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Press Release,
Paris, January 30, 2002
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The same source which preferred to be anonymous said that the threat against
Al Qasim clearly indicated that all means will be used to hinder him from
hosting Iraqi opponents in the future even if his physical liquidation will be
necessary." We are concerned about the safety of Mr. Al Qasim and we
condemn strongly the terrorist methods of the government of Iraq. |
Iraqi Satellite TV: A Tool of Terror
The International Alliance for Justice - the Coalition for Justice in
Iraq condemns strongly the Iraqi regime's use of its satellite TV as a
terror instrument against innocent Iraqi citizens.
On January 24, 2002, the Iraqi satellite TV showed the terrified faces of the family members of Mr. Faiq Sheikh Ali an eminent Iraqi lawyer,
writer and journalist residing in London. The Iraqi regime in retaliation
arrested Sheikh Ali's brothers, sister and his relatives in Iraq and forced
them to go on a TV interview to deliver a message to him.
The message was that his sister will pay for his "mistake", which means that she will be under a
threat of rape. This family's agony is as a result of the
participation of their son Faik Sheikh Ali along with a pro Saddam Hussein Lebanese
national Ma'n Bashour on Al Jazira's satellite
television's "Conflicting Views",
which is equivalent to CNN's Cross Fire" and prohibited in Iraq except
for
the high level officials.
During this program Sheikh Ali denounced the Iraqi government's human rights violations and crimes, as a result the
Iraqi government is intimidating his family. The UN Special Rapporteur on
Human Rights in Iraq in his last year\'s report and the latest UN General
Assembly resolution condemns the Iraqi regime for the persecution and pressure including the use of rape against family members of opponents.
Thousands of Iraqis are traumatized by similar experiences.
What is new in this issue, that the Iraqi government is using a
satellite TV for terrorizing and intimidating his opponents. Previously Mr. Hamid
Al Bayati's family, the SCIRI opposition group\'s representative in London
experienced a similar situation. The Iraqi government has used various
repressive methods against people who doesn't share their views, the killing of more than 500 journalists, writers and artists, the withdrawal of citizenship from
activists and exiled intellectuals such as the great Iraqi poets Al
Jawahiri and Al Bayati and the assassinations of eminent personalities such as
Seyed Mahdi Al Hakim in Sudan in 1988 and Sheikh Taleb Al Souhail in Beirut
in 1994 including the pressure and killing of their family members are few
examples of a long list of terror acts against the citizens of Iraq.
The current Iraqi regime is responsible for direct killing of more than one
million Iraqis since it came to power in 1968. The Iraqi government is known
for sponsoring international terrorism and harboring terrorist groups, but
unfortunately its terrorism and despicable crimes against its own
people are tolerated by the international community and goes unpunished.
We call upon Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, Madam Marry Robinson, the UN high Commissioner on Human Rights, Mr. Andreas
Mavromatis, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iraq, UNESCO, Mr. Amru Moussa, the
President of the Arab League and Prime Minister Jose Aznar of Spain in his capacity
of a President of European Union to not remain indifferent and to act
urgently:
-to protect the family of Mr. Faik Sheikh Ali and millions of Iraqis suffering from one of the most despotic regimes on the earth.
-to investigate and monitor the nature of the Iraqi satellite
TV's programmers and ban it if found in violation of international ethics
and international audiovisual regulations and standards.
-to protect human rights defenders
-to deploy human rights monitors in Iraq as requested by all UN General Assembly resolutions and UN Human Rights Commission\'s resolutions
since 1991.
The Al Jazira satellite TV has a moral and professional obligation in
defending Mr. Faik Sheikh Ali as a guest of their program. Sheikh Ali
needs their solidarity. We call upon them not to remain silent on this
threat and serious violation of freedom of expression and opinion.
Also, it has been reported in the media (Radio Free Iraq, January 29,2002) , that
"according to the Al Jazira sources the presentator of
the "Conflicting views" program, Feysal Al Qasim received
threats of assassination because of hosting Iraqi opposition elements at his popular program.
The same source which preferred to be anonymous said that the threat against
Al Qasim clearly indicated that all means will be used to hinder him from
hosting Iraqi opponents in the future even if his physical liquidation will be necessary." We are concerned about the safety of Mr. Al Qasim and we
condemn strongly the terrorist methods of the government of Iraq.
The NileSat and the ArabSat should interrupt its contract with the Iraqi satellite TV for its violation of the International Audiovisual
regulations and not promote terrorism through their services.
Satellite televisions shouldn't become a terror tool instigating
violence and rape which is a crime against humanity. Moreover not to be allowed
to promote totalitarian and racist ideologies which is the case of the
Iraqi satellite TV. Combating terrorism must include media and satellite TVS
of terrorists and their supporters.
Contact: Bakhtiar Amin
The Executive Director
aij@noos.fr
Tel: +33-1-4357 1310 |
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