April 14, 2010 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

DC: “March for Remembrance” on Holocaust Remembrance Day

On April 11, 2010, per our previous report, volunteers in Washington DC held a “March for Remembrance” to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah). The event was led by event representative Ted Pearce, who sought to have such a march with Christians, Jews, and others in solidarity together to show united remembrance of the Holocaust.

"March for Remembrance" April 11, 2010 - Washington DC

Ted Pearce has led similar marches in Germany and in Texas. He stated that “if only Jewish people remember the Holocaust, then I fear that in some ways the Holocaust has already been forgotten by some,” which is why he organized this latest “March for Remembrance” in Washington DC.

Ted Pearce Organizes Marchers at the Beginning of Washington DC "March of Remembrance"

TOS Ministries, based in Germany, has led such events in the past. TOS Ministries-Germany Pastor Jobst Bittner is the founder of “The March for Life,” and spoke at the Washington DC event in German with an English translator about confronting and challenging anti-Semitism in Germany. TOS Ministries’ Pastor Bittner spoke about forming a church with a mission to confront and change attitudes on anti-Semitism in Tubingen, Germany, which had a past in the Nazi regime. Pastor Bittner spoke about the efforts to combat anti-Semitism and to speak out about the Holocaust in Germany, including holding public Hanukkah services and holding marches in Germany to remember the Holocaust, like the march that was now being held in Washington DC on April 11, 2010.

TOS Ministries-Germany Pastor Jobst Bittner Speaks of Defying Anti-Semitism in Germany

Other speakers at the March for Remembrance included Avi Mizrachi (Foundation for Holocaust Education Projects), Paul Argiewicz (Holocaust survivor, liberated from Buchenwald, April 11, 1945), Peter Loth (born in Stuttot concentration camp), and David Goldkorn (survived death march from Dachau).

Holocaust survivor Paul Argiewicz spoke of his time in Nazi concentration camps and urged the world never to forget the Holocaust. Paul Argiewicz was a Polish Jewish teenager who was forced to leave his home, schooling, and family due to Nazi anti-Semitism and spent five years in Nazi forced labor camps from Auschwitz to Buchenwald as Number 176520.

Holocaust Survivor Paul Argiewicz Speaks

The message was reinforced by all attendees that the Holocaust would be remembered, and that it would be each of the attendee’s responsibility, whatever their religion, to ensure that the world will Never Forget, so that we can all be responsible for ensuring “Never Again.” Organizer Ted Pearce stated that that the event would be continued as an annual tradition on Yom HaShoah in Washington DC. After the speakers, there was a lighting of 6 candles in memory of the 6 million who were killed in the Holocaust. At a separate event that night, Immanuel’s church in Silver Spring, Maryland held a “Concert of Remembrance.”

Other Photographs of Event:

Attack on Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque – Israel Army Condemns Mosque Vandalism

Multiple media sources have reported on the attack on the Bilal Ibn Rabah mosque in the village of Huwwara and the Israeli military state that is investigating the attack and will bring the perpetrators to justice.

Ma’an News reports:
— “After the Bilal Ibn Rabah mosque in the village of Huwwara, south of Nablus, was vandalized by anonymous suspects late Wednesday night, the Israeli military expressed condemnation and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.”
— “The army said in a statement that the Star of David symbol and the caption ‘Muhammad’ in Hebrew were among the graffiti painted on the wall of the mosque. In addition, two vehicles owned by Palestinians were reportedly set on fire in the village.”
— “‘The Commander of the IDF Judea and Samaria division, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, condemned the acts and said that those responsible should be brought to justice,’ the statement noted.”
— “‘The IDF conveyed a message to the Palestinians through the Civil Administration to reassure them that the IDF takes the matter of harming or vandalizing of holy sites very seriously. It should be noted that the Civil Administration erased the graffiti this morning.'”

Reuters: "A Palestinian cleans near a Star of David that was painted in the Bilal Ibn Rabah mosque in the West Bank village of Hawara near Nablus April 14, 2010." (Photo: REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini)

Jerusalem Post reports:
— W. Bank mosque vandalized, cars torched
— Jerusalem Post states that: “On another apparent act of settler violence as part of their ‘price-tag’ campaign, a West Bank mosque was vandalized overnight Tuesday.”
— “The IDF said that graffiti, including a Star of David and the name Mohammad, was sprayed on the Bilal Ibn Rabah mosque in Hawara, south of Nablus, while two vehicles were torched in the village.”
— “‘Price-tag’ is a term used by settlers either to retaliate against government decisions which curb settlement activity or in response to Palestinian attacks.”
— “Brig.-Gen. Nitzan Alon, commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, ordered an immediate investigation, saying in a statement that the vandalism was ‘unacceptable’ and that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
— “The army passed on messages via the Civil Administration to reassure the Palestinians that the military viewed damage to holy places very severely.”
Ethiopian Review and Reuters reports:
— “Palestinians accuse Jewish settlers of mosque attack”
— “The Israeli authorities have launched investigations into at least two other attacks on Muslim sites in the Nablus area since December. They could not immediately say whether either probe had resulted in charges being brought against suspects.”
— “Palestinians believe Jewish settlers were behind both the December arson attack on a mosque in the village of Yasuf and acts of vandalism in a cemetery in the village of Awarta in January.”
— “The Israeli police arrested one teenager from a Jewish settlement in connection with the Yasuf mosque attack. He was questioned and released without charge.”

========================================

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports our unqualified, universal human rights for all people.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.

North Korea Freedom Week to Be Held in Seoul April 25-May 1

Press Release from North Korea Freedom Coalition

North Korea Freedom Week to Be Held in Seoul April 25-May 1

(Apr 14 2010) Seoul…North Korea Freedom Week will kick off on April 25 as a week to promote the freedom, human rights, and dignity of the North Korean people. The event, which has been organized by the North Korea Freedom Coalition annually since 2004 in Washington, D.C., will be held for the first time in Seoul, South Korea. North Korean defectors and South Korean leaders and activists are organizing exhibits, a major rally, seminars, press conferences, prayer vigils and other events all focused on highlighting the misery the Kim Jong-il regime has inflicted on the people of North Korea, as well as citizens of South Korea, Japan and other countries.

NKFW 2010 will begin with a prayer service hosted by the North Korean defector churches and the opening of the North Korea Genocide Exhibit and will conclude with a balloon launch from the DMZ which will include radios, money, and a special message about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The message will point out that the same year the United Nations adopted this declaration in 1948 was the same year that Kim Il Sung came to power to ensure that North Koreans were denied every single one of these universally accepted rights.

“With the increasing ability for North Koreans to learn about the outside world, it is fitting that North Korea Freedom Week will be held in South Korea for the first time,” said Kim Seung Min of Free North Korea Radio. “North Koreans are increasingly finding out that their misery is a direct result of the Kim Jong-il regime, not South Korea and America as we were brainwashed from birth to believe.”

Special events during the week will focus on the North Korean gulag, the trafficking of North Korean women, the abduction by the regime of South Korean and Japanese citizens, and other topics.

Dr. Hyunuk Kim, who is chairing the Rally for North Korea Freedom Week, added, “Our songs and prayers for freedom and human rights in North Korea from Seoul will be heard around the world and in North Korea, leading to a dramatic change in North Korean society.” Describing North Korea as the world’s coldest land and the world’s largest gulag, Dr. Kim said, “We must keep moving forward and strong until we meet the day when the spring sunshine finally finds itself in North Korea.”

Warning that it was a crime to remain apathetic in the face of one of the world’s worst human rights violations in history, Professor Yon Hee Lee, who is organizing the NKFW prayer vigil, warned, “We cannot remain silent as this tragedy continues or we will face God’s judgment.”

“Our hope is that North Korea Freedom Week will empower the 17,000 strong North Korean defectors in South Korea, awaken the consciousness of the world that the human rights conditions in North Korea must be addressed, and inform all who are suffering north of the DMZ that we will work together until the day their freedom, human rights and dignity are realized,” said Seoul Peace Prize Laureate, Suzanne Scholte, who is Co-Chairing NKFW with Professor Hwang Jang-yop.

“We are very proud that so many defectors, who have been part of the North Korea Freedom Week delegations each year, are now taking the lead in sponsoring events throughout the week, and we are deeply grateful to the South Korean NGOs and leaders who are also organizing events,” she added.

Simultaneously with events being held in Seoul, Open Doors-USA, will be organizing prayer events for North Korea throughout the USA.

A complete list of events follows below.

NORTH KOREA FREEDOM WEEK 2010 SEOUL, KOREA

Sunday, April 25 – Saturday, May 1

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

[Week-long event] Sunday, April 24th to Saturday, May 1st

ALL DAY EVENT – North Korea Human Rights Exhibit

Every Day — 10 AM – 5 PM North Korea “Ah, the Warm Country in the South!” (The North Korea Genocide Exhibit)

Host: North Korea Genocide Exhibit, Moon Gook Han (sgf2002@hanmail.net)

Location: Seoul Gallery, Seoul Press Center 1st Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 4; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5

[Week-long event] Sunday, April 25th to Saturday, May 1st

ALL DAY EVENT – North Korea Human Rights Photo Exhibit

Host: NKHR Young Adult’s Coalition, Han Nam Soo/Strategy Center Youth Group, Choi Young Jin

Location: Various colleges/universities in Seoul

[Throughout the week during NKFW2010]

Sunday, April 25th

2PM – 4PM Prayer Service led by North Korean Defector churches

Hosts: North Korean Church Coalition, Pastor Kang Cheol Ho of Saetu Church (kangch214@hanmail.net); Pastor Lim Chang Ho of Jangdaehyun Church (limchangho@gmail.com); New Pyongyang Full Gospel Church

Location: Saeteo Church, Shinjung-Dong 337 Mokdong 2Cha Woosung APT B-sangga 4th Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 5, Mok Dong Station Exit 5; Line 2, Yangcheon-Gu Office Station and then Bus – no. 6617 Last Stop

3 PM – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for North Korea Human Rights Exhibit

“Ah, the Warm Country in the South!” (The North Korea Genocide Exhibit)

Host: North Korea Geneocide Exhibit, Moon Gook Han

Location: Seoul Gallery, Seoul Press Center 1st Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 4; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5

Monday, April 26th

10AM – NK Gulag Inmate List Press Release & Witness Testimony

Host: NK Gulag, Kim Tae Jin, Jung Gwang Il, Jee Hae Lee (jhlee.nkgulag@gmail.com)

Location: Seoul Press Center, 19th Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 4; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station

2PM – North Korean Human Rights Digital Screening

Host: Abductee & Defectors Human Rights Coalition, ICCNK, Do Hee Yoon

Location: Seoul Metro Art Gallery, Hyehwa Metro Station

Transportation: Subway – Line 4, Hyehwa Station

Tuesday, April 27th

ALL DAY 10AM – POW/Abductee, Abduction-related Conference

Host: POW/Abductee Int’l Coalition, Lee Mi Il (milee625@hanmail.net), Professor Nishioka

Location: NK Democracy Committee Office, Gang-Nam-Gu Nonhyeon-Dong 216-2 Harim B/D 4TH Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 7, Hakdong station

Time TBD – Open Invitation Forum:

“Kim Jong Il Regime’s Inhumane & Savage Rule: Elite North Korean Defectors’ Testimonies”

Host: ICCNK, NK Intellectuals Solidarity, Do Hee Yoon (dhy21c@hanmail.net), Kim Heung Gwang

Location: Seoul Press Center, 20th Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 4; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5

5PM – Suzanne Scholte’s Special Lecture at Sejong University

Host: Sejong University (w3@sejong.ac.kr)

Location: Sejong University, Seoul

Transportation: Subway – Line 7, Children’s Grand Park Station

Wednesday, April 28th

1:30PM – North Korean Women Defectors Human Rights Seminar

Host: CNKWR Coalition for North Korean Women’s Rights, Kang Su Jin (frogreen79@naver.com)

Location: National Assembly Building, Yoido

Transportation: Subway – Line 9, National Assembly Station

2:30PM – National Rally for North Korea Freedom Week 2010

Host: International Forum for Foreign Policy & National Security, Dr. Kim Hyunwook (khubosco@hanmail.net)

Location: Seoul Station

Transportation: Subway – Lines 1 & 4, Seoul Station

Wednesday, April 28th to Saturday May 1st

2PM – Reading the Names of 8,400 Abductee & POWs (Pep-Rally & Name Reading)

Host: Abductee & Defectors Human Rights Coalition, ICCNK, Do Hee Yoon (dhy21c@hanmail.net), Bae Jae Hyun (mission2china@hanmail.net)

Location: Pagoda Park, Jongno-Gu

Transportation: Subway – Lines 1,3,5, Jongno-3-ga Station

Thursday, April 29th

7:30AM – North Korean Human Rights Forum (Guest Speaker: Suzanne)

Host: International Forum for Foreign Policy & National Security, Dr. Kim Hyunwook (khubosco@hanmail.net)

Location: Karak Hotel, 2nd Floor

Transportation: Subway – Lines 8, Karak Market Station

1PM – Debate for Human Rights of North Korean Defectors: How Much Has Improved?

Host: Democracy Strategy Center, Kang Cheol Hwan

Location: Community Chest of Korea, Jung-Gu

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 3, 12; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 6

8PM – North Korean Human Rights Prayer Vigil

Host: International Forum for Foreign Policy & National Security, ICCNK (khubosco@hanmail.net)

Location: Balsandong Catholic Church

Transportation: Subway – Line 5, Ujangsan Station Exit 3

Friday, April 30th

10AM – Protest at the Embassy of China in Seoul

Host: NKFW2010 Planning Committee

Location: Chinese Embassy, 54, Hyoja-Dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Transportation: Subway – Line 3, Gyeonbokgung Station

1PM – North Korea Human Rights Act-related International Conference

Host: PSCORE People for Successful COrean REunification , Kim Young Il (youngilkim78@naver.com)

Location: Seoul Press Center, 20th Floor

Transportation: Subway – Line 1 or 2, City Hall Station Exit 4; Line 5, Gwanghwamun Station

4PM – Crossing Screening & Lecture of NK Defector

Host: Student Group of Yonsei University (yeahys@hanmail.net)

Location: Yonsei University

Transportation: Subway, Line 2, Sinchon Station

6:30PM – Meeting with Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Byung-Chul HYUN

Participators: Suzanne and other 6 people

8PM – North Korea Freedom Week 2010 Prayer Vigil

Host: Esther Prayer Movement for North Korea, Professor Lee Yong Hee (yhlee@kyungwon.ac.kr)

Location: Shinil Church, Joong-Gu Shin-Dang 4-Dong, 347-298, Seoul

Transportation: Subway – Line 3, 6, Yaksu Station; Line 5, Cheonggu Station

Saturday, May 1st

Afternoon [Exact Time TBD] – Balloon Launch into North Korea

Host: Fighters for Free North Korea FFNK, Park Sang Hak (berojapark@hanmail.net)

Location: Freedom Bridge, Imjingak, Paju City, Kyonggi Province

Transportation: Gyeongui Rail Line, Imjingak Station

FOR USA – OPEN DOORS NKFW RELATED EVENTS, VISIT http://members.opendoorsusa.org/images/content/pagebuilder/NK2010/

FOR NKFW UPDATES VISIT WWW.NKFREEDOM.ORG AND HTTP://CAFE.NAVER.COM/NKFW

Day: April 14, 2010

DC: “March for Remembrance” on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Attack on Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque – Israel Army Condemns Mosque Vandalism

North Korea Freedom Week to Be Held in Seoul April 25-May 1

West Bank: “Israeli settlers burn Palestinian vehicle, smash others near Nablus”