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| • The Gaza massacres |
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| • Resistance in Mali |
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| • Hope for Gabon |
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| • Iranian resistance in waiting for the right of law |
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| The Gaza massacres |
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| For a long time ahead, people will remember the Gaza massacres as a barbaric aggression and all the suffering of the Palestinian people. What a tremendous human waste! More than a thousand dead already! A population that does not know anymore where to bury the dead and to take care of the wounded. |
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An impressive demonstration in support of the Palestinian resistance in Paris, as well as in 50 cities of France, was held.
On a freezing cold day, I was part of the demonstration with some Africans and Maghreb of the association for human rights « Droits devant ! (Rights first». |
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| The slogans show the anger of the crowd: « We are all Palestinians » « Stop the massacre in Gaza » « Israel assassin » The banners attracted attention : « Our heart is in Gaza » « With our blood and soul, we will liberate you Palestine » « Obama, why this silence ? » « Your silence is guilty? »... |
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Salim, a young Palestinian from Gaza, studying in Germany, met me in Paris. I had visited him and his family in Gaza. He was going to Normandy to see a priest who had lived in Gaza.
Back in Germany, Salim phoned me : « My brother Nassim, 25 years old, has been killed with three of his friends. They destroy everything, even hope. » He has a great sorrow. |
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The people of Gaza are taken as hostage. Humiliating a people, smothering it, oppressing it, never gives victory. The Israeli State is losing its soul.
Almost everywhere, Arab populations go on the streets to show their solidarity with their brothers of Gaza, but their leaders stand back. The European Union, preserving its own interests, is displaying a weak diplomacy. As for the decisions of the Security Council of the UN, for so many years Israel has not been complying with them! Unfortunately, I am worried that what is going on in Gaza will provoke anti-Semitic actions in France. In order to resolve the conflicts it is imperative to renounce to war. To give peace a chance. The future depends on us. |
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| Resistance in Mali |
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In Bamako, the French government tried for the fourth time to obtain from Mali an agreement on immigration. Until now the President of Mali had refused to give in. How long will he resist? Eight African countries of which Senegal, Gabon, Niger and Tunisia have already signed...
Paris wants to facilitate taking back the immigrants to the Malian border. But it takes a signed pass from the Malian Consuls in France. They have had the courage to refuse two times out of three. Despite the pressures they were submitted to, they block the escorting of immigrants to the Malian frontier.
When Malian workers with no official papers, who are part of an association, are threatened by expulsion to their country, the association plead their cause to the Consulate. Often with success. |
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The workers with no official papers are the real players of the development of Mali. The sums of money they send back make it possible to build clinics, wells, schools... It is a manna of 183 millions euros transferred each year by the large Malian community living in France. If the Consuls sign the passes, thousands of families would be penalized in Mali. |
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If the Malian government were to sign the agreement proposed by France, he would become an accomplice in a racket practiced by the French state on the workers without official document who pay their pension contribution. The French government would keep their pension contributions and no worker without official document would benefit from them after having been expelled.
In Bamako, the association of those who have been expelled, with which we are in communication, is denouncing this agreement. The resistance is not giving in. Mali has refused to sign. |
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| Hope for Gabon |
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| After having courageously denounced the corruption of the Regime of President Omar Bongo, three leaders of Gabon Non Governmental Organizations, a journalist and a policeman were put in prison in Libreville. |
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These incarcerations are the consequence of their involvement against the corruption of the Gabon authorities. In an open letter to President Omar Bongo, they have declared :
« We do not accept any more to live with lies and fear. » What courage to speak so freely? Here are men who are liberated from fear. It is easy to understand that they are considered as dangerous men by the Gabon authorities. |
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| In Paris, I met militants of associations that show solidarity with these prisoners, denounce the actions of the Omar Bongo's Regime and refuse to be a party to the silence of our country. |
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It is unacceptable that France continues to support corrupted African dictatorships for the economic interests of a few large French companies. |
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| The mobilization from the Gabon people and the diaspora, the civilian society, religious institutions, NGOs was immediate... International pressure was strong. So, by decision of the Libreville Court, the prisoners have been released on bail. |
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| Iranian resistance in waiting for the right of law |
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| For the third time, the European Court of Justice of Luxembourg has invalidated the decision of the European Council of Ministers maintaining the Organization of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI) on the list of terrorist organizations. |
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It cannot be any clearer. This decision, supported by many organizations and more than 200 European parliamentarians (of which a majority of French parliamentarians) puts a term to six years of legal actions for the recognition of the PMOI. It is a retraction for France which is more and more isolated within the European Union in trying to maintain the terrorist label for PMOI.
Let us recall, on June 2003 in Paris, there was a spectacular and tragic police raid against the political opponents to Iran. A police operation with threats of expulsions and judicial proceedings. A great movement of protest and solidarity was immediately organized. The operation was motivated for reasons of commercial opportunities with Iran and not for the requirements of the fight against terrorists. |
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A press conference was held in a Parisian hotel. An appeal was addressed to the President of France in order that he respects the European Law expressed by the Court of Justice in making public the decision of clearing the PMOI of any suspicion of complicity with terrorism. |
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| For now more than six years, how much time has been wasted in fighting against this label of « terrorist »! How much energy lost that could have been more useful elsewhere! At the press conference, it was said : « That's enough !» |
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