NAL & ELDR Joint Statement on Immigration

Joint Statement between

Network of Arab Liberals (NAL) and

European Liberal Democrats Party (ELDR)

Regarding the Issue of Immigration

We, Liberals from Europe and the Arab world,

• Sharing liberal values of Equality, Respect for Human Rights, Democracy and common humanity;
  
• Having realized the shared concerns and the numerous challenges that we face including:
  
  • continued regional conflicts that threatens our security and well-being and restricts the natural development, prosperity and opportunity;
    
  • pollution and environmental issues that threatens our well-being and sustainability;
    
  • educational issues, poverty and economic crisis that threatens social development and individual liberties;
    
  • xenophobia, extremist forces and lack of inter-cultural dialog that undermines integration and gender equality.
    

Believe that:

• Immigration is a natural phenomenon and has contributed to the progress of human civilization especially when globalization has in the last few decades increased mobility across borders;
  
• Yet, massive rates of immigration beyond the ability of one society to successfully integrate the new comers, may pose many problems at local levels.
  

And further believe that effectively facing these challenges requires continued cooperation between both sides on the Mediterranean on the issues of immigration, and have convened in Rabat on 27^th March 2010, having deliberated the issues, agreed to the following joint recommendations:

• Emphasize the importance of protecting the human rights of migrants;
  
• Call upon European States to balance between security considerations and issues of development;
  
• Cooperation between European and Arab States in order to develop legal channels of immigration and raise awareness amongst prospective immigrants regarding labor market needs, legal, social and cultural issues related to immigration;
  
• Call on Arab Countries and other countries of origin to focus on the issues of Development, Education, Democracy and Human Rights creating opportunity and hope for their people;
  
• The need to work diligently on the just resolution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict;
  
• Call on the Liberal Parties in Europe and the Arab world to spread liberals values which truly provide lasting solutions for problems related to migration, radicalization and spirit of conflict, giving way to common understanding, tolerance and cooperation;
• Call on Mediterranean countries to work towards realizing Union for the Mediterranean Initiative and other projects for cooperation and mutual development.

Guilty by Origin

..... The Movie

Civic Duty

This movie,

Civic Duty,

Co-Starring an Egyptian Actor - Khaled Abol Naga. I

just watched it yesterday ... notice how you empathize with the American guy against the Mid-Eastern guy ... and at the end of the movie ... reflect on this ... and think what world we will live in, when we condemn people because of appearances.

This movie is a great advertisement to USA justice system and the FBI - no matter ... but it makes you think about your impulsive behavior - when you connect another human to a threat to your own safety and the paranoia which can develop to a psychotic condition.

The 3D Islam and the Swiss Ban on Building Minarets

3D Islam

Islam: a Religion or a Political Ideology?

Last year, I was invited by UK LibDems (Liberal Democratic Party) to observe their Fall Conference. I attended a large number of debates and presentations tackling a diversity of policies and issues ranging from Bio-fuels, green growth to election of local police commanders.

A few of the sessions which I managed to attend talked about Islam and issues related to Britain's large Muslim minority. I was shocked by the fanatic nature of some of the Muslim speakers. To be honest, there were some of the most extremist Muslim speakers I had ever listened to.

One of the concepts a bearded Muslim speaker talked about, in a Liberal Democrat conference, mind you, was the Concept of the 3D Islam. This speaker was in his late fifties or early sixties and was probably from a of Pakistani or Indian origin. In his eyes, Islam was not just a religion. Islam was a religion (Din), a state (Dawla) and a way of life (Donia or life). And hence came his 3D vision or version of Islam!

For the record, I categorically denounced the Swiss vote to ban building Mosque Minarets in Switzerland, as a violation to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, just as I denounce bureaucratic, administrative or legal barriers making it difficult for Christians trying to build a Church or Baha'is trying to build a temple of worship in Egypt, Saudi Arabia or any other country for that matter.

Swiss backers of the motion to vote on banning the minarets said the growing Muslim population was straining the country "because Muslims don't just practice religion."

According to Yahoo news,

"The minaret is a sign of political power and demand, comparable with whole-body covering by the burqa, tolerance of forced marriage and genital mutilation of girls," the sponsors said. They said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared mosques to Islam's military barracks and called "the minarets our bayonets." Erdogan made the comment in citing an Islamic poem many years before he became prime minister.

I then realized that there is some truth in that argument. Muslims have to decide. Is Islam a religion or is it a 3D version including a political party and possibly for even more fanatic Imams, a militia? We can not close our eyes and pretend that the Muslim Brothers do not use the Mosques as a Radical Political Party local branch. A couple of years ago, Mahdi Akef, Highest Spiritual Guide, or Morshed of the Muslim Brothers in Egypt, announced that he was ready to mobilize 10,000 militants to go and fight in Lebanon. Around the same time, masked students belonging to Muslim Brothers made a demonstration of Martial Arts showing their fighting skills in broad day light in one of Cairo's Universities.

We need to choose. We can protest as much as we like against assaults on freedom of faith, if this is really what it is, faith, religion. But if the Islam promoted by fanatic Imams, the Muslim Brothers and Al Gamaat El Islamia, is the 3D version, then we must re-examine our discourse. I certainly do not and will not support allowing the building of a local branch of a Radical Religious Party disguised as a place of worship.

Now, it is the time to choose.

Islam, a religion, or a Political Party?

Can the Swiss Vote on Human Rights? o.o.o

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091129/ap_on_re_eu/eu_switzerland_minaret_ban

Swiss ban mosque minarets in surprise vote

هل من حق السويسريين الاستفتاء على حقوق الإنسان؟

في رأيي المتواضع، هذا الاستفتاء باطل من الأصل.

استفتاء باطل من أساسه.

لا يمكن الاستفتاء على حقوق الإنسان.

حرية العقيدة حق من حقوق الإنسان.

هذا ينطبق على حرية بناء الكنائس في مصر أو السعودية.

مثلما ينطبق على حرية بناء المساجد أو المنائر في سويسرا أو غيرها.

أنا واحد من الناس الذين يتضررون من الصوت العالي جداً للأذان في الميكروفونات الخارجية 10 مرات في اليوم بدءاً من الرابعة صباحاً. ولكن هذا أمر آخر. استخدام مكبر الصوت بهذه الطريقة المزعجة فيه خرق للقانون.

ولكن منع بناء المساجد أو الكنائس أو المعابد فيه خرق لحقوق الإنسان.

هذا يوم حزين لحقوق الإنسان في العالم.

:::

In my opinion, putting "freedom of faith" to vote violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

No single country should be able to vote on renegotiating or compromising the universal principles of human rights.

This applies for building churches in places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia as much as it applies to building mosques or Minarets in Switzerland or other countries.

This vote in itself, regardless of its results, represents an assault on Human Rights and gives a terrible example of rejecting diversity and abandoning religious tolerance.

Never mind that I personally suffer from the screaming Azan coming from the mega DB loudspeakers operated by the mosque next door to my house 10 times a day starting at 4 a.m. This is a separate issue. The loud Azan is a violation of the law. Banning mosques is a violation of human rights.

This is a sad day for Human Rights.

The Essence of Tolerance

ليس التسامح أن نسمح للآخرين بالحصول على حقوقهم الطبيعية

Tolerance goes far deeper beyond allowing others to enjoy their natural human rights.

Alyaa Gad

بواهاهاهاها!! حللللوة

Gee King

قطعا

بل أن نكون سعداء عندما يحصلون علي تلك الحقوق

Eman Aly

التسامح هو العفو

عند المقدرة و مغفرة أخطاء الأخرين

إنما السماح للأخرين بالحصول على حقوقهم يسمى عدلا وحق

Ezzat Wagdy

هههههههههها ده قمة التسامح لو الحقوق شرعية

Wael Hlool

خلي التسامح ديدنك وشعارك*****وانثر شعورك بامسية شعرية

والغرب لا دكو مفاعل جارك***** سامح باراك واباما والحرية

Sameh Hanna:

This is Exactally what Manfalouty wrote a century ago.

محمدمحمودصبرى اسماعيل

وليه هو مينتزعش حقه وميستناش العفو والسماح

Mona Gawad

ده للبشر العاديين لكن لما نتكلم عن ناس تحت المستوي الآدمي يبقي الأمل هو بس الحصول علي الحقوق الطبيعية لأن أكترمن كدة بيكون رفاهية

زي بالضبط أيام العبودية و الرق و التفرقة العنصرية انسان بيطلب بس الاعتراف به كانسان و احنا بنعيش العار ده

المشكلة في تعريف الحقوق الطبيعية لأن مثلا عندنا التفكير الي هو حق طبيعي بيعتبر رفاهية ده غير حرية العقيدة

و حتي حرية ممارسة العبادات أو عدم ممارستها

Jomana Farahat:

I read something' somehow in relation to this recently:

"I have never liked the word tolerance. It always implies that somehow we disapprove of somebody's ethnic background or religion, but we put up with it, usually under duress. It is almost like saying, "I hate what you believe in, but I have to put up with it, the government told me to," when really you would like nothing more than to see the back of them."

" Tolerance has nothing to do with compassion. Tolerance places you above the person you are being tolerant to, do you understand? It places you as a powerful superior, and it is only by your good grace you allow them to exist at all!

In my mind, we have to take this word out of the dictionary if we are to progress as a species. We must accept all who we meet as brothers, for they are. We are forged from the same steel. We are one with them, what does it matter if they speak a different language, believe in different gods, eat different foods, and have different skin colours? We are all part of the whole, the indivisible. There is nothing else. You will see this when you gain more insight.

So instead of "tolerating" people, we must embrace them (not physically, although you can if you like!).

"

Nachoua Ihab:

Ya Joujie, u made think back the word tolerance ! Actually, it's definitely true that it places u above the person tolerated.. Yess. Only now i can realize it. And the same with the arabic equivalent, tasamo7, it drives from sama7a, yosame7, as in forgiveness.. Meaning u are forgiving the person tolerated !!!!!!!! Forgiving him for being what he is... Read More

Jomana Farahat:

Same thing exactly happened to me when I read these words for the first time ya Nouche. It is the writer's opinion, but it did change the way I look at the word tolerance.

Wael Nawara:

This is where the misconception is - Tolerance indeed comes from a position of a "Higher Moral Ground" - this position is attained when our rights are infringed and we exercise tolerance and forgiveness with those who stepped on our toes - this has nothing to do with allowing others to having their natural rights.