Friday 26 November 2010

Alintiqad Exclusive Interview with Arab Human Rights Commission Spokesperson Haytham Manaa


The US Foreign Ministry issued last week an annual report over the freedom of religion in the world. The report included paradoxes, all aiming at coming clean with "Israel" on its crimes, clear to expect that those who wrote the report are Zionists.

If the Arab media was concerned with the issues of the Hijab and Minarets in Europe and praised them, what must have slipped their minds is the misleading in the Palestinian issue, giving excuses for "Israel's" racism.

In an interview with intiqad.net online newspaper in Paris, Arab Human Rights Commission Spokesperson Haytham Manaa, evaluated the report in real Human Rights standards:

*How would you evaluate the US Foreign Ministry's recent report over the freedom of religions in the world?

Manaa: This report lacks the standards present related to reports over Human Rights, and it also lacks accuracy and objectivity. We are in front of a report that links the definition of religious freedom violation with the US administration stance regarding the concerned country.

This is described like when someone is completely satisfied; flaws will be indifferent for him. The US ignores the outrageous violations, and also praises some of its friend countries, except for Saudi Arabia, which either ways cannot be spoken of. On the other hand, it exaggerates and accuses its foes and enemies without any professional proven evidences, where sometimes are merely sarcastic.

*Do you have any examples on that?

Manaa: Of course the countries listed in the axis of evil, where on the top is Iran and North Korea, don't forget to mention Cuba. I will not reread the report; I will only mention a couple of examples.

When we talk about Venezuela, the report stated that the law respects religions, but Chavez [Venezuelan President] teases who opposes his policies. (If that was true, would he tease them in their belief [religion] or in a political conflict?)

On another hand, it accuses Venezuela of incitement against Semitism, because two thieves theft a Jewish temple, despite the police's efforts to arrest them and turn them to court. The report also noted anonymous-drawn anti-Semitism graffiti in February 2009, before Gaza war. (At the time where the western cities are crowded with similar acts, yet we also see anti-Islam T-shirts in the US, like those which are sold online).

When mentioning Iraq, the report says that the constitution and governmental policies include freedom of religion, stating that the Iraqi government and the occupying forces as innocent.

On the other hand, it held what it calls, the terrorist groups, responsibility for all crimes of a religions and sectarian nature. It does not hold the government any responsibility in protecting the minorities, yet the "vicious" governments are held responsible for every violation.

Speaking about Sudan, the report praises the government of South Sudan, which according to the report, was able to forerun all countries, speaking of it as an independent entity.

On the other hand, it spoke about the north in a very negative way, although we have proved evidences on the pressure exerted on Muslims to leave southern Sudan.

*You said that the report worked on enhancing the image of "Israel". How was that?

Manaa: This report, in an undeclared intention, aims at coming clean and enhancing the image of "Israel" from all the crimes it has committed and still is committing against religious freedoms, the religious sanctities and practices of non-Jews.

After it is confirmed that the major law and government are generally respective for the religious freedoms, it becomes easier to explain the government's facilities for the Jews who are part of the return to the land of promise law they have.

We can also explain how Zionist associations guarantee their settlers financial aids, travel, and free schools as a token to "Israel's" respect for freedom of religion, despite the fact that they come to the occupied Palestinian territories, and settle in illegal settlements on the expense of the native citizens, who were evacuated from their land and home.

There is no sign in the report to 14 racial laws against non-Jews. There is no sign of a Judaizing scheme in the city of Al Quds (Jerusalem), on the expense of the religious variety, and historical forgiveness which it has known over long centuries.

The report does not mention religious differentiations concerning living, educational collages, word, and right of transportation, yet also concerning the right of keeping a place of worshipping, a graveyard, or praying in some mosques.

The report forgets the racial practices against non-Jews, and does not mention a word concerning demolishing graves of Muslims and Christians, which on their part were demolished because they belonged to non-Jews.

The report also forgets to mention demolishing the houses of the non-Jews, in addition to sabotaging non-Jewish historical sites, which the UNESCO considers as Human Heritage.

There is also in "Israel" a phenomenon that is nowhere else to be found in the world; where there are shirts sold in shops, having written on them racial and fanatic religious phrases like, "Death with the Arabs".

Some people wear these shirts in public without being held accountable for that. The report does not end at the threats of the Jewish demands of "Transfer", which call for evacuating the Arabs and murdering them.

Furthermore, the report states that "Israel" has no detainees of religious discrimination, while in fact the majority of the political detainees in "Israel" are non-Jewish Palestinians.

Their arrest was based on religious and national discrimination, from the youngest detainee till Sheikh Raed Salah.

Examine the "Israeli" courts' decisions when trying a Jew who killed an Arab. You would find yourself before formal discriminatory decisions that encourage killing Arabs. The report on the other hand, does not forget condemning the "terrorists from Hamas and Jihad", because they are launching their missiles towards the Jews to kill them.

It's clear that they sought Zionist experts, loyal to their cause, in order to write this report, but they have nothing to do with Human Rights or religious freedoms what so ever.

*Are double standards exploited to this extent?

Manaa: I will only give in this issue one example. The report accuses Syria of incitement against Semitism, according to two articles published in Al Thawra and Al Watan newspapers, and a statement for Ms Bouthaina Shaaban, which all condemn Zionism, as an expansionist, racist, and barbaric movement, that has nothing to do with Jews or the Jewish Religion.

The report further mentions that a Jehovah's Witness once visited Syria, and was held for investigation, at a time when "Israel" investigates thousands of Christian missionaries who seek holy sites, and thus are banned from entering Al Quds (Jerusalem) under the request of the Orthodox Jews.

The missionaries are forced to go back to Ben Gurion airport, according to measures known to be practiced with non-Jewish missionaries.

*The report mentioned something about the Niqab and Minarets in Europe.

Manaa: Sadly I want to wrap up the Palestinian issue through mentioning these couple of lines, a game which the Arab media outlets have been dragged into, and allocated all its programs and articles over this issue without bothering and reading the main intention of the report.

Hillary Clinton and Michael Bosner succeeded in making our clever media shed the light on what they want. They then launched all Arab rage to battles, different from that of freedom of religion; it is in presenting the sacred Palestinian territories as a natural right to "Israeli" Jews.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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