humanity by a country that claims to be an illuminated western democracy. I’m done defending a country that is unwilling to grant self-determination to a neighboring people because it won’t let go of a few settlements and divide a city. I’m done tolerating the slaughtering of innocent kids, the murderous and barbaric occupation of an impoverished people, the utter disregard for human life.
F*** them.
If they think their daily peace of mind is worth the lives of hundreds of innocent people, F*** them.
If they think the best way to go right now would be to vote for Natanyahu (who is so far winning in the polls), F*** them.
If they won’t bat an eye before keeping millions without electricity or water, before bombing civilian neighborhoods at exactly the time when kids are leaving schools, before breaking every standard of international law or moral decency, F*** them.
It’s time for every true progressive in this country and around the world to do the only thing that our consciences should allow us to do, the only thing that can keep us consistent with our supposed beliefs that human life is precious and that unnecessary violence is always criminal, barbarous and unacceptable. We must demand that Israel stop violence and immediately put an end to its colonialist military occupation of Palestine.
And until they do so, we must organize and do everything we can to make sure our money is not financing mass murder and oppression.
It is time for the progressive movement to demand immediate Divestment from Israel, just like we divested from other oppressive states like South Africa.
The only reason not to do so is willful hypocrisy.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m done being a hypocrite.
Unnecessary murder of innocents is always wrong.
Selfish and unjustifiable occupation is always wrong.
Inaction in the face of massive suffering and injustice is always wrong.
It is thus our responsibility to make sure Obama and the rest of our leaders understand that this time we will be relentless, this time we mean business and this time we will honor our pledges.
NEVER AGAIN!
DIVEST NOW!
Peace
Salaam
Shalom