Legal rights group ADALAH to represent political prisoners arrested by Israeli military in Gaza boat raid

NEWS UPDATE

1 June 2010

Adalah to Represent Arab Political Leaders and Free Gaza Movement Activist Arrested from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla at Detention Hearings Today

Today, 1 June 2010, the Magistrates' Court in Ashkelon, Israel will hold a hearing at 13:30 pm to extend the detention of Sheikh Raed Salah, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (north); Sheikh Hamad Abu Daabes, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (south); Mr. Muhammed Zeidan, the Chairman of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel; and Ms. Lubna Masarwa of the Free Gaza Movement and Al Quds University. These four individuals were arrested from the Marmara boat, part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which was attacked by the Israeli navy yesterday. Adalah Attorneys Hassan Jabareen and Orna Kohn will represent them.

Contact:

International Media Coordinator, Gaby Rubin, gaby@adalah.org, 0528-332-430

Adalah (“Justice” in Arabic) is an independent human rights organization and legal center based in Israel. It works to promote and defend the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians living under occupation in the OPT before Israeli courts. Visit our website: www.adalah.org

Hanania wins two journalism awards for stories and columns on alleged anti-Arab discrimination case

Columnist and radio host Ray Hanania was honored last month with two major journalism awards, both dealing with the allegations of discrimination in Oak Lawn against a store owner there, Naim Massad.

Last August 2009, Massad alleged that he was being harassed by the village for nearly two years. That month, village officials had closed his store pending code violation reviews when police and inspectors were called by a neighbor who said that Massad placed a sign in Arabic that told his customers to go to the back of the store to purchase food while the store was closed. Massad was arrested when police claim that they saw Massad had stored some canned foods in a vacant store next to his own, food that had just been delivered but could not be placed in his own store because of the village inspectors order to keep his store closed.

Inspectors who arrived immediately ordered police to handcuff the store owner. When his wife Susan and son Abed protested, they were handcuffed and arrested and all were taken to jail where they spent the night pending the posting of bond.

As it turns out, the sign did not read what inspectors and police, who could not read Arabic said. The sign merely said that the store was temporarily closed but would soon be opened. Police had confiscated the sign from the door as evidence, but it mysteriously disappeared from the police evidence room.

Hanania, writing for the Southwest News-Herald Newspapers, obtained a copy of the police 911 emergency calls made just before they arrived at Massad’s store to see or confirm the evidence and a police officer was quoted as telling a dispatcher who asked him to respond to another emergency, that he would respond to the emergency but only after going to Massad’s store. In the 911 call, the officer told dispatch that he was on his way to “close an Arab store”.

Hanania wrote several news reports and columns on the incident, and was continually harassed by readers who attacked him because of his Arab heritage. Hanania is Palestinian and Christian from Jerusalem. Several of the owners of nearby stores refused to speak with him about the Massad case and there seemed to be great animosity with Massad.

In reviewing police records, Hanania also discovered that Massad’s store, located in the center of Oak Lawn, was also one of two Arab owned grocery stores attacked in the weeks before the incident with windows broken by large rocks. The other store was located on Oak Lawn’s eastern border.

Hanania received the Society of Professional Journalists’ Lisagor Award for In-Depth Reporting” from the Chicago Headline Club, the nation’s largest SPJ Chapter. He also receive the Sigma Delta Chi National Award for column writing from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Hanania has been a journalist and columnist since 1975. Today he also writes for PalestineNote.com and also for the Jerusalem Post.

He hosts the only American Arab weekday morning radio show “Radio Chicagoland” on WJJG 1530 AM Radio Monday through Thursday from 8 to 9:30 am and Friday from 7 until 9 am. On Fridays, Hanania co-hosts Radio Baladi which is simulcast in Chicago and Detroit from 7 until 8 am. His web site is www.RadioChicagoland.com.

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NAAJA protests detention of Bethlehem based Maan News Agency editor

The National Arab American Journalists Association, which is partnered with the Society of Professional Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association, tonight issued a protest to the Government of Israel demanding the release of journalist Jared Malsin.

Malsin was detained and interrogated for more than 8 hours and continues to be in custody on charges of criticizing Israel in articles and columns published by the Ma’an News Agency based in Bethlehem, Palestine.

“Journalism freedoms are essential to Democracy and building of peace. Any action to censor or restrict or threaten or intimidate journalists for the sole ‘crime’ of expressing an opinion or covering stories frowned on by the occupation government is a violation not only of international law but a violation of Israel’s claim to be Democratic and fair,” said Ray Hanania, NAAJA coordinator based in Chicago.

“NAAJA is not only calling on Israel to immediately release Jaslin, but also urging Israeli journalists who claim to be objective and concerned about free speech, Democracy and the accuracy in reporting to also publicly protest the arrest.”

Hanania, a Chicago morning radio host and syndicated opinion columnist whose commentary appears in publications such as the Arab News, the Jerusalem Post and in many newspapers across the United States, said that NAAJA has issued formal letters to Israel’s embassy in Washington D.C., to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  and to Israel’s Ministry of Information in Jerusalem.

“When the government of Israel detains journalists on trumped up charges and on censorship, then Israel is basically admitting that they do abuse citizen rights, they do violate international law and they do not respect the fundamental basics that will one day usher in an era of peace,” Hanania said.

NAAJA calls on journalists around the world to speak out against this detention and demand Jared Malsin’s immediate release.

NAAJA has more than 250 members in the United States. The web page is www.NAAJA-US.com.

NAAJA protests arrest of Arab American Journalist and two colleagues outside GOP Convention

Arab American journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous, a producer at Democracy Now (www.DemocracyNow.org), was arrested outside the GOP Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota along with host Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar. They were covering a street protest.

The National Arab American Journalists Association (www.NAAJA-US.com) , founded in 1999 and with 275 members nationwide, has issued a formal protest demanding the release of all three journalists.

"The National Arab American Journalists Association today protests the arrest of Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Amy Goodman and Nicole Salazar as they were reporting on a street protest outside of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul today," said NAAJA coordinator Ray Hanania.

"NAAJA demands thatr the three journalists be released immediately. Their arrest while covering a street protest is a violation of the protections accorded journalists in this country."

Here is the release issued by Democracy Now on the arrests:

ST. PAUL, MN-Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was unlawfully arrested in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota at approximately 5 p.m. local time. Police violently manhandled Goodman, yanking her arm, as they arrested her. Video of her arrest can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman's crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.

Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.

During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism's top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation's leading independent news outlet.

Democracy Now! is a nationally syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman's Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ


ABOUT DEMOCRACY NOW!

Democracy Now! airs on over 650 radio and TV stations, including Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite TV stations (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410;


Sharif grew up in Cairo, Egypt. He joined the Democracy Now! staff in 2003 after leaving the lucrative world of corporate investment banking. As the U.S. led occupation of Iraq was in full swing, Sharif traveled to Baghdad with DCTV filmmaker John Alpert. In addition to shooting video footage in Iraq for Democracy Now! Sharif reported from the streets of Baghdad on the occupation.

-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com