Gita Sahgal talks to the BBC

H/T Jolene Tan

I’ll work on transcript tomorrow.

 

Moazzam Begg responds to the rank claims of Gita Sahgal (former Amnesty employee)

Via Cageprisoners I have highlighted particularly pertinent sections of Moazzam Begg’s letter with bold type. 

08/02/2010

7^th February 2010

Richard Kerbaj 

The Sunday Times 

Dear Mr. Kerbaj,

Your Article: ‘Amnesty International is ‘damaged’ by Taliban link’

I was shocked and extremely disappointed to see your article in today’s Sunday Times make no reference at all to the questions you so ardently sought to have answered (as mentioned below) and, that I explained to you in some detail in our telephone conversation yesterday. 

Your headline makes a serious accusation: that it proves to expose a tangible link between Amnesty and the Taliban. Can I ask exactly who in the Taliban you are referring to that is either linked to Amnesty or me?

It seems very odd that your article, which is entirely about Amnesty’s relationships with me, carries very little in the way of responses from me which you so clearly went out of your way to seek. Why is that?

When asked about the nature of my relationship with Amnesty you make no mention of my response: that I work very closely with them and that it stretches back to the time that Amnesty worked with my father when I was in Guantanamo.

I told you clearly that if you wanted to know my (and Cageprisoners’) views about Awlaki to refer to the article that is on our website: http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=30886 in which you could have quoted, had you wished, the following:

“Cageprisoners never has and never will support the ideology of killing innocent civilians, whether by suicide bombers or B52s, whether that’s authorised by Awlaki or by Obama. Neither will we be forced into determining a person’s guilt outside a recognised court of law.” This article also deals with any concerns about the recent Christmas day plot – something you asked us about.

When asked specifically about the Taliban I told you my view: that I have advocated for engagement and dialogue with the Taliban well before our own government took the official position of doing the same – only last week – although, I did not say, like the government, we should be giving them lots of money in order to do so.

I also clearly told you, though you deliberately chose to ignore, that I had actually witnessed what I believe were human rights abuses under the Taliban and have detailed them in my book, from which you conveniently and selectively quote. I added that the US administration had perpetrated severe human rights abuses against me for years but that didn’t mean I opposed dialogue with them.  I even told you that Cageprisoners and I have initiated pioneering steps in that regard by organising tours all around the UK with former US guards from Guantanamo and men who were once imprisoned there. Cagreprisoners is the only organisation to have done so. (One of these soldiers, upon in response to your article sent this message to me:  They are attacking you and your causes…don’t forget you have real support by some of us ex-Soldiers who have seen the light…  I expect he too will be accused by your likes of being brainwashed by me). Instead, you simply say, without qualification, ‘He defended his support for the Taliban….’

Had you – and Ms Sahgal no doubt – done your homework properly you’d have discovered also that I was involved in the building of, setting up and running of a school for girls in Kabul during the time of the Taliban, but of course, that wouldn’t have sat well with the agenda and nature of your heavily biased and poorly researched article.

In relation to MS. Sahgal, I told you – and you were fully aware – that I appeared on a BBC Radio 4 show, Hecklers, alongside her, Tariq Ramadan, Lord Nazir Ahmed, Tahmina Saleem (ISB) and Daud Abdullah (MCB). I told you that her analysis of the situation on this programme was so poor and skewed that she referred to all of us as ‘partners of the government in the war against terror’ until I reminded I was sitting on the panel.

I told you too that I have never since spoken to Ms. Sahgal and that if she had any concerns about my work she has never put them to me and that I found it most odd that she found it more appropriate to discuss this in the media first. Again, had you done your research properly you’d have made some reference to our first meeting on Radio 4 where I iterated that the way to solve conflicts can be found in the Northern Ireland model (engaging with ‘terrorists). I have engaged in several such initiatives, some of them hosted by Amnesty, asking people to look at this episode as a place to find solutions. Bizarrely, Ms. Sahgal, through her argument, seemed to reject this view. Whilst it gives me no personal pleasure to hear of the suspension of Ms. Sahgal for holding her view the newspapers were not the right place to air them without first putting them to Cageprisoners or me.

You had also interviewed my colleague, Asim Qureshi, but again failed to mention anything thing he said to you in relation to the work of Cageprisoners and our relationship with Amnesty International.

To conclude, I believe your article, is written in a style clearly designed, intentionally or by negligence, to damage our relationship with human rights organisations and discredit the work we do in advocating for the rights of those who have suffered terrible human rights abuses. As such, I have referred your article to your editor and the Press Complaints Commission as a formal and major complaint and, to my lawyers to pursue legal action.

Moazzam Begg

Director

Cageprisoners Ltd
27 Gloucester Road
London
United Kingdom
WC1N 3XX 

 Richard Kerbaj’s Questions for Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners – 6^th February 2010

 As discussed earlier, I am working on an article about Amnesty International’s relationship with Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners. I have interviewed a number of current and former Amnesty officials who have raised their concerns internally about the “unsuitable partnership” between the organisation and Begg and Cageprisoners.

 Questions for Moazzam Begg:

 Can you please describe the exact nature of your organisation’s work with Amnesty International?

 What are your current views on Anwar Al Awlaki – the Yemini-based cleric who is believed to have inspired the man behind the Fort Hood massacre and Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, the man behind the Detroit bomb plot? 

 What are your current views on the Taleban? And do you think the Taleban’s views are contrary to human rights?

 Has Amnesty International ever questioned your views on Awlaki, Abdulmuttallab or the Taleban?

Questions for Cageprisoners:

 Can you please describe the exact nature of Cageprisoners’ work with Amnesty International? And can you please outline the number of projects Cageprionsers has worked on – and is currently working on – with AI?

 What are Cageprisoners’ views on Anwar Al Awlaki – the Yemini-based cleric who is believed to have inspired the man behind the Fort Hood massacre and Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, the man behind the Detroit bomb plot? 

 What is your organisation’s views on the Taleban?

 Has Amnesty International ever questioned any Cageprisoners officials on their views on Awlaki, Abdulmuttallab or the Taleban?

 Cageprisoners has been described by a senior official at Amnesty – Gita Sahgal, who I have interviewed on the record – as a “salafi/jihadi” organisation parading as a human rights group? What is Cageprioners’ view on that claim?

Please get back to me at your earliest convenience because we are running the article this weekend.

 Best regards,

 Richard Kerbaj

The Sunday Times

Journalist

Background links:

Sunday Times ‘article’:  Amnesty International is ‘damaged’ by Taliban link

Amnesty Statement:  Human rights are for all:  Response to media article

Post at Stroppyblog which was posted yesterday solely on the basis of the Sunday Times ‘article’ and at that point without Moazzam Begg’s response:  Amnesty, reinstate Gita Saghal

An interview with Moazzam Begg from 2007:  Moazzam Begg: We have to negotiate with al-Qa’ida

Related links:

Please visit Cageprisoners for more information, including full coverage of the farcical trial of Aafia Saddiqui. 

Andy Worthington also writes an excellent blog with information about Guantanamo Torture Camp and other sites of imperial abuse, and is the author of The Guantamano Files which details how and why so many innocent people have been caught up in such a terrible way in the imperial war of terror on muslims. 

Guantanamo Justice Centre is another important source of information, with an excellent article about the expansion of Bagram:  Guantanamo’s More Evil Twin? 

Reprieve and Amnesty Ireland are also good sources of information, as are other blogs in my blogroll.

Please add any further links you might find below, and whatever you do – DO NOT BELIEVE the claims being made against Moazzam Begg before reading further into why a campaign against him would be useful to those who don’t want to listen to the truth.

Human rights are just that – for all humans.

 

Note:  I have edited the title from Saghal to Sahgal which is the correct spelling.

 

Update on my About page

08 February 2009

This is not a feminist blog.  Much feminism today seems to advocate women’s rights above all others.  This is not what feminism was founded on.  It is not liberation.  Following the take up today of the suspension of Gita Saghal because of her rank views on Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners as a feminist issue leads me to say firmly that I am NOT a feminist.  Human rights are just that – rights for all humans.  End of.

 

Monday Morning Lovelies

 

Fear Vs Fact in Aafia Siddiqui Case

Via Ibrahim Sajid Malick

No issue has evoked such impassioned and divergent opinions than the case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who was found guilty on 7 counts of attempted murder of U.S. Nationals by a 12 member jury in a federal court in New York City this week.  

With allegations of being an Al-Qaeda operative headlining nearly every report in the American media and allegations that she was held in a secret prison and tortured for the 5 years before her capture dominating reports in the Pakistani media; the only way to get close to a “common sense” perspective is to take a look at what we actually do know about this case.  Aafia Siddiqui; a prized commodity in the global war of terror

We do know that in March of 2003 Aafia Siddiqui was a mother of 3 children who disappeared in Karachi, Pakistan as she was on her way to the airport, along with her three children.  

We do know that in 2003 the children were Suleman under-6 months, Maryam-Age 3, and Ahmed-Age 7  

 

White Mischief aka Rabid Giraffes Wear Merkins

Don't watch this film!

Film opens with two posh twats in a London tube station during an air raid.  One of which is the delightfully young Hugh Grant.  Cuts to posh twat polo in Kenya.

Different posh twats at a respectfully decadent wife swapping party with a naked woman just standing there for our viewing pleasure.  Scene moves to respectful daytime club for posh twats with introduction to London female posh twat (who seems to be married to posh but financially challenged Josh/Jock) of all the main characters by another posh twat.  Characters include a testicle shooting Sarah Miles and a cad called Joss, played by the lush baddy from Jewel in the Crown.

 

Aw Julie Bindel, Bechod!

On an F-Word thread that contains comments criticising the study Men Who Buy Sex which Julie Bindel contibuted to, our ‘dear friend’ Bindel has posted this comment today:

Julie Bindel said:

When I made the comment about the 27 folk who signed the letter of complaint re Big Brothl, I meant that the vast majority are campaigning alongside sex industry profiteers (pimps) and punters to legalise the industry, NOT that they are directly profiting themselves. I was making the point that they are politcal campaigners and certainly not objective.

I must say I get really tired of this villification of me. Boring. Do some activism instead of having a go at me and my colleagues. [my bold]

Posted on 02 February 2010 at 4:48 PM

Funny how Bindel didn’t like activists on Friday at the RVT.  In fact her dislike was so intense that she got her little friends to come out in

 

28 Days to safeguard women in Wales

Via Million Women Rise on Facebook

We have 1 month left to press the Assembly to deliver an effective, integrated strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.

As a result of our campaign, the new Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Carl Sargeant, has committed to completing an integrated strategy to prevent violence and assist survivors to rebuild their lives by the end of February 2010.

IN ONE MONTH IN WALES:

 

Quick Hit: The ex-gay files

The Independent today carries an article by Patrick Strudwick entitled The ex-gay files: The bizarre world of gay-to-straight conversion

I can only doubt the headline writer actually read the article, but bizarre it is not.  Cruel and inhumane practices by ‘therapists’ are clearly exposed by Strudwick.  A shocking must read:

 My investigation began last spring, shortly after King’s report was published, when an evangelical group held a conference in a central London church for therapists wanting to learn how to “reorient” their patients. I wanted to know who these therapists were, what happened during the treatment, and what effect it would have on the recipient. I posed as a potential client wanting to be cured.  More

 

Women and the military

Recent surveys have found that a third of women in the US military have been raped while serving, and 90% say they have been sexually harassed. In the rare occurence of a rape being reported and prosecuted then the rapist can genuinely expect lenient punishment.  In fact standard operating procedures are based on the assumption that female personnel will be raped by fellow personnel:

Army specialist Chantelle Henneberry spoke of some of her experiences in Iraq, “Everybody’s supposed to have a battle buddy in the army, and females are supposed to have one to go to the latrines with, or to the showers – that’s so you don’t get raped by one of the men on your own side. But because I was the only female there, I didn’t have a battle buddy. My battle buddy was my gun and my knife.”

More details on Service Women’s Action Network – SWAN including a Democracy Now video which shows how essential the military finds women in the field – apart from their use  by their rapist colleagues – and how female veterans are even less likely than male veterans are to be supported when they come back from service.

——————

Chilling accounts from 96 female Israeli IDF soldiers serving in Palestine have been released by Breaking the Silence. Ynet magazine carries some of these accounts which include systematic humiliation of Palestinians, reckless and cruel violence, theft, killing of innocent people and cover-up. Truly disgusting, and deeply unsettling read which begins thus:

 

Guest Post: RickB from TenPercent

Hello RickB here from TenPercent! I’d like to thank Earwicga for putting this up, I am unable to post on WordPress.com, a brief explanation of what I know and a Friday post have now made it onto my blogger standby blog HERE.

 

I am giving WordPress.com a full week to get their act together (so waiting ’til end of business in SF Tuesday before I review my options), I don’t know if this is censorship, legal timidity, a technical glitch or what?!?!

 

Update:  Ten Percent is back up and running with an apology from WordPress but no explanation.

 

The New Apple iPad

 

UK Welfare Template 2010

Full details here.

 

L/Cpl Joe Glenton

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton was arrested for refusing to return to Afghanistan, leading an anti-war demonstration and speaking to the media in defiance of orders. He faces trial for charges which carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

Protest at Joe Glenton’s court martial hearing 29 January 2010
Joe appears before a judge for a preliminary hearing of his court martial on 29 January 2010. Stop the War will organise a picket of

 

Aafia Siddiqui; a prized commodity in the global war of terror

Aafia Siddiqui’s ‘trial’ continued today and is expected to be over by the middle of next week.   Petra Bartosiewicz is providing daily coverage of this farce for Cageprisoners. 

Despite not wanting to appear in court due to strip and cavity searches before and after transfers between prison and court, Siddiqui has been required to be in the court building for each and every day of this farce.  Not only is this an insult to any woman, but it would be impossible to believe that Siddiqui hasn’t been raped and sexually abused during all her years in captivity which makes this behaviour even more cruel. 

Questions have been raised over Siddiqui’s capacity to be tried, but have obviously been dismissed in true American style.  It is impossible that the truth about Siddiqui will come out at this ‘trial’ – who wants to hear of the torture of a woman who was then shot to get around the refusal of Afghan police to hand her over to American authority?  It is also just as impossible that we will ever know where two of her three children are – most likely killed somewhere along the way.

 

It’s 22nd Jan 2009 – I’m glad Obama closed Gitmo

The words contained in this video are lies.

A year after Obama spoke these fine words, Guantánamo Torture Camp is still open and contains approximately 200 hostages who have never been charged and have been held illegally for up to nine years, since the war of terror was escalated by the US and her allies.

It makes me sick to my stomach to read of extraordinary rendition, of the torture inflicted on these men, and of the murders commited in Guantánamo Torture Camp.  It would still make me sick to my stomach if these men were guilty of anything, but the further injustice is that they

 

Menstrewation!

Via The 10 Most Bizarre Sex Ed Videos

Enjoy, while sitting up straight to ’give the organs inside your body room to function better’ but remember sex is only for the married people i.e. after the white dress but shh, don’t talk about it at all.

 

Blog for Choice 2010 – Trust Women

On January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Roe v Wade.  The court held that “a woman has the right to choose abortion care until fetal viability” which meant the restrictions on abortion that two thirds of US states had previously enacted became illegal.  Naral Pro Choice America ask us to mark this anniversary each year, and the question posed this year is:

What does Trust Women mean to you?

 

Mike Prysner: Our real enemies

Mike Prysner, war veteran.  Video and transcript of speech made in 2009.

Please Support the Veterans at: http://www.ivaw.org/  Also visit www.antiwar.com

Transcript via dotsub.com with substantial corrections and additions by myself.

Time	Content
00:00 → 00:04	I tried hard to be proud of my service
00:04 → 00:06	but all I could feel was shame
00:06 → 00:10	The racism can no longer master the reality of the occupation
00:10 → 00:12	these were people these are human beings

 

The Guantánamo “Suicides” (glad it’s closing in 2 days)

H/T Ten Percent  (I’ve just been reminded of this post at Invictus via Ten Percent again)

In June 2006 three hostages apparently committed suicide despite all being innocent and finally being close to release from American torture camp Guantánamo.  Really?  Well, not according to everybody.