Date: Sunday, May 23, 2010
Time: 1:00pm – 3:30pm
Location: Athletic Field behind US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Street: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW
“The Darfur Interfaith Network is proud to sponsor The Hope for Darfur – Justice in Sudan March and Rally scheduled for Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 1:30 pm. The march will begin at the athletic field on Raoul Wallenberg Place behind the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Concerned citizens and members from congregations of many faiths throughout the DC area will begin gathering around 1:00 pm. At 1:30 pm we will begin the short march to Lafayette Park, across from the White House. The rally at Lafayette Park will include survivors from Darfur and southern Sudan, dynamic informative speakers representing Sudan activists who will inform us of the latest situation on the ground, clergy from several denominations, and music. All activities should be concluded by around 3:30 pm. The peaceful march is less than one mile and we encourage families and children to join us. There will be plenty of signs to carry! Please bring your congregation or group banners to identify yourselves at the march and rally.”
Rally speakers include:
* Mr. Joe Madison – The Black Eagle
* Dr. John Eibner
* Rev. Kimberly Brown Barnes
* Mr. Mohamed Yahya
* Rabbi Bruce Lustig
* Rev. Jeff Krehbiel
* Mr. Robert Bank
* Mr. Michael Poffenberger
Note: May 31, 2010 will be U.S. recognized Memorial Day this year
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.”
On Sunday, April 11, 2010, in Washington DC’s Freedom Plaza (named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’ s struggle for human freedom in America), an estimated 150 Chinese Americans and their supporters rallied to show their solidarity and support for those Chinese citizens who have left the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a stand for freedom in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Activists held large banners in English and in Chinese languages with messages such as “Support 71 Million People Resigning from Chinese Communist Party,” “Nine Commentaries Motivated 71 Million Chines to Resign from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party,” “U.S. House Passes Resolution 605: Supports Falun Gong, Condemns Prosecution,” and “Help Stop the Persecution Against Falun Gong,” and other had smaller placards and signs with messages calling for freedom in the PRC.
April 11, 2010 - Washington DC - China Freedom Activists Banners Recognizing Chinese People Leaving Chinese Communist Party
At the April 11, 2010 Freedom Plaza rally, China freedom supporters, Falun Gong practitioners, and other freedom activists joined in solidarity to applaud the efforts of the Taidung (“Quit the Party”) movement in leading the way for 71 million Chinese citizens who have voluntarily left the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) (see earlier report on the Taidung movement). China freedom activists sang songs on the Taidung movement, the oppression of the Falun Gong, and also provided traditional Chinese dance and drum routines at the Freedom Plaza rally.
Among those speaking at the Freedom Plaza rally was a former official of the CCP, who renounced the CCP upon coming to the United States of America. In addition to China freedom activists and Falun Gong supporters, freedom activists in Asia from Vietnam, Laos, Tibet, and Japan also spoke at the Freedom Plaza rally for freedom in China and supporting those who left the CCP. Multiple speakers remarked on the March 16, 2010 passing of House Resolution 605, which acknowledges the oppression and suffering of the Falun Gong in Communist China and advises the U.S. President to meet with Falun Gong leaders.
Freedom Plaza Rally Speakers for China Freedom (Photo: AFP)
China freedom activist and leader of the China Support Network John Kusumi called upon U.S. President Barack Obama to make freedom in the PRC a priority as part of American foreign policy objectives on issues such trade, currency, and security. John Kusumi also urges the world community to take a stand on the Communist Laogai forced labor camps. John Kusumi also manages the China Support Network blog on China human rights and freedom issues.
Freedom Activist and Musician Sings "Taidung" Song at Rally
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)‘s Jeffrey Imm recognized that the Freedom Plaza rally was taking place on Holocaust Remembrance Day, and that while much of the world was saying “never again” to the history of the Holocaust, “never again is now” in the PRC for those suffering in Communist Laogai forced labor camps, for men, women and children in China that seek to live in freedom, and for the Chinese people whose culture has been systematically been undermined and destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party. Jeffrey Imm noted that near the Freedom Plaza where the event was being held, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked on his historic speech “I Have a Dream.” Jeffrey Imm stated that “I have a dream that all of the Chinese people will someday be free… but we all have a responsibility to make that dream a reality.” Jeffrey Imm noted that those struggling for freedom in the PRC must use their passion to educate the world on the abuses against the Chinese people, with a single message to the world “Free China Now,” which Imm and the other participants chanted together “Free China Now!”
The event was covered by Asian media sources as well as the AFP News. An earlier AFP News report includedphotographs of the April 11, 2010 Freedom Plaza rally in their subsequent report on the Tibetan and Falun Gong protesters outside of the DC Convention Center where Hu Jinato was meeting with other world leaders. The updated AFP News report only showed photos of the April 12 protest.
Good afternoon. My name is Jeffrey Imm, and our group’s name is Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.).
I appreciate all of you here today fighting for freedom.
We share your fight for freedom around the world.
Today is “Holocaust Remembrance Day.” Around the world, people say “Never Again.”
But “Never Again” is not just history. In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), “Never Again” is now.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, people talk about concentration camps.
But that’s not just history, in the PRC that’s now.
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, people talk about cultures being destroyed.
But in the PRC, “Never Again” is now.
So when we stand in solidarity with those that remember the Holocaust today, we say to them that in the PRC, “Never Again” is now.
Compassion is passion. We share your passion for freedom.
This is “Freedom Plaza.” It was named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Near here, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked on a speech called “I Have a Dream.”
I have a dream – that the people in China will be free.
I have a dream – that the Tuidang – will be remembered as heroes.
I have a dream – that the 71 million who have left the Chinese Communist Party – are just the start of waves of freedom – that will Free China Now!
Share with me: Free China Now, Free China Now, Free China Now! (crowd chants in unison).
We have a dream, but we also have a responsibility.
President Obama, you have a responsibility, under House Resolution 605, to meet with the people fighting for freedom and the Falun Gong.
President Obama, you have a responsibility, to have a foreign policy where human rights are our first priority, not our last.
(Holding up poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
These represent the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They were signed by the Republic of China on December 10, 1948.
Less than a year later, the People’s Republic of China broke these (speaker tosses sign of Declaration of Human Rights to the ground, indicating the PRC’s rejection of them).
We must pick this Declaration of Universal Human Rights up. We fight for these human rights.
We fight for universal human rights for China.
With its original signature of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, China has signed a promissory note, a promise guaranteeing human rights.
We tell the PRC government today – Free China Now!
Chant with me: Free China Now, Free China Now, Free China Now! (crowd chants in unison).
Human rights group OpenDoors has launched a message writing and public awareness campaign for those suffering under totalitarian oppression in Communist North Korea. The 50,000 refers to estimated 50,000 being held in North Korean Communist prison camps.
“50,000 fans standing with”
“50,000 people in isolation in”
“NORTH KOREA.”
“OUR MISSION”
“To send a message to the people of North Korea that they are not alone.”
“THE PROBLEM”
“It is estimated that around 50,000 North Koreans are in prison camps.”
“OUR GOAL”
“To send 50,000 radio messages into North Korea telling the North Koreans that there are 50,000 people standing with them in their suffering.”
“YOUR PART”
“Become a fan.”
“Invite all the friends you can.”
“Send a short message to be translated into Korean and broadcasted over North Korean airwaves to tell 50,000 people they are not alone.”
10:00 am – Pre-Event gathering on the Mall. Opportunity to visit the Holocaust Museum.
12:00 pm – Gather on the Mall (see map)
12:15 pm – Silent Prayer Walk to the U.S. Capitol Building
1:00 pm – Main Event (Testimonies and Prayer) on the West Lawn of U.S. Capitol
Immanuel’s Church, Silver Spring, MD
6:00 pm – Benefit Concert, Guest Musicians: Marty Goetz, Ted Pearce and Others. Proceeds to benefit: Helping Hands Collation – caring for Holocaust survivors. Directions: www.immanuels.org
On April 11, 2010, supporters of human freedom will join together at Washington DC’s Freedom Plaza to recognize the growing movement of Chinese citizens in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that have left the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as their rejection of Communist totalitarianism. The movement known as the Tuidang and Quit CCP movement states that over 71 million Chinese people have chosen to leave the CCP since December 2004.
Chinese-Americans and their supporters will gather at the Washington DC Freedom Plaza, which is located on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, between 13th Street and 14th Streets NW. from 2 to 4 PM on Sunday, April 11 to recognize and show solidarity with the Chinese people that seek to embrace freedom.
Image from a NYC Rally Challenging Communism in PRC (Shaoshao Chen/The Epoch Times)
The Tuidang movement or “Quit the Party” movement has seen an increasing wave of resignations from those that now publicly reject Communist totalitarianism in the PRC. The Tuidang movement calls upon the Chinese people to resign their memberships in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), so that Chinese people in the PRC will have an opportunity for political and human freedom. Resignations include the statement that “I declare that I solemnly denounce the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations.”
On its Facebook page, Tuidang states that “As of 06/04/10 [April 6, 2010] – 71,146,636 people have submitted statements withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations. Those who are current members of the CCP or its affiliated organizations are with these statements resigning their membership; former members use these statements to sever all association with these organizations. All are renouncing the CCP totally.” The “Quit CCP” web page states that this number of those resigning from the CCP continues to grow. The “Quit CCP” web site also lists the individual statements of some of those who have resigned from the CCP. In challenging Communist totalitarianism, the Epoch Times reports on “Nine Commentaries” that justify the reason for Chinese people leaving the CCP.
Symbol of the Tuidang Movement of Chinese People Rejecting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
On January 5, 2010, NDTV reported that a former CCP director, Zhang Kaichen, came to America and publicly resigned from the CCP, stating: “”Today I am reborn. I come across the ocean, and solemnly declare to the world that, from today on, I will make a clean break from the evil Chinese Communist Party.” NDTV reported that “Zhang Kaichen is the former Director of the Liaison Branch of the Propaganda Department of the Shenyang CCP Committee in China’s Liaoning Province.”
January 2010: Fomer Chinese Communist Party Official Zhang Kaichen Resigns from CCP in America (Photo: NDTV)
Now the Tuidang and “Quit CCP” web sites state that, as of April 2010, over 71 million had resigned from the CCP. Chinese Americans and their supporters seek to show their solidarity in America’s capital, Washington DC, on April 11, 2010, to let those continuing to struggle against Communist totalitarianism that they stand in unity and in support of their efforts.
Rally Logistics:
— Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010
— Time: 2 to 4 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time
— Location: Freedom Plaza, Washington DC, 20004 – on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 13th and 14th Streets NW
The Freedom Plaza in Washington DC is named in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., who worked on his “I Have a Dream” speech in the nearby Willard Hotel. In 1988, a time capsule containing a Bible, a robe, and other relics of King’s was planted at the site.
Freedom Plaza - Washington DC - 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW - Site of April 11 Rally for Chinese Freedom
— Parking lots: the nearby National Theater reports the following parking lot areas include:
— PMI
— 1220 E Street, NW – Enter on E Street between 12th and 13th Streets
— 424 11th Street, NW
— 1325 G Street, NW – Enter on G Street between 13th and 14th Streets
— QUICK PARK
— 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – Enter on 13th Street between E and F Streets
As Obama plans his visit to China in November, he should pay attention to the Tuidang movement. It shows that the Chinese people understand human rights and civil liberties.
By Caylan Ford
posted October 21, 2009 at 12:00 am EDT
Washington —
The lead image on the Sept. 27 edition of the Jinzhou evening newspaper was hardly unusual. In anticipation of the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China, it featured a street lined with enormous red flags beating in the wind.
It would have been nearly indistinguishable from any other Chinese state-run newspaper that day but for one important detail. In the bottom left corner of the photo, scrawled on a bike rack, were eight tiny but clearly visible characters: “Heaven condemns the Communist Party; denounce it and be blessed.”
Similar writings that dare to challenge the divine mandate of China’s rulers appear regularly across China, hanging as banners in city parks, posted on Internet forums, or handwritten on paper bank notes. It is all evidence of a movement that has silently swept the nation. Called Tuidang, which translates simply as “withdraw from the party,” the movement encourages people to publicly renounce their membership in Communist organizations. The implications are manifold. This is the first time since the 1980s that China has seen such a large, organized dissident movement – if an underground one.
The day after the image ran, the Jinzhou newspaper came under investigation by the government. Its website was shut down, and the paper taken out of circulation.
The incident represents a fitting analogy for the state of the Communist Party today. Beneath the pomp and power lie resentment, discontent, and questions. In 60 years of Communist rule, China has endured political and social upheaval that have left deep psychic wounds.
But in the country’s totalitarian climate, the people have few avenues to openly discuss their country’s history or to make peace with their own role in it. Since China has not had its opportunity for truth and reconciliation, its citizens are finding their own ways to do this.
Perhaps that explains the extraordinary appeal of the Tuidang movement, which organizers say has more than 60 million participants. It began in late 2004, when New York-based Chinese dissident newspaper DaJiYuan (Epoch Times, affiliated with the spiritual movement Falun Gong) ran a series of polemic editorials detailing the history of the Communist Party in China.They also proclaimed that the country would not truly be free or prosperous until it was rid of the party, which, it argued was at odds with China’s cultural and spiritual values.
Millions of copies of the articles found their way into mainland China through e-mails, faxes, and underground printing houses. Some Chinese readers say the articles finally confirmed what they suspected all along – about the Great Leap Forward, the Tiananmen massacre, the Cultural Revolution. This offered recognition that their memories were real and their suffering was shared.
But despite appearances, this is not a political movement in the conventional sense. Unlike the student movement of 1989 or the more recent Charter 2008 manifesto – both of which embraced the language of Western democracy – the Tuidang movement employs distinctly Chinese language and meaning. More Confucian than humanist, it often makes its points by drawing on Buddhist and Daoist spirituality.
Denouncing the party is thus not simply political activism, but takes on spiritual meaning as a process of cleansing the conscience and reconnecting to traditional ethics and values.
In December 2004, one month after the articles were published by the dissident newspaper, its editors starting receiving statements from readers declaring their wish to disavow membership in the Communist Party, the Communist Youth League, or the Young Pioneers, sometimes after their memberships had technically expired. Today, statements representing some 60 million people have been sent to the newspaper, which posts them to an online database.
The authenticity of the declarations is impossible to independently verify. Most people sign them using aliases to protect their safety, and there are no provisions to prevent fraudulent postings.
But the numbers are really not the point. For those who do send in their statements disavowing the party, the postings offer a rare platform to vent frustrations, discuss ideas, share stories of suffering, or find forgiveness.
Many relay tales of personal victimization under the Communist Party. Take, for instance, Ding Weikun, a 74-year-old veteran party member from rural Zhejiang Province. In 2003, his town’s government colluded with private developers to seize the land of local farmers. The farmers protested, Mr. Ding wrote, and armed thugs were brought in to suppress them. “I witnessed the killing and injuring of dozens of villagers, on the spot,” he noted. The old man tried to pursue justice by appealing to the local government, but he was arrested and sentenced to prison by the very party that he had served for 40 years.
While some write of their personal suffering, others speak of their crimes. For them, withdrawing from the party is about seeking absolution.
“I have always thought that I was a good man, but looking back I realize that I had gradually lost myself,” wrote Xiao Shanbo, a former party member from China’s northeastern Liaoning Province. “My mind and heart slowly became corrupted. I declare invalid all the words and deeds I have done in the past. These were decisions that I made out of ignorance due to the lies and propaganda of the [Communist Party].”
Mr. Xiao never specifies his crimes, but closes his posting with a plea for forgiveness: “God, please give me this chance! I have gone through much arduous soul-searching, and I intend to change my ways and make up for what I have done.”
The Communist Party has reacted to the phenomenon with predictable disdain. Terms related to the movement are among the most vigorously censored on the Chinese Internet, and at least 71 people have been imprisoned for possessing movement literature or propagating its spread. That means that, if found, the activist who vandalized the bike rack in Jinzhou city will be in serious trouble.
The party may have good reason to be anxious. For decades, its power has relied on an ability to censor information, control public memory, and suppress dissenting views. The statements of participants offer a rare glimpse and great insight into the sources of discontent in China.
The Tuidang movement also shows the manner in which Chinese people understand human rights, civil liberties, and democracy, and how they might reconcile these ideas with a more traditional Confucian worldview. It could perhaps even serve as a precursor for another democracy movement.
But one way or another, the movement certainly challenges the popular view that most Chinese people are satisfied with the status quo. As President Obama prepares for his November visit, it is reason to consider engaging more with the Chinese people, and not only with their government.
Today, as more and more Chinese citizens are remembering their past, they may well change China’s future, too.
Caylan Ford is a master’s degree candidate in international affairs at The George Washington University, where she studies Chinese politics and international security. She is currently writing a thesis on organized dissent in China. She is also a volunteer analyst at the Falun Dafa Information Center and was a staff writer for Epoch Times until 2007.
[Editor’s note: The original version did not give the English name of the referenced newspaper or the affiliation. Additional information about the author has also been added.]
Jeffrey Imm urged people of all beliefs and all faiths to stop on April 4 and take a moment of reflective silence or prayer in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4.
R.E.A.L. also intermixed civil rights music along with speaking on major issues of the day in terms of human rights issues, including:
— Racial supremacism and the need for racial harmony and respect. R.E.A.L. addressed the growing problem of racial supremacism in America, and R.E.A.L.’s efforts in defying white supremacist efforts to spread hate in the Washington DC area. Jeffrey Imm recalled last year’s event at the Lincoln Memorial on April 4, 2009 warning of the rise of such hate groups, and the subsequent white supremacist terrorist attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial on June 20, 2009. R.E.A.L. also addressed its efforts in defying the efforts of “white nationalist hate groups” such as the American Renaissance, Stormfront, and Occidental Dissent in seeking to expand their recruitment in the Washington DC area.
— Misogyny and the need for gender equality and respect. R.E.A.L. addressed the need for Constitutional equality for all American women, stating “the words you see engraved in the wall of the Lincoln Memorial — that all men are created equal — we need to also recognize Constitutional equality for all American women to be equal as well. That too should be a declaration, never a question.” R.E.A.L. addressed the misogyny and violence against American women, including “honor killings” and hate against Muslim women in America (such as the November 2009 case of Noor Almaleki in Arizona), as well as such “honor killings,” stonings, oppression, and hate against Muslim and non-Muslim women around the world. R.E.A.L. addressed the horrific attacks on other women around the world, from the abuse of Chinese women in Communist China, to the genocide of women in Sudan’s Darfur, and the rape and murder of women in the Congo. (Mohamed Yahya later separately addressed the issues of Sudan and Darfur. This will be addressed in a separate posting.)
— Denial of religious freedom, the challenge of totalitarianism and religious extremism, and the need for religious freedom and pluralism. R.E.A.L. addressed the many whose religious freedom continues to be denied around the world today, such as in Communist China, where Christians and Muslims (and people with other belief structures such as the Falun Gong) are arrested and their houses of worship destroyed by the totalitarian Communist government, simply for seeking freedom of conscience. R.E.A.L discussed those who would deny freedom of religion based on a religious extremist view that is intolerant of religious pluralism and freedom of conscience, and stood on behalf of those converts to Christianity from Islam who were being oppressed as “apostates.” R.E.A.L. praised the efforts of the group “Set My People Free to Worship Me” who were planning global events on Easter eve, April 3, calling for religious freedom for such Christian converts. R.E.A.L. addressed the challenges of people in minority religions in nations such as Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, where religious freedom, pluralism, and tolerance rejected the freedom of religion for Christians, Hindus, and other sects of Islam. R.E.A.L. condemned the disease of violence against people of minority religions around the world, including the recent massacres in Nigeria of over 500 Christians. R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm called for support of religious freedom and freedom of conscience as part of our universal human rights around the world. R.E.A.L. also reminded Americans that America has the responsibility to set an example for defending freedom of religion in our nation, and that all religions must condemn, denounce, and seek the end of those who would vandalize and attack houses of worship of any faith in America, as we so often see today, in attacks on churches, synagogues, and mosques.
R.E.A.L. message at the Lincoln Memorial public awareness event was:
— “Human Rights are Your Right”
— “Human Rights are Your Responsibility”
— “Be Responsible”
— “Be Responsible for Equality And Liberty”
At the conclusion of the event, R.E.A.L. and other members of the public said a public prayer for peace, justice, and human rights on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool steps, remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and calling for all Americans and all human beings, to “Choose Love, Not Hate. Love Wins.”
Photos from March 28 event:
March 28, 2010 - Group Prayer for Peace and Human Rights at Lincoln Memorial
Damanga's Mohamed Yahya Speaks on Darfur and Sudan
On March 28, 2010, at Responsible for Equality And Liberty’s (R.E.A.L.) public awareness event on human rights at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Damanga Executive Director Mohamed Yahya spoke on the pressing issues of Darfur and Sudan. Mohamed Yahya passionately conveyed to the public the continuing suffering of the people in Darfur and Sudan. He addressed the continuing genocide of the Darfuri people, and their suffering and poverty, including the attacks by the Janjaweed and the refusal of the Omar Al-Bashir government to respect the Darfuri people’s human rights.
Damanga's Mohamed Yahya Speaks at Washington DC's Lincoln Memorial on Darfur
While crowds around the Lincoln Memorial stopped to listen, Mohamed Yahya told them of the continuing need for Americans to get involved in helping the Darfuri people, and he urged them to call for the Obama administration to take action on Darfur. He reminded the public of pledges made by members of the administration during the electoral campaign, and then the failure to take aggressive action to bring justice to the Darfuri people today. He reminded the public of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictments against Sudan president Omar Al-Bashir. Moreover, Mr. Yahya pointed out, as he did in his recent article “A Deal with a Devil,” that there can be no peace in Sudan without justice and human rights for Darfur.
As volunteers passed out fliers on Damanga and the Darfur genocide, Mohamed Yahya asked the public to consider the importance of “saving just one human life,” and how taking such personal responsibility would provide an indelible sense of accomplishment, purpose, and meaning in our lives as individuals. “Then imagine,” Mohamed Yahya added, “how much more would it mean to help save a million or more lives?” Over 400,000 have been killed in Darfur, countless women have been raped and abused in Darfur, and there are an estimated 2.6 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at risk. Despite an abundance of oil and other natural resources controlled by the Omar Al-Bashir government, the vast majority of Sudan’s people live in poverty, and many children die daily from malnutrition and poverty.
Damanga's Mohamed Yahya Speaks of Need to Save Lives from Genocide in Darfur
Members of the public were moved to show their support and joined Mohamed Yahya on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool steps holding signs calling for justice and human rights in Darfur.
Washington DC: Public Passerby Demonstrate Solidarity for Darfur Justice and Human RightsWashington DC: American Young Women Stand in Support of Justice and Human Rights for Darfur
Mohamed Yahya pointed out the solidarity of people of all races and religions opposing the genocide and the human rights abuses in Darfur, standing with Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)’s Jeffrey Imm.
Mohamed Yahya and Jeffrey Imm Grasp Hands in Solidarity Together on Lincoln Memorial Calling for Justice and Human Rights in Darfur
R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm then concluded the public awareness event with an inter-faith prayer and moment of reflection from people of all beliefs and conscience on behalf of the Darfuri people. He invited members of the public to join them on the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool steps to pray for peace, justice, and human rights for the people of Darfur and Sudan.
The March 28, 2010 Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) public awareness event was held on the Washington DC Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool steps as R.E.A.L.’s annual remembrance of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was assassinated on April 4, 1968, and who R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm praised as a hero for human rights everywhere who gave his life for all of us. As Easter Sunday falls on April 4 this year, R.E.A.L. was holding this event on March 28.
The R.E.A.L. message at the March 28 Lincoln Memorial event was that while Dr. King had a dream, we have a responsibility to human rights for our fellow human beings. Jeffrey Imm stated “human rights are our rights, and human rights are our responsibility. This responsibility includes the responsibility to speak out, to not stay silent, and to demand action by our government and international bodies on the continuing oppression, continuing genocide, and continuing injustice in Darfur. Be responsible. Be responsible for equality and liberty.”
Christian Post reports: “Human rights group seeks freedom for religious converts”
— “Set My People Free to Worship Me is planning to stage simultaneous marches on April 3 in London, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Cairo, Stockholm and Sydney.”
— “The group’s founder Kamal Fahmi said he was organising the protests to seek freedom, justice and equality for religious converts. The movement wants especially freedom for converts to worship, marry and raising their children according to their new faith.”
“Cairo, Egypt, March 1, 2010 Set My People Free to Worship Me, a new network of individuals, churches and organisations working for the freedom of religious converts to live and practice their faith, to experience equality and justice in their home countries, announced today plans for a worldwide protest march on Saturday (Easter Eve) April 3, 2010 at 12 noon in Australia, Africa, Middle East and Europe.”
“Founder and Leader, Kamal Fahmi said, Set My People Free to Worship Me is organizing a worldwide protest march seeking freedom, justice, equality and reconciliation for religious converts on April 3, 2010. We want to advocate that all people especially Muslims have the freedom to change faith, to live out and practice their new beliefs.”
“We are a non-violent movement that seeks freedom for religious conversion, religious worship, marriage and bringing up children. We believe that it is time to support our suffering Christian brothers and sisters from Muslim background and raise awareness of the injustices that they face, added Fahmi. In view of this, we have also started a petition campaign which all people regardless of faith, beliefs and practices are welcome to participate in. We hope to deliver it to various global leaders across the world. The online petition address is http://www.petitiononline.com/2010smpf/petition.html. We are very excited to see what God will do as we obey the biblical teaching – to release the oppressed.”
“Set My People Free To Worship Me plans to hold simultaneous protest marches in a number of cities around the world at 12.00pm (local time). The movement invites individuals, churches, religious bodies and NGOs to participate in these justice and peace marches in key cities in Cairo, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, South Africa, Stockholm and Sydney. This will be a yearly event on Easter Eve until the situation changes.”
“Kamal Fahmi brings a strong background in non-governmental organization development. Fahmi has spent over 20 years working in the Middle East and Africa in Christian based organizations. He has also been involved in advocating on human rights issues throughout the years. Kamal draws inspiration from the involvement of Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement who said In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
North Korea Freedom Coalition reports:
Tuesday,March 30, 10 am – 12 noon there will be a Protest at the Chinese Embassy to Save North Korean Refugees (3505 International Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008.) The Pyongyang Musical Group is leading this event and the North Korea Freedom Coalition is joining them to protest against China’s violent treatment of North Korean refugees. The Pyongyang Musical Group is a visiting group of North Korean defectors who have been performing in the USA at churches to raise awareness of the North Korean human rights issues. Most of them escaped to freedom through China and they want to continue to raise awareness of the suffering that refugees undergo especially female refugees. This is a tremendous opportunity to meet some very courageous and brave North Korean women who are also talented musicians, as well as fellow human rights activists. If you can join us for the protest, please email me at skswm@aol.com
Additional Upcoming Events for North Korean Human Rights please share this information with others who may be able to participate:
Brussels, Belgium — April 14
Human Rights Without Frontiers has organized a special screening on Kimjongilia at the European Parliament — Brussels: April 14, 18:30: European Parliament: special screening of Kimjongiliafollowed by panel discussion with the director, N.C. Heikin, and Pierre Rigoulot, the author of The Aquariums of Pyongyang.
hosted by Human Rights Without Frontiers
location: Yehudi Menuhin Space, European Parliament
