It is not war, it is murder!

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"The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about achieving peace.

The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.

Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it is murder.

“When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are crushing. You can't defend yourself when you're militarily occupying someone else's land. That's not defense. Call it what you like, it's not defense.”

Noam Chomsky

Israel's bombing of Gaza have left 84 dead so far!

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The three days of Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip have left 84 dead so far, reports the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The number of injured stands at 550. 

Among the dead include 22 children, 15 women and 12 elderly according to the official statement. According to estimates by the Palestinian authorities, about 70% of the victims of Israeli attacks were civilians. 

With advanced weapons the Israeli army bombarded not only centers of missils or unauthorized underground tunnels, but most of the attacks were point to housing, leaving the bulk of the victims not being the extremist combatants, but civilians.

Ramadan: message from David Cameron

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"I want to send my very best wishes to everyone observing the holy month of Ramadan. 

This is an incredibly special time of year for Muslims at home and abroad a time for charity, for contemplation and community. 

First, charity. This is one of the things that Islam is all about. Here in Britain, Muslims are our biggest donors -- they give more to charity than any other faith group. We see this spirit of giving all year round from the mosques running sports clubs for local children to the Muslim groups selling poppies for Remembrance Day, to those people from around the country who put their wellies on, rolled their sleeves up, and went to help the families hit hardest by this winter's storms. 

Ramadan is a time when that spirit comes to the fore and I am so proud when I hear, every year, about the millions of pounds raised for good causes for those less fortunate than us here in Britain, and those who are suffering in wars and in famines overseas. 

Second, Ramadan is a time for contemplation to fast, and to pray, and to think deeply about others. 

This Ramadan, I hope that we can reflect upon a key aspect of our shared history, the bravery of those who fought and died for our freedoms nearly 100 years ago. Just days after Eid, we will be marking 100 years since the First World War. More than a million men and boys from India fought with our troops during that conflict and many thousands of them were Muslims. They travelled across the world to fight to defend our freedom, guided and sustained by their bravery, comradeship, and, above all, by their faith. Their selflessness and their courage helped to secure the liberties we all enjoy today, so this Ramadan -- and this centenary -- we will remember them and reflect upon their sacrifice. 

Third, Ramadan is a time for community. And there is nothing that exemplifies this more than those nightly afters, when the fast is broken, the dates are opened, and all that great food is served. 

Last year I was delighted to see how many community iftars were taking place across the country, in mosques and in community centres, in parks and even in tents. Again this year Government is supporting the Big Iftar programme, with hundreds more communities, from Leeds to Luton, Woking to Manchester, throwing open their doors, so that people of all faiths and none can break bread and get to know their neighbours. 

So wherever you are this holy month, let me wish you, once again, Ramadan Mubarak."

Syrian girls, on sale for $ 9,000 in the Saudi capital

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Photo of refugee girl taken by Aneesa Talib. Copyright Gift Wellness Ltd 2013

Photo of refugee girl taken by Aneesa Talib. Copyright Gift Wellness Ltd 2013

A terrible announcement of sale of girls from Syria published in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, has raised a wave of strong reviews and has attracted the attention of human rights activists on the issue of abuse of Syrian women reported RT Actualidad.

According to Press TV. (The information was first reported by the Iran's Arabic channel Al Alam), some activists in social networks already rated the advertising as a form of trading that takes advantage of the crisis in Syria and the basic needs of refugees in the Arabic country.
 
According to the announcement, the price of each girl is 10,000 Saudi rials (nearly $ 9,000).
 
With the increase of violence in Syria, many Syrians have been forced to flee to neighboring countries in search of safety and security. Nearly a third of the Syrian population, seven million people have been displaced by the conflict in the country, according to data available to the UN. Of these, five million are still living in Syria, while about two million have fled to neighboring countries, mainly Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iran and Egypt.
 
At the beginning of the year the chain Al Alam reported cases of rape and sexual abuse by Saudi men in the Syrian refugee camp in Jordan Zaatari.

On 27 November, the international organization of Human Rights Watch expressed concern for the safety of women refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria. The organization said that abuses had occurred also in Lebanon.