Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) – Page 38 – A Volunteer Human Rights Coalition – Choose Love, Not Hate

R.E.A.L. Calls for Pakistan to Support Universal Human Rights and Dignity for All

This past year has been a sobering and troubling year in terms of the state of human rights in Pakistan. In Pakistan, we are seeing a continuing trend of oppression of religious minorities, with continuing attacks against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadiyaa, and Shiites.

On this day, Human Rights Day, December 10, we call upon the Pakistan government and calling upon the Pakistan people to respect the human rights and human dignity of Pakistan religious minorities, their families, their houses of worship, and especially their children in Pakistan.

The oppressive Pakistan blasphemy law has been used by those to target, attack, and even kill religious minorities. This law must end, so that Pakistan people are no longer oppressed by those who use this to deny their basic human rights.

We remind the world that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls for equality in freedom, liberty, safety, and freedom of conscience for all people around the world. We remember the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948, over 60 years ago today. These are not new ideas or new suggestions. These universal human rights are what the assembled United Nations agreed to for all nations of the world. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) condemns and rejects all violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Some of the major passages of the universal declaration of human rights include:
— Article 18 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
— Article 3 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
— Article 16 of the UDHR calls for men and women of “FULL AGE” to marriage and a family, and specifically points out that “[m]arriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.”

Yet throughout the past year, we have seen attacks on Hindu temples and we have seen the abduction of Hindu girls who have been forcibly converted from their religion. This has included 12 year old Hindu girl Kajal Bheel, as well as similar abductions of other Pakistan Hindu girls: Neelam Kohli (11 years old), Anjali Menghwar (12 years old), Kiran Kumari (14 years old), Parsa Kolhi, and Wali Kolhi. They have been denied their human rights to freedom of conscience, freedom of security, and even freedom of marriage.

We have seen barbarous attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan. We have seen a mob of 1200 attack and burn to death a Pakistan Christian couple. We have seen a Sikh physician Sardar Bagwan Singh gunned down in broad daylight. We have seen a Christian women and her crippled husband sentenced to death on blasphemy. We have seen a Pakistani court confirm a sentence of blasphemy for Christian Asia Bibi. We have seen Christian Zafar Bhatti arrested for blasphemy, and gunned down by an employee of the police force, while he was in jail.

Article 15 of the UDHR states “Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.” Yet the disgraceful oppression of the people of Balochistan continues daily. This oppression and violence in Balochistan is a rejection of our universal human rights.

We were also sad to see this year, that this has included the murder of Balochistan Assembly member Hendery Masih, who had called for security measures for Christians but was killed.

But perhaps the most important clause of the UDHR is:

Article 1 of the UDHR which states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

When we use our reason and conscience, and act in a spirit of brotherhood, we really don’t have to discuss any of the other articles of the declaration of human rights.

We wouldn’t have to ask Pakistanis to stop kidnapping little Hindu girls and forcing them to deny their religion.

We wouldn’t have to ask the Pakistan government to stop oppressing religious minorities and using a “blasphemy law” to trump up charges to silence any religious minority someone wants to target or get rid of, let alone shooting them in jail.

We wouldn’t have to call for the end to broad daylight murder of religious minorities in Pakistan.

We wouldn’t have to demand that Pakistan stop such mob violence, as the mob of 1,200 who attacked a Christian coupled and burned them to death.

We wouldn’t have to call for an end to the oppression of the people in Balochistan who seek to have their rightful identity.

Let us be clear.

We are not here with the arrogant belief that we need to need to educate the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people on human rights laws. Nor do we need to educate them on the difference between right and wrong.

The Pakistan government and the Pakistan people already KNOW the difference between right and wrong. They already understand the basic human dignity that we all deserve to have respect as human beings.

We are not here to educate. We are here to call for action and change. We are here to call for the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people, not only to abide by universal human rights, but also to use their reason and conscience to extend compassion, human rights, dignity, and justice to others, because it is the right thing, the human thing, to do.

As always, R.E.A.L. offers an outstretched hand, not an upraised fist, even in these darkest of days. We have faith and confidence that we can reach the hearts and decency of our brothers and sisters in humanity.

Today, we give this message in Washington D.C. 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.

We urge them all to remember: every day is a good day – to be Responsible for Equality and Liberty.

Torture and Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 5.

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.

USA: President Obama Condemns Torture in Senate Report

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.”

Pakistan: Young Hindu Girl Abducted, Denied Freedom of Conscience

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) identifies freedom of conscience as one of our most valued human rights, as specifically outlined in Article 18 of the UDHR.

We have been contacted on the case of Kajal Bheel. Kajal is a 12 year old Hindu girl, who was abducted, forcefully married and religiously converted. We have been contacted by a human rights campaign working for her freedom. On October 24, Kajal Bheel, daughter of Mohan Laal Bheel was abducted from her home at Udero Laal town in the district of Halla in Sindh, Pakistan

The Global Human Rights Defence organization is a human rights organization based in The Hague, Netherlands. Their work mainly focuses on the rights of religious minorities and marginalized groups in South Asia.

The Global Human Rights Defence has eight lawyers working on the case in Pakistan. Her oppressors are now claiming she is an adult and that there is no case. Her next court hearing has been postponed until December 19th. On December 19th, the court will also bring up two similar cases on forced conversions of minor girls.

By then, the human rights group is hoping to have collected 5000 signatures in order to put pressure on the national government.

They asking human rights activists to sign the following petition
http://ghrd.org/get-involved/petitions/save-kajal/savekajal/

The Global Human Rights Defence report provides the following background:
“On October 21 Kajal Bheel, a 12-year old Hindu girl from Sindh, Pakistan, was abducted, forcefully converted and married to one of her abductors. With the police refusing to start an investigation, insisting that there is no case to solve, and the court neglecting the birth certificate as proof of age, Kajal was subjected to a humiliating medical examination to prove she is a child. Despite the medical results proving she is indeed a minor, 17 years old , the court has chosen to apply Sharia Law, according to which a girl becomes a women upon reaching puberty. Kajal’s family is now required to prove that Kajal is a minor according to Hindu Family Law during the next hearing on December 4th. For the time being, Kajal has not been allowed to stay with her family. She has been taken by her abductor, and consequently suffers constant psychological abuse. Kajal Bheel is a prisoner of the system, which is supposed to protect little girls like her, but is instead robbing her of her childhood. Help us save Kajal and bring her back to her parents!”

Global Human Rights Defence also has an Internet campaign on Twitter at: #SaveKajal – show your support.

The constitution and laws in Pakistan do not allow child marriage before the age of 18. We are advised that Anjali’s school leaving and birth certificates confirms that she was born in 2002 and therefore her marriage is illegal.

This sad case of Hindu child abduction and denial of human rights of freedom of conscience has been too common. In November, reports have been provided of similar child abductions of Hindu girls: Neelam Kohli (11 years old), Anjali Menghwar (12 years old), Kiran Kumari (14 years old), Parsa Kolhi, and Wali Kolhi.

Our Vow to Defend the Law for All

The paper I was given read “Rape of White Woman.” I just couldn’t believe my eyes and I reached for the telephone. I was furious as I dialed to call… the police who wrote this down. From that day on, I knew we as a nation had to ensure that our law enforcement never got turned against us as a force to oppress identity groups and to promote racism.

This all started when I came to Washington, DC; my first career was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Around the nation and the world, the FBI’s headquarters had a hub for law enforcement in different states and different nations to communicate. It stated as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The idea was that if someone committed a serious crime in one state, they could not avoid arrest by simply driving across the border into another state. This would ensure we had a true national law enforcement to protect our citizens. I also coordinated such information with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) regarding wanted international criminals. Most of these criminals were those who were the worst abusers of our daily human rights to safety and life, certainly vital human rights for all of us. For the most part, while this was hectic, most of states and nations readily worked together, and were grateful for the FBI’s coordinating role.

That was me, Jeffrey Imm, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the course of coordinating records on such criminal histories, we at the FBI were developing an interstate index of criminal histories of violent and dangerous criminals abusing the safety and human rights of our citizen. I was pulling records together for this index, when one day, I received a criminal record on a piece of paper from the Georgia State Police.

The Georgia criminal record read “Rape of White Woman.” The point of the criminal record was that there was a different criminal charge for raping a woman who was white than there was in raping a woman of another race.

Before you think that was someone else’s problem, change the words out with your own identity group. Imagine somewhere in the world where your identity group is a minority, and imagine there was a different charge (meaning lesser) charge when someone of your identity group was violently attacked by a criminal. This type of thinking isn’t just wrong in America. This type of thinking is wrong everywhere and for everyone.

I picked up the telephone and I called the Georgia police. They were indignant over that matter, and tried to rationalize the charge on this criminal record. This is problem when we allow law enforcement to become law corruption. The corrupt always have an argument, an explanation, a rationale for even the most unacceptable and shameful behavior. They get used to having their authority accepted without question; the idea that someone telling them they are wrong is impossible to accept. They lose the idea that they are enforcing the law for the public, and start to believe that their own beliefs are the law.

In addition to our Universal Human Rights, in the United States of America, we have the Constitution of the United States, which was the first “law” and remains the primary LAW of this nation. Our Constitution does not allow this type of disgraceful and discriminatory practices by law enforcement, not in Georgia, not in New York City, not in Ferguson, not in Cleveland. Not anywhere in this nation.

Such discriminatory practices against the American people are not just an injustice, not just an embarrassment, no they are a lot more than that. They are AGAINST THE LAW – of the Constitution of the United States of America.

When I first came to Washington DC and I reported to work on Pennsylvania Avenue, the first thing I had to do was swear a vow. I had to hold my right hand in the air and swear to “defend the Constitution of the United States…. so help me God.” It was the proudest day of my young life. I remember it like it was yesterday.

So when I received this discriminatory criminal record from Georgia, there was not question what I had to do on this. I didn’t have to ask my supervisor. I didn’t have to worry about creating a confrontation. I didn’t have to worry about the Georgia police’s reaction. I had a job to do, and that was to make sure the Georgia police understood what THE LAW was. I did just that. They didn’t like it. I didn’t care. The criminal record got changed. I swore a vow to defend the Constitution of the United States – so help me God.

As we face the difficult times with law enforcement across the nation today, we need less defensiveness, less denial, and we don’t need any type of a blue wall. We are one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Anyone who doesn’t understand that has no place in law enforcement.

Now I am not only one who has made this vow. There about 6 million federal government employees and members of the U.S. armed services who have made this VOW. Furthermore, a lot of the state and local government employees have to have a similar statement vowing to support the Constitution, including the New York Police Department. We didn’t make a vow to defend the Constitution just for some people of one race, one ethnic group, one religion, one gender, or just people we like. We didn’t make a vow to defend the Constitution once in a while, or when it happened to be convenient, or if we had nothing else to do. We did not. We vowed to DEFEND the Constitution of the United States – against ALL enemies.

Those who think they can oppress, harass, beat, and even kill without consequences, and make a mockery of the Constitution of the United States, you picked the wrong battle.

These people who have swore a VOW to defend this nation’s Constitution, are watching as young people across the nation are protesting about the killings of black Americans by police officers in the United States. They are watching as these young people are standing without fear to make their voices heard and to call for change in police departments, where too much racial attitudes still prevail, and where intimidation, bullying, and violence is too often the first answer to every problem.

Let me tell you, those who of you who have stood and swore this vow. If you think this is the fight just for these young kids, you are wrong. You swore to defend the Constitution. This is your fight, this if your obligation. To any of you who swore to defend the Constitution, YOU are in law enforcement. This is YOUR responsibility.

We shouldn’t have hundreds or thousands of protesters regarding these police abuses. We should have millions and millions. Remember your vow, before God almighty. Every member of the New York Police Department, this is your fight too. You swore to support the Constitution. It is time to DO your job. You may think your job is only the details of your specific job responsibility. But if you can’t defend the Constitution of the United States, you have no business in law enforcement: New York, Ferguson, Cleveland, Albuquerque, etc., etc.

America has had enough talking heads from “police unions” defending the indefensible. With great power comes great responsibility, and with great authority comes great accountability.

We need people from LAW ENFORCEMENT who have a passion about actually enforcing the law. That law begins with the Constitution of the United States and the Constitutional and civil rights of ALL AMERICANS. To those of you who believe in the international code of human rights, this is your fight too. The struggle for all human rights is preserving the equality, the liberty, the dignity, and the safety of our fellow human beings. This is the law we try to enforce to protect all people around the world.

The law is the law – for everyone, especially those in law enforcement. We the people need to make it clear that those breaking the law, oppressing our fellow human beings, and denying their Constitutional and human rights will have to face accountability for their actions.

NYC: No Indictment for Choking Death of Eric Garner by NYC Police

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) — 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.

Cleveland: Child Shooting by Police Leads to DOJ Investigation

After the shooting by 12 year old child Tamir Rice with a toy gun on November 23, 2014 by Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann, the U.S. Department of Justice had ordered an investigation of the Cleveland Police Department’s practices. The DOJ released this report on December 4, 2014.

12 year old Tamir Rice killed by Cleveland Police Officer on November 23 (Souce: AP)

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported: “The 58-page letter paints a woeful portrait of rogue officers pulling their guns and firing at suspects without justifiable cause, of beating defenseless suspects already in handcuffs, and of covering up their actions by failing to write accurate police reports — if they write any reports at all.”

The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division noted that its report was separate than any criminal investigation ongoing.

In the DOJ’s report, it stated that:

“We opened our investigation after a series of incidents of potential excessive force revealed a rift between CDP and certain segments of the communities it serves. An investigation into one of those incidents by the Ohio Attorney General concluded that the incident was the result of a ‘systemic failure’ by CDP. Numerous leaders and organizations in Cleveland called on us to open an investigation into CDP, including a member of the U.S. Congress, leaders of several different religious communities, civil rights and community groups, and ultimately you, Mayor Jackson. Our investigation found that the concerns raised by community members, civic leaders, and other law enforcement agencies are well-founded. We recognize the challenges faced by officers in Cleveland and in communities across the nation every day. Policing can be dangerous. At times, officers must use force, including deadly force, to protect lives, including their own. The use of force by police should be guided by a respect for human life and human dignity, the need to protect public safety, and the duty to protect individuals from unreasonable seizures under the Fourth Amendment. A significant amount of the force used by CDP officers falls short of these standards. Although CDP has taken some steps to improve the Division’s use of force policies and procedures, these initiatives, by themselves, have been insufficient. The need for sustainable reform is highlighted by the fact that just over a decade ago the Department of Justice completed its first investigation of the Cleveland Division of Police. That investigation raised concerns and resulted in recommendations that are starkly similar to the findings in this letter. The voluntary reforms undertaken at that time did not create the systems of accountability necessary to ensure a longterm remedy to these issues.”

In addition, other media reports stated that Officer Timothy Loehmann had been judged unfit by other police departments, prior to joining the Cleveland police, including an assessment in Independence, Ohio that Timothy Loehmann “would not be able to substantially cope or make good decisions during or resulting from any other stressful situation.”

Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann who shot 12-year old boy previously determined "unfit" to make decisions under stress (Source: 3 News) — Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann who shot 12-year old boy previously determined “would not be able to substantially cope or make good decisions during or resulting from any other stressful situation.” (Source: 3 News)

Responsible for Equality And Liberty defends the right of equal justice for all people, and rejects the use of authority as a tool of oppression to belittle and deny justice to people in the United States of America, and anywhere in the world.

FBI Publishes Reward for Man Accused of “Honor Killing” of Texas Girls

Yaser Said is still at large, as a FBI Top Ten Fugitive, at the present time. On December 4, 2014, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
YaserAbdelSaid-digitalbillboard

Yaser Said (also spelled Yasser Said) has been accused of the “honor killing” murders of Amina and Sara Said on December 31, 2008, shooting them 11 times in his taxicab. Their mother, Patricia Owens, has continued a campaign to seek justice for her slain daughters. “‘Justice needs to be served for Amina and Sara,… ‘I’m here to get the word out on honor killing and justice for Amina and Sara.’ ‘I want him to be caught; I want him to be punished for what he did to the girls. They did not deserve that.'”

The murdered victims had contacted the Irving Police Department at 7:33 pm CT via a telephone call to the 911 call center. The 911 call center reported that the call was from Sarah Said. Sarah Said stated that she had been shot 9 times and told the operator “My Dad shot me and my sister, I’m dying!” Patricia Owens and other claim the girls were killed for being too Westernized having non-Muslim boyfriends.

The Dallas Morning News reported that: “Friends and relatives have said that Said became irate because he found out his daughters were dating and that he had threatened to harm them. On Christmas Day 2007, Owens, her daughters and their boyfriends fled the state. They rented an apartment under an assumed name in Tulsa, Okla.But Owens and her daughters returned to Lewisville on New Year’s Eve. Owens said Said’s family convinced her that she and the girls shouldn’t fear him and that they would protect them. She said they also said that she and the girls should stay in the family’s home and that Said could stay with relatives. Amina wanted to finish her last semester as a senior and feared that attending high school in Tulsa would affect the full scholarship she’d been offered to Texas Tech University. That night, the girls and their father left to get something to eat. The next day, Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, were found shot to death in a cab their father had borrowed at an Irving hotel.”

Amina Said’s alleged boyfriend has also spoken out on the murders.

Pakistan Christians Threatened After Marriage Between Christian Man and Muslim Woman

In the Punjab village near Khanewal, minority Pakistan Christians are being persecuted over the marriage between a Christian man and Muslim woman in the village in October 2014. According to a report by Christians in Pakistan (CIP), minority Christians have been forced to flee their home due to threats. CIP reports that “since the secret of this marriage was revealed the couple no longer lives in the village and have fled” and that extremists opposed to the Muslim woman’s marriage to the Christian man, attacked the husband’s family’s home as well as the homes of other Christians in the area. CIP reports that there have been death threats against the village Christians. CIP also reports that “Seeing the gravity of the incident, the Christians are pleading for protection from the local police, but so far police has provided no protection or assistance to them. A Police official, from the Shahkot police said, ‘We have not arrested anyone yet due to the sensitive nature of this case. We will not take any further steps before undergoing a thorough investigation.’ ”

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) calls for the rule of law and end to such mob terrorist behavior against Pakistan Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. R.E.A.L. supports our Universal Human Rights for all people, including the freedom of religion, equality, security, and dignity, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),

Pakistan is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)ratified as of June 23, 2010, as well as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Religious oppression of minorities in Pakistan is in direct contradiction to its international agreement of ICCPR Article 18, which includes “1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

We urge all – in Pakistan and around the world – to be responsible for equality and liberty.

Ferguson Grand Jury Chooses Not to Indict in Michael Brown Death

In Ferguson, Missouri, on November 24, 2014, the grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. After the announcement of the grand jury’s decision, there were peaceful protests as well as rioting, with 61 people arrested in Ferguson on charges including burglary and trespassing. More National Guard were ordered to the areas, bringing the number to 2,200 troops.

November 24, 2014 - Grand Jury Rejects Call for Action After Michael Brown's Death (Source: Independent) — November 24, 2014 – Grand Jury Rejects Call for Action After Michael Brown’s Death (Source: Independent)