Gaza Emergency Appeal Fundraising Dinner
Gaza Emergency Appeal Fundraising Dinner
On the 2nd March 2008, many in the UK will be celebrating Mother's Day, buying gifts, enjoying time with their families...
On the other hand, mothers in Gaza will be struggling with no electricity, no water, no food, and no access to medicine…
Light a bulb in the hearts of the Palestinians…
Come to our fundraising dinner and remember the Mothers of Gaza…
With eye witness accounts and images on current affairs in Gaza and reflective entertainment with leading nasheed artists Shaam and comedian Jeff Mirza.
DR HANY AL BANNA – Founder of Islamic Relief
ZAID AL RAWNI – eyewitness account on current Gaza issues
SHAAM - one of the leading exponents of nasheeds, presenting themselves as heirs of this unique ancient Islamic art.
JEFF MIRZA - comedy jihad ‘his warm, incisive, wit-strewn comedy celebrates the absurd’ The Guardian
Join Islamic Relief from 5:30pm on Sunday 2nd March 2008
Glasgow Central Mosque
(Off Ballater Street)
1 Mosque Avenue
G5 9XA
£10 per ticket (£100 per table of 10) available at:
Islamic Relief Shop
115-117 Albert Drive, Pollokshields, G41 2SU
0141 423 3929
Radio Ramadhan
27 Arlington Street, Charing Cross, G3 6DT
0141 574 4047
For further details, please contact Rafet Khaliq on 07971 190 357 or events@irvolunteers.com
Salaams,
following on from Sunday's hugely successful fundraising dinner (£85,000 sterling, raised) please lobby your local MSPs (you can find them by putting your postcode in here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/msplocator.htm) to sign the following motion, condemning Israeli actions and urging the Scottish Government to make representation to the UK on (y)our behalf.
Date- 04/03/08
Title: Civilian Deaths in Gaza
S3M-01472 Bashir Ahmad (Glasgow) (Scottish National Party):— That the Parliament recognises Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket fire; however condemns the disproportionate and excessive use of force which has injured and killed many innocent civilians, including 22 children and 12 women; joins with calls from the European Union, the United Nations and the Vatican in demanding an end to the collective punishment of Gazans, and urges the Scottish Government to express to the UK Foreign Secretary the Scottish people’s revulsion at the actions being carried out by the Israeli Government.
Israeli raid Israeli forces have briefly re-entered the Gaza Strip and clashed with Palestinian militants, with two people killed by gunfire, medics said.
The dead were reported to be a senior militant and a baby girl.
Israel stepped up military raids last week to counter rocket fire from Gaza. More than 100 Gazans were killed and Palestinian leaders suspended talks.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said negotiations could only resume after calm was restored.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is winding up a trip to the region on Wednesday in which getting the Palestinians back to the negotiating table has been a key target.
Certainly the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations must be resumed, but after reaching calm 
Israel has suggested a truce over Gaza would give the militant Hamas movement, which opposes peace talks with Israel, a chance to regroup and rearm.
"Certainly the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations must be resumed, but after reaching calm," Mr Abbas told reporters.
Intensive efforts involving US and Egyptian diplomats were being expended to achieve a truce, he added.
On Tuesday, he urged Israel to end what he called its "aggression" in Gaza, which is under the control of Hamas, the rival of Mr Abbas's Fatah movement.
Core issues
During Wednesday's raid in Khan Younis, the baby was killed by a ricocheting bullet, and a local Islamic Jihad leader was also killed, Palestinian health ministry officials said.
It is not clear who was responsible for baby Amira Aser's death. Press photographs showed her in a mortuary with wounds to the head.
There were no reports of fresh Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israel, after militants had fired dozens of the unguided missiles, including regular salvoes at the city of Ashkelon for the first time.
Ms Rice has been calling for the resumption of peace talks as soon as possible, saying they were necessary to counter Hamas's influence.
She also urged Israel to take more care not to kill civilians in its military operations.
Ms Rice met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late on Tuesday and held morning talks with Palestinian negotiators Saeb Erekat and Ahmed Qurei.
Later she held talks with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak before leaving Israel.
Asked about Mr Abbas's comments that a resumption of the talks hinged on reaching a "calm" in Gaza, Ms Rice said it was "not a condition".
"I've been informed by the parties that they intend to resume the negotiations and that they are in contact with one another as to how to bring this about," she said after her meeting with Ms Livni.
Analysts are sceptical that a deal on core issues - Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, borders and security - can be achieved by the end of 2008, as envisioned by the US-sponsored peace process launched at Annapolis, Maryland, last November.
On Tuesday, US President George W Bush said he was still optimistic and that there was "plenty of time to get a deal done" in the 10 months before he left office.
Meanwhile, Israel's top political and security officials have also been discussing policy towards Gaza.
Reports say the officials are considering several options including a large-scale ground operation, and a re-occupation of northern Gaza.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7278754.stm
http://www.islamic-relief.com/ecamp/ecamp-gaza-6.html
If you found this message in your spam or junk folder, please add updates@irworldwideupdates.com to your email address book.
Recent conflict has intensified the desperate plight of Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants.
Without access to the most basic and essential of services these people have now become victim to sustained violent attacks, killing and maiming innocent civilians and leaving many homeless.
IR is on the ground and needs £5 million to continue helping the people of Gaza.
Your donation can make a difference.
For more information on the Palestine Appeal, click here
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Registered Charity Number 328158. Video is streamed using YouTube. Islamic Relief is not affiliated with any external web sites. Any links from external web sites to islamic-relief.com do not constitute an endorsement of that site by Islamic Relief. Islamic Relief is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Gaza's humanitarian situation is the worst since 1967 when Israel occupied it, says a coalition of UK-based human rights and development groups.
They include Amnesty International, Save the Children, Cafod, Care International and Christian Aid.
They criticise Israel's blockade on Gaza as illegal collective punishment which fails to deliver security.
Israel says its military action and other measures are lawful and needed to stop rocket attacks from Gaza.
The groups' report, Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Implosion, says the blockade has dramatically worsened levels of poverty and unemployment, and has led to deterioration in education and health services.
'Disaster'
More than 1.1 million Gazans are dependent on food aid and of 110,000 workers previously employed in the private sector, 75,000 have now lost their jobs, the report says.
"Unless the blockade ends now, it will be impossible to pull Gaza back from the brink of this disaster and any hopes for peace in the region will be dashed," said Geoffrey Dennis, of Care International UK.
Gaza cannot become a partner for peace unless Israel, Fatah and the Quartet engage with Hamas and give the people of Gaza a future
Israel tightened its blockade on the strip, controlled by the Hamas militant group, in January.
Last week Israeli forces launched a bloody and destructive raid in northern Gaza, in which more than 120 Palestinians - including many civilians - were killed.
Israel says the measures are designed to stamp out frequent rocket fire by Palestinian militants.
Recent rocket attacks have hit deeper into southern Israel, reaching Ashkelon, the closest large Israeli city to the Gaza Strip.
Occupying power
The UK-based groups agree that Israel has the right and obligation to protect its citizens, urging both sides to cease unlawful attacks on civilians.
But they call upon Israel to comply with its obligations, as the occupying power in Gaza, to ensure its inhabitants have access to food, clean water, electricity and medical care, which have been in short supply in the strip.
"Punishing the entire Gazan population by denying them these basic human rights is utterly indefensible," said Amnesty UK Director Kate Allen.
"The current situation is man-made and must be reversed."
Other recommendations from the groups include international engagement with the Hamas movement, which rejects Israel's legitimacy and has been shunned by Israel's allies, and the Fatah party of Palestinian West Bank leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"Gaza cannot become a partner for peace unless Israel, Fatah and the Quartet [the US and UN, Europe and Russia] engage with Hamas and give the people of Gaza a future," said Daleep Mukarji of Christian Aid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7280026.stm
Asalamualikum/Hi
We will be going to this worthwhile Event.
Insallah,Hope to See you all there
“The journey of a thousand miles must begin
with a single step.”