On January 9, 2015, in Pakistan’s Punjab’s Rawalpindi area, a terrorist attack by a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Shia minority Muslims has left eight people killed and 17 injured. The attack was in the Chitian Hatian area at a Shia Imambargah mosque and worship hall. The attack happened when a Taliban suicide bomber was unable to enter the Shia house of worship at around 9:20 PM local time. The terrorist attack happened during a Shia religious service.
Pakistan: A Shia Muslim mourns over the death of his family member at the site of a blast in Rawalpindi on January 9, 2015 (Source: AP)
Pakistan’s Geo TV reports that “[e]yewitnesses said the explosion that took place outside the Imambargah was so intense that windowpanes of nearby buildings were shattered,” and that “[t]he injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital where some of them were in critical condition.” The Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction of Taliban took credit for the terrorist attack on the minority Shiite Muslims. The Pakistan News reported that Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesman of the Taliban’s Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction, stated in an email “We claim responsibility of the attack on the Imambargah and vow to continue such attacks against enemies of Islam.”
Pakistan: Police officer and local residents gather next to a damaged motorcycle at the site of a blast in Rawalpindi on January 9, 2015 (Source: AP)
Dawn also reported that “[a] bomb targeting Shias at a volleyball match killed at least five people and injured 10 in Pakistan’s restive northwest last Sunday.” The January 4 terrorist attack against Shiites by the Taliban was an attack on a child’s playground in Orakzai.
The Taliban has continued a war against religious minorities in Pakistan and other Muslim religions, as part of its rejection of our universal human rights for all people of all religions and all identity groups. Such terrorist hate and violence will target any individuals and deny their human rights of anyone in humanity.
This is continuing terrorist war by the Taliban against the people of the world and an attack on the universal human rights, including terrorist attacks and murders against other Muslims.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) calls for the support of our Universal Human Rights for all people around the world, and a rejection of this violence and hatred.
Due to the fast moving, fluid events, R.E.A.L. is currently reporting on the campaign of terror in France on our Facebook page. We will provide blog updates when the situation is less fluid.
The Global Terror Organization Boko Haram has been mounting an increasing war on the human rights and security of African people in multiple nations. Within the past week, this has included burning down 16 Nigerian towns and villages, killing many at a multinational military base, and international terrorist murders in Cameroon, as well as threatening Cameroon’s democracy. In the past year, Boko Haram-linked violence has resulted in over 10,000 violent deaths, based on studies developed by the by the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR). The terrorist group Boko Haram’s goals were previously focused on establishing “an Islamic state” in northeast Nigeria. It is now clear the Boko Haram has greater, international aims.
Update: On January 9, 2015, CNN has published this update that “[m]ore than 2,000 people were killed in attacks on 16 villages, said Musa Bukar, chairman of Kukawa local government, where Baga is located…. At least 30,000 people were displaced, authorities said.”
In addition, Boko Haram has been holding over 200 schoolgirls that it kidnapped from schools in Chibok in the Nigerian Borno state in April 2014. News reports stated that the kidnapped (predominantly Christian) girls were “converted to Islam” and married to members of the Boko Haram terrorist organization for a “bride price” of $12.50. (This kidnapping has led to the social media campaign for their safe return, on Twitter at #BringBackOurGirls.) The London Times has reported that “more than 600 girls” have been kidnapped by the Boko Haram terror group. The name of the Boko Haram terror group translates into “Western education is sinful.”
The most recent wave of attacks began after a Boko Haram attack on January 3, 2015, where the global terrorist group overran a multinational military base for Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon in Baga in Nigeria’s Borno state. In addition to military killed in the attack, civilians fleeing the Boko Haram were also killed while trying to flee across nearby Lake Chad.
Earlier that week before the attack on the Baga base, Boko Haram had kidnapped about 40 young men from surrounding villages. Boko Haram reportedly ordered villages to “attend a sermon,” then kidnapped young men aged 10 to 23 years old from the villages.
This has been an ongoing war by Boko Haram on civilians, which has been escalating for months. In September 2014, the Nigerian Daily Post reported that “the streets of the Bama [town] in Maiduguri have been taken over by littered corpses two days after the militants claimed authority over the second largest Borno town.”
Nigeria: Borno State - Corpses Line Streets in Bama Town - Boko Haram Claims Victory (Source: Nigerian Daily Post). Daily Post also stated "Boko Haram fighters are currently patrolling the streets of Bama, stopping residents from burying littered corpses."
In the past week, the Nigerian News reported the Boko Haram had destroyed at least 16 towns and villages in Nigeria. On January 8, 2015, some Nigeria media and NBC reported that included the Boko Haram capture of Baga, which was the last Nigerian-government controlled town in Northern Borno.
The AFP has reported such violence throughout Nigeria’s Borno state, from a local government and a union official. AFP reports: “‘They burnt to the ground all the 16 towns and villages including Baga, Dorn-Baga, Mile 4, Mile 3, Kauyen Kuros and Bunduram,’ said Musa Bukar, head of the Kukawa local government in Borno state.”
NBC reports that “more than 2,000 people are unaccounted for” after the Boko Haram torching of the Borno state towns and villages. Ahmed Zanna, a senator for Borno state where the attack happened, told NBC that “these towns are just gone, burned down… the whole area is covered in bodies.”
NBC also reports that Nigerians expect the Boko Haram to attempt to disrupt Nigerian national elections planned for February 14, 2015.
The terrorist group Boko Haram has demonstrated that it is more than a Nigerian-based terror threat with killings in Cameroon and further threats of violent attacks on Cameroon if it did not submit to Boko Haram. Since the beginning of the New Year, Boko Haram has been attacking Cameroon, and Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly killed 15 people in Cameroon.
As reported in numerous media, on January 7, 2015, a Boko Haram leader also issued a YouTube video to call for Cameroon to denounce democracy and to embrace Boko Haram’s religious views.
The UK Independent has reported that Boko Haram made the following threat and demands by video to the nation of Cameroon: “I advise you to desist from following your constitution and democracy, which is un-Islamic… The only language of peace is to repent and follow Allah, but if you do not then we will communicate it to you through the language of violence.”
Boko Haram Leader Threatens Cameroon in YouTube Video (Source: YouTube, The Independent)
Responsible for Equality and Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has other reports on the attacks against Christian churches and Nigerian citizens. R.E.A.L. posted a report on May 2014 attacks where 50 churches were burned and 500 Christians killed. R.E.A.L. posted a report on October 2014 attacks where 185 churches were burned and over 190,00 displaced.
In November 2013, the U.S. Department of State designated Boko Haram as a Global Terrorist Organization (GTO), which Boko Haram is increasingly demonstrating by its international terrorist activities. Boko Haram has been linked to other global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, all of which seek to deny universal human rights to our fellow human beings.
Our support for the Universal Human Rights of all people must be for all nations, all continents, and every place on Earth. We seek to be responsible for equality and liberty for the oppressed people in Africa and every part of our shared world. We must call upon the nations of the world to take action to stop the growing violence and threat from the international terrorist organization Boko Haram, their kidnapping of children, their efforts to deny freedom of conscience, and their rejection of our shared universal human rights of equality, liberty, dignity, and security. We call for the President of the United States to also make a statement and offer his support to Nigeria and the African nations affected by this global terror groups actions, and to end their reign of terror over children and the people of Africa.
On December 10, Human Rights Day, members of human rights groups, Hindu groups, Christian groups, joined together outside the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC calling for an end to the abuse of human rights of religious minorities.
Pakistan Embassy – Washington DC; R.E.A.L.’s Imm Prepares for Protest
Human rights campaigners included: Pakistan Human Rights Collective, Hindu American Foundation (HAF), and Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), among others. The protest took place on the 66th anniversary of the United Nations’ signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948.
The protesters called for the release of 12 year old Pakistan Hindu girl Kajal Bheel, whose forced abduction and forced religious conversion has drawn world-wide outrage. The protesters called for Pakistan courts to allow the release of Kajal Bheel from her forced abduction, and urged support for the legal efforts to defend Kajal Bheel by the Global Human Rights Defence organization (GHRD).
Protesters also pointed out the recent of abduction and forced conversaion of other Pakistan Hindu girls, including Neelam Kohli (11 years old), Anjali Menghwar (12 years old), Kiran Kumari (14 years old), Parsa Kolhi, and Wali Kolhi. Protesters displayed signs condemning the practice of such child abduction and forced religious conversion to Islam.
The oppression and attack on Pakistan Hindu religious minorities was also demonstrated by protesters who pointed out that Hindus went from a 24 percent minority in 1948 to about 1.6 percent of the Pakistan population in 1998.
R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm also pointed out how such human rights abuse of Hindu girls was a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including articles 3, 16, and 18. Jeffrey Imm also denounced a pattern of attacks in Pakistan against Hindu temples.
R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm Calls for End to Pakistan Religious Minority Oppression
The protesters also decried the abuse of Pakistan Christians and other minorities, noting the recent mob attack on a Pakistan Christian couple (burning them to death), and called for an end to oppressive Pakistan blasphemy law used to give a death sentence to Christian Asia Bibi, which was used in the arrest of Christian Zafar Bhatti (who was shot to death), and oppression of other religious minorities. Protesters held signs condemning the Pakistan blasphemy law and calling for its change. Protesters called for the release of such Pakistan political prisoners as Christian Asia Bibi, who have been imprisoned on spurious “blasphemy” charges.
R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm called for the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people to end their oppression of all religious minorities (Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Ahmadiyaa, and Shiites) and called for Pakistan to show human reason and conscience to extend such basic human rights and human dignity to Pakistan religious minorities and all Pakistan citizens. Imm stated such oppression needed to end in all parts of Pakistan.
The protesters sought to inform the public of these conditions, while challenging the failure of the Pakistan government to protect the human rights of such citizens. Protesters also sought to demonstrate solidarity with other religious minorities in Pakistan who have protested their oppression.
R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm stated that while this protest was in Washington DC at this event, that protesters will seek to provide solidarity in human rights campaigns in Pakistan. He stated: “the day will come when we and others will have such calls for universal human rights and dignity in Islamabad, and throughout every part of Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and every territorial area. To those protesting there for human rights now, please know that we stand with you, and know that the day will come when we are standing side by side with you in Pakistan to call for human rights for all.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 5 states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a5
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) condemns and rejects all violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
U.S. President Obama:
“There are a lot of folks who work very hard after 9/11 to keep us safe – during a very hazardous situation and a time when people were unsure of what was taking place.”
“But what was also true is, is that we took some steps that were contrary to who we are, contrary to our values.”
“Unfortunately, as the Senate report shows, we engaged in some brutal activity after 9/11, and, you know, this is an accounting of some of the problems that the CIA program engaged in.”
“I recognize that there’s controversies in terms of some of the details, but what’s not controversial is the fact that we did some things that violated who we are as a people.”
Per the Washington Post, Obama signed executive orders in 2009 to fulfill a pledge to end what he called torture. When asked if he could say that no one in his administration had engaged in torture, the president said he can “categorically say that anybody who engaged in any behavior like this would be directly violating my executive orders and my policies as president of the United States, and would be held into account and would be breaking the law.”
In a stunning report, given the video evidence, on December 3, 2014, a grand jury decided not to indict New York City Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choking death of African American Eric Garner, who was arrested for selling cigarettes but ended up dead after a police chokehold. The now infamous video shows Eric Garner pleading for mercy and help, crying out “I Can’t Breathe,” while the New York City Police stand around and refuse to get him medical treatment.
NYC: The Choking of Eric Garner: “I Can’t Breathe” (Source: YouTube)
Eric Garner died on July 17, 2014 in Staten Island, New York City, after a police officer put him in a chokehold for 15 seconds. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that Garner died partly as a result of the chokehold, which is prohibited by the NYPD. NYPD officers approached Garner on suspicion of selling “loosies” (single cigarettes) from packs without tax stamps. After Garner told the police that he was tired of being harassed and that he was not selling cigarettes, the officers went to arrest Garner. When officer Daniel Pantaleo took Garner’s wrist behind his back, Garner swatted his arms away.Pantaleo then put his arm around Garner’s neck and pulled him backwards and down onto the ground. After Pantaleo removed his arm from Garner’s neck, he pushed Garner’s face into the ground while four officers moved to restrain Garner, who repeated “I can’t breathe” eleven times while lying facedown on the sidewalk. After Garner lost consciousness, officers turned him onto his side to ease his breathing. Garner remained lying on the sidewalk for seven minutes while the officers waited for an ambulance to arrive. The officers and EMTs did not perform CPR on Garner at the scene; according to a spokesman for the PBA, this was because they believed that Garner was breathing and that it would be improper to perform CPR on someone who was still breathing. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital approximately one hour later.”
“Medical examiners concluded that Garner was killed by “compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police”,though no damage to his windpipe or neck bones was found. The medical examiner ruled Garner’s death a homicide. According to the medical examiner’s definition, a homicide is a death caused by the intentional actions of another person or persons, which is not necessarily an intentional death or a criminal death.”
Responsible for Equality And Liberty defend the right of equal justice for all people, and rejects the use of authority and oppression to belittle and deny justice to minorities and to all people in the United States of America, and anywhere in the world.
Ashiq Masih the husband of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother sentenced to death in under blasphemy laws, sitting with daughters Esham (right) and Esha at their residence in Lahore. (Source: AFP)
“The husband of a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy four years ago has written to the president to ask for her to be pardoned and allowed to move to France.
Asia Bibi has been on death row since November 2010 after she was found guilty of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed during an argument with a Muslim woman.
A high court in the eastern city of Lahore confirmed the death sentence last month, dashing hopes it might be commuted to a jail term.
“We are convinced that Asia will only be saved from being hanged if the venerable President (Mamnoon) Hussain grants her a pardon. No one should be killed for drinking a glass of water,” husband Ashiq Masih wrote in an open letter dated Nov 17 and published by the New York Times.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has said the couple are welcomed in the city, and Masih quoted his wife as saying she sent her “deepest thanks to you Madame Mayor, and to all the kind people of Paris and across the world”.
Masih added his wife was not guilty of blasphemy.
The plea for being allowed to move to Paris comes days after the Hidalgo requested Hussain to grant her a pardon.
Senior opposition leader Bruno Retailleau on Wednesday asked French President Francois Hollande to intervene in the case.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in the majority Muslim country, with even unproven allegations often prompting mob violence.
Masih, 50, lives in hiding with two of his five children and has to keep his identity secret as he scrapes together a living as a daily labourer.
He visits his wife once a month, making a five and a half hour journey to her jail in Multan in southern Punjab.
The allegations against Bibi date back to June 2009, when she was labouring in a field and a row broke out with some Muslim women she was working with.
She was asked to fetch water, but the Muslim women objected, saying that as a non-Muslim she was unfit to touch the water bowl.
A few days later the women went to a local religious leader and put forward the blasphemy allegations.
Amnesty International has raised “serious concerns” about the fairness of her trial and has called for her release.
Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy and has had a de-facto moratorium on civilian executions since 2008.
But anyone convicted, or even just accused, of insulting Islam, risks a violent and bloody death at the hands of vigilantes.”
In a shocking move over the past month, Ferguson Police members have been hiding their name tags so that they will not be held accountable for their actions. On September 26, 2014, U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division asked Jackson to prohibit police officers from wearing “I am Darren Wilson” bracelets when on duty. On September 23, 2014, the DOJ had asked that police officers wear name tags.
September 23, 2014 – U.S. Department of Justice calls for Ferguson Police to Wear Nametags
On September 28, the New York Times reported that this call was being ignored: “A gaggle of journalists standing near the protest spotted a police officer who was not wearing a name tag. When a cameraman asked his name, the officer refused to give it and left the area. The Department of Justice last week ordered all officers patrolling Ferguson to display their names.”
Other media have been reporting on Ferguson police refusal to wear name tags.
UPDATE: Another report on September 29, 2014 in the continuing volatile situation in Ferguson, MO: “Protesters gathered in front of the police building, including a dozen clergy members who prayed in the police parking. They were told that they would be arrested if they did not clear the street. A clergyman was then arrested. Protesters were also told that they would be arrested if the chants went on after 11:00 p.m. About that time, police moved slowly forward, but protesters refused to move backwards. As they were almost in contact, gunshots were heard, and both sides backed up. Later, Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol told the crowd that the “five-second rule” would not be implemented and there would be no arrest as long as the protest remained peaceful.”
In Ferguson, Missouri, over the past several days, the protests in response to reported police brutality in the death of Michael Brown has swelled. Michael Brown was shot by a police officer on August 9, reportedly due to failure to not walk in the street. His body was left in the street for hours.
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands for our consistent universal human rights, dignity, and security, around the world, including in the United States. We reject the use of authoritarian groups and military measures to oppress, harass, and persecute any identity group, including human rights violations against African-Americans in the United States of America. Our universal human rights must apply equally around the world, including in American cities.
By the next day, Sunday, August 10, the area police had assembled 150 officers in riot gear. The show of military type force had the opposite affect on protesters, rather than restoring calm, it instead promoted violence, including police violence, people confronting police, looting and vandalism. This led to more riots on the night of August 10.
Riot police in Ferguson, Missouri August 13, 2014. (Reuters / Mario Anzuoni)
On Monday, August 11, policed fired tear gas and rubber bullets outside a burned convenience store which had been set on fire on August 10. The police also fired gas and rounds on protesters, including state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal.
Additional protests have taken place this week, with protesters carrying signs and many held their hands in the air while shouting “don’t shoot!”
This included another violent clash on the night of Wednesday, August 13, where police also arrested news journalists. CNN reported one police officer calling protesters “f**king animals” during his “enforcement” of the law. Also arrested on Wednesday August 13, was St. Louis alderman Antonio French, who was protesting with the group.
Ferguson Police During Riots August 13, 2014 (Source: Slate)
The militarization of the police is a troubling issue, and the American people must ask our police what law are they enforcing, if the authority we grant our police violates our Constitution and our universal human rights.
We must all be responsible for equality and liberty.
Our Men and Women Who Fight for Freedom Stand For Freedom of Speech – August 14 (Source: Loaves of Bread)
