Stop Fundamentalism – After a surgical separation of the 10-months-old Chilean conjoined twins last Tuesday and the passing away of one of the twins, Maria Jose Paredes Navarrete, who died of complications following the surgery, Chilean Doctors are now optimistic for the other twin’s survival, said AP Wednesday.
Maria Paz, the second twin, woke up for the first time yesterday giving a positive sign to Doctors describing her condition as favorable.
Stop Fundamentalism – Amnesty International called for the release of the Bahraini female activist, and blogger Zainab Al-Khawaja today who was seen dragged away by Bahrain government forces in a peaceful demonstration. She was then reportedly beaten away from the view of the cameras.
Al-Khawaja is the daughter of the prominent human rights and opposition activist Abdelhadi al-Khawaja. Her father and husband were already in prison arrested for attending demonstrations earlier this year.
Stop Fundamentalism – The United Nations Assembly General today condemned violations of human rights in Iran with in a resolution that passed with an 89 to 30 vote and 64 abstentions. The resolution expressed concern at serious ongoing and recurring human rights violations in that country.
The resolution was already approved through the United Nations’ third committee in November. On major point of frustration by the international community was Iran’s refusal to receive the UN special Rapporteur, Mr. Ahmed Shaheed who was appointed early this year to oversee the serious situation of human rights in that country.
Stop Fundamentalism – Hundreds of demonstrators in Geneva formed a human chain, despite heavy whether condition, connecting UN’s High Commission for Human Rights headquarters in this city to High Commission for Refugees Friday to show concern about the safety of Iranian exiles living in Camp Ashraf, Iraq.
The situation becomes more critical as the deadline for the 3400 residents of Camp Ashraf draws near.
Iraqi forces attacked the camp last April killing 36 residents and wounding hundreds in a raid that was condemned by the international community. The residents of the camp are unarmed.
Jean-François Bège
French Parlement Publication – LE COURRIER DU PARLEMENT – December 2011 (Partial Translation)
Living in Camp Ashraf north of Baghdad, the Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK, fear an Iraqi military assault.
The situation of Iranian exiles in Iraq, especially in Camp Ashraf, 80 Kilometers north of Baghdad is still unknown in Europe and France. The 3400 Iranian opposition members of Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK are constantly threatened by the Iraqi Army. An attack on the camp back in April 2011 cost the lives of 36 residents and tens of injuries.
Stop Fundamentalism – A lion cub weighing 50 Kilograms was found in Iran’s capital city, Tehran today, reported Mehr news agency. The cub was captured by Tehran’s fire patrols and will be given to a public park facility later on.
The cub was spotted playing in the trees near Lavizan by a truck driver who later informed the authorities. Finally fire trucks were called in to deal with the situation.
Stop Fundamentalism – A majority of the members of the European Parliament have signed a written declaration in support of designating an international day for young women and girls. The initiative attempts to confront discrimination, violence and exclusion against girls and young women around the world.
“An International Day for the Girl will create a foundation for awareness in the EU and beyond to ensure that girls get the investment and recognition they deserve as citizens and as powerful agents of change within their own families, communities and nations,” said Edite Estrela, vice-Chair of the committee on Women’s rights and Gender Equality in the European Union. Estrela was one of the original sponsoring MEPs of the written declaration along side with 4 others, Véronique Mathieu, Jean Lambert, Katerína Neved’alová and Roberta Angelilli.
Stop Fundamentalism – The Iranian government has executed 600 offenders this year, the international human rights organization, Amnesty International said Thursday. The organization says it has recorded 600 executions from both official and unofficial sources this year.
About 81 percent of those killed were drug offenders. This number is at least three times the official announced number for 2009. Amnesty expresses concern that the victims would be from the most impoverished portion of the country’s populations.
Stop Fundamentalism – In a conference held in Paris on Camp Ashraf December 10, Alan Dershowitz, renowned civil liberties lawyer and a distinguished defender of individual rights, warned President Obama about the consequences of inaction and silence against the looming humanitarian tragedy in Ashraf before meeting with Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
“What the United States can do is so simple and so obvious. We have the power to prevent this from happening. We have the power to prevent the camp from closing. We have the power to make the Iraqi government act responsibly,” said Dershowitz.
Stop Fundamentalism – An Iraqi Member of Parliament in Maliki’s bloc told reporters today that it would be a grave mistake for Iraq expelling the MEK without receiving adequate incentives from Iran, said Shafagh News website. She also stressed that there are a great many armed groups operating in Iraq supported by the Iranian regime while their cases remain undisclosed.
“Iraq’s foreign policy is full of flaws,” said Batoul Farough from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bloc in the Iraqi parliament told to Shafagh news reporter, “one of such mistakes is expelling the MEK without receiving any incentive from the Iranian side.”
