CHRISTMAS 2009
WHITE CHRISTMAS OPERATION IN COCCAGLIO


''AND SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HER FIRSTBORN, A SON.
SHE WRAPPED HIM IN CLOTHS AND PLACED HIM IN A MANGER, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THEM IN THE INN''

Dear Editor and Readers,

On this Night before Christmas I travel with you through some Moments in the history of men, kept in a dusty archive.


CASE 1

YEAR ZERO
BIRTH IN BETHLEHEM
NO PLACE IN THE INN

A poor and hungry couple arrives in Bethlehem, where they had to go on order of the Roman occupier because of a people's registration
The young woman is pregnant of her first child and has recently survived a heavy travel with a donkey, on paths of stones.
It is impossible to rest, because all inns are already filled with other people, coming for that registration
They don't have any money to rent a room elsewhere
Out of pity, because the time of the woman has come, a friendly innkeeper gives them permission to sleep in the manger
The same night she gives birth to her first Son.
She calls Him Jesus [Joshua in Hebrew]

CASE 2

2001 YEARS LATER
BIRTH IN THE VICINITY OF BETHLEHEM, 2001
TRAGEDY

A Palestinian family arrives at an Israeli military checkpoint [1] at al Walaja village, near Bethlehem
They are not Joseph and Mary, but Nasser and Fatima.
They try to reach the hospital in Bethlehem, but soldiers at military checkpoints twice refuse to allow them to pass, saying that Fatima's condition was not critical.
After trying for about one hour to pass the checkpoints, Fatima gives birth to a son, in their car.
At al Walaja, near Bethlehem
She calls him Walid

But there are medical complications
Fatima is only seven months pregnant, when the baby is born.
As a premature baby, Walid requires urgent medical treatment.
The family reaches the hospital in Bethlehem one and a half hours after he was born, but the weight and temperature of the baby are too low.
He didn't survive
He died that afternoon [2]

CASE 3
DECEMBER, 24 2009
COCCAGLIO

A knock on the door [3]
It's a day before Christmas
Police officials call at the home of a refugee family in Coccaglio, asking them for their residence papers.
As they learn, that the residence papers have expired, the family is asked to leave the house and the town.
Christmas Eve they leave town, towards an insecure future.

This on the order of the mayor of Coccaglio, Mr Claretti, who has decided to ''clean up'' the town from ''illegal inhabitants'' [4]
He called it ''Operation White Christmas'' and it would go on untill 25 december, Christmas Day [5]

It will come as no surprise to you, that he is a member of the extreme right-wing party ''Lega Nord'' [6]

I quote the mayor:

''"There isn't any criminality here," he said. "We just want to start cleaning [the place] up." [7]

Also, the councillor in charge of security in the town, Northern League member Claudio Abiendi, told La Repubblica newspaper: "For me Christmas isn't the holiday of hospitality, but rather that of the Christian tradition and of our identity." [8]

INJUSTICE:

CASES from the history of Mankind, which have one thing in common, the injustice

CASE 1 is a charge against poverty and the misuse of power of an occupator

Luckily, an innkeeper gave help here on humanitarian grounds
The Travel with all horrors, the extremely difficult circumstances of the birth and the hard life under the Roman occupator are mostly covered by some sentimental Christmas story.
Seldom will be mentioned, that the ''little Shepherds'' in reality were social outcasts, who however had the privilege to see the Child as the first people.

The Child, Who has payed the highest price for bringing His message of unconditional Love [translate: 'Universal Respect for human rights for EVERY man, woman and child, regardless race, descent, religious and political views, social status or committed crime]
The price of His life.

He, Who has uttered the Words:

''42 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45 “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ [9]

''Christian''Democrats like for instance the Dutch prime-minister Balkenende and the German BundesKansler Merkel, who support the horrors of the war and occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq and are responsible for harsh asylumpolicies, DON'T DARE to think of this RADICAL MESSAGE OF FUNDAMENTAL LOVE, as they attend Church on Christmas
You know, they are very faithful visitors of the Church [10]

They rather pay no attention to all protests and demonstrations against their inhuman asylumpolicies and continue the path of Evil [11]

CASE 2

AL WALAJA, NEAR BETHLEHEM

This horrible tragedy is a charge against the Israeli occupier, but here was NO help and an innocent little baby died.
It is the living symbol of the injustice of the now 42 years Israeli occupation with all its oppression, human rights violations and war-crimes.
But also a symbol of the injustice of ANY occupation wherever in the world

Because occupation violates the elementary human rights.
The right on freedom and the right on self-destination

Occupation opens the way for abuse of power and State-terrorism

CASE 3
COCCAGLIO IN ITALY
OPERATION ''WHITE CHRISTMAS''

A xenophobic and racist purge-operation against people, who have fled from prosecution, war or poverty to try to build up an existence in Europe
The way they are ''welcomed'' is with racism, distrust and xenophobia.

SOLIDARITY:

In CASE 1, an innkeeper with humanitarian feelings came to the rescue of the mother, who had to give birth

In CASE 2, the mother, who was in agony to have her baby, was not given help and humanity
This urges us to support with all our powers, the struggle of the Palestinians against the Israeli occupation
The solidarity with EVERY PEOPLE, who fight a foreign occupation

In CASE 3, there is a chance for us to turn back the tide, not only with regard to xenophobia in Italy, but also in the rest of Europe, among else the Netherlands.

In my small way I have contributed to turn the tide by writing the Italian members of the EU parliament, in protest against this ''White Christmas' operation and the Italian asylumpolicy in general


APPEAL TO YOU

I would appeal to you, if you would be so friendly, also to write to the members of EU Parliament, or to the Italian government or other politicians


I hereby give you the link to the emailadresses of the EU members of Parliament:

 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/zoneList.do?country=IT&language=NL

When you press on the election-districts [Centrale, Insulare, Meridionale, Nord-Occidentale and Nord-Orientale], you'll find their emailadresses

I thank you very much in advance for your trouble

CHRISTMAS WISH
WISH FOR THE NEW YEAR

Dear Editor and Readers,

I wish you Peaceful, Merry and Spiritual Christmasdays
I know, that you will receive this message after Christmas, but to me, wishes of Peace and Spirituality are not confined to those two days only, but for the whole year.

For the year 2010 I wish you personally health,happiness, joy and fighting spirit

And more in general a better world, which may eventually lead to freedom of racism, poverty, wars, unequal economical relations between the Western countries and the rest of the world and an end to all other forms of injustice.

Let's not forget the ANIMAL RIGHTS and all peaceful protests against animal rights violations.

From this place I thank everybody, who has contributed this year in the struggle against injustice.

May your days will blessed, in this year and 2010

Kind greetings

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands




P/S

UNDER THE NOTES:

LETTER TO THE ITALIAN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT OF THE EU

A


NOTES


[1]

In occupied Palestinian territory, the Westbank


[2]

ELECTRONIC INTIFADA
ARJAN EL FASSED/ANNET MEEUWS
''FROM NAZARETH TO BETHLEHEM ANNO 2001''
DECEMBER 2001


 http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article429.shtml

[3]

''Operation "White Christmas", as it has been dubbed, will see officials calling at the homes of all 400 or so of the town's extracomunitari – as foreigners from outside the EU are known in Italy – between now and 25 December in order to scrutinise their papers.

SOURCE:

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html

''Officials in Coccaglio will call at the homes of all 400 or so of the town's extracomunitari – as foreigners from outside the EU are known in Italy – between now and 25 December in order to scrutinise their papers, the Independent reports. The move has been dubbed "Operation White Christmas".
Those whose residence permits are found to have expired, and who cannot prove that they have attempted to renew them, will be told to leave the town.''

SOURCE:

THE TELEGRAPH
19 NOVEMBER 2009
ITALIAN TOWN ''DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS''

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/6602625/Italian-town-dreaming-of-a-White-Christmas.html


''In Coccaglio, just under 7,000 inhabitants and 1,500 foreigners, the police will be knocking on the doors of the 400 non-EU citizens. If their residence permits expired more than six months ago and if they cannot prove they have applied for renewal, “then” says Mayor Franco Claretti “their right to residence is revoked” .


SOURCE:

INDYMEDIA IRELAND
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''A WHITE CHRISTMAS IN ITALY MEANS CHRISTMAS WITHOUT NON-EU CITIZENS''

 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/94841



[4]

''Mayor Claretti denied that the purge was prompted by problems with law and order in the town. "There isn't any criminality here," he said. "We just want to start cleaning [the place] up."

SOURCE:

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html



[5]

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html


THE TELEGRAPH
19 NOVEMBER 2009
ITALIAN TOWN ''DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS''

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/6602625/Italian-town-dreaming-of-a-White-Christmas.html

[6]

''Instead, local officials from the xenophobic Northern League party are relying on some seasonal ethnic cleansing to purify the town. They are launching an officially-sanctioned drive to identify and expel as many non-Europeans as possible before Christmas.''

SOURCE

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html


''“We want to clean up,” said Mr Claretti, a member of Northern League, an anti-immigrant party that is part of the ruling coalition of the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.''

SOURCE:

THE NATIONAL
6 DECEMBER 2009
''OUTCRY OVER ITALY'S ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' PLAN

 http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091207/FOREIGN/712069914/1013



[7]

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html

See also NOTE 4


[8]

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE


 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html

THE NATIONAL
6 DECEMBER 2009
''OUTCRY OVER ITALY'S ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' PLAN

 http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091207/FOREIGN/712069914/1013

[9]

NEW TESTIMONY
MATTHEW 25: 42-45

[10]

ABOUT DUTCH IMMIGRATION POLICY:

''SCHIPHOLWAKES''

SOME BACKGROUNDINFORMATION IN ENGLISH ABOUT MIGRANT DETENTION CENTRES IN THE NETHERLANDS AND EUROPE


 http://www.schipholwakes.nl/background-information-in-english.htm


THE MAKING OF THE ILLEGAL MIGRANT
HOW TWENTY YEARS OF DUTCH IMMIGRATION POLICY HAVE CREATED FORTRESS NETHERLANDS
AUTORS:
ROSALIE STEPHAN AND LEONIE VERSCHUREN


 http://www.schipholwakes.nl/Immigration_Netherlands_Diagonal1.pdf

MIGRANTS UNITE IN HUNGERSTRIKE AT SCHIPHOL DETENTION CENTER
31 MARCH 2009
DR RUTVICA ANDRIJASEVIC


 http://www.enacting-citizenship.eu/index.php/sections/news_item/331/


[11]

Their genuine lack of respect for human rights, as well in national as international affairs


B

LETTER TO THE ITALIAN MEMBERS OF THE EU PARLIAMENT

REGARDING THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' OPERATION IN COCCAGLIO

TO THE ITALIAN MEMBERS OF THE EU PARLIAMENT
SUBJECT: ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' OPERATION IN COCCAGLIO''


''And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.''

Luke 2:7

''The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.''

Article 14, European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

Dear Sirs and Ladies,

I have learnt with great concern about the operation ''White Christmas'', which has been launched by the Mayor of Coccaglio, Mr F. Claretti, since november this year.
As you'll know, the goal is to expel as many illegal refugees as possible untill Christmas [1]
There will be a ''knock on their door'' by officials, and when their residence permits are found to have expired six months or more, they will be asked to leave town

In his own words, Mr Claretti claims to ''cleaning [the place] up." [2]

Mr C Abiendi, the councillor in charge of security in the town, added to La Repubblica newspaper: "For me Christmas isn't the holiday of hospitality, but rather that of the Christian tradition and of our identity." [3]
Both are members of the ''Lega Nord'' which is notorious for its xenofobic and discriminative points of view.

To my opinion, this ''White Christmas'' -''cleaning up'' operation is not only inhuman and discriminative and as such against human rights and the real principles of Christianity.
By its systematic character, it also leads to the criminalisation of people, who have left their homeland, not for their pleasure, but in search of better living conditions.
Because fleeing a country is no crime, but bare necessity, due to whether prosecution, continuing wars or poverty.

But it is not only this ''White Christmas'' operation, also the Italian immigration-policy as a whole, giving mayors extending powers regarding refugee-policy and taking a law, which has made ''illegality'' a crime [4]

As EU Parliamentarians you have a political and moral obligation to respect human rights, which includes the right of any refugee on a human treatment and a fair chance to build up an existence, free from poverty and prosecution.

Therefore I request to you to influence your government, not only to prevent such razzia-like operations like ''White Christmas'', but also to review the legislation, which makes desperate refugees to criminals

Relying on your wisdom in defending real christian and human principles, I wish you a blessed and peaceful Christmas

Kind regards

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands



[1]

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html


THE TELEGRAPH
19 NOVEMBER 2009
ITALIAN TOWN ''DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS''

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/6602625/Italian-town-dreaming-of-a-White-Christmas.html

THE NATIONAL
6 DECEMBER 2009
''OUTCRY OVER ITALY'S ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' PLAN

 http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091207/FOREIGN/712069914/1013


[2]

''Mayor Claretti denied that the purge was prompted by problems with law and order in the town. "There isn't any criminality here," he said. "We just want to start cleaning [the place] up."

SOURCE

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html


[3]

THE INDEPENDENT
19 NOVEMBER 2009
''ITALY'S NORTHERN LEAGUE IN THE ''WHITE CHRISTMAS'' IMMIGRANT PURGE

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italys-northern-league-in-white-christmas-immigrant-purge-1823231.html


[4]

''
Italy
Government policies and legislation have exacerbated a general climate of racism and xenophobia. Law 94 of July 2009 made undocumented entry and stay in Italy a criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to 10,000 euros. All public officials are required to report criminal conduct, leading to concerns officials may report undocumented migrants who seek medical attention or other services they are entitled to receive under Italian law irrespective of their status. Legislation adopted in 2008 had already made undocumented migrants liable to up to one-third longer prison sentences if convicted of a crime. ''

SOURCE:

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
REPORT
''SLOW MOVEMENT''
PROTECTION OF MIGRANT'S RIGHTS IN 2009
DECEMBER 2009


PAGES 17 AND 18

 http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/related_material/migrants1209.pdf