R.E.A.L. – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Human Rights Day Event 2011 – Activists Call for Rights, Dignity for All

At the National Press Club in Washington DC, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) coordinated a Human Rights Day event on December 8, inviting co-sponsors from various groups to speak on behalf of human rights issues important to their organizations. The groups remembered the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 and the inherent human rights, human dignity, respect, and social justice that all of our fellow human deserve – of any identity group and in any part of the world.

* Jeffrey Imm, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

* Ahmar Mustikhan, Senior Journalist and Area Expert, Balochistan

* Carolyn Cook, United for Equality

* Jared Pearman, Spokesperson of Falun Dafa Association of Washington DC

* Husain Abdulla, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)

* Niemat Ahmadi, United to End Genocide

(For each individual, we have provide Internet links to their Human Rights Day Event remarks.)

The speakers discussed the need to consistently show respect, compassion, dignity, and human rights to people in different parts of the world and in different identity groups.

Human-Rights-Day-300x200 — Human Rights Day – Remembering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

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R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm spoke on the need to emphasize respect, instead of arrogance, in recognizing human rights, stating that it was arrogance by those who believe that they had superior rights to others that is a key problem in human rights around the world. He urged the world to make a “declaration of love” towards their fellow human beings, and to Choose Love, Not Hate, in our lives and the lives of others in our communities, our nations, and our identity groups. Jeffrey Imm spoke of the dire situation of poverty around the world and the impact on such poverty on human rights, stating that such poverty can undermine human rights for many, including individuals in the United States of America who he was working to support. He urged people to give to charities and to people in need.

R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm also spoke on the future of human rights being defined by the example we set, and the way we treat our children. He spoke on the continuing disgrace of abuse, rape, kidnapping, and murder of children around the world, as well as by those in institutions and society who have not made chidren’s rights a priority. Jeffrey Imm urged the United States to adopt the Convention on Rights of the Child.

He also spoke on atrocities against children in the United States of America (the murder of 7 year of Jorelys Rivera, the murder of children in Texas), in Pakistan (the brainwashing of children by terrorists, the rape and murder of young girls, and the killing of Christian minority girls, including the recent killing of Amariah Masih), in Sudan and Dafur (rape of young girls, killing of children, and loss of their culture and innocence), in Balochistan (over 168 children have “disappeared” with teenage boys killed by authorities in a “kill and dump” campaign), in People’s Republic of China (the lack of concern of about a 2 year old child killed in the street, the government-sponsored forced abortions and infanticide, and the killing or abandonment of minority children such as children of Falun Gong practitioners), and in Bahrain (five children killed and hundreds of children subjected to excessive force by anti-protest authorities). Jeffrey Imm also spoke on the institutional willingness to accept such abuses of children, including an Afghan girl released from prison on the condition she marry her rapist, and the reports of child abuse at the Pennsylvania State University and other institutions in America. He also decried the so-called “honor killings” of young girls and boys by those who believe their cultural or religious views justified abuse and murder of children, and called for an end to these, noting that there were 3,000 such cases in the United Kingdom alone, according to stophonourkillings.com. He spoke of the oppression against children in the United States of America, and his own efforts to stop such abuses.

Jeffrey Imm stated that these “are all OUR children,” who “are our common bond and bridge to the future.” He suggested that in this season of reflection and gift-giving in much of the world, that we should first reach out to help the children and the less fortunate among us. He stated that our greatest gift to children from adult human beings must be in making a renewed commitment to protect our vulnerable children around the world. Jeffrey Imm stated, “We must give the gift of our courage, our consistency, and our commitment for the universal human rights and dignity to all of our children around the world…. We must set an example for our children. We must provide a beacon and symbol of hope for our children. We must show that by our words and more importantly by actions, in the United States and around the world – to our children – and to each other… We are Responsible for Equality And Liberty.”

A more detailed description of Jeffrey Imm’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of his remarks is online.

Jeffrey_Imm_HR_Day_2011 — Jeffrey Imm, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), Human Rights Day Event 2011

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Ahmer Mustikhan, a senior journalist and Balochistan area expert, spoke on the issue of supporting democracy and human rights for the Baloch people, and called the end to abuses against Pakistan minorities. Regarding the challenges within the Pakistan government, Ahmer Mustikhan called for the United States and the nations of the world to prevent the Pakistan military from interfering with the democratic government in Pakistan. “It is true the democratic government of President Asif Ali Zardari gave the Baloch 300 bodies in the last four or so years, but still we would support it against the military generals. Democracy does make a difference in the lives of people and we can not remain oblivious to this fact,” Mustikhan said. Mustikhan, who founded the DC-based American Friends of Balochistan and co-founded the International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, also asked the world community to intervene in Balochistan on the same lines as they did in Libya to stop the genocide there and safeguard the right to self-determination of the Baloch people. He said scores of Baloch teenagers have been made victims of enforced disappearances and killed. He narrated the story of a Baloch minor boy Abdul Wahid Baloch, aka Balaach Baloch, who gained fame after his picture showing him clad in a Balochistan flag was posted on social websites last year. Ahmar Mustikhan also spoke on the issue of Pakistan minorities, including Pakistan Christians, and urged the Pakistan government to free Asia Bibi, who has been imprisoned on trumped-up charges of the “blasphemy law,” which has been used to target and oppress religious minorities in Pakistan.

A more detailed description of Ahmer Mustikhan’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of his remarks is online (Part 1, Part 2).

Ahmar_Mustikhan_HR_Day — Ahmar Mustikhan, Senior Journalist and Area Expert, Balochistan – regarding the oppression and abuse of the Baloch people and Pakistan minorities on Human Rights Day Event 2011

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Carolyn Cook, founder and CEO of United for Equality, spoke at the National Press Club in Washington DC on December 8, as part of a Human Rights Day Event, calling for a renewed commitment by Americans in support of the Constitutional rights for all American women, as part of our global human rights goals. United for Equality is a social justice enterprise seeking the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) by 2015. Carolyn stated that we must change the way people think and what we tolerate in our culture regarding the rights and dignity of our fellow Americans and fellow human beings. Carolyn spoke out against the discrimination and the efforts to deny full equality to women in America, in every aspect of their lives. She stated that we need to take our system back and make it ours. Carolyn Cook stated that United for Equality’s coalition successfully introduced a bill to the 112the session of the United States Congress calling for Congress to remove the time limit on the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.), as the United States previously had the ratification of the E.R.A. in 35 states, and it requires ratification in 38 states and by 2/3s of the House and Senate. She pointed out how previous U.S. government officials sought to halt the efforts to ratify the E.R.A. after 10 years when nearly all of the required states but 3 had ratified this Constitutional Amendment, and pointed out that women have no desire to “start over” the ratification of the E.R.A.

Carolyn Cook also spoke on the paradigm of options we have as activists and participants in defending human rights. Carolyn urged a more holistic approach towards addressing human rights as lifelong causes. She discussed lessons learned from the Occupy movement and other social activist efforts to bring change to the world. Her discussion on lessons from the Occupy movement are detailed in the YouTube video of her speech beginning at 6:36 minutes in on Part 1 and continuing and concluding in Part 2 of her remarks.

A more detailed description of Carolyn Cook’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of her remarks is online (Part 1, Part 2).

Carolyn_Cook_HR_Day_2011 — Carolyn Cook, CEO and Founder of United for Equality, Speaks on Behalf of American Women’s Constitutional Rights – on Human Rights Day 2011 Event

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Jared Pearman, Spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Washington, DC, spoke on behalf of human rights and human dignity for the Falun Gong / Falun Dafa. He provided information about the Falun Gong as “a peaceful spiritual practice rooted in traditional Chinese culture,” which “consists of meditation, five gentle sets of exercises, and a moral philosophy centered on the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.” While pointing out that Falun Gong is not political, Mr. Pearman stated that “as Falun Gong grew in popularity throughout the 1990s, China’s communist leaders began to view the practice and its moral philosophy as ideological competition.” For the past 12 years, he indicated that “China’s rulers began a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong. Since then, like underground Christians and Tibetan Buddhists, millions of Falun Gong adherents have been denied the right to peacefully practice their faith.” Despite massive arrests, torture, killings and denial of human rights for the Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Pearman stated that “Falun Gong has not been crushed, and reports from China indicate that the number of practitioners is instead growing. Ordinary citizens are increasingly standing up in defense of Falun Gong and are refusing to participate in the persecution.” He called for the Chinese government and the world to recognize and defend the human rights of the Falun Gong. Mr. Pearman offered “an alternate vision of what China could be — an alternative way of conceptualizing Chinese national identity”…. that “connects with China’s moral and spiritual traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and holds that the cultivation of virtue, honesty, and humanness are the true sources of national greatness.”

A more detailed description of Jared Pearman’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of his remarks is online.

Jared_Pearman_HR_Day_Falun_ — Jared Pearman, Spokesperson of Falun Dafa Association of Washington DC, oppressed in the PRC and denied their most basic human rights and dignity by those who view their practice and support for traditional Chinese values as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – Speaking at 2011 Human Rights Day Event

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Husain Abdulla, leader of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), spoke on behalf of Bahrainis oppressed by government forces that seek to deny democracy. He spoke of the initial protests on February 14, 2011, of those who sought to join the “Arab Spring” movement for democracy, and the brutal oppression of the Bahrain government. Since March 2011, Husain Abdulla stated that Bahrain protesters have been subjected to torture and death. 45 were killed, over 2,000 arbitrary arrests, 1,866 cases of documented torture, 5,000 prisoners of conscience, destruction of 40 places of worship, and 3,000 fired from their jobs, 500 forced out of Bahrain, 3 on death row, 477 students expelled from universities, and 300 students had scholarships taken away — all in retaliation for the willingness to protest against the Bahrain government. He stated that over 500 doctors have been detained. He noted that Bahrain is a close ally to the United States, and he urged Americans to call for the American government to end the “blind eye” to Bahrain human rights violations.

A more detailed description of Husain Abdulla’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of his remarks is online (Part 1, Part 2).

Husain_Abdulla_HR_Day_2011 — Husain Abdulla, speaking at National Press Club on Human Rights Day Event – Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) — speaking on behalf of Bahranis oppressed by government forces that seek to deny democracy

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Niemat Ahmadi spoke at the National Press Club Human Rights Day Event on December 8, 2011, to address the abuse of Darfuris and Sudanese. Niemat Ahmadi represents the United to End Genocide group. She spoke about the Genocide in Sudan which has been ongoing for over 8 years, and that have driven 4,000,000 out of their homes. Niemat Ahmadi spoke on the need for Americans to call for justice regarding Omar Al-Bashir. She noted that the efforts of Al-Bashir regime have changed their tactics and seek to use rape against women as a weapon of war against the Darfuri people. Niemat Ahmadi spoke of the continuing attacks on Darfuri cities, homes, and attempts to stop safe travel of people of African nationalities who have been fleeing to displaced persons camps. Niemat Ahmadi urged those in Arab nations seeking democracy in their nations to stand up to dictatorial Arab regimes who have supported the brutal Al-Bashir regime.

A more detailed description of Niemat Ahmadi’s remarks can be found at this web link.

A YouTube video of her remarks is online (Part 1, Part 2).

Niemat_Ahmadi_HR_Day_2011 — Niemat Ahmadi, with United to End Genocide, Speaks Out on the Darfur Genocide in Support of Human Rights – at Human Rights Day Event 2011

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In R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm’s concluding remarks, he urged the human rights activists to continue to work together in the coming year on joint activists. He noted that after the winter comes the spring, and in the spring, he often goes to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum during Holocaust Remembrance Days to participate in the reading of the names. Even if there is only one or two people there, Imm noted, there is someone to remember, and it is done simply because it is the right thing to do.

He urged human rights activists to remember that in their work of spreading hope, reaching out to offer dignity, justice, freedom, and consistent universal human rights to all. That is the vision and the mission of being collectively…

Responsible for Equality And Liberty….

Choose Love, Not Hate, Love Wins.

real_ribbon_v — Orange Ribbon for Universal Human Rights – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Hizb ut-Tahrir Event Canceled – R.E.A.L Challenges HT at Lincoln Memorial

On the night of July 10, 2010, the anti-democracy organization Hizb ut-Tahrir America canceled its event scheduled for the month of July in suburban Chicago. The next day, on July 11, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Muslim and non-Muslim supporters of the volunteer human rights group Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stood together on a hot July afternoon to publicly challenge Hizb ut-Tahrir America on its views, with R.E.A.L. promoting democracy and human rights and rejecting Hizb ut-Tahrir’s intolerance to religious freedom, rejecting Hizb ut-Tahrir’s anti-democracy views, and rejecting Hizb ut-Tahrir’s promotion of the barbaric act of stoning. Human rights volunteers against stoning challenged Hizb ut-Tahrir’s previous demonstrations where the anti-democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir group promoted stoning on June 22 and on World AIDS Day.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)'s Jeffrey Imm Leads Challenge to Hizb ut-Tahrir -- Hizb ut-Tahrir America Cancel Chicago Conference

R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm Speaks Out on Muslims that Promote Democracy and Freedom and Reject Hizb ut-Tahrir's Intolerance — R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm on Muslims that Promote Democracy and Freedom , Rejecting Hizb ut-Tahrir's Views

To counter Hizb ut-Tahrir’s statements that its anti-democracy view represented an “Islamic” position, Muslim supporters of R.E.A.L. rejected Hizb ut-Tahrir’s positions. At the Washington DC Lincoln Memorial where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke out in support of racial equality, R.E.A.L. founder Jeffrey Imm read statements from pro-democracy, pro-human rights Islamic groups in the United States, which he called “Muslims in support of democracy and freedom,” including the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), the American Islamic Congress, the Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV), and others.

Jeffrey Imm also read to those at the Lincoln Memorial the comments by Muslims who were former members of Hizb ut-Tahrir and who have since rejected Hizb ut-Tahrir’s extremist and intolerant views, such as Hadiya Masieh and Ed Husain. On July 4, Muslim woman Hidiya Masieh told the Guardian newspaper that “The 7/7 bombers and the people I knew at HT were two sides of the same coin… HT says it does not believe in violence, but the violence was never condemned….” Ed Husain has written that “Hizb ut-Tahrir calls for an expansionist, violent, totalitarian Islamist state,” and that the “rhetoric of jihad introduced by Hizb ut-Tahrir in my days was the preamble to 7/7 and several other attempted attacks.”

Muslims Ed Husain and Hadiya Masieh: Former Hizb ut-Tahrir Members Who Reject HT's Extremist Views (Ed Husain - Left - Photo: the Independent, Hadiya Masieh - Right - Photo: the Guardian)

The UK branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir was built up by Omar Bakri Muhammad, who then formed the Al-Muhajiroun that held demonstrations in support of the 9/11 attackers as the “Magnificent 19.” The New Stateman has reported that intelligence sources state that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed spent time with Hizb ut-Tahrir, and that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was “former member of the Jordanian branch of Hizb.” BBC Newsnight has previously reported that Hizb ut-Tahrir’s “website promotes racism and anti-Semitic hatred, calls suicide bombers martyrs, and urges Muslims to kill Jewish people.” The Daily Telegraph has reported that “Omar Shariff, the first UK suicide bomber, who blew himself up in a Tel Aviv bar in 2003, is alleged to have been radicalised by Hizb ut Tahrir.” In 2007, the Daily Telegraph also reported that “Ata Abu-Rishta, the global leader of Hizb ut Tahrir… called for the ‘destruction’ of Hindus living in Kashmir, Russians in Chechnya and Jews in Israel.”

R.E.A.L. has also previously reported on the British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD) which seeks to promote democracy and human rights as an alternative to political groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir that reject such freedoms.

Muslim Tehmina Kazi, BMSD Director, Promotes Secular Democracy and Human Rights

On June 28, 2010, the volunteer human rights group R.E.A.L. first reported that the Oak Brook Marriott had decided not to host the Hizb ut-Tahrir America event this year, and on July 1, 2010 Hizb ut-Tahrir America confirmed this. R.E.A.L. had reached out to the Oak Brook Marriott and others in the Chicago area to inform them of the activities and positions of Hizb ut-Tahrir. At the beginning of July, Hizb ut-Tahrir was still planning to relocate to another facility on July 18 or July 25. However, on July 10, Hizb ut-Tahrir America announced the cancellation of its national conference. In June 2009, Hizb ut-Tahrir America attempted to hold their event at a Chicago-area Islamic school, before the school understood the nature of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s event and the Islamic school refused to host the event.

R.E.A.L. did not seek the Hizb ut-Tahrir America conference to be canceled, but believes that it is our responsibility to speak out and to challenge groups that seek to attack our universal human rights and seek to attack freedom of religion. R.E.A.L believes it is our responsibility to challenge groups that call for the “death penalty” for those who seek religious freedom or call for stoning or violence against other identity groups. R.E.A.L. supports all individuals’ freedom of assembly, and we have offered Hizb ut-Tahrir the opportunity to join our July 11 public event at the Lincoln Memorial, and have extended an offer to Hizb ut-Tahrir America to publicly debate R.E.A.L. on democracy and religious freedom. Hizb ut-Tahrir America did not appear at our July 11 event, and has not replied to our offer of a public debate.

A year ago on July 19, 2009, R.E.A.L. led a pro-democracy, pro freedom demonstration outside the Hizb ut-Tahrir July 2009 convention at the Oak Lawn Hilton in suburban Chicago.

R.E.A.L. reported last July 2009, how Hizb ut-Tahrir America distributed brochures calling for the “death penalty” for those who sought religious freedom. At Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s July 19, 2009 event in Chicago, they distributed a pamphlet (page 62) that supports killing those individuals who leave Islam as guilty of “treason and a political attack on the Khilafah.” The Hizb ut-Tahrir America website promoting this year’s conference in Chicago promotes links to the main Hizb ut-Tahrir website, Khilafah.com, where this pamphlet is still distributed online by Hizb ut-Tahrir, even after the cancellation of its latest U.S. conference.

R.E.A.L. has reported on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s other attacks on religious freedom, pluralism, democracy, and women’s rights. R.E.A.L. has also reported on the effort by Hizb ut-Tahrir to protest and demand the closure of the Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) Taman Yasmin Church church in Indonesia, with hundreds of Hizb ut-Tahrir protesters seeking to deny freedom of worship to Christians there.

According to the Bangladesh press, Hizb ut-Tahrir’s intolerance has included death threats against university officials. BD News 24 reported “Hizb ut-Tahrir threatens Dhaka University’s vice chancellor with death,” stating in November 2009 that “The Dhaka University’s vice chancellor received death threats on Sunday from banned Islamist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir.”

In its manifesto, Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects democracy as because it “is the rule of people, for the people, by the people” (page 24 – alternate link). Hizb ut-Tahrir has called for Muslims to boycott voting.

On July 4, 2010, in Australia, Hizb ut-Tahrir members have called for Australian Muslims to reject democracy as “forbidden” and as “uni-Islamic,” and have called upon Muslim women to reject women’s equality movements. British Hizb ut-Tahrir leader Buhan Hanif, who spoke at the July 2009 Hizb ut-Tahrir event in Chicago at the Oak Lawn Hilton, told Australian Muslims that he rejected Muslim political involvement that is based on “secular and erroneous concepts such as democracy and freedom” (see HT video).

UK Hizb ut-Tahrir Leader Burhan Hanif Urges Australian Muslims to Reject Democracy (Photo: YouTube) — UK Hizb ut-Tahrir Leader Burhan Hanif Urges Australian Muslims to Reject Democracy -- Spoke at 2009 Chicago Hizb ut-Tahrir America Conference (Photo: YouTube)

On International Women’s Day 2010, Hizb ut-Tahrir used the day to once again to women’s gender equality movements and to instead demand that women seek to become part of an Islamic caliphate instead, arguing that “Women faced the protection of their honour under the khilafah.” At the July 4, 2010 Australia conference, Australian Hizb ut-Tahrir speaker Reem Allouche stated that women’s rights and equality should not be based on “secular liberalism.” Consistently, at Hizb ut-Tahrir America events in the Chicago area in July 2009 and December 2009, women are given their “place,” in the back of the room.

Anti-Democracy Hizb ut-Tahrir America December 20, 2009 Meeting at Govt-Managed Facility in Lombard, Illinois -- Women Segregated and Only Permitted to Sit in the Back of the Room

On World AIDS Awareness Day, The Jakarta Globe reported that “Ahead of World AIDS Day on Tuesday, members of the group Hizbut Tahrir took to the streets in several major cities, including Jakarta, Solo, Yogyakarta and Makassar in South Sulawesi. ‘We urge everybody to support the application of Shariah in an Islamic caliphate so that, God willing, all of us will be free from the threat of HIV/AIDS,’ Hizbut Tahrir spokeswoman Febrianti Abassuni said in a statement.” Calling “homosexuals the agents of immorality,” Hizb ut-Tahrir called for an end to programs providing condoms in Indonesia.

World AIDS Day: Hizb ut-Tahrir Demonstrates Against Homosexuals, Calls for Global Extremist Caliphate (AFP/File/Bay Ismoyo) — World AIDS Day: Hizb ut-Tahrir Demonstrates Against Homosexuals, Calls for Global Islamic Caliphate (AFP/File/Bay Ismoyo)

On the Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia web site, Hizb ut-Tahrir contributors condemned World AIDS awareness day on “every December 1st as the International AIDS Day was not to eliminate AIDS, but to preserve and nourish AIDS promiscuity.” The Hizb ut-Tahrir web site also stated that “So in addition to the state must pay the state AIDS drug research mencarian shall take firm action against any perpetrator punished adultery with stoning to death for those who are married and whip a hundred times for the adulterer who had never married. Also ta’zir law for drug users. In the guarantee people will think a thousand times to do similar things so that transmission of HIV / AIDS can be prevented.”

Hizb ut-Tahrir Web Site on World AIDS Day - Calls for Stoning and Whipping (Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia Web Site)

On June 22, 2010, Hizb ut-Tahrir held another major demonstration calling for stoning, during its protests against “liberalism” on the Internet. AFP reported that: “About 1,000 protesters led by radical group Hizbut Tahrir shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is greater) and brandished black flags and banners with slogans such as ‘Arrest those who commit promiscuous sex’….”Hizbut Tahrir spokesman Mohammed Ismail Yusanto said the Internet was a threat to Islamic values in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. He said Islamic or sharia law should be applied across the archipelago of some 240 million people, including the stoning to death of adulterers. ”

“Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia coordinator Fadilah Karimah, 32, said she would like to see adulterers buried up to their necks in public places and pelted with stones until dead. ‘Those people who have sex before marriage should be caned with a stick 100 times in public. Adulterers should be half-buried and stoned to death,’ she told AFP at the rally.”

Anti-Democracy Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Protest in Indonesia (Photo: AFP)

At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC on July 11, 2010, human rights protesters opposed to stoning also condemned these repeated calls by Hizb ut-Tahrir in support of the barbaric practice of stoning. Some of the human rights protesters had been working together in calling for an end to the stoning of Iranian woman Sakineh Mohammedi Ashtiani, who was condemned to stoning by the Islamic Republic of Iran, before international human rights pressure has impact Iran to consider changing its verdict. R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm told of one of a case of stoning of a 13 year old girl in Somalia who had been raped, that was also convicted for “adultery.” The human rights activists view the barbaric practice of stoning to be inhumane and a violation of human rights anywhere in the world, and unequivocally reject stoning and those groups that promote stoning.

Human rights volunteers condemned the demonstrations by Hizb ut-Tahrir supporting calls for barbaric stoning of individuals.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: R.E.A.L. and Human Rights Supporters Challenge Hizb ut-Tahrir and Stoning

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For additional reports and human rights activism challenging Hizb ut-Tahrir, see http://bit.ly/htwatch

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports the unqualified, universal human rights for all people everywhere, including the rights and dignity for women and people of every identity group. R.E.A.L. support for our universal human rights includes our commitment to freedom of religion, freedom of worship, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression. We support democracy and democratic values not as “Western values,” but as values that are the right for every human being of every identity group and every religion around the world.

We believe that such support for our universal human rights begins with love for our fellow human beings.

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

What We Believe - Responsible for Equality And Liberty's Jeffrey Imm Demonstrating Outside Hizb ut-Tahrir America's July 19, 2009 Chicago Event