Marwan Barghouti in solitary confinement

Over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israel on hunger strike

The following is culled from various news reports.

Over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails began a hunger strike on Monday, April 17. Israel responded by placing the movement's leader Marwan Barghouti in solitary confinement and said it will not negotiate with the prisoners.

  

At present there are 6.500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israel in 24 Israeli prisons/detention centers. Of these 56 are female, 300 under the age of 18, 500 serving life sentences, 3 member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, 28 journalists, hundreds of sick prisoners, 29 prisoners from before the signing of the Oslo Interim Accords, 500 prisons under Administrative  Detention (without trial or charge)

There have been 1,000,000 cases of Palestinians in Israel jails since 1948 and 200 deaths of Palestinian prisoners while in detention by the Israeli occupation army. Some of these were extra judicially exterminated while others died as a result of deliberate medical negligence or torture.

The demands of the Open Hunger Strike for Freedom and Dignity include an end to Torture, Unfair Trials, Medical Negligence, Degrading Treatment, Solitary Confinement, Arbitrary Administrative Detention, The Arrest and Detention of Children, Denial of other Human Rights including the Right to Education.

Israel has responded by placing the movement's leader Marwan Barghouti in solitary confinement! It has also vowed not to negotiate with the prisoners.

In an op-ed published in the New York Times on April 16, one day prior to the start of the hunger strike. Barghouti explained why he organized the strike: “Having spent the last 15 years in an Israeli prison, I have been both a witness to and a victim of Israel’s illegal system of mass arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners. After exhausting all other options, I decided there was no choice but to resist these abuses by going on a hunger strike.”

He also stated that Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel "have suffered from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and medical negligence." (NYT full op-ed on https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/16/opinion/palestinian-hunger-strike-prisoners-call-for-justice.html

Israel calls them security prisoners — held for offenses ranging from stone throwing and membership in outlawed groups to carrying out attacks that killed or wounded Israelis. Several hundred are being detained without charges.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he had read the Sunday article in the Times that "presents arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti as a 'parliamentarian and leader'." He said that calling Barghouti a political leader was akin to calling Syrian President Bashar Assad a doctor.

"These are terrorists and incarcerated murderers who are getting exactly what the international law requires," he told Israel's Army Radio. "My policy is that you can't negotiate with prisoners such as these... There is no reason to give them additional conditions in addition to what they already receive."

As for Barghouti being put in solitary confinement, Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan said Barghouti was transferred to another prison in northern Israel and was placed in solitary confinement.

"It doesn't have to do with publishing the article (in the New York Times) but rather that he is instigating mutiny and leading the hunger strike and that is a severe violation of the rules of the prison," he said.

Who is Marwan Barghouti?

He has spent the last 15 years in an Israeli prison, and has been both a witness to and a victim of Israel’s illegal system of mass arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners. According to him he was only 15 when I was first imprisoned and barely 18 when an Israeli interrogator forced him to spread his legs while he stood naked in the interrogation room, before hitting his genitals. He passed out from the pain, and the resulting fall left an everlasting scar on his forehead. The interrogator mocked him afterward, saying that he would never procreate because people like him give birth only to terrorists and murderers.

A few years later, he was again in an Israeli prison, leading a hunger strike, when his first son was born. Instead of the sweets  usually distributed to celebrate such news, he handed out salt to the other prisoners. When his was barely 18, he in turn was arrested and spent four years in Israeli prisons.

The eldest of his four children is now a man of 31. And today Marwan is still pursuing the struggle for freedom along with thousands of prisoners, millions of Palestinians and the support of so many around the world.

Barghouti is serving consecutive life sentences on five murder convictions imposed by Israeli courts. He was jailed by Israel in 2002. In 2004, he was convicted by a Tel Aviv district court of murder in three attacks that left five dead. He was also convicted of being a member of a terrorist group.

He is seen by some as a potential peacemaker because of grassroots appeal among Palestinians and his support for negotiations with Israel.

Barghouti, who learned Hebrew and absorbed Israeli history during earlier jail terms, was once touted by former Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer as a potential peace partner with enough popularity to win support for a deal.

He has long been viewed as a future president of a Palestinian state.

A March poll by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that Barghouti would win a plurality of 40% in a three-way race among Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. If he were to run head to head against Haniyeh, he would win by a 23 percentage-point margin.

At the main Israeli checkpoint on the road from Ramallah, the de facto Palestinian capital, to Jerusalem, Palestinian motorists drive by a giant mural on Israel’s West Bank separation wall. It depicts Barghouti, with fists handcuffed, opposite an image of Yasser Arafat.

In effect, it equates Barghouti with the founding father of the Palestine Liberation Organization

.

Israel’s record on human rights

UN report:

A new United Nations report has concluded that Israel has established an “apartheid regime” and recommended that national governments support BDS activities to challenge Israel’s illegal system of oppression of the Palestinians. The report was co-authored by Richard Falk, an international law expert and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Israel’s ruthless policy of holding Palestinian prisoners arrested in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in prisons inside Israel is a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It is unlawful and cruel and the consequences for the imprisoned person and their loved ones, who are often deprived from seeing them for months, and at times for years on end, can be devastating,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

“Instead of unlawfully transferring prisoners outside the occupied territories, Israel must ensure all Palestinians arrested there are held in prisons and detention centres in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Until then, the Israeli authorities must stop imposing excessive restrictions on visitation rights as a means of punishing prisoners and their families, and ensure that conditions fully meet international standards.”

Under international humanitarian law, detainees from occupied territories must be detained in the occupied territory, not in the territory of the occupying power. They must also be allowed to receive visitors, especially near relatives, at regular intervals and as frequently as possible. However Israel flouts this international law. All but one of its 17 detention facilities are located inside Israel.

US 1914 annual US State Department report

The 1914 annual US State Department report on human rights violations worldwide contained harsh criticisms for Israel’s alleged institutional discrimination against Palestinians, especially in regard to its treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

In the report titled “Country Reports on the Human Rights Practices for 2014: Israel and the Occupied Territories,” Israel is accused of “excessive use of force against civilians, including killings; abuse of Palestinian detainees, particularly during arrest and interrogation.”

Details of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians included “austere and overcrowded detention facilities; improper use of security detention procedures; demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property; limitations on freedom of expression, assembly, and association; and severe restrictions on Palestinians’ internal and external freedom of movement.”

The report said that Israeli authorities routinely coerced confessions from Palestinian minors suspected of stone-throwing, by using physical violence, long-term handcuffing, threats, intimidation, and solitary confinement. In some cases, the report said, Israeli tactics used against minors amounted to torture.

Citing testimonies provided by NGOs, the report said that in 2014, Israel held 156 minors in prisons as security prisoners or detainees.Seventeen of the detained minors were between the ages of 12 and 15.

Israeli Human Rights groups report

According to a 54 page report from Israeli human rights groups. HaMoked and B'Tselem, released in February 2016, blows to the head and sleeping in insect-infested beds are among numerous examples of "degrading" and "inhuman" treatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli interrogators.

The report further claimed that the treatment of detainees is at times "tantamount to torture". It documents physical abuse by Israeli interrogators both in the field and at the Shikma detention facility in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.

"One Palestinian] was beaten until he passed out. Another detainee related that police officers photographed themselves next to him as he lay handcuffed on the ground after being beaten for about half an hour," the report stated, noting that abusive conditions had been "used systematically against Palestinians interrogated at Shikma".

The findings were based on the testimonies of 116 Palestinians interviewed between August 2013 and March 2014, along with dozens of affidavits and medical records.

The cell was full of cockroaches [and] very dirty. The blankets stank. After about 10 days, I had a rash all over my body. Ibrahim Sabah, 19

Researchers found that interrogations by the Israel Security Agency are a lengthy component of Palestinian prison stays, and can last up to three months.

Most Palestinians interviewed for the report said they were arrested overnight, blindfolded and handcuffed during transit. Thirty percent reported beatings before arriving at a detention facility. Once transferred to holding facilities, the report found "detainees were punched, kicked or beaten with rifle butts or clubs".

One-third of the Palestinians interviewed said they were imprisoned outdoors. "At night, four soldiers came and made us go out into the yard. It was cold and raining, and they made us take all our clothes off, strip completely naked," said Imad Abu Khalaf, 21.

Others were held indoors in solitary confinement between interrogation rounds. "The cell was full of cockroaches [and] very dirty," said Ibrahim Sabah, 19. "The blankets stank. After about 10 days, I had a rash all over my body. I scratched myself so much that I bled."

B'Tselem and HaMoked said there has been a lack of accountability for the mistreatment of detainees. Of more than 3,000 complaints filed with army prosecutors from September 2000 to the start of 2010, only 15 resulted in indictments for physical abuse, and of around 950 complaints made directly against Israel's interrogation agency from 2001 to 2015, all cases were closed without any formal investigation.

In September 2015, HaMoked filed a petition with Israel's high court to review the conditions in Shikma.

Note: After creating a Jewish state on land primarily inhabited by Muslims and Christians in 1948, Israeli forces have continued to occupy what little land Palestinians have left for the last 50 years. Palestinians are subjected to a different set of military laws than Jewish settlers are. There are over 6,500 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. There are no Israelis in Palestinian jails. 

The Anglo Indians (Paert 1)

 Anglo Indians (those with mixed Indian and British ancestry) are a distinct and unique community.They have British blood as well as Indian blood in them. The British were the rulers in India. Indians wanted to push the British out of India. The Anglo Indians had to decide on which side they were going to be.

Though the British never put Anglo Indians on par with themselves, they did put them a notch above the native Indians. And the British, always aware that the Indians resented them, trusted the Anglos more than the native Indians. All high posts in sensitive services were given to the Anglos. They dominated posts in the railways and police. The Anglos, as a community, naturally chose to align themselves with those in power. In most homes of Anglo Indians one saw framed pictures of the King, and later the Queen. No pictures of Gandhi or Nehru. And their attire, cuisine and life style were more British than Indian. Shirts and pants and suits, complete with ties and even bowties for men. Dainty dresses and frocks for the ladies. They read English novels, saw English movies, danced English dances to English music.

There were around 800,000 Anglo-Indians by 1947. They were certainly in a precarious situation. During the independence movement, many of them identified (or were assumed to identify) with British rule, and, therefore, incurred the distrust and hostility of Indian nationalists. They felt a loyalty to a British "home" that most had never seen and where they would gain little social acceptance. They felt insecure in an India that put a premium on participation in the independence movement as a prerequisite for important government positions. Many Anglo-Indians left the country in 1947, hoping to make a new life in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Nations, such as Australia or Canada.

This series is intended to throw light on the lives of Anglo Indians, their thoughts, their struggles, in India prior to and after independence, as also in the countries to which they migrated from India after independence. 

In this first instalment an Anglo Indian speaks of her life in India prior India’s independence, her life in England after she migrated there and her life in India when she returned there after India’s independence

Anglo Indians of Bombay.

By Katherine Hebb

We are all from the forties and fifties. We were the lucky ones. After independence we were moving fast. We had all the latest films and records from America. Remember how we used to go into the cubicles in the record shops in Byculla. All got married young and planned to go abroad. The Indians were glad to get rid of us so they could put all the Indians In the jobs. It was not hard to get passports if you were an Angelo Indian. England had their doors open. They had lost a lot of their men in the war.

We all worked very hard and took advantage of the free education at that time and all our kids are doing fine. We were lucky. These days everyone has to pay for university. Anyway, India is now for the Indians. When i went back to stay in Goa I felt like a stranger in a country I was born in. What had happened was that Indians had children and they grew up not knowing people like us that had grown up in India. Luckily I spoke Hindi fluently so was accepted. I grew up in the jungles so mixed with the Indians. A white Anglo with an Indian brain.

You know what the Anglos were like. They never mixed too much with the locals not because of color but they were brought up with different views. Not now though. Things have changed again. The western ways have taken over. I guess that's how it goes.

Not all Anglo's were in the railways but we were all the same. We all went to the same clubs and gymkhana. We had the best bands and we ate the same food and all we did was talk about food. Socializing is what we enjoyed. Everyone knew everyone. Anglo Indian's still have reunions all over the world. We are very proud to have our British roots. It’s a shame the British don't know much about us

I was so hurt when we came to England in the sixties. We were called ‘coloreds’. I won't get into that. it's much better now. We've all integrated. Most of our kids went to university and are doing well. Lots of the Anglos have gone to Australia, America and Canada. Some couldn't hack the weather in England. Ah well, that's all I can say.Just my version.

When will US REALLY care?

By Gulamhusein A.Abba

The day after the sarin/chlorine gas attack in Syria, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley stood up from her seat in the UN and said, “…….Yesterday morning, we awoke to pictures….”. She went on to describe in detail what the world had woken up to that morning. To emphasize her point, she held up pictures of children in the throes of death. She rightly condemned the gas attack and demanded not just words but actin by the UN. She emphasized that if the UN failed to take “collective action” this time, “…there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action”, hinting that the Trump administration would act unilaterally if the UN did not act.By Gulamhusein A.Abba

The day after the sarin/chlorine gas attack in Syria, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley stood up from her seat in the UN and said, “…….Yesterday morning, we awoke to pictures….”. She went on to describe in detail what the world had woken up to that morning. To emphasize her point, she held up pictures of children in the throes of death. She rightly condemned the gas attack and demanded not just words but actin by the UN. She emphasized that if the UN failed to take “collective action” this time, “…there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action”, hinting that the Trump administration would act unilaterally if the UN did not act.

All this is very commendable and brave. The only trouble is that she has blamed Russia and the Assad government for the attack. Both, Russia and the Syrian government have denied responsibility for the attack. Russia claims that the atrocity in Idlib was the result of a regime airstrike on a rebel chemical munitions depot and the gas that killed the children was what had escaped from the rebel chemical munitions depot.

One may be excused for hesitating to accept the US accusations against the Assad regime. US and its western allies have been eager to topple any regime in the Middle East that shows any independence. They have been gunning for the Assad regime for years.

What is the truth? It is difficult to say for sure at this early stage, especially one day after the attack. If the Assad regime or Russia is responsible, clearly strong action aginst the guilty party is called for. There can be no question about that.

As I read Nikki Haley’s remarks, another picture flashed through my mind.

On January 15, Israel dropped at least three white phosphorus shells on the main UNRWA compound in the Rimal neighborhood of central Gaza City, wounding three and starting fires that gutted four buildings and destroyed more than US$3.7 million worth of medical supplies.  According to UNRWA officials, they had been speaking with IDF officers throughout the morning as the shells landed progressively closer to the compound, asking them to halt fire.  About 700 civilians were sheltering in the UN compound at the time.

 On January 17 Israel dropped at least three white phosphorous shells on a well-marked UN facility

– a school in Beit Lahiya sheltering roughly 1,600 displaced persons. One discharged shell landed in a classroom, killing two brothers who were sleeping and severely injuring their mother and a cousin.  The attack wounded another 12 people and set a classroom on fire.  As with all of its facilities in Gaza, the UN had provided the IDF with the GPS coordinates of the school prior to military operations.

These two days are not the only ones on which Israel used white phosphorous, nor are the two sites mentioned the only ones on which they were used. Israel used white phosphorous extensively.

The use of white phosphorous in war in populated areas is as illegal as is use of chemical weapons and deaths caused by it are even more ghastly than those caused by sarin/chlorine gas.

Apart from using white phosphorous aginst innocent Palestinians, Israel has killed thousands of them and committed ghastly crimes again and again.

The world has woken on many mornings to these crimes. On any one of those mornings the US ambassador to the UN could have stood up and spoken about them in the UN using the very same words that Haley used.

“This Security Council thinks of itself as a defender of peace, security, and human rights,"  "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action." These atrocities were raised in the UN, and the UN did fail to act collectively against them. But the US ambassador, far from condemning them and demanding action, vetoed UN resolutions condemning Israeli actions and calling for action.

Speaking of the attack in Syria Haley said, “We cannot close our eyes to those pictures. We cannot close our minds of the responsibility to act” But when it came to pictures of atrocities committed by Israel, the US ambassador to the UN DID close his/her eyes and he/she DID close his/her minds of the responsibility to act.

Haley criticized Russia for standing in the way of accountability by Asad when the Security Council attempted to hold it accountable. But the US ambassador to the UN had no compunction about standing in the way when the UN Council attempted to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. The US “defied the conscience of the world” to use Haley’s words.

Haley said “…if Russia had been fulfilling its responsibility, there would not even be any chemical weapons left for the Syrian regime to use” And if the US had been fulfilling its responsibility, the atrocities by Israel would have stopped long back.

Haley said, “We know that if nothing is done, these attacks will continue. Assad has no incentive to stop using chemical weapons as long as Russia continues to protect his regime from consequences”.

It can well be said that if nothing is done by the UN, Israeli violations will continue. Israel has no incentive to stop its violations as long as US continues to protect its regime from consequences.

Haley said “We regularly repeat tired talking points in support of a peace process that is regularly undermined by the Assad regime”. That is exactly what the US does in the UN when it comes to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it is regularly undermined by Israel.

Haley said “There is an obvious truth here that must be spoken. The truth is that Assad, Russia and Iran have no interest in peace” Another truth is equally obvious. Israel has no interest in arriving at a peaceful and fair solution with the Palestinians.

Haley said “The illegitimate Syrian government, led by a man with no conscience, has committed untold atrocities .. Assad has made it clear that he doesn’t want to take part in a meaningful political process. Iran has reinforced Assad’s military, and Russia has shielded Assad from UN sanctions”

Can it not be sad that the Israeli government, led by a man with no conscience, has committed untold atrocities …. Netanyahu has made it clear that he doesn’t want to take part in a meaningful political process. The US has reinforced Israel’s military and has shielded Israel from UN sanctions

Once again, to quote Haley, “If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares?... The United States sees yesterday’s attack as a disgrace at the highest level, an assurance that humanity means nothing to the Syrian government.”

Rephrase “If the US has the influence in Israel that it claims to have, we need to see it use it. We need to see it put an end to these horrific acts. How many more Palestinian children have to die before US cares?”

I can go on and on. But you get my point. I will end by just one more trans positioning. Haley said, “….there are times when we are compelled to take collective action. I will now add this: When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action”.

Peace and justice loving people all over the world ache to hear those words from a US ambassador in the UN with reference to Israel’s brutal, illegal and long running occupation of Palestinian lands.

Please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frmdu-Gqh8E

All this is very commendable and brave. The only trouble is that she has blamed Russia and the Assad government for the attack. Both, Russia and the Syrian government have denied responsibility for the attack. Russia claims that the atrocity in Idlib was the result of a regime airstrike on a rebel chemical munitions depot and the gas that killed the children was what had escaped from the rebel chemical munitions depot.

One may be excused for hesitating to accept the US accusations against the Assad regime. US and its western allies have been eager to topple any regime in the Middle East that shows any independence. They have been gunning for the Assad regime for years.

What is the truth? It is difficult to say for sure at this early stage, especially one day after the attack. If the Assad regime or Russia is responsible, clearly strong action aginst the guilty party is called for. There can be no question about that.

As I read Nikki Haley’s remarks, another picture flashed through my mind.

On January 15, Israel dropped at least three white phosphorus shells on the main UNRWA compound in the Rimal neighborhood of central Gaza City, wounding three and starting fires that gutted four buildings and destroyed more than US$3.7 million worth of medical supplies.  According to UNRWA officials, they had been speaking with IDF officers throughout the morning as the shells landed progressively closer to the compound, asking them to halt fire.  About 700 civilians were sheltering in the UN compound at the time.

On January 17 Israel dropped at least three white phosphorous shells on a well-marked UN facility

– a school in Beit Lahiya sheltering roughly 1,600 displaced persons. One discharged shell landed in a classroom, killing two brothers who were sleeping and severely injuring their mother and a cousin.  The attack wounded another 12 people and set a classroom on fire.  As with all of its facilities in Gaza, the UN had provided the IDF with the GPS coordinates of the school prior to military operations.

These two days are not the only ones on which Israel used white phosphorous, nor are the two sites mentioned the only ones on which they were used. Israel used white phosphorous extensively.

The use of white phosphorous in war in populated areas is as illegal as is use of chemical weapons and deaths caused by it are even more ghastly than those caused by sarin/chlorine gas.

Apart from using white phosphorous aginst innocent Palestinians, Israel has killed thousands of them and committed ghastly crimes again and again.

The world has woken on many mornings to these crimes. On any one of those mornings the US ambassador to the UN could have stood up and spoken about them in the UN using the very same words that Haley used.

“This Security Council thinks of itself as a defender of peace, security, and human rights,"  "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action." These atrocities were raised in the UN, and the UN did fail to act collectively against them. But the US ambassador, far from condemning them and demanding action, vetoed UN resolutions condemning Israeli actions and calling for action.

Speaking of the attack in Syria Haley said, “We cannot close our eyes to those pictures. We cannot close our minds of the responsibility to act” But when it came to pictures of atrocities committed by Israel, the US ambassador to the UN DID close his/her eyes and he/she DID close his/her minds of the responsibility to act.

Haley criticized Russia for standing in the way of accountability by Asad when the Security Council attempted to hold it accountable. But the US ambassador to the UN had no compunction about standing in the way when the UN Council attempted to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. The US “defied the conscience of the world” to use Haley’s words.

Haley said “…if Russia had been fulfilling its responsibility, there would not even be any chemical weapons left for the Syrian regime to use” And if the US had been fulfilling its responsibility, the atrocities by Israel would have stopped long back.

Haley said, “We know that if nothing is done, these attacks will continue. Assad has no incentive to stop using chemical weapons as long as Russia continues to protect his regime from consequences”.

It can well be said that if nothing is done by the UN, Israeli violations will continue. Israel has no incentive to stop its violations as long as US continues to protect its regime from consequences.

Haley said “We regularly repeat tired talking points in support of a peace process that is regularly undermined by the Assad regime”. That is exactly what the US does in the UN when it comes to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and it is regularly undermined by Israel.

Haley said “There is an obvious truth here that must be spoken. The truth is that Assad, Russia and Iran have no interest in peace” Another truth is equally obvious. Israel has no interest in arriving at a peaceful and fair solution with the Palestinians.

Haley said “The illegitimate Syrian government, led by a man with no conscience, has committed untold atrocities .. Assad has made it clear that he doesn’t want to take part in a meaningful political process. Iran has reinforced Assad’s military, and Russia has shielded Assad from UN sanctions”

Can it not be sad that the Israeli government, led by a man with no conscience, has committed untold atrocities …. Netanyahu has made it clear that he doesn’t want to take part in a meaningful political process. The US has reinforced Israel’s military and has shielded Israel from UN sanctions

Once again, to quote Haley, “If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares?... The United States sees yesterday’s attack as a disgrace at the highest level, an assurance that humanity means nothing to the Syrian government.”

Rephrase “If the US has the influence in Israel that it claims to have, we need to see it use it. We need to see it put an end to these horrific acts. How many more Palestinian children have to die before US cares?”

I can go on and on. But you get my point. I will end by just one more trans positioning. Haley said, “….there are times when we are compelled to take collective action. I will now add this: When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action”.

Peace and justice loving people all over the world ache to hear those words from a US ambassador in the UN with reference to Israel’s brutal, illegal and long running occupation of Palestinian lands.

Please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frmdu-Gqh8E

Here are some pictures one hopes Haley or somefuture US ambassador to the UN might show to the Council some day

Thoughts on Election 2016 USA

Let us unite to replace the “greater and lesser evil” with the good and just

BY Gulamhusein A. Abba

11.10.16

Today I mourn. Not because Hillary lost the election. I never wanted the “lesser evil” to win anyway. I mourn because the majority of the voters voted to the presidency of this great country a man not worthy of this honor. This is a sad reflection on what this country has become.

I, among others, advocated that people not vote for either Trump or Hillary because the parties they represent are for the rich and the powerful, the two arms of the same body, and the whole system  as it stood -- and continues to stand -- was a con game of good cop, bad cop. The need was to bring into being, not only at the presidential level but also in the Senate and the House at the Centre, State governments and local bodies leaders of these bodies and legislators who are not beholden for their election funding to money moguls but get elected by the support of the common people like you and me and are committed to ensuring justice, equality and a fair deal for the long exploited poor and the voiceless.

There were many who agreed that both the dominant political parties were the agents of the Wall Street giants. They admitted that both, Trump and Hillary, were “evil”. But so afraid were they of Trump becoming the President that they urged the voters to hold their nose and vote for the “lesser evil”, arguing that a vote for an alternative party would not only be a waste but in in effect would contribute to Trump’s victory. They voted according to their fears not their conscience.

It turns out it is their vote that was a waste. Had they voted for an alternative party they would at least have contributed to laying the foundations for a truly people’s party committed to peace, justice and meeting the needs of the poor and the helpless.

The Democratic Party played a shrewd game. Hillary collected millions of dollars and support from the elites. Bernie mobilized and energized the young with his impassioned speeches. The Democratic Party, unknown to Bernie, actively favored Hillary over Bernie. Once Bernie was defeated in the Primaries, Democratic Party leaders set about ensuring that Berne and his aficionados would pose no problem to them.  

 

Obama stepped in to help. He made a privately recorded video endorsing Hilary and sent it to her, without releasing it to the public or the media. He then made a personal call to Bernie, invited him to the White House and walked with him round the Colonnades, a rare honor. There he told Bernie of the video and urged him to throw his weight behind Hillary. That was enough to make Bernie succumb. He betrayed his supporters and endorsed the very woman whom he had so ruthlessly exposed during the Primaries. The least that he could have done is not ENDORSE Hillary and assure his loyal supporters that, as an Independent that he was, he would fight tooth and nail for the issues he had raised whoever won the election.

The lesson to be learnt is that it never pays to support “evil” out of fear as to the consequences that would follow if they did not. The guiding principle should always be to heed the voice of conscience.

We now hear talk of respecting our long tradition of accepting the outcome of the election, being “civil” to the man whom we rightly despised and reviled. This is nonsense.

It is our constitutionally guaranteed right to protest non-violently and make our voice heard. For that reason it is heartening to see that thousands poured into the streets all over the country soon after the election results became public, chanting “not our president!” The world needs to know that though the majority of the voters, voting out of fear, elected Trump as the President, there are millions in this country who do not approve of his being one.

In a strange way, Trump’s victory could very well turn out to be a blessing for the activists for justice, equality and freedom from the clutches of the rich and the powerful. They will realize the need to become more energized and more active in the revolution against the forces that have consigned them to living a hard and miserable life for so long.

To all those relatives and friends who held their nose and voted for Hillary, as those who out of disgust did not vote at all, I bear no anger. They did what they did because they felt it was necessary to do so out of an instinct for self-preservation. That they did so with holding their nose is proof that they knew what they were doing was wrong.

To all these relatives and friends I say that my heart aches with you. But we cannot let this crisis – for crisis it is – make us lose all hope and abandon the fight.

Instead, it is now time to wake up, see the realities and unite in the struggle, committed more than ever, to educate the people how beholden to the rich and the powerful are most of the legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, how they are the kept partners of the Wall Street moguls, how the one percenters rule the roost and how necessary it is to flush these legislators out of the legislatures and replace them with legislators who are mindful of the environment and the needs and aspirations of the long neglected common people.

Prison reform, environment, climate change, living wage, equal opportunity in higher education for all, health care, protecting Social Security, marriage equality, immigrant rights, Standing Rock, unending wars, support of tyrannical undemocratic powers and funding them lavishly and so many other, human rights and justice issues are crying out for attention.       

We have our work cut out for us if we want to create a better world and make America REALLY great again.

Let the genuine, sustained, nonviolent, revolution begin, confident that though it may take more than a couple of election cycles to achieve our aims, victory will ultimately be ours.

Viva the struggle.

Fighting cancer - Separating the chaff from the grain

By Gulamhusein A. Abba

Interested in this subject, I have spent hours upon hours researching it and have learnt a lot

What I have found is that somehow scam artists find out that there is cancer in the family and an avalanche of cancer cure ads keep popping up on your computer. Even without these, the cancer patient’s family goes hunting for cures. Many alternative cures are encountered. Some multimillion dollar facilities exist that present themselves as cancer cure clinics. Many of these are sham and the cancer patient families are defrauded of thousands upon thousands of dollars.

I know how eager cancer patients and their families are to find a successful treatment for the cancer. Please do not fall prey to scammers who prey on the fears and strong desire of the families to do all they can for their family member.

Ask a hundred people and you will find a hundred “cures”. Many of them may be genuine but not all cancers are the same and what may work for one kind of cancer may not work for another.

There are many things I have found and some are really promising. Many attest to their efficacy. But here again, all cancers are not the same. Besides no scientific clinical studies have been done in respect of them and so I will not refer to them for now.

I know how eager patients and their families are to find a successful treatment for the cancer. Please do not fall prey to scammers who prey on the fears and strong desire of the families to do all they can for their family member.

Ask a hundred people and you will find a hundred “cures”. Many of them may be genuine but not all cancers are the same and what may work for one kind of cancer may not work for another.

There are many things I have found and some are really promising. Many attest to their efficacy. But here again, all cancers are not the same. Besides no scientific clinical studies have been done in respect of them and so I will not refer to them for now.

However, I have come across one “treatment” which is recognized by The Cancer Society of America AND  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

It was told to my sister by a very dear friend of hers whose wife had cancer. My sister asked her doctor about it and he was non-committal (established medical caregivers have historically opposed valid cures not recognized by their assocition. Examples: chiropractic, acupuncture, marijuana to name just three).

Here it is. It’s name is IP6 available in powder or herbal form over the counter in pharmacies and herbal stores

                  

It essentially fights cancer germs, kills some of them, slows down the progress of the disease and helps ease the pain inherent in advanced cancer. In some cases it has been known to overcome cancer cells.

IP6 is a herbal supplement. It has no adverse effect on any other treatment the patient may be receiving.

IP6, also known as inositol hexophosphate or phytic acid, is a sugar molecule with six phosphate groups attached. It is composed of inositol (one of the B vitamins) bound with six molecules of phosphorous. IP6 was first identified in 1855, but has only recently been researched as a preventative and cure for cancer as well as heart and liver diseases, kidney stones, Parkinson's disease, and more. It is also a powerful antioxidant, immune system enhancer, and booster of natural killer cells. Foods that are significant sources of IP6 include dried beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, rice, wheat germ, corn and sesame.

Here are some statement from The Cancer Society of America. (NOTE: All highlighting and emphasis is mine and does not appear in the original).

“Animal and lab research has found that IP6 might be effective in preventing tumors from forming and slowing tumor growth … IP6 might help ease the side effects of chemotherapy and improve quality of life in people with cancer …..proponents claim it slows or reverses the growth of various forms of cancer, including breast, colon, and prostate cancers. It is thought to be a compound that blocks the action of free radicals. It may help to prevent the abnormal signals that tell a cancer cell to keep growing from reaching the cell’s nucleus. Some research shows IP6 slows abnormal cell division and may sometimes transform tumor cells into normal cells.

“The existence of IP6 has been known for several decades. Interest in its potential anti-cancer properties emerged in the mid-1980s when Abulkalam Shamsuddin, MD, PhD, a pathologist at the University of Maryland, began to conduct research studies on inositol in the lab. He published a book on the subject in 1998. He and other researchers continue to study the effects of IP6.

“Laboratory studies of cell cultures have shown that IP6 may help put cancer cells on a path toward normal cell death and may help keep them from spreading to other parts of the body. It may also affect the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor and the immune system in general. These studies have shown IP6 may have activity against cancer of the pancreas, breast, prostate, colon, and other types of cancer.

Results of some studies in cells have also suggested that IP6 may help certain chemotherapy or hormone therapy drugs work better.

“Studies in animals have found that supplementing the animals’ diets with IP6 may help prevent tumors from forming in the prostate, lung, colon, skin, and other areas

“This product is sold as a dietary supplement in the United States.

.

“When taken in moderate amounts, IP6 appears to be safe”.

For Memorial Kettering Sloan Cancer Center’s take on IP6 click here:

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/inositol-hexaphosphate#field-herb-mechanism-of-action

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/inositol-hexaphosphate

Note: If you cannot find a pharmacy or herbal store that carries IP6 you can order it from Amazon Click here for details and prices:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_3?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=inositol+ip6&sprefix=IP6%2Caps%2C281&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ainositol+ip6

The best is Dr. Shamsuddin's Original IP-6 - Gold Immune Support Formula With Stevia Tropical Fruit Flavor - 14.6 oz. Dr.Shamsuddin carried out research on it.

The best method of taking IP6 is as follows. However, it can be taken plian by itself.

First thing in the morning have a glass of warm water with IP6, preferably in powder form.

30 minutes later take this home prepared mixture:

2 to 3 table spoons of yogurt

1 tablespoon of flax oil

½ teaspoon of turmeric

½ teaspoon of black pepper

First mix yogurt and flax oil vigorously till you cannot see any trace of oil.

Then mix in the turmeric and black pepper.

With this mixture, take any fruit of choice.

Repeat the IP6 with warm water once or twice a day 30 minutes before a meal

Further tips: cut down drastically on intake of salt.

                      Get rid of sugar. Use honey instead.

Saving Dorothy Day Hospitality House

Note: The original brief did not contain any illustration. They have been added here to help the reader get a netter understanding of what Dorothy Day Hospitality House is all about.

Dorothy Day Hospitality House (DDHH) has been in existence for years on Spring Street. It provides free food to the homeless every day and also provides shelter to a limited number of the homeless every night.

Suddenly, coinciding with the building of the million dollar housing project known as Kennedy Flats, the city claims that DDHH is in violation of its permit and has served a Cease and Desist order against the DDHH. This has been appealed against and the Zoning Board of Appeals is now seized of the matter.

I have submitted a brief to the Zoning Board of Appeals in favour of DDHH. It will help understand the issues involved.  Here is what it states:

Respected Chairman, Members and Alternate Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals,

I humbly request that you treat this submission as an unsolicited amicus curiae on behalf of the Dorothy Day Hospitality House (DDHH) and its beneficiaries.

I submit that this Board is not confined to and should not confine itself to merely ascertaining whether there existed a prima facie case (noncompliance with the requirement of renewal of permit) which mandated action by the Zoning Board but should also consider if the drastic action taken (issuance of a Cease and Desist order) is appropriate for a technical offence and the effect such an order would have.

Regrettably, in spite of you, Mr. Chairman, insisting at the outset that all comments, submissions and arguments be confined strictly to the question of whether the DDHH was required to renew the application issued to it by the city in 1983 and whether it was in violation of that requirement by not renewing it --- in spite of this insistence, various persons introduced extraneous issues. Included among these were P.J.Prunty, Executive Director of the City Center, who submitted a written argument in favor of the Cease and Desist order, and the owner of Two Steps Downtown Grille. Some residents of Spring Street narrated the ‘dangers’ they faced allegedly as a result of DDHH welcoming all people ‘no questions asked’.

Since the Board has been exposed to these allegations, they are likely to influence the thinking of the Board and need to be dealt with, which I will do after dealing with the crux of the problem before the Board, namely the alleged violation of the requirement to renew the permit.

The City contends that DDHH was so required to do and it having failed to do so it is in violation of the permit. The Zoning Board is therefore not only legally justified in issuing the Cease and Desist order but, in the words of this Boards Chairman at the last hearing, it was “incumbent’ on it to do so.

The DDHH contends that it was NOT required to so renew the permit and therefore the Cease and Desist Order has no legal legs to stand on.

Who is right?

One way to find out is to look at the written records which, in this case, are not very helpful. An important letter which would have thrown light on the subject is missing from the record and no one knows where it has gone.

Another way often adopted in legal proceedings is to look at the behavior and actions of the parties concerned. Here the City did nothing for more than 30 years about DDGG not renewing its permit which the City claims expired in 1984. Not that the City was not aware of DDHH continuing its operations from Spring Street. Various agencies of the City carried out several inspections of DDHH during this period. And, it appears, the City did issue to DDHH a dormitory license up until 2008

A member of this Board at the last hearing remarked that it was not for the City to remind DDHH about renewing its permit but for DDHH to go to the City to renew the permit. That may be so though normally if a permit holder is in violation the City does inform it as soon as possible’

Also, if DDHH was in violation of the permit, it was not only the duty of the Zoning Commission to take action against it but, again to use the language of one of the members of this Board, it was “incumbent” on it to do so. That it did not do so for more than thirty years goes to strongly indicate that there was no violation by DDHH.

On the DDHH side we find it is a law abiding entity. It has passed al the inspections by various City agencies. It has also modified its original policy of welcoming everybody “no questions asked” and has debarred dangerous elements from using the shelter and, to avoid becoming an ‘enabler’, even limited the total number of days (nights) a person can use the shelter (see Exhibit A attached). It is reasonable to believe that if it had been required to renew the permit every year, it would have done so.

Further, there is the legal concept of Estoppel to be considered.

In this case there is a THIRD consideration to be taken into account, a serious one.

The City woke up to the fact that DDHH was in violation of its permit not because some diligent clerk went through the records and found the violation. It was found by a city BUSINESSMAN who was researching police calls to the shelter. He is one of those who wants DDGG to be removed from the downtown area, if not closed down.

Even more significant is WHEN this discovery was made. It was made last summer and coincided with the construction of the multi-million dollar Kennedy Flats complex just behind the city bus pulse point in the downtown area.

It is well to remember that the City has gone out of its way to help the developer of this project. First the City granted a large tax deferral to the developer. Then it pushed out the day workers from the park just opposite to the complex by “gentrifying” it and fencing it. The City then even uprooted the benches from the bus pulse point to prevent homeless people using them after the buses stopped plying at 6 pm and the benches were no longer needed by the commuters. In doing this the City ignored the hardship it was causing the bus commuters. Now they have to stand as they wait for the bus they need to arrive. The buses run on the hour and so if you go to the pulse point at 10 past the hour you have to stand for 50 minutes for the bus.

It should be obvious that the City is most eager to make the downtown area as pleasing to the higher class renters for whom the luxury apartments are built and whom the developer, the city and downtown businessmen are hoping to attract.

DDHH is seen a sore spot by all these elements and the alleged noncompliance by DDGG to renew its permit is apparently just a pretext to issue the Cease and Desist order.

It was pointed out by a member of this Board that complaints against DDHH by residents of Spring Street, where the DDHH is located, pre-dated the construction of the Kennedy Flats. This is irrelevant because the City did not issue the Cease and Desist order at that time.

Taking into account all these facts, I submit that the Cease and Desist order has nothing to do with the lawlessness existing at Spring Street, nothing to do with the alleged failure of DDHH to renew its permit but has been issued to facilitate the occupation of the luxury apartments and to meet the demands of the avaricious business and property owners eager to attract uppity tenants and more business to the downtown area.

I am all for increasing business in the downtown area but not on the backs of the poor and homeless.

The City has already gone above and beyond what it is required to do to help the developer of the Kennedy Flatsthat the Cease and Desist order is malafide and strike it down.

I IMPLORE this Board not to become an accomplice in the efforts of the City to close or push out the DDHH shelter from Spring Street, uphold DDHH’s appeal and quash the Cease and Desist order.

Coming to the other issues raised. These are three.

1. The ‘no questions asked’ policy is drawing undesirable elements to the area and these create a law and order situation and pose a threat to the residents. A large number of phone calls to the police has been cited.

 

Rebuttal: Though a “no question asked” policy did exist initially, the DDHH put severe restrictions since then. Please refer to the sections highlighted in yellow in the attached Exhibit A.

As for the large number of police calls, please see sections highlighted in blue in the attached Exhibit A

2. DDHH has become an enabler. It enables people to remain homeless rather than requiring them to take actions to address their needs and get them into housing

Rebuttal:  Please see sections marked in green in the attached Exhibit A

3. The location of the DDHH close to downtown is detrimental to the economic growth of the City. It prevents more people coming to downtown and prevents more businesses starting in downtown.

Rebuttal: There is no Empirical evidence for this claim. In fact, it can be argued that DDHH is a historic site and can well be turned into a tourist attraction.

EXHIBIT A

DOROTHY DAY HOSPITALITY HOUSE

SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS

                                                                                                                                   

The Dorothy Day Hospitality House is a private, non-profit organization that provides essential community services that would otherwise need to be funded by the City of Danbury. The majority of the homeless people sheltered here are natives of Danbury and its environs.

Our shelter is designed to be a temporary base that both provides guests with critical daily resources (bed, shower, and laundry service) and incents them to take the necessary steps to get back on their feet and secure permanent housing and employment.

Guests are required to register with the Coordinated Access Network and Connecticut’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and referred to agencies with resources that address individual needs, such as mental health and substance abuse issues.

Dorothy Day House also partners with Off The Streets, a 501c3 organization which provides security deposits, furniture and household goods to homeless people with a source of income. Since its inception in 2009, Off The Streets has successfully placed more than 400 individuals (100 in 2015 alone) – many of them previously guests in our shelter - in permanent housing in Danbury.

Description of the Facility

·         Operating since 1982

·         Free-standing, off-street building located behind 11 Spring Street, Danbury

·         Beds for 16 guests (male and female) and I volunteer

·         2 shower stalls

·         Commercial clothes washer and dryer for guest clothing and bed linens

Shelter Operations

·         Open 50 weeks (350 nights) per year

·         Open at 9:00 PM, closed at 6:30 AM – not open during the day

·         Doors locked at 10:00pm – no one enters or leaves until morning

·         Security guard from 6pm to 10pm daily to ensure people do not congregate on Spring Street and facilitate orderly opening process

·         16 bed shelter represents a relatively small percentage of people served at Dorothy Day vs 70/day at the soup kitchen

·         Managed by seven experienced weekly coordinators (average 20 years experience) and nightly volunteers (40)

·         Training required for all new volunteers

·         Volunteer manual and written procedures for volunteers to follow

·         Professional cleaning service for the facility twice weekly

·         Pest extermination service including separate bedbug specialist monthly

·         Pest extermination service including separate bedbug specialist monthly

OROTHY DAY HOSPITALITY HOUSE SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS

Guest admission policies

·         All guests must sign written pledge cards to comply with all shelter regulations before first being admitted

·         Shelter open to adults, both men and women

·         Guest stay limited to 30 nights during warmer months – even if empty beds are available – to incent people to find housing

·         No admission to anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs

·         No admission to anyone on suspension for breaking shelter rules

Shelter rules

·         No loitering on or near the premises before 8:45 PM

·         Sobriety: no use of alcohol or drugs on the premises

·         Safety: no weapons allowed

·         No one leaves or enters after door closes at 10:00 PM without special permission

·         Guests awakened 5:30 AM, and must leave before 6:30 AM

·         Do not disturb the peace

Violation of these rules results in suspension, often for weeks or months at a time

Community Interaction

·         Coordinating with the Danbury City Shelter administration on homeless community matters, including annual planning meetings

·         Cooperating with Danbury City Shelter nightly in securing guest beds for all in need

·         Directing guests to 211 service when shelters are full, and often driving guests to motels as directed here

·         Employing security guard service to reinforce our no-loitering rule before the shelter opens, and act as a deterrent against any behavior that would disturb the peace

·         Proposing cooperation with neighbors and Danbury Police through a Neighborhood Watch program to strengthen neighborhood security

Misconceptions about the Dorothy Day shelter:

• Misconception 1 -- There are no rules at Dorothy Day House and no consequences for bad behavior.  
• The Facts --

·         Bad behavior is not tolerated and will result in guests being banned from Dorothy Day House

·         All kitchen and shelter guests are required to sign a pledge indicating their willingness to follow Dorothy Day’s rules (ex no one admitted under the influence of alcohol or drugs) and not to congregate on Spring Street.  Pledge cards  include photos of guests for identification.   If guests do not live up to the pledge, they are not provided services at the kitchen or shelter.  

2) Misconception 2 --Dorothy Day Hospitality House enables people to remain homeless rather than requiring them to take actions to address their needs and get them into housing.  

The Facts

·         The number of days people may stay at Dorothy Day House is limited to 30 days during the non-winter months to incent people to seek permanent housing.  

·          Shelter guests at Dorothy Day House are required to get connected to services through the Coordinated Access Network, which registers people in Connecticut's HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) and directs people to agencies that have the resources to address their individual needs (such as mental health, substance abuse) .

·         Dorothy Day House volunteers have taken an active role in getting people into housing by forming Off The Streets, a related 501c3 organization which provides security deposits, furniture and household goods to homeless people with a source of income.  

As a result of the efforts of many people in Danbury, the number of homeless people in Danbury has started to come down.   The population at Dorothy Day shelter and the overflow shelter was 20% lower in 1Q2016 vs 2015.

Changes at Dorothy Day House

As a result of neighborhood, business and government input, the following changes have been made:

• Security guard hired from 6pm to 10pm daily to prevent people congregating on Spring Street
• Removed wording from website that "all are welcome with no questions asked"
• Pledge cards instituted (see above)
• Reinforced with our guests the importance of being good neighbors
• Shelter from the Cold Program *(6pm through 8pm -- November through March) moved from Spring Street to William Street (St James AME Church)

Issue: Police Calls from Spring Street

In the one year period from July 2014 through July 2015, a Freedom of Information request reported that 693 police calls were made from Spring Street.   Dorothy Day House also requested information from the police department. The  report we received contained 703 calls, and the police department records department worked with us to help us understand the nature of the calls on the report.

• Of these 703 police calls, 443 were to 11 Spring Street and 260 were to other addresses on Spring St.
• Of the 443 calls to 11 Spring St, 278 were really police issues and 165 dealt with medical issues (ex accompany EMT)
• Of the 278 police issue calls, 213 dealt with police responses to situations and 65 were scheduled calls (ex
• Of the 213 police response calls, 93 (<2 120="" 7am="" and="" closed.="" during="" hours="" in="" o:p="" operation="" per="" pm="" shelter="" the="" to="" was="" week="" were="">

Of the 93 calls during the time the shelter was open, 43 calls (<1 50="" 6am-7am="" 7am="" and="" calls="" closed="" doors="" during="" entering="" guests="" leaving="" lights="" o:p="" or="" out="" per="" pm-10pm="" pm="" shelter="" the="" through="" times="" week="" were="" when="">

Conclusions from Police Call Reports

• The number of police calls associated with the Dorothy Day House shelter is substantially lower than reported when taking into account medical calls reported in call statistics, routine scheduled calls and calls when the shelter is not open.   Either <2 all="" are="" calls="" day="" doors="" dorothy="" during="" hours="" is="" locked="" made="" o:p="" of="" open="" or="" per="" police="" shelter.="" shelter="" the="" to="" week="" when="">

Similar calls to other facilities (Danbury Hospital and Library) are in the same range (1-2 per week)