The Reporter 

2006   (Updated 13 May 2006 00:00)

AIRSS (Arab Institute for Research and Strategic Studies)

المؤتمر القومي العربي السابع عشر
5 - 8 نيسان/ابريل 2006
الدار البيضاء - المغرب

افتتاح المؤتمر القومي العربي السابع عشر في الدار البيضاء - المغرب
كلمات لحسيب والحص والضاري والبغدادي وابو مرزوق ومسلم وبشور

بفندق ريفولي بالدار البيضاء عقدت اليوم جلسة الافتتاح لمؤتمر القومي العربي السابع عشر، وبحضور 350 مشاركا ووسط اغطية اعلامية كثيفة للاعلام المغربي والعربي، افتتح الجلسة الدكتور خير الدين حسيب الذي بدأ كلمته بالتنويه الى مستوى الحضور ومدى الاستجابة الكبيرة لاعضاء المؤتمر بهذه الدورة، مشيرا ان المتؤمر ومنذ تأسيسه عام 1990 استطاع الاستمرار والاتساع متحديا كل الظروف، ومحافظا بذات الوقت على تماسكه الداخلي، وما ميز المؤتمر حسب الدكتور حسيب دائما هو انه يضم كل التيارات السياسية العربية المؤمنة بالمشروع النهضوي الحضاري، وذلك منعكس تماما على الاعضاء والامانة العامة المشكلة من مختف التوجهات ما جعل المؤتمر يمثل بحق مرجعية شعبية عربية.
وبعد الدكتور حسيب تناول الكلمة الاستاذ خالد السفياني رئيس اللجنة التحضيرية للمؤتمر السابع عشر حيث رحب بالحضور الذين جاؤوا من مختلف الاقطار ومن مختلف التيارات منوها الى الصعوبات التي تواجه العمل القومي.
اما كلمة المشاركين فقد القاها باسمهم الدكتور سليم الحص رئيس الوزراء اللبناني السابق فتحدث عن حال العروبة في عصر العولمة وعن الآ ليات الضرورية للارتقاء بالعمل القومي وان العولمة التي عصفت بسيادات الدول لم تستطع ان تمسح العروبة من الوجود رغم ان امريكا تحاول الدفع بالعولمة الى ابعد الحدود لا نها المستفيد الكبير من هذا المشروع.
واضاف الدكتور الحص قائلا: ان ليس بالامكان للعروبة ان تعيش تحت شمس العولمة اذا بقينا نعيش بكيانات مفككة ومفتتة، وقد شعر العرب بهذا اخطر الداهم فانشأوا جامعة الدول العربية لتجاوز هذه المعضلة كن للأسف هذا الهيكل لم يعد يفي بالغرض المطلوب، وهذا تجلى في الغياب الكلي لموقف عربي موحد تجاه قضايانا المصيرية والكبيرة في فلسطين والعراق وسوريا ولبنان والسودان. وهذا ما يحتم ترجمة جديدة للعروبة ، وهي ان تتماشى مع العولمة هي لا تعارضها ابدا ومن الشواهد على ذلك الحالة التي يعيشها الاتحاد الاوروبي، اذا المطلوب منا هو الانخراط في العولمة لكن مع ضرورة الحفاظ على خصوصياتنا الثقافية، ووضع برامج تنمية للحفاظ على اقتصاداتنا فلا بديل عن اتحاد عربي. فغاية العروبة اليوم هي التحرر والتنمية، اما التحرر فيجب ان يكون ضامنا لحقوق الشعوب ليس على طريقة خارطة الطريق التي تفرض نزع السلاح قبل التفاوض أي تجريد الامة من مصدر قوتها الوحيد، فخارطة الطريق مشروع استسلام لا مشروع سلام ونحن اليوم يضيف الدكتور الحص، اقوى من الاتحاد الاوروبي لاننا نملك ك مقومات الوحدة ومن اهم مقومات الوحدة الديمقراطية والتنمية.
ثم تحدث الشيخ حارث الضاري رئيس هيئة علماء المسلمين في العراق الذي حيا الحاضرين ثم اسهب في وضع العراق والمأزق الذي يعانيه الاحتلال الامريكي والخسائر الفادحة التي يتكبدها ويعمل على اخفائها اعلاميا، دون ان ينسى الشيخ الضاري ان يقدم تحية خاصة الى الشعب الفلسطيني معتبرا اياه استاذا في المقاومة والتحرير وشدد على ان المقاومة مستمرة رغم كل التضحيات،ورغم كل الصعوبات التي لا تأتي من المحتل فقط بل من ابناء جلدتنا. وهي الرؤية التي عبر عنها كذلك المرجع الشيعي آية الله السيد احمد الحسن البغدادي الذي رفض مقولة ان المقاومة سنية فقط، بل عراقية يقاتل فيها السني والشيعي جنبا الى جنب.
واعطيت الكلمة للسيد موسى ابو مرزوق نائب رئيس المكتب السياسي لحركة حماس ليؤكد ان المقاومة خيار لا بديل عنه حتى نهاية الاحتلال وان الشعب الفلسطيني صامد وسيصمد في وجه المؤامرة الدولية التي تحاك ضده.
ودعا ابو مرزوق التي لا تستقبل ممثلي الحكومة الفلسطينية ان لا يستقبلوا اولمرت او ممثلي حكومته خصوصا بعد ان اعلن مواقفه المعادية لاي حل.
ثم اخذ الكلمة السيد عبد العزيز السيد امين عام مؤتمر الاحزاب العربية وبعده اللواء طلعت مسلم المنسق العام للمؤتمر الاسلامي اللذين اكدا ان كل الجهود تصب في هدف واحد هو النهوض بالامة.
وجاء اختتام الجلسة بكلمة القاها الامين العام للمؤتمر القومي العربي الاستاذ معن بشور حيث بدأ حديثه عن اهمية ان يعقد المؤتمر بالمغرب خاصة ان احد مؤسسيه هو الفقيد محمد البصري, وان المغرب هو ارض المقاومة والتحرر وابرز الشهداء الزرقوني وعلال وان رواد الكفاح والاصلاح هم ابناء هذا البلد كالمهدي بن بركه وعمر بن جلون، و وان المغرب هو من فتح بابه للمؤتمر عام 97 وحين اغلقت في وجه ابواب العواصم العربية ما عدا بيروت.
وقد تزامن المؤتمر مع فكرة المصالحة والانصاف التي انتهجها المغرب قادة وشعبا وهي فكرة تحمل في طياتها كل معاني النهوض والتسامح والحوار، ونحن ملزمون يؤكد الاستاذ بشور بتجسيد ثقافة المصالحة ويجب الاستفادة من روح المصالحة التي تعمم اليوم المغرب والجزائر رغم كل ما يعتري آلياتها من نواقص.
واعتبر بشور ان امؤتمر يحمل اليوم ثقافة المصالحة وثقافة المقاومة وثقافة المراجعة وثقافة المشاركة مشيرا الى ان المقاومة نجحت خاصة في زمن كثرت فيه رايات الاستسلام . فما دمنا نملك ارادة المقاومة سنقلب كل الموازين لان موازين الارادات اقوى موازين القوى. وهو ما يحدث الآن تماما في العراق.

Received via adc.org

THE MOST dramatic and the most boring election campaign in our history has mercifully come to an end. Israel looks in the mirror and asks itself: What the hell has happened?

On the way to the ballot box, in the center of Tel-Aviv, I could not detect the slightest sign that this was election day. Generally, elections in Israel are a passionate affair. Posters everywhere, thousands of slogan-covered cars rushing around ferrying voters to the ballot stations, a lot of noise.

This time - nothing. An eerie silence. Less than two thirds of the registered citizens did actually take the trouble to vote. Politicians of all stripes are detested, democracy despised among the young, whole sectors estranged. Those who decided not to vote, but at the last moment relented, voted for the Pensioners' List, which jumped from nothing to an astonishing seven seats. 

This was a real protest vote. Even young people told themselves: Instead of throwing our vote away, let's do them a favor. Old people, sick people (including the terminally ill), handicapped people and the entire health and education systems were the victims of the Thatcherite economic policies of Netanyahu, backed by Sharon, which Shimon Peres (of all people) called "swinish". 

That vote was a curiosity. But what happened in the main arena?

AT THE beginning of the campaign I wrote that the whole of the political system was moving to the left.

Many thought that that was wishful thinking, sadly removed from reality. Now it has actually happened.

The main result of these elections is that the hold of the nationalistic-religious bloc, which has dominated Israel for more than a generation, has been broken. All those who announced that the Left is dead and that Israel is condemned to right-wing rule for a long, long time have been proved wrong. 

All the right-wing parties together won 32* seats, the religious parties 19. With 51 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, the rightist-religious wing cannot block all moves towards peace any more.

This is a turning point. The dream of a Greater Israel, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, is dead.

Significantly, the "National Union", the party that is completely identified with the settlers, has won only 9 seats - more or less like last time. After all the heart-rending drama of the destruction of the Gaza settlements, the settlers remain as unpopular as ever. They have lost the decisive battle for public opinion.

Netanyahu declared that the elections were going to be a "national referendum" on the withdrawal from the West Bank. Well. It was - and the public overwhelmingly voted "Yes".

The main victim is Netanyahu himself. The Likud has collapsed. For the first time since its founding by Ariel Sharon in 1973, it has been subjected to the humiliation of being the fifth (!) party in the Knesset.

The heartfelt joy about this rout of the Right is tempered by a very dangerous development: the rise of Avigdor Lieberman's "Israel our Home" party, a mutation of the Right with openly fascist tendencies. 

Lieberman, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union and himself a settler, draws his main strength from the "Russian" community, which is almost uniformly extremely nationalistic. He calls for the expulsion of all Arabs (a fifth of Israel's population), ostensibly in a swap of territories, but the message is clear. There are also the usual hallmarks of such a party: the cult of the Leader, a call for "law and order", intense hatred for "the enemy" both within and without. This man got 12 seats and has overtaken Netanyahu. His main slogan "Da Lieberman" ("Yes Lieberman" in Russian) reminds one of similar historical salutes.

For those who are interested: the fascist group that called for my murder as part of their election program has failed to attain the 2% necessary to gain entry into the Knesset. But, of course, an assassin does not need 2% to follow such a call. (I would like to use this occasion to express my heartfelt thanks to all those around the world who expressed their solidarity.) 


THE JOYFUL scenes at the Labor Party's Headquarters may seem at first glance exaggerated. After all, the party got only 20 seats, as against 19 last time (to which must be added the three of the small party led by Amir Peretz at the time). But the numbers do not tell the whole story.

First of all, the political implications are far-reaching. In parliament, it is not only the raw numbers which count, but also their location on the political map. In the next Knesset, any coalition without the Labor Party has become impractical, if not completely impossible. Amir Peretz is going to be the most important person in the next cabinet, after Ehud Olmert.

But there is more to it than that. Peretz, the first "oriental" Jewish leader of any major Israeli party, has overcome the historic rejection of Labor by the immigrants from Muslim countries and their offspring. He has destroyed the established equation of Oriental = poor = Right as against Ashkenazi = well-to-do = Left.

This has not yet found its full expression in the voting. The increase in Oriental voters for Labor has been only incremental. But no one who has seen how Peretz was received in the open markets, until now fortresses of the Likud, can have any doubt that something fundamental has changed. 

And most important, when Peretz arrived on the scene, hardly three months ago, Labor was a walking corpse. Now it is alive, vibrant, hungry for action. It's called leadership, and it's there. Peretz is on his way to being a viable candidate for Prime Minister in the next elections. Until then, he certainly will have a major impact both on social affairs and the peace process.


THAT IS, of course, the main question: Can the next government bring us closer to peace?

Kadima has won the elections, but is not happy. When it was founded by Sharon, it expected 45 seats. The sky was the limit. Now it has to be satisfied with a measly 28 seats, enough to head the government but not enough to dictate policy. 

In his victory speech, Olmert called on Mahmoud Abbas to make peace. But this is an empty gesture. No Palestinian could possibly accept the terms Olmert has in mind. So, if the Palestinians don't show that they are "partners", Olmert wants to "establish Israel's permanent borders unilaterally", meaning that he wants to annex something between 15% and 50% of the West Bank. 

It is doubtful whether Peretz can impose another policy. Possibly, the whole question will be postponed, under the pretext that the social crisis has to be addressed first. In the meantime, the fight against the Palestinians will go on.

It is up to the peace movement to change this. The elections show that Israeli public opinion wants an end to the conflict, that it rejects the dreams of the settlers and their allies, that it seeks a solution. We have contributed to this change. Now it is our job to show that Olmert's unilateral peace is no peace at all and will not lead to a solution.

On our election day, the new Palestinian government was confirmed by its Parliament. With this government we can and must negotiate. At the moment, the majority in Israel is not yet ready for that. But the election results show that we are on the way. 
---------------------------------
* All numbers mentioned in this article are those published with 97% of the votes counted. There may be slight changes in the final count.

بيروت في 22/3/2006

 هيئة ابناء العرقوب ومزارع شبعا ترد على تيري رود لارسن:

نطالب الحكومة بالاعتراض رسمياً على تصريحاته وعدم استقباله قبل التراجع عنها

تعليقاً على التصريحات التي أدلى بها مبعوث أمين عام الأمم المتحدة لتطبيق القرار 1559 السيد تيري رود لارسن، أصدرت هيئة أبناء العرقوب ومزارع شبعا البيان التالي:

في كل مرة يزور فيها السيد لارسن لبنان أو المنطقة يستبق زيارته بمجموعة مواقف عدائية ضد لبنان وحقوق اللبنانيين، وكأنه يمثل طرفاً معادياً ويريد التفاوض مع لبنان على خلفية هذا العداء. إن تصريح السيد لارسن بأن الخط الأزرق يمثل حدود لبنان الدولية مع الكيان الصهيوني هو كلام خطير ويستوجب الردّ المناسب من قبل الحكومة اللبنانية، لأن حدود لبنان الدولية لا يرسمها خط أزرق أو أحمر بل لها أصولها وقواعدها المعترف بها دولياً، وهذا الخط الازرق الذي اخترعه السيد لارسن عام 2000 أسماه هو "خط الانسحاب العملاني" لقوات الاحتلال الاسرائيلية من جنوب لبنان، فكيف يتحول هذا الخط الى حدود دولية؟؟

اننا نفهم صداقة السيد لارسن الخاصة مع شيمون بيريز وحرصه على دعمه في الانتخابات الاسرائيلية القادمة، لكننا لا نفهم بأن يتحول من مبعوث لأمين عام الامم المتحدة الى مبعوث خاص لبعض قادة العدو الاسرائيلي مدافعاً عن مصالحهم تحت علم الامم المتحدة.

لذلك نطالب الحكومة اللبنانية باتخاذ موقف واضح وحازم من هذه التصريحات قبل وصول السيد لارسن الى لبنان من خلال ارسال رسالة اعتراض رسمية الى امين عام الامم المتحدة ومطالبته بتصحيح هذا الموقف، وأن ترفض استقبال السيد لارسن ما لم يتم تصحيح الموقف، لأن هذا الأمر يشكل اعتداءً على سيادة لبنان ووحدة اراضيه.

إن السيد لارسن هو الذي خلق الالتباس في قضية مزارع شبعا من خلال تقاريره المتكررة والمنحازة ضد مصلحة لبنان وحقوقه، ويريد الآن خلق التباسات جديدة من أجل اضعاف موقف لبنان وفرض المزيد من الوصاية عليه.

 هيئة أبناء العرقوب ومزارع شبعا

بيروت في 22/3/2006

Security Chaos and Proliferation of Small Arms: Attacking Public Institutions and Officials
Attack on Rafedia Hospital in Nablus

A number of gunmen stormed Rafedia Hospital in Nablus yesterday morning. They assaulted a patient with sharp objects, worsening his injuries. In addition, they injured other citizens as they fired at Palestinian security personnel. 

PCHR’s initial investigation indicates that at approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 21 March 2006, two injured citizens were admitted to the hospital. One of the injured was Eyad Zayed Jamil Dweikat, a 40-year old resident of Rojit village, north east of Nablus. He was injured by a sharp object stab in the left part of the neck. The second injured citizen is Ahmad Mohammad Hasan Hamad, a 57-year old resident of Orraq El-Tayeh village, north of Nablus. He was injured by a superficial stab to the chest area. 

As the hospital staff members were tending the injured, a number of gunmen armed with automatic stormed the hospital. They attacked Dweikat, and stabbed him 3 times, making his injuries worse. 

Hospital security arrived upon the request of physicians and nurses. However the gunmen fired inside the hospital. They injured Fatima Awaysa, a 40-year old resident of El-Laban El-Sharqeya village, southeast of Nablus. She was hit with a bullet in the left leg. In addition, they injured Basel Dawud Abu Taha, from Nablus, with shrapnel in the left leg. 

Dr. Husam El-Johari, the hospital director, told PCHR’s fieldworker that he had informed governmental authorities about the incident, which is a recurrent problem on a daily basis. 

PCHR is concerned about the continuation of this dangerous attack and the continued targeting of public institutions, which constitute a continuum of the state of security chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and threatens the lives of citizens. The Centre reiterates its call upon the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General, to investigate these attacks, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

CAABU Statement

Israeli Army Storms Palestinian Prison in Jericho - 14 March 2006

"Britain's reputation in the Arab-World at all time low".

Commenting on the crisis in Jericho, CAABU Director, Chris Doyle has stated that "the reputation of Britain in the Arab World is at an all time low " and that this "severely undermines the British national interest. Whatever the truth of the situation is, to most Arabs it looks like Britain has been complicit in a Suez-like pact to facilitate an Israeli attack on Jericho."

CAABU has expressed grave concerns about the situation in Jericho where the Israeli army has stormed a Palestinian prison in an attempt to seize those suspected of assassinating the right-wing Israeli Minister, Rehavem Ze'evi in 2001. Two Palestinians have been killed so far.

The IDF surrounded the prison only hours after the UK and US withdrew their monitors from the prison on the morning of 14 March 2006. Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary, cited security concerns for the British and American personnel as the reason for the monitors' withdrawal and stated that the Palestinian Authority had "consistently failed to meet its obligations under the Ramallah Agreement".

The role of the UK

The decision of the UK and US to withdraw monitors from the prison acted as the trigger for this crisis and has exacerbated an already very tense situation. It was crystal clear that any such withdrawal would lead to tensions and violence. CAABU calls upon Jack Straw to explain exactly
what the security risks were to the British and American monitors? 

Secondly, he has to answer why it appears that there were no public statements of concern before his statement to the House of Commons on 14 March. A British Parliamentary delegation that visited Israel and the Occupied Territories from 26 February to 3 March had a number of
meetings with very senior British Foreign Office officials but not once was it suggested that the security of British monitors at Jericho was at risk.

Straw's statement to Parliament has given no details at all as to why the monitors were in danger. Jericho is comparatively a very quiet and peaceful city in the West Bank and that there had been no reports of recent violence in the city.

The actions of the Israeli army

CAABU condemns the actions of Israel army who must abide by its international legal obligations. All Israeli forces should leave Jericho immediately and the deaths of any Palestinians must be investigated and those responsible brought to trial.

CAABU backs calls for the fair trial of two of the suspects wanted by the Israelis for Ze'evi's assassination and smuggling weapons. Ahmed Saadat, who was recently elected to the PLC, and Fuad Shubaki have never received a formal charge or had a fair trial.

Repercussions

CAABU calls for all sides to exercise calm and to restore order. There is no excuse for attacks on the British Council or on UK nationals who largely are based in the Occupied Territories to assist Palestinians.

The Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary has sought an urgent meeting with the Foreign Secretary to discuss this issue.

For further information contact Chris Doyle, doylec@caabu.org. Tel: 0207 832 1310 07968 040281

Useful resources on Palestinian Prisoners:

* Addameer - http://www.addameer.org/paprisoners/conditions.html

* Amnesty International - the case of Saadat - http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGMDE150962002

Chris Doyle
Director

CAABU (Council for Arab-British Understanding)
---------------------------------------------

Tuesday 14th March 2006

British Complicity in Israeli Crimes in Jericho Prison

Following the withdrawal of British and US monitors from Jericho prison, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign has organised an urgent action outside 10 Downing Street from 5.30-6.30 tonight (14 March) to protest against this withdrawal.

Betty Hunter, PSC General Secretary, said:

‘Britain and the US had a responsibility to monitor the prisoners under the Ramallah Agreement. Jack Straw’s statement that he had informed the Israelis in advance of the British and US withdrawal provided Israel with the opportunity to storm the prison and threaten to kill anyone who did not surrender. Israel has already killed one prison officer and wounded 14. Allowing Israel to storm the prison and kill at random is a shameful act by the British government.

‘Britain’s withdrawal from the Jericho prison has left the Palestinians inside completely at the mercy of the Israeli army. Kim Howells on 8 March 2006 said that “the Ramallah Agreement states that any changes in the status of the detainees should be agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” Britain and the US will be held responsible for Israel’s violation of this agreement.’

For further comment:

Betty Hunter: 020 7700 6192 or 07763 384 841

PSC 

www.palestinecampaign.org

info@palestinecampaign.org

Tel: 02077006192

Subject: Buy a virtual peerage (Elect the Lords campaign)
*Exclusive supporters' offer! 35% off! Offer must end 22/3/06!*

From: "New Politics Network" <newpoliticsnetwork@lb.bcentral.com>

Did you know that 17 of the 22 individuals who have donated آ£100,000 or more to Labour in the last few years have been given an honour, and that all but one who have donated more than آ£1m has been given a peerage?

This has given the Elect the Lords campaign a great fundraising idea - why not sell Virtual Peerages? A Virtual Peerage won't get you a vote in the House of Lords. You won't get any land (on the other hand it also means you won't be expected to open any village fetes!). You will however gain an attractive certificate of inauthenticity and your full title will be listed on this website as a mark of our gratitude.

Purchase a Marquisate or a Duchy and we will even design you a Coat of Arms using the traditional method of Ye Olde Photoshoppe handed down the generation.

Back in the real world, your money will be spent on campaigning for a democratic second chamber. The government have promised a free vote on the composition of the upper house in this Parliament - it could be just months away! We urgently need funds to ensure we can put pressure on MPs to respect the opinions of the vast majority of UK citizens who want the second chamber to be at least predominantly elected.

Tony Blair has appointed more than 300 life peers - 50% more than any other Prime Minister in history. We're hoping to beat that record by appointing more than 300 virtual peers in the next MONTH.

Donating money to us in this way won't "buy" you a democratic second chamber, but you can be sure it will be a great help!

As an introductory offer, we are currently offering a 25% discount on all Virtual Peerages. As an exclusive offer to supporters, we are offering an extra 10% off on top of that!  But hurry - this offer must end on 22 March!

Click on one of the options below to make your purchase (you will be taken to the PayPal website for processing your payment):

* Buy a Barony for just آ£6.50 (http://tinyurl.com/lutv9)
* Buy a Viscountcy for just آ£19.50 (http://tinyurl.com/n7ury)
* Buy an Earldom for just آ£65 (http://tinyurl.com/ovfd5)
* Buy a Marquesatecy for just آ£195 (limited to 50 - http://tinyurl.com/p8ybb)
* Buy a Duchy for just آ£650 (limited to 20 - http://tinyurl.com/qf5ax)

The Elect the Lords campaign regrets that it cannot accept a loan as payment.

30+ Jewish and Palestinian organisations defy EU secrecy

Dismayed by the refusal of EU to publish their own Ramallah and East Jerusalem Heads of Mission findings regarding Israeli state actions towards non Jewish residents of East Jerusalem, Jewish and other peace groups and Palestinian Solidarity campaigns around Europe have decided they must take matters into their own hands.
 
Every organisation listed below will publish the Report on their websites. (Copy of the report).
 
The day after the report was shelved by EU foreign ministers at their GAERC meeting in Brussels on December 12th - for fear of alienating Israel and reducing the EU’s influence - Israel announced, in violation of its Road Map obligations, the building of 300 new homes in the Maale Adumim settlement, the largest in the occupied territories.
 
Pierre Galand, Senator in the Belgian Parliament and Chairman of the European Co-ordinating Committee of NGOs on the question of Palestine (ECCP) said: “European diplomats in East Jerusalem and Ramallah had the courage to stress the alarming situation in East Jerusalem. Their report corroborates the ICJ advisory opinion ruling on the Wall and the illegal settlements, which led the ECCP to initiate the ‘European Campaign for Sanctions against the Israeli Occupation’. In order to force the EU member states to respect their own commitment to International Law and Human Rights, we will publish the report on East Jerusalem on our websites, despite the EU refusal to do so.”
 
Dan Judelson, Secretary of European Jews for a Just Peace said “The EU are burying their heads in the sand and are thus co-responsible while East Jerusalem residents face repeated violations of international law and of simple standards of humanity, all at the hands of the Israeli state. This is not a time for thumb twiddling or inaction; if the EU sits on this report, we see it as our duty to make it as widely available as we can.”
 
Betty Hunter, General Secretary of the UK Palestinian Solidarity Campaign said: “It is 17 months since the International Court of Justice declared the apartheid Wall to be an illegal act by an occupying force and that settlement building should end. While Israel defies this decision, Palestinians are losing their homes, land and livelihood in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. If European countries continue to collude with this, they are also guilty of oppressing the Palestinian people.”

Jenny Bourne, Campaign Against Racism and Fascism.

Please help NCADC stay open.  We need to raise £45,000 to keep the Manchester office open and £55,000 to keep the Birmingham office open.  It sounds like a lot of money but it is not impossible.  There will be a fund-raising meal in April at The Basement social centre, email
simple_things@riseup.net for details or if you can help out.  We are hoping to put on a gig night and discussing other fundraising ideas.  The easiest way to help is to send money, either as a one-off donation or the best would be a standing order. It would take 750 people setting up standing orders for a fiver to keep the Manchester office open.  If we cannot raise enough money and NCADC shuts down completely, all the money will go directly to assist the campaigns of people facing deportation.

Standing order and on-off donation forms can be downloaded from
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/donations/donate.htm
While your there, take a look around their website and see some of the
many campaigns NCADC is assisting. NCADC empowers people to fight for
themselves.  We cannot let the Daily Mail win.

Beirut 16 March 2006

المؤتمر الشعبي اللبناني

مكتب الإعلام المركزي


المؤتمر الشعبي: العدوان على سجن أريحا واعتقال السعدات لن يردع الشعب الفلسطيني عن استمرار مقاومته للاحتلال الصهيوني

رأى المؤتمر الشعبي اللبناني أن العدوان على سجن أريحا واعتقال السعدات لن يردع الشعب الفلسطيني عن استمرار مقاومته للاحتلال الصهيوني.

وقال بيان صادر عن مكتب الاعلام المركزي في المؤتمر الشعبي: ان العملية العدوانية بإقتحام سجن اريحا واعتقال المناضل أحمد سعدات، هي بمثابة رسالة للشعب الفلسطيني، وبخاصة بعد نتائج الانتخابات النيابية وايصال حركة حماس الى السلطة، وهذه الرسالة التي حملت تواطؤاً أميركياً وبريطانياً استهدفت زرع الاحباط والرعب في الشعب الفلسطيني المناضل ليتخلى عن جهاده ومقاومته للاحتلال الصهيوني والرضوخ للأمر الواقع.

لقد أصيب كيان العدو بنكسة كبيرة من تصاعد روح الجهاد عند الشعب الفلسطيني المقاوم الذي لم تؤثر به كل أساليب الترهيب والترغيب للتخلي عن مقاومته وآخرها التهديد بسلاح المال ووقف المساعدات الأوروبية والأميركية بعد وصول حماس، مما يظهر غباء قادة كيان العدو الصهيوني ومن يدعمهم في المحافل الدولية، لأنهم يظنون ان هكذا أساليب يمكنها أن تردع شعب يقاوم منذ سنوات طويلة، لكنها في الحقيقة تزيد من عزيمة الشعب الفلسطيني أكثر والدليل نتائج الانتخابات الأخيرة والتي أعطت كيان العدو الجواب الشافي بأن الفلسطينيين لن يتهاونوا في حقوقهم ولن يتنازلوا عنها مهما حصل، وسيستمرون في الصمود والنضال حتى تحرير الأرض واستعادة الحقوق، لأن لا حل مع كيان العدو وغيره من قوى الاستعمار وأصحاب مشروع الشرق الأوسط الكبير إلا بالمقاومة.

ان اقتحام القوات الإسرائيلية المحتلة لسجن أريحا هو عدوان جديد على أهلنا في الأراضي الفلسطينية نضعه برسم كل دول العالم التي تتغنى بحقوق الانسان والديمقراطية. ونضعه برسم كل من يدعو الى سلوك طريق أوسلو وخارطة الطريق، فهذا النهج الاستسلامي لم ولن يحمي الشعب العربي الفلسطيني من سياسة الاجرام والعربدة الاسرائيلية وارهابها المنتظم.

ان مكتب الاعلام المركزي في المؤتمر الشعبي اذ يستنكر هذا العدوان الصهيوني الصارخ ضد الشعب الفلسطيني وقياداته المناضلة، يشجب بالوقت نفسه الصمت الدولي حيال هذه الجريمة ويدعو جامعة الدول العربية وهيئة الأمم المتحدة إلى ادانة هذا العدوان واتخاذ الاجراءات المناسبة لوقف سياسة الإبادة بحق الشعب الفلسطيني، كما يطالب القوى الفلسطينية بتوحيد موقفها لدعم مسيرة المقاومة بأشكالها كافة في سبيل تحرير الأراضي المغتصبة واستعادة الحقوق والمقدسات وبناء الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة الكاملة السيادة وعاصمتها القدس وعودة اللاجئين الى أراضيهم وديارهم التي تهجروا منها منذ عام 1948.

Call for Nomination

The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought will award its Prize 2006 to
Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought 2006

Arabic      English       German

 a politically committed Arab woman

who has rendered outstanding services to freedom of thought, equal rights and democracy in the Arab world

For as long as one can think men have held the monopoly on politics in Arab societies. Despite this fact, some women have managed to break through this supremacy and to become involved in political struggle. Because of their commitment they have become examples for future generations.

Among the subjects that have most interested women were subjects like independence, equal rights, equality of opportunity, and human rights.

No society is able to develop and work for progress and a promising future, if this is done within a way of thinking based on the principle of the exclusion of women. However, this is what happens in many Arab countries. Women are not being allowed to play an important part in moulding political processes. They are excluded from participating in any responsibility and decision making. At the very most, they are allocated marginal roles; in reality, they do not have any influence on fields also important for women.

Women are struggling on all levels for a participation in political life – on legal, economical and social level, but first of all on the political level. In developing Arab countries, the fact that politics has such a big impact on all these fields – jurisprudence, economy, society – politicians bear a great responsibility in undertaking the necessary reforms.

We think that women’s fight for their emancipation in the Arab world plays a main role in bringing about social change. Despite their limited freedom ,there have been many examples of politically committed women that deserve the highest respect and honor.

The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought has expressly decided to award this year's prize to a woman in order to draw attention to the important role of women in society.

Any person or organisation who is interested may nominate a woman whom he or she thinks  worthy of the prize. Please send your proposal per letter or e-mail before the 15^th of May 2006 to the address below and state the reasons for your choice in a short text. Please also attach a short biography of the candidate.

These proposals will be passed on to the members of an independent jury who will select the winner from among the proposals.

Last opportunity for nomination is May 15^th, 2006.

Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought, Wiesenstr. 53, 16352 Schoenwalde, Germany
Fax +49 (0)33056-436470, E-Mail: info@ibn-rushd.org, Web: http://www.ibn-rushd.org 
Web Magazine - Minbar IBN RUSHD li-l-Fikr al-Hurr: http://www.ibn-rushd.org/forum/MinbarIndex.htm

AIRSS (Arab Institute for Research and Strategic Studies)

"خبر للصحف ووكالات الأنباء ولمن يهمه الأمر"

أخذ المعهد العربي للبحوث والدراسات الإستراتيجية " www.airss.net " على عاتقه مخاطبة الآخر وتأصيل منهج حوار الحضارات والثقافات الإنسانية، وقد رأينا مشاهد العداوة والكراهية ضد ديننا الإسلامي الحنيف ورسالتنا وقيمنا، ورأينا فئة حاقدة تنال من كرامة نبينا الكريم.

إنّ مثل هذه التصرفات غير الأخلاقية والمنافية قد تدمر جهود بناء علاقات أفضل بين الإسلام والغرب، الأمر الذي كان يتطلب تضافر الجهود لإشاعة قيم التسامح ومواجهة هذه الأعمال العدوانية التي تثير الأحقاد، ونحن الآن بحاجة أكثر إلى تفعيل مشروع الانسجام الحضاري بين الإسلام والغرب ووضع اللبنات الأساسية  لمسألة التبادل الثقافي وإيجاد آلية  في وسائل الاتصال من أجل التعريف المتبادل بين الثقافات والحضارات والديانات وبلورة هذه الفكرة على أرض الواقع.

وإنه مهما كان اعتدال المسلم فإنه لن يساوم في أي شيء يتعلق بشخص الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم, لأنه بالنسبة للمسلمين فوق كل شيء في الكون وهو أحب إليهم من أنفسهم وأهلهم والناس أجمعين. والأمر هنا متعلق بتدنيس وتشويه كبير.. لا لقيمنا وحدها؛ بل لحضارتنا وتاريخنا ورسالتنا، وإن للمسلمين الحق في الاحتجاج بأسلوب حضاري على تلك الرسوم ومقاطعة الدول التي نشرتها. لأن إثارة القضية دوليا وتفعيلها قانونيا أمر مهم لوقف مثل هذه الإساءات،  وقد أشعل الغرب بذلك نارا ربما تأخذها الرياح إلى مسافات بعيدة ، لتسبب أزمة في مسار الحوار بين الثقافات والأديان.

 كلنا أمل في تجاوز هذه الأزمة وتبادل الأفكار والرؤى وبناء مساحات مشتركة للتفاهم واحترام الأديان وفهم معنى الخصوصية لكل شعب أو حضارة، والتي ينبغي أن لا تنفي التفاعل مع الآخر، إذ أن من حق الثقافات أن يكون لها خصوصيات وقدسيات، وكذلك يحتاج كل منا  لفهم حريته في الرأي والتعبير، وحدود وضوابط هذه الحرية، للتكيف في صيغة العلاقة بين الإسلام والغرب، لنجدد ونؤكد دعوتنا لحوار الحضارات من أجل الإنسان.

إن جهل الغرب بالإسلام، ربما يقف وراء الأزمة الحالية، وهو ما يفرض علينا مخاطبة الغرب بلغته..لتعريفه بديننا وثقافتنا وحضارتنا، وهذه  من أهم أولويات معهدنا التي يسعى لتحقيقها. لذلك وانطلاقا من وحي مسعانا الذي بدأنه في مخاطبة الاخر الذي انعكس ضمن مؤسسة أنا إنسان " www.iam-human.com  " نطلق موقعاً جديداً تحت عنوان "قاطع" وهو جزء أخر من التواصل الجماهيري مع العالم العربي والغربي على السواء وهو على الروابط التالية: www.qat3.com ، و الرابط www.qa63.com .

AIRSS (Arab Institute for Research and Strategic Studies)

Tel: 00962 6 5829601 , Fax: 00962 6 5829603

Email: amman@airss.net

www.airss.net