Iran: Video and Text-Neda's sister speaks out in a moving eulogy

Translation

I am here in order to tell you that she died in her father's arms.

I am here in order to tell you that my sister had big dreams.

I am here in order to tell you that my sister was very modest [in her dreams].

She longed - just like me - after one day feeling the wind in her hair, and just like me she loved poems by Farukh (?), a Persian poet, and she....

....longed for freedom and equality.

She longed after one day being able to say I am Iranian; with her head held up high.

She longed after one day falling in love with a man with a [inaudible] haircut, giving birth to a daughter, singing lullabies at her cradle, or to plait her child's long hair.

My sister died because she was not allowed to live like a human being; my sister died because injustice would not end; my sister died because she loved life so much, and my sister died because she cared lovingly for her fellow humans well-being.

All our brothers and sisters in Iran: You are not alone!

Neda Agha-Soltan. (Nedā Āġā-Soltān; b 1982 - d June 20, 2009). Video of murder here

Christians in Saudi Arabia face death or imprisonment

Hamoud Saleh Al-Amri, is a 28 year-old Saudi national who converted from Islam to Christianity. His disillusionment with Islam set in when he witnessed the executions of three Pakistanis convicted on drug charges. He set about a study of other religions. Heaving read how Jesus forgave - rather than stoned -a woman condemned for adultery, Bin Saleh decided to become a Christian. He wrote about this in his blog.

This soon came to the attention of the Saudi authorities. Saudi police arrested Hamoud Bin Saleh on Jan. 13 ”because of his opinions and his testimony that he had converted from Islam to Christianity,” according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI). They also blocked his blog Masihi Saudi.
Surprisingly he was released by Saudi authorities at the end of March 2009 notwithstanding the fact that under Sharia law he could have been executed for apostasy. It is believed that pressure from human rights organizations such as the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) convinced the Saudi authorities to relent. However he has been banned from travelling outside Saudi Arabia or appearing in media according to Middle East Concern, a Christian organisation.

In August 2008 the daughter of a member of Saudi Arabia’s religious police was killed for writing in her blog- called Rania-about her belief in the Christian religion. She had her tongue cut out and was burned to death. Moslems who convert to Christianity may just "disappear".

Video:Darfur Genocide Exposed-Four Sudanese men admit that they participated in violence and massacres

A video recently released by Aegis Trust shows the testimony of four men who state they actively participated in the violence and massacres on Darfur, and who are not afraid to call it genocide. The video was uploaded on The Hub and it is hoped that people will pass it on to others in order to spread this information:

The men - whose identities are obscured - are former members of the Sudanese military and the Janjaweed militia: one was a senior officer in the Sudan Army Finance, one a high-ranking Janjaweed commander, another a Janjaweed footsoldier, and the last a Sudanese soldier.
On the video, you can hear their testimonies of how the Sudanese government recruited the Janjaweed militias, gave them weapons and supplies and whenever they attacked villages, the government would cover it up and state that the attack had been done by the military against rebels, and not by militias attacking civilians. The video is available with German subtitles, Arabic subtitles and French subtitles.

According to Aegis Trust's press release on Human Rights First, this video could assist in the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant against Sudan's president, General Omar al-Bashir:
Since 2003, at least 300,000 civilians have died in Darfur and millions have been displaced from their homes, many of them at the hands of militia nicknamed the ‘Janjaweed' ('devils on horseback'). Time after time, survivors stated - and international observers confirmed - that as they murdered, raped, looted and burned village after village, the Janjaweed was backed by the Sudanese army and air force. Yet the Sudanese Government has consistently denied responsibility for atrocities in Darfur and to this day, says it has nothing to do with the Janjaweed.
However, the defectors in this film - some of them speaking publicly for the first time - tell a very different story.(Source: Global Voices)

Nine Executed by hanging in Iran on December 24th 2008

In YNet news.com :

Eight men and one woman were executed by hanging early Wednesday at a prison in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Iranian news agency Fars reported.
According to the report, the nine were convicted murderers, who were sentenced to death in accordance with a clause in Islamic law allowing eye-for-eye retribution....Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iranian law is based on the Sharia (the body of Islamic religious law), and people convicted of murder, rape, adultery, homosexuality, abduction, robbery and drug smuggling are sentenced to death....

Executions cannot be justified on a number of grounds. God gives life. Only He should take it away. All executions are final. The dead cannot be brought back to life in the event of a miscarriage of justice. Quite simply the death penalty is barbaric wherever administered. It is a relic of bygone times. Discontinue it.

Zimbabwe:Mass Murder of illegal miners by machine gun-wielding soldiers in helicopters shocks the world (Mugabe a new Hitler?)

The following is an excerpt from an article titled Zimbabwe: World must act after helicopter slaughter of miners

THE descent of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe regime into thuggery has accelerated as his hold on power slips in the face of total economic collapse.
But the news of the brutal mass murder of illegal miners by machine gun-wielding soldiers in helicopters has shocked the world.
According to The Guardian newspaper: “Zimbabwean air force helicopter swept over the hundreds of fleeing illegal diamond miners and mowed down dozens with machine-gun fire. “After that the police arrived and unleashed the dogs that tore into the diggers, killing some and mutilating others. “The police fired teargas to drive the miners out of their shallow tunnels and shot them down as they emerged. ”
This is a description of one incident and there have been several similar shootings over the last month.
The exact death toll is not known, but estimates run as high as 140 according to the The Guardian....

Joe Seoka, the Anglican bishop of Pretoria,has said that Robert Mugabe “must be viewed as the 21st century Hitler” because of the deaths and suffering of Zimbabweans under his rule. Mugabe has terrorised political opponents and wrecked the economy.Zimbabwe's official inflation rate stands at 231,000,000%. This hyper inflation is escalating. The Zimbabwean Dollar is practically worthless.It is estimated that more than 80% of the country's population lives on less than $1.5 dollars a day whilst 50% is chronically malnourished. Zimbabwe once the breadbasket of Africa ia now an economic basket case. Cholera has spread from the cities to rural areas whilst an anthrax outbreak has also been reported in Hurungwe 300km north of the capital, Harare. Local government services have in many cases collapsed. Raw sewage frequently seeps out onto streets and there are widespread sanitation problems. And yet the world stands idly by.

Now just take a look at this video Terror on Zimbabwe-South Africa border :

RTE Documentary on Haiti would draw a tear from a stone.

RTE has a long history of accomplishment in the production of documentaries. However it is doubtful if any has left as big an impression as Jim Fahy's Haiti A Hundred Dead People In My Truck . The graphic footage of squalor, hunger, malnutrition, shanty towns and trucks carrying the bodies of up to 100 people would draw a tear from a stone. The stench of death was everywhere. The film also contained a brief historic background to the problems of the country. In addition it described how First World countries still demand their pound of flesh in the form of loan repayments from a country on its knees. The activities of kidnappers were recounted-ears of hostages cut off if they are lucky. Murdered if they are unlucky.
Widespread hurricane damage is a common occurrence. Haiti is the country that has been largely forgotten by the western world. Of course UN troops are stationed there to maintain a semblance of order.

Two Irish women childcare specialist, Gena Heraty from Mayo, and Dubliner Dr Louise Ivers a world expert in infectious disease - have been working for years in Haiti’s slums and in the mountainous areas. Working alongside them as a doctor and hostage negotiator is Fr Rick Frechette, a Passionist Priest, from Connecticut in the United States.
The film footage featuring all three was so moving. Their determination to swim against the tide, their exhausting schedules, their compassion and their dedication to the cause of social justice is an inspiration to all.

Gena Heraty has dedicated her life to improving the lot of orphans. She is determined to live out her life in Haiti. She stressed that all children are equal irrespective of where they live and entitled to an equal chance to progress. Dr Louise Ivers is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School . She works in a gradually expanding clinic through the nonprofit organization Partners In Health. She said "I can’t sleep at night because of the things that I see".

The spectre of Fr Rick Frechette helping to load up the bodies for transport and his prayers over mass graves would send a shudder through the hardest heart. The convoys of lorries carrying corpses through the streets merited scarcely a glance from the citizens. As far as they were concerned this was normal.

Congrats to Jim Fahy and the whole RTE team. This documentary should be disseminated throughout the world. It might soften the hard hearted bankers and politicians. This has the potential to shock viewers into action. The full programme may be viewed here

RTE Documentary: Haiti A Hundred People Dead In My Truck- uncovers a land of Murder,Kidnapping,Hunger and Poverty

Audio requires RealPlayer. This may be downloaded here

Embedded from RTE.IE

This audio contains a preview by Jim Fahey of his documentary Haiti: A Hundred People Dead In My Truck. This goes out on RTE television tonight. It follows the work of an American missionary priest Fr Rick Frechette and two Irish women-Gena Heraty and Dr Louise Ivers who are working to improve the quality of life for the people of Haiti. These are the unsung heroes who fight against overwhelming odds for justice for the poor.

Half of the people of Haiti live on less than a dollar a day in a land of hunger,murder,kidnapping,disease and low life expectancy. Many parents are reduced to a life of scavenging in an effort to eke out an existence. Father Rick’s Summer 2006 in Haiti provides a graphic account of the plight of ordinary Haitians.
The full programme may be viewed here

Violence Against Christians in India:Please help to halt the Hindu extremist onslaught

There is growing concern about the upsurge in violence against the Christian minority in India.
In the Times of London :"Extremist Hindu groups offered money, food and alcohol to mobs to kill Christians and destroy their homes, according to Christian aid workers in the eastern state of Orissa. .....The US-based head of a Christian organisation that runs several orphanages in Orissa – one of India’s poorest regions – claims that Christian leaders are being targeted by Hindu militants and carry a price on their heads. “The going price to kill a pastor is $250 (£170),” Faiz Rahman, the chairman of Good News India, said.... "

According to the Benenson Society which has already campaigned about the situation in Orissa state "the situation appears to be deteriorating across India. Burning of homes and churches, rape and murder, and forced conversions to Hinduism are becoming ever more common, with some State governments apparently doing very little to prevent such violence. The All India Christian Council said the toll after nearly two months of sporadic violence has reached 59 dead and 50,000 displaced. Other religious minorities – Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists could all find themselves under pressure if such religious intolerance is allowed to thrive. In the last couple of days there has been growing violence against Muslims – in Andhra Pradesh the latest clash between Muslims and Hindus left three people dead."

It is incumbent upon the international Christian community to rally behind India's persecuted Christians. Log on to Benenson for details of the organization's campaign against persecution in India. Please join this campaign. Make your voice heard before it is too late.

Russia and China cynically veto US Resolution On Zimbabwe at UN Security Council

Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council on Friday that would impose sanctions on Zimbabwe over the country's presidential run-off election in late June. The resolution called for a travel ban and assets freeze on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his top officials, as well as an arms embargo. South Africa, Libya and Vietnam also voted against the draft resolution.
Voting with the United States were Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Panama, Bukina Faso, Croatia and Costa Rica.

China and Russia in particular have obstructed efforts to tackle human rights violations in Zimbabwe, Burma and Sudan. Russia and China have jealously guarded their own economic interests in Sudan and Burma. Their veto of the US drafted resolution on Zimbabwe is tantamount to support for the outrages committed by Mugabe against his own people. The MDC's leader, Morgan Tsvangirai won the first election. Yet the tyrant Mugabe refused to hand over the reins of power. Mugabe and his supporters by violence and murder forced the MDC and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run off poll. China as a Communist state has no respect for democracy. I suppose it is understandable that it would sympathise with the Marxist Mugabe. We can hardly expect anything better.

And what is one to make of the cynical vote by South Africa at the Security Council. Is not the ANC Government colluding with Mugabe? The ANC in its struggle against apartheid lectured the world about inequality and the iniquities of racism. It appears incapable of admitting that African Governments can be repressive. The South Africans have disgraced themselves. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans flood into Mozambique and South Africa in search of employment. Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation rate of at least 355,000 percent. Inflation may be as high as 9 million percent. Mugabe has turned the breadbasket of Africa into an economic basket case.

The UN Security Council is paralysed by the veto and is a toothless tiger. Whither the UN? Perhaps the US should withdraw all financial support from the UN.

The Bhutto family -a family accursed?

Benazir Bhuttos mother, Nusrat-now 78 years old - has lost her husband, elder daughter and two sons in tragic circumstances. Just one daughter, Sanam, survives.

Benazir Bhutto was the eldest child of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto . She had two brothers and one sister. Her father Zulfikar was prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s

Mr Bhutto was imprisoned by Gen Zia ul-Haq in 1977 following a military coup and charged with conspiracy to murder. Bhutto argued that the army had fabricated the evidence. Two years later he was executed.

His son Murtaza Bhutto fled to Afghanistan after his father's fall.
From exile in 1993 he won a seat in the assembly governing Sindh province. He returned home soon afterwards. On 20 September 1996 in Karachi, he was shot and killed along with six supporters during a clash with the police. Benazir Bhutto rushed to the city when told about the encouner. Begum Nusrat, mother of Murtaza, was in London.

Benazir Bhutto was the prime minister of Pakistan at the time of Murtaza Bhutto's killing. The brother and sister were political rivals at the time.
Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari has spent a total of 11 years in prison on various charges without ever being convicted.

The youngest of the four Bhutto children, Shahnawaz, was also politically active.
He was found dead in his apartment in southern France in 1985. He died in mysterious circumstances.

Benazir, the eldest Bhutto child, had already survived an attempt on her life when she returned to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile in October.
c 130 people died in the twin suicide bombings targeting her homecoming rally in Karachi. Finally the assassin murdered Benazir in Rawalpindi on December 27th and succeeded in destroying the Bhutto political dynasty . It is difficult not to argue that a curse has befallen the family.