Monday, September 14, 2009

LETTER OF PROTEST TO PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK

10 September 2009

His Excellency Mr. Muhammad Hosni Mubarak
The President of Egypt

Through

His Excellency Mr. Hani Abdel Kader
The Ambassador of Egypt in Malaysia
No. 12, Lorong Ru
off Jalan Ampang Hilir
55000 Kuala Lumpur


Your Excellency,

LETTER OF PROTEST

The Global Peace Mission (GPM) vehemently condemns the action of the Egyptian police in arresting and subjecting a relief worker, dedicated to humanitarian work in the Gaza, to intense pressure through detention, interrogation, intimidation and privation. The victim is none other than Azlan Muhammad Sharif (Director, Relief & Humanitarian Aids, GPM), who led and coordinated three teams from Malaysia to Gaza. On 2 September 2009 Azlan was detained (for 3 days three nights) and deprived of food and drink, severely beaten and punished, and disallowed to communicate with anyone outside the prison walls.

2. Azlan was subjected to extreme humiliation and hard interrogation tactics, allegedly carried out with the tacit knowledge and cooperation of the CIA and Mossad.

3. The GPM draws attention to the fact that the detainee had in his possession valid documents to prove that he was a bona fide relief worker from a friendly Muslim country that is dedicated to bringing relief and humanitarian assistance to the dispossessed Palestinians in the Gaza area. Being the closest territory available for relief workers seeking entry into the Gaza, his transit in Egypt is not unexpected.

4. It is most strange that Egypt should want to impose such informal and indirect sanctions against a neighbouring state, given her historical ties to a people who, just about 42 years ago, constituted an integral part of its own territory. Today, that territory is under constant bombardment by hostile forces aided and abetted by the superpowers of the West who seek to enhance their geo-political interests in the region. The least that such a powerful and comfortably settled neighbour as Egypt could be expected to do is to merely accommodate and provide passage to those endeavouring to bring humanitarian assistance to the 1.4 million people who have been forced to live in the world’s biggest prison environed and encircled by hostile forces, and totally deprived of the most basic of necessities like food, shelter and medicine.

5. The pathetic scenario in Gaza is that of children pleading for food and hungering for basic education, the sick deprived of medicine and health care, a whole population living on handouts, an economy that struggles to keep the people alive, infrastructures that have been annihilated in wars; and the cream of the nation, her youth and best talents, that are wasting away in vain by the wayside.

6. The relief workers from Malaysia have no aim other than to address these problems that cry for help. They bring nothing with them that can be said to be dangerous. The only arms that they have brought along are alms to be distributed among Palestinian residents in Gaza.

7. Instead of being of help, Egypt has decided to impose privations on these valiant volunteers, and chosen to collaborate with the oppressors.

8. The Global Peace Mission is certainly not an isolated entity that operates in its own right. It is a legitimate vehicle through which the Malaysian government as well as donor institutions and concerned individuals (who look beyond the racial and religious divide), channel their contributions for the benefit of the Gaza residents.

9. In the face of the unfortunate and unwarranted incident that has occurred to Azlan, a dedicated relief worker, we, the Global Peace Mission, hereby demand an explanation for the gross indignities perpetrated against him.

10. We hope that this blatant act of ignominy will not be repeated in any form, to any individual or organization (from any part of the world) – Muslim or otherwise - who come forward to offer help to victims of a regime that has clearly shown to have no regard or sense of pity for human suffering.

Sincerely,




AHMAD AZAM ABDUL RAHMAN
Chairman

Tel : 03-618 7020 Fax : 03-6186 6020

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