Friday, 3 September 2010
Burma
Friday, 19 February 2010
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Ross Kemp Middle East: ISRAEL
Let me make my position clear on this; I do not support bombing Supermarkets and Bus Stops. I do not support killing innocent people. However, when people are opressed history has shown time and time again that they nearly always turn to the gun and bomb, as they see little else that they can do. As a result I will not condem people who are responsible for this. I can not condem. I have no right to condem.
Anyway the show continues, and Ross Kemp goes to a training session for the IDF. The man he talks with makes it clear that they have a shoot to kill policy when it comes to those they designate as terrorists.
This show highlights that 24 people have been killed as a result of Bombs/Rockets from Gaza and in retaliation the Israeli forces have slaughtered 4000 Palestinians. The lives of the 24 is regretable. Whether it is 1 life, 24 lives or 4000 lives it is unacceptable. As a Pro Palestinian I do not support the deaths of these people, I do not believe it can be justified.. However this is the arguement used against Israel. The Israeli forces have used indiscriminate, unproportional, heavy handed response slaughtering thousands of innocent people. They have evicted the people, leaving them homeless. They have destroyed their livelyhoods by destroying such things as their Olive Grove's. They have broken the international laws by cliaming land over the green line.
This show highlights that while protesters throw stones, the Israeli forces fire bullets and tear gas and use Watercannons firing "Something very nasty, not just water". It is once again the arguement against the Israeli forces. Heavy handed oppression. Where is the justification for this action?
At this stage the show turns to the settler question. The settler that he chooses to talk to states clearly that she does not believe that the Arabs have rights to live in the area and using biblical language to prove this.
Now at this stage I would like to highlight, that despite what this woman states, the Old Testament, the scriptures that Jews study, states that the land belongs only to God. He gives the Israelites permission to live there, but the land belongs to God. However lets assume that they do have historical and religious rights to the land surely this accounts only for Religious Jews. How does this apply to non Religious Jews? The Israeli state allows settlements of secular Jews and takes land from the Palestinian Arabs to house these people?
I'm gonna cut this here, as opposed to commenting the whole show. But before I end I would like to clarify my position on the Palestinian cause.
I support Palestinian rights to live free from opression. Free from checkpoints and siege. I believe that the siege of Gaza must end. I believe that the checkpoints that stop the Palestinian people from travel in their own land must end. I believe that violence must come to an end. I believe that the construction of the segregation wall must come to an end and the current fortifications torn down. I believe that the state of Palestine needs to exist as a united state. Not a nation divided into the West Bank and the Gaza refugee camp. I believe that the continuation of settlements and land grabbing must halt now.
God Bless
Peace
Ross Kemp Middle East: GAZA
From the beginning of the show you can tell that it is to present antiHamas / ProIsrael propagandha. Anytime Hamas is mentioned, he refers to them as "terrorists", despite the fact that they are a democratically elected governing body for Gaza. None of his sweeping anti Hamas statements are backed up with evidence or sources. He claims that the people he has spoken to do not like Hamas, but with no evidence of the conversations.
The first conversation shows only a man claiming he has no issues with Israelis, but only the opressive government.
He accuses Hamas of firing rockets into Israel continually. Despite the incredile decline in rockets and the fact that Hamas have yet to admit, or even be accused of firing rockets into Israel since the slaughter a year ago. He then talks to "Islamic Jihad", a militant organisation, and using Israeli figures claims that they have fired over a Thousand rockets in the past year. Independant figures claim it is alot less.
Israel has desimated the Gaza strip, starved the people and continues to leave them homeless, sick and dying. Ross Kemp's entire show belittles the entire situation. He focuses completely on the fact that militant organisations exist. He attacks the "smuggling trade". Now I can not see why this is a bad thing? Israel has blockaded the innocent people of the Gaza strip, doing all it can to make sure no aid, food or treats get into the refugee camp. So in this situation is it wrong that people smuggle in as much as they can to keep life going? The issue of the rising prices for smuggled goods is the fault completely of Israel. Stop blockading the people and this could not happen. Stop bombing smuggling tunnels. I will be as bold as to say, I fully support the smuggling of goods. Hamas have no control over these tunnels, according to the smugglers and actually stop Drugs coming in to the refugee camp. Of course the black propaganda of Israeli and American media will deny this.
However near the end he seems to have a slight change of heart as he realises that these "smugglers" need to do this to put food in the stomach of their Children.
He ignores completely the situation that is actually day to day life. Hundreds of thousands of Men, Women and Children left homeless, starving and dying because Israel has blocked the borders, and decimated the area with massive explosions, including weaponry so inhumane that it is illegal.
Over 50% of Gaza's population are under 18. Impressionable young people, who living under oppression become angry and obviously can see no other option but to Fight. On going Rights marches and protests through out Palestine, West Bank and Gaza, have failed time and time again. Even at these peaceful protests, Israeli forces have used heavy handed attacks on the people and have even killed protesters. What other options do these people see for themselves?
The only hope for these people is calling off the blockade of Gaza and allowing the people to live. Allowing the people to see that the people of Israel do not hate Palestinians. Justice will breed peace and without this what hope is there for the people of Israel and Palestine?
God Bless
Peace
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Make up your own mind...
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Testimony 51: "We were told soldiers were to be secured by fire-power. The soldiers were made to understand that their lives were the most important, and that there was no way our soldiers would get killed for the sake of leaving civilians the benefit of the doubt… People were not instructed to shoot at everyone they see but they were told that from a certain distance when they approach a house, no matter who it is - even an old woman - take them down."
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - ROOFS, CELLULAR TELEPHONES, NIGHT TIME
Testimony 49: "Among other things, he strictly forbade us to climb up to roofs. He explained in fact that the air force has the 'go ahead' to fire at anyone seen on a roof."
Testimony 41: "You can't identify too much at night and anything that moves you engage in order not to take risks. It was not defined this way officially, but it was obvious. Any movement on the ground at night was doomed."
Testimonies 13 and 14: These describe an incident where an old man carrying a torch at night, walking towards an Israeli-held building, approached from about 150 metres - and was allowed to approach to 25 metres with no deterrent fire, before he was shot dead.
Testimony 14: "Everyone is shooting and shooting and the guy's screaming. The commander comes downstairs, glowing. 'Here's an opener for tonight'. He was asked why he wouldn't confirm deterrent fire. He said, "It's night time and this is a terrorist."
HUMAN SHIELDS
Some testimonies described the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, for example by making neighbours enter suspect houses ahead of troops. The use of human shields is prohibited under article 51.7 of the Geneva Conventions.
Testimony 1 "To every house we close in on, we send the neighbour in, 'the Johnnie'… Sometimes the force would enter while placing rifle barrels on a civilian's shoulder, advancing into a house and using him as a human shield. Commanders said these were the instructions and we had to do it…"
Testimony 2: "Part of the concept of razing was what the Israeli army calls 'the day after' consideration. Obviously this campaign would end at some point… The question was in what condition we'd leave the area, whether more exposed, a state that would afford us better firing and observation conditions, and far greater control. This was the principle behind all that razing - namely razing for our benefit.
Testimony 52: "Most of the destruction that went on there was not necessary.
AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE
Testimony 43 : "One guy said he just couldn't finish this operation without killing someone… [describes the shooting of a man "apparently some sort of lookout"] … I can definitely say he was not armed. I can definitely say the soldier regarded this as some children's game and was delighted and laughing after this. I think that a normal person, even having killed an armed terrorist, would not be amused."
Testimony 50: "The atmosphere was not one of fear but rather people too eager to shoot other people."
VANDALISM OF PALESTINIAN PROPERTY
Testimony 39: "The guys would simply break stuff. Some were out to destroy and trash the whole time. They drew a disgusting drawing on the wall. They threw out sofas. They took down a picture from the wall just to shatter it."
Testimony 52:
Q: Was there boredom at any point during these two weeks?
A: Much boredom.
Q: So what does one do to relieve this boredom?
A: I told you, fire at water tanks, I don't know, out of boredom. When there's nothing else to shoot at, you fire at water tanks."
WHITE PHOSPHORUS
Testimony 8:
Q: Why fire phosphorus?
A: Because it's fun. Cool… I don't know what it's used for… I don't understand what it's even doing in our supplies if we're not supposed to use such ammo. It's ridiculous.
Testimony 11: "There was an area of about 200-300 square meters of glazed sand.... We understood this resulted from white phosphorus, and it was upsetting… in training you learn that white phosphorus is not used, and you're taught that it's not humane. You watch films and see what it does to people who are hit, and you say, 'There, we're doing it too.' That's not what I expected to see. Until that moment I had thought I belonged to the most humane army in the world."
RELIGIOUS RHETORICTestimony 15 [describing a talk by a military rabbi]: "Lots of pathos, the kind of religious discourse I'm a bit familiar with: war of choice, holy war - differing rules. He spoke less in religious terminology… and was much more into militant faith. He aimed at inspiring the men with courage, cruelty, aggressiveness, expressions such as 'no pity, God protects you, everything you do is sanctified'. The gist of these statements was perhaps to bring things into agreement with religion, with God and whoever this man was supposed to represent, that everything or nearly everything is permissible. "

Saturday, 1 August 2009
"Its a matter of deep regret..."
That is the text of a statement made by the "Secretary of State" Shaun Woodward in relation to the murder of Aidan McAnespie, by a British Soldier, as he walked through an illegal checkpoint in the occupied territory. At this moment it seems that as far as the British Government are concerned, they are happy enough. So I would like to say I am extremely pleased for the family. However personally I would not be happy at all with this "result" if you can call it that.
The first aspect of this statement that struck me, is the lack of an actual apology and the recognition of failure by the British forces. They have yet to acknowledge that this was murder; state murder. In my opinion this makes the statement from the British completely pointless. Who needs to be told that it is regretable for the British government that their soldiers got caught.
Secondly we have the fact that they have completely ignored the HET findings and are still acknowledging the lies of the original story, by use of the words "which ricocheted from the road". The HET have stated in their report that this is so unlikely that it can almost be disregarded completely. However as we see the British choose not to accept or comment on this report.
Thirdly, still no one is to be held to account for this atrocity. The soldier that fired this shot was charged only with manslaughter, but even this was dropped, the witness absent without leave. So even now that we have this "deep regret" from the British Government, we have no justice.
Aidan McAnespie was harrassed and threatened by British soldiers as he walked in his own streets. These were reported to the RUC, who obviously did nothing. Aidan McAnespie was not IRA or even Sinn Féin affiliated in anyway. Aidan McAnespie was then shot by a British soldier, in the back, as he walked through a checkpoint on his way to a Gaelic game. The murderer got away with it, and the McAnespie family were faced with what must have seemed like a neverending battle for justice. Aidan's sister never lived to see this statement from the occupying government.
The reasoning that the British government can not apologise is due to the fact that they would have to come out and admit that they are guilty of unacceptable heinous crimes against the Irish, that could amount to ethnic cleansing. Its no secret that since the occupation of our Island that the British have been nothing more than evil.
We see another example in the recent uncovering of a new document in the McGurk Bar Bombing. For many many years the British government covered up a loyalist slaughter on innocent people, murdered not for being Irish or Republican, but merely for being Catholic. The claims that the bomb exploded within the walls of the bar convicted the innocent dead of being part off a bomb making class and killed themselves. A new document, dated the day off the explosion, a document is possesion of the British army, highlighting that the bomb exploded outside the walls of the bar. With full knowledge of the innocence of the victims, the British governement allowed the loyalist murder gangs to once more get away with the attempted ethnic cleansing of the Catholics in the occupied territory of Ireland.
The people of Ireland can never have justice until the foriegn occupants make a full apology and fully accept their evil ways in Ireland and furthermore pull out off our country.
God Bless
Peace
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Leonard Cohen Legitimises the Nakba

In July 2005 almost 200 Palestinian civil society organisations called for a "Boycott, Divesment and Sanctions against Israel until it complies with international Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights". Since 2005 Israels regime has become even more hateful and cruel, with the Seige on Gaza still not being lifted. The aparthied wall has been condemned as illegal by the UN and yet Arabs are still unhoused for its continued construction. More people are being unhoused for building developments in the West Bank. More and more checkpoints have been set up, breaking human rights laws. 2009 began with another slaughter of Palestinain civilians by Israeli armed forces, backed by the USA finacially and with weapons, that left 1,300 murdered, 0ver 400 of whom where women or Children and 86% o whom were declared civilians. News later revealed that innocents has been slaughtered intentionally. During this slaughter houses, hospitals, schools and mosques where attack with phospherous gas, which is illegal.
It is based on this that Leonard Cohen has been called upon to cancel his Tel Aviv appearence. At nearly every performance this year, different organisations have organised protests outside his shows, as letters from many orgainsations where ignored. To further add insult to the cause of Palestinian human rights, Leonard Cohen cancelled his Palestinian date instead.
A letter signed by 4 Jewish academics wrote
"You will perform for a public that by a very large majority had no qualms about its military forces' onslaught on Gaza... You will perform in a state whose propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence... And you are telling the Palestinians ...that their suffering doesn't matter."
IPSC echoes that call.
In further news, as we already know in the latest elections Israel elected a Right Wing, more so anti Palestinian party. The education minister in this regime has decided that the word Nakba should be dropped from text books. Despite the fact that the word only appears in the book aimed at Arab Israeli citizens.
The passage in question, which occurs in one textbook aimed at Arab children aged around eight or nine, describes the 1948 war, which resulted in Israel's creation, in the following terms: "The Arabs call the war the Nakba - a war of catastrophe, loss and humiliation - and the Jews call it the Independence War.
Furthermore, despite the fact that Israel celebrates this every year, the new regime is trying to pass a bill that will make it illegal for the Arab Israelis to mourn this day in commemeration of the Nakba every May 15th. More Racist rule from Binyamin Netanyahu's regime.
Also, I have been trying to follow the story in Honduras, which is something I will blog about if I can educate myself further. However one thing that does bear mentioning is All EU countries pulled out their diplomats from Honduras within days or weeks apppearently. However when Israel was slaughtering the people of Gaza Hugo Chavez was the only leader with the testicular fortitude to remove his Israeli ambassador. That is a bit dissapointing.
God Bless
Peace
Friday, 3 July 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
You can't decommision attitudes (*Harsh Language*)
We are certainly in a period of less conflict, but is it peace? Well anything other than a physical peace? No, it is not. Still we see flags hoisted to mark ones territory from another, Kerbs painted and the typical traditional hate marchs that happen each year at this time.
It's not hard to see that with all the talk of loyalist decommisioning, that little has been done

A year ago, at Easter a women was forced, by the PSNI, a s'posed impartial Police Service, to remove her Irish flag. The national flag of her country. And Yet with out any arguement, permissions or consideration for the lowly second class "tims", hundreds of anti-irish flags, UVF Flags and flags of the Foriegn "Union" are hoisted all around my village, where I live. Again to remind me, that I merely have residence there. I'm not part of the community. I'm second class.
Then begin the bigot hate parades. The "Loyal Orange Lodge", an organisation that claims to be religious, march through Nationalist area, all over the occupied state, playing songs such as "Kick The Pope" and lyrics such as "Up to our neck in fenian blood 'til the day I die", with band names such as "KAI: Kill All Irish" and waving more sectarian flags. They claim its their traditional routes. I guess they are right. Hate is their tradition. What has kicking the Pope, Killing fenians and harassing locals got to do with christianity? About as much as the "Christian" Ku Klux Klan who marched the streets of the south, harassing and harbouring hate against the "second class lowly niggers" and waving their flags to represent hate.


Then comes the enviormental nightmare of the bigoted Alcohol fueled hate fires. All over the occupied state once again, huge piles of wood are stacked, made ready to be set alight on the 11th night so that local hoods, loyalists and bigots can dance to sectarian music, flags wrapped around them and reminise of the old days where it was okay to hate fenians openly. Anyone that tries to argue these fires are anything other than a hate celebration, is undermined by the use of Irish Flags, Pope models and, horrifyingly, the names of children killed by loyalist bigots used as toppers for their fires.

Note the Use of Sinn Féin posters.

Note the use of a "Papal Figure" on the top

Note the use of many Irish flags, and a poster displaying the 10 men who died on the 1981 Hunger Strike, who died for the rights of Republican and Loyalist prisioners.

Mervyn Wilson Moon (20), of Douglas Terrace, had admitted murder at the start of the trial. Christopher Andrew McLeister (18), of Knockeen Crescent, who had been on trial for murder, was found guilty of manslaughter. Paul Edward David Henson (19), of Condiere Avenue, was convicted of affray and criminal damage. Man Slaughter and criminal damage?? The UDA then threatened the father when he tried to have the flag removed. Striking similarity can be found in the Robert Hamil and the Kevin McDaid cases. Police have accepted now that members of the UDA and the Pride of the Band Orange flute band were involved in murdering Kevin McDaid, beating up his wife Evelyn and issuing threats to his son, and the family of Damien Flemming.
So what do I make of the loyalist decommisioning? Not a dam thing. The UVF, the UDA, the RHC and the LVF were all involved in collusion cases with the British Army and the RUC, and nearly all of them, if not all, were members of the "Loyal Orange Lodge". Nearly every RUC member was also a member of both paramilitaries and the LOL.
The IRA decommissioned four years ago, and only now are we hearing of loyalists making the move. Not only that but they have been considering financial grants to help them do so. That is the biggest insult imaginable to the families of the 1,000 innocent people slaughtered by those bastards. The UVF have claimed to have decommissioned everything and the RHC claim the same. The UDA "have begun" the process. The LVF haven't made a mention, and it seems no one is gonna ask either. With the UVF/RHC, they had three witnesses, whom they chose, and now expect to move into a political role. This is a disgusting thought.
When the IRA decommisioned, the loyalists threw every possible road block imaginable. They demanded they chose the witnesses, and then refused to even consider decommisioning until the Army Council was declared no more. They did it. Four years ago. At this stage if the IIDC report the decommisioning of weapons I will accept that. But I will not accept the legitmising of their bigoted beliefs, by allowing their "army council" to remain.
Further more we have been reminded of the words of David Irvine, a loyalist paramilitary himself, that the "war is over". To even consider the actions of the loyalist paramilitaries to be a war is an insult to the intellegience of any Catholic, regardless of wether they are Republican or Nationalist. Most of the 1,000 killed had no involvement in either the IRA or even Sinn Féin. Most were working class Catholics just trying to live a life. Kidnapping Catholics, pulling them into a black taxi and slaughtering them with butchers knifes in an alley can in no way be called a war. They were not, and can never be legitimised as an army.
They were a band of armed bigots, out to kill anyone Catholic or Irish, and when that was no longer acceptable, they took their hate out on eachother and terrorised the normal, true Protestant people.
To call loyalist paramilitaries or the "LOL" a Protestant organisation, is an insult to the many great Protestant churchs in our world. It is also an insult to the Protestant history of the Irish people. Many of the Irish revolutions were led by decent working Protestant citizens, both in Political and armed arenas. Many men and women involved in the rebirth of Irish culture were of Protestant denominations.
The point I want to make is, its a simple fact that we are not in a time of peace because mindsets are the same. We only want peace, as long as its "our" peace. The loyalist idea of peace, is that we don't use weapons anymore, and that we Irish Republicans, just accept that this is "Northern" Ireland, and just forget about a United Free Ireland. To help us on our way to this thought process, they will of course hoist the flags, sing the songs and parade on the streets and continue to antagonise the locals.
You Can't Decommision Attitudes
God Bless
Peace
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Colonial Conquest of Iraq
Britain entered a land, used force to take control of that land, despite being an invading minority, divided its peoples, pulled out of the country and left it to tear itself apart. Countries in Africa, Asia, The Americas and even Australiasia were invaded by Britain and left in tatters. Some countries still bear the mark; Examples such as Australia's flag, Hawaii's Flag, the Queens face on Canadian coinage etc etc. Other countries are still "controlled" by the British crown, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales and also the Falkland Islands etc.
Anyway today we were greeted with the News, that after six years of occupation, combat operations in Iraq will cease. 234 Brits were killed, and at least 7,269 Iraqis murdered. We saw Sadam Hussein face the hangmans noose, and where as I don't think his Regime was fair or just, his murder was immoral. Tyrants hanging Tyrants. And what was it all for? Weapons of Mass destruction, that the governments had irrifutable evidence off? Yet they found none.
What will they leave behind? You guessed it. Divided people, that will most likely tear themselves apart. "Iraqi insurgents" have not been wiped out, or defeated, and they will now fight back. Histroys habit of repeat is striking sometimes.


God Bless
Peace
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
In Defence of Smaller Nations... Western White Nations

Navi Pallay, a UN Human Rights Chief, say she is disappointed at the boycott. The Pope spoke out in favour of the conference, saying it was an opportunity to fight discrimination and intolerance.
"A handful of states have permitted one or two issues to dominate their approach to this issue, allowing them to outweigh the concerns of numerous groups of people that suffer racism and similar forms of intolerance to a pernicious and life-damaging degree on a daily basis all across the world..." - Navi Pallay
"We ask for firm and consistent action, at national and international level, to prevent and eliminate any form of discrimination and of intolerance," - Pope Benidict XVI
Many of the Western Nations that did not boycott the conference, including France, Spain and Britain, walked out once the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began to speak. These Nations chose to walk out on the many in the world suffering under Racial oppression. They walked out on the Palestinian people, the Tibetian People, the Burmese people and the Sri Lankan People. I have no shame in saying I agreed with alot of what Ahmadinejad said. The following, are quotes from the speech, that I agreed with.

The nations of the world, too afraid to lose out financially, walked out on the truth and chose to ignore the suffering of small nations. "In defence of small nations" seems to mean nothing when that small nation is both eastern and Arab. The fact that many chose to Boycott the conference, just because Ahmadinejad was addressing, shows racism against small Arab Nations.
Ahmadinejad had the courage to stand up and say, what the general people of the west said, and have been saying, since Operation Cast Lead and even before. However the Governments of the western world are too afraid to make such statements, cause they are afraid of being called anti semitic. Being pro Palestinian and anti Zionist is not the same as being anti semetic, as many Jews throughout the world will agree. It is not Jewish to remove Arabs from their land and replace them in their homes with foreign settlers. It is not Jewish to Build a wall through Palestinain territory, housing them all in, and stopping their travel with illegal checkpoints and putting them under military occupation. It is not anti semetic to support Palestinian rights.
At least some of the nations leaders returned after Ahmadinejad's speech, however, the Czechs refused to return as a result. His presence there was too much, for this White Western nation, and they refused to share the rest of the day with him. The response of many of the worlds nations should be addressed. The Czech Foriegn Ministry, and current President of the EU, refused to return and said;
"We cannot allow, through our presence, the legitimisation of absolutely unacceptable anti-Israeli attacks. The Czech delegation will not return to the conference at all, as a consequence to Ahmadinejad's speech." - Czech Foriegn Ministry
To this I say, why can you not allow your presence to legitimise the "attacks". Infact I believe that your presence should and Must legitimise these "verbal attacks". Your walking out Legitimised 1,300 dead, 400 of whom where Children and women, and 86% were confirmed to be civilians. It legitimises the recent confessions that innocent civilians were shot intentionally. That the homes of Civilians where vandalised and their faith insulted by crude sexual diagrams. It legitimises the tshirts worn by Israeli soldiers that showed Arab women in the crosshairs. Your walking out legitimised Phosphuros attacks on Schools, Hospitals, mosques and homes. Your walking out legitimised Racism.
To David Miliband, the British Foriegn secretary, after claiming "President Ahmadinejad's remarks... were offensive, inflammatory and utterly unacceptable", I say this. Yes they where offensive, cause sometimes the truth hurts, and you are offended because you refuse to stand up and be held to account, and to stand for what you know is true and right.
As for Jonas Gahr S
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Ban Ki Moon has disappointed me before and makes no exception here. "I deplore the use of this platform by the Iranian president to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve." This conference seeked to achieve what then exactly? Was it not to fight Racism?? So if a Racist regime gets shaken in the process is this not part of what you set out to do. Or is it now Racist to disagree with Racists??
Furthermore, not only do I agree with the statement during the conference, but the attempt to justify himself afterwards.
"The main issue of the conference was racism. Are they supporting racism?... So why shouldn't they participate in a conference which is aimed at discussing and eleminating racism. The second point is, that the United Nations should be Civil Manifestation of Democracy and freedom of expression. Everybody should enjoy the right to freely express his or her own opinions. In turn we should not be intolerant to listening." - Ahamdinejad
The United Nations may as well join the League of Nations in the grave as it died of a lack of exercise, and the United Nations seems fit to follow.
I do not claim to know enough about Iran to fully support Ahmadinejad's rule, but I agree with what he said at Durban II, and I think the nations that Boycotted the Racism conference in Durban, are the ones that need to do the Soul Searching. They need to step back and take alook at themselves.
The United States is a Nation that is built on Slaughter and Slavery. A nation of people, that when they arrived on the shores, attempted to genocide, to rid the land of its indigenous people. A nation that while writing "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...", enslaved the African people based purely on skin colour. Are still a nation that spend more on War and weaponry than Education, and provide more aid to Israel than they do to the rest of the world combined. Now they Boycott a Racism conference, cause they don't like one of the sub-issues.
The British Empire, built off the spoils of poorer nations, when they plundered and pilaged and colonised Africa, India, Asia and America. A nation that has ravaged the history of Ireland with Bloodshed, opression and left it a divided nation amoung a divided people.
Let us take a look at this world we live in. Ravaged with Inequality, Opression, Occupation and Poverty. United Nations?? Our Nations are far from United. Very Very Far.
God Bless
Peace
Friday, 20 March 2009
"A Good Arab is an Arab in the Grave"

I need not saying anything more than the words of the Soliders themselves:
"What's great about Gaza; You See a person on a path, he doesn't have to be armed, you can simply shoot him. In our case it was an old person on whom I did not see any weaon when I looked. The order was to take down the person, this Women, the minute you see her. There are always the saying, 'Maybe he's a Terrorist.' What I felt was, there was a lot of thirst for blood"
"The atmosphere in general; How should I say this? The Life of Palestinians is much less important than the life of our soliders"
"At the beginning the directive was to enter a house with an armoured vehicle, to break the door down, to start shooting inside and to ascend floor by floor and – I call it murder – to go from floor to floor and to shoot at everyone we identify. In the beginning I asked myself how could this make sense? Higher-ups said it is permissible because everyone left in the city [Gaza City] is culpable because they didn't run away. This frightened me a bit. I tried to influence it as much as possible, despite my low rank, to change it. In the end the directive was to go into a house, switch on loudspeakers and tell them 'you have five minutes to run away and whoever doesn't will be killed'." (Note: That is Ethnic Cleansing Philosophy)
What more do I need to say on the matter. Surely this is all the evidence the ICC needs to at least begin an investigation? I do not have much faith left in the ICC. Much like the UN and the EU, these organisations semm to fail to look after the most vunarable people of the World. Time and time again positions of power have corrupted the purpose behind these organisations.

Palestinans have always been denied this right. For many Palestinians, once they leave their home, there is no return. Bulldozers, F-16's and Tank Shells usually make sure of that. However for those that have been luck enough to return to their homes after Operation Cast Lead, they are not granted the feelings Peace, Safety and Security. They are returning to find their Homes vandalised and defaced.
The squad leader said: "To write 'death to the Arabs' on walls, to take family pictures and spit on them, just because you can. I think this is the main thing: To understand how much the IDF has fallen in the realm of ethics." - Squad Leader Aviv
Crude sexual diagrams, Racist drawings of Mosques urinated upon and Hate slogans have been left all over the remaining homes, or ruins of homes.
"The writing left by Israeli soldiers in the homes in Gaza provides an insight into the disturbing culture of hatred and racism towards Palestinians and Arabs which exists among parts of Israeli society,"- Hamdi Shaqqura (The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights' (PCHR) director of democratic development)
In light of the evidence PCHR has gathered of the willful and wanton killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, this graffiti is even more disturbing.
A stairwell, includes the following sentences written in chalk:
"There will be a day when we kill all the Arabs."
"Bad for the Arabs is good for me."
"A good Arab is an Arab in the grave."
"Peace now, but between Jews and Jews, not Jews and Arabs."
I don't even know where to go from here. Will we never see a world where people do not hate. Where people are not constantly trying to one up the other??
In other news, an article I read in the Gaurdian, by Seth Freedman, he reports upon threats of a third Intifada. The article is entitled "Trouble Brewing in Jerusalem". I would suggest reading it. Its very interesting.
I think I will end here, with my request as usual. Boycott Israel, Economically and Academically.
God Bless
Peace
Friday, 13 March 2009
Its been a brave while... and nothing has changed

Well it has been a brave while since I posted anything. Quite alot has been going on in the world. It's a sad thing, that everyday I read about Wars, Murders and Occupations. I for one have not posted a blog in a long time not regarding the aforementioned topics. This blog will be no different.
Firstly to address the reasoning behind My lack off bloging. I recently did not see the point. I have few readers, and clearly this blog is not making any difference to anyone. I read recently that the Reason the ICC have not made a case against Ehud Olmert, and other Terrorists, is that they are not sure is Palestine is enough of an official state. How is that even justified?? People are people, regardless of whether they are an officially recognised state or not. Despite that, as Edward Campbell says
"The Palestinian Authority does not need to be a sovereign state for Israel to be tried in the ICC, because the ICC will not be asserting jurisdiction over Palestine. The ICC will be asserting Jursidiction over Israel" - Edward Campbell, taken from his article "The ICC Doesnt need Jurisdiction over Palestine to Proceed against Israel".
Secondly, I want to address an article I came across today, on the BBC and Al Jazeera. Hamas have criticised the Rocket attacks on Israel. I was interested at the language of the spokesman. The spokesperson said rockets where "being fired at the wrong time". This is quite similar to the language of the Irish Republicans sitting in the Stormount Government, when talking about recent dissident Republicans. I will not disscuss my views on that here. I just thought the similarity was interesting.
Anyway Israel have yet to make a response about the recent statement. However Israel has held Hamas responsible for all the attacks on the Southern Israeli towns, and has made threats against them for them all. Hamas have now criticised them and have denied responsibility for them all. So a response from Israel will be Interesting.
Also, people from Israel now seem to be questioning the whole Operation Cast Lead results and purpose. One newspaper even asks "Did we even fight a war in Gaza?" We can see the uncertianty in the following quote:
"In the face of the enemy... Israel will present itself as a 'Crazy Country', the kind that will respond in a massive and unfettered assault, with no proportion to the amount of casulties it has endured" - Ofer Shelah
The Israel Daily, Yediot Ahronot, went as far as to say Operation Cast Lead had failed miserably. In fact the conclusion was simply "In Brief, We're Screwed".
However it is far from a change in attitudes and actions from Israel. Despite the presence of an international committee, examining the Arab Living conditions in Negev, Israeli athorities have demolished two arab owned houses, and uprooted a further 100 Olive Trees. Plans for further Israeli only settlements have continued to be developed for the West Bank.
God Bless
Peace
Saturday, 28 February 2009
What (a) Wonderful World?
I love this Planet, and I do believe we live in a wonderful world. Its a pity that some people and governments seem to have given up on their fellow man, and hold themselve above others.
As some of you may know, Tibet is under Chinese rule, and the Tibetan people are unfairly treated. China has for a long time been known to have a bad track record with Human rights, and this continues with the treatment of Tibet. However what I read in the news today is a sad sad story.
It is a common practise for Tibetan monks to set themselves alight, as a form of peaceful protest. Residents of the town of Aba, in the south west Sichuan Provice, witnessed a Monk waving the Flag of Tibet, douse himself with Petrol and set himself alight. However uncommonly they then witnessed Police shoot the protester. His name was Tapay. The protest came after a gathering to Celebrate the Tibetan new year, which the Chinese Government had banned. It is also nearing the 50th Anniversary of the uprising that led the Dalai Lama to flee to India.
On the other side of the world, Palestinian militants have fired five Rockets into Southern Israel, hitting the coastal town of Ashkelon, damaging a school but causing no injuries. A general strike was called across the occupied West Bank territory, with schools and shops remaining shut, to protest against the 1,500 to be evicted.
The United States, Israel and Canada have shamefully refused to attend a conference on Racism, to be held in Geneva, becuase

"Under the fig leaf of combating racism, this conference is blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli" - Tzipi Livni
Obviously Pro Israeli groups are supporting the move also. The Netherlands and France have voiced concern but are not yet boycotting the conference. In other Palestine related news Israel have blocked a Pasta shipment to the Gaza strip. Food, a basic human right.
Why do I question humanity?? Well this is the cliff hanger. I question humanity, cause no one seems to give a .... well you know. Currently the Tibetan, Burmese, Palestinian, Tamils, Basque and Irish people, to name very very few, live under illegal occupation, and/or are opressed in one form or other.
In Tibet, it is illegal to even fly the flag. In Burma, the legally elected Government are held in detention by a military force government. Read my previous blogs, you'll see that to even be Palestinian is a crime according to Israel. In the Basque region any Basque affiliated Political parties are banned. In the Occupied Ireland we can't even get equal standing for our language.
And No one seems to care.
Those that do care are penalised, by being branded as Racist or antisemitic. In Canada too colleges banned posters calling for an end to Israeli aparthied.
I don't know where I'm going with this so I guess I'll leave it here.
God Bless
Peace
Monday, 23 February 2009
Amnesty International calls for an Embargo

Now I'm a little unsure about how I feel on the weapon front. I believe that yes the world should stop selling weapons to Israel. But should weapon trade with Hamas be stopped, leaving Hamas completely unarmed, whilst Israel remains heavily armed? I'm unsure on my stance on that one. Of course I would prefer that neither were armed heavily, or even armed at all.
It has went as far as to call for an Embargo, by the UN Security Council. Now Embargo by definition is, "is the prohibition of commerce (division of trade) and trade with a certain country, in order to isolate it and to put its government into a difficult internal situation, given that the effects of the embargo are often able to make its economy suffer from the initiative" (Wikipedia). So this is in effect, by my niave understanding, a boycott.
Now why should the people of Palestine have a boycott against them? They have little enough trade as it is, when their natural resources, like the that of the Dead Sea, are illegally sold to make money for Israel, and their Olive groves are uprooted to build Israels illegal aparthied wall. I fully back a boycott of Israel while it continues to ignore international law, and the rights of the Palestinian people.
Anyway the report from Amnesty International has accused Israel breaking humanitarian law, highlighting the substancial amount of evidence to prove the illegal use of White Phosphorus Gas, also stating that this was supplied by the USA. Hamas have been condemned for firing unguided missiles into civilian area's of Israel.
Mark Regev is not one of my favourite people, and has claimed that the Amnesty International report is hugely flawed because they also spoke with Hamas. Obviously the only way to write a fully accurate report, would be to ask the people guilty of War Crimes wether or not they committed war crimes, against a people that they fully hate. Am I Right? No I'd be mentally unstable to believe that. The fact is that Israel has admitted to War crimes, without the world even acknowledging it.
The International Committee of the Red Cross - guardian of the Geneva Conventions on which international humanitarian law is based - defines a combatant as a person " in hostilities". Benjamin Rutland told the BBC that their "definition is that anyone who is involved with terrorism within Hamas is a valid target. This ranges from the institutions and includes the directly engagedstrictly military political institutions". To attack the Political institutions is against Humanitarian War crimes, which insists that civilian death are to be a minimum. A civilian, in accordence to these laws is someone that is not a combatant. The definition of which I have already given.
In the words of Philippe Sands, a professer of international law in London, "Once you extend the definition of combatant in the way that IDF is apparently doing... it becomes an open-ended definition, which undermines the very object and purpose of the rules that are intended to be applied".
In other news, the terrorist Primeminister, Ehud Olmert has suspended the Hamas ceasefire negotiator. Amos Gilad has recently been negotiating the release of the Israeli Militant soldier Gilad Shalit.
God Bless
Peace
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Evictions, Uprootings, Deaths and Border Opening

In accordence to international law, East Jerusalem is not recognised as Israeli territory, but occupied land. This being fact, makes the demolishing of these houses illegal:
Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, is a grave breach of the Convention.
Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war;
Also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17: 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.'
In other news, 300 Olive saplings have been uprooted in Jab'a, Western Bethlahem. Bulldozers uprooted the saplings, because Israeli Occupation Forces claim t to be state land, and so it would be illegal for the owners to cultivate it. The land is owned by four families, who have inherited it from their fathers, and who own official ownership papers and so Israeli forces can not claim it as state land, and cultivation of the land is not illegal.
A further 25 Olive Trees where uprooted in Ni'lin, leading to clashes between residents and soldiers. Rubber bullets and Tear gas were fired on the civilians, and one civilian was shot in the face.
Around 9am on Sunday morning, Eygpt opened the Rafah border, which was expected to stay open for just 3 days.
"The mood here for the first time in an awful long time is one of great happiness for those few who are being able to cross the border" - Todd Baer, Al Jazeera
God Bless
Peace
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Palestine Update

The BBC once again does not come out looking to good in this blog. Now maybe the BBC in this situation just don't see the Palestinian story important, but the way they report only makes me feel they are just Pro-Israeli. At the beginning of the week reports announced that Israel had fired on a Lebanon Ship, bringing aid to Gaza. The BBC reported this as a side story online with the headline "Israel 'attack' Gaza aid ship", insinuating that this is only an alleged incident. Al Jazeera had the story as breaking news.
Now the truth is a little hazy to me, however Palestinians on the ship say Israel fired, and Israel have denied it. Either way the BBC has failed to report the story effectively. Israel however did admit to boarding the boat. The Aid and the Activists were expelled, but blood products were brought by road. Reports claim that men on the boats were beaten and kicked, though once again Israel denies this.
Also following the seizure of aid, by HAMAS, the UN has decided to cease sending Aid. Hamas has said the seizure of the Aid was a mistake, and that the aid will be returned. The UN are currently still waiting.
In the early hours of Friday morning, Israeli forces fired four missiles on to the Gazan smuggling tunnels. The attacks came following two rockets fired onto southern Israel from Gaza.
Also Israeli forces killed a man in the West Bank, but I will not claim to have enough knowledge of the situation to make any statements about it.
The world can not seriously believe that there is still a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has broken that ceasefire, and is still forcing Palestinians to live in abject poverty. The Siege of Gaza must end, and it must end now. The only way to make a lasting effect on Israel is to boycott their goods. The EU governments must urge for an end to Israeli - EU trade.
Does the world want to see Israel successfully complete their Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People? If they refuse to recognise the crimes of the Israeli state, and recognise the plight of the Palestinian people then that is exactly what will happen. The World vowed "Never Again", and yet they stand by and ignore this Ethnic Cleansing. Disgraceful.
God Bless
Peace
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
The World Vowed Never Again. Why then did it happen?
On many occasions, the suposed, powers of the world have wasted time discussing "Is the term Genocide applicable?" or that the Rules of intervention are not clear and thus they do not know if they can act. Whatever the excuse the world has failed.
- Bangladesh 1971: 10 months of fighting led to the slaughter of 500,000 Hindus. No one was ever held to account.
- Burundi 1972: the Tutsi tribe slaughtered 80,000 Hutus.
- East Timor 1975: 200,000 East Timorese were slaughtered. Violence continued in 1999. UN took no action.
- Guatemala 1981-83: 200,000 Mayan victims were slaughtered.
- Bosnia 1992-1995: 200,000 Muslims slaughtered. UN Troops did nothing.
- Rawanda 1994: 100 days of Genocide leave 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead at the hands of the Hutu. UN troops where ordered to withdraw once violence started.
- Darfur 2003-Present Day: Janjaweed and Sudan Government Have slaughtered 300,000 in Darfur.
- Palestine 1948: Since 1948 Israeli forces have taken part in an ethnic cleasing of Palestinian Arabs. In 22 Days of terrorism, 1,300 Palestinians were Slaughtered, 400 of them Children. The UN did nothing.
What about Tibet? Burma? Iraq? Afghanistan? Ireland? The list goes on and on.
I don't really know what point to end on here. Its a sad realistion that the world has let this happen. Furthermore rich countries ignore starvation and disease, in developing countries.
We must not let the world fail again. This is why we must urge the UN, the EU and our own nations to begin a boycott of Israel. They need to cut down on the money wasted on weaponry, and help the poor and the starving and the opressed. The world can be a better place, if only enough people want it to be.
In the words of Frank Turner "Come on Old Friends to the Streets". Stand up for what you believe in, and shout if you have too.
God Bless
Peace