Pakistan – Features

A Boy and an Artificial Leg: A Gaza Story
Ramzy Baroud

Growing numbers of children forever maimed, dismembered and killed by Israel are somehow disregarded by the world media.

His room is ready; the walls have fresh paint and my kids prepared a basket of chocolates and other treats to place beside his bed. They hung a poster on his door that has been decorated with colored pens and glitter that says "Welcome Shobhi!" I have taught them that "Sobhi" actually means the "morning light", and that during his visit, he will not be treated as a visitor, but as a brother. They have compiled a list of fun places to visit, parks, the beach and maybe a ferry ride.

Two weeks ago, my family, after months of anticipation, were scheduled to be the host family for a very special and unusual exchange program for kids from Gaza to visit the US. Our host child, Sobhi was schedule to arrive on May 30th.

Read More »A boy and an artificial leg a Gaza story

The IOF troops killed 78 Palestinian children, and kidnapped more than 2,500 Palestinian citizens, including 260 children, throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip since the start of this year, a report issued by the Nafha society asserted.

The society, which caters for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, explained that 1500 of the kidnapped Palestinian citizens were from the West Bank, in addition to hundreds of Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip rounded up by the IOF troops during military incursions into the tiny Strip.

The report also added that 13 Palestinian women were among the arrested citizens, including human rights activist Ahlam Johar who was later on forcibly deported to Jordan.

According to the report, the West Bank cities of Nablus and Al-Khalil had the biggest number of the arrested citizens of 465 and 450 citizens respectively, while in Bethlehem city 220 cases were reported in addition to tens others in the West Bank and the Strip.

Moreover, the information bureau in the society highlighted that the Israeli occupation army killed 480 Palestinian citizens since the start of January of this year, including 19 children and 12 women killed in the month of March alone that witnessed also the death of 126 Palestinian citizens with IOF troops’ bullets and missiles.

A total of 29 Palestinian women were killed at the hands of the Israeli occupation soldiers over the past six months, the report revealed.
 
*Source: Palestine Information Centre

Read More »Iof troops kill 78 palestinian children kidnap 260 others within six months

Picture (AFP/US NAVY/File/Daniel Sanford)
A suspected pirate looks over the edge of a skiff in international waters off the coast of Somalia in 2006.

A maritime watchdog says a Thai cargo ship has been hijacked off the Somali coast, as it called on the United Nations and coalition forces to halt pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

Noel Choong, head of the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, told AFP, "The Thai general cargo ship was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 12 by Somali pirates".

Choong says the watchdog was unable to provide additional information on the attack because "the ship was still moving with the hijackers onboard."

He says "In view of the crew safety, they are unable to provide further details". Choong says that because Somalia has no central government, the military forces patroling the Gulf of Aden should take the lead to deter piracy which is rampant in the region.

"We hope the UN and the coalition forces will stop the attacks.

He warned Unless there is a deterrent, the attacks and hijacking will continue to escalate".

In recent weeks, the IMB has reported a series of attacks and hijackings off the Somali coast.

MRN-AFP

Read More »Watchdog somali pirates hijack thai cargo ship

Stand Up to Israeli Apartheid
 
Posted on:  2009-05-04 06:20:56
 
LETTER TO OBAMA by Mairead Maquire- Dear President Obama, I found your book ‘Dreams from my Father’ a moving and inspiring story of your own struggle to find your identity and purpose in life. You found it for sure, and today carry the hopes and dreams of so many people in our world. We pray for you and your family. We wish you all good health and happiness. You carry so much responsibility. We hope you will change the policies of USA (both domestic and Foreign) to people centred policies, based on the values and ethics which you try to live out in your life.

Read More »Stand up to Isaraeli apartheid