"We are determined to continue"
1) Results of the
meeting of the organising committee of the Chianciano conference
2) Syria: protest letter to Italian ambassador handed over
3) Mr Prodi, why you remain silent?
4) Iraqi women express support for hunger strike
5) Hunger strike: First physical problems encountered
6) From the frontline of protest before the Italian Foreign Ministry
1) We will not
back down
On September 10 the meeting of the
organising committee of the international conference in Chianciano "Leave Iraq
in peace - support the legitimate resistance of the Iraqi people" took place in
Rome. Beside the presidential committee of the Italian Free Iraq Committees
delegates from Spain, Turkey, Germany and Austria were present. Following
resolution was approved unanimously:
Despite the protest of a very broad front comprising democratic and
anti-militarist personalities, movements and parties, despite the hunger strike
which is still running, the government of Berlusconi-Fini-Pisanu continues to
negate the visas for the exponents of the Iraqi opposition.
They thus maintain their pact of subordination to the Bush administration
symbolically expressed by the letter of the 44 US congress members.
We have been denouncing this pretension not only as an offence against the
resisting Iraqi people and the global public opinion but also as a grave attack
on democracy and the Italian constitution.
The closing of the borders for the six Iraqis, although it impedes the holding
of the conference in Chianciano "Leave Iraq in peace - support the legitimate
resistance of the Iraqi people" as scheduled, will not make us back down: we
will continue our struggle in order to make the conference possible to be held
in the forthcoming in Italy period with the six renown Iraqi representatives.
Therefore we convene for October 2 in Rome a big international gathering open to
all democratic forces ready to fight for ending the imperialist occupation of
Iraq, for the principle that resisting foreign aggression in defence of national
sovereignty is legitimate (as it is also being stipulated by the very charter of
the United Nations), and eventually for the recognition of the resistance as the
authentic representation of the Iraqi people.
Meanwhile the hunger strike continues given the fact that the Foreign Minister
not even answered the request for visa for Haj Ali, the torture victim of Abu
Ghraib. We have been inviting him for a broad European-wide campaign to denounce
the war crimes committed by the occupants not only against the resistance
fighter but also against common and innocent citizens.
The respect and the consensus we obtained by our struggle does allow us to go
ahead in the consciousness that peace in Iraq is not close, that the struggle to
force the aggressors to withdraw is a long and protracted one - a struggle which
is linked to the one in the West against the anti-terrorist witch hunt and the
one to stop the racist criminalisation campaign against the Muslim communities.
Whatever might be their next steps, we are sure that the Iraqi people, thanks to
it steadfast Resistance, will gain its right to self-determination which is
fundament as without which all other liberties are pure illusion.
This Resistance deserves the broadest and organised international solidarity. To
strengthen it we promote the international gathering of October 2 hoping that it
will contribute to coalesce all those who have been fighting these years against
the infinite war on the side of the oppressed people.
Roma, 10 September 2005
2) Protest in
Syria
Today a number of Syrian human rights
organizations and political groups have delivered petitions and letters to the
Italian embassy in Damascus in support of the October conference in Rome and
against the American intervention in this case.
Dr. Muhamed Faris (Patriotic Communist Party of Iraq, one of those who were
denied visa) and Fadhil Al-Rubaiee (leading member of IPA) have initiated this
protest.
3) Mr Prodi, why you remain silent?
Once and again we have insisted that all have to take a position in front of
the negation of the visas by the foreign minister Fini, in front of the attack
on the democratic freedom and in front of the grave breach of the national
sovereignty by abiding by the letter of the 44 US congressmen.
In this spirit we have been in contact with the office of Prodi in the last
days. We have asked him to speak out publicly, being convinced that this is not
only a political but also a morale necessity for somebody intending to run for
the position of the prime minister.
Having received an extensive documentation of the case, Prodi charged the
Honorable Giovanni Bianchi to meet us. For this morning a date was arranged
right at the place of the hunger strike in front of the foreign ministry.
However, the delegation of Prodi did not show up explaining to us that "there
are problems within the [centre left] coalition".
Maybe these reasons are more important than those for which we are in hunger
strike for ten days? The attack on the democratic rights by the Berlusconi
government, its servile alignment to the US pre-emptive war of civilizations (of
which the negation of the visas is a symbol) does not constitute a
"problem" for Prodi?
About one year ago the West wash shocked by the picture of torture from Abu
Ghraib. Today this is already forgotten?
We want to remember that among the aims of our hunger strike is to get a visa
for Haj Ali, the man on the pictures from Abu Ghraib with the hood, the icon of
the barbarianism of the occupation. Will Fini refuse to release a visa also to
him as this victim of torture could be a danger for "national security"? Is he
also a "preacher of hate" or are those the preachers of hate who aggressed Iraq
trying to subdue the Iraqi people by all means including torture?
Not even on the case of Haj Ali you have to say something, Mr Prodi? Your
silence is not good sign for a future prime minister having promised to end the
occupation of Iraq.
The seven hunger strikes and the Italian Free Iraq
Committee
4) Solidarity
Address to the Hunger Strike Committee
At first we want to transmit our deep
solidarity with the hunger strike for the grant of visas for the Iraqi speakers
on the International Iraq Conference in Italy Sometimes extraordinary means are
requested to reach owns goal. We have this extraordinary situation, here in Iraq
but also in the "Free West". The
freedom of speech and opinion is one of the basic human rights. This right has
been refused the people in Iraq; at first by the occupation forces and now also
by a European government. Nobody had asked the Iraqi people whether they wanted
this war. Nobody has shown any interest how the people want to build their
future. As "victims of dictatorship" they tell us that we have not learnt to use
our free will and therefore we must be led to democracy. We do not watch how
this country is destroyed day by day. No, thank you; but we do not need foreign
leadership! What we want is to share our ideas with others in free discussions,
in Italy and everywhere. That this is going to be rejected now shows much about
the system of the new world order. But while we know that we are under
occupation and resist; the
European countries are not aware that they are also under occupation and
therefore they still want to believe that they are free. While we know that we
have a puppet government and we do not co-operate with them, the people in the
west call their puppet governments "our government". That is one of
the important differences between our and their situation but they believe that
they can teach us democracy; no, thanks!
The Bush administration has to learn that the peoples of this world are not
waiting for democracy made in USA. Unfortunately they want to learn this by the
hard way that costs the lives of millions of people. The fight of the Iraqi
people for freedom is a big step towards the freedom of all oppressed people.
Let's fight occupation in all its forms and everywhere.
Let's unite for
freedom and peace!
Solidarity with the Iraqi resistance!
WOMEN CHARGES INITIATIVE
Baghdad 8th September 2005
5) First problems with the physical condition of the strikers
Yesterday on the 11th day of the hunger strike some strikers felt ill.
Medical
evaluations revealed low blood pressure in some of our comrades, due to
prolonged fasting together with the stress caused by the uncomfortable
conditions surrounding the protesters. This morning all strikers will again be
evaluated for vital signs.
6) Sunday, 11th September (12 day of the hunger strike)
For the past two days we have been unable to provide daily coverage of the
hunger strike. Heavy rains last Friday damaged a tent, making it impossible for
us to use our computer.
Despite these problems, yesterday some of the strikers participated in a meeting
of the organizing committee of the international conference.
At last several media are giving news about the availability of Haj Ali, symbol
of the torture at Abu Ghraib, to travel to Italy to tell his story and to talk
about the violence oppressing the Iraqi people. Friday and Saturday the daily
"Il Manifesto" published a lenghty interview which Haj Ali gave to Lars Akerhaug
of the Norwegian Free Iraq Committee. Today Haj Ali is being interviewed by the
daily "La Repubblica". His situation is now known to everyone. His visa has not
yet come through. Our struggle wil continue to the end.
Greetings from the hunger strikers.
See daily reports:
www.iraqiresistance.info/index.php?en
www.iraqiresistance.info