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Mrn arrest of two south Africans in uganda

26 August 2008

The Secretary General
Mr. Gwede Mantashe
African National Congress
Luthuli House
Johannesburg.

Sir

The Media Review Network is concerned at the arrest and incarceration of two South Africans, Mufti Hussein Bhayat, a cleric from Lenasia and Mr. Haroon Saley from Azaadville. Both gentlemen represent a charitable organisation, The Crescent of Hope, and have been involved in relief work on the Continent and at home for many years.

On Sunday 17th August 2008, they were returning to South Africa after completing their relief work in Kenya. They were travelling via Kampala, Uganda, and at the stop over at Entebbe Airport they were arrested for alleged terrorist activities, by the Ugandan Authorities. Two Ugandan citizens who came to meet the South Africans were also arrested.

After numerous attempts by the family lawyer for information about the two men from the Department of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic access was eventually secured from the Ugandan Authorities. This took a week to process.

Notwithstanding the fact that we do have a High Commissioner based in Kampala, The Media Review Network is troubled and anxious to note that it took such a prolonged period before the Department of Foreign Affairs could provide positive information about South African Citizens in a foreign country. Unfortunately this has led to a perceived lack of interest as well as negative speculation vis-à-vis the Department of Foreign Affairs. As a desperate measure the family had to obtain the services of legal council in Kampala to assist them 

Sir, the Media Review Network would like your Office to kindly intervene on our behalf with the Department to determine exactly why these gentlemen have been arrested and incarcerated. We do believe that if evidence is available as to their alleged terrorist activities then they should be charged accordingly. If not then the Department, through its High Commissioner, should assist in securing their immediate release so that they are able to return to their home and their loved ones.

The anger and frustration of the Muslim community at this stereotyping and religious profiling is quite understandable. The Muslim Community would be deeply grateful to the African National Congress if you could add your voice to their call for the unconditional release of the two men. The aggravation and annoyance of such arbitrary arrests and harassment only impedes the progress of the humanitarian efforts carried out by these men and their organisation. Your public support for the efforts of these organisations to alleviate poverty and hunger on our Continent will also be highly appreciated.

Thank you,
Iqbal Jassat
Chairman
Media Review Network

 

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Poem just another passing moment in Gaza

Poem: Just Another Passing Moment in Gaza
By Saber Ahmad Jazbhay – Durban, South Africa

Plain in the sniperscope
little more than flesh
less than completely skeletal
a silhouette
defiantly heads
across
no man’s land
when
a missile less than
an inch
blows a hole in his chest
and like a dead leaf
he crumbles in a spiral……..

did I hear him
call out
to God
or was it a curse
to the fates that imprisoned
him
in a charnel house
for the barely living?

mahmoud
must have read about it
in his daily
mid-day briefing
remembering
to pay a visit
to the widow of yet another
martyr
but not before
having tea with ehud
and then
to the local mosque
to supplicate.

The world hardly pauses
not even to catch  its breath
or sigh
 
*Source: Palestine Chronicle 

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Islamic human rights commission alert

Alert: Libya – Human rights activists handed down heavy sentences

1. Summary

12 human rights activists were handed down heavy sentences on 10 June 2008 for planning a peaceful demonstration to protest against killing of several demonstrators who died due to clashes with police forces as they rallied against cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in European newspapers. One of them, Idriss Boufayed, who was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, is suffering from an advanced form of lung cancer.

IHRC requests campaigners to write to the Ambassador to Libya in their country and urge him/her to release the detained activists.

2. Background

Idriss Boufayed, Jamal el-Hajj and 10 other human rights activists were handed down heavy sentences on 10 June 2008. According to a report by Amnesty International (AI), they were arrested in February 2007, for plannuing a peaceful demonstration to mark the anniversary of the killing of twelve demonstrators and the injuring of tens of others in Benghazi. The demonstration in Benghazi had been held to protest against the depiction of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in cartoons in several European newspapers, as well as against the ‘actions of an Italian government minister who appeared on Italian television wearing a T-shirt showing one of the cartoons.’

AI further reports that ‘Boufayed, who was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, suffers from an advanced form of lung cancer.’ Boufayed is ‘an outspoken critic of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi and secretary general of the Libyan organisation National Union of Reform.’

All human rights activists have been charged with ‘vaguely worded offences’, such as "attempting to overthrow the political system,"spreading false rumours about the Libyan regime" and "communicating with enemy powers."

For further details about their case, please read AI’s report* at:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE19/006/2008/en/025816d3-3866-11dd-a7d1-851179bc648e/mde190062008eng.html

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/feature-stories/one-year-missing-and-imprisoned-libya-20080222

3. Action required

Please write to the Ambassador to Libya in your country and protest against the unjust sentences handed down to the human rights activists.

UK campaigners can write to:

Chargés d’Affaires Mr Omar R Jelban
The People’s Bureau of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya
15 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7LY

Fax +44 207 245 0588

4. Sample letters

Sample letters are given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you sent and the reply you received to IHRC. This is extremely important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters.

1. Sample letter to Libyan Ambassador

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

[Date]

Chargés d’Affaires Mr Omar R Jelban
The People’s Bureau of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya
15 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7LY

Dear Mr Omar R Jelban,

Re: Libyan human rights activists handed down heavy sentences

I am very concerned about 12 human rights activists who were handed down unjust sentences on 10 June 2008, for apparently no reason except that they chose to express their right to freedom of expression. They were  arrested in February 2007 for holding a peaceful demonstration in Tripoli, to mark the anniversary of the killing of 12 demonstrators who died during clashes with the police while they were protesting against the depiction of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) in cartoons in European newspapers.

According to reports that I read, these human rights activists were subjected to incommunicado detention, poor diet and insufficient medical care. Some were subjected to regular torture as well. The group went on hunger strike to protest against this mistreatment.

On 10 June 2008, they were convicted on vague charges such as "attempting to overthrow the political system," "spreading false rumours about the Libyan regime" and "communicating with enemy powers."

During the trial under the new state security court, the activists did not have the right to counsel except one detainee and were not allowed to contact their lawyers outside court

I am especially concerned for one of them, Mr Idriss Boufayed, who has been sentenced to 25 years, and is suffering from an advanced form of lung cancer. According to reports, a medical committee established by the Ministry of Justice had determined that Mr Boufayed should be released on medical grounds. Further, another human rights activist, Mr Abdelrahman al-Qateewy, arrested with the others in February 2007, remains missing.

Your country is state party to International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and is thus obliged to respect the right to freedom of speech and association of its citizens. I therefore urge you to grant these individuals immediate release, as their lives are at grave risk. They have already suffered much during their detention. I urge you to ensure that all their rights are respected and that they are allowed to propagate their ideas peacefully.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Name]

IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

Please help IHRC by visiting http://www.ihrc.org.uk/catalog and making a donation or buying an item from our on-line store.

"And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper."
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

For more information, please contact the office on the numbers or email below:

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
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