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Call for release Italian and Iraqi hostages
Wilbert van der Zeijden - 09.09.2004 15:53
Een aantal mensenrechtenactivisten en vrijwilligers voor o.a. Occupation Watch Centre in Bagdad zijn gegijzeld in Irak. Met een aantal organisaties proberen we hier wereldwijd veel ruchtbaarheid aan te geven, en handtekeningen te verzamelen, in de hoop hun levens te redden. Hoewel er ook vermoedens bestaan dat niet de milities maar de nieuwbakken Iraakse regering in dit geval achter de gijzeling zit, houden we ook rekening met de mogelijkheid dat hun levens gespaard kunnen worden door aan de ontvoerders duidelijk te maken dat deze mensen geen pionnen zijn van de bezetters, maar anti-oorlog en mensenrechten -activisten, in Irak aanwezig tegen de zin van de VS, om burgers te helpen. Lees de call, en als je wilt, geef er je steun aan.
An Appeal for the Release the Italian and Iraqi Aid Workers Abducted in
Baghdad: THEY ARE NOT INSTRUMENTS OF THE OCCUPYING FORCES
We are individuals and organizations from around the world who opposed and
continue to oppose the occupation of Iraq and we plead for the release of
two Italian and two Iraqi humanitarian workers who were abducted in Iraq
last September 7, 2004.
Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both Italians, and Ra¹ad Ali Abdul Azziz
and Mahnoaz Bassam, both Iraqis, are members of Un Ponter Per Baghdad
(Bridges to Baghdad) an independent Italian humanitarian organization that
has been working in Iraq since 1992. During the embargo, other humanitarian organizations refused to operate in Iraq, Bridges defied that in the belief that the suffering of civilians should not be used as a political bargaining chip.
In this occupation, the United States and its coalition cynically blurred
the distinction between the humanitarian and the political, using aid and
relief as an apparatus for pacifying the Iraqis. As a result, Iraqis have
become increasingly and understandably suspicious of international
humanitarian organizations. Despite the perils caused by this confusion,
Bridges consciously decided to continue its operations in Iraq, convinced
that Iraqis will see through their intentions.
Bridges is not an instrument of the Italian government, nor of the US-led
coalition, to make the occupation more bearable, and therefore, more
acceptable to the Iraqis. From the very beginning, Bridges has been open
And consistent with its positions: it opposed the embargo, it opposed the
invasion, and it opposes the occupation. In Italy, Bridges has been a
leading critic of the government¹s decision to join the US-led coalition.
It plays a leading role in the nation-wide movement that mobilized over a
million Italians to march against the war in February 15, 2003, as well as
in various demonstrations after. Bridges has also been very active in the
global anti-war movement, maintaining links with various anti-war
organizations around the world and playing a key role in establishing the
Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad, a center for monitoring the occupation
founded by anti-war organizations and coalitions from different countries.
Simona Torretta has spent a third of her life for Iraq; Simona Pari joined
her in 2003. As chief of Bridges¹ in-country operations, Simona Torretta has been supervising projects to rehabilitate Iraq¹s decrepit water infrastructure and to repair school buildings. Among other things, Simona
Pari was organizing educational programs for Iraq¹s traumatized children.
Ra¹ad is an Iraqi engineer who took charge of Bridges¹ school projects in
Baghdad and Basra. Mahnoaz was involved in the social programs. Aside from
these projects, Bridges has also helped build the capacity of local Iraqi
organizations to document and report cases of human rights abuses committed by occupation forces. In April this year, Bridges organized a humanitarian convoy that delivered food, water, blood, and medicine to civilians under siege in Fallujah. Last month, as US and Iraqi ³interim government forces² mounted their offensive in Najaf, Bridges was also there, providing aid and assistance to Iraqis caught in the crossfire.
Simona, Simona, Ra¹d and Mahnoaz are not enemies of the Iraqi people. They
stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in calling for an immediate end to the occupation. We appeal to those holding them to release them immediately.
We also call on the Italian government to immediately withdraw its
membership in the US-led coalition. We call on the United States and the
remaining members of the coalition to end the occupation.
SIGNED:
As of 8 September, 3 PM GMT
[Organizations]
Iraq International Occupation Watch Center
Alianza Social Continental (Latin America)
Campaign Genoa 2001 (Greece)
Continental Campaign Against FTAA (Latin America)
Code Pink (United States)
Global Exchange (United States)
Globalize Resistance (United Kingdom)
Focus on the Global South (Philippines, Thailand, and India)
International Civilian Campaign for the Protection of Palestinians (France)
Palestinian Workers Union
Stop the War Coalition - Greece
Stop the War Coalition - UK
Transnational Institute (TNI) - (Netherlands, Global)
(To sign this appeal, please send an e-mail with your name, organization,
country, contact details, to  free-our-friends@focusweb.org.
Please indicate if you wish to sign as an organization or as an individual.
(Contact: Herbert Docena +96 1 316 4370)
Wilbert van der Zeijden, Wilbert@tni.org, 020-6626608
 E-Mail: wilbert@tni.org  Website: http://www.tni.org
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| Lees meer over: militarisme vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten wereldcrisis | | aanvullingen | | | OK | Spectakel - 09.09.2004 20:12
OK,
You convinced me, this time.
One queston: Why are these people not fighting at home to fight the fasist Berlecone Governent?
All People of All Counries Occuping Irak: You are legitime targets!
WITHDRAW YOUR PEOPLE!
Website: http://ummahnews.com/story.php?sid=20040909131706745
| | Simona, Simona, Ra'ad and Mahnaz - Iraq-Italy | ce - 11.09.2004 11:31
In several cities in Italy thousands of people demonstrated over the last three days for the release of the 2 kidnapped Simona's, Ra'ad and Mahnaz, who worked in Baghdad for the Italian Ngo 'Un Ponte Per Baghdad' (A bridge to Baghdad). This organization has various other 'bridges', as for example to Diyarbakir. See their website.
 http://www.unponteper.it
Website: http://www.unponteper.it
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