Public Meeting on Civil Liberties and Anti-Terror Measures
Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign | 23.09.2005 19:40 | Anti-racism | Repression | Terror War | Birmingham
Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign has organised a Public Meeting to discuss ith various community organisations and others the threat posed to our civil liberties in this country by Tony Blair's proposed new legislative and administrative measures following the 7th July events in London.
The meeting will discuss the government’s response to the London bombings and it’s impact on our Civil Liberties.
Speakers Invited:-
-Nusrat Chagtai, a human rights lawyer who will talk about the implications of current and proposed anti-terror measures.
-Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Deputy Secretary General Muslim Council of Britain and member of Tony Blair’s ‘taskforce’.
-Dr M Naseem, Chairman Birmingham Central Mosque.
Representatives from:-
-Muslim Association of Britain.
-Islamic Human Rights Commission.
-Respect.
-Birmingham Members of Parliament (Khalid Mahmood).
We extend our deepest sympathy to the friends and families of those who died, and all those affected in the bomb attacks in London on 7th July 2005. We do not support the killing of innocent people anywhere in the world and do not regard it as a legitimate way of carrying forward the struggle against oppression. We also remember the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of Bush and Blair’s ‘War on Terror’. These innocent victims are not honoured with names and faces, we know nothing of their hopes and aspirations – they are the ‘collateral damage’ of the occupation.
Terrorism has political and social roots and is not related to any particular religion, but since the London bombings the government and the media have pointed fingers at the whole Muslim community, as if they were responsible for the criminal acts of a few individuals. This demonisation plus the new and proposed anti-terror measures poses a great threat to the Muslim community and to the community at large.
We are calling this meeting so that we can understand what the new legislation means in practice and to discuss ways in which we can come together and make our voices heard in defence of our civil and human rights.
THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE AT:- 7.30 p.m. Thursday the 29th September 2005
CARRS LANE CHURCH CENTRE
CARRS LANE
BIRMINGHAM
B4 7SX
Detainees in Guantanamo Bay on Hunger Strike
At least 210 detainees have been on hunger strike since 11 August in protest at their conditions. An earlier hunger strike was stopped when the US authorities promised some changes. They reneged on these promises and the detainees have resumed their protest. Anyone familiar with the Irish hunger strikes of the 1980s will realise that these detainees are at a critical stage – it’s a matter of life and death. Please contact your MP and urge him/her to press the British government to raise the matter with the American authorities as a matter of urgency. Sign an online petition by entering the web address below in your internet browser:-
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/7156.html
Not Responsible
Speakers Invited:-
-Nusrat Chagtai, a human rights lawyer who will talk about the implications of current and proposed anti-terror measures.
-Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Deputy Secretary General Muslim Council of Britain and member of Tony Blair’s ‘taskforce’.
-Dr M Naseem, Chairman Birmingham Central Mosque.
Representatives from:-
-Muslim Association of Britain.
-Islamic Human Rights Commission.
-Respect.
-Birmingham Members of Parliament (Khalid Mahmood).
We extend our deepest sympathy to the friends and families of those who died, and all those affected in the bomb attacks in London on 7th July 2005. We do not support the killing of innocent people anywhere in the world and do not regard it as a legitimate way of carrying forward the struggle against oppression. We also remember the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed as a result of Bush and Blair’s ‘War on Terror’. These innocent victims are not honoured with names and faces, we know nothing of their hopes and aspirations – they are the ‘collateral damage’ of the occupation.
Terrorism has political and social roots and is not related to any particular religion, but since the London bombings the government and the media have pointed fingers at the whole Muslim community, as if they were responsible for the criminal acts of a few individuals. This demonisation plus the new and proposed anti-terror measures poses a great threat to the Muslim community and to the community at large.
We are calling this meeting so that we can understand what the new legislation means in practice and to discuss ways in which we can come together and make our voices heard in defence of our civil and human rights.
THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE AT:- 7.30 p.m. Thursday the 29th September 2005
CARRS LANE CHURCH CENTRE
CARRS LANE
BIRMINGHAM
B4 7SX
Detainees in Guantanamo Bay on Hunger Strike
At least 210 detainees have been on hunger strike since 11 August in protest at their conditions. An earlier hunger strike was stopped when the US authorities promised some changes. They reneged on these promises and the detainees have resumed their protest. Anyone familiar with the Irish hunger strikes of the 1980s will realise that these detainees are at a critical stage – it’s a matter of life and death. Please contact your MP and urge him/her to press the British government to raise the matter with the American authorities as a matter of urgency. Sign an online petition by entering the web address below in your internet browser:-
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/7156.html Not Responsible
Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign
e-mail:
BhamGuantanamoCampaign@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.end-unlawful-imprisonmeny.org.uk
Comments
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Blair's little 'meet' in Brum
23.09.2005 23:16
Let me make a more general comment
QUOTE "We also remember the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed"
So let me get this straight. This bunch of stooges, claiming (ho, ho, ho) to represent muslims in the UK, state that the life of a muslim in uniform, defending his or her country, willingly or conscripted, counts for NOTHING. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. We have a group of people, CLAIMING the right to speak on behalf of muslims, clearly stated that the lives of jewish and christian invader soldiers are to be mourned and regretted, but the lives of muslim soldiers, attempting to protect their OWN lands from invasion, are to be forgotten (and never mentioned).
WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!
300,000+ lives have been exterminated in Iraq by Blair (and Khalid Mahmood under EVERY legal understanding of collective responsibility) since the invasion. This figure includes every man and women who acted to defend their OWN country against an invasion employing a level of military brutality and ruthlessness that Hitler himself could never of dreamed of.
So a true muslim spits on the grave of a fellow muslim who died defending his family, his home,and his country, does he. In a world where christians enlessly honour THEIR dead soldiers, regardless of why they were fighting. In a world where jews endless honour THEIR dead soldiers, regardless of why they were fighting. In a world where every dead US and UK terrorist that dies in Iraq is honoured, because they are in uniform. IN THIS WORLD, ONLY MUSLIMS FAIL TO VALUE MUSLIM SOLDIERS THAT FALL DEFENDING THEIR LANDS??? THIS IS WHAT BLAIR AND HIS GOONS EXPECTS ME AND OTHERS TO BELIEVE???
So let me make it clear. This meeting in Birmingham- well it might just as well feature Blair, and Straw, and Mandelson, for all it REALLY cares about the fate of Muslims in the UK. If they work with Blair, for Blair, or benefit Blair in any way, they might as well be Blair himself.
ONE LAST REMINDER- RESPECT was formed solely to imply that the anti-war movement was/is a muslim pressure group, and to ensure that NO popularist anti-war party contested significant numbers of seats at the last election. Mission accomplished.
twilight