Palestine – Features

“Not one Israeli general or politician has or is going to spend one day in gaol for ordering the troops to shoot at unarmed demonstrators, innocent civilians, women, old men and children.”

By Ilan Pappe

(source: Electronic Intifada)

The view from Israel is that if they indeed succeed, the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions are bad, very bad. Educated Arabs – not all of them dressed as “Islamists,” quite a few of them speaking perfect English whose wish for democracy is articulated without resorting to “anti-Western” rhetoric – are bad for Israel.

Arab armies that do not shoot at these demonstrators are as bad as are many other40that moved and enthused so many people around the world, even in the West. This world reaction is also bad, very bad. It makes the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its apartheid policies inside the state look like the acts of a typical “Arab” regime.

For a while you could not tell what official Israel thought. In his first ever commonsensical message to his colleagues, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his ministers, generals and politicians not to comment in public on the36in Egypt. For a brief moment one thought that Israel turned from the neighbourhood’s thug to what it always was: a visitor or permanent resident. It seems Netanyahu was particularly embarrassed by the unfortunate remarks on the situation uttered publicly by General Aviv Kochavi, the head of Israeli Military Intelligence. This top Israeli expert on Arab affairs stated confidently two weeks ago in the Knesset that the Mubarak regime is as solid and resilient as ever. But Netanyahu could not keep his mouth shut for that long. And when the boss talked all the others followed. And when they all responded, their commentary made Fox News’ commentators look like a bunch of peaceniks and free-loving hippies from the 1960s.

Read More »Egypts revolution Isarael bad for the jews

By Firoz Osman – Media Review Network

This is a shortened version of the paper delivered by Dr Firoz
Osman at the Africa Day Conference held on Friday, 27 May 2011 at UNISA.

Alarm bells have been ringing in Washington, Tel Aviv, Paris and London, as they desperately try to contain and dilute the shock waves emanating from the North African and Arab revolutions. These states are all artificial creations that enclose diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic groups, incorporated as minorities in the post-colonial era. The installation of monarchies and puppet rulers accountable only to their Western masters ensured the ferocious subjugation of the populace.

The majority of these states failed to introduce good governance and institutions of representation that ensure inclusion, the equal distribution of wealth among various groups, and respect for cultural diversity. The spread of poverty, unemployment, civil wars, sectarian and ethnic clashes and conflicts began with corrupt political leaders who exploited tribal and class differences to advance their rapacious ambitions.

Many African and Arab states underwent extraordinarily long periods of martial law or emergency rule, transforming interim measures into a permanent way of conducting political life. Declarations of emergency were simply a pretext to suspend basic rights and exempt rulers from any constitutional limitations.

After decades of brutal rule, all the while maintaining their control through fraudulent elections, the banning of opposition parties, the persecution of critics and the use of emergency laws, they systematically robbed and plundered their countries resources. The fabled oil wealth of the Arab countries presents a misleading picture of their economic situation, one that masks the structural weaknesses of many Arab economies and the resulting insecurity of countries and citizens alike.

Read More »The north African arab revolt

By Dr Firoz Osman

(source: Star Newspaper, Pg 9, 20/08/2010)

Unfortunately it was not simply a “case of human rights abuse”, as claimed by photojournalist Jodi Bieber in an interview with Shaun Smillie, on the Time cover picture of a disfigured Afghanistan woman (Star 13/08/10).

This publication was a deliberate ploy to shift the focus away from the devastating revelations of 90,000 documents by WikiLeaks, exposing American lies about bringing peace and democracy to Afghanistan, when in fact it has been running death squads.

Following the Dutch governments’ announcement to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, the warmongers developed a media strategy to deter other Nato allies from succumbing to domestic public pressure and retreat. Already 70% of Germans want their troops to leave as soon as possible, a country that has the third largest military presence in Afghanistan.

Read More »Time cover a ploy to cover revelations on wikileaks

MUSLIM JUDICIAL COUNCIL
Tel: +27 (0) 21 696 5150/1/3/5
Fax: +27(0) 21 696 5154
Address: P.O. Box 38311, Gatesville, 7766
                    Cape Province, South Africa
E-mail:  mediadesk@mjc.org.za
Website: www.mjc.org.za

7 July 2009

MUSLIM JUDICIAL COUNCIL CONDEMNS GERMAN DISCRIMINATORY HIJAB LAWS WHICH FUELED ISLAMOPHOBIC MURDER OF MUSLIM WOMAN

While the Muslim Judicial Council expresses its deepest sympathy to the family of the deceased, Sister Marwa Al Sherbini who was murdered in a German court, we applaud her for standing firmly by her religious beliefs which led to her martyrdom.  “From Allah(God) we come and to Him we shall all return.”

We therefore condemn the German constitution in the strongest terms for failing to grant her freedom of religion and their blatant failure to adequately protect her whilst she attempted to seek justice in a German court.  It is these discriminatory laws imposed against Muslim women based on the grounds of gender and religious discrimination which forced Mrs Sherbini to be placed in this unfortunate situation. 

The failure of the German constitution to afford Muslim woman their rights exposes them to the added abuse of 42and the prevalence of the vilest abuse of their right to freedom of religion. 

The total lack of trained security personnel and the inadequate court safety procedures led to the brutal murder of Sister Marwah who was stabbed 18 times is indeed a shameful blot against the German judicial system and should be investigated by law commissions.
We also object in the strongest terms to the oppressive double standards imposed against Muslim women whilst Christian and “western” cultural traditions are afforded special concessions.  According to a Human Rights Watch(HRW) report, the ban targets Muslim women exclusively and feeds the intolerant behavior against Muslims and fuels islamophobic violence.
We convey our deepest sympathies and express our support to the women who continue to be at the mercy of these discriminatory laws.  Despite the harsh discrimination against them, Islamic values and Muslim contribution to the community is recognized in society. We therefore hope that harmonious multi cultural relations are strengthened on the basis of good citizenship and not by the prejudiced views attributed because of the intolerance of their religious attire.
Issued By:
Nabeweya Malick
Media Department
Cell : 083 408 1157

Read More »Muslim judicial council condemns german discriminatory hijab laws