Power of and To: Nonviolent Political Prisoners and People of Conscience

NOVANEWS

by Eileen Fleming

 

Maybe Israel dodged a bullet on the 64thanniversary of Al Nakba Day Read more… , which was nearly a month after 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners’ began a hunger strike, which ended Monday night upon reaching an agreement with the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) to attain certain core demands.

Two of the hunger strikers have not eaten for 78 days and that’s eight days longer than IRA prisoner Bobby Sands, when he died on his strike in 1981.

Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh have said they will not start eating again until their administrative detentions are lifted. Both men are members of Islamic Jihad, but they were never charged with anything, and it’s still not clear why they’re still being held or if, they will be released.

Among the demands raised in the collective hunger strike, included an end to the IPS’ abusive use of isolation for “SECURITY” reasons.

Juan E. Méndez, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment told the UN General Assembly’s third committee-which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural affairs- that punishment by solitary confinement amounts to torture:

“Segregation, isolation, separation, cellular, lockdown, Supermax, the hole, Secure Housing Unit… whatever the name, solitary confinement should be banned by States as a punishment or extortion technique.

“Social isolation is one of the harmful elements of solitary confinement and its main objective. It reduces meaningful social contact to an absolute minimum. A significant number of individuals will experience serious health problems regardless of the specific conditions of time, place, and pre-existing personal factors”.

“Indefinite and prolonged solitary confinement, in excess of fifteen days, should also be subject to an absolute prohibition,” the expert said noting that scientific studies have established that some lasting mental damage is caused after a few days of social isolation.” [1]

A few weeks after his freedom of speech trial began, Vanunu explained why Israel tortures by solitary confinement:

Mordechai Vanunu Addresses Israel’s Intent RE: Solitary Confinement

Palestinian prisoners also called for an end to administrative detention, a practice in which Israel holds prisoners indefinitely without charge or legal recourse. Administrative detention will continue and Israeli authorities claim the practice will be reviewed.

During my January 2006 trip to Ramallah, I met with Ala Jaradat, spokesman for ADAMEER [Arabic for conscience] and he informed me:

“Since 1967, 650,000 to 700,000 Palestinians have been arrested and detained. That totals 20% of the total population and 80% of all adult Palestinian males have been arrested.

“Most of these arrests occur after midnight when large numbers of IDF storm into neighborhoods or refugee camps, horrifying everyone and arresting anyone 14 years or older. Sometimes they storm into business offices and arrest the breadwinners of the families without any charges.

“These arrests and detentions are based on military orders; we live under a kind of Marshall Law which rules every aspect of Palestinian life: where we live, our license plates that restrict our movement and limited voting rights. Under these military orders the Israeli government is free to hold anyone eight days without accusations or charges. They can hold anyone up to 180 days for interrogation and up to 60 days without benefit of a lawyer.

“The Israeli government never agreed to the Second Geneva Convention, the Knesset never ratified it, and when it comes to the Occupied Territories they totally ignore it. Israel is the only State that approved torture of detainees. I know there are dictators who use torture, but Israel is the only State that supported torture until 1999. That is when International, Israeli and Palestinian pressure groups forced the issue and Barack was confronted about it when he visited the United States.

“The IDF will round up and arrest family members and use threats against their relatives to force confessions. The interrogations lead to Military Trials which is theoretically like court with three Judges presiding but only one is required to have an education and a law degree is not at all necessary. The Military Commander appoints the translators, issues all orders, assigns the judges, and has total control. One appeal is allowed, but if the judges are settlers the Palestinian is in deep shit!

“Administrative Detentions are issued by the Military Commander for a period of six months and the reason is always labeled ‘Security’ and the charges can be renewed indefinitely. One Palestinian spent eight years under Administrative detention and hundreds have endured four or more years. Today fifty are being held for the past four years. They may be released for a day or two and then they are rearrested because they are social or political activists but reasons are not given by the Israeli government.
“At any given moment 10% of those in prison are under Administrative Detention. There are currently 8,000 prisoners and 800 of them are under Administrative Detention. The government does not have to inform anyone about these arrests except the Red Cross and only if they are imprisoned over two weeks, but most arrests go unreported.

“Any Palestinian under the age of 16 is tried as an adult, but for an Israeli Jew it is 18 years of age. Under 12 years old the child can be arrested but not detained. Over 12 they can be arrested, detained, interrogated, prosecuted and sentenced for throwing stones.

“Most of the Israeli Jews that are imprisoned are in for violent crimes against society and they are mixed in with the Palestinian population. The guards encourage them to do what ever they want to do against the Palestinian population. This is an open invitation by the Israeli government to incite violence and terror in the prison system. We have sworn affidavits from Palestinians claiming it was the guards who encouraged the violence inflicted upon them.

“In August 2004 the Palestinians went on a hunger strike to raise awareness of this problem and the Minister of Health who is responsible for them stated publicly: ‘Our hospitals are off limits to them They can all starve themselves to death.’

“No human rights organizations are allowed access to the prisoners. Only lawyers and the Red Cross can visit them but have no access to the facilities where they are detained.

“The methods and photos from Abu Grahib and Guantanamo were no shock to any Palestinian who had been in prison between 1967 and the ‘80’s. All the methods used in Abu Grahib were normal procedures against Palestinians. In 1999 Internationals, Palestinians and Israelis for human rights threatened a boycott against Israel and that is what forced the Supreme Court to address the torture issue. They did not ban torture and the General Prosecutor can choose not to prosecute those who still use it.” [2]

Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations have called for intensifying the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to target corporations profiting directly from the Israeli prison system.

In particular, to be taken to account is G4S, the world’s largest international security corporation, which helps to maintain and profit from Israel’s prison system, for its complicity with Israeli violations of international law.

Please click here to sign onto the demand that G4S ends its involvement in the Israeli prison systems violations of Palestinian human rights.

John Lennon-Power To The People-Offical Video-HQ

1. Solitary confinement should be banned in most cases, UN expert says

2. “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory” by Eileen Fleming

One thought on “Power of and To: Nonviolent Political Prisoners and People of Conscience

  1. Most world injustice is caused by money causing unequal privileges in life. This is how to eliminate tyranny and have unparalleled equality and personal freedom. This document also gives ways to end pollution and poverty. It is how the world should be ran. Please read.

    The People’s Voice

    As someone that is in my 60’s I have seen many changes in Canada but the ones happening now are frightening. The new internet legislation proposed by the Conservatives appears to be a re-make of much of old world Russian Communism.

    In the days of Stalin there were spies everywhere reporting your every move.

    Now because of the advent of technology we now do not need this anymore, We can do it all electronically from the comfort of the office. By passing this new internet legislation we will have every key stroke monitored. They will have a spy in your home 24/7. You could have police show up at your doors at any time because your activities were not approved. Even if they promise to never use it that way it is not good enough. They should never be allowed to have it.

    This will lead to fear of usage and fear to speak freely, fear like the people in old world Russia used to experience.

    Yes this will be much like things were under Stalin in Russia. And what is proposed today is so much more effective than human spies and police. I often said that with today’s technology, if a dictator ever got in power we would all be in real trouble. We are in trouble now. Despite this, I do not believe that we will have goo-lags, or internment camps as these cost money. Capitalists would rather fine you with nit picking useless laws, taking food from your children in the process. By doing this through use of the courts they will get to pocket it without much cost. Their children eat well I am sure.

    As for the internet itself it was free 30 years ago and as usual a few were given everything without any of “we the people” ever being told before hand, or ever given a chance at ownership ourselves. No, as usual free for us was made into another expense for the average person, owned as usual by the same few. We have nothing free anymore.

    They take it all, exactly as the Nazis and communists did from their people.

    Should the conservatives have put through this legislation for child molesters only I would have supported it whole heartedly. But this is not the case. And like the capitalists always do they included this with the rest so we would take the bait, and their absolute control over our every dollar would increase.

    Fellow Canadians please before it is too late, understand were we are now as a society.

    Under communism all things were owned in common, but in reality a few very few administered it in conjunction with the government, and the rest of the people got what they got.

    Under Fascism, the companies were private enterprise, owned by a few that ran them in conjunction with the government, and the rest of the people got what they got.

    Under capitalism, after all the corporate mergers are complete and a few own everything, and run it in conjunction with government and the rest of us get what we get, what are we. No different than Stalin’s Russia or Hitler’s Germany.

    At this point there is no difference, none. We literally have communism for Corporate convenience. This is where our voting habits and hidden legislation have led us. We must register to vote and make a massive change.

    With what the conservatives are doing to us we must never elect them again.

    This will only happen if every working person that is sick of always paying through the nose for everything shows up to vote at 100% and defeat them in every single riding. Even if they back off they should never be elected again just for trying.

    YOUTH IN YOUR 20’S JOIN US OR SETTLE FOR BEING MIDDLE AGED BEFORE EVER BEING ABLE TO OWN A HOUSE.

    I believe the rich are trying to remove most peoples ability to buy houses. That way all will have to pay monthly rent to the same few that own everything now. This is how things were under Russian communism. There most never owned houses or property either.

    This is an alert. YOUTH GET OUT AND VOTE PLEASE.

    One of the reasons we are in this mess is because we are without information. Please do not ever believe our press is free. The fact is that they are dependent on advertising and because of this are careful not to offend their corporate paychecks. This allows corporations to stop stories. If our corporate leaders are openly with holding information from us by restricting the press, what does this make them??? The answer is communist.

    The restrictions are the same as the Russian press had under communism.

    Please do not tell me that our free elections make a difference because they do not. I am an average working person, and could not even think of taking time off from work to run for elected office. Neither could most of you. The few heavily mortgaged assets we have would be taken.

    This by the way is the western way of creating communist conditions, while making the laws capitalist.

    Look around and see. How many areas are we free in law but freedom is then removed by making it too expensive to access. This removal of freedom is the difference between western democracy and communism. It does not matter if it is too expensive or made illegal. The result is the same.

    Example: On the books, you are free in law to run for office but the reality is that you could never take the necessary time off to actually present you message. Do you see the communist result created by removing freedoms through making them too expensive to ever access. The fact your assets would be taken is a punishment for use of a freedom a few do not want you have. They want this for themselves only.

    Example: Have you ever wondered why the supreme court in Canada is priced at pocket change prices for corporations and governments, but at prices that would bankrupt the average person. This is a big example of freedom in law that is made financially inaccessible to the average person. Under communism the people were never allowed to access any courts to plead for their freedoms because of laws preventing it. We allow freedom on paper and then make it too expensive to ever use, effectively creating the same results as communist legislation in Stalin’s Russia did. Understand that this restriction of our freedom, for any reason, makes us communist as well.

    Think about this. We the average people get our choice of business people only to vote for, as they have arranged society to make sure they will be the only ones with the money to run for office.

    Years ago, about 1960 we had a person come to our school in Wembley Alberta and told us that we did not want to be communists. As farm kids that had never seen a television set. Our first question was what is a communist. The answer this person gave us was that communists made the mother and father both work so when we kids came home there would be no parents there for us. We did not want to be communists did we. We all shook our heads and said no. Today we have exactly the conditions of communism with the capitalist system taking ever more, to where two people now have to work to support a family or live in poverty, never owning a home. This is identical to communist conditions in the old Soviet Union. Our children no longer have parents to come home to either.

    There is a solution

    One thing that has become increasingly obvious over my life is the hopelessness of trying to make any real changes to this system because of the way our societies are currently structured under economics. Next quarters corporate profits will always come first. Add to this the fear of adding more dollars to most nations already unmanageable debts, is something many societies consider no longer to be an option.

    In short the world can never be changed as long as some corporations can be bankrupted by the changes. All politicians know that there has to be several zillions of hours of employment to have house payments, utilities, credit cards, and more paid for by families each month. This is reality under our present world order.

    It can not be changed with the current economic system.

    First one has to understand that our system of commerce is barbaric and left over from early man. It is no more than a fossilized dinosaur that can never be made to serve our needs. We all can see it serves its own self interests only. The problem with this is that economic interests are not in any way aligned with the needs of our planet or most of its people. Instead they are discriminatory and harmful.

    Examples:

    1. Any system that has seniors pension eroded through inflation, so corporations can profit through the raising of prices on goods and services, is horrible. Good government would have pensions indexed to this inflation. Not doing this is the abandonment of the old, destroying them economically, leaving them to die in poverty. This is life under the capitalist system. This is an atrocity equivalent of any done by any other tyrants throughout history. The truth is under our system of currencies there is not enough money to prevent this.

    The price, decency and a civilized attitude toward the old are sacrificed to economics.

    2. One child having everything while the next gets nothing shows how barbaric our system is. It is a horrible and demented the leadership that allows children to learn discrimination on the basis of money. This is a system ran by monsters; Liberal and Conservative monsters in Canada to be exact, as they are the only ones to govern in our history.

    3. Students are often in over 100,000.00 dollars in debt for taking higher education to be greater in their contributors to our earth. This is allowed by government, while criminals get checks on leaving prisons. How pathetic is our liberals and Conservatives for allowing this. Why do they do it, because of money. Our intellectual future is sacrificed to economics. Many young feel that is pointless to go to school as there will be decades of debt and interest to pay back afterword. They will become old before being able to break even. Add this to the sacrifice for years of learning without income and many bright youth are just going to work.
    Increasingly only the children of the ever richer will be educated with the rest of us unable to afford the cost.

    While the laws will say we are free, increasingly economics insures that we are not. We are becoming ever more a land of rich and surfs like middle ages England.

    This seems to be the corporate dream.

    Maybe the cure for cancer gave up on school and now drives a Kenworth.

    4. Any time a person is turned down for a mortgage their constitutional right to own property is violated. In Canada this is allowed because it benefits some corporations. This is a violation of our very charter or freedoms. Even so it is allowed every day by government.

    It does not matter if you are turned down for a loan, or the house itself, the result is that you can never own a home, just like the people of Stalin’s Russia.

    Nothing green can be done with present economics because corporations could be hurt, and every politician knows there has to be work for average people to pay bills. Without jobs there would be no votes. With this form of blackmail available we all know corporations really rule our society, not the elected politicians.

    In truth we are no longer a democracy, at least not behind the scenes.

    The culprit behind all this is economics. This takes away from the ability to adjust society to what is right, and make the changes needed. As you can see this is not a system that can be made to work from within, nor can it be adapted to be any better than it is today. So many have tried and gained little or nothing.

    The current system has to be replaced.

    This is what I am writing you about. I can fix all these problems with one change but it is a big one, and would forever make the world better for all. This is monumental but like I said, but the results will be worth it.

    If we want to make real changes it will require breaking the backs of all corporations at once without a war, in a way the people would embrace and vote for what we present. It would have to be done without any new debt, giving back personal freedom to the Canadian people with the privileges and status of millionaires, all at the same time.

    I can do all of this with a single idea. This idea will also bring freedom for individuals and families like never before in human history.

    This is how it must be done and how it will work.

    In this new world there will be no such thing as poverty. Everyone that is gainfully employed will automatically have all the benefits of society. To achieve this each person would receive a card with 45 years of hours at 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, less stats and say a month’s holiday per year plus your birthday. Once the hours run out you will be allowed to retire and still have all the benefits of society, till the day you die.

    No more senior’s poverty.

    Think Armloads of gifts for the grand childern forever!

    This is what I am offering to all on earth starting in Canada.

    Children would have school supplies and lunches guaranteed. They all would have new computers, bikes, toys and more.

    No more childhood poverty. All children would eat well and live well with all of societies benefits.

    A university student would graduate with no debt and be entitled to all the benefits of society for the full duration of the years of their degrees learning process.
    They would have to be passing with decent grades of course.

    No family would need to have their children raised in a daycare center just for a mortgage because there will be no more home loans.

    Families would have all the benefits of society with one adult member working full time.

    This would include a home with deeded title, utilities, in fact everything would be yours. You will even raise your own children again in this new world. No child will have their parents removed just to benefit the economics of corporations.

    We call ourselves a free society yet we make it economically impossible for one income to support a family, using economics to create the same forced labor conditions as in Stalin’s Russia.

    This the result of voting Liberal and Conservative.

    Please consider this.

    If any elected official allows a corporation to pay such low wages that an employees child can not even eat quality food, let alone grow up having all the benefits of society, does that not make them along with the corporate leaders that pay the low wages, nothing more than a group of child abusers? Are they really fit to lead if they allow this to happen to any child, as the Liberals and Conservatives have always allowed?

    We will change the world like this.

    IN THIS WORLD THERE WILL BE NO MONEY.

    The very concept would be eliminated and all who are gainfully employed would have all societies’ benefits from cradle to grave.

    By this single change we could eliminate so many wrongs.

    First the planned obsolescence would go as there would be no expense to doing it right the first time. With in years we could gear the planet down and stop much pollution on this one change alone.

    We would all own our homes outright from the date of purchase, our utilities would be guaranteed, and would include our phone, satellite, cable, and internet.

    No more zillions of hours needed to pay bills. Our society would produce good as needed with our needs being much smaller because things would made to last. If you need food you would go to the store and get it. No one gainfully employed would ever go hungry because of money ever again. The handicapped, seniors, and university students would also all have all the benefits of society.

    Our laws could make quick effective changes under this new system.

    EG. Since it would be no cost to anyone, we could legislate solar panels on the south side of every roof, or windmills where possible, and water power in Eco friendly ways. Stores full of non polluting products for all.

    Imagine! Everything could just be done just because it is right, human right, green right , and just because it is right in every other way.

    We eventually would catch all the important changes.

    At this point and could shorten work weeks, or have earlier retirement, or or, or??? saving even more resources for future generations, while allowing more hours for the enjoyment of life. Doing what you want instead what you have to in order to survive. Any one besides me tired of all a persons waking hours being spent on survival.

    I would like to also leave you with some final thoughts and two DVD’s to watch.

    Final thought one. To do this we will have to form a political party to run in the next election. More below.

    Final Thought Two. I have shown you how our system is now Communist. If you love freedom from economic slavery we are the choice. I have offered all working people the status of millionaires, with unparalleled human freedom. What more is there to give. Join us please. It is that or ever more harsh economic slavery under the presents system.

    If you want to see one of the most corrupt decisions I have ever seen made in a Canadian court as well as see how far these corporations want to go to take away all our human freedom go online and watch “ The Future of Food”.

    If you are not afraid to vote Conservative or Liberal after seeing this there is nothing that will influence you.

    Wal-Mart makes money by insuring employees lives and collecting on their deaths. This is reported in the DVD Capitalism A love Story by Michael Moore. There is much more thought provoking content as well.
    Wal-Mart’s wage structure is one of the ones that would prevent employees children eating well.

    I hope you will read this and pass it on to all people possible and they will also do the same.

    THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS CHANGE IS BELOW. LOOK BELOW.

    If you are sick of the hypocrisy, and spin doctor statements that are too far from reality even for fantasy land, lets do something. Lets change the world and I mean it. To do this would any of you be interested in starting a political party to run in the next federal election. One made up of working people, highly educated people, university students, the handicapped, seniors, and the poor. You have read what I have in mind. The time is now and think.

    Life would be so much more fair.

    Let me know at [email protected].

    As a post script there is only one form of protection available for the average working person under economics and that is the trade unions. I suggest all people that are underpaid join one. There is no other form of protection for the working person, and this is not communism. I have already shown you communism earlier in this document. Call the most local hall in your area and ask how to get better wages and benefits so as to raise our children in a manner that is going to give them life’s privileges. For now these are our only hope.

    In conclusion. People, I feel it is the right solution to both human and planetary problems and should be considered. Our current system and those leading it are total failures and I am convinced we vote for it only because alternatives are never presented. I believe that is solved here in this document. Life will be so much more fail and equitable if we succeed.

    Thank You for your time.

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