Did you all not notice the change in John Howard's rhetoric lately?
From purely xenophobic “we will decide who will come to this country” into Nazi rhetoric of “Australian vs unAustralian” and the need for migrants to embrace “Australian values”.
So what is wrong with Indian values? Why is Howard upset from Germans? Are the Nigerian values inferior to Australians?
Does John Howard mean that Australia is the only country that has “codes of ethics”?
Do I hear here Hitler's arguments of German superiority?
To the best of my knowledge, every culture on the earth is advocating for good behaviors against the evil of lying, stealing, deceiving, killing...etc. No difference between the Indian, Chinese, German, Arabic, Nigerian etc unless there are hobbit politicians who use lies and deceptions to achieve some political scoring.
Let me ask now what is the “Australian values”?
If playing cricket is Australian, should the government ban soccer?
If eating sausages is “Australian”, why is “Tabbouleh” still in our markets?
If having sex once mature is “Australian”, why are the “virgins” not rounded up and sent to the “cultural correction camps”?
If English is the test for good citizenship and good manner, why are the “English illiterate” still wandering in the streets and not in Silverwater jail ?
If drinking beer is “Australian”, why did the government included it in the GST, instead of giving it away with each immunization injection?
If “Australian” includes to be racist, why is Paul Keating not in jail?
Well, John Howard, go to hell you and your values especially if they include detaining kids, women and innocent people without any charges.
Go to hell with your values if they include abandoning drowning people in the middle of the ocean, to succeeding electorally on their bodies.
Go to hell with your values if they justify sending troops to wipe out nations, destroy countries and kill innocents.
Go to hell with them if they include depriving the working class of their rights to a fair share of wealth.
Go to hell if they include spreading racial and religious hate, leading to face-spitting on followers of certain religion/culture.
Go to hell with them if they include the requirement to strip me from my cultural, linguistic and religious/irreligious beliefs.
Go to hell with your “values” if they include spreading lies and deception of “illegal immigrants”, “queue jumpers”, “kids overboard”, and “Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction”.
John Howard, if to be Australian, I should do all these evil things, take my citizenship and deport me to Mars.
If we come as a nation to define what is “Australian values”, which should include to be truthful, tolerant, compassionate and hard-working, I am sure who will be deported.
So John Howard, go to hell with your values.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Howard's Anti-Muslims remarks and IR “reforms”
What a great leadership we have in this country!!
A Prime Minister that is master only in fabricating lies and farces, inciting religious and ethnic hatred, sending our troops to invade other countries to destroy them and “wipe them off the map”, ...etc
Was I shocked to hear his latest messages of religious hatred, after all his lies of “queue jumpers”, “kids overboard”, “Saddam's weapons of mass destruction”......??
Frankly? Yes. I was shocked.
I was shocked because he could not stop after all his claims of “Muslim” extremists that want to carry out terrorist attacks on Australian land, which turned out to be not more than cheap farces and lies (after the re-aquittal of “Jihad Jack” and “Zack Mallah” and no charges to any of the rest.)
I was shocked at the low level of desperation that he is showing at the moment.
I was shocked at his assumption (but maybe his assumption is right) that the Australians are the dumbest people on the earth!!
I was shocked that his deeply discriminatory and offensive remarks did not spark immediate widespread condemnations, rallies and civil unrest.
I was shocked at what a beautiful community we have. A community that after 10 years of constant viscious attacks and disgraceful remarks, is still deep calm on the streets of Lakemba, Auburn and Bankstown.
I was shocked at the lack of any alternative leadership in Australia at the moment. All other political forces were very shy to take any practical steps in the last decade and resorted only to very shy media releases (mainly for political scoring).
I was shocked that a few so called “Muslim leaders” were quick to “self flogging”, by blaming the problems on the “extremist” elements in the community.
Let me go back to the remarks and try to understand why I am deeply shocked.
John Howard is urging the Muslims migrants to learn English language “as quickly as possible”.
Very nice words. But how?!!
Did not this Howard know that his government slashed all funding for English teaching since 1996?
Does he recall that his government is stopping (by the law) migrants from studying English language. Do I need to remind him that his government created so many “temporary” visas that are not allowed to study English. Let me remind him of some of these visas: “Temporary Protection Visa” (at least 3 years), “Temporary Spouse Visa” (at least 2 years), Temporary Bridging Visas (unlimited time)..... and all of them are not allowed to access Federally funded English classes.
Even holders of Permanent visas are allowed to access very limited numbers of hours (if any).
So how can this genius assume that these new migrants would learn English!!!
Do his remarks at this moment indicate that he and his government are in crisis!!
Do these remarks have any relation to the Industrial Relation Laws “reform” and their devastating effect on the society??
Have these remarks any relation to the deterioration of the situation in Iraq and the increasing revelation of how much the government knew about the “weapons of mass destruction lies”, the kick back to Saddam's regime and how much they knew about the abuse of Iraqi human rights at Abu Ghreeb?
Would I be shocked for longer than the next year???
A Prime Minister that is master only in fabricating lies and farces, inciting religious and ethnic hatred, sending our troops to invade other countries to destroy them and “wipe them off the map”, ...etc
Was I shocked to hear his latest messages of religious hatred, after all his lies of “queue jumpers”, “kids overboard”, “Saddam's weapons of mass destruction”......??
Frankly? Yes. I was shocked.
I was shocked because he could not stop after all his claims of “Muslim” extremists that want to carry out terrorist attacks on Australian land, which turned out to be not more than cheap farces and lies (after the re-aquittal of “Jihad Jack” and “Zack Mallah” and no charges to any of the rest.)
I was shocked at the low level of desperation that he is showing at the moment.
I was shocked at his assumption (but maybe his assumption is right) that the Australians are the dumbest people on the earth!!
I was shocked that his deeply discriminatory and offensive remarks did not spark immediate widespread condemnations, rallies and civil unrest.
I was shocked at what a beautiful community we have. A community that after 10 years of constant viscious attacks and disgraceful remarks, is still deep calm on the streets of Lakemba, Auburn and Bankstown.
I was shocked at the lack of any alternative leadership in Australia at the moment. All other political forces were very shy to take any practical steps in the last decade and resorted only to very shy media releases (mainly for political scoring).
I was shocked that a few so called “Muslim leaders” were quick to “self flogging”, by blaming the problems on the “extremist” elements in the community.
Let me go back to the remarks and try to understand why I am deeply shocked.
John Howard is urging the Muslims migrants to learn English language “as quickly as possible”.
Very nice words. But how?!!
Did not this Howard know that his government slashed all funding for English teaching since 1996?
Does he recall that his government is stopping (by the law) migrants from studying English language. Do I need to remind him that his government created so many “temporary” visas that are not allowed to study English. Let me remind him of some of these visas: “Temporary Protection Visa” (at least 3 years), “Temporary Spouse Visa” (at least 2 years), Temporary Bridging Visas (unlimited time)..... and all of them are not allowed to access Federally funded English classes.
Even holders of Permanent visas are allowed to access very limited numbers of hours (if any).
So how can this genius assume that these new migrants would learn English!!!
Do his remarks at this moment indicate that he and his government are in crisis!!
Do these remarks have any relation to the Industrial Relation Laws “reform” and their devastating effect on the society??
Have these remarks any relation to the deterioration of the situation in Iraq and the increasing revelation of how much the government knew about the “weapons of mass destruction lies”, the kick back to Saddam's regime and how much they knew about the abuse of Iraqi human rights at Abu Ghreeb?
Would I be shocked for longer than the next year???
Friday, August 25, 2006
المقاومه اللبنانيه – الفلسطينيه و اوراق التوت المتساقطه
الصمود البطولي لمقاتلي المقاومه اللبنانيه لحوالي شهر، والمقاومه الفلسطينيه لاكثر من 6 سنوات، في وجه اله الدمار الوحشيه الاسرائيليه اسقطت كل اوراق التوت وكشفت عورات الكثيرين، بدءا من الرياض، مرورا بقاهره المعز وعمان انتهاءا بواشنطن ولندن وكانبرا.
فالمقاومه التي منعت "الجيش الذي لا يقهر" من الاستقرار في بنت جبيل ومارون الراس وغيرها من القرى الحدوديه واجبرته على التقهقر عده مرات تاركا عشرات القتلى والجرحي، كشفت اولا عوره اسرائيل التي كانت تسترها بعجز النظام العربي وتآمره على شعوبه المسحوقه، متدثره بعجز الامم المتحده المتشابك مع مصالح الدول العظمى في المنطقه.
فالجيش الذي احتل عام 1967 الضفه الغربيه وقطاع غزه وسيناء والجولان واجزاء من الاردن ولبنان في عده ساعات، يقف هذه المره عاجزا لاكثر من شهر امام مارون الراس وبنت جبيل والخيام، الواقعه على الحدود مباشره. وطائراته الجباره وبوارجه الحربيه تستطيع حصد الاطفال الرضع والنساء والشيوخ، ولكنها غير قادره على تركيعهم. كما انها تستطيع تدمير الجسور والمدارس والمستشفيات، ولكنها غير قادره على حسم المعركه في شريط حدودي لا يتجاوز الكيلومترين.
اسرائيل العاريه تماما الان، اخلاقيا وعسكريا وسياسيا واعلاميا، لا تستطيع الا ان "تفش خلقها" باطفال قانا والنبطيه وبنت جبيل وخطف اطفال ومدنيين من بعلبك،انتظارا للفرج ياتيها من واشنطن ليدثرها بورقه توت زرقاء بختم اممي.
وبنفس العري التام، تقف كل الانظمه العربيه العاجزه الان حتى عن كلمه شجب واستنكار، قد تغضب واشنطن وحلفائها وتعرض قائلها لمخاطر اضافته الى قائمه دول “محور الشر”. هذه الانظمه التي تنتظر هي الاخرى الفرج من اروقه البيت الابيض و"مجلس امنه" في نيويورك.
فالانظمه التي ضحت بالغالي والرخيص من اجل الانفاق العسكري وبناء جيوش جراره، فشلت في تحرير شبر من اي ارض عربيه محتله، لتحررها مقاومه بدون جيوش وبدون جنرالات تعج صدورهم بنياشين لا نعرف لماذا منحوها. والمليارات التي انفقت لتكديس سلاح لم يستعمل الا في قمع تظاهرات طلاب المدارس او تظاهرات الخبز، لم تستعد شبرا محتلا او تحرر اسير من سجون الاحتلال كما فعلت المقاومه اللبنانيه التي حررت اراض واسرى ونفوس.
النظام العربي بمجمله يقف الان فاشلا في الاجابه عن اسئله بسيطه يسالها كل مواطن بسيط مثل "لماذا فشلت الجيوش العربيه خلال ستين عام من تحقيق ما حققته المقاومه بسنوات قليله وبعتاد اقل وميزانيه لا تذكر، بالمقارنه مع ميزانيات جيوشكم؟". ليس هذا فحسب، بل السؤال الاكثر الحاحا هو انه "الا يكفي عجزكم الكامل والشامل، فلماذا تحاولون طعن المقاومه في ظهرها والتامر عليها؟" ام انكم من جماعه الذي "لا يرحم ولا يريد من الله ان يرحم"؟
النظام العربي العاري تماما امام شعوبه المنكوبه به، يعرف انه ان لم يجهز مع اسرائيل وحلفائها على هذه المقاومه، فان الامل الذي بثته المقاومه في النفوس العربيه المنسحقه بعد عقود من الهزائم وثقافه الاستسلام، قد يحيي امالا ظنتها الانظمه قد تلاشت بلا رجعه: امالا بالكرامه والعزه والتحرير.
النظام العربي الواقف على مفترق طرق بعد اسقاط نظام صدام حسين الدموي والذي اثبت ان العماله والانبطاح لشروط الهيمنه الامريكيه، لا يعطي اي مناعه من السقوط بدبابات امريكيه، ان رات سيده العالم الحر ان ذلك مهم من اجل "شرق اوسط جديد". هذا النظام امام خيارات احلاها امر من العلقم: اما السقوط بدبابات امريكيه او بانتفاضات امل قادمه من بنت جبيل ومرجعيون.
النظام العربي الذي احرجته (قبل ان تحرج حكومه اسرائيل) قدره المقاومه على تدمير بوارج حربيه، ومطارات عسكريه ودبابات متطوره وطائرات حربيه، يقف الان حائرا كيف يجيب على اسئله اطفال قانا وبئر العبد: كيف استطاعت المقاومه من فعل كل ذلك، ولم تستطع جيوشكم؟
النظام العربي الذي حاول ان يقنعنا ان المواجهه مع اسرائيل لم تجلب الا الخراب والدمار، في تسويقه لمشاريع الاستسلام،ولكنه لم يستطع تحقيق اي امن اقتصادي او اجتماعي لمواطنيه طوال سنوات الاستسلام الماضيه، بل راينا كيف ان ذلك الاستسلام لم يجلب الا الاميه والجهل والتخلف والياس، الذي قاد الكثيرين اما للادمان او الهجره والتشرد في دول العالم.
النظام العربي برمته لا يستطيع مجرد النظر في وجوه اطفال قانا وبنت جبيل ومرجعيون والرشيديه وباقي القرى والمدن التي طالتها ايدي الهمجيه. النظام العربي الان في مازق خطير لتبرير وجوده بالاصل. فما مبرر وجود نظام ان كان يعاني من ازمه كلام حتى، ناهيك عن اي قدره على فعل.
تحيه لاطفال ونساء وشهداء وصامدي بنت جبيل ومارون الراس ومرجعيون وقانا والرشيديه ورفح وخان يونس والشجاعيه وكل من يدافع عن شرف هذه الامه ووجودها في ظل الفاشيه الجديده ومشروعها لشرق اوسط جديد.
فالمقاومه التي منعت "الجيش الذي لا يقهر" من الاستقرار في بنت جبيل ومارون الراس وغيرها من القرى الحدوديه واجبرته على التقهقر عده مرات تاركا عشرات القتلى والجرحي، كشفت اولا عوره اسرائيل التي كانت تسترها بعجز النظام العربي وتآمره على شعوبه المسحوقه، متدثره بعجز الامم المتحده المتشابك مع مصالح الدول العظمى في المنطقه.
فالجيش الذي احتل عام 1967 الضفه الغربيه وقطاع غزه وسيناء والجولان واجزاء من الاردن ولبنان في عده ساعات، يقف هذه المره عاجزا لاكثر من شهر امام مارون الراس وبنت جبيل والخيام، الواقعه على الحدود مباشره. وطائراته الجباره وبوارجه الحربيه تستطيع حصد الاطفال الرضع والنساء والشيوخ، ولكنها غير قادره على تركيعهم. كما انها تستطيع تدمير الجسور والمدارس والمستشفيات، ولكنها غير قادره على حسم المعركه في شريط حدودي لا يتجاوز الكيلومترين.
اسرائيل العاريه تماما الان، اخلاقيا وعسكريا وسياسيا واعلاميا، لا تستطيع الا ان "تفش خلقها" باطفال قانا والنبطيه وبنت جبيل وخطف اطفال ومدنيين من بعلبك،انتظارا للفرج ياتيها من واشنطن ليدثرها بورقه توت زرقاء بختم اممي.
وبنفس العري التام، تقف كل الانظمه العربيه العاجزه الان حتى عن كلمه شجب واستنكار، قد تغضب واشنطن وحلفائها وتعرض قائلها لمخاطر اضافته الى قائمه دول “محور الشر”. هذه الانظمه التي تنتظر هي الاخرى الفرج من اروقه البيت الابيض و"مجلس امنه" في نيويورك.
فالانظمه التي ضحت بالغالي والرخيص من اجل الانفاق العسكري وبناء جيوش جراره، فشلت في تحرير شبر من اي ارض عربيه محتله، لتحررها مقاومه بدون جيوش وبدون جنرالات تعج صدورهم بنياشين لا نعرف لماذا منحوها. والمليارات التي انفقت لتكديس سلاح لم يستعمل الا في قمع تظاهرات طلاب المدارس او تظاهرات الخبز، لم تستعد شبرا محتلا او تحرر اسير من سجون الاحتلال كما فعلت المقاومه اللبنانيه التي حررت اراض واسرى ونفوس.
النظام العربي بمجمله يقف الان فاشلا في الاجابه عن اسئله بسيطه يسالها كل مواطن بسيط مثل "لماذا فشلت الجيوش العربيه خلال ستين عام من تحقيق ما حققته المقاومه بسنوات قليله وبعتاد اقل وميزانيه لا تذكر، بالمقارنه مع ميزانيات جيوشكم؟". ليس هذا فحسب، بل السؤال الاكثر الحاحا هو انه "الا يكفي عجزكم الكامل والشامل، فلماذا تحاولون طعن المقاومه في ظهرها والتامر عليها؟" ام انكم من جماعه الذي "لا يرحم ولا يريد من الله ان يرحم"؟
النظام العربي العاري تماما امام شعوبه المنكوبه به، يعرف انه ان لم يجهز مع اسرائيل وحلفائها على هذه المقاومه، فان الامل الذي بثته المقاومه في النفوس العربيه المنسحقه بعد عقود من الهزائم وثقافه الاستسلام، قد يحيي امالا ظنتها الانظمه قد تلاشت بلا رجعه: امالا بالكرامه والعزه والتحرير.
النظام العربي الواقف على مفترق طرق بعد اسقاط نظام صدام حسين الدموي والذي اثبت ان العماله والانبطاح لشروط الهيمنه الامريكيه، لا يعطي اي مناعه من السقوط بدبابات امريكيه، ان رات سيده العالم الحر ان ذلك مهم من اجل "شرق اوسط جديد". هذا النظام امام خيارات احلاها امر من العلقم: اما السقوط بدبابات امريكيه او بانتفاضات امل قادمه من بنت جبيل ومرجعيون.
النظام العربي الذي احرجته (قبل ان تحرج حكومه اسرائيل) قدره المقاومه على تدمير بوارج حربيه، ومطارات عسكريه ودبابات متطوره وطائرات حربيه، يقف الان حائرا كيف يجيب على اسئله اطفال قانا وبئر العبد: كيف استطاعت المقاومه من فعل كل ذلك، ولم تستطع جيوشكم؟
النظام العربي الذي حاول ان يقنعنا ان المواجهه مع اسرائيل لم تجلب الا الخراب والدمار، في تسويقه لمشاريع الاستسلام،ولكنه لم يستطع تحقيق اي امن اقتصادي او اجتماعي لمواطنيه طوال سنوات الاستسلام الماضيه، بل راينا كيف ان ذلك الاستسلام لم يجلب الا الاميه والجهل والتخلف والياس، الذي قاد الكثيرين اما للادمان او الهجره والتشرد في دول العالم.
النظام العربي برمته لا يستطيع مجرد النظر في وجوه اطفال قانا وبنت جبيل ومرجعيون والرشيديه وباقي القرى والمدن التي طالتها ايدي الهمجيه. النظام العربي الان في مازق خطير لتبرير وجوده بالاصل. فما مبرر وجود نظام ان كان يعاني من ازمه كلام حتى، ناهيك عن اي قدره على فعل.
تحيه لاطفال ونساء وشهداء وصامدي بنت جبيل ومارون الراس ومرجعيون وقانا والرشيديه ورفح وخان يونس والشجاعيه وكل من يدافع عن شرف هذه الامه ووجودها في ظل الفاشيه الجديده ومشروعها لشرق اوسط جديد.
هل تخضع السياده والكرامه الوطنيه لحسابات الدولار
مسكين من يخضع مسائل العزه والكرامه الوطنيتين لحسابات الارباح والخسائر بالدولار والسنت. مسكين من يقول ان لبنان لم ينتصر لانه خسر 5 مليارات دولار و1000 شهيد
لو كانت العزه والكرامه الوطنيه تقاس بخسائر الدولارات والسنتات، لما تحرر بلد ولما قامت ثوره في العالم ضد الظلم والاضطهاد. لو كانت الامور تقاس بهذه المقاييس، فعلى الحريه السلام
لو اخضعنا التجربه الفيتناميه لهذه المقاييس، لما ضحى فيتنامي واحد بحياته. فهل يستحق اي تراب في العالم 5 مليون قتيل ومليارات الدولارات خسائر اقتصاديه، وتلوث بيئي نتيجه استخدام الاسلحه الكيماويه والجرثوميه. فهل انتصرت فيتنام في حرب الاستقلال، ام انها مهزومه وبالضربه القاضيه؟
ولو طبقنا المقياس الدولاري هذا، لخرج الشعب الجزائري مهزوما في حربه الطويله ضد الاستعمار والتي ادت الى مليون شهيد ودمار شامل في البلد
ولو كان الشعب الفلسطيني يحسب الخسائر بالدولار والسنت، وكم شهيدا قتل وجريحا اعيق، لما فكر يوما بحمل السلاح و لقبل قرار التقسيم عام 1947 بدون تردد
مسكين من اراد ان يخفي عنته وعجزه حتى عن الكلام، بابتكار مقياس جديد للكرامة يعتمد على اسواق المال العالميه وعلى سعر صرف الدولار، وكم يمكن توفيره باعلان الخنوع التام للقوى العظمى
مسكين من يريد ان يستبدل اوراق التوت باوراق بنكنوت امريكيه ليخفي عورته و يخفي اسباب انحيازه لمشروع شرق "بوش" الجديد
مسكين من ينسى انه ليس بالخبز وحده يحيى الانسان، بل بالشعور بالكرامه والعزة والحرية والانتماء لمجتمع يحترمه ويقدره
مسكين من يريد ان يخرج اسرائيل من ورطتها (الاولى منذ عقود) على اسس نقديه تتبع لقوانين الوول ستريت ومؤشر النازداك
مسكين من يريد ان يؤلبنا على المقاومة، بنفس المنطق الذي فشلت منشورات اسرائيل في تاليب ابناء عيطرون وبنت جبيل، بل زادهم الدمار والخسائر تمسكا بمنطق المقاومه كلغة وحيدة يفهمها اي معتدي وكل مستعمر
مسكين من لم يقرأ كتب التاريخ عن اسباب الثورات والانتفاضات والتغييرات الجذريه في المجتمعات، وكلها لا
علاقة لها لا من قريب ولا من بعيد بحسابات الدولارات او بسعر صرف العملات
نعم خسر لبنان كذا مليار دولار والف شهيد وعدة الاف من الجرحى، ولكنه حقق ما عجز عن تحقيقه ملايين العرب والمسلمين
لاول مرة منذ اربعين عاما تدمر بوارج اسرائيلية وتسقط طائرات عسكريه
لاول مره منذ ستين عاما تعجز اسرائيل عن حمايه مدنييها ومنشاتها في العمق من الاصابات المباشرة
لاول مره يتساءل الجندي والمواطن الاسرائيلي : هل انتصرنا؟
لاول مرة تلجأ اسرائيل (وعلى غير العادة) الى الامم المتحدة لتنجدها من الورطة
في كل المرات الماضية، وبعد كل هزيمة، كنا نحن الذين نهرول الى الامم المتحدة لنستصدر قرارا بوقف العدوان ومطالبة اسرائيل باعادة جزء مما اخذت، ثم نبدأ بمطالبة الامم المتحدة بحث اسرائيل على الالتزام بتلك القرارات
هذه المرة، اسرائيل كانت المسارعه للمطالبة بقرار دولي "يردع حزب الله" ويوقف "اعتداءاته" على اسرائيل
في كل المرات الماضية، كنا نتابع سير المعارك من اذاعة اسرائيل او لندن، لانعدام ثقتنا بالانظمة العربية التي كانت تكذب في كل بيان
هذه المرة كان الاسرائيلي يتابع سير المعركة على شاشات المنار او الجزيرة، بعد ان كذبت قيادتهم وصدقت قيادة المقاومة
في كل المعارك السابقة، كنا نخرج منها مطأطئي الرؤوس، ونخجل حتى من الخروج من منازلنا. هذه المرة، وبرغم الدمار والخراب، خرج الجميع ورؤوسهم مرفوعة، من المحيط الى الخليج
الا تستحق كل هذه الانجازات، ان نخسر 5 مليارات دولار، كان يمكن ان نخسرها في جيوب المسؤولين الذين سيخسروها بدورهم على موائد قمار لندن وباريس
الا تستحق هذه الانجازت ان يضحي الف شهيد بارواحهم، بدلا ان يضحي مئات الالاف ممن سبقوهم بحياتهم في حروب اهلية هنا او هناك، بدون اي مبرر او نتيجة
الا تستحق كرامة امة باكملها بهذا الثمن، الذي كان من الممكن ان ندفعه لو ضربنا زلزال متوسط القوة او تسونامي، دون ان نحقق اي نصر او اعادة كرامة
نرجو على المشككين بالنصر الذي تحقق ان يكفوا عن القاء محاضراتهم الاقتصادية وتذكيرنا بعدد الدولارات التي خسرناها، قبل ان يشمت فينا ابناء الشعب الفيتنامي والكوري والكوبي والفنزويلي والجنوب افريقي وشعوب العالم المناضلة ضد الاحتلال والاستعمار
لو كانت العزه والكرامه الوطنيه تقاس بخسائر الدولارات والسنتات، لما تحرر بلد ولما قامت ثوره في العالم ضد الظلم والاضطهاد. لو كانت الامور تقاس بهذه المقاييس، فعلى الحريه السلام
لو اخضعنا التجربه الفيتناميه لهذه المقاييس، لما ضحى فيتنامي واحد بحياته. فهل يستحق اي تراب في العالم 5 مليون قتيل ومليارات الدولارات خسائر اقتصاديه، وتلوث بيئي نتيجه استخدام الاسلحه الكيماويه والجرثوميه. فهل انتصرت فيتنام في حرب الاستقلال، ام انها مهزومه وبالضربه القاضيه؟
ولو طبقنا المقياس الدولاري هذا، لخرج الشعب الجزائري مهزوما في حربه الطويله ضد الاستعمار والتي ادت الى مليون شهيد ودمار شامل في البلد
ولو كان الشعب الفلسطيني يحسب الخسائر بالدولار والسنت، وكم شهيدا قتل وجريحا اعيق، لما فكر يوما بحمل السلاح و لقبل قرار التقسيم عام 1947 بدون تردد
مسكين من اراد ان يخفي عنته وعجزه حتى عن الكلام، بابتكار مقياس جديد للكرامة يعتمد على اسواق المال العالميه وعلى سعر صرف الدولار، وكم يمكن توفيره باعلان الخنوع التام للقوى العظمى
مسكين من يريد ان يستبدل اوراق التوت باوراق بنكنوت امريكيه ليخفي عورته و يخفي اسباب انحيازه لمشروع شرق "بوش" الجديد
مسكين من ينسى انه ليس بالخبز وحده يحيى الانسان، بل بالشعور بالكرامه والعزة والحرية والانتماء لمجتمع يحترمه ويقدره
مسكين من يريد ان يخرج اسرائيل من ورطتها (الاولى منذ عقود) على اسس نقديه تتبع لقوانين الوول ستريت ومؤشر النازداك
مسكين من يريد ان يؤلبنا على المقاومة، بنفس المنطق الذي فشلت منشورات اسرائيل في تاليب ابناء عيطرون وبنت جبيل، بل زادهم الدمار والخسائر تمسكا بمنطق المقاومه كلغة وحيدة يفهمها اي معتدي وكل مستعمر
مسكين من لم يقرأ كتب التاريخ عن اسباب الثورات والانتفاضات والتغييرات الجذريه في المجتمعات، وكلها لا
علاقة لها لا من قريب ولا من بعيد بحسابات الدولارات او بسعر صرف العملات
نعم خسر لبنان كذا مليار دولار والف شهيد وعدة الاف من الجرحى، ولكنه حقق ما عجز عن تحقيقه ملايين العرب والمسلمين
لاول مرة منذ اربعين عاما تدمر بوارج اسرائيلية وتسقط طائرات عسكريه
لاول مره منذ ستين عاما تعجز اسرائيل عن حمايه مدنييها ومنشاتها في العمق من الاصابات المباشرة
لاول مره يتساءل الجندي والمواطن الاسرائيلي : هل انتصرنا؟
لاول مرة تلجأ اسرائيل (وعلى غير العادة) الى الامم المتحدة لتنجدها من الورطة
في كل المرات الماضية، وبعد كل هزيمة، كنا نحن الذين نهرول الى الامم المتحدة لنستصدر قرارا بوقف العدوان ومطالبة اسرائيل باعادة جزء مما اخذت، ثم نبدأ بمطالبة الامم المتحدة بحث اسرائيل على الالتزام بتلك القرارات
هذه المرة، اسرائيل كانت المسارعه للمطالبة بقرار دولي "يردع حزب الله" ويوقف "اعتداءاته" على اسرائيل
في كل المرات الماضية، كنا نتابع سير المعارك من اذاعة اسرائيل او لندن، لانعدام ثقتنا بالانظمة العربية التي كانت تكذب في كل بيان
هذه المرة كان الاسرائيلي يتابع سير المعركة على شاشات المنار او الجزيرة، بعد ان كذبت قيادتهم وصدقت قيادة المقاومة
في كل المعارك السابقة، كنا نخرج منها مطأطئي الرؤوس، ونخجل حتى من الخروج من منازلنا. هذه المرة، وبرغم الدمار والخراب، خرج الجميع ورؤوسهم مرفوعة، من المحيط الى الخليج
الا تستحق كل هذه الانجازات، ان نخسر 5 مليارات دولار، كان يمكن ان نخسرها في جيوب المسؤولين الذين سيخسروها بدورهم على موائد قمار لندن وباريس
الا تستحق هذه الانجازت ان يضحي الف شهيد بارواحهم، بدلا ان يضحي مئات الالاف ممن سبقوهم بحياتهم في حروب اهلية هنا او هناك، بدون اي مبرر او نتيجة
الا تستحق كرامة امة باكملها بهذا الثمن، الذي كان من الممكن ان ندفعه لو ضربنا زلزال متوسط القوة او تسونامي، دون ان نحقق اي نصر او اعادة كرامة
نرجو على المشككين بالنصر الذي تحقق ان يكفوا عن القاء محاضراتهم الاقتصادية وتذكيرنا بعدد الدولارات التي خسرناها، قبل ان يشمت فينا ابناء الشعب الفيتنامي والكوري والكوبي والفنزويلي والجنوب افريقي وشعوب العالم المناضلة ضد الاحتلال والاستعمار
Friday, June 30, 2006
My speech at Interantional Refugee Day rally - 25 June 2006
Hello everyone
I would like first to acknowledge the historical custodian of the land
Thanks for coming today to mark the celebration of the International Refugees Day.
In the last few weeks the government tried to celebrate this occasion its own way. They tried to introduce new legislation that was regarded by everyone dealing with refugees as a total departure from Australian obligation to the Geneva Convention to protect the Refugees, 1951, and other related conventions and agreements.
The Australian government is moving now to convince its backbenchers that excising the whole mainland from the migration zone, re-introduction of the policy of detaining families and kids, detaining people outside Australia for indefinite time and depriving refugees and asylum seekers of any access to their legal rights - should be acceptable practices.
All these violations to international conventions and agreements are just to appease Indonesia and guarantee its cooperation in implementing the so called “border protection” laws and to cover up the lie that these border protection laws were the ones which stopped the boat people.
I will not talk too much about these things as other speakers will cover them I guess. I will talk more about the dilema of the Palestinian refugees, especially in Australia.
You may know that the Palestinians are the largest ethnic group amongst the refugee community. 3 out of 5 Palestinians world wide are refugees. These refugees are facing uncertainty for the last half century, as they are living temporarily in refugee camps for more than 50 years.
I will talk more about this later on, but I would like to mention some of the issues facing Palestinian refugees in Australia. Let me mention one case to fully understand these challenges. Ibrahim Ishratih, a Palestinian refugee, who was kicked out of his home in Gaza, to wander in many countries in the middle east, until he settled in Algeria. He lived there and worked until the Algerian civil war started, when he was enforced to leave the country. He could get a 6 months visa to his homeland, Gaza, after Oslo accord. After the expiry of his visa, and therefusal of the Israeli authorities to renew his visa, he became illegal in his own homeland.
Can you imagine being illegal on the land that your grandparents were living in for more than 5 thousands years consecutively.
He started to hide from the authorities, as he knew what will happen to him if this will happen. But this did happen, and the Israeli authorities did arrest him on one of the checkpoints one day. He was deported by the Israelis to the Egyptian border. Egypt refused his entry, as he is Palestinian and has no Egyptian passport. He was left in limbo on the borders for couple of days, until he could get a forged passport and ticket to leave to Indonesia. Then by boat to Australia.
Australian authorities detained him for more than 2 years, and at the end decided that he is not refugee, according to his DIMA case officer. This case officer apparently does not know where Gaza is and what the situation is there. He immediately signed to be repatriated voluntarily. He knows more than his case officer what is happening in Gaza. The Australian authorities could not find him a single country to be deported to, and was enforced to release him from the detention on the basis of the Akram Al Masri habeas corpus decision. He was released with a single piece of paper, no photo ID, no right to work, no right to Medicare, no right for any government assistance. He was living for the last 4 years on the generosity of the charity organisations. But this is not the end of the story. He could not see his wife and 4 kids for more than 6 years. He was released from small detention to bigger detention, with no support.
The dilema here is that he will be stateless in Australia indefinitely. Israeli authorities refused to cooperate with Australian ones to accept his return, as this could be seen as the beginning of the right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees.
70 foreign embassies in Australia have refused granting him a visa. He is facing indefinite dilemna. I saw the latest report of his psychologist. He is suffering Chronic Adjustment Disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
These symptoms could be eased immediately if he will be granted a permanent visa, consequently being able to re-united with family and so feeling some sort of certainty and belonging.
I just mentioned this case because of the unique nature of it. I also want to say that Ibrahim is not the only case of a refugee facing indefinite statelessness because of DIMA policies and decisions. These DIMA officers failed to find answers for our questions: when will Ibrahim’s suffering be finished? When could he see his family again? What did DIMA do in the spirit of the convention, which was introduced to protect the rights of refugees and guarantee dignified treatment? When will DIMA listen to the reports of professionals (like the psychologists) and act to implement their recommendations.
Let me get back to the suffering of Palestinian refugees in general. There are many well-documented reports about the destructive effect of Temporary Protection Visas on the health and well-being of refugees. These reports demonstrated very clearly that the temporary nature of the visa and so the accompanied uncertainty, are leaving devastating effects on the health and well-being of the refugees. All this because of 3 or 4 years temporary nature of the visa.
Imagine :there are more than 4 million Palestinians living on temporary visas and hope for the last 58 years. They could not plan for a natural ordinary life for 58 years! Year after year, they were waiting for the UN and international community to enforce Israel to let them go back to their villages, towns and cities. They are still living until now, in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syrian, Jordan .... on a hope that they will be able to go back one day to their homeland. What could professionals working in this field diagnose the whole Palestinian refugee community with? How many recurrent post traumatic disorders are we suffering form? Can they convince DIMA that Ibrahim and his Palestinian and other stateless asylum seekers have suffered a lot in the last half a century and they deserve Ministerial intervention at least to end their dilema? Is DIMA waiting for the solution to the Palestinian issue and creation of a Palestinian state to send Ibrahim then there? How long this will take? My family waited 58 years, and there is no signs that it could happen soon in the immediate future.
On the other hand can the Australian government, who is sending representatives and spending millions to recruit tens of thousands every year to fill the workforce shortages, convince us why they could not allow Ibrahim to live in Australia and help in filling the shortage of the workforce?. I forgot to tell you that he is a qualified schoolteacher and definitely can help with filling the shortage of workforce.
What kind of message does the Australian government want to send to the whole world? That we lack basic compassion and humanity in helping solving the dilema of a couple of stateless people. Australia has full moral and legal obligation to help the Palestinian refugees. Australia helped to occupy Palestine 1917 which opened the door to create the worst refugee crisis in contemporary history. Australia has the obligation, not only under the Geneva Convention, to help the Palestinian refugees, but as an occupying force that led to this crisis.
Let us hope that on our next celebration of international refugee day, Ibrahim's dilema would be solved, along the dilema of hundreds of detainees in detention centre and asylum seekers living in the community on bridging visas. I know that this is maybe very hard under this government. But we should not rest until achieving this.
Thanks and keep up the good work. Ibrahim and the other refugees and asylum seekers need you.
I would like first to acknowledge the historical custodian of the land
Thanks for coming today to mark the celebration of the International Refugees Day.
In the last few weeks the government tried to celebrate this occasion its own way. They tried to introduce new legislation that was regarded by everyone dealing with refugees as a total departure from Australian obligation to the Geneva Convention to protect the Refugees, 1951, and other related conventions and agreements.
The Australian government is moving now to convince its backbenchers that excising the whole mainland from the migration zone, re-introduction of the policy of detaining families and kids, detaining people outside Australia for indefinite time and depriving refugees and asylum seekers of any access to their legal rights - should be acceptable practices.
All these violations to international conventions and agreements are just to appease Indonesia and guarantee its cooperation in implementing the so called “border protection” laws and to cover up the lie that these border protection laws were the ones which stopped the boat people.
I will not talk too much about these things as other speakers will cover them I guess. I will talk more about the dilema of the Palestinian refugees, especially in Australia.
You may know that the Palestinians are the largest ethnic group amongst the refugee community. 3 out of 5 Palestinians world wide are refugees. These refugees are facing uncertainty for the last half century, as they are living temporarily in refugee camps for more than 50 years.
I will talk more about this later on, but I would like to mention some of the issues facing Palestinian refugees in Australia. Let me mention one case to fully understand these challenges. Ibrahim Ishratih, a Palestinian refugee, who was kicked out of his home in Gaza, to wander in many countries in the middle east, until he settled in Algeria. He lived there and worked until the Algerian civil war started, when he was enforced to leave the country. He could get a 6 months visa to his homeland, Gaza, after Oslo accord. After the expiry of his visa, and therefusal of the Israeli authorities to renew his visa, he became illegal in his own homeland.
Can you imagine being illegal on the land that your grandparents were living in for more than 5 thousands years consecutively.
He started to hide from the authorities, as he knew what will happen to him if this will happen. But this did happen, and the Israeli authorities did arrest him on one of the checkpoints one day. He was deported by the Israelis to the Egyptian border. Egypt refused his entry, as he is Palestinian and has no Egyptian passport. He was left in limbo on the borders for couple of days, until he could get a forged passport and ticket to leave to Indonesia. Then by boat to Australia.
Australian authorities detained him for more than 2 years, and at the end decided that he is not refugee, according to his DIMA case officer. This case officer apparently does not know where Gaza is and what the situation is there. He immediately signed to be repatriated voluntarily. He knows more than his case officer what is happening in Gaza. The Australian authorities could not find him a single country to be deported to, and was enforced to release him from the detention on the basis of the Akram Al Masri habeas corpus decision. He was released with a single piece of paper, no photo ID, no right to work, no right to Medicare, no right for any government assistance. He was living for the last 4 years on the generosity of the charity organisations. But this is not the end of the story. He could not see his wife and 4 kids for more than 6 years. He was released from small detention to bigger detention, with no support.
The dilema here is that he will be stateless in Australia indefinitely. Israeli authorities refused to cooperate with Australian ones to accept his return, as this could be seen as the beginning of the right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees.
70 foreign embassies in Australia have refused granting him a visa. He is facing indefinite dilemna. I saw the latest report of his psychologist. He is suffering Chronic Adjustment Disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
These symptoms could be eased immediately if he will be granted a permanent visa, consequently being able to re-united with family and so feeling some sort of certainty and belonging.
I just mentioned this case because of the unique nature of it. I also want to say that Ibrahim is not the only case of a refugee facing indefinite statelessness because of DIMA policies and decisions. These DIMA officers failed to find answers for our questions: when will Ibrahim’s suffering be finished? When could he see his family again? What did DIMA do in the spirit of the convention, which was introduced to protect the rights of refugees and guarantee dignified treatment? When will DIMA listen to the reports of professionals (like the psychologists) and act to implement their recommendations.
Let me get back to the suffering of Palestinian refugees in general. There are many well-documented reports about the destructive effect of Temporary Protection Visas on the health and well-being of refugees. These reports demonstrated very clearly that the temporary nature of the visa and so the accompanied uncertainty, are leaving devastating effects on the health and well-being of the refugees. All this because of 3 or 4 years temporary nature of the visa.
Imagine :there are more than 4 million Palestinians living on temporary visas and hope for the last 58 years. They could not plan for a natural ordinary life for 58 years! Year after year, they were waiting for the UN and international community to enforce Israel to let them go back to their villages, towns and cities. They are still living until now, in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syrian, Jordan .... on a hope that they will be able to go back one day to their homeland. What could professionals working in this field diagnose the whole Palestinian refugee community with? How many recurrent post traumatic disorders are we suffering form? Can they convince DIMA that Ibrahim and his Palestinian and other stateless asylum seekers have suffered a lot in the last half a century and they deserve Ministerial intervention at least to end their dilema? Is DIMA waiting for the solution to the Palestinian issue and creation of a Palestinian state to send Ibrahim then there? How long this will take? My family waited 58 years, and there is no signs that it could happen soon in the immediate future.
On the other hand can the Australian government, who is sending representatives and spending millions to recruit tens of thousands every year to fill the workforce shortages, convince us why they could not allow Ibrahim to live in Australia and help in filling the shortage of the workforce?. I forgot to tell you that he is a qualified schoolteacher and definitely can help with filling the shortage of workforce.
What kind of message does the Australian government want to send to the whole world? That we lack basic compassion and humanity in helping solving the dilema of a couple of stateless people. Australia has full moral and legal obligation to help the Palestinian refugees. Australia helped to occupy Palestine 1917 which opened the door to create the worst refugee crisis in contemporary history. Australia has the obligation, not only under the Geneva Convention, to help the Palestinian refugees, but as an occupying force that led to this crisis.
Let us hope that on our next celebration of international refugee day, Ibrahim's dilema would be solved, along the dilema of hundreds of detainees in detention centre and asylum seekers living in the community on bridging visas. I know that this is maybe very hard under this government. But we should not rest until achieving this.
Thanks and keep up the good work. Ibrahim and the other refugees and asylum seekers need you.
Friday, May 26, 2006
We should all be proud Australians
The success of John Howard’s US-European tour is giving all of us tremendous pride of belonging to this nation.
Our Howard was able to represent us on global arena and reflect our values, as only he could.
I should be proud most of all of his tour in Ireland, where the Parliament of that nation gave him the welcome he deserves. That’s right: the Parliament of Ireland was a quarter empty. So – although I wouldn’t want people to think me disloyal - I was really proud when a few Irish politicians gave him the description that he deserves.
Of course I was not proud of him, but proud of the Irish brave politicians.
“Xenophobic warmonger” is the description that the UN Human Rights Committee could not quite give him during the last 10 years, despite the repeated criticisms of his government’s policies regarding human rights.
It took the Irish politicians to put him in the box that he should be in.
But who did lose the most?
John Howard?
Of course he will be remembered as the worst devil in the contemporary history of Australian politics, but so what?
For the people like him, this is irrelevant. Even if he will be kicked out in the coming years (by his own party, or by Australian voters), he will walk away with a fortune of millions of $s.
The real losers are the Australian people and the people who were affected by his bloody policies.
The Australians who started to be known as xenophobic racist people around the world will pay some price.
The Australians that lost their life style, will be among the losers of this “xenophobic warmonger”.
The Australians that lost their Telstra, National Airport, free education, good health system, relaxed life-style, … will be the ones who will pay the biggest price of his 10 years in power.
The Australians who were welcomed anywhere they went, and now are treated with contempt and suspicion, will feel the disastrous 10 years of Howard.
The Australians that never witnessed violent attacks do know the difference.
The Australians that can compare the freedom of speech, the level of civil liberties, would realize who are the real losers.
The women who wear hijab and veil fully understand the political agenda why they were spat on in the last few years, and do fully understand that this was part of the price for the prosperity he promised us.
And?
The refugees, who lost 6 or more years in detention center then were released on temporary protection visa, would be the one who paid some of the price for the king to keep his throne.
The refugees who were sent to their death, in order to teach the “people smugglers” the lesson of not trying to send boats to Australia, would understand (but in the other life), how devastating was the last 10 years.
The SIEVX’s human cargo who was drowned in the ocean, because the Australian navy had orders to enable “little Johnny” to win 2001 election, were the ones who paid by their blood for the success of Howard in his Irish tour.
The women, kids and men who were detained and then released on constant medication of anti-depressants, would know that their health and mental status was the price.
The kids of Iraq, who lost their fathers, mothers and their childhood because of his agenda invading their country, would know exactly how dear the price was.
The kids of Palestine know very well how evil is this Howard.
What a bloody record.
Were the Irish politicians not right to boycott the speech of the “butcher of Baxter and Woomera”? Were they not right to describe him as xenophobic and warmonger? How did he feel when he was described on International media as “Xenophobic and Warmonger”? And the more important how did the Australians feel at that moment?
The Irish politicians deserve the hand-clapping.
But the picture would be more clear if the other politicians took the same stand.
Shamelessly The Greens and Social Democrats were more polite to this “war criminal”. They were more reconciliatory with “Xenophobic warmonger”, who cannot be even reconciliatory with the native people of his nation.
We should do our best to erase this shameful chapter from the history of Australia, by sending this warmonger not to his home, but to Hague.
Long-live Irish bravery.
Our Howard was able to represent us on global arena and reflect our values, as only he could.
I should be proud most of all of his tour in Ireland, where the Parliament of that nation gave him the welcome he deserves. That’s right: the Parliament of Ireland was a quarter empty. So – although I wouldn’t want people to think me disloyal - I was really proud when a few Irish politicians gave him the description that he deserves.
Of course I was not proud of him, but proud of the Irish brave politicians.
“Xenophobic warmonger” is the description that the UN Human Rights Committee could not quite give him during the last 10 years, despite the repeated criticisms of his government’s policies regarding human rights.
It took the Irish politicians to put him in the box that he should be in.
But who did lose the most?
John Howard?
Of course he will be remembered as the worst devil in the contemporary history of Australian politics, but so what?
For the people like him, this is irrelevant. Even if he will be kicked out in the coming years (by his own party, or by Australian voters), he will walk away with a fortune of millions of $s.
The real losers are the Australian people and the people who were affected by his bloody policies.
The Australians who started to be known as xenophobic racist people around the world will pay some price.
The Australians that lost their life style, will be among the losers of this “xenophobic warmonger”.
The Australians that lost their Telstra, National Airport, free education, good health system, relaxed life-style, … will be the ones who will pay the biggest price of his 10 years in power.
The Australians who were welcomed anywhere they went, and now are treated with contempt and suspicion, will feel the disastrous 10 years of Howard.
The Australians that never witnessed violent attacks do know the difference.
The Australians that can compare the freedom of speech, the level of civil liberties, would realize who are the real losers.
The women who wear hijab and veil fully understand the political agenda why they were spat on in the last few years, and do fully understand that this was part of the price for the prosperity he promised us.
And?
The refugees, who lost 6 or more years in detention center then were released on temporary protection visa, would be the one who paid some of the price for the king to keep his throne.
The refugees who were sent to their death, in order to teach the “people smugglers” the lesson of not trying to send boats to Australia, would understand (but in the other life), how devastating was the last 10 years.
The SIEVX’s human cargo who was drowned in the ocean, because the Australian navy had orders to enable “little Johnny” to win 2001 election, were the ones who paid by their blood for the success of Howard in his Irish tour.
The women, kids and men who were detained and then released on constant medication of anti-depressants, would know that their health and mental status was the price.
The kids of Iraq, who lost their fathers, mothers and their childhood because of his agenda invading their country, would know exactly how dear the price was.
The kids of Palestine know very well how evil is this Howard.
What a bloody record.
Were the Irish politicians not right to boycott the speech of the “butcher of Baxter and Woomera”? Were they not right to describe him as xenophobic and warmonger? How did he feel when he was described on International media as “Xenophobic and Warmonger”? And the more important how did the Australians feel at that moment?
The Irish politicians deserve the hand-clapping.
But the picture would be more clear if the other politicians took the same stand.
Shamelessly The Greens and Social Democrats were more polite to this “war criminal”. They were more reconciliatory with “Xenophobic warmonger”, who cannot be even reconciliatory with the native people of his nation.
We should do our best to erase this shameful chapter from the history of Australia, by sending this warmonger not to his home, but to Hague.
Long-live Irish bravery.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
My speech at Nakba day vigil - 14 May 2006
Hi Everybody
First of all I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land.
Thanks for coming today to mark the 58th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. As you probably all know, Nakba means in Arabic “catastrophe”, and 58 years ago it was catastrophe, at least for Palestinians.
750, 000 Palestinians overnight found themselves refugees in other countries, or inside their own. Hundreds of villages and towns were destroyed and erased from the map. Most importantly a very bloody conflict started, which cost tens of thousands of innocent lives, and lasted for more than half century, and is still going on.
We, in the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, decided to hold a vigil outside the British consulate, because we are holding the British politicians historically, legally and morally responsible for the Nakba and the subsequent suffering in the area because of it. The British Empire was the one which created and allowed this Nakba to happen. The British politicians in London gave the land that they do not own to the people that do not belong to.
The Nakba did not only affect the 750,000 Palestinian refugees. It affected the lives of their children, and grandchildren who were born and raised up as refugees till today.
Also, and subsequent to it, there were several bloody conflicts in 1967, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1989, 2000… which resulted in more refugees, deaths, invalids and orphans.
At the moment, and subsequent to the Nakba and the insistence of Israel to remain Jewish, to use any means to be the most powerful in the region and to keep the occupation, even if this means refusing to implement UN resolutions or recognize International law and suppressing the fundamental human rights of Palestinians.
Israel at the moment is acting as above-the-law state that can do whatever it wishes. Yesterday’s shooting on the peace activists, one of them Australian, is a very good example where Israel is disregarding any consequences of violation of human rights and international laws.
These acts were well covered because 2 of the injured were Western citizens. The same acts are committed daily by Israeli soldiers, and even on more deadly scale, under the eyes and ears of international community and even with no mentioning in the media.
Instead of holding Israel responsible for its acts, the Palestinian people were punished for exercising their democratic choices. US and EU, instead of demanding from Israel to implement UN resolutions, withdraw from the occupied territories, stop the killings of innocents, stop the destruction of homes and allowing the return of the refugees and their compensation for the years of sufferings and their losses, instead of all this, they are infact starving the Palestinian population under occupation, creating humanitarian crises and encouraging Israel to continue with its violations and abuses.
We should all keep the campaign to demand from Israel to abide by international law and the UN resolutions, including the dismantling of the Apartheid Wall and the end of occupation.
Thanks again for coming here and keep up the good work. The Palestinian people need your help.
First of all I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land.
Thanks for coming today to mark the 58th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. As you probably all know, Nakba means in Arabic “catastrophe”, and 58 years ago it was catastrophe, at least for Palestinians.
750, 000 Palestinians overnight found themselves refugees in other countries, or inside their own. Hundreds of villages and towns were destroyed and erased from the map. Most importantly a very bloody conflict started, which cost tens of thousands of innocent lives, and lasted for more than half century, and is still going on.
We, in the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, decided to hold a vigil outside the British consulate, because we are holding the British politicians historically, legally and morally responsible for the Nakba and the subsequent suffering in the area because of it. The British Empire was the one which created and allowed this Nakba to happen. The British politicians in London gave the land that they do not own to the people that do not belong to.
The Nakba did not only affect the 750,000 Palestinian refugees. It affected the lives of their children, and grandchildren who were born and raised up as refugees till today.
Also, and subsequent to it, there were several bloody conflicts in 1967, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1989, 2000… which resulted in more refugees, deaths, invalids and orphans.
At the moment, and subsequent to the Nakba and the insistence of Israel to remain Jewish, to use any means to be the most powerful in the region and to keep the occupation, even if this means refusing to implement UN resolutions or recognize International law and suppressing the fundamental human rights of Palestinians.
Israel at the moment is acting as above-the-law state that can do whatever it wishes. Yesterday’s shooting on the peace activists, one of them Australian, is a very good example where Israel is disregarding any consequences of violation of human rights and international laws.
These acts were well covered because 2 of the injured were Western citizens. The same acts are committed daily by Israeli soldiers, and even on more deadly scale, under the eyes and ears of international community and even with no mentioning in the media.
Instead of holding Israel responsible for its acts, the Palestinian people were punished for exercising their democratic choices. US and EU, instead of demanding from Israel to implement UN resolutions, withdraw from the occupied territories, stop the killings of innocents, stop the destruction of homes and allowing the return of the refugees and their compensation for the years of sufferings and their losses, instead of all this, they are infact starving the Palestinian population under occupation, creating humanitarian crises and encouraging Israel to continue with its violations and abuses.
We should all keep the campaign to demand from Israel to abide by international law and the UN resolutions, including the dismantling of the Apartheid Wall and the end of occupation.
Thanks again for coming here and keep up the good work. The Palestinian people need your help.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
My speech at the launch of Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine - 2 April 2006
Dear friends of Palestine
Thanks for coming today to commemorate the Palestinian Land Day and remember the Palestinians who were killed while defending their lands. We are also here today to launch the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, the new voice for all of you, the friends of Palestine, in Sydney and NSW.
When a few of us came together about 7 months ago and talked about forming the coalition, we came together because we had big concerns about the situation in Palestine.
Sydney is the only capital on the eastern coast of Australia that has no organization to coordinate the activities of friends of Palestine. The situation was not normal, and we put in our mind to challenge it, and we are trying to do just this today.
By establishing this coalition we are aiming to create organization where organizations and individuals believing in the justice of the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom, independence and self-determination can come together and discuss strategies, campaigns and steps to both raise the awareness of the Australians about this issue and try to make it an important issue in Australian politics.
After the election of the new Israeli Parliament on the platform of unilateral drawing of borders – that is, on the Israeli government terms, regardless of the international laws and agreements - we know that the Palestinians are desperately needing every supporter and friend anywhere in the World. The Palestinians under occupation and in exile have a bitter feeling that the whole world abandoned them to face the most brutal occupation in the world. We are trying to send them a clear message that they are not alone.
Today I am, on your behalf, committing this coalition to do our best to raise the awareness about the genocide in Palestine and expose the apartheid policies of Israel. We cannot do this without your help, help of every peace and freedom loving person. I urge all of you to support this coalition by becoming member, subscriber on our emailing list, or donor.
We all have historical responsibilities towards the Palestinians and today I am putting you face to face with these responsibilities. The issue here is not concerning the Palestinian people; it is an issue of global justice, peace and security.
I hope we will not let them down.
Thanks for coming today to commemorate the Palestinian Land Day and remember the Palestinians who were killed while defending their lands. We are also here today to launch the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine, the new voice for all of you, the friends of Palestine, in Sydney and NSW.
When a few of us came together about 7 months ago and talked about forming the coalition, we came together because we had big concerns about the situation in Palestine.
Sydney is the only capital on the eastern coast of Australia that has no organization to coordinate the activities of friends of Palestine. The situation was not normal, and we put in our mind to challenge it, and we are trying to do just this today.
By establishing this coalition we are aiming to create organization where organizations and individuals believing in the justice of the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom, independence and self-determination can come together and discuss strategies, campaigns and steps to both raise the awareness of the Australians about this issue and try to make it an important issue in Australian politics.
After the election of the new Israeli Parliament on the platform of unilateral drawing of borders – that is, on the Israeli government terms, regardless of the international laws and agreements - we know that the Palestinians are desperately needing every supporter and friend anywhere in the World. The Palestinians under occupation and in exile have a bitter feeling that the whole world abandoned them to face the most brutal occupation in the world. We are trying to send them a clear message that they are not alone.
Today I am, on your behalf, committing this coalition to do our best to raise the awareness about the genocide in Palestine and expose the apartheid policies of Israel. We cannot do this without your help, help of every peace and freedom loving person. I urge all of you to support this coalition by becoming member, subscriber on our emailing list, or donor.
We all have historical responsibilities towards the Palestinians and today I am putting you face to face with these responsibilities. The issue here is not concerning the Palestinian people; it is an issue of global justice, peace and security.
I hope we will not let them down.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Sheikh Ruddock and his Fatwas
I was not surprised to hear the latest fatwa of Sheikh Philip Ruddock. This time he issued a fatwa that the Muslim Imams should deliver their Friday preaches in English, instead of their own language.
It is very clear that Sheikh Ruddock is basing his fatwah on the teaching of his Imam, the Grand Ayatollah John Howard.
The Grand Ayatollah Howard has a dream for this nation. His dream is to maintain Australia as White and English speaking as possible. His understanding of multiculturalism is restricted to multicultural food, multicultural dance and music (but not songs, as this involves languages other than the superior English!) and multicultural faces (silent ones!).
It appears that Sheikh Ruddock’s motive for this fatwa was not more than encouraging all Australians to take advantage of the billions of dollars spent on English classes that the federal government is allocating every year. It seems too that the other motive was to promote equality of access to the Friday preachers by all Australians, even the non-Muslims, if they choose.
I think too that he is trying to spread his historical discoveries that the prophet Mohammed in fact was an English man, but the Arabs denied him this privilege and claimed that he was Arab. Shiekh Ruddock wanted to correct this historical mistake.
I do not think that the motive has anything to do with the lack of “multicultural” ASIO spies who can speak another languages. I also do not think that he has any motive of any further contempt to Muslims and their religion. I strongly do not think that this Fatwa has anything to do with the campaign of “divide and rule” policies that his government was following for the last decade.
The only innocent question I asked after hearing this fatwa was why this Ruddock did not issue a fatwa that the Greek Church must adopt English for their Sunday prayer? Why he did not extend his fatwa to include Armenian Church, Arabic churches, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Jews synagogues …?
Arabs say “and the clever will understand from signs”.
Long live Sheikh’s fatwas! Long live the white racist Howard-Ruddock’s multiculturalism.
It is very clear that Sheikh Ruddock is basing his fatwah on the teaching of his Imam, the Grand Ayatollah John Howard.
The Grand Ayatollah Howard has a dream for this nation. His dream is to maintain Australia as White and English speaking as possible. His understanding of multiculturalism is restricted to multicultural food, multicultural dance and music (but not songs, as this involves languages other than the superior English!) and multicultural faces (silent ones!).
It appears that Sheikh Ruddock’s motive for this fatwa was not more than encouraging all Australians to take advantage of the billions of dollars spent on English classes that the federal government is allocating every year. It seems too that the other motive was to promote equality of access to the Friday preachers by all Australians, even the non-Muslims, if they choose.
I think too that he is trying to spread his historical discoveries that the prophet Mohammed in fact was an English man, but the Arabs denied him this privilege and claimed that he was Arab. Shiekh Ruddock wanted to correct this historical mistake.
I do not think that the motive has anything to do with the lack of “multicultural” ASIO spies who can speak another languages. I also do not think that he has any motive of any further contempt to Muslims and their religion. I strongly do not think that this Fatwa has anything to do with the campaign of “divide and rule” policies that his government was following for the last decade.
The only innocent question I asked after hearing this fatwa was why this Ruddock did not issue a fatwa that the Greek Church must adopt English for their Sunday prayer? Why he did not extend his fatwa to include Armenian Church, Arabic churches, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Jews synagogues …?
Arabs say “and the clever will understand from signs”.
Long live Sheikh’s fatwas! Long live the white racist Howard-Ruddock’s multiculturalism.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
My letter to John Howard regarding his comments about Muslim community
Dear Prime Minister
Though I was not surprised by your cheap comments about Australian Muslims, I was deeply disgusted by them. For the leader of this nation to insist on playing the race card, despite the deep damage already done to the image of Australia globally and the deep division in the society which culminated in the shocking disgraceful Cronulla riots is something that makes every one of us ashamed that you are the PM of our nation.
You are very clearly lacking any vision and humanity in dealing with these issues in such hard times. On the one hand, you are stressing that there is a minority of Muslims who are praising extremism (even with no proof of this), but on the other hand you are generalizing our failure (as a community) to “become easily absorbed by the Australian mainstream”.
Until now, I cannot understand how we can become “mainstream”. Do we need to change the color of our skin? Or do we need to cut out tongues, as we cannot speak English like you? Do we need as a community to start playing cricket, drink beer, change our names to Anglo names and eat ham, to become mainstream?
To the best of my knowledge, the Australian Jews, Hindus and some other evangelists are not eating ham, and cannot speak English fluently as you (although admittedly some Indians may play cricket!). So how did you consider them to be “easily absorbed by mainstream” but failed to consider us?
Please Mr Howard, we need strong leadership in these dark ages you brought us into by your xenophobic ideas. We need you to be good example, and not the “devil’s advocate”.
Remember Mr Howard that all the world is watching us!
Jamal Daoud
Punchbowl, NSW
Though I was not surprised by your cheap comments about Australian Muslims, I was deeply disgusted by them. For the leader of this nation to insist on playing the race card, despite the deep damage already done to the image of Australia globally and the deep division in the society which culminated in the shocking disgraceful Cronulla riots is something that makes every one of us ashamed that you are the PM of our nation.
You are very clearly lacking any vision and humanity in dealing with these issues in such hard times. On the one hand, you are stressing that there is a minority of Muslims who are praising extremism (even with no proof of this), but on the other hand you are generalizing our failure (as a community) to “become easily absorbed by the Australian mainstream”.
Until now, I cannot understand how we can become “mainstream”. Do we need to change the color of our skin? Or do we need to cut out tongues, as we cannot speak English like you? Do we need as a community to start playing cricket, drink beer, change our names to Anglo names and eat ham, to become mainstream?
To the best of my knowledge, the Australian Jews, Hindus and some other evangelists are not eating ham, and cannot speak English fluently as you (although admittedly some Indians may play cricket!). So how did you consider them to be “easily absorbed by mainstream” but failed to consider us?
Please Mr Howard, we need strong leadership in these dark ages you brought us into by your xenophobic ideas. We need you to be good example, and not the “devil’s advocate”.
Remember Mr Howard that all the world is watching us!
Jamal Daoud
Punchbowl, NSW
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Hamas’ victory: the reasons and the implications!
What was described by an Israeli Government spokesperson as the political “earthquake” of the landslide win of Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary election was in fact widely expected by political experts. They are now expected to win around 60% of the votes, which means an absolute majority.
The reasons:
A 13 year failed peace process, which already entailed big and historic compromises from the Palestinian side, did not change anything of the daily misery of Palestinians under occupation.
After 13 years of this peace process, all territories remain under occupation. The only free one is the Gaza strip, which was freed unilaterally outside Oslo and the Road Map.
During the last 13 years of the process, consecutive Israeli governments were making excuses to not implement the agreed matters. Each agreement apparently needed subsequent agreement to start implementing it, which then needed a new agreement to approve it, until the government would collapse and the new government would say that it was not obliged to implement these dozen of agreements, as it did not sign them.
The Palestinian people were going in circles waiting to start the peace. The Palestinian people agreed, according to Oslo, to recognise the right of Israel to exist, which was a historic compromise from the indigenous people. They also agreed to stop violence against Israel, and if there was violence, the Palestinian security agencies would deal with them according to law.
The Palestinians waited for the release of Prisoners of war, which started to happen during Rabin’s time, but stopped immediately after his assassination, then more prisoners of war were detained or extra-judicially killed.
The freedom of movement is nil, the security is absent, unemployment has skyrocketed and daily humiliation became routine.
On the other side, Israel and US were happy to deal only with Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, even after the many counts of corruption. They saw that it was easy to get signatures, guarantee full cooperation (to the extent of collaboration) and get dirty things done from corrupted people than from transparent ones. I can mention here the incident of Qurei’s companies scandals, where these companies sold donated cement (from Egypt to Palestinians) to Israeli contractors to build the Apartheid wall.
Israel, US and the European Union knew about all this corruption, but turned deaf ears, for the same reasons as mentioned above. But the implications were clear: the Palestinians lost their faith in the PA and its army of bureaucrats and security agencies.
What helped Hamas here is the welfare work they’ve done to close the gap. Hamas built wide-spread networks of hospitals, schools and welfare payment to orphans, invalids and unemployed at the time when PA agencies were fighting for their own interests and welfare.
Also Hamas was declaring that it would not accept any compromises on the rights of the Palestinians as the indigenous people of the land, in accordance with the UN resolutions and international conventions. Hamas did not rule out that they could recognize Israel’s existence, but according to these principles. UN resolutions would, for example, guarantee the rights of return, compensation, and an independent state and sovereignty.
The narrative of Hamas was very attractive to the Palestinians and was based on the fact that there should be many lessons from the failed peace process. The clearest lesson should be that if you made bigger compromises, you will end up getting nothing, while if you insist to get your rights, even your enemy would respect you and take you more seriously.
Successive Israeli governments were not taking PA as a serious partner or even a serious service-deliverer. They looked at PA as their deputy sheriff to oppress the Palestinians.
Successive Israeli governments, according to this understanding, did not help PA to win the hearts and minds of the Palestinians. They did not give them any “bones” to play with. Instead of freeing prisoners, coordinating withdrawals with PA, stopping assassinations of Palestinians (even only during the election campaign) and easing movement restrictions – they intensified the oppression. In addition to the reason above, Israeli governments (especially the latest) wanted to wash their hands of any obligation towards the peace process by claiming that they will not negotiate with Hamas.
The implications :
Well, there are great implications of the landslide win of Hamas. These could be looked from 3 perspectives:
1. Hamas and Palestinian perspective
2. Israeli perspective
3. International perspective
1-Hamas and Palestinian perspective:
There is no doubt that the Hamas victory was the “enough is enough” message. The Palestinian Fateh movement must look at its structure, policies and tactics. If they want to stay active and effective in the Palestinian streets and life, they should show some leadership. They should show some discipline, stop lawlessness, reduce the corruption and denounce decisions made before in which they gave a lot of compromises, without anything in return.
So the expectations are that the Palestinian society will be more toughened against the corruption (this already happened where many of the corrupt and Israeli collaborators (like Jebril AlRjoub) had lost their seats). They will also be more demanding of historical rights and more unified and proud of its leadership. Although the Palestinian Muslims are moderate on the whole, but their vote yesterday was a vote for political transparency and principled demanding of their historical and human basic rights)
But this victory will put Hamas under pressure, too. It will be required to make tough decisions about the basis of any peace process, about negotiating with Israel and possible signing of a peace accord!
Hamas at the moment is giving very little detail about this.
2- Israeli perspective
Israel too will have a more tough opponent now. The Israeli politicians should start to think about how they will deal with the new facts on the ground: Hamas is the ruling party!
It is very clear that the Palestinian people had made up their minds. The message is: we want some of our rights, no more mucking around. The other choice is total anarchy. The Palestinians announced yesterday that they have nothing more to lose, and it is now time they should get something in return.
The ball now is in the Israeli court. Any refusal to negotiate with Hamas and start making real compromises would mean more bloodshed and on large scale.
3- International perspective:
The initial response from the leaders of the Western countries could be described as unreal, at least. Hamas was chosen by democratic means to represent the Palestinian people. Any denial of such facts would be undemocratic.
Furthermore, the demand of Hamas to lay down its arms before any negotiation is unrealistic and hypocritical too. The US negotiated with the VeitCong, while the war was raging. The same happened with the French in Algiers, English in Egypt…
The whole idea of negotiation is to settle down violence. If the violence could be settled down without negotiation, why should we have it anyway!
After all, was Israel not negotiating with the PA (dominated by Fateh), while the AlAqsa martyrs brigades were full of arms?
There is occupation, and a very brutal one, and the international community should ask the perpetrators to stop its aggression, and not ask the victims to stop complaining. The international community (including US and Australia) should start to ask Israelis to recognize UN resolutions, international laws and conventions and honor their commitments according to treaties they signed.
The Palestinians sent a clear message to the international community yesterday: we are sick of your hypocrisy.
Palestinians are really sick of the whole world ignoring their daily suffering, and the treatment of such suffering only as yet another news item.
The reasons:
A 13 year failed peace process, which already entailed big and historic compromises from the Palestinian side, did not change anything of the daily misery of Palestinians under occupation.
After 13 years of this peace process, all territories remain under occupation. The only free one is the Gaza strip, which was freed unilaterally outside Oslo and the Road Map.
During the last 13 years of the process, consecutive Israeli governments were making excuses to not implement the agreed matters. Each agreement apparently needed subsequent agreement to start implementing it, which then needed a new agreement to approve it, until the government would collapse and the new government would say that it was not obliged to implement these dozen of agreements, as it did not sign them.
The Palestinian people were going in circles waiting to start the peace. The Palestinian people agreed, according to Oslo, to recognise the right of Israel to exist, which was a historic compromise from the indigenous people. They also agreed to stop violence against Israel, and if there was violence, the Palestinian security agencies would deal with them according to law.
The Palestinians waited for the release of Prisoners of war, which started to happen during Rabin’s time, but stopped immediately after his assassination, then more prisoners of war were detained or extra-judicially killed.
The freedom of movement is nil, the security is absent, unemployment has skyrocketed and daily humiliation became routine.
On the other side, Israel and US were happy to deal only with Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, even after the many counts of corruption. They saw that it was easy to get signatures, guarantee full cooperation (to the extent of collaboration) and get dirty things done from corrupted people than from transparent ones. I can mention here the incident of Qurei’s companies scandals, where these companies sold donated cement (from Egypt to Palestinians) to Israeli contractors to build the Apartheid wall.
Israel, US and the European Union knew about all this corruption, but turned deaf ears, for the same reasons as mentioned above. But the implications were clear: the Palestinians lost their faith in the PA and its army of bureaucrats and security agencies.
What helped Hamas here is the welfare work they’ve done to close the gap. Hamas built wide-spread networks of hospitals, schools and welfare payment to orphans, invalids and unemployed at the time when PA agencies were fighting for their own interests and welfare.
Also Hamas was declaring that it would not accept any compromises on the rights of the Palestinians as the indigenous people of the land, in accordance with the UN resolutions and international conventions. Hamas did not rule out that they could recognize Israel’s existence, but according to these principles. UN resolutions would, for example, guarantee the rights of return, compensation, and an independent state and sovereignty.
The narrative of Hamas was very attractive to the Palestinians and was based on the fact that there should be many lessons from the failed peace process. The clearest lesson should be that if you made bigger compromises, you will end up getting nothing, while if you insist to get your rights, even your enemy would respect you and take you more seriously.
Successive Israeli governments were not taking PA as a serious partner or even a serious service-deliverer. They looked at PA as their deputy sheriff to oppress the Palestinians.
Successive Israeli governments, according to this understanding, did not help PA to win the hearts and minds of the Palestinians. They did not give them any “bones” to play with. Instead of freeing prisoners, coordinating withdrawals with PA, stopping assassinations of Palestinians (even only during the election campaign) and easing movement restrictions – they intensified the oppression. In addition to the reason above, Israeli governments (especially the latest) wanted to wash their hands of any obligation towards the peace process by claiming that they will not negotiate with Hamas.
The implications :
Well, there are great implications of the landslide win of Hamas. These could be looked from 3 perspectives:
1. Hamas and Palestinian perspective
2. Israeli perspective
3. International perspective
1-Hamas and Palestinian perspective:
There is no doubt that the Hamas victory was the “enough is enough” message. The Palestinian Fateh movement must look at its structure, policies and tactics. If they want to stay active and effective in the Palestinian streets and life, they should show some leadership. They should show some discipline, stop lawlessness, reduce the corruption and denounce decisions made before in which they gave a lot of compromises, without anything in return.
So the expectations are that the Palestinian society will be more toughened against the corruption (this already happened where many of the corrupt and Israeli collaborators (like Jebril AlRjoub) had lost their seats). They will also be more demanding of historical rights and more unified and proud of its leadership. Although the Palestinian Muslims are moderate on the whole, but their vote yesterday was a vote for political transparency and principled demanding of their historical and human basic rights)
But this victory will put Hamas under pressure, too. It will be required to make tough decisions about the basis of any peace process, about negotiating with Israel and possible signing of a peace accord!
Hamas at the moment is giving very little detail about this.
2- Israeli perspective
Israel too will have a more tough opponent now. The Israeli politicians should start to think about how they will deal with the new facts on the ground: Hamas is the ruling party!
It is very clear that the Palestinian people had made up their minds. The message is: we want some of our rights, no more mucking around. The other choice is total anarchy. The Palestinians announced yesterday that they have nothing more to lose, and it is now time they should get something in return.
The ball now is in the Israeli court. Any refusal to negotiate with Hamas and start making real compromises would mean more bloodshed and on large scale.
3- International perspective:
The initial response from the leaders of the Western countries could be described as unreal, at least. Hamas was chosen by democratic means to represent the Palestinian people. Any denial of such facts would be undemocratic.
Furthermore, the demand of Hamas to lay down its arms before any negotiation is unrealistic and hypocritical too. The US negotiated with the VeitCong, while the war was raging. The same happened with the French in Algiers, English in Egypt…
The whole idea of negotiation is to settle down violence. If the violence could be settled down without negotiation, why should we have it anyway!
After all, was Israel not negotiating with the PA (dominated by Fateh), while the AlAqsa martyrs brigades were full of arms?
There is occupation, and a very brutal one, and the international community should ask the perpetrators to stop its aggression, and not ask the victims to stop complaining. The international community (including US and Australia) should start to ask Israelis to recognize UN resolutions, international laws and conventions and honor their commitments according to treaties they signed.
The Palestinians sent a clear message to the international community yesterday: we are sick of your hypocrisy.
Palestinians are really sick of the whole world ignoring their daily suffering, and the treatment of such suffering only as yet another news item.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Sharon’s death: is this divine justice?!
It is natural to send sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of anyone suffering severe illness or death. And thus it should be with the deterioration of Ariel Sharon’s medical situation and his possible death today.
Nevertheless this should not prevent us from recognizing that his particular death will not be mourned by millions of people who were affected by his monstrous war crimes.
The victims of Qybya, the small Palestinian village near Ramallah, who in 1953 lost 45 houses and 69 civilians, most of them women and children, are probably feeling better today.
The families of 270 Egyptian prisoners of war who were butchered in Sinai in 1956 in cold blood under his command may also feel some comfort. They were demanding justice for such horrendous crimes from the UN, ICJ and international law but it seems that divine justice is the only one they will get.
The kids who were uprooted from their houses, which were there family homes for centuries, and were enforced to live without fathers as refugees in neighbouring countries would also be feeling some sense of justice today.
The sons, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers and relatives of the 30,000 (mostly civilians) killed during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 (when Sharon was Defence Minister) are still having tragic nightmares because of such crimes. Can anyone blame them if they might celebrate the death of this war criminal?
Can the UN and the international community explain to the relatives of more than 2,700 Palestinian civilians butchered in Sabra and Shatila camps in September 1982, how this war criminal escaped indictment and persecution?
What do you think is the feeling of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who lost their historical lands for new settlements under his minsterialship?
All the Palestinians and peace-loving people are asking why the UN Security Council did not move to impose sanctions on Israel after it refused, under his leadership, to implement the Security Council’s resolution to investigate the Jenin massacres on 2002!
This name nicknamed “bulldozer” was really a bulldozer: a bulldozer of blood, international law violations, massacres and genocides.
This bulldozer is also responsible not only for Palestinian blood, but for Arab blood and Jewish blood alike. His neo-nazi ideas of imposing his own agenda by “iron and fire”, his refusal to negotiate with the Palestinians and neighbouring Arabic countries and his insistence on continuing to uproot Palestinians and assassinate their leaders and activists, cost “Israelis” more than a thousand deaths.
So at the end, the kids who have grown up in exile, with no security, with minimum rights, with nightmares of blood of their relatives spilt in battlefields, villages and camps, will understand that at least there is divine intervention to bring some justice.
But is this justice enough? Should not this “bulldozer” spend his last days behind bars in The Hague? Is this divine justice proving more and more that there is no human justice? Does this give the Palestinians and other oppressed people any hope in the future, if they will be required to wait for divine intervention to get rid of every monster war criminal?
Over recent years the world has watched as the last of the Nazi war criminals have been brought to justice, and as dictators like Pinochet are finally being called to account. So it should be with those who have been responsible for horrendous state-sponsored violence which has been investigated and repeatedly condemned by the United Nations.
All peoples wish to live peacefully under a rule of law. However for any role of law to be respected it must be just and seen to be just by those it governs.
As we move to mark what might soon be the passing of a confirmed perpetrator of international war crimes and crimes against humanity, let us not rush to eulogise him, but stop to remember those who suffered at his hands.
Nevertheless this should not prevent us from recognizing that his particular death will not be mourned by millions of people who were affected by his monstrous war crimes.
The victims of Qybya, the small Palestinian village near Ramallah, who in 1953 lost 45 houses and 69 civilians, most of them women and children, are probably feeling better today.
The families of 270 Egyptian prisoners of war who were butchered in Sinai in 1956 in cold blood under his command may also feel some comfort. They were demanding justice for such horrendous crimes from the UN, ICJ and international law but it seems that divine justice is the only one they will get.
The kids who were uprooted from their houses, which were there family homes for centuries, and were enforced to live without fathers as refugees in neighbouring countries would also be feeling some sense of justice today.
The sons, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers and relatives of the 30,000 (mostly civilians) killed during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 (when Sharon was Defence Minister) are still having tragic nightmares because of such crimes. Can anyone blame them if they might celebrate the death of this war criminal?
Can the UN and the international community explain to the relatives of more than 2,700 Palestinian civilians butchered in Sabra and Shatila camps in September 1982, how this war criminal escaped indictment and persecution?
What do you think is the feeling of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who lost their historical lands for new settlements under his minsterialship?
All the Palestinians and peace-loving people are asking why the UN Security Council did not move to impose sanctions on Israel after it refused, under his leadership, to implement the Security Council’s resolution to investigate the Jenin massacres on 2002!
This name nicknamed “bulldozer” was really a bulldozer: a bulldozer of blood, international law violations, massacres and genocides.
This bulldozer is also responsible not only for Palestinian blood, but for Arab blood and Jewish blood alike. His neo-nazi ideas of imposing his own agenda by “iron and fire”, his refusal to negotiate with the Palestinians and neighbouring Arabic countries and his insistence on continuing to uproot Palestinians and assassinate their leaders and activists, cost “Israelis” more than a thousand deaths.
So at the end, the kids who have grown up in exile, with no security, with minimum rights, with nightmares of blood of their relatives spilt in battlefields, villages and camps, will understand that at least there is divine intervention to bring some justice.
But is this justice enough? Should not this “bulldozer” spend his last days behind bars in The Hague? Is this divine justice proving more and more that there is no human justice? Does this give the Palestinians and other oppressed people any hope in the future, if they will be required to wait for divine intervention to get rid of every monster war criminal?
Over recent years the world has watched as the last of the Nazi war criminals have been brought to justice, and as dictators like Pinochet are finally being called to account. So it should be with those who have been responsible for horrendous state-sponsored violence which has been investigated and repeatedly condemned by the United Nations.
All peoples wish to live peacefully under a rule of law. However for any role of law to be respected it must be just and seen to be just by those it governs.
As we move to mark what might soon be the passing of a confirmed perpetrator of international war crimes and crimes against humanity, let us not rush to eulogise him, but stop to remember those who suffered at his hands.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Who is responsible for Cornulla’s day of Shame?
Many “Australians” expressed their shock at what they saw on Cornulla beach on last Sunday. Did I feel the same?
Not really. I was expecting such civil unrest for quite a long time. I did write several articles and thoughts warning of such things.
Why did I expect these actions?
Let me examine the issue closely.
Do you remember Ruddock in early 2000?
I do.
“Illegal immigrants”, “Que jumpers” and “terrorists in detention centers”. Then he distributed photos of Iraqi women in headscarves jumping from boats. Then immediately distributed photos of Afghani men praying on the ground of detention centers or immediately after jumping from the boats. Then do you remember kids overboard lies?
So, is Ruddock the only one to be blamed?
“Lebanese Muslim gangs in 2001” and then the “gang rape” cases where kids where sentenced to 55 years in jail and all the publicity which mass criminalized the whole Muslims in Australia and the world!
Bob Carr was inspired by the Howard success in 2001 election on the back of Anti-Muslim sentiments (not Racist as Islam is a religion and not race). He immediately jumped to play the same card to attract the conservative voters. He did succeed.
And then the Anti-Terror laws in 2002 and 2003, which were preceded by arrests of the Muslim Rambo (Zac Mallah), who was alleged to intend to destroy the ASIO building and many shopping centers (who was cleared later on from any terrorist-linked charges).
This is when the Cornulla sham started. In the mind of every Australian, the Muslims were not more than criminals full of hate of “our way of liberal life” and hating “our wonderful democracy”.
But they did not tell us which democracy!
The democracy which started by ethnic cleansing of Aboriginal people and which was followed by targeting every newly arrived NES community, starting from the Chinese and ending with Muslims.
The Cornulla sham was peaked when Howard’s government arrested licenced cleaners and painters because they “stockpiled” their work gear of washing powders and acetone. This move was accompanied by a media circus to make the message of hate spread as far as possible.
This government was busy following stockpiling the “weapons of mass destruction” (washing powders), while ignoring the white supremacist’s stockpiling of real weapons of mass destruction in the Australian outback of Queensland.
The result was very clear to every clever person. We were warning that the agenda of such Neo-Nazi government would destroy the fine fabric of the Australian society by spreading the hatred and extremism.
Do we remember the election leaflets of “Australia first” party, which was asking to close all places of evil including “whorehouses and mosques”. Then the repeat attacks on Muslims by politicians like Pauline Hanson, Fred Nile, David Oldfield and recently Bronwyn Bishop.
So most of the elections during the last few years were fought on Anti-Muslim sentiments, not more not less. The politicians wanted to hide their failures to deliver their electoral promises by appearing tough on Muslims.
So the widespread discrimination against Muslims was obvious after all these efforts, which was started by this Neo-Nazi government. Now the discrimination against Muslims is implemented / widespread in all aspects of life in Australia. Workplaces (where we see many unfair dismissals of Muslims), streets and neighborhoods (where Muslims were attacked and spat in their faces) and actually every life aspect started to be a daily worry for Muslims (or someone who looks like Muslims).
Then came the shameful dealing with this crisis by politicians of both major parties.
Do we need to remember that France wide-spread civil unrest happened actually after the Interior Affairs minister’s inflammatory comments about the issue?
The same happened here. All politicians from major parties considered what happened as war on “our democracy” and should be quelled by any means (including turning the state into police state with super-extra power to security agencies (they already have extra power after the passing of latest Anti-Terror legislation)). They did not talk about social injustices, discrimination and targeting Muslims as the real root of the crisis.
Do we need to go through what France went through to realize that the issue is bigger than “thugs war” on our “democracy”?!!
Not really. I was expecting such civil unrest for quite a long time. I did write several articles and thoughts warning of such things.
Why did I expect these actions?
Let me examine the issue closely.
Do you remember Ruddock in early 2000?
I do.
“Illegal immigrants”, “Que jumpers” and “terrorists in detention centers”. Then he distributed photos of Iraqi women in headscarves jumping from boats. Then immediately distributed photos of Afghani men praying on the ground of detention centers or immediately after jumping from the boats. Then do you remember kids overboard lies?
So, is Ruddock the only one to be blamed?
“Lebanese Muslim gangs in 2001” and then the “gang rape” cases where kids where sentenced to 55 years in jail and all the publicity which mass criminalized the whole Muslims in Australia and the world!
Bob Carr was inspired by the Howard success in 2001 election on the back of Anti-Muslim sentiments (not Racist as Islam is a religion and not race). He immediately jumped to play the same card to attract the conservative voters. He did succeed.
And then the Anti-Terror laws in 2002 and 2003, which were preceded by arrests of the Muslim Rambo (Zac Mallah), who was alleged to intend to destroy the ASIO building and many shopping centers (who was cleared later on from any terrorist-linked charges).
This is when the Cornulla sham started. In the mind of every Australian, the Muslims were not more than criminals full of hate of “our way of liberal life” and hating “our wonderful democracy”.
But they did not tell us which democracy!
The democracy which started by ethnic cleansing of Aboriginal people and which was followed by targeting every newly arrived NES community, starting from the Chinese and ending with Muslims.
The Cornulla sham was peaked when Howard’s government arrested licenced cleaners and painters because they “stockpiled” their work gear of washing powders and acetone. This move was accompanied by a media circus to make the message of hate spread as far as possible.
This government was busy following stockpiling the “weapons of mass destruction” (washing powders), while ignoring the white supremacist’s stockpiling of real weapons of mass destruction in the Australian outback of Queensland.
The result was very clear to every clever person. We were warning that the agenda of such Neo-Nazi government would destroy the fine fabric of the Australian society by spreading the hatred and extremism.
Do we remember the election leaflets of “Australia first” party, which was asking to close all places of evil including “whorehouses and mosques”. Then the repeat attacks on Muslims by politicians like Pauline Hanson, Fred Nile, David Oldfield and recently Bronwyn Bishop.
So most of the elections during the last few years were fought on Anti-Muslim sentiments, not more not less. The politicians wanted to hide their failures to deliver their electoral promises by appearing tough on Muslims.
So the widespread discrimination against Muslims was obvious after all these efforts, which was started by this Neo-Nazi government. Now the discrimination against Muslims is implemented / widespread in all aspects of life in Australia. Workplaces (where we see many unfair dismissals of Muslims), streets and neighborhoods (where Muslims were attacked and spat in their faces) and actually every life aspect started to be a daily worry for Muslims (or someone who looks like Muslims).
Then came the shameful dealing with this crisis by politicians of both major parties.
Do we need to remember that France wide-spread civil unrest happened actually after the Interior Affairs minister’s inflammatory comments about the issue?
The same happened here. All politicians from major parties considered what happened as war on “our democracy” and should be quelled by any means (including turning the state into police state with super-extra power to security agencies (they already have extra power after the passing of latest Anti-Terror legislation)). They did not talk about social injustices, discrimination and targeting Muslims as the real root of the crisis.
Do we need to go through what France went through to realize that the issue is bigger than “thugs war” on our “democracy”?!!
Friday, December 02, 2005
How to get Howard’s attention to Van’s case?
Do you want to involve John Howard in saving Van Nguyen’s life?
Following is 10 simple steps to achieve this:
1- Change his name from Van Nguyen to James Fraser
2- Declare that this women (his mother) is not the biological mother, and try to find him very white mother.
3- Try to find him white green-eyed sisters and brothers and very white schoolmates.
4- Replace all his photos by new photos with thick black glasses (so that we cannot see the features of his face, especially his eyes)
5- Declare that all photos circulated are not his own, and start circulating new photos, as above.
6- Circulate new media releases where Van is making racist comments about Asians and Muslims.
7- Circulate evidences from electoral commission that Van was voting for Liberal party since he turned 18.
8- Circulate media release of how Van was tough and racist with the Singaporean judges, members of security agencies and public.
9- Refer to Van as monarchist anti-republican who supports the government stance on refugees, border protection, industrial reforms and against Kyoto protocol.
10-Refer to Van as pro Iraq war and that he would be happy to go and fight the “bastards” there.
If the camp to save Van can do all these, I am pretty sure that Howard will not hesitate to send him personal letter that he will do his best to save his life. I am also sure that he (Howard) will ask CHOGM to discuss expelling Singapore from the commonwealth for human rights abuses. His parrots in foreign affairs department will be enthusiastic at that time to press charges against Singapore in the International Court of Justice for the treatment of drug traffickers.
And I am sure that Chris Ellison would sign for application for Van’s extradition to Australia.
Following is 10 simple steps to achieve this:
1- Change his name from Van Nguyen to James Fraser
2- Declare that this women (his mother) is not the biological mother, and try to find him very white mother.
3- Try to find him white green-eyed sisters and brothers and very white schoolmates.
4- Replace all his photos by new photos with thick black glasses (so that we cannot see the features of his face, especially his eyes)
5- Declare that all photos circulated are not his own, and start circulating new photos, as above.
6- Circulate new media releases where Van is making racist comments about Asians and Muslims.
7- Circulate evidences from electoral commission that Van was voting for Liberal party since he turned 18.
8- Circulate media release of how Van was tough and racist with the Singaporean judges, members of security agencies and public.
9- Refer to Van as monarchist anti-republican who supports the government stance on refugees, border protection, industrial reforms and against Kyoto protocol.
10-Refer to Van as pro Iraq war and that he would be happy to go and fight the “bastards” there.
If the camp to save Van can do all these, I am pretty sure that Howard will not hesitate to send him personal letter that he will do his best to save his life. I am also sure that he (Howard) will ask CHOGM to discuss expelling Singapore from the commonwealth for human rights abuses. His parrots in foreign affairs department will be enthusiastic at that time to press charges against Singapore in the International Court of Justice for the treatment of drug traffickers.
And I am sure that Chris Ellison would sign for application for Van’s extradition to Australia.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Al Zarqawi and the Security Council
The information leaked from Geneva is that Kofi Annan is negotiating with Abu Musaab AlZarqawi to offer him permanent seat at the Security Council in return of stopping his war on the world.
The view of Mr. Annan is that if such man can strike in Fallujah, Mosil, Anbar, Najaf, Karballa and Basra simultaneously killing daily more than 100 people and injuring another score of hundreds, then he should be recognized as "super power".
If we add to all this that this man could strike not only in the war-torn country of Iraq, but also in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and other countries in addition to his well-established connections in Afghanistan, England, Spain, USA, Indonesia, Malysia and the Australian suburb of Auburn, we can understand why Mr Annan is anxious to negotiate with this "emerging super power".
If the American administration wants to convince us (and apparently MrAnnan has been convinced) that this man is responsible for suchsophisticated attacks on this large scale (including many countries in many continents), it should be convinced by the logic of Mr. Annan to grant him a permanent seat.
At the end of the day, granting him a permanent seat will convince him to reduce the level of violence and start acting as a "responsible superpower" (like his US counterpart!) with the right of veto if he does not like others' actions or logic.
I can see another benefit of such a move of even using his "military forces" for peace-keeping missions around the world in war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine...With such highly trained forces, we should fix most of the hot-spots around the world in record time.
If a dead man could do all this, he is definitely deserving more than a permanent seat at the paralysed council (UN security council). Imagine what he could do if he is alive!
Please have mercy on our intelligence!
When will the axes of evil (Bush-Blair-Howard) recognize that it is not this man (who, by all evidences of respectable sources, died at least 5 years ago) who is responsible for the resistance in Iraq? When will they recognize that those responsible for this heroic resistance is all freedom-loving forces who know that the victory of these axes of evil in Iraq would mean spreading the ashes of war into other countries and regions?
Please note that I am writing this article before the new anti-terror laws will pass the senate, so that I may escape charges of sedition!!
Long live the Howard democracy
The view of Mr. Annan is that if such man can strike in Fallujah, Mosil, Anbar, Najaf, Karballa and Basra simultaneously killing daily more than 100 people and injuring another score of hundreds, then he should be recognized as "super power".
If we add to all this that this man could strike not only in the war-torn country of Iraq, but also in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and other countries in addition to his well-established connections in Afghanistan, England, Spain, USA, Indonesia, Malysia and the Australian suburb of Auburn, we can understand why Mr Annan is anxious to negotiate with this "emerging super power".
If the American administration wants to convince us (and apparently MrAnnan has been convinced) that this man is responsible for suchsophisticated attacks on this large scale (including many countries in many continents), it should be convinced by the logic of Mr. Annan to grant him a permanent seat.
At the end of the day, granting him a permanent seat will convince him to reduce the level of violence and start acting as a "responsible superpower" (like his US counterpart!) with the right of veto if he does not like others' actions or logic.
I can see another benefit of such a move of even using his "military forces" for peace-keeping missions around the world in war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine...With such highly trained forces, we should fix most of the hot-spots around the world in record time.
If a dead man could do all this, he is definitely deserving more than a permanent seat at the paralysed council (UN security council). Imagine what he could do if he is alive!
Please have mercy on our intelligence!
When will the axes of evil (Bush-Blair-Howard) recognize that it is not this man (who, by all evidences of respectable sources, died at least 5 years ago) who is responsible for the resistance in Iraq? When will they recognize that those responsible for this heroic resistance is all freedom-loving forces who know that the victory of these axes of evil in Iraq would mean spreading the ashes of war into other countries and regions?
Please note that I am writing this article before the new anti-terror laws will pass the senate, so that I may escape charges of sedition!!
Long live the Howard democracy
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
My racist Parrot
My beloved cockatoo bird took advantage of my busy day and opened the cage door and ran-away.
I definitely did not expect him to escape; otherwise I would not put him on the balcony and turn my back on him.
I thought that my good treatment of him, giving him a big cage, a lot of food and talking to him constantly would make him more friendly and recognize my love and respect.
So what went wrong?
I start now to remember how he was getting angry anytime I spoke with him in Arabic. He would get upset, shout and try to bite. Then he would turn his back on me and start to shout out what sounded like “piss-off!”
I started to remember also how he was getting angry when my friends tried to speak with him in Arabic.
This was not his attitude when my Anglo friends tried to approach him and talk to him in English. He would be very happy, singing, talking and jumping around. He even tried to talk to them.
I also noticed how he was unhappy when I was giving him home-made Arabic food I cooked. He would throw this all over the place.
Then it would take me hours to clean his mess. This is not the same when I was giving him muffins or Aussie pies. He would catch them in his hand and eat them in slowly and in a very respectful manner.
Then I remember now how he was reacted when I was forced him to listen to Arabic songs. He would lose his mind, shake his head violently, try to close his ears with his toes and start shouting very loud to tell me to stop “the rubbish”.
My friend Ian asked me when he visited me: which language do you talk to him in (apparently noticing that he was happy when we were talking in English at that time). I said Arabic. He shook his head. I tried to prove to him that, and started to talk to the bird. His reaction was very violent.
Ian said (trying to avoid my embarrassment): it seems that he is confused about his identity!
Well, now after he escaped from my place, he still flying near my window and shouting very loud (only after midnight!). He will continue to shout until early hours of dawn. He is, seemingly, trying to take revenge for forcing him in my place and exposing him to our culture.
I start to think that my bird is Liberal. But not only liberals are racists in the society!
So, did racism reach even the animals?
I wonder if my bird knew that I am Muslim!! I wonder too, if this was one of the reasons why he escaped!!
May be he was very lucky to escape before the arrival of new Anti-Terror Laws and before the arrivals of ASIO and Federal police men in their helicopters.
I must say that since last week, I cannot hear him from my window!!!
Did ASIO take him for interrogation, especially as he lived in my place for some time and he could recall some “suspicious” conversations!!
I would be lucky if, because of his racism, he cannot recall any of our conversation.
What chance do we have in this country if even the animals became racists!!
I definitely did not expect him to escape; otherwise I would not put him on the balcony and turn my back on him.
I thought that my good treatment of him, giving him a big cage, a lot of food and talking to him constantly would make him more friendly and recognize my love and respect.
So what went wrong?
I start now to remember how he was getting angry anytime I spoke with him in Arabic. He would get upset, shout and try to bite. Then he would turn his back on me and start to shout out what sounded like “piss-off!”
I started to remember also how he was getting angry when my friends tried to speak with him in Arabic.
This was not his attitude when my Anglo friends tried to approach him and talk to him in English. He would be very happy, singing, talking and jumping around. He even tried to talk to them.
I also noticed how he was unhappy when I was giving him home-made Arabic food I cooked. He would throw this all over the place.
Then it would take me hours to clean his mess. This is not the same when I was giving him muffins or Aussie pies. He would catch them in his hand and eat them in slowly and in a very respectful manner.
Then I remember now how he was reacted when I was forced him to listen to Arabic songs. He would lose his mind, shake his head violently, try to close his ears with his toes and start shouting very loud to tell me to stop “the rubbish”.
My friend Ian asked me when he visited me: which language do you talk to him in (apparently noticing that he was happy when we were talking in English at that time). I said Arabic. He shook his head. I tried to prove to him that, and started to talk to the bird. His reaction was very violent.
Ian said (trying to avoid my embarrassment): it seems that he is confused about his identity!
Well, now after he escaped from my place, he still flying near my window and shouting very loud (only after midnight!). He will continue to shout until early hours of dawn. He is, seemingly, trying to take revenge for forcing him in my place and exposing him to our culture.
I start to think that my bird is Liberal. But not only liberals are racists in the society!
So, did racism reach even the animals?
I wonder if my bird knew that I am Muslim!! I wonder too, if this was one of the reasons why he escaped!!
May be he was very lucky to escape before the arrival of new Anti-Terror Laws and before the arrivals of ASIO and Federal police men in their helicopters.
I must say that since last week, I cannot hear him from my window!!!
Did ASIO take him for interrogation, especially as he lived in my place for some time and he could recall some “suspicious” conversations!!
I would be lucky if, because of his racism, he cannot recall any of our conversation.
What chance do we have in this country if even the animals became racists!!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Where to escape?
I was thinking that if things got worse in Australia, racism grew further, martial laws were imposed, violence against us escalated and life became daily suffering, I thought always that I still had safe country to go to.
Jordan was my country of living from the time I was 5 until I migrated to Australia. Jordan was neither democratic nor easy to live in, but was at least safe.
Except for the major massacres against Palestinian refugees in September 1970, Jordan was pretty calm and safe. Even during the cold war era, where almost all neighbouring countries suffered major unrest, military coups and revolutions, acts of violence and civil wars, Jordan was the most stable state there.
It was not until the Bush declaration of "war on terrorism" (which terrorism?) that anyone could imagine that such acts on this large scale could happen in Jordan.
The Jordanian government was highly cooperative with Bush's crusade"war on the world" for the last few years. But this war was notaccompanied by a war on poverty, unemployment and growing corruption.
So we saw the skyrocketing increase of poor people, unemployed and thedecrease of spending on social services. We also saw growing foreigndebts, and privitasation of almost all government-owned properties.
This was accompanied by a crack down on democracy, human rights andfree-speech (which was limited anyway before).
This was accompanied by the Jordanian government's complete silence on Israeli crimes against the Palestinians (we should remember that 60% of Jordanians are from Palestinian background). On the contrary, the Jordan government restored its normal diplomatic relations with Israel, indefiance of the Jordanians overwhelming majority's feeling of disgustfrom Israel's crimes.
This was accompanied by intensifying the policiesof Jordanisation of Jordan by getting rid of all Palestinian high-profile public officials and employees. This policy resulted in dividing Jordanian citizenship into 2: first class Jordanians and second class Palestinian Jordanians (as they call us).
But for the last few years, I saw racism grow strongly in Australia. And now I am sure too those Anti-Terrorism laws amendments will pass, which will result in more restriction to free speech and enforcement of martial laws. I am sure also that violence will increase against us.
But what to do?
The only other country I can live in was bombed today. Latest reports are of perhaps 60 people killed, 200 injured and civil unrest is growing there.
I am left with no other alternative but to resist. John Howard and his parrots (before he had one parrot namely Ruddock, but now has many including Iemma, Bracks, Keelty, Maroony...) know that they left us (since their alleged "war on terrorism" which included invading Iraq) with no alternative but to resist.
This time we are facing one question: to be or not to be.
Jordan was my country of living from the time I was 5 until I migrated to Australia. Jordan was neither democratic nor easy to live in, but was at least safe.
Except for the major massacres against Palestinian refugees in September 1970, Jordan was pretty calm and safe. Even during the cold war era, where almost all neighbouring countries suffered major unrest, military coups and revolutions, acts of violence and civil wars, Jordan was the most stable state there.
It was not until the Bush declaration of "war on terrorism" (which terrorism?) that anyone could imagine that such acts on this large scale could happen in Jordan.
The Jordanian government was highly cooperative with Bush's crusade"war on the world" for the last few years. But this war was notaccompanied by a war on poverty, unemployment and growing corruption.
So we saw the skyrocketing increase of poor people, unemployed and thedecrease of spending on social services. We also saw growing foreigndebts, and privitasation of almost all government-owned properties.
This was accompanied by a crack down on democracy, human rights andfree-speech (which was limited anyway before).
This was accompanied by the Jordanian government's complete silence on Israeli crimes against the Palestinians (we should remember that 60% of Jordanians are from Palestinian background). On the contrary, the Jordan government restored its normal diplomatic relations with Israel, indefiance of the Jordanians overwhelming majority's feeling of disgustfrom Israel's crimes.
This was accompanied by intensifying the policiesof Jordanisation of Jordan by getting rid of all Palestinian high-profile public officials and employees. This policy resulted in dividing Jordanian citizenship into 2: first class Jordanians and second class Palestinian Jordanians (as they call us).
But for the last few years, I saw racism grow strongly in Australia. And now I am sure too those Anti-Terrorism laws amendments will pass, which will result in more restriction to free speech and enforcement of martial laws. I am sure also that violence will increase against us.
But what to do?
The only other country I can live in was bombed today. Latest reports are of perhaps 60 people killed, 200 injured and civil unrest is growing there.
I am left with no other alternative but to resist. John Howard and his parrots (before he had one parrot namely Ruddock, but now has many including Iemma, Bracks, Keelty, Maroony...) know that they left us (since their alleged "war on terrorism" which included invading Iraq) with no alternative but to resist.
This time we are facing one question: to be or not to be.
Plot unfoiled
First I would like to congratulate John Howard for the successful media circus yesterday. The farce was played very well, and the message got through to the Australian people. The talent of Howard in deceiving the masses cannot be denied by anyone in this continent.
After last night’s circus, I remembered straight away the similar circus performed by the same actors (Howard, Ruddock, Costello) before the last election by arresting innocent men (Zac Mallah, Bilal Khazal, Izhar Alhaq…) for similar claims of belonging to terrorist organizations and planning terrorist acts. Until now none of them was charged. On the contrary, many of them were cleared of such charges.
Then I remembered Tampa, the kids overboard farce, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction lies, and before that the lies of illegal migrants and queue jumpers.
I must admit here again that the talents of the Howard-Ruddock twin team of lying and deceiving people should be recognized.
What amazed me is the fact that these lies are very obvious, but the Australians still swallowed them easily!! What a joke? How could they do this!
After yesterday’s circus, some information started to emerge. We know now that the “chemical weapons of mass destruction” are not more than house-holds washing powders. We also know now that many of the “alleged terrorists” are not more than licenced cleaners whose charges are not more than “stockpiling large amount of washing powder”. The other people’s charges are their expressing a wish to die as “martyrs”, a wish that is in mind of almost every committed Muslim.
Well, congratulations to the work of the twin “axes of evil” in our society for their quick acts of persuasion. I am sure after yesterday’s circus that their amendments of Ant-Terror Laws (which were described by every expert in human rights as draconian and a gross abuse of basic human rights) will be passed easily. Also, I am pretty sure that their Industrial Relations vandalism will be passed too under the cover of fear and “foiling major terrorist acts”, after terrorizing both the opposition and the society as whole.
I must congratulate too both Morris Iemma and Steve Bracks, who reached the verdict of “guilty” for all arrested people, in defiance of any natural justice. I should congratulate them as they really bailed Howard out of any tough questioning of his “outrageous inhuman” act of terrorizing the whole community.
I should congratulate the heroes of the “politisied” security agencies for their “patriotic” remarks and statements, which violated all principles of neutrality and “division of powers”. We all remember how these security agencies were politicised after Tampa, kids overboard, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the cover-up of the Abu Ghraeb scandal.
Thanks for all these heroes to stop cleaners from doing their jobs, and instead try to clean the mess of this government. Thanks for all these heroes to turn their jobs from protecting members of the community into participating in terrorizing them.
The whole Muslim community will be subject now to high prejudice, discrimination, violence and mass criminalisation after these heroic actions. These effects which will need generations of good work to be repaired.
The government now and their “highly politicised” security agencies should let us know the quantity of washing powder, softener, soap and other house-hold chemicals we are allowed to have at our homes!!!
Maybe we should call for a joint summit of government departments, security agencies and companies producing these “chemicals of mass destruction” to enforce compulsory labeling of “allowed” quantities for each house-hold resident.
Strange democracy we are having at the moment!
Could we call it democracy at all?!!
After last night’s circus, I remembered straight away the similar circus performed by the same actors (Howard, Ruddock, Costello) before the last election by arresting innocent men (Zac Mallah, Bilal Khazal, Izhar Alhaq…) for similar claims of belonging to terrorist organizations and planning terrorist acts. Until now none of them was charged. On the contrary, many of them were cleared of such charges.
Then I remembered Tampa, the kids overboard farce, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction lies, and before that the lies of illegal migrants and queue jumpers.
I must admit here again that the talents of the Howard-Ruddock twin team of lying and deceiving people should be recognized.
What amazed me is the fact that these lies are very obvious, but the Australians still swallowed them easily!! What a joke? How could they do this!
After yesterday’s circus, some information started to emerge. We know now that the “chemical weapons of mass destruction” are not more than house-holds washing powders. We also know now that many of the “alleged terrorists” are not more than licenced cleaners whose charges are not more than “stockpiling large amount of washing powder”. The other people’s charges are their expressing a wish to die as “martyrs”, a wish that is in mind of almost every committed Muslim.
Well, congratulations to the work of the twin “axes of evil” in our society for their quick acts of persuasion. I am sure after yesterday’s circus that their amendments of Ant-Terror Laws (which were described by every expert in human rights as draconian and a gross abuse of basic human rights) will be passed easily. Also, I am pretty sure that their Industrial Relations vandalism will be passed too under the cover of fear and “foiling major terrorist acts”, after terrorizing both the opposition and the society as whole.
I must congratulate too both Morris Iemma and Steve Bracks, who reached the verdict of “guilty” for all arrested people, in defiance of any natural justice. I should congratulate them as they really bailed Howard out of any tough questioning of his “outrageous inhuman” act of terrorizing the whole community.
I should congratulate the heroes of the “politisied” security agencies for their “patriotic” remarks and statements, which violated all principles of neutrality and “division of powers”. We all remember how these security agencies were politicised after Tampa, kids overboard, Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the cover-up of the Abu Ghraeb scandal.
Thanks for all these heroes to stop cleaners from doing their jobs, and instead try to clean the mess of this government. Thanks for all these heroes to turn their jobs from protecting members of the community into participating in terrorizing them.
The whole Muslim community will be subject now to high prejudice, discrimination, violence and mass criminalisation after these heroic actions. These effects which will need generations of good work to be repaired.
The government now and their “highly politicised” security agencies should let us know the quantity of washing powder, softener, soap and other house-hold chemicals we are allowed to have at our homes!!!
Maybe we should call for a joint summit of government departments, security agencies and companies producing these “chemicals of mass destruction” to enforce compulsory labeling of “allowed” quantities for each house-hold resident.
Strange democracy we are having at the moment!
Could we call it democracy at all?!!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
My speech at Newtown-Marrickville peace group's forum about "scapegoating Muslims" - 28/9/05
First I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land.
What are we dealing with today? What are the real issues we should be alarmed about?
We are dealing today with draconian laws (as described by one of the premieres agreed on them Mr. Peter Bettie), that could transform Australia from a model of democracy into a police state, where innocent Australian could be detained for 2 weeks without charges, track devices could be used on them for no crime they committed.
In the last few years, this government detained many Muslim youth for charges of terrorism. To date, none was charged. So why there is need for new draconian laws?
We should remember that Australia, before this government, was immune from any violence in the world. Australians were not targeted during the last few decades. We should also remember that there were no information or signals lately that Australia will be a target of any violence. So why these laws.
The answer is very simple. John Howard was seeking to raise the fear in the society from the first year in power, to divert the attention of Australians from his real agenda of economical, social and environmental vandalism.
These laws (alongside the other laws introduced before under ASIO Laws and antiterrorism laws) are mounting to the level of collective punishment (which is prohibited under international law). When we where screaming our head that detaining innocent people for long time was inhumane and illegal, Howard’s government was claiming that this is necessary to protect Australian borders, Australia interests and Australian life style from people smugglers and economic migrants. What we discovered now that there were hundreds of Australians detained, deported and treated badly, in addition to thousands of genuine refugees who lost their life, suffered mental illness because of this collective punishment.
Now it is the turn for Muslim Australians to be collectively punished to enable Howard to cover up the lies for attacking Iraq, the lies for detaining Australians and genuine refugees (including women and kids), to be able to get away with his economical and social disastrous vandalism in the society of selling Telstra, cutting spending on universities and schools, cutting spending on hospitals, shortage of workforce and all his disastrous policies.
Then there is very important issue of what is terrorism? There is no national definition for terrorism. There is also no internationally agreed on definition of terrorism. For Howard’ government attacking Iraq and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people is not an act of terrorism, but a liberation act. While attacking occupying forces by Iraqi fighters is an act of terror! The lack of this definition means basically that these laws will be abused severely by this government as how to classify terrorist and non-terrorist.
Then there are elements in these laws that is very clearly flawed and subject to abuse. Under these laws people who forget their bags at the train station or at Airport will be punished and charged. Bad memory will become a crime under these laws, instead of been a sign of senility.
Also, supporting freedom fighters against super power aggression will become crime too, on the ground of supporting enemy. But who decided that Australia should have this enemy. Howard went to Iraq against the international laws and against the will of millions of Australians who demonstrated against this. And now we have Iraqi people as enemy, and if you support them you will be charged. A very interesting logic.
The whole idea behind these laws is to raise the fear in the society. This fear is already there. I am aware of tens of people who had night visits by ASIO officers, their homes searched, their kids terrorized in the name of unknown enemy called “terrorism”. These people ran away from their countries to avoid such treatment and fear. They are now comparing these practices to the practices of the dictatorship regimes they fled from.
I must mention here that I believe that killing any innocent human being is a crime and an act of terrorism. But I also believe that we have in our judicial system enough laws and jurisdiction to deal with such crimes without turning Australia into Police state or a dictatorship. An action of criticizing the government of the day for sending troops to invade another country and kill foreign citizens will become a crime and a terrorist act.
Would I be arrested now, as I am supporting the freedom fighters in Palestine, Iraq and in any other area where its people is under occupation?
Not only this. The reputation of Australia as democratic tolerant society is perished.
I encouraged my brother, who is highly qualified and experienced engineer, to migrate to Australia, as Australia now is facing of very bad shortage of workforce. He refused because he is watching the how Australia is treating its Muslim community. It is very clear that after 8 years of Howard, there is nothing left from democratic tolerant multicultural image of Australia.
The alarming issue here is the double standard the Labor party is dealing with this issue. While Kim Beazly expressed his views that such measures will not deter “terrorists”, the Labor premiers supported such measures. No one premiere asked John Howard to address the causes of violence in the world. None asked him why Australia became a target only after his extremist government came to power and urged him to look for another measures to bring back the image of Australia as multicultural tolerant democracy.
The deportation of American peace activist 2 weeks ago sent a very clear signal, that may be the Muslims are the target of these measures now, but definitely all Australians could be target at some point, when the government will need to create new enemy.
The protection border laws proved this earlier, when Australians, non-Muslims, where targeted, deported and detained.
I believe that these laws will not stop violence or terrorism, but will further the marginalisation of Muslims in their ghettos, a marginalisation that will benefit only the extremists on both sides.
The only way to stop this is for Australian like you and me to resist.
Thank you for listening.
What are we dealing with today? What are the real issues we should be alarmed about?
We are dealing today with draconian laws (as described by one of the premieres agreed on them Mr. Peter Bettie), that could transform Australia from a model of democracy into a police state, where innocent Australian could be detained for 2 weeks without charges, track devices could be used on them for no crime they committed.
In the last few years, this government detained many Muslim youth for charges of terrorism. To date, none was charged. So why there is need for new draconian laws?
We should remember that Australia, before this government, was immune from any violence in the world. Australians were not targeted during the last few decades. We should also remember that there were no information or signals lately that Australia will be a target of any violence. So why these laws.
The answer is very simple. John Howard was seeking to raise the fear in the society from the first year in power, to divert the attention of Australians from his real agenda of economical, social and environmental vandalism.
These laws (alongside the other laws introduced before under ASIO Laws and antiterrorism laws) are mounting to the level of collective punishment (which is prohibited under international law). When we where screaming our head that detaining innocent people for long time was inhumane and illegal, Howard’s government was claiming that this is necessary to protect Australian borders, Australia interests and Australian life style from people smugglers and economic migrants. What we discovered now that there were hundreds of Australians detained, deported and treated badly, in addition to thousands of genuine refugees who lost their life, suffered mental illness because of this collective punishment.
Now it is the turn for Muslim Australians to be collectively punished to enable Howard to cover up the lies for attacking Iraq, the lies for detaining Australians and genuine refugees (including women and kids), to be able to get away with his economical and social disastrous vandalism in the society of selling Telstra, cutting spending on universities and schools, cutting spending on hospitals, shortage of workforce and all his disastrous policies.
Then there is very important issue of what is terrorism? There is no national definition for terrorism. There is also no internationally agreed on definition of terrorism. For Howard’ government attacking Iraq and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people is not an act of terrorism, but a liberation act. While attacking occupying forces by Iraqi fighters is an act of terror! The lack of this definition means basically that these laws will be abused severely by this government as how to classify terrorist and non-terrorist.
Then there are elements in these laws that is very clearly flawed and subject to abuse. Under these laws people who forget their bags at the train station or at Airport will be punished and charged. Bad memory will become a crime under these laws, instead of been a sign of senility.
Also, supporting freedom fighters against super power aggression will become crime too, on the ground of supporting enemy. But who decided that Australia should have this enemy. Howard went to Iraq against the international laws and against the will of millions of Australians who demonstrated against this. And now we have Iraqi people as enemy, and if you support them you will be charged. A very interesting logic.
The whole idea behind these laws is to raise the fear in the society. This fear is already there. I am aware of tens of people who had night visits by ASIO officers, their homes searched, their kids terrorized in the name of unknown enemy called “terrorism”. These people ran away from their countries to avoid such treatment and fear. They are now comparing these practices to the practices of the dictatorship regimes they fled from.
I must mention here that I believe that killing any innocent human being is a crime and an act of terrorism. But I also believe that we have in our judicial system enough laws and jurisdiction to deal with such crimes without turning Australia into Police state or a dictatorship. An action of criticizing the government of the day for sending troops to invade another country and kill foreign citizens will become a crime and a terrorist act.
Would I be arrested now, as I am supporting the freedom fighters in Palestine, Iraq and in any other area where its people is under occupation?
Not only this. The reputation of Australia as democratic tolerant society is perished.
I encouraged my brother, who is highly qualified and experienced engineer, to migrate to Australia, as Australia now is facing of very bad shortage of workforce. He refused because he is watching the how Australia is treating its Muslim community. It is very clear that after 8 years of Howard, there is nothing left from democratic tolerant multicultural image of Australia.
The alarming issue here is the double standard the Labor party is dealing with this issue. While Kim Beazly expressed his views that such measures will not deter “terrorists”, the Labor premiers supported such measures. No one premiere asked John Howard to address the causes of violence in the world. None asked him why Australia became a target only after his extremist government came to power and urged him to look for another measures to bring back the image of Australia as multicultural tolerant democracy.
The deportation of American peace activist 2 weeks ago sent a very clear signal, that may be the Muslims are the target of these measures now, but definitely all Australians could be target at some point, when the government will need to create new enemy.
The protection border laws proved this earlier, when Australians, non-Muslims, where targeted, deported and detained.
I believe that these laws will not stop violence or terrorism, but will further the marginalisation of Muslims in their ghettos, a marginalisation that will benefit only the extremists on both sides.
The only way to stop this is for Australian like you and me to resist.
Thank you for listening.
Multiculturalism in Australia - written on 18 July 05
I am sick to death of been inforced to answer stupid questions every time I meet new person, who will discover after hearing me speaking odd accent that I have beard and mostache and odd name.
I am sick to death of confirming that I am Muslim after such an event, which will lead to cycle of the person been "alarmed and alerted" after knowing this fact.
I am sick to death to explain all the time that though I am Muslim, but I do not go to mosque, do not fast Ramadan and do oppose women's genital mutilation.
I am sick to death to be "victim" of the same people who calim to be "clever, progressive and secular", but still asking me "Are you Muslim?"
I am sick to death of poeple pretending to "understand my feelings", then to hurt the same feelings that they understood!.
I am sick to death of all this and want all of you to know this, so that if I tell you at some stage that I do not believe "you" and ask you to stop bullshitting, to understand why.
I want to tell you this so that next time I ask you to go out for coffee with me, please ignore me.
When I ask you if you understand, tell me the truth.
When you ask me to explain, expect me to explode.
When you start bullshitting, expect me to leave.
When you expect me to understand, remember that anyway you don't.
So, please ignore me from now.
I am sick to death of confirming that I am Muslim after such an event, which will lead to cycle of the person been "alarmed and alerted" after knowing this fact.
I am sick to death to explain all the time that though I am Muslim, but I do not go to mosque, do not fast Ramadan and do oppose women's genital mutilation.
I am sick to death to be "victim" of the same people who calim to be "clever, progressive and secular", but still asking me "Are you Muslim?"
I am sick to death of poeple pretending to "understand my feelings", then to hurt the same feelings that they understood!.
I am sick to death of all this and want all of you to know this, so that if I tell you at some stage that I do not believe "you" and ask you to stop bullshitting, to understand why.
I want to tell you this so that next time I ask you to go out for coffee with me, please ignore me.
When I ask you if you understand, tell me the truth.
When you ask me to explain, expect me to explode.
When you start bullshitting, expect me to leave.
When you expect me to understand, remember that anyway you don't.
So, please ignore me from now.
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