Peace protest
I feel as if I must protest
Independent South Tyneside councillor Ahmed Khan has involved himself in a “peace protest” at South Shields Town Hall and called for the Foreign Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip (as if he, and the rest of the world haven’t been trying). You can watch a video that the Shields Gazette made of it here.
I think I ought to protest and tell Cllr. Khan that he has displayed a dreadful handling of the facts of his argument, actually he skated past the facts completely. It was not Tony Blair and the Labour Party who initiated the peace deal in Northern Ireland Ahmed, the Good Friday Agreement was brokered by Conservative Prime Minister John Major, Blair only came along and completed the process. It was another Conservative Prime Minister, Ted Heath who tried to solve the problem previously with the Sunningdale accord, before losing patience with Ulster’s leaders.
Next, Cllr. Khan says it was “a unifying event”, how can he possibly come to a conclusion such as this since the South Shields Jewish community dwindled to a handful years ago? And I doubt that they were asked to participate.
I heard no protests about Hamas rocket attacks, I heard no protests about the way Egypt has closed it’s border with Gaza, I heard no protests about Syria’s and Lebanon’s virtual silence, was this unifying because it unified just one section of our community? I would call it quite the opposite if this is the case, indeed it might galvanise the ugly voices of the far right (you know, those in Mariners Cottages), something we could well do without.
Will Tzipi Livni the Israeli Foreign Minister, or whoever is left leading the Hamas terrorist organisation, be listening to the protests in South Shields? Well, seeing as it’s hard enough to get them to listen to Nikolas Sarkozy, George Bush, Gordon Brown, Barak Obama and a host of others then we would have to doubt it. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organisation by Canada, the EU, Japan, the USA, and Israel (of course) and is banned in Jordan, Australia, and the UK. One hopes that we are not unifying one section of South Shields’ very integrated and harmonious population in support of a murderous terrorist organisation, one hopes that is not the reason why we elect our local councillors.
So to my view of the matter, Hamas are terrorists unwanted in Egypt, Lebanon or Jordan, The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit has already expressed the view that Hamas is getting what it deserved:
The Israelis have been warning you that this was coming if you continue your cross border rocket attacks. Egypt has been imploring you to stop firing rockets into Israel, but you ignored our words. We have been urging you to renew the cease-fire with Israel, but you refused. You have brought this upon yourselves. You are responsible for what is happening to the people of Gaza.
Didn’t see that reported much either.
You will find it in the comments section of this Telegraph article
Hamas were spoiling for a fight, hence the reluctance to stop firing unaimed rockets into Israel, it was they who unilaterally broke the previous ceasefire and refused to renew it, they were copying the tactics of Hezbollah in the Lebanon, how foolish, they knew the consequences. They use civilians as shields by firing weapons from schools, hospitals, markets, playing fields and wherever else a mass of dead bodies is perceived to make good propaganda. They will know that Israel will respond with awesome strength without any notion of proportion or reasonableness, but where is reason in a war zone? Israel has gone way over the top, but I defend their right to defend themselves. Despite seeing hundreds of needless Palestinian deaths Hamas will claim a victory, that cannot be defended.
Perhaps the Gaza strip should be ceded to Egypt, perhaps they could then have the task of persuading it’s residents to live in peace with it’s neighbours.
Perhaps our councillors could restrict their activities to those that are within their remit and control, then we would all have a better chance of living in peace with our neighbours here, without raising the hackles of the BNP (British Nutter Party). Perhaps our councillors could concentrate on encouraging children to go to school to be educated (about both sides of a conflict), perhaps if we are to have “gestures” it would be nice to see the “whole community” coming together in a unified act to remember those who died gallantly or needlessly in wars – Remembrance Sunday seems to be the most appropriate time to do this.
Rossinisbird also has some thoughts on the matter.
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The way he challenges Miliband you would think Coun Khan is after his job.
rossinisbird
January 12, 2009 at 11:09 pm
As Member of Parliament for South Shields, or just as Foreign Secretary?
curly
January 12, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Curly, that’s possibly the most measured post I’ve seen on the Palestinian issue.
henry crun
January 13, 2009 at 9:05 am
This is a response to your blog regarding the peace protest hel in South Shields on the 12th of January 2009.
I must say i am shocked at your comments, i am actually not even sure you wrote this, as this article is an insult to your intelligence.
Firstly Tony Blair played an integral part of the completion of the Peace process in Northern Ireland, it was his drive and the peoples will that ensured that the peace deal was implmented.
Secondly a unifying event it certainly was, maybe not from your angle, but this was the first time Arabs, Bengalis, Pakistanis and other ethnic groups came together to voice this tragedy. So in that respect it was a unifying event.
Thirdly, in any protest, it has to be one clear message, and our message was save the children. There is of course other issues like the border issue, like the fact that Syria, Lebanon and America have chsen to be spectators. But you can protest a whole host of issues in one protest. Maybe you can organise a protest with these issues, and i will be the first to join you.
In regards to your claim of a whole host of leaders asking Israel to stop the war..this is called ‘lip service’, it is not in their interst to stop the war, as they are suppliers of billions pound worth of arms to Israel, so how could they be appropiate people to ask for peace. You see, you should know this, your are a very intelligent man, but i am suprised you overlooked this.
Thirdly, our M.P is not doing enough to broker a peace deal with the Palestinian authority and Israel. Thats why as his constituents we have a democratic right to ask the M.P to try his upmost to negotiate peace.
In regards to Hamas firing rockets, whilst breaking the ceasefire, of course that is wrong, but equally you fail to mention that Israel too broke the ceasefire more than 100 times and subsequently killing more than a hundred, i am suprised you never mentioned this. Now you will say i am a Hamas supporter, and thats what is wrong, its like what George Bush jnr said ‘if your not with us, your against us’, i dont accept this concept.
You also make a point about human shields, a trick that is being played in most wars now. But my friend Gaza is the most densdley populated place on earth, there are 1.5million people. What suprises me is that you don’t even mention that more than 800 people have been killed in this war, you fail to mention the suffering of these Palestinian people. You are clearly not fit to even talk about these issues, please stick with domestic issues, it suits you more.
Lastly to your claim that Ahmed Khan should restrict his role. Well my friend he is our councillor, and their jobs are to support their communities, and he voiced our concerns. You should mention what an excellent job he is doing as a councillor in Beacon and Bents. I tell you, its so strange to see a councillor working hard for his community when the election is months away. He is passionate about helping the people of Beacon and Bents, across all sections of the community, regardless of faith and colour.
I ask you to have an open debate with Councillor Ahmed Khan on the peace protest. I am sure you will accept.
Lalon Amin
January 13, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Just to say sorry in advance for spelling and grammar mistakes, i never checked it over
Lalon Amin
January 13, 2009 at 3:03 pm
No one has mentioned the total irresponsibility of keeping all of those children off school for the afternoon !
Who needs an education ?
CHERRY BEAR
January 13, 2009 at 3:34 pm
The only thing that protest will achieve will be to persuade more of the electorate to vote BNP at the next election.
Jarrow Pete
January 13, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Lalon,
thanks for coming here and debating. There are a number of flaws and holes in your argument but first off can I dispel this myth that Tony Blair was the great peacemaker in Northern Ireland, he merely put his pen to a document that ended years of preparatory work by John Major.
This is from the No. 10 website:
Secondly, you call this a unifying event, I disagree and call it fractious in as much as it will instil anti Muslim fervour in people who are best kept quiet (BNP). The event was almost exclusively attended by adherents of one faith group, it succeeded only in unifying them in their opposition to Israel’s right to defend itself (even though Israel may not show proportionality in her response). The decision to meet at and place a candle at the Holocaust Memorial garden was an act designed either out of foolish naivety or recklessness as already outlined in Rossinisbird’s post. Such a decision I fear must have been calculated to cause abhorrence in any Jew still living in South Shields, hardly a unifying act.
You acknowledge issues with Lebanon and Syria, yet fail to mention Iran, one of Hamas’ strongest supporters and suppliers, a country whose President has declared that he would like to see the Israeli nation “wiped off the face of the map”, did you have any people of Iranian origin in your protest? You also fail to acknowledge the roles of other Arab nations who are singularly failing to support the people of Gaza, just so long as Hamas are running the place.
You say that David Miliband is failing to do his utmost to broker a peace, I disagree, and here are 44,600 internet articles to back me up. There is only so much that outsiders can do to influence the events of a war or military conflict, and I whilst I agree that many of us can voice our strongest concerns they are hardly likely to be of interest to the combatants.
Next, where is the evidence that Israel broke the ceasefire? It has been accepted by almost everyone internationally, certainly at the United Nations that Hamas broke the existing ceasefire and failed to agree a new one, now neither side is close to agreement. I did not mention the number of deaths, as I could never be able to be accurate, the toll rises daily, however I did point out that Israel has acted without proportionality in it’s response and had gone way over the top, I hoped that you might accept my view that there is blame on both sides. Kindly don’t tell what views are fit or not for me to hold, I don’t tell you what to think!
Finally Cllr. Khan’s role is to represent you and the people of Beacon and Bents ward to the best of his ability in all areas where the work of South Tyneside Council touches upon your lives. As far as we are aware, South Tyneside Council is not involved in any armed actions in the middle east. He was not elected to be an international peace keeper in the role of the former Prime Minister Tony Blair (who singularly failed to forewarn on this particular conflict), neither was he elected to encourage the removal of children from their schools to attend a political demonstration. However, I concede that when it comes to generating personal publicity and building an electoral powerbase, he is proving to be exceptionally astute, clever, and effective.
Can I ask why 3:00 pm was chosen rather than 4:00 pm? One hour later would have ensured that no child lost any valuable education. Were the children fully consulted about the decision to drag them in front of the Town Hall? All willing volunteers?
A far better and more appropriate way of demonstrating our overwhelming unity, and to express our grief and sadness together at the losses caused by war and conflict is to join with the whole town on occasions such as Remembrance Sunday and Holocaust Memorial Day.
Now, can we accept, that this demonstration may well have “unified” those of the Muslim faith, but has added to the perception that your protest is one sided, anti-Israeli, and does little to help the overall unity of a town renowned for it’s excellent race relations going back hundreds of years.
curly
January 13, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Spot on as usual curly. The protest was a a stunt by Mr Khan to get his face in the news. I fear Jarrow Pete is right though, the stunt will do more for the BNP vote in the Borough than any number of leaflets they can deliver. As a result there won’t be a future “Cllr” Lalon Amin
vicki
January 13, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Hi,
in regards to your point about the Northern Ireland Peace Process, its not about who came up with the idea, in politics its about who has implements it, and Tony Blair was that guy.
Yes i agree i could go on about Iran, and Saudi, their silence is annoying, but like i said we can’t protest about everything, it has to be one clear message, and our message was one of peace.
We had an article in the Gazette on Saturday to tell people of the event, so it was open to all, so we just didnt target Muslims. The situation is clear to me, you can’t accept the fact that these Ethnic minority’s have the audicity to protest, you believe that we should all be quiet, and by going on about the BNP, its as if your are wishing that to happen, but in Beacon and Bents, the chances of that happening is when we see cows flying.
You almost speak like a politician, ‘(even though Israel may not show proportionality in her response)’. I call that killing innocent people.
Instead of actually looking at the facts and saying how can the Israelis kill these innocent children you want to justify their actions. Hamas should get what they deserve,if they wanted that, then so be it, but why are innocent children getting murdered. You should think what would happen if you were in that position.
You talk about divide and unity, as far as im concerned if you protest that don’t mean you are divisive, are you a socialist or communist by any chance?
As far Mr Khan, like i said have an open debate with him. I am sure he could clarify better than i. Also you have’nt acknowledged the contribution he is making to Beacon and Bents, he is a visible figure in our town, and we hope he can keep up the good work. And Vicky about me being Councillor, just because it breaks my heart to see children dying does not mean i have aspirations to be a councillor, i think the word is being a decent human.
Parents organised the event, Ahmed Khan was one of the organisors, it was parents that insisted that they wouldn’t send their child, reason is, more than 250 children have died in Gaza in the space of 15 days, thats why we thought it symbolic that children should not attend school to protest for innocent children.
Oh and the evidence for Israel breaking the ceasfire, please research and you will find it, i can assure you that is the case.
I finish by saying to you..look at the positives in life, rather than the negatives
Lalon Amin
January 13, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Help us, help us you plead,
Save our children at this time of need.
But the worlds eyes have become blind,
So don’t think the world is so kind.
After all you are the people of Palestine,
A place where justice don’t shine.
Save us, save us you scream,
But freedom to you will always be a dream.
Hence the war goes on and many more die,
But don’t think that the leaders will cry,
They quarrel over words to delay a ceasefire,
As your situation becomes even dire.
Don’t bomb us, don’t bomb us you pray,
But don’t think for a moment they will care,
They bomb your mosques and schools,
Breaking at ease the U.N rules,
And then they say they are friends of you,
Even though they impose this bloody coup.
Don’t kill us, don’t kill us you cry in fear,
But don’t think for a moment they will shed a tear,
War is business oh my Palestinian friend,
So don’t think that this is going to end,
Don’t you know that from your misery money is made,
So excuse them when they are making a raid
See our pain, see our pain you cry,
But don’t think for a moment our leaders will try.
They gave your oppressors the arms to kill,
This could have been over if they had the will.
Yet they say they will come to your rescue,
And act their dramas and wait for their cue.
Lalon Amin
Lalon Amin
January 13, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza.
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza, for you I cry,
Knowing that as I write another child will die.
Woman suffer, elders cry as your children shiver in fright,
Why has the world forgotten this Gazan plight?
Oh Gaza, oh Gaza, for you I weep.
Knowing that children lie in shelters not so deep.
750 of you have been killed,
Why has the world allowed your blood to be spilled?
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza, for you I pray,
Knowing that our leaders won’t listen nor care.
In your schools your blood flows,
Why has the world ignored your cause?
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza, for you I hope,
Knowing that amongst the death and misery your children can’t cope.
God protect your sons and daughters,
Why has the world not stopped the guns and mortars?
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza, for you I protest,
Knowing that not as a Muslim nor Jew, but as a human I contest.
Your children killed as they play, which brings me tears,
Why has the world leaders only thought of their political careers?
Oh Gaza, Oh Gaza, for you my heart bled,
Knowing that your children cried alone next to their dead.
How did we let this crime take place,
Why has the world let them slaughter this Gazan race?
Lalon Amin
Lalon Amin
January 13, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Lalon,
our children in South Shields will get a far more positive outlook on life by enjoying all the benefits of a full education, their parents could easily and justifiably have protested AFTER school, and you are still utterly wrong about John Major. I doubt that the No. 10 website (which is run by the government) would have any wish to diminish his contribution to the Northern Ireland peace agreement, he put far more work into it than his successor, and this is almost universally accepted.
It does not require audacity to promote a peaceful demonstration it requires passion, which I believe you have in bucket loads. However it did require some audacity to describe it as “unifying”, your comments here clearly ignore my views that there is blame on both sides of this conflict, you continue to berate one side only.
curly
January 14, 2009 at 12:04 am
CNN Confirms Israel Broke Ceasefire First
Please go on youtube, please copy and paste above, for your clarification that Israel broke the ceasefire. I thought i’d do the research for you, just in case you accidently overlook it.
Her is another poem i wrote, based on an orphan in Palestine.
My brother and I
I wake to the songs of my 13th birthday,
my mother looks happy as Yusuf and I play
,The bomb drops, and i see my mother in the corner of my eyes,
My brother screams as my mother dies,
How could they kill my beloved mother,
All i have now is my younger brother.
I wake to the war that is hell,
are these the stories my father would tell?
I see my brother still crying in pain,
as we say our byes to the mother who’s been slain.
Where do we go, where do i take this sibling of mine
How do i flee my land of Palestine.
I wake to see the bombs above my sky,
I hold my little brother as he begins to cry
,We begin to run, but where do we hide
We are so lonely, who is on our side?
What threat do my brother and I pose,
we run to the borders, but they say it will close.
I wake to thunder and rain,
i look at my brother to see him in pain,
He cries to me for the gold that is food,
Fustration and panick fills my mood,
Over missiles and bombs i rush to scrounge for meat,
There is no food, not even the smell of wheat.
I wake to find the army firing over my head,
the streets are empty, the children have fled,
So we hide in the classes of a school,
Nobody could bomb this, not even a fool,
An explosion lets rip, and hastily take cover,
and i quickly look over my shoulder to see a dead brother.
I wake to find myself alone,
And cry for the brother i buried at dawn,
I walk the streets to see the devastation,
And I see the orphans desperation,
And i know that i will never see,
The people of Gaza to be truly free.
Lalon Amin
Lalon Amin
January 14, 2009 at 12:04 am
My friend, who really cares who is wrong or not, i have never said Hamas is right.
Lalon Amin
January 14, 2009 at 12:15 am
But the truth is, innocent children are dying, thats what gets to me. Martin Luther King said ‘at a time of tyranny, the greatest crime is when good people are silent’, and its heartbreaking to see so many good people silent. As for children missing a day of school, as a parent, whos child attended the rally, i can safely say, for children to protest the killing of innocent children is a better sacrifice, i am willing to let my child miss that one day o school. Likewise all the parents feel the same.
As for your comments about Ahmed Khan, i am sure he can defend himself, please email him, if you have concerns with his roole as our councillor, at least he is doing something for us, inlike others, who are more willing to make a presence during election time, i guess thats why they lost to Ahmed Khan, at this rate they will be three Independent local councillors, and id be happy about that, so as long as they are truly representing Beacon and Bents, rather than their political party agendas
Lalon Amin
January 14, 2009 at 12:21 am
Lalon,
there are two sides to every coin
I would implore you to read this article by Shiraz Maher, a Muslim, written only five days ago.
Oh, and thank you sincerely for taking the time to come here and discuss things.
curly
January 14, 2009 at 12:28 am
“Where is reason in a war zone? Israel has gone way over the top, but I defend their right to defend themselves”.
When one side has such vastly superior resources, it’s beholden on them to impose reason. I defend Israel’s right to defend themselves proportionately. What they’re currently doing is, as you admit, way over the top.
I condemn Hamas. I condemn Israel.
Oh, and I condemn any idiot who would, as Jarrow Pete thinks, use a peaceful protest as an excuse to vote for the BNP. The fact that people need an excuse only shows what utter pondlife that pretence of a political party is.
Michael
January 14, 2009 at 8:54 am
I read the article you sent me. This was the most one sided article i ever read. A complete one sided point of view from an Israeli perspective. He fails to mention the blockade and the ceasefire that Israel wrote. Also just because he is a Muslim writer does not mean that he represents Islam, and he is right. He is totally wrong. Please send me intellectual reading, something which looks at real facts from both points. Please do accept my offer for you to debate Ahmed Khan, having this kind of dialogue will be beneficial.
Lalon Amin
January 14, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Lalon,
I think at best it is fair to say that you and I should agree to disagree, and that both ought to agree that there is bad on both sides of this conflict.
There is little point in continuing to assert that each other is right or to try and change each others viewpoint, there are times when little good becomes of an argument.
Curly
January 14, 2009 at 2:26 pm
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