Ontruiming Ter Apel te zwaar middel volgens rechter

De ontruiming gisteren van het tentenkamp in Ter Apel, waar meer dan honderd asielzoekers verbleven, was een te zwaar middel oordeelt de rechter.

De ontruiming van het tentenkamp van uitgeprocedeerde asielzoekers in Ter Apel, was “disproportioneel”. Dat oordeelt de rechter in Groningen in het kort geding dat tegen gemeente Vlagtwedde was aangespannen.

De gemeente meende dat ontruiming noodzakelijk was omdat de gezondheid van de asielzoekers op het spel stond. Bovendien zou de veiligheid in het geding zijn, onder meer door brandgevaar. De gemeente stelde een noodbevel en een noodverordening in, die ontruiming mogelijk maakte. Maar de ontruiming was een te zwaar middel, oordeelde de rechter vandaag. Er had ook een andere oplossing kunnen worden gezocht.

Advocaat Marcel Schuckink Kool zei vanochtend al dat de ontruiming overdreven was. “Op de gemiddelde camping op een festival zijn veel meer risico’s”, zei hij, al gaf hij wel toe dat er een probleem was doordat de voorzieningen van het Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers werden weggehaald. Maar volgens Schuckink had de gemeente eerst naar andere oplossingen moeten zoeken. De rechter geeft hem daarin gelijk: er waren andere manieren om de veiligheid van de asielzoekers te waarborgen.

Bij de ontruiming werden 117 personen opgepakt, onder wie 109 asielzoekers. Ze zijn overgebracht naar verschillende asielzoekerscentra in het land. Onder hen waren voornamelijk Somaliërs en Iraniërs; de Irakezen gingen gisteren akkoord met het aanbod voor onderdak van demissionair minister Gerd Leers.

Nu het bevel van tafel is, willen de demonstranten weer naar het kamp terugkeren. De noodverordening is echter wel nog van kracht. Om die terug te draaien moeten de actievoerders een civiele rechtszaak starten.

(www.nrc.nl / 24.05.2012)

Israeli Companies Win Bids For Gaza Reconstruction

According to the Palestine Press News Agency (Palpress) the Palestinian Contractors Union has stated that two Israeli companies have won bids for reconstructing water distilling stations destroyed by Israel during the war on Gaza (December 2008 – January 2009).

Gaza Destruction – Palpress

The Union said that it is appalled by the fact that Israel, despite the fact that it has imposed a deadly siege on Gaza for more than six years which still continues, and was the cause of this massive destruction in the first place, is now winning bids for reconstructing what it destroyed.

Union Secretary, Osama Kahil, stated that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICIF) “deprived Palestinian companies from winning these bids and granted them to Israeli companies”.

Kahil added that Israeli companies then contacted Gaza-based contractors asking them to carry out these construction projects on their behalf for half of the total fees these companies are receiving.

He further stated that two contractors from Gaza have already completed two water-distilling contracts obtained by Israeli companies, Palpress reported.

The Palestinian Contractors Union strongly denounced these violations, and stated that UNICEF in Jerusalem said that it dealt with Israeli companies on the basis that they are “local companies”, thus, “Israeli contractors are regarded as local contractors”.

The union said that it had contacted all local contractors in Gaza asking them not to do business with Israeli companies in this way, affirming that violators will be held liable for dealing with Israeli companies that represent the country that caused this massive destruction in the first place.

During the three-week attack on Gaza (December 27th 2008 to January 18th 2009), the Israeli army killed 1419 Palestinians while thousands were wounded and dozens of seriously wounded Palestinians died of their wounds later on. Most of the casualties were civilians, including children, infants, women and elderly, in addition to dozens of casualties among civil defense and First Responders. 13 Israelis, including eight soldiers, were killed during the attack; five of the eight soldiers were killed by friendly fire.

The Israeli military used phosphorous shells against the civilian population, and also bombarded homes, medical centers, UNRWA facilities, infrastructure, schools, and even mosques and educational facilities where hundreds of civilians were taking shelter.

(www.imemc.org /24.05.2012)

Prophet Muhammad is Foretold in the Hindu Scriptures, Vedas and Upanishads

By Dr. Jamal Badawi at OnIslam.net

Hindu scriptures are divided into three basic categories: Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas. There are differences about the age of those scriptures; some people believe that they go back almost 4,000 years.

One of the amazing prophecies in these Hindu scriptures is the one on the tongue of Maharshi Vyasa, a Hindu saint, that states that the land of Arabs will be corrupted by the evil doers — maybe a reference to the pre-Islamic pagans; and that Mahamad — a slight adulteration of the name Muhammad — will come and guide those who went astray. He will be circumcised, bearded, eloquent; he will create a great revolution; he will announce the call for prayers; he will eat of the meat of lawful animals but not of the swine; and he will fight against irreligious nations. All these descriptions meet Prophet Muhammad (Vidyarthi).

Bhavishya Purana, one of the most important Puranas, includes another prophecy that states that in a foreign country a spiritual teacher whose name is Muhammad will come; he will be a dweller of Arabia; he will gather a large force to fight or kill the devil; and God will protect him from his opponents.

Prophet Muhammad Mentioned in the Upanishad

Some Hindu scholars consider the Upanishads scripture to be superior to the Vedas, because they impart divine knowledge and teach how the human soul can get nearer to its Maker and Master.

The most important  prophecy in it is the one that mentions the coming of Prophet Muhammad by name, and the Muslim testimony of faith — there is no God but Allah — is repeated more than once in it.

As a result of the clarity and explicitness of that prophecy, some Hindus actually enter into Islam, which has led some Hindu scholars to claim that perhaps this prophecy was written by a Hindu pundit who converted to Islam. But this is refuted because this prophecy was referred to in some of the ancient Hindu books that predate the advent of Islam or Muslims to India (Vidyarthi). In the Allo Upanishad, the following description of God is given: the name of the deity is Allah, He is one, the King of all the world, He is the Magnificent, the Greatest of all, the Best, the Most Perfect, the Holiest of all, the Nourisher of the whole world, the Manifester of the earth and the space, and the Lord of all creation.

He created the sun, the moon, the stars, and the heavens. He is the Nourisher of all the birds, beasts, animals that live in the sea and those that are not visible to the eye. He is the remover of all evils and calamities, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah.

Prophet Muhammad Mentioned in the Vedas

The third basic category of Hindu scriptures is called the Veda. In the Atharva Veda, it is mentioned that the praiseworthy among people shall be praised; it is known that the name Muhammad in Arabic actually means “the praiseworthy.”

It also states that the promised prophet will be a camel rider, which is interesting because Indian prophets were forbidden to ride camels. Prophet Jesus, according to the New Testament, rode on an ass but not on a camel, but it is well known that Prophet Muhammad rode a camel.

The seventh mantra also speaks about someone who is going to be a guide to all people, and Prophet Muhammad always emphasized that he was not sent to a particular people, like Israelites alone or Arabs alone, but to the whole world.

The sixth mantra speaks about some of the brave people who vanquished without a battle and that the number of their opponents was 10,000, which could be a reference to the battle of the allies or the trench that took place during Prophet Muhammad’s time. The number of the people who put a siege around Medina were indeed 10,000, and they were vanquished without a battle because God sent a hurricane that finally, after a long siege, forced them to leave.

In the Rig Veda, it speaks about a person who is described as truthful and trustworthy, powerful and generous who will be famous with 10,000. All these are the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad, and the number 10,000 could be a possible reference to the number of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad who entered Mecca victoriously.

(www.faithinallah.org / 24.05.2012)

Ook in Almere kruipt de Islamitische aap uit de mouw

In Almere heet die islamitische aap “Het Droomhuis”, de zorginstelling van ’s Heeren Loo die in Tussen de Vaarten wordt gerealiseerd. Op de politieke markt van 8 april 2010 heeft de PVV toenmalig wethouder Haanstra gevraagd of het hier gaat om een instelling op islamitische grondslag.  Daarop heeft zij toen geantwoord dat de voorziening “niet gericht is op de islam” en dat het niet gaat om een voorziening op islamitische grondslag.

Dat daarvan helemaal niets klopt blijkt uit recente informatie van ’s Heeren Loo dat in een publicatie getiteld ‘geslaagd suikerfeest in Almere’ op haar website van 20 september jl. laat weten:

‘Een concreet voorbeeld hiervan is het Droomhuis Almere, dat momenteel verrijst aan de Therese Schwartzestraat. De zorg zal zich hier met name richten op bewoners met een islamitische achtergrond. Het Droomhuis biedt een thuis aan 24 bewoners, verdeeld over vier groepen. De familie van de toekomstige bewoners wordt nauw betrokken bij de zorg van hun familielid. Daarbij staan de normen en waarden uit de islamitische cultuur centraal. In het huis wordt halal gekookt en er is een stilteruimte waar bewoners kunnen bidden.’

Daarmee is het natuurlijk klip en klaar dat het wel degelijk gaat om een voorziening op islamitische grondslag. En zo is Almere weer een jammerlijk voorbeeld rijker van de wijze waarop dit college toestaat hoe Almere islamiseert en Tussen de Vaarten verandert in Tussen de Eufraat en de Tigris.

 (www.pvvalmere.nl / 24.05.2012)

A Message From Moira

My beloved husband, Ziad Jilani, was executed by Israeli Border Policeman, Maxim Vinogradov on June 11, 2010.  There is undeniable evidence that my husband was lying unarmed and wounded on the ground, posing no threat when Israeli Border Policeman Maxim Vinogradov shot him point blank in the head. Despite the multiple contradictions, revisions and blatant lies in the testimony of the soldier who killed him, exposed by the autopsy, the Israeli authorities have closed the case against Maxim Vinogradov and his commander Shadi Kheir Al-Din.

The closing of the case against Ziad’s killer is a clear message to Israeli soldiers: simply claim that you suspect a Palestinian is a terrorist and you will not be held accountable if you execute him or her. My daughters and I have appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court to demand Israel’s state prosecutor bring criminal charges against Ziad’s killer and his commander. We seek international support, not only to get justice for Ziad but also to save the lives of future potential victims by sending Israeli soldiers the message that they can be held accountable for killing innocent people.

 

June 11, 2010 started off like almost any other day, except that before Ziad left he mentioned to me that we had not taken our three girls anywhere since they finished their exams.  He thought that they deserved an outing of their choice. After kissing me goodbye, he turned one last time to remind me to speak with them and decide where they thought they would want to go. Ziad told me to make sure that we be packed and ready when he honked his horn to signal us to grab our gear and head down stairs to his pick-up truck.

Unfortunately, he never made it home. That was the last time I ever saw my husband.

We had to conduct our own investigation to find out how my husband died. The alternative was the propaganda that he was a “terrorist.” We set off not only to prove my husband’s innocence, but also to unravel the lies that were being conveyed to the media.  We appealed to an Israeli judge to exhume Ziad’s body, three weeks after we buried him. After the judge granted our request for an autopsy Maxim Vinogradov and Shadi Kheir Al-Din abruptly changed their testimonies, ”remembering” more damning facts.  As the Israeli police had not chosen to interrogate any eyewitness other than the soldiers involved, we requested any independent eyewitness to go to the police.

 

The subsequent investigation concluded that Ziad was driving home from the Friday prayers at al Aqsa Mosque. In Wadi Jouz, a neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The lane to the Al Aqsa Mosque was closed by the Israeli Army and Border Police, while the lane from the mosque was cramped by cars, bumper-to-bumper. A stone, possibly from a nearby demonstration, hit Ziad’s windshield and he pulled into the empty lane, where a group of Border Patrolmen were walking on the road. The pickup truck apparently hit some of the soldiers causing light injuries. Only one soldier was hospitalized with scrapes. The Border Policemen immediately opened massive fire at and into Ziad’s truck. The shooting hit other vehicles and injured a little girl sitting in a nearby car. Ziad fled from the bullets, seeking shelter in a nearby dead-end alleyway where his uncle lives. Three Border policemen ran forward firing into the alley.

Ziad leapt out of the truck and ran in the direction his uncle’s house. He was shot in the back and fell injured to the pavement. Border Policeman Maxim Vinogradov then walked up to my husband, put his M16 to Ziad’s head, and fired three shots. According to an eyewitness, Maxim Vinogradov had his boot on my husband’s neck and was screaming at him in Hebrew when he shot him.

Twelve days before Maxim Vinogradov executed my husband, Israeli commandos had raided the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship carrying aid to Gaza, while in international waters, shooting dead nine of its passengers. On that day, Vinogradov responded to a Facebook post of his friend, Avi Yaacobov, which said in Hebrew “Exterminate Turkey and all the Arabs from the world.” Vinogradov replied: ” I am with you my brother and I with God’s help will begin this.” His friend replied, ”And you, nock on wood, are capable of it.” This is just one of many similar posts where Maxim expresses opinions calling for death to Arabs. Maxim is being supported in acting on his racist convictions by the impunity granted him by the Israeli authorities.

 

My husband loved life and enjoyed it to it’s fullest, he loved people and animals and he loved us, his family, with a passion.  He was not a terrorist.  My American citizenship has meant nothing to the Israeli authorities and far too little to the American government.  I would like answers and to see to it that trigger-happy soldiers and police men serving in the Israeli military and border police are not allowed to kill more innocent people.

(killingwithoutconsequence.com / 24.05.2012)

Israel offered $6 million to Turk raid victims: lawyer

(Reuters) – A Turkish lawyer said on Thursday that Israel had offered to pay $6 million to victims of Israel’s storming of a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla to settle lawsuits against the Israeli military.

However, a senior Israeli official who declined to be named said that Israel, having indicated last year that it was prepared to indemnify victims without accepting blame, had not renewed its offer.

Turkey and Israel fell out badly in 2010 when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists.

Ramazan Ariturk, one of several lawyers representing 465 victims and victims’ relatives, told Reuters that the Israeli government had made a proposal to him through an intermediary foreign ambassador in Ankara just over one month ago.

He said the money would have been paid to a Jewish foundation in Turkey for distribution, and been followed by a statement of “regret” for the raid by the Israeli government.

“I told the ambassador I did not think the offer was appropriate or moral and also discussed the issue with the victims and their friends and they also stated that they could not accept this,” Ariturk said.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry agreed with his decision, saying Israel should have contacted it directly, he said.

Ariturk declined to disclose the nationality of the ambassador or reveal the name of the Jewish foundation to which the payment would have been made.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry could not be reached for immediate comment, while Mark Regev, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declined to comment.

Turkey expelled Israel’s ambassador and froze all military cooperation with its former ally after a U.N. report into the incident last September largely exonerated the Jewish state.

Turkey has demanded a formal apology from Israel alongside compensation for victims and the families of the dead, but Netanyahu has only voiced “regret”.

On Wednesday an Istanbul prosecutor submitted an indictment seeking life sentences for four former Israeli military commanders in connection with the raid, including the Chief of General Staff at the time.

The U.N. report on the raid last September was meant to encourage a rapprochement but ultimately deepened the rift when it concluded Israel had used unreasonable force but that its blockade of Gaza was legal.

Israel said its marines had been attacked by activists wielding metal bars, clubs and knives when they boarded the Mavi Marmara, and had opened fire in self-defense.

(www.reuters.com / 24.05.2012)

Israel prepares mass deportation of South Sudanese refugees

Attorney General to seek okay from Jerusalem court to expel as many as 3,000 migrants to country facing humanitarian crisis.

A demonstration against migrant workers in south Tel Aviv, May 23, 2012.

The government is preparing a mass deportation of refugees back to their South Sudan homeland. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein next week will argue before the Jerusalem District Court that there is no legal obstacle to the expulsions since individual checks will establish that none of them faces any threat to their lives in South Sudan.

The Jerusalem District Court recently issued a temporary order prohibiting the migrants’ deportation until it rules on a petition filed by five human rights organizations against the state’s intent to deport the refugees.

Weinstein, who has expressed support for sending migrants from South Sudan back home, will ask the court to lift the temporary order preventing their expulsion.

However, attorney Anat Ben-Dor of the Refugee Rights Clinic at Tel Aviv University, who filed the petition for the groups, said: “A humanitarian crisis is developing in South Sudan, which is expected to lead to extreme famine. In addition, the border conflicts with Sudan are continuing, so in these circumstances the decision to return the Sudanese to South Sudan is premature and irresponsible.”

The Foreign Ministry recently outlined its position regarding 700 South Sudan nationals staying in Israel; the government says there are as many as 3,000 here. The position is based on a report by Ambassador Dan Shaham, who was sent to South Sudan in April to examine the situation and see if it was suitable to return the migrants.

The document says returning the South Sudanese nationals in general would not constitute a breach of international law, which prohibits a state from expelling foreign nationals if returning them to their home country presents a clear and immediate danger to their life.

“The international law does not oblige giving migrants shelter for socioeconomic reasons, unless the socio-economic situation in the receiving state is so bad it would endanger the asylum seeker’s life, or could be described as cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” the opinion says.

Weinstein is expected to say that despite the petitioners’ claims, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has not issued any opinion saying forcible expulsion is contrary to the Refugee Convention and has not stated it objects to these expulsions.

Weinstein will tell the court the authorities will look into the circumstances of every migrant who expresses fear for his life in South Sudan, due to personal or government conflicts.

Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman this week called the illegal migration to Israel a “national plague” and said the state was holding diplomatic talks to return them to their home country or a third state.

The Justice Ministry yesterday released a statement saying the decision to expell the migrants was made on the basis of the Foreign Ministry’s position paper, which said it was possible to return South Sudanese migrants to their home country only after it was established that they are not eligible for asylum.

Reports from the United Nations and human rights groups and testimonies by activists and citizens warn of severe human rights violations in South Sudan, continuous warfare and a critical shortage of food, water and medical care, which are leading to a humanitarian disaster.

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently ruled that the return of South Sudanese to their country must be done on a voluntary basis, due to the country’s instability.

(www.haaretz.com / 24.05.2012)

#GazaHealthCrisis | Gaza hospitals still threatened by the power and fuel crisis

GAZA, (PIC)– Spokesman for the health ministry Ashraf Al-Qudra warned that the medical work in Gaza hospitals is still endangered by the power crisis and there is no sufficient fuel even to operate their emergency generators in the coming days.

In a press release on Thursday, Qudra stated that the amount of diesel for the emergency generators of hospitals has reached a deficit of 80 percent so far.

He affirmed that the power and fuel crisis is like a specter haunting medical personnel in all hospitals’ sections, especially the dialysis, intensive care and heart units as well as the nurseries and operating rooms.

The spokesman said only 12 percent of diesel is already inside the generators and sufficient for about four days.

The health official appealed to the Red Cross, the world health organization and humanitarian groups to take swift action to contain the fuel crisis which hit the health sector in Gaza

(occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com / 24.05.2012)