PHA-Exchange> A letter from UPMRC

[jihad]

Dear friends in the PHM,
Friends in Kenya
Colleagues in the steering group,
 
We, the staff and volunteers of the UPMRC, express our deepest sorrow
and
outrage at the killing of civilians. Our sympathy and prayers are with
the
victims of such attacks and their families.
 
As an organization dedicated to promoting the values of respect and the
dignity of all human life, we are against any kind of violence spreading
death and fear, because it is painful and unfair -- especially when we,
the
Palestinian people, have been and continue to suffer on a daily basis
from
such death and fear due to the unprecedented aggression of the Israeli
occupation's military forces.
 
We are deeply moved by the recent terrible incident in Kenya, and share
the
grief, shock and concern of all our brothers and sisters in that
country. At
the same time, we are thankful to all who have volunteered to write and
provide their input on this incident.
 
Some of the voices heard do not represent the ideology or the spirit of
the
PHM that has brought all of us together. Pointing the finger of blame at
the
Palestinian people - a people who are themselves the victim of organized
terror and violence - is not the answer when responding to the terrible
and
terror attack on civilians in Mombassa, Kenya. Not only is it dangerous
and
unfair - it is also very worrying. Without verification, Mustafa's  name
and
the name of the UPMRC were called into question and our dear friend
Malachi
fall into the trap. We should not need to defend or promote our name. We
are
known at a local, regional and international level for our struggle for
a
better world for all peace-loving people and our defence of human
rights.
 
We have been engaged in the the struggle for our legitimate rights and
for a
just and permanent peace in the region for decades, all the while
suffering
from violence and aggression by the Israeli occupation military forces.
The
latest crimes committed against us represent true evidence of the brutal
and
inhumane policy practiced by Israel against the Palestinians. The root
cause
of the problem in Palestine is the fact Israel is still occupying
Palestinian lands after more than 35 years.
 
Palestinians have nothing to do with those who try to use the
Palestinian
unresolved issue to serve their own horrible interests, and we shall not
allow them to distort the image of the just Palestinian struggle for
freedom.
 
We, as part of the PHM, urge all of you to work collectively towards a
clear
and strong position on this issue. Be unanimous in our denunciation of
occupation, violence and attacks on civilians.
 
Wishing you all the best,
 
Mustafa Barghouthi and Jihad Mashal
On behalf of the UPMRC
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20021207/0383b9fc/attachment-0001.html>