Tuesday, April 22, 2008
7:00 pm
Great Room
Seegers Union
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
*This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters.
Professor Ingrid Mattson will present a lecture, “Framing Muslim Women: Islam, Gender and Human Rights in the Global Media” on Tuesday, April 22 at 7p.m. in the Great Room, Seegers Union. The event is free and open to the public.
In her talk, Dr. Mattson will address the case of Pakistani rape-survivor Mukhtar Mai and how her situation was helped or distorted and her story told and re-framed by various groups such as Pakistani and international women’s groups, international journalists and other media and politicians.
Ingrid Mattson, Director of Islamic Chaplaincy and Professor at the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT, is the first convert to Islam and the first female to lead the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
She earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. Her research focuses on Islamic law and society; among her articles are studies on slavery, poverty and Islamic legal theory. Dr. Mattson was born in Canada, where she studied Philosophy at the University of Waterloo, Ontario (B.A. ’87). From 1987-1988 she lived in Pakistan where she worked with Afghan refugee women. In 2001 she was elected Vice-President of ISNA and in 2006 she was elected President of the organization.
Aside from her many other accomplishments, you might have heard her as a guest on NPR’s Speaking of Faith just recently.
Muhlenberg College gratefully acknowledges the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation’s support of the Center for Ethics.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
7:00 pm
*This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters.
The Iraqi Refugee Crisis: Reports and Responses from the Field
More than 2 million Iraqi refugees and 2 million internally displaced:
- who they are
- why they fled and where
- what they face
- response to the crisis and actions needed
Tuesday, April 8, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Bartley Hall, Room 1011
Villanova University
Speakers:
Najla Chadha, Director, Caritas Lebanon Immigrant Center
Chawla Elia, General Secretary, Caritas Iraq
Michele Pistone, Director, Villanova Law School Clinical Program and Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services
Dina Habeb, Villanova Student
Sponsored by the Villanova/Catholic Relief Services Partnership, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Center for Peace & Justice Education, Honors Program, Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, Theology & Religious Studies Department
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
4:30 pm
*This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters.
The Nightmares of Interrogation
DATE: Wednesday, April 9
TIME: 4:30pm
LOCATION: Bartley 1001, 4:30 pm
Eric Fair will speak about his experiences while serving as an interrogator in Iraq at Abu Ghraib in early 2004. He will address the corrosive effects abusive interrogation has on those who wield it as a tool as well as the irrevocable damage it has done to our nation and its institutions. Ample time will be provided for questions from the audience.
ABOUT ERIC FAIR: In 2001, Mr. Fair was hired as a police officer in Bethlehem, PA. He left the department in 2003 in order to be a part of the war effort in Iraq. He was hired as an interrogator by CACI and worked in Baghdad, Abu Ghraib, and Fallujah. He resigned this position in the summer of 2004, was hired by the National Security Administration (NSA), and returned to Iraq in 2005 as an intelligence analyst. Mr. Fair left government service in early 2006 and published an op-ed in The Washington Post in early 2007 about his experiences with coercive interrogation. He is currently a student at Princeton Theological Seminary pursuing an MDIV and seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Sponsored by the Ethics Program, College of Liberal Arts, Villanova University
Saturday, April 12, 2008
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to Amnesty supporters.
GLOBAL CONSTITUTION FORUMS PRESENTS
IRAQ:WHAT TO DO?
April 12, 2008 (Saturday), 9-5.
National Constitution Center, Kirby Auditorium
525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Our approach: We hope to address the above question in a manner that is (1) nonpartisan, covering a spectrum of viewpoints, and (2) committed to a freewheeling yet respectful dialogue focused on solutions rather than debates about past mistakes.
SPEAKERS [subject to change]
Prof. Sohail Hashmi: Author of “An Islamic Solution [to the problem of Iraq].”
Robert Dreyfuss: Author of “Getting Out.”
Col. Paul Hughes (U.S. Army, Retired): Author of “Consolidating Gains in Iraq.”
Gareth Porter: Author of “The Third Option in Iraq: A Responsible Exit Strategy.”
Bill Pace: Contributor to: A United Nations Emergency Peace Service.
Ivan Eland: “The Way Out of Iraq: Decentralizing the Iraqi Government.”
Prof. Joseph Schwartzberg: “A New Perspective on Peacekeeping.”
Prof. Nabil Al-Tikriti: “Social & Political Forces in Iraq: An NGO Primer.”
Special “observer” category: Current and recent policymakers (congressmen; State Department officials, UN Missions, retired ambassadors; etc.); those who influence policy; Iraq war vets; & families of soldiers who died in Iraq.
COST: $25 (includes box lunch) with advance registration. $35 at the door. Students and Iraq vets free, assuming seat availability. Only 180 seats.
MAJOR SPONSOR: Newman’s Own Foundation. Promotional Sponsor: National Constitution Center. Co-sponsor: Citizens for Global Solutions (Philadelphia).
MORE INFO & PRE-REGISTRATION: www.globalconstitutionforum.org
or contact jamestranney@post.harvard.edu or 215-849-9165
Friday, April 11, 2008
For the 13th consecutive year, Amnesty International Local Group 133 in Somerville, MA is organizing Get on the Bus (GOTB), a trip to New York City for one full day of human rights action and education. GOTB will be held Friday, April 11 in NYC.
2008 Actions:
Darfur: Call for International Justice and Accountability (IJA) ~ GOTB activists will focus on the need to lobby the government of Sudan to bring individuals responsible for human rights violations in Darfur to justice.
Special Focus Case: Fathi el-Jahmi (Libya) ~ Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, who has been detained solely for the peaceful expression of his political views. We will be calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Fathi el-Jahmi.
Side Action: Bhopal ~ To show our continued commitment to the survivors of the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, a small group of GOTB activists will gather at the Indian Consulate to demand the Government of India compel Dow Chemicals to appear before the Indian courts.
More information forthcoming at the GOTB Website
Maher Arar on Anderson Cooper 360º November 8
Posted November 8th, 2007 by April | News & Notes
The Center for Constitutional Rights is working on the case of Maher Arar. From the CCR website: “Arar v. Ashcroft is a federal lawsuit challenging the rendition by the U.S. government of a Canadian citizen to Syria, where he was tortured, forced to falsely confess, and released after one year without ever being charged.” (Full report)
Amnesty International USA: “[Maher Arar] reports he was held alone in a tiny, basement cell without light, which he called “the grave”, for more than 10 months. A small grate in the ceiling opened up into a hallway above. Through it cats and rats urinated on him. There was no furniture in the cell, only two blankets on the floor. He had no exposure to natural light for the first six months.” (Full report)
Maher Arar has a hearing tomorrow morning, November 9 at 9:30 am at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Pearl Street and Centre Street, downtown Manhattan. A CCR Board member will be arguing on his behalf. CCR urges those who are able to attend the hearing and show their support.
For those of us who can’t be in Manhattan, tune in to CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360º tonight, Thursday, November 8, at 10 pm EST, to see an interview with Maher Arar and his wife Monia, who has worked tirelessly on his behalf.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Tredyffrin Township Municipal Building Auditorium, 1100 Duportail Road, Berwyn PA
This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters.
Professor Larry Davidson to speak on
“Terrorism and the Middle East in Perspective: What History Can Tell Us”
What causes terrorist behavior in the Middle East? Is there such a thing as state terrorism? What lessons from recent history can we learn to help contain terrorism?
Our speaker is Lawrence Davidson, a Professor of History at West Chester University whose specialization is the history of American relations with the Middle East.
Davidson, who has traveled extensively in the region, is the author of several books including “America’s Palestine: Popular and Official Perceptions from Balfour to Israeli Statehood” (University Press of Florida, 2001) and “Islamic Fundamentalism” (Greenwood Press, 2008). He is also the co-author, with Arthur Goldschmidt, of “A Concise History of the Middle East” (Westview Press, 2006, 8th edition).
This event will be moderated. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of our speaker. Light refreshments will be served.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
7:00 pm
East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church
432 E. Chestnut St., Lancaster
This is not an Amnesty International event, but may be of interest to AI supporters. Sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee.
Speakers from Laos and Lebanon will talk about how cluster bombs have affected their lives, and provide information about the use of cluster bombs in their countries. The country of Laos represents one of the earliest uses of cluster bombs and Lebanon marks the most recent case of cluster bomb use. Traveling with the speaking tour will be a photo exhibit and resource materials about the impact of cluster bombs worldwide, as well as current international efforts to ban them.
Speakers include:
- Raed Mokaled, an optician from Nabatieh, Lebanon whose 5-year old son was killed by a cluster bomb in 1999.
- Bassam Chamoun, community development worker for Mennonite Central Committee in southern Lebanon.
- Phounsy Phasavaeng, community development worker for CARE in Sekong Province, Laos who lost her nephew in a cluster bomb accident.
- Lasee Phetsavong, an employee of World Education whose responsibility includes organizing immediate and long-term care for cluster bomb accident victims in Laos.
Contact:
Titus Peachey
tmp@mcc.org
Mennonite Central Committee
21 S. 12th St., Box 500
Akron, PA 17501
PH: (717) 859-1151
FAX: (717) 859-3875
A two-year anniversary for Guantánamo prisoner Adel Hamad
Posted October 31st, 2007 by April | News & Notes
Our Philadelphia area Denounce Torture specialist, Barbara, directs our attention to the case of Adel Hamad (Detainee ISN 940), who has been imprisoned at Guantánamo for over five years.
Amnesty International case sheet for Adel Hassan Hamad
Sudanese national Adel Hamad is a hospital worker, teacher, and refugee aid worker. He was taken from his home in Pakistan at gunpoint in July 2002. He was transferred from a Pakistani prison to Bagram and then to Guantánamo, enduring very poor conditions along the way. Project Hamad, an advocacy organization formed on his behalf, says that “no allegations have been made against Adel Hamad that he engaged in terrorism, acts supporting terrorists, violence against the United States or any belligerent act.”
Amnesty International calls for Adel Hamad to be released from Guantánamo unless he is charged and tried in accordance with international standards.
The latest news from Project Hamad is that “Hamad’s lawyers have just now learned, from their recent trip to Sudan, that he was cleared for transfer in November of 2005, TWO YEARS AGO. The U.S. government never shared this information with his own defense team and obviously do not seem to feel any obligation to expedite the release of a man that they have charged with no crime.”
“Guantánamo Unclassified” (YouTube link) is a video about Adel Hamad’s case. In it, investigator and attorney William Teesdale interviews people who know Adel Hamad personally. This video is highly recommended as a touching portrait of one of Guantánamo’s prisoners.
Please also visit the website of Project Hamad for further information, as well as how to write a letter to Adel Hamad.
Urgent Action files for October 23, 2007
Posted October 24th, 2007 by April | Take Action, Torture and Terror
AIUSA issued 5 Urgent Action files yesterday, on behalf of people in Brazil, Iran, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. Current postage rates for a letter: within USA $.41, to Canada and Mexico $.69, all other countries $.90
Express Concern for Fear of Imminent Execution in Iran (UA 271/07) - Soghra Najafpour is currently believed to be in hiding. If she is taken into custody, she could face imminent execution for a murder committed when she may have been only 13 years old. Please send appeals by December 4.
Halt Fear for Safety for Indigenous Families in Brazil (UA 270/07) - Around 50 Guajajara families, in the remote Arraiboia reservation in the central west of Maranhao state, are at risk of attack from local gunmen allegedly contracted by illegal loggers. Please send appeals by December 4.
Protect 3 Unnamed Men from Torture in Saudi Arabia (UA 273/07) - AI has received reports that 2 men have been sentenced by a court in al-Baha in Saudi Arabia to 7,000 lashes each for sexual intercourse. A third man was said to have been sentenced to 450 lashes for drug related offenses by the same court. Please send appeals by December 5.
Stop Fear of Torture for 5 Men in Tunisia (UA 15/07) - Ousama Abbadi, Mohammed Amine Jaziri, Ramzi el Aifi, Oualid Layouni, & Mahdi Ben Elhaj Ali were allegedly tortured by the prison guards in Mornaguia Prison around 16 October. Some of them need urgent medical treatment. AI fears that may be subjected to further torture/other ill-treatment. Please send appeals by December 4.
Defend Journalists from Death Threats in Mexico (UA 260/07) - Journalists for El Imparcial del Istmo, a regional newspaper based in Oaxaca, have been receiving death threats, apparently as a result of the newspaper’s coverage of a drug-trafficking gang’s activities in the state. 3 of their colleagues were shot dead earlier this week. Please send appeals by November 22.