Thursday, January 28, 2010

Think...........

“The true democrat is he who with purely nonviolent means defends his liberty and, therefore, his country's and ultimately that of the whole of mankind”- Mahatma Gandhi

Monday, January 25, 2010

Salute to our Nation..........Because we love India





“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles”

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Holbrooke, Gates, CFR, Obama's surge

19 Jan, 2010

Feroze Mithiborwala

THE COMING FALSE-FLAG TERROR TRAP FOR INDIA

Over the course of the last two days, the matter of the Military & strategic involvement of the Indian forces in Afghanistan is getting all the more clearer. As we have consistently stated, the strategic objective that propelled the Mumbai 26/11 false flag terror attack was to prepare the consensus amongst the Indian people, whereby our pro-US/Israel political elite, would be free to deploy our Military into the war theatre in Afghanistan.

In the last few days, we have been witness to high profile visits from both Richard Holbrooke (Special Envoy, Af-Pak Region) & Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, accompanied by shrill warnings from 'Western Sources' of another terror attack that was imminent.

Consider the following news reports.

1) Holbrooke all praise for India (DNA, 19/01/10).

Apart from welcoming India's deepening role in the US strategic gameplan, he stated that "India is an important participant in search for peace & stability, not only in South Asia but throughout the vast region that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Pacific."

Richard Holbrooke who is the Obama appointee for the 'Af-Pak' region (a miscontrued term, as is the policy), was visiting Delhi. Holbrooke is a Right-wing Democrat, who oversaw the Balkanization of Yugoslavia. Amongst his best friends, he includes John Negroponte, who is the most despised man across all of South America.

2) Forward, Together by Robert Gates (TOI, 19/01/10).

Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates is due to visit New Delhi & prior to that, his article appeared in the Times of India on the editorial page.

He carries along similar lines as Holbrooke & further states that, "At the same time, the security threats & challenges of the 21st century present new opportunities for our nations & militaries to work together in unprecedented ways" (emphasis mine).

"India can be a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean & beyond - making valuable contributions to stability operations across the globe. In many respects, that belief is at the heart of the 2005 Defence Framewok Agreement, which, five years in, has amply demonstrated how much our countries have to gain from a long-term, reliable defence agreement".

"One of the great successes in recent years has been the increase in the number & complexity of joint training exercises between our militaries."

Both Holbrooke & Gates further wax eloquent on the fact that since the Indian military is increasingly using US Military hardware, there is a greater degree of 'interoperability'.

3) US analysts warn of Pak terror attack on India. (Hindustan Times, 19/01/10).

This warning has emanated from none other than the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR), which is the premier US institution that determines US foreign policy. It is also the stronghold of the NeoCons & the Zionists.

The story states that, "A leading American think-tank has warned that as the Al Qaeda comes under pressure in it's havens along the Af-Pak border, it may attempt to counter that by masterminding major terrorist strikes against India.

Do note that General James Jones, who is the National Security Advisor to Obama, has stated in the US Congress that the Al Qaeda are barely a hundred in number. This statement was never reported in the corporate media. Just imagine, a 100,000 US troops to flush out less than a 100 Al Qaeda.

'The Audacity of Lies' is the title of the Presidential biography, I would suggest, after he is booted out by the American People.

The Council for Foreign Relations' Centre for Preventive Action said in it's Contingency Planning Memorandum: "India faces the real prospect of another major terrorist attack by Pakistan-based terrorist organizations in the near future".

The report was prepared by Daniel Markey in his latest paper 'Terrorism and Indo-Pakistani Escalation', & is supposedly an expert on South Asia, though to me he appears to be a hawkish Zionist.

The report also appeared in the Indian Express website & the headline stated, 'India faces threat of another 26/11, likely to act militarily'.

Do recall that, K Subrahmanyam, the leading hawkish US asset & 'strategic expert' has written two articles that appeared after the 26/11 false flag terror attack & the other after Obama's urge to surge. K Subhramanyam appealed for the deployment of Indian troops into the Afghan war. (The articles appeared in the Times of India & the Indian Express).

K Subrahmanyam does mirror the hawkish inclinations of a section of the Indian elite & was one of the main writers that created the consensual manipulation that lead to the finalization of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, which was less about the energy component & was basically a military-strategic alliance.

We, the People of South Asia have very little time, before our citizens are sacrificed as cannon fodder on the altar of Imperialism & Zionism. The only way is to "expose the politics of terror".

The Mumbai 26/11 false flag terror attack was not only an attack on India, but on all of South Asia.

Another false flag terror attack will be used by the pro-US Indian elite to mobilise hundreds of thousands of youth to go to war in Afghanistan, maybe even Pakistan & Iran. Indian soldiers have been used in the past by the British Colonial power to fight their wars across the world, especially in Middle East & North Africa. Once more the US Empire seeks to use our People.

It is clear that the US, or rather Obama, cannot win the war in Afghanistan, even stabilise the land & thus they are increasingly desperate. The only country that can provide them with the human power in the region is India & thus we have to awaken the Indian & the South Asian People to this Imperial-Zionist strategy of induced false-flag terror attacks, that then lead to further wars that only seek to serve the Empire.

The US war, is not our war. They will seek to make it our war & for that they will stage false-flag terror attacks.

Thus a pan-South Asian struggle against Imperialism & Zionism is the need of the hour. A South Asia free of the US-European & Israeli Imperialists is the need of the hour & is our patriotic calling.
I will sign of with one of the most analytical & forthright replies to the Daniel Markey story (attached) that appeared in the Indian Express on Jan 16, 2010.

"26/11 too was staged by the Israeli Lobby working in India" by Sujit Sehgel, Rted. Army Officer (on 17 Jan 2010)

Doesn't the following says it all: 1) To eliminate any doubt on the Israeli, the Zionist themselves show-cased to be innocent having themselves attacked in Nariman House. 2) A US Spy was killed in 26/11. 3) India's John O'Neill, Hemant Karkare,was cleverly eliminated.. 4) -Kasab tells about meeting Headly & the Judge quickly diverts his story (Headly is actually a US double agent. When FBI saw that he will be caught, FBI themselves caught him in USA so that they can silence him before USA's name in the dirty game is exposed) 5)- 26/11 had the signature of western-trained operatives: commandos arrival quietly by dinghy to shore, quickly mobilizing to urban terrain, navigating & communicating with high-tech sys is a specific skill taught by Navy elite to Marines, CIA spec ops(aka SOG).You can even play this as Tom Clancy's "Rainbow Six" video game. Hence no doubt Israelis are planning next 26/11 & this time using Military. Aren't they deep into our Military teaching them 'skills' for years.

Feroze Mithiborwala is Awami Bharat, National President

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

think........


PUBLIC MEETING



B H A R A T - B A C H A O - A N D O L A N


















"FOR A NATIONAL STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM, ZIONISM & BRAHMANISM"

PUBLIC MEETING

"LIBERTY TO PALESTINE"

"END THE SIEGE OF GAZA"

"BOYCOTT ZIONIST APARTHEID ISRAEL"

Venue: MARATHI PATRAKAR, AZAD MAIDAN, OPP. CST, MUMBAI.

DATE/TIME: 20th JAN '10, MONDAY / 3-4pm

:Speakers:


Comrade Prakash Reddy (CPI, Mumbai Gen. Sec.), Com. Saeed (CPM, State Committe), Feroze Mithiborwala (IPPSF, Founder), Comrade Sanjay Singhvi (CPI-ML, Central Politburo), Adv. Yusuf Muchala, Col. Sudhir Sawant (Shivrajya Party, National President), Comrade Vasudevan (National Trade Union Initiative - NTUI), S S Yadav (Republican Party of India, Economist), Syed Iftikhar Ahmed (Islamic & Phule-Ambedkarite Scholar), Asif Khan (Muslim Intellectual Forum), Sudhir Dhawale (Republican Panther), Aslam Ghazi (Jamaat-I-Islami-Hind), Kishore Jagtap & Sayeed Khan (Awami Bharat, National Convenors) amongst others . . .


1) To Condemn the Israeli War & Siege on Gaza & the Occupation of Palestine. It was on the 18th of January 2009, that Israel stopped it's 23 day long genocidal onslaught on the Civilian popualtion of Gaza. Once again the Palestinian Resistance triumphed & the Israeli Holocaust war-machine had to withdraw in the face of growing International opprobrium & isolation. We thus again reiterate our demand for the criminal prosecution of the Israeli Political, Military & Religious leadership for being complicit & guilty in the mass murder of more than 1400 Palestinian Civilians & thus call for the implementation of the "Richard Goldstone Report".


2) We also condemn the Mubarak Regime of Egypt in being complicit with the US-Israel & EU Imperial-Zionist powers, for the continuing inhuman Siege of Gaza. We also condemn the fact that the US is currently constructing an 'audacious' STEEL WALL on the Gaza border, 14 kms in length & 30 metres in depth. This will effectively deprive the Gazan population of any modicum of 'hope' or even their basic needs, as the Tunnels that are Life-Line of Gaza will be terminated. So much for Obama's hypocritical & deceitful speeches.


3) "CAIRO DECLARATION", 2010 http://cairodeclaration.org : At the recent gathering in Cairo (27th Dec '09 to 2nd Jan '10) of more than 1400 Palestine Solidarity activists from across 43 nations, was passed the "Cairo Declaration" that called for to "End Israeli Apartheid" & "Freedom for Palestine". The activists, that included a delegation from India, had congregated to go to Gaza in solidarity with the Palestinian-Gazan population but were prevented by the Mubarak regime. The entire episode too will be discussed.

4) INDO-PALESTINE PEOPLES' SOLIDARITY FORUM (IPPSF) & the "DELHI DECLARATION", 2009: Recently at a solidarity conference that was held in Delhi on the 23rd of December '09, it was finally resolved to establish the IPPSF, so as to create an All-India network to actively stand in solidarity with Palestine as well as oppose the deep penetration of Zionist Israel into India. Therein was also released the "Delhi Declaration" (attached). We will also be discussing the process whereby this Forum would be established across Maharashtra as well as the rest of the nation.






:ORGANIZERS:

Dinu Randive, Comrade Arun Velaskar, Mukta Srivastava, Mulniwasi Mala, Sudhir Dhawale, Major Barve, Bhagwan Kesbhat, Uttam Gade, Simpreet Singh, Shyam Sonar, Varsha V V, Sanjay Shinde, Shridhar Shirsagar, Reshma Jagtap, Jagdish Nagarkar, Madhav Wagh, Baba Dalvi, Shravan Devre, Valji Bhai, Abid Zaidi, Chetna Birje, Vilas Gaikwad, Avinash Kamble, Jyoti Badekar, Arif Kapadia, A. H. Faruqi, Yavar Qazi, Aarti Bonkar, Ravi Joshi, Pooja Badekar, Munawwar Azad, Ghaza Azad, Manohar Rajguru, Munawwar Khan, Farid Batatawala, Mark Anthony, Tito Eapen, Harshavardhan Vartak, Rahul Gupta, Shadab Sheikh, Dr. Ashwin Bhosle, Farrouk Mapkar, Dr. Rizwan Sheikh, Santoash Khangaonkar & Sainath Shinde.

Awami Bharat , National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Safai Kaamgar Mazdoor Union, BAMCEF, Republican Panther, Phule-Ambedkari Vichar Manch, Jamaat-i-Islami-i-Hind, Aapli Mumbai, Marathi Bharati, All India Milli Council, National Minorities Federation, OBC Parishad, Republican People of India, Marathi Bharti, NEEDS, Vidyarthi Bharti, Muslim Intellectual Forum, Gujarati Intellectual Forum, Hindu Vikasini, Christian Panther, Yuva Sarkar, Ganai Sanskrutik Utthan

Contact: (0091) 98208 97517 / 93245 14101 / 93237 03158 / 99693 63065

JAI HIND! JAI BHARAT! FOR A SOUTH ASIAN UNION! ONE ASIA - UNITED ASIA!

Address: c/o – Room No. 3, Plot No. 108, Borgaonkar Plot, Siddharth Clny, Swastik Nagar, Chembur, Mumbai.

Who lives in Gaza?

Friends and colleagues,

A year after the war, the people in Gaza are the only people in the world still living under such a brutal siege, simply because they resist occupation, tyranny and racism. Is it acceptable in the 21st century for the world to be blind about the intolerable situation imposed by the Israeli regime on Gaza. Does anything justify denying 1.5 million people medicine and food and medicine?

Yet, those who think that the Palestinian people will be broken, are in for a disappointment. This is why:

Sunday, January 17, 2010

think.......


think........

“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”










POSTPONED: Public Meeting will now be held over the next few days: Condemn Israeli War on Gaza / Cairo Declaration - End Israeli Apartheid / Indo-Pale

Dear All,

We are sorry to announce that the programme scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed due to unforseen circumstances. But by Monday, we will have a new venue booked & the invitation for the same will be resent to all concerned.

The reason for the postponement too needs to be shared with all our comrades & would leave most as bewildered as we are.

This is first, to state, a direct fallout of the demonstration that we had staged against the US Consul General Paul Folmsbee on the 16th of December '09 & a section of the elite management of the Press Club has insitigated a ban against Kishore Jagtap & myself.

The Press Club was booked by Yavar Ali Qazi & he has the receipt for the same. Then late in the evening on Saturday, he was informed that as the above two were the speakers & since they were banned, the Public meeting on Palestine could only continue without them. Let it be on record that we have never been intimated by either Gurbir Singh or Jatin Desai about the ban, either in writing or even verbally & this should have been conveyed to us. Then since the programme was on Monday, it was practically impossible to change the venue at the last moment. Jatin bhai & myself were together for 3 days during the Indo-Pak conference in Delhi & he should have atleast intimated us then. I then called up the Press Club & asked for the same in writing, but Mr. Mascerhenas too was not forthcoming & said that since we were not members of the Press Club, there was no reason to give the same.

Then I called up Gurbir Singh & he did not attend my call but he did speak to Kishore. During the conversation he said that since the Press Club was a 'Private' body, they could take these steps. For us the term 'Private' was even more shocking, as technically he is right, but morally far from, as Gurbir does come from a Left background. Sections of the Elite journalists in India have forgotten the role that the Media has played in the Indian Freedom Struggle & how the media supported the anti-colonial movements across the nation. This is apparent to us now.

We again reiterate that the demonstration was not against the media, but was clearly directed against the US & it's representatives in India & this seems to have riled certain elitists & pro-American sections & assets within the Media. We were later given to understand that the Press Club had organized a Press Meet along with the American Centre (another Imperial front organization). The agenda was to discuss the Obama-Manmohan Singh meeting in Washington DC.

All that he said was in any case the same old propaganda that we read everyday in our corporate newspapers. Folmsbee went on to speak about the 'common values' that the India & US share, especially he was pleased at the growing role of the FBI in India & the general Indian role in the global war on terror. This was a typically Bush-like speech & that is all that we can expect. So much for the Press Meet.

And we get banned for this, great !!

Sections of the Elitist Corporate Press always hide behind the hubris of 'Freedom of Expression' or 'Freedom of the Press'. The basic point is that the freedoms have been far too abused by the media, as with every freedom comes a responsibility & a sense of accountability & it can be stated, that both of the above are totally lacking in the media of our neo-liberal age. Recently at a meeting veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar (who is one of India's most respected & widely read) spoke eloquently about the corruption that has pervaded the media. He spoke about planted & paid stories, journalists who wilfully distorted facts & did not even bother to verify their stories. Thus this entire pattern has caused untold damage to the social fabric of the nation. Worst he said, has been there mis-reporting on the issue of terror & the sort of problems that this has created for millions of people.

And we get banned for protesting against the US pro-Consul!!

From what we have learnt from our senior & respected journalists, the task or rather duty of the journalists was not too add to the Government propaganda machinery, as it was far too powerful in anycase. The task was too question & challenge the hegemony of the all-powerful state & be an effective counter-check to the all-pervasive hegemony. But the media from being the Fourth Pillar of Democracy has been subverted to become the Fouth Pillar of the Elite Establishment. It's role has undergone a radical change & now is part of the Mis-Information Ministry. The task of the media now is to 'manufacture consent' (to use a Chomskian term) for government policies, either in the realm of war or as is currently on in the enthnic cleansing of the Adivasi population in the forests of Dantewada or in spreading Islamophobia, amongst a host of other issues. For over a year, the corporate media ran a systematic campaign, vilifying all Adivasis & their regions as 'Naxalite Infested' & after having successfully run the campaign are totally absent from the scene of the mass murder, even as the Government has unleashed it's firepower against our very own civilian population.

Another glaring example was the 'Indo-US Nuclear Deal' & the entire media parroted the Government line barring a few exceptions. Worse, on the 'Global War on Terror', the Corporate Media has been reduced to printing verbatim the mis-information provided by the Intelligence Bureau (our very own ISI) & the Police. No investigation whatsoever into the lies that have spread fear in the hearts of 200 million Muslims, who are increasingly seen as terror suspects due to the atmosphere of Islamophobia that pervades the front pages & the airwaves.

Thus never has it crossed the minds of the Press Club Management to invite a group of Muslims or other secularists who have been exposing the terror attacks, including 26/11 & battling Islamophobia??. We guess not. Within the Press Club we have individuals who are supporters of Modi, the leading face of Fascism in India. These individuals have their own doubts about the encounter killing of Ishrat Jehan, now proved without a doubt of being one of Modi's myriad victims. Also journalists who naively believe in the benign role of the US in resolving the Kashmir dispute, between India & Pakistan.

And we get banned. Thankyou!

And look at the Imperial Fascist nature of the American Empire. The US is currently directly involved in five wars across the Asian & African continents in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen & Somalia. That is, even as it worsens the Israeli stranglehold over Palestine & especially the inhuman siege of Gaza. The US threatens to Nuke Iran. It is deepening it's military presence in Columbia, as it seeks to role back the Bolivarian Revolution across South America & has singled out Chavez' Venezuela. This is the Global situation.

And we get banned for taking on the US Pro-Consul!!

And we were under the wrong impression that there were certain elements within the Press Club leadership that had LEFT leanings.

Can any sane person any longer deny that the CIA had no role to play in the planning, execution & financing of Mumbai 26/11? Has not it been proved that David Coleman Headley is a CIA operative & was the mastermind of the terror attack on Mumbai? Is it not true that the CIA warned the Government of India about the impending terror attack, but did not warn Pakistan? It is not obvious even to the layperson, leave alone political thinkers?

As soon as Headleys' role was revealed, one would have expected the Press Club management to call of the Flomsbee meet & in fact boycott all American programmes till it was proved otherwise. But the certain sections of the elite journalists who have lost their idelogical moorings are at the root of the intellectual crisis in the media.

In fact the 'Deadley Headley' matter truly came to the fore just a few days prior to us getting wind of the fact that the US Consul General was coming out of his Fortress at the US Consulate at Bridge Candy & that is when we decided to hold our demonstration.

We had planned to demonstrate for 10 minutes, as beyond that it would be impossible as the Police Station is right across the street. One would recall that when Sec.of State Hillary Clinton had visited India (July 17-19 '09) & unfortunately our city as well, the police had whisked us away from our homes as they wrongly believed that we were planning demonstrations against her. So as far as the Indian State & the Police apparatus are concerned our anti-imperialist credentials are very strong indeed. We have filed a case against the Police for their unlawful detention & that is a case we are currently winning.

The demonstration as even our worst detractors will attest, was totally Non-Violent. As soon as Folmsbee got up to speak, Kishore Jagtap began to raise anti-imperialist slogans (America - Quit India / Extradite Headley CIA agent / Release Vikram Buddhi / Down with US Imperialism / Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad / Dr. Ambedkar Zindabad / Shivaji Maharaj Zindabad / Vande Mataram / Jai Hind !!). We then distributed pamphlets to the journalists present & after 10 minutes as planned, we walked out of the Press Club. We did not as much touch a single journalist, turn over a chair, or throw a shoe . . . like the two courageous journalists whom we admire, Jarnail Singh (Chidambaram, Home Minister) or Montazer-al-Zaida (President Bush).

To our utter surprise the entire Press Corps walked out with us. The Press wanted to know more about the Headley issue as well as the young Indian, Vikram Buddhi who is currently incarcerated in a US jail on false terror charges & we conducted an informal Press Conference in the open area outside the premises of the Press Club.

To our pleasant surprise, the police did not appear & we carried on for a cup of tea & hot samosas. The organizers then were gathering the journalists again & the Folmsbee Press Meet did carry on & he did put forward the Bush-Bama line as expected. So their Press Meet did take place & our intention as stated was never the Press Club, but the US Consul General.

Any sane person in India is aware that the US has a very deep reach into our media, with a number of journalists on it's payrolls. Planeloads of journalists, intellectuals & strategic 'experts' have been now indoctrinated & cultivated as assets to be delployed as & when they are required. It goes without saying that these assets exist within the political parties, buereaucracy & our military-defence-intelligence establishment.

Currently, we also need to state, that both Kishore Jagtap & myself are being threatened & targetted by the Abhinav Bharat & the Sanatan Sanstha, both of which are being investigated for their role in fomenting terror across the country. Both these organizations have deep ties with the Mossad (mentioned in the chargesheets filed by the Anti-Terror Squad). As of now I have been given 24 hours police security as the threating calls are now at the rate of 2 per week. And the friends who have enforced the ban on us are aware of these facts.

Awami Bharat, which comprises a small band of courageous & merry youngsters have changed the entire paradigm of the discourse on 'terror' & have successfully challenged even the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks & there is none in Mumbai who can now deny the role of the US-CIA in the terror attacks on our city.

Even though our resources are few, we have accomplished far more at the cost & threart to our very own lives.

Let it also be stated that since alst night we have been receiving support from all quarters & more so from vast sections of the media & the social movements.

We would have atleast expected a dialogue with those within the Press Club, who have enforced a ban on us for doing our duty.

In Solidarity with all those who strive for Truth & Liberty.

Feroze Mithiborwala & Kishore Jagtap.
0091-9820897517 / 9324514101

Varsha V V, Sayeed Khan, Amol Madame, Arif Kapadia, Vilas Gaikwad, Avi G, Jyoti Badekar, Chetna Birje, Reshma Jagtap, Avinash Kamble, Asif Khan, Syed Iftikhar Ahmad, Ghazala Azad, Mumnawwar Azad, Munawwar Khan, Yavar Ali Qazi

AWAMI BHARAT
For an International Struggle against Imperialism, Zionism & Brahmanism
awamibharat.blogspot.com




B H A R A T B A C H A O A N D O L A N

"FOR A NATIONAL STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM, ZIONISM & BRAHMANISM"

PUBLIC MEETING

"LIBERTY TO PALESTINE"

"END THE SIEGE OF GAZA"

"BOYCOTT ZIONIST APARTHEID ISRAEL"

Venue: PRESS CLUB, AZAD MAIDAN, OPP. CST, MUMBAI.

DATE/TIME: 18th JAN '10, MONDAY / 3-5pm

:Speakers:


Comrade Prakash Reddy (CPI, Mumbai Gen. Sec.), Com. Saeed (CPM, State Committe), Feroze Mithiborwala (IPPSF, Founder), Comrade Sanjay Singhvi (CPI-ML, Central Politburo), Adv. Yusuf Muchala, Col. Sudhir Sawant (Shivrajya Party, National President), Comrade Vasudevan (National Trade Union Initiative - NTUI), S S Yadav (Republican Party of India, Economist), Syed Iftikhar Ahmed (Islamic & Phule-Ambedkarite Scholar), Asif Khan (Muslim Intellectual Forum), Sudhir Dhawale (Republican Panther), Aslam Ghazi (Jamaat-I-Islami-Hind), Kishore Jagtap & Sayeed Khan (Awami Bharat, National Convenors) amongst others . . .


1) To Condemn the Israeli War & Siege on Gaza & the Occupation of Palestine. It was on the 18th of January 2009, that Israel stopped it's 23 day long genocidal onslaught on the Civilian popualtion of Gaza. Once again the Palestinian Resistance triumphed & the Israeli Holocaust war-machine had to withdraw in the face of growing International opprobrium & isolation. We thus again reiterate our demand for the criminal prosecution of the Israeli Political, Military & Religious leadership for being complicit & guilty in the mass murder of more than 1400 Palestinian Civilians & thus call for the implementation of the "Richard Goldstone Report".


2) We also condemn the Mubarak Regime of Egypt in being complicit with the US-Israel & EU Imperial-Zionist powers, for the continuing inhuman Siege of Gaza. We also condemn the fact that the US is currently constructing an 'audacious' STEEL WALL on the Gaza border, 14 kms in length & 30 metres in depth. This will effectively deprive the Gazan population of any modicum of 'hope' or even their basic needs, as the Tunnels that are Life-Line of Gaza will be terminated. So much for Obama's hypocritical & deceitful speeches.


3) "CAIRO DECLARATION", 2010 http://cairodeclaration.org : At the recent gathering in Cairo (27th Dec '09 to 2nd Jan '10) of more than 1400 Palestine Solidarity activists from across 43 nations, was passed the "Cairo Declaration" that called for to "End Israeli Apartheid" & "Freedom for Palestine". The activists, that included a delegation from India, had congregated to go to Gaza in solidarity with the Palestinian-Gazan population but were prevented by the Mubarak regime. The entire episode too will be discussed.

4) INDO-PALESTINE PEOPLES' SOLIDARITY FORUM (IPPSF) & the "DELHI DECLARATION", 2009: Recently at a solidarity conference that was held in Delhi on the 23rd of December '09, it was finally resolved to establish the IPPSF, so as to create an All-India network to actively stand in solidarity with Palestine as well as oppose the deep penetration of Zionist Israel into India. Therein was also released the "Delhi Declaration" (attached). We will also be discussing the process whereby this Forum would be established across Maharashtra as well as the rest of the nation.






:ORGANIZERS:

Dinu Randive, Comrade Arun Velaskar, Mukta Srivastava, Mulniwasi Mala, Sudhir Dhawale, Major Barve, Bhagwan Kesbhat, Uttam Gade, Simpreet Singh, Shyam Sonar, Varsha V V, Sanjay Shinde, Shridhar Shirsagar, Reshma Jagtap, Jagdish Nagarkar, Madhav Wagh, Baba Dalvi, Shravan Devre, Valji Bhai, Abid Zaidi, Chetna Birje, Vilas Gaikwad, Avinash Kamble, Jyoti Badekar, Arif Kapadia, A. H. Faruqi, Yavar Qazi, Aarti Bonkar, Ravi Joshi, Pooja Badekar, Munawwar Azad, Ghaza Azad, Manohar Rajguru, Munawwar Khan, Farid Batatawala, Mark Anthony, Tito Eapen, Harshavardhan Vartak, Rahul Gupta, Shadab Sheikh, Dr. Ashwin Bhosle, Farrouk Mapkar, Dr. Rizwan Sheikh, Santoash Khangaonkar & Sainath Shinde.

Awami Bharat , National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Safai Kaamgar Mazdoor Union, BAMCEF, Republican Panther, Phule-Ambedkari Vichar Manch, Jamaat-i-Islami-i-Hind, Aapli Mumbai, Marathi Bharati, All India Milli Council, National Minorities Federation, OBC Parishad, Republican People of India, Marathi Bharti, NEEDS, Vidyarthi Bharti, Muslim Intellectual Forum, Gujarati Intellectual Forum, Hindu Vikasini, Christian Panther, Yuva Sarkar, Ganai Sanskrutik Utthan

Contact: (0091) 98208 97517 / 93245 14101 / 93237 03158 / 99693 63065

JAI HIND! JAI BHARAT! FOR A SOUTH ASIAN UNION! ONE ASIA - UNITED ASIA!

Address: c/o – Room No. 3, Plot No. 108, Borgaonkar Plot, Siddharth Clny, Swastik Nagar, Chembur, Mumbai.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

think........





“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”

SADAA BY LAAL BAND Tribute to Revolutions by Creative Chaos

in case you missed it: key article

The Project for the New American Century.


The People versus the Powerful is the oldest story in human history. At no point in history have the Powerful wielded so much control. At no point in history has the active and informed involvement of the People, all of them, been more absolutely required.

By William Rivers Pitt

02/25/03 -- - The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington-based think tank created in 1997. Above all else, PNAC desires and demands one thing: The establishment of a global American empire to bend the will of all nations. They chafe at the idea that the United States, the last remaining superpower, does not do more by way of economic and military force to bring the rest of the world under the umbrella of a new socio-economic Pax Americana.

The fundamental essence of PNAC's ideology can be found in a White Paper produced in September of 2000 entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century." In it, PNAC outlines what is required of America to create the global empire they envision. According to PNAC, America must:
* Reposition permanently based forces to Southern Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East;
* Modernize U.S. forces, including enhancing our fighter aircraft, submarine and surface fleet capabilities;
* Develop and deploy a global missile defense system, and develop a strategic dominance of space;
* Control the "International Commons" of cyberspace;
* Increase defense spending to a minimum of 3.8 percent of gross domestic product, up from the 3 percent currently spent.

Most ominously, this PNAC document described four "Core Missions" for the American military. The two central requirements are for American forces to "fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars," and to "perform the 'constabulary' duties associated with shaping the security environment in critical regions." Note well that PNAC does not want America to be prepared to fight simultaneous major wars. That is old school. In order to bring this plan to fruition, the military must fight these wars one way or the other to establish American dominance for all to see.

Why is this important? After all, wacky think tanks are a cottage industry in Washington, DC. They are a dime a dozen. In what way does PNAC stand above the other groups that would set American foreign policy if they could? Two events brought PNAC into the mainstream of American government: the disputed election of George W. Bush, and the attacks of September 11th. When Bush assumed the Presidency, the men who created and nurtured the imperial dreams of PNAC became the men who run the Pentagon, the Defense Department and the White House. When the Towers came down, these men saw, at long last, their chance to turn their White Papers into substantive policy.

Vice President Dick Cheney is a founding member of PNAC, along with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Defense Policy Board chairman Richard Perle. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is the ideological father of the group. Bruce Jackson, a PNAC director, served as a Pentagon official for Ronald Reagan before leaving government service to take a leading position with the weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

PNAC is staffed by men who previously served with groups like Friends of the Democratic Center in Central America, which supported America's bloody gamesmanship in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and with groups like The Committee for the Present Danger, which spent years advocating that a nuclear war with the Soviet Union was "winnable."

PNAC has recently given birth to a new group, The Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, which met with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in order to formulate a plan to "educate" the American populace about the need for war in Iraq. CLI has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to support the Iraqi National Congress and the Iraqi heir presumptive, Ahmed Chalabi. Chalabi was sentenced in absentia by a Jordanian court in 1992 to
22 years in prison for bank fraud after the collapse of Petra Bank, which he founded in 1977. Chalabi has not set foot in Iraq since 1956, but his Enron-like business credentials apparently make him a good match for the Bush administration's plans.

PNAC's "Rebuilding America's Defenses" report is the institutionalization of plans and ideologies that have been formulated for decades by the men currently running American government. The PNAC Statement of Principles is signed by Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, as well as by Eliot Abrams, Jeb Bush, Bush's special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, and many others. William Kristol, famed conservative writer for the Weekly Standard, is also a co-founder of the group. The Weekly Standard is owned by Ruppert Murdoch, who also owns international media giant Fox News.

The desire for these freshly empowered PNAC men to extend American hegemony by force of arms across the globe has been there since day one of the Bush administration, and is in no small part a central reason for the Florida electoral battle in 2000. Note that while many have said that Gore and Bush are ideologically identical, Mr. Gore had no ties whatsoever to the fellows at PNAC. George W. Bush had to win that election by any means necessary, and PNAC signatory Jeb Bush was in the perfect position to ensure the rise to prominence of his fellow imperialists. Desire for such action, however, is by no means translatable into workable policy. Americans enjoy their comforts, but don't cotton to the idea of being some sort of Neo-Rome.

On September 11th, the fellows from PNAC saw a door of opportunity open wide before them, and stormed right through it.

Bush released on September 20th 2001 the "National Security Strategy of the United States of America." It is an ideological match to PNAC's "Rebuilding America's Defenses" report issued a year earlier. In many places, it uses exactly the same language to describe America's new place in the world.

Recall that PNAC demanded an increase in defense spending to at least 3.8% of GDP. Bush's proposed budget for next year asks for $379 billion in defense spending, almost exactly 3.8% of GDP.

In August of 2002, Defense Policy Board chairman and PNAC member Richard Perle heard a policy briefing from a think tank associated with the Rand Corporation. According to the Washington Post and The Nation, the final slide of this presentation described "Iraq as the tactical pivot, Saudi Arabia as the strategic pivot, and Egypt as the prize" in a war that would purportedly be about ridding the world of Saddam Hussein's weapons. Bush has deployed massive forces into the Mideast region, while simultaneously engaging American forces in the Philippines and playing nuclear chicken with North Korea. Somewhere in all this lurks at least one of the "major theater wars" desired by the September 2000 PNAC report.

Iraq is but the beginning, a pretense for a wider conflict. Donald Kagan, a central member of PNAC, sees America establishing permanent military bases in Iraq after the war. This is purportedly a measure to defend the peace in the Middle East, and to make sure the oil flows. The nations in that region, however, will see this for what it is: a jump-off point for American forces to invade any nation in that region they choose to. The American people, anxiously awaiting some sort of exit plan after America defeats Iraq, will see too late that no exit is planned.

All of the horses are traveling together at speed here. The defense contractors who sup on American tax revenue will be handsomely paid for arming this new American empire. The corporations that own the news media will sell this eternal war at a profit, as viewership goes through the stratosphere when there is combat to be shown. Those within the administration who believe that the defense of Israel is contingent upon laying waste to every possible aggressor in the region will have their dreams fulfilled. The PNAC men who wish for a global Pax Americana at gunpoint will see their plans unfold. Through it all, the bankrollers from the WTO and the IMF will be able to dictate financial terms to the entire planet. This last aspect of the plan is pivotal, and is best described in the newly revised version of Greg Palast's masterpiece, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy."

There will be adverse side effects. The siege mentality average Americans are suffering as they smother behind yards of plastic sheeting and duct tape will increase by orders of magnitude as our aggressions bring forth new terrorist attacks against the homeland. These attacks will require the implementation of the newly drafted Patriot Act II, an augmentation of the previous Act that has profoundly sharper teeth. The sun will set on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The American economy will be ravaged by the need for increased defense spending, and by the aforementioned "constabulary" duties in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Former allies will turn on us. Germany, France and the other nations resisting this Iraq war are fully aware of this game plan. They are not acting out of cowardice or because they love Saddam Hussein, but because they mean to resist this rising American empire, lest they face economic and military serfdom at the hands of George W. Bush. Richard Perle has already stated that France is no longer an American ally.

As the eagle spreads its wings, our rhetoric and their resistance will become more agitated and dangerous.

Many people, of course, will die. They will die from war and from want, from famine and disease. At home, the social fabric will be torn in ways that make the Reagan nightmares of crack addiction, homelessness and AIDS seem tame by comparison.

This is the price to be paid for empire, and the men of PNAC who now control the fate and future of America are more than willing to pay it. For them, the benefits far outweigh the liabilities.

The plan was running smoothly until those two icebergs collided. Millions and millions of ordinary people are making it very difficult for Bush's international allies to keep to the script. PNAC may have designs for the control of the "International Commons" of the Internet, but for now it is the staging ground for a movement that would see empire take a back seat to a wise peace, human rights, equal protection under the law, and the preponderance of a justice that will, if properly applied, do away forever with the anger and hatred that gives birth to terrorism in the first place. Tommaso Palladini of Milan perhaps said it best as he marched with his countrymen in Rome. "You fight terrorism," he said, "by creating more justice in the world."

The People versus the Powerful is the oldest story in human history. At no point in history have the Powerful wielded so much control. At no point in history has the active and informed involvement of the People, all of them, been more absolutely required. The tide can be stopped, and the men who desire empire by the sword can be thwarted. It has already begun, but it must not cease. These are men of will, and they do not intend to fail.

William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times bestselling author of two books - "War On Iraq" (with Scott Ritter) available now from Context Books, and "The Greatest Sedition is Silence," available in May 2003 from Pluto Press. He teaches high school in Boston, MA. Scott Lowery contributed research to this report.

Click here for other articles on this topic

source: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1665.htm

Dead Man Talking

CIA Attack 'Revenge For Mehsud'

Video And Text By Al JazeeraCIA bomber in video calls for attacks inside and outside US to retaliate for Taliban deaths. Continue

source: ICH

Crisis and war ahead

Saturday, 09 January 2010
Resolution adopted by the International Assembly of the Anti-imperialist Camp, Italy, December 6, 2009

The historical systemic crisis of capitalism, new geo-political conflicts and the Anti-imperialist Camp’s tasks

a) The collapse of the world economy following the financial crash which erupted in the USA on September 2008 (a crash which had been announced by several creaks in the previous decade) is not one of those cyclical recessions followed by a recovery. It is more of an alarm bell pointing at a historical systemic crisis of western capitalism, in the first instance at a crisis of those imperialist countries which constituted, after World War II, the gravitational centre of global capitalism and which, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has dominated the world despite some resistance here and there.

b) The historical systemic crisis of the imperialist gravitational centre does not automatically mean that the capitalist production system as such has entered its final phase or finds itself in mortal agony. What is declining is the economic, social and political capitalist model that affirmed itself all over the western world in the post-war time period, the historically determined capitalist form which gained hegemony and got the upper hand on world scale. What actually is coming to an end is the opulent society, a social model based on mass compulsive consumerism, using it as the motor of its “development”. The opulent society is characterised by the transformation of the working class into a “new middle class”, by the financial slaughtering and plundering of peripheral countries as well as by a gigantic accumulation of super profits which led to the so-called turbo-capitalism. The opulent society and turbo-capitalism are in agony because of their very own hypertrophic development.

c) We are not only facing the end of an expansive cycle with a prolonged recession phase (stagnation). We are in a phase of transition that has epoch-making dimension, the same dimension as the three phases which characterised the modern history of capitalism. The first phase, thanks to the industrial revolution and the defeat of French ambitions, was the basis for the supremacy of English colonialism. The second one, between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, marked the transition to imperialism and opened the cycle for Euro-American conflicting interests and predominance. The third one began just after World War II, with the annihilation of German hegemony in Europe and Japanese hegemony in Asia, and opened the way to the definitive predominance of US imperialism, a predominance which was temporarily counterbalanced by a bipolar condominium with the Soviet Union.

d) No epoch-making change of this dimension can happen painlessly. Each of these changes caused deep revolutionary and counterrevolutionary fractures within each country, serious geopolitical turbulences and wars between nations and coalitions of nations. The first transition, from the first post-war cycle to turbo-capitalism did not happen swiftly but had been marked by a decade (the 70s) characterised by deep social and political tensions and severe international conflicts. Even the historical transition we are facing now will precipitate mankind into deep and chaotic social and international turbulences which will radically transform the world, changing the ranking and hierarchy of the world hegemonic powers and obliging western societies, who will have to adopt social, political and lifestyle models very different from the ones which have been predominant till now if they do not want to fall into a painful decline.

e) The first gigantic consequence of the crisis we are confronted with is that it will cause a contraction of the old western imperialist fortresses, whereas the east will emerge as the new prime motor of world economy. The result (not immediate but mediated) of the shift of the barycentre of world capitalist economy from the west to the east, will have China as its main protagonist and this will be a geopolitical earthquake of huge strategic dimensions. In general, we can affirm that we are slowly entering a historical post-western phase. Mankind will have to decide if we want to stay in the prison of a capitalism becoming more and more barbaric and oppressive or whether to take the direction of a renewed socialism.

f) The appearance of Obama in the White House will not bring a strategic change in North American imperialism; it represents a change in its modus vivendi, but not in its modus essendi. If the United States of America wants to avoid the implosion of its own empire, it cannot accept passively to be put aside. It will fight with every means, adopt every preventive and effective measure, including war, to avoid both a shift of the world’s economic barycentre to the other coast of the Pacific and the growth of China into an effective super power. In this perspective, the alliance with the European Union and the consolidation of the NATO, are essential factors for the USA. The European Union is not only the most important economic partner of the USA, it is also the most important strategic ally participating in its world predominance, the armed guardian that has to avoid the renaissance of the Russian power.

g) American super-imperialism will fiercely resist and fight its own decline. On its imperial supremacy depends in fact its internal stability, its social cohesion and the paralysing ideological efficacy of the American Dream. The loss of this supremacy will make the USA face internal convulsions never seen before. If our analysis is correct, we will witness an increase of conflicts assuming different scales of intensity and forms in the near future. The United States will use every means (a repertoire including Colour Revolutions and sabotages, sanctions under UN label and the preventive use of force) to suppress every sign of popular resistance and every nation considered hostile. Obama does not want to get rid of the ideological paradigm of the imperial salvation mission the USA is supposed to have, he does not want to reduce the military budget and the huge US military apparatus and he will not attack the propelling centre global expansion emanates from: the military-industrial block.

h) However, we should not make the mistake to overplay a distant future scenario as the confrontation with China or with a block led by China is to be seen as a long-range tendency. Strong counter-tendencies will also be at work and have to be considered. The two giants support each other. Even if war, as the last ratio, is a possibility, it is not coming soon. We could also have a long period characterised by Sino-American condominium, a global bi-polar asset under the cover of a multi-polar world, an asset leaving some scraps for all other regional protagonists, in particular for Russia, India, Brazil and some Arab countries. Such coexistence will not be equivalent to a long global peace period, neither will it exclude an indirect confrontation of the two giants in this or that part of the world.

i) Certainly the current crisis will not push the USA to accept a multi-polar world order. The United States cannot accept the idea of a world divided into zones of influence among several regional powers, a polycentric condominium which will mark the end of its indisputable supremacy. Anyway, the evocation of this multi-polar order by some regional sub-imperialist powers is not an airy fairy tale but expresses their acquired economic and political weight. This discrepancy should not be underestimated because it could be a crucial factor of global instability. The short Georgian conflict, or the never hailed Russian-American conflict (and how it polarised the international diplomacies) is a teaching example. It is a fact that the USA is not only defending its armed or logistic presence in some hundreds of countries, but also increasing it (as in Colombia or in Uzbekistan). When conflicts such as the one in Georgia burst out in other parts of the world, the anti-imperialist resistance movements should not change their position but maintain the goal of defeating the USA and their puppets as the best option.

l) The historical systemic crisis of western capitalism (imperialism) will not reach its end in a short time. We are only at the beginning. It is the first act opening a new historical period: the beginning of the end of western absolute supremacy. We are entering a phase that will be characterised by a tenacious and fierce reaction of the west to its own decline. For this reason the period we are just now entering, will be marked by gradual but growing turbulences. These turbulences will fully hit the European Union, shaking its fragile structure and with it also the strategic Euro-Atlantic Alliance. Actually, there are no forces inside the political system willing to separate European destiny from the one of the United States. All systemic political forces, whether right, centre or left wing, consider themselves in the same boat as the USA. But when the crisis will have caused enough damages to the boat, political forces outside the establishment will emerge. They will have to face the dilemma of separating themselves from the USA, ending the current submissive relationship and looking forward to the other shore of the Atlantic.

m) The end - also in Europe - of the opulent society based on insane and compulsive consumerism, the incapacity of the dominant oligarchies to rethink the concept of the European Union - conceived from the very beginning of its constitution as soul mate of the United States - the evident crisis of its political institutions and representatives, call upon the weak European revolutionary forces to tackle new and big strategic tasks. We will still have to bear our current powerlessness for a certain period, which could lead to dramatic isolation in some countries. Nonetheless, new waves of mass mobilisations and the rising of social conflicts are ineluctable. In a first phase these mobilisations could also assume open reactionary forms. Due to the historical fact that the left has been co-opted into the administration of imperialist capitalism, lending the latter a cover under the label of “political correctness”, rebellions could also be directed against left parties and organisations which have been part of the political system. The anti-imperialists will have to intersect and organise these tendencies in the form of anti-systemic protests, leading them into an anti-capitalist direction. To be able to do so, we will have to be on the front line of the progressive side of the protests, rejecting their reactionary elements. It will be necessary to explore new forms of political expression in order to obtain a broad consensus thanks to exemplary actions.
The anti-imperialists could finally see themselves obliged - if they are not able to take part in the foundation of new mass political movements and in order to defend the political legacy accumulated at the cost of big sacrifices - not only to cooperate with politically and socially compatible forces, but also to temporarily unite with those political formations finding themselves in the role of aggregators of antagonistic instances and so being a dam against the reactionary tide. In both cases anti-imperialism has to be linked to the perspective of a way out of capitalism, otherwise we will be unable to give voice to and to organise those subversive forces which will slowly be generated by the mechanisms of social exclusion.

n) The persistent US American determination to defend its supremacy, will not change the centrality of the resistance movements and our specific political role, but it will push these resistance movements to reposition and reorganise themselves, recalibrating their actions, in order to be able to act in the new magmatic geopolitical context, using all spaces that new strategic rivalries (not only the Sino-American one, but also that between the USA and other sub-imperial powers) will open up, wedging themselves into the crevices of the US Empire’s vulnerability. We are leaving a phase of defensive battles fought inside nationalist limits, based on corporation or identity, of resistances communicating and assisting each other mostly through symbolic and questionable methods. The new forms of resistance will be forced to look farther.

o) The perspective of an international anti-imperialist front will become a pressing necessity not only for the popular movements or the legitimate armed resistance, but also for those nations that are trying to escape the suffocating grip of US led imperialism. Among these nations are not only Venezuela or Bolivia, but also Iran or Sudan. The big project of dissociating whole countries and areas of our planet from the imperialistic predatory spiral is beginning to acquire decisive historical actuality. The creation of an Anti-imperialist Front and the uncoupling of resisting nations from the imperialist system should be the two pillars of the resistance of the oppressed peoples – if this does not happen, they will die between the American anvil and the Chinese hammer. The conflictive Sino-American coexistence and the hostilities in various areas between the USA and other sub-imperial powers, will not close but open new manoeuvring spaces, spaces of autonomy and independence.

p) Projecting this scenery onto a historic scale, we will have to work between the two world capitalist giants, between the declining and the rising one, in order to give birth to a third pole of countries and forces, including the European ones, aiming at a social system with a predominance of collectivist features, even if they are being adapted to the specific national conditions.
The resistances will therefore be called to overcome their current limitations, to challenge old and new masters, to keep a perspective of liberation that will bring forth the victory of the oppressed over the oppressors, to march forward on the road of emancipation in the historical perspective of a new socialism which will finally be able to combine those principles that have been kept separated: equality and freedom, democracy and authority, individual and community, civilisation and nature, revolution and tradition.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Crisis in Egypt

Viva Palestina faced with 2,000 riot police in the port of Al-Arish!

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24335.htm

from: countercurrents.org

click to read full article:

Israeli Use Of Painful Shackling As A Form of Torture

By Stephen Lendman
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel reviews the "serious phenomenon" of shackling Palestinian detainees "in a systematic manner and throughout all stages of detention and interrogation." Its purpose is to dehumanize and inflict pain, suffering, punishment, intimidation, and discrimination as a way of lawlessly extracting information even though experts acknowledge that torture is ineffective, counterproductive, and, of course, illegal under all circumstances at all times with no exceptions allowed ever


Gaza Freedom March Marches In CairoAgainst Blockade
By Sharat G. Lin

Delegates of the Gaza Freedom March were defeated in their desire to travel to Gaza, but, as a result of the struggles in the streets and embassies of Cairo, they were more determined than ever that the blockade of Gaza by both Israel and Egypt must be lifted. Bitur Nabi Tammam of Bahrain saw the bright side, “Even if they don't allow us to cross, I think it has accomplished the purpose that from all over the world you see people left their families, left their homes, to come here to say 'freedom for Gaza,' 'freedom for Palestine,' 'open the gates!'”


Cairo Declaration To End Israeli Apartheid

By Gaza Freedom Marchers

Gaza Freedom Marchers approved a declaration aimed at accelerating the global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli Apartheid

Salute To Women Liberator - Savitribai Phule- On Birthday, 3rd January

click to read full artcle:
Salute To Women Liberator - Savitribai Phule- On Birthday, 3rd January

By Pardeep Singh Attri
It is indeed a measure of the ruthlessness of elite-controlled knowledge-production that a figure as important as Savitribai Phule fails to find any mention in the history of modernIndia. Her life and struggle deserves to be appreciated by a wider spectrum, and made known to non-Marathi people as well

source: countercurrents.org

think..........

Discrimination is a disease.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the end antiblack, antifemale, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing - antihumanism.

Obama adds 675 million Muslims to the ultimate US Terrorism List

by franklin lamb



However President Obama is judged on various subjects for his first year in office, he has already made history in the way that neither his predecessor nor any other leader has ever managed.

On January 3, 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued new security directives to all United States and international air carriers with inbound flights to the U.S. effective January 4, 2010. The TSA press release sought to assure the traveling public: "The new directive includes long-term sustainable security measures developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and our domestic and international partners."

At midnight Washington DC time, January 3, it went into effect and placed 675,000,000 (675 million) more Muslims and Arabs on yet another 'Terrorism 'list. Also added were Nigerian and Cuban Christians but they were not the target.

675 million is the approximate total number of people on the new list from the ten prone to terrorism Countries as the Washington Post called them this morning, or terrorist leaning countries according to Fox news, (Sudan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen) and the four current State sponsors of Terrorism ( Iran, Syria, Libya and Cuba).


All 675 million of these citizens are subject to being watched, patted down, and full body scanned under arrangements calling for 'intense screening' by the national airlines who would like to transport them to the US. As with the new H. R. 2278 Congressional initiative against satellite TV providers, the airlines flying from or via the 14 countries will have to enforce the new stringent security measures or themselves risk losing their lucrative US bi-lateral landing rights and potentially, end up on yet another US Special Global Terrorism facilitator list.

In addition to the approximate 675 million covered by the new measure, with the average birth rate of these countries being approximately 45 live births per 1000 per year, it means that more than 17,000,000 newborns will join the new US T list even before their first gulp of their mommy's milk. And every subsequent years worth of new 'T babies'.

The new list initiative is enough to warm Dick Cheney's heart, reputed as he is to have never seen an Muslim or Arab (except those he does business with) he didn't want terrorized by a listing or other means, but the international rebellion against this latest US War on Terrorism initiative has begun.

As this report is being prepared, Nigeria has just weighed via media reports reaching Beirut around noon on 1/5/09 and its government has demanded that their 150,000,000 (150 million) citizens be immediately scratched from the new T list of 14 countries singled out for special treatment. Nigeria Information Minister Dora Akunyili announced today that Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, did not accept the new Terrorism list and we do not have a history of terrorism and such a move could not be justified. It is unfair to include 150 million Nigerians on the US list for tighter screening because Nigerians do not have terrorist tendencies.

It's no secret these days that anyone who even looks like they could be Arab or Muslim is already on a 'mental US Terrorism watch list' evidenced by reports of some passengers deciding not to board flights after observing Hijab wearing females or Abaya wearing Muslin or Arab men looking at them. What often happens according to airport security officials is that non Muslims sometimes stare at Muslims trying to detect something unusal or suspicious about them and then the Muslims stare back wondering why they are being stared at and both parties become paranoid.

The Lebanese, bless them all, ever alert to foreign intrigues, and were among the first objecting to being placed on the new US T list.

On Sunday night's (1/3/09) late and wild van ride back to Beirut from Beital in the now frigid and frequently bitterly cold and windblown, Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, this observer got an ear full. Our driver, by appearance, down to the Akek (Amber) ring on his little finger, neatly trimmed short beard, black wool jacket and black baseball cap, was a Hezbollah guy. Fellow passengers were accepting as Abass treated us to his new CD of Resistance music, (again and again!), including the popular songs Haydar, Hayder and Oh Hussein!, and the catchy Ali, Ali! (Ali was the cousin and son in law of the Prophet Mohammad who Shia Muslims believe should have been the first Khalifa (successor) of the Prophet rather than Abu Bakr and his line including Omar (the second Khalifa) and Othman (the third Khalifa). In important respects, from this succession argument grew the Shia-Sunni conflict now deeply splitting Islam. On the van, it was a party atmosphere among the fifteen or so passengers most of whom were returning from week-end visits to their families with Bekaa toting delicacies of one kind or another. Van users, including this one, prefer Hezbollah drivers on the Beirut-Bekaa run because they know every pot hole on the route over the West Lebanon Mountains, don't try to overcharge riders, are unfailingly polite to the elderly and infirm-assisting them on and off the vans, and perhaps most importantly, these guys drive like bats fleeing hell, which cuts travel time by about one-third.

But those probably most grateful for riding with drivers like 'Abass' are those whose documents might not be quite in order or they just might be carrying contraband of some sort. For them our driver was golden because drivers like him are routinely waived thru various check points en route once their affiliation is noticed. One can't help wondering what would happen if a US 'profiling' system was in place and a van was pulled over by a Pennsylvania State trooper named Lawrence and his flashing red light, for ID and luggage inspection or just to sniff inside the vehicles quickly rolled down windows. Would the van still have passengers traveling to Beirut or would he ask to share a smoke?

The friendly young man sitting next to me opened a carry on case and while not wanting to appear snoopy, one could not help noticing that it was packed with filled honey comb and softball sized clumps of Red-bud Hashish (known locally by Western clients as 'H & H', with sometimes the prized honey fetching more than the Red-bud) two ancient Bekaa products. Appreciated from before Roman times each harvest achieved bumper crops this year. The near record yield was recorded despite a couple of DEA funded 'photo op' anti-drug 'raids' last summer that the locals laugh at. The chatty kid told me lots of couriers make at least twice weekly Baalbek trips.

One Baalbek young lady, a member of the large Jaafar clan ( which producers some of Hezbollah's best fighters) , studying Journalism at Beirut's American Lebanese University (LAU), commented to this observer after our driver took a music break to tune in the news, Oh, your country just added 14 more Muslim countries to another airplane Terrorism list. Mabrouk!


This opened an animated discussion of the ways things are going these days between the Obama administration whose sweet words last spring have become the source for scowls and ridicule in Lebanon due to deep disappointment and, once more dashed hope of America becoming an honest broker in the region –and of course, the various US Terrorism lists.

A teen ager from the back of the van sing-songed Wouldn't it be easier just for you Americans to put the whole world on your terrorism list and then let everyone on the planet convince you they should be taken off? And another smart alec grinned: Or you could just stop giving Israel weapons to kill and terrorize us and then there would be no need for any terrorist lists at all? Within two seconds, not more, an old woman who must have been in her 80's, wrapped in an Ashoura black covering, and who appeared to be sound asleep, lifted her head and shouted Enshallah! (God willing!) and returned her head forward to slumber. With that sage intervention the van erupted and shook in laughter.

The strongest reaction came from 'Mustapha' who appeared to be some sort of Salafist recently arrived from the gulf. Claiming to have friends in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, he expressed a strong opinion and with anger in his voice:

Does your government think Muslims with self respect and who value the Koran will allow his family especially his wife and his daughters to be body scanned? He would rather die. This will not happen. One phone call and your Embassy in Lebanon will close faster than the one in Yemen. I think sometimes that you Americans have no idea about these latest aggressions against Muslims? Are you out of your minds? We are a peaceful people with a few extremists doing some crasy things but only in response to crimes against us like in Palestine. Stop provoking us and leave us and our lands!

Will frequent flyers start to Glow?

As Mustapha expressed, Muslims and Arabs find the full-body scanner treatment abhorrent and they will likely oppose in strongly. In this they are not alone with many questions being raised from cost (approximately $ 200,000 each or 10 more expensive that the usual metal detectors) to questions whether such devices would have even detected the type of bomb allegedly used on Christmas Day in Detroit.

While the Israel Defense Industries has announced a crash program to build and distribute quickly a cheaper and improved full body scanner (FBS) version, the stock of American Science & Engineering, a US company that makes the full body scanners skyrocketed after Christmas and hit $82 dollars per share on 1/4/09, up from around $ 42 this summer.UK companies like L-3 Communications and Qinetiq hope to fend off competitors in landing quick orders. Qinetiq announced yesterday that it can perfect a stand-off full body scanner to reduce privacy issues.

Former Bush Homeland Security director, Michael Chertoff admitted to NPR the other day that he is in the hunt for contracts for his new consulting firm, while denying that his advocacy of fbs when he held his post is a conflict of interest. Janes Weekly claims the fbs are here to stay.

There are many critics of FBS including claims that it tends to fry hearing aids, and sends massive doses of ionizing x-rays radiations to the thyroid and breast areas. Others insist dogs are more effective and much cheaper.

Dr. John Gofman, Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, a leading U.S. expert on the biological effects of X-radiation has concluded after exhaustive research that there is NO SAFE DOSE-LEVEL of ionizing radiation. His studies indicate that radiation from medical diagnostics and treatment is a causal co-factor in 50 percent of America's cancers and 60 percent of our ischemic (blood flow blockage) heart disease. He stresses that the frequency with which Americans are medically X-rayed makes for a significant radiological impact.

The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children. Terri Dowty, of Action for Rights of Children, in London claims that the scanners could breach the Protection of Children Act 1978, under which it is illegal to create an indecent image or a "pseudo-image" of a child.

Privacy Issues

The ACLU and similar civil liberty organizations in England and Europe are waging a campaign against fbs on privacy grounds some arguing that the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved. US and European Child porn laws are applicable in the view of some lawyers and there is growing concern that TSA type at airports around the World do not commit offences under child pornography laws or sell to the likes of the National Enquirer, the UK Sun, NY Post etc. full body scan images of celebrities, movie stars and others. Some governments are expressing concern that images could end up on the Internet.

A 12-month trial at Manchester, England airport of scanners revealed naked images of passengers including their genitalia and breast enlargements only went ahead last month after under-18s were exempted.

According to a US Congressional source, the Obama administration's new list is meant to parry the coming expected rampage from the likes of Russ Limbaugh. Already some conservatives such as retired Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney who wants to get young Muslim men naked in the worst way. The former US Air Force general's comments during a recent Fox News broadcast. "We've got to go to more than just the normal process that they're talking about now," he opined on Saturday. "We have got to go to very; very strict screening and we've got to use profiling. And I mean, be very, very serious about the profiling. If you are an 18-28-year-old Muslim man, then you should be strip searched. If we don't do that, there's a very high probability that we're gonna lose an airliner."

The Obama administration has expressed for months an interest in revamping the Terrorism lists and who is on them who should not be. Now is the time to rethink the whole T list concept. They can boomerang and cause many more problems than they were constructed to prevent. The Obama administration should proceed on a case by case basic with people suspected of planning violence. It should immediately scrap the latest 675, 000,000+ Mega Special Global Terrorism List and try good works rather than threats and serial humiliations to build trust and friendship among Muslims and Arabs who are identical to ourselves in what they are working to accomplish in life for their loved ones.

* Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon. He can be reached at fplamb@gmail.com

source: http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2010/01/05/obama-adds-675-million-muslims-to-the-ultimate-us-terrorism-list/

Sunday, January 3, 2010

from Pune in support of Himanshuji

Himanshuji is on indefinite fast for peace and justice – let us extend
solidarity in Pune!



Dear friends,



We are all aware of the process of corporate land grab, state backed
violence in form of Salwa Judum and large scale displacement of
adivasis in South Chhattisgarh. In that state, persons who have
consistently raised their voice against this repressive situation have
been harassed or detained by the Government, without any legal basis –
Dr. Binayak Sen and Ajay TG being prominent examples. Many others have
been facing similar repression from the Chhattisgarh state, which
intends to obtain the mineral-rich land of adivasis, and lease it to
large corporations. Instead of addressing the basic issues being
raised, and moving towards just solutions, the state has decided to
silence each and every dissenting voice by branding such voices as
‘Maoists’ or ‘terrorist sympathisers’.

The latest victim of this repressive regime in Chhattisgarh is
‘Vanvasi Chetna Ashram’ (VCA) led by Himanshu Kumar, a Gandhian social
worker who has founded this ashram in Dantewada over 17 years ago. He
and his team had been fearlessly exposing the large scale killings,
rapes, burning of villages and massive displacement being unleashed on
the adivasis of Dantewada by the State-backed ‘Salwa Judum’ vigilante
force. Several VCA activists had been attacked or harassed during the
last five years, including serious threats to Himanshuji.




It may be recalled that the administration bulldozed and razed to the
ground the premises of Vanvasi Chetna Ashram (VCA) on 17 May 09, on
flimsy grounds. On 10 December 09 (Human rights day!) the police
arrested a VCA volunteer named Kopa Kunjam and a lawyer Human Rights
Law Network Alban Toppo, and severely beat them up in police custody.
Although Alban has been later released, Kopa remains in jail under
trumped-up charges and another VCA volunteer Sukhnath has also been
arrested under the draconian Chhattisgarh State Public Security Act
(CSPSA). It is widely believed that Kopa Kunjam is being targeted
because he exposed human rights violations by the security forces,
including the killing of 15 Adivasis at Singaram on 8 January 09 and
killing of three Adivasis in front of the Matwada police station on 18
June last year.

Further, the district administration prevented a peace march being
organized by the VCA on 14 December at Dantewada, which was attempting
to highlight the atrocities on adivasis and the need to resettle them
back in their villages. Volunteers were forbidden from joining the
march by Salwa Judum activists brandishing arms.




In response to this entire situation, Himanshuji has started an
indefinite fast starting 26th December. His appeal is given below. It
may be recalled that Himanshuji had addressed a public meeting in Pune
on 1st November 09, where he had described the situation in Dantewada
in detail, and had appealed to the citizens of Pune to express
solidarity with the adivasis suffering from violence and repression.




In this situation, all democracy-loving citizens and those working for
social justice and people’s rights need to raise their voices in
protest against the suppression of basic democratic rights in
Chhattisgarh, which appears like a social laboratory whose violent
‘experiments’ may be tried out in other states in the future.
Solidarity actions are being carried out in various cities such as
Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and a Global relay fast has also been
initiated. In this context, this is an appeal to all, to join the
solidarity and protest programme being organized in Pune by a number
of organizations as follows:




Poster exhibition, mass contact programme and distribution of pamphlets

Date and time: 4th January 2010, 4 to 6 pm

Place: Near Pune Municipal Corporation bus stop, in front of Mamata restaurant




Looking forward to active participation from all,


Sincerely,

R.P. Nene, Shanta Ranade, Anant Phadke, Milind Chavan, Suhas Kolhekar,
Abhay Shukla

Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the "Cairo Declaration"

http://vcnv.org/gaza-freedom-marchers-issue-the-cairo-declaration

Loose Change 2nd Edition (Full)

Gaza Freedom March






Khuda ke liye

we salute to our leader





Savitri Bai Phule


First Woman Teacher of India Krantijot Savitri Bai Phoolay
Dr. S. L. Virdi Advocate


In the middle of 19th century one of the most respected personality, father of the Indian Social Revolution Jyoti Rao Phoolay and his life Partner Krantijot Savitri Bai Phoolay revolted against Brahminical system and hegemony of the Brahmins in all spheres of life. An incident in 1848 made young Phule aware of the inequities of the caste system and the predominant position of the Brahmins in the social set-up. As a bridegroom was being taken in a procession, Jyotiba was accompanying him along with the relatives of this friend. Upon knowing that Jyotiba belonging to "Mali" caste which was considered to be inferior. The relatives of the bridegroom insulted him for taking part in that auspicious occasion. This incident triggered young Jotirao’s impressionable mind to defy the caste system and to serve the Shudras and women who were deprived of their rights as human beings under the caste system throughout his life.

Jotirao Phoolay and Krantijot Phoolay boldly attacked the stronghold of the Brahmins, who prevented others from having access to all the avenues of knowledge. They denounced them as cheats and hypocrites. They organised the untouchables and women and started the anti-Brahmin movement. They opened schools for the untouchables and women and gave the message of equality then high caste Hindus ostracized him and demolished his house. Phule launched a jihad against the priesthood and brahminical supremacy with a deep sense of commitment. They declared that social slavery is worst than political slavery. Phoolay wrote a book Gulamgiri for the salvation of Shudras and Ati Shudras in which he gave a clarion call to the Shudras and Ati Shudras for waging a decisive war against social system of the Hindus. They formed a Satya Sodhak Samaj for this purpose.

Events Year
Birth of SavitriBai.(Naigaon,Tha. Khandala Dist. Satara) Father's name- Khandoji Nevse, Mother's name- Laxmi. 3rd Jan.1831
Marriage with Jotirao Phule. 1840
Education started. 1841
Passed third and fourth year examination from Normal school. 1846-47
Started school with Sagunabai in Maharwada. 1847
Country's first school for girls was started at Bhide's wada in Pune and Savitribai was nominated as the first head mistress of the school. 1 Jan.1848
School for adults was started at UsmanSheikh's wada in Pune. Left home with Jotirao for educating Shudra and ati Shudra's . 1849
First public Til-Gul programme was arranged by Mahila Seva Mandal. 14 Jan.1852
Phule family was honoured by British government for their works in the field of education and Savtribai was declared as the best teacher. 16 Nov.1852
Infanticide prohibition home was started. 28 Jan.1853
Prize giving ceremony was arranged under the chairmanship of Major Candy. 12 Feb.1853
"Kavya Phule"-the first collection of poems was published. 1854
A night school for agriculturist and labourers was started. 1855
'Lecture's of Jyotiba' was published. 25 Dec.1856
Orphanage was started. 1863
Opened the well to untouchables. 1868
Adopted son of Kashibai, a Brahmin Widow's Child. 1874
Done important work in famine and started 52 free food hostels in Maharashatra. 1876 to 1877
Adopted son, Dr.Yashwant was married to the daughter of Sasane. 4 Feb.1889
Death of her husband Jotirao Phule . 28 Nov. 1890
Chairperson of Satya Shodhak Samaj Conference at Saswad. 1893
Again famine in Maharashtra. Forced government to start relief work. 1896
Plague epidemic in Pune.Had done social work during this hour. 1897
Died while serving the Plague paitents during plague epidemic. 10 March 1897
Centenary year in Maharashtra and National honour. 10 March 1997 to 98
Government of India honoured her by publishing a postage stamp. 10 March 1998
Events Year
Birth of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. 11th April, 1827
Marathi education in Panthoji's school. 1834 to 1838
Married to Savitribai, the daughter of Khandoji Nevase at Naigaon. 1840
Primary education(English) in Missionary School. 1841 to 1847
Study of Thomas Paine's book 'Rights of Man'. 1847
Humiliation at marriage procession of upper caste friend. 1848
Started school for girls of shudra and atishudra. 1848
Left home with wife because of oath taken to educate the Shudras. 1849
Started girls school at Chiplunkar's wada 1851
Major Candy felicitated Jyotiba Phule for his contribution in the field of education. 16 Nov. 1852
Joined a Scottish school as a part time teacher. 1854
Started night school. 1855
Took retirement from the management board of school. 1858
Helped in the remarriage of widows. 1860
Started Infanticide Prohibition Home. 1863
Death of Jotirao's father Govindrao. 1868
Opened the well of his house to the untouchables. 1868
'Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle yancha povada'. 1st June, 1869
Gulamgiri. 1 June 1873
Formation of 'Satya Shodhak Samaj'. 24 Sept. 1873
Procession of Dayanand Saraswati. 1875
Report of Pune's branch of Satya Shodhak Samaj. 20 March 1877
Member of Pune Muncipality. 1876 to 1882
Made presentation to Hunter Education Commission. 19 Oct. 1882
Written the most famous book 'Shetkarayacha Aasud (Cultivator's Whipcord)'. 18 July 1883
Published the book 'Ishara' 1 Oct.1885
Junnar Court's decision in favour of villager's right 29 March 1885
Felicitated by Duke of Connaught. 2 March 1888
Felicitated by public and was honoured with the title of' MAHATMA' 11 May 1888
Started writing the book 'Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Poostak' 1st April 1889
Death of Mahatma Jotirao Phule. 28 Nov 1890

India- Palestine People's Solidarity




End Israeli Apartheid




Dear fellow Gaza Freedom Marchers,


Below and attached (in two formats) is the declaration agreed today by those who have signed the document (128 so far). If you have signed please check that your details are correct. Please note that we have been careful to indicate that organisations have not yet had time to consider their positions so affiliations are given for identification purposes only. If you have not signed but now wish to sign please reply to this email address.


cairodec@gmail.com


A steering committee is being formed which will include representatives from the South African delegation and the Gaza Freedom March Coordinating Committee. We have tried to be as democratic as possible within the time constraints and we hope it will become clear in the coming weeks what support this declaration will have.


We intend to circulate translations into Arabic, French, Spanish, and as many other languages as we have translator volunteers.


If you do support the document please forward it to your organisations and contacts, urging them to sign it.


To make the plans in this declaration a reality will require a tremendous amount of hard work. We hope that you will meet the challenges head on.


In solidarity,


The South African delegation to the Gaza Freedom March


--


End Israeli Apartheid

Cairo Declaration

January 1, 2010





We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective response to an initiative from the South African delegation, state:



In view of:



o Israel's ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza;

o the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements;

o the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza;

o the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006;

o the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza one year ago;

o the continuing discrimination and repression faced by Palestinians within Israel;

o and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees;

o all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;

o in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with impunity;

o and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)



We reaffirm our commitment to:



Palestinian Self-Determination

Ending the Occupation

Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine

The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugees



We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with international law.



To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.



Mindful of the many strong similarities between apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:



1) An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider public internationally;



2) Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;



3) A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;



4) Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;



5) Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;



6) Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli government war criminals; coordination of Citizen's Arrest Bureaux to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals; support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its recommendations;



7) Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).



We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality.



Please e-mail us at cairodec@gmail.com



Signed by:



(* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)



1. Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA

2. Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

3. Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

4. Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa

5. George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa

6. Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa

7. Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*, South Africa

8. Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa

9. Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

10. Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

11. Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa

12. Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa

13. Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA

14. Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*, Ireland

15. Anthony Loewenstein, Australia

16. Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom

17. Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA

18. Ulf Fogelström, Sweden

19. Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA

20. Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

21. Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany

22. Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA

23. Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*, USA

24. Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria

25. Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain

26. Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA

27. Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA

28. David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, USA

29. Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA

30. Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*, USA

31. Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA

32. Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France

33. Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*, USA

34. Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

35. Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA

36. Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England

37. Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA

38. Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia

39. Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA

40. Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, England

41. Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria

42. Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA

43. Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland

44. Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland

45. Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada

46. Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada

47. Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada

48. Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada

49. Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada

50. Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada

51. Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada

52. Cleopatra McGovern, USA

53. Miranda Collet, Spain

54. Alison Phillips, Scotland

55. Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*, USA

56. Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA

57. Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA

58. Hope Mariposa, USA

59. Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*, Germany

60. Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA

61. Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA

62. Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA

63. Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA

64. Anna Keuchen, Germany

65. Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA

66. Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*, USA

67. Ina Kelleher, USA

68. Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA

69. Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA

70. Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*, Canada

71. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Scotland

72. Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland

73. Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA

74. Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands

75. Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands

76. Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands

77. Sandra Tamari, USA

78. Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA

79. J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA

80. Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA

81. Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada*, Canada

82. Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France

83. Sylvia Schwarz, USA

84. Alexandra Safi, Germany

85. Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey

86. Ted Auerbach, USA

87. Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA

88. Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA

89. Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA

90. Emma Grigore, CodePink*, USA

91. Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*, USA

92. Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA

93. Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA

94. Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA

95. Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA

96. Hanan Tabbara, USA

97. Marina Barakatt, CodePink*, USA

98. Keren Bariyov, USA

99. Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria

100. Ann Cunningham, Australia

101. Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA

102. Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA

103. Athena Viscusi, USA

104. Marco Viscusi, USA

105. Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA

106. Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA

107. Ellen Graves, USA

108. Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Ireland

109. Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain

110. Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain

111. Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada

112. David Heap, London Anti-War*, Canada

113. Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England

114. Aimee Shalan, UK

115. Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain

116. Priscilla Lynch, USA

117. Jenna Bitar, USA

118. Deborah Mardon, USA

119. Becky Thompson, USA

120. Diane Hereford, USA

121. David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada

122. Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*, Canada

123. Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada

124. Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada

125. Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada

126. Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France

127. Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India

128. John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA