Showing posts with label Palestine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palestine. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Divided reactions to Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo

6/06/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post




US President Barack Obama who said he came to Cairo, Egypt to find a new beginning between the United States and the Muslims of the world, based on “mutual interest and respect” got mixed reactions from his audience worldwide during his speech on June 4, 2009:

"I think President Obama's speech had a positive meaning. However, we hope it will not become a mere slogan but be followed up in concrete terms," ---KH Salahuddin Wahid, Indonesian Cleric. Antara News Agency. www. Chinaview.net (06.05/09 Tong, X)

"No American president has ever gone out of his way to reach out to the Muslim world in the way that President Obama has. We applaud that. But our applause is discreet rather than rapturous for these are as yet mere words. Were we ever to see all -- or any -- of them transition from rhetoric to reality then the applause would thunder across the world, and bring together the hands of every faith."---The News (Pakistan) Rhetoric and Reality (editorial) www.rferl.org (06/05/09)

"His naivete can be dangerous,” said Aliza Herbst, West Bank Settler. Huffington Post (06/04/09 Gutkin, S)

"This has made him close to the heart of the people. Our people like the person who is honest and address them with frankness and opens his heart and says good words, but not without action," said Salah Mansour, Café manager, Cairo, Egypt VOA News (06/05/09, Desvarieux, J)

"It's a public relations address more than anything else," said Mohamed Habib, deputy leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. Reuters. (06/05/09 Alexander, D; Blair, E; Nakhoul. S)

“I feel that the speech was balanced and offered a new vision of rapprochement regarding relations with Islamic states. [His speech shows that the US] will deal with the region's issues with a sense of balance. This includes the Palestinian question, the end to Israeli settlements, Palestinian rights, which must be respected. “----Amr. Moussa, Head of the Arab League.Rhttp://news.bbc.co.uk (06/04/09)



“His bloody messages were received and are still being received by Muslims, and they will not be concealed by public relations campaigns or by farcical visits or elegant words," said Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida's No. 2 in criticizing Obama’s upcoming message. AP (06/02/09, Youssef, M)

"The nations of this part of the world ... deeply hate America…Even if they give sweet and beautiful (speeches) to the Muslim nation “ said Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as reported by Reuters. www.npr.org (06/04/09 Holzma, T)

"It's some of the biggest pile of horseshit I've had to listen to in years.. and I still don't understand what's "historica"l about it?!!"---Hossam el Hamalawy, Egyptian leftist blogger. Guardian.co.uk (06/04/09)

"The Islamic world does not need moral or political sermons. It needs a fundamental change in American policy," said MP Hassan Fadlallah of Lebanon's Hezbollah. Reuters. (06/05/09 Alexander, D; Blair, E; Nakhoul. S)

“Obama has the intention to build goodwill with Muslims worldwide. But so far he is just an actor. This is just a spectacle. The dialogue is good. But if the policy doesn't change, nothing will change." - Dian Teja, 25, watching the speech at a café in Jakarta, Indonesia. www.politicsdaily.com ( 06/04/09 Kraskin, M)

“I think on human rights there were many things that were commendable... but it is disappointing that when he talked about democracy in the Muslim world he wasn't more specific about some of the problems.”---Eric Goldstein. Human Rights Watch. http://news.bbc.co.uk (06/04/09) (Photo Credit: Alex Johnson; Peter Gutierrez x 2)=0=

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PostHeaderIcon Pope speaks against terrorism and calls for a Palestinian state

5/14/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


Since his arrival on Friday in the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI has visited Jordan and Israel. He reached the Aida Refugee camp in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday on May 13, 2009 to meet with the Palestinians.

The 82-year Pope Benedict who supports for the creation of a separate Palestinian state, passed through the gate of the 25-foot-high concrete wall which was built by Israel in the West Bank as part of its security.

In the refugee camp where about 5,000 Palestinians reside, the holy pontiff spoke of the towering barrier that divides the Palestinian from Israel. He asked young Palestinians to avoid taking revenge and have courage to resist violence in solving conflicts. He advised peaceful means in pursuing the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspiration to have an independent state.

The pope hoped that the massive wall which sequesters the Palestinians from the Israelis will be demolished someday. In a reaction, Mark Regev, an Israeli spokesman said, "We did not want to build a security barrier. We were forced to by the continuous infiltration of suicide bombers entering our country and murdering our people. We wish the reality were different."----Yahoo News/ AP (05/13/09, Hadid, Namari, D. et al)

The Christians in Middle East is a minority and suffers attrition because of continued violence and war. Many of those who live among nearly 4 million Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza have immigrated abroad to seek better opportunities and escape the cycles of hostilities that characterize these troubled places. (Photo Credit: AP/ New York Times (05/13/09 Todras-Whitehill, T) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon In war-battered Gaza, Filipinos mull on the price of working abroad

1/12/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post




With no end in sight, the red-hot Israel-Palestinian conflict completes its second week on January 11, 2009 with nearly 900 reported dead and many more wounded, about half of them are innocent non-combatants of war. Regardless of which side we may be in the decades-long hostilities, the clear message is that racial intolerance, religious bigotry, and territorial disputes don’t bring any good.

The duplicity in the exercise of diplomacy, the use of terrorism, and the rejection of a two-state solution by hardliners remain as huge stumbling blocks in bringing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The interference of countries that benefit from an unstable Middle East is partly to blame.



Civilians living in the Gaza Strip are in a crossfire that disrupts their lives and threatens their survival. In the bloody exchanges of a protracted cycle of violence, the innocents bear undeserved suffering. Among them are workers and migrants from the Philippines who come to this troubled part of the world mainly for economic reasons.

We can only sympathize with our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who put their lives on line to seek ways to survive and help their families back home. We can only ask for the cessation of the killings---an immediate ceasefire which is unheaded at this time.



According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA,) 16 Filipinos have left the war-torn area and arrived in Manila. Of the 121 still left in Gaza, 69 expressed their desire to evacuate, but the fierce fighting prevents them to do so. It is uncertain if this number includes the illegal Filipinos workers who take risky jobs in the shadows.



This brings us to the problem of our government which sorely lags behind in helping the people to be self-sufficient back home. If jobs and economic opportunities exist in the country, then there are few reasons for our kababayans to insist working in dangerous places like the Middle East. The cost to pay for family separations, isolation, and loneliness is incalculable. It’s sad that our cash-strapped government is in a losing policy of sending Filipinos abroad for the money they’ll earn for the nation's economy. With no sign of stopping, our workers continue to suffer on their own, at times trapped in harm’s way.





Just to land a job, no matter how menial, has been a source of hope and pride among poor Filipinos who ignore the risks of travel outside the country. Yet, this is the reality of our society faces. Adding to the 10 million Filipinos already deployed abroad, a restless stream still wants to leave for the money.

The government must do better than what our officials think is good enough. There will be a season that host countries won't justly pay for the services of Filipinos. To keep the country economically alive there'll be a time when going abroad will be one of our most dreaded options. (Photo Credits: Aryty; Rusty Stewart x 7 photos) =0=



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PostHeaderIcon Israeli air strikes leave 200+ dead in Gaza Strip

12/28/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post


As Pope Benedict XVI calls for renunciation of violence during the holy season of Christmas, Israelis and Palestinians are on a bloody confrontation again in the Gaza Strip leaving at least 200 dead and injuring about 400 more. This is the result of heavy air strikes conducted by Israeli troops against militant Palestinian targets in Hamas-dominated territory a week after a 6-month ceasefire truce expired.

The resumption of bombings and killings on Saturday, December 27, 2008, is supposed to be Israel’s retaliation to months of Hamas’ mortar fires and indiscriminate rocket launches which terrorize about ¼ million Israelis who live in the area.

Hamas infrastructures and installations had been destroyed and many security officers were killed or hurt. Gaza residents had been on the state of panic as the death toll rose and the wounded victims flooded hospitals and clinics.

“The offensive sparked angry protests throughout the Arab world, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Vatican, the U.N. secretary-general and special Mideast envoy Tony Blair all called for an immediate restoration of calm. The Arab League scheduled an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the situation.”--- YahooNews.com; AP (12/28/08 Barzak, Brahim)

Hamas, the radical group considered by Israel as a terrorist organization, called for revenge, but Isreali military authorities had been firm in their stance. In spite of the call for calm, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed to widen the military offensive if needed. Israel did not set a time-line on when the air strikes would end.

The long-standing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians has taxed peace-makers for decades, but a solution has been consistently elusive. Extremist Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East who support the Palestinians call for the annihilation of the State of Israel. (Photo Credits: AP/ Mohammed Zastari; AP/ Mohammed Zastari; AFP; AP/ Mohammed Zastari) =0=




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