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Militant Islam Monitor > Satire > Dear Dr. Shallah: Human Rights Watch director's 2001 letter to ex USF prof & terrorist leader urges him not cause victims "disproportionate harm"

Dear Dr. Shallah: Human Rights Watch director's 2001 letter to ex USF prof & terrorist leader urges him not cause victims "disproportionate harm"

Human Rights Watch - Offending Human Rights Worldwide - HRW director expresses solidarity with aims and goals of Islamic Jihad
June 25, 2005

MIM: In the letter from the anti Israel pro Islamist Human Rights Watch executive director Hanny aka Hani Megally respectfully writes Islamic Jihad terrorist leader "Dr.Shallah" a respectful letter expressing sympathy for the terrorists aims and ambitions (killing Jews and Israelis) .The logo on the Human Rights Watch website for the press release was published reads "Human Rights Watch defending Human Rights World Wide". Human Rights Watch has continually dehumanized Israelis and Jews by referring to them as 'occupiers and agressors' . Megally's letter to terrorist leader who has been responsible for 6 years of murderous attacks on Israelis and Jews shows that he considers them to fall outside the scope of 'human rights' since Human Rights Watch considers what they term 'Israel's occupation' to justify violent attacks. In effect Human Rights Watch condones Islamic Jihad's attacks by exhorting Shallah not to cause them'disproportionate harm". It can only be extrapolated that Megwally's admonition for the terrorists to not cause "disproportionate harm" means that Islamic Jihad should make sure that no Arabs in Israel are killed together with Jews.

" We ask that you publicly and unequivocally call on the military wing of your organization, the Al-Quds Brigades, and any other groups or individuals acting on behalf of Islamic Jihad, to desist from any attacks or acts of reprisal that deliberately target civilians, or cause them disproportionate harm.

MIM: It is also worth noting that Mewally's polite letter addressed to "Dear Dr. Ramadan Shallah" who he names as"The Secretary General of Islamic Jihad Organistion in Damascus Syria "comes 6 years after Shallah replaced Fathi Shaqaqi the head of Islamic Jihad In Syria, who had been assassinated .At a 1996 terrorism summit Shallah made his terrorist intent clear and stated that: http://www.la.utexas.edu/chenry/aip/fall01/bibs01/msg00011.html

"We will avenge Shaqaqi's spilled blood and make the lives of the enemy's leaders and
their allies a hell of explosions and fire throughout our plundered land . .
. Armed battle is a strategic option as well as a duty and our movement has
decided to pursue a jihad..."

MIM: Shallah had left his position as professor at the University of Southern Florida and head of the terrorist front 'think tank' World Islamic Studies Enterprises (WISE) in 1995 .WISE was founded by his friend and colleague Sami Al Arian, who is now on trial for terrorism which includes the murder of more then 100 people.

What Human Rights Watch Director Megwally is really saying in his 2001 letter to Shallah that HRW was put under pressure by the US (whose citizens were murdered) to condemn Islamic Jihad but 'reading between the lines shows that HRW and Megwally does not consider Israelis and Jews who are living in Israel to be civilians - and all but apologises for having had to write the letter in the first place. Metwally's letter actually reads like this:

Dear Dr.Shallah,

'As the head of HRW I am obligated to write this formal letter about your Islamic Jihad group targetting civilians. Both you I, and Human Rights Watch share the belief that there is no such thing as an innocent Jewish civilian (which is why I didn't specify this in my letter) . This means that you and other groups affiliated with Islamic Jihad don't have to stop your attacks. Regarding causing "them disproportionate harm", HRW is asking you to be careful that no Arabs are killed together with Jews in your ongoing resistance struggle against the enemy Israeli occupier". Human Rights Watch will continue to assist your efforts by aiding in the anti Israel propaganda war . We will issue reports critising Israel's defense operations and crackdowns on terrorism as "human rights violations",

Sincerely,

Hanny Megally
-----------------------------------

http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/11/jihad1107.htm

Letter to Dr. Ramadan Shallah, Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad
7 November 2001

Dr. Ramadan Shallah
Secretary-General
Islamic Jihad Organization
Damascus


Dear Dr. Shallah,

Human Rights Watch strongly condemns the attack on a municipal bus in Jerusalem on November 4, claimed by Islamic Jihad, in which two civilians under eighteen years of age were killed, and at least thirty-five others were wounded. The attack follows other recent attacks against civilians that have been claimed by Islamic Jihad, and specifically endorsed by leading figures in your organization.
No matter what the aims and objectives are, attacks by any parties to a conflict that deliberately target civilians are in flagrant violation of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. This prohibition applies equally whether such attacks are committed by agents of a government or by armed groups.

As you are aware, Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring organization that documents and campaigns against violations of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the world. In this connection we have for many years researched and spoken out against abuses taking place in Israel, the Occupied Territories and the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Our reports and public statements covering our activities around the world, as well as on Israel, the Occupied Territories, and the Palestinian Authority, are available in English and Arabic, and can be found on our website at www.hrw.org.

On November 4 an armed Palestinian opened fire on the number 25 Egged bus at an intersection in northern Jerusalem, killing Shoshana Ben-Yishai (16) and Meni Regev (14), and wounding thirty-five other passengers, some critically. According to media reports, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. The gunman, who was killed by two policemen, was later identified in the Israeli media as Hatem Yaein al Shuweiki (23), from Hebron.

According to news reports, Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks that targeted civilians. These include an attack at a bus station in Hadera on October 27, in which four civilians were killed and up to fourteen others were wounded; a bomb explosion on 6 November at the Profiline factory in the Shaked industrial zone, in which three civilians were wounded; and a shooting attack on a minibus on September 9, in which two civilians were killed. Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of the Wall Street Café in Haifa on 12 August by Muhammad Mahmud Nasser, in which fifteen people were injured.

You have claimed that these attacks are in response to Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians, and suggested they are a legitimate form of resistance to occupation. Under international humanitarian law, systematic attacks that target civilians constitute crimes of the gravest sort. The absolute prohibition against targeting civilians extends to acts of reprisal for attacks against one's own civilians, as well as acts to resist occupation. There can never be any justification for such blatant disregard of basic principles of international humanitarian law.

We strongly urge the Islamic Jihad organization to adopt and publicize a policy of full respect for the laws of war, and immediately stop the practice of targeting civilians or of launching indiscriminate attacks that claim civilian lives. We ask that you publicly and unequivocally call on the military wing of your organization, the Al-Quds Brigades, and any other groups or individuals acting on behalf of Islamic Jihad, to desist from any attacks or acts of reprisal that deliberately target civilians, or cause them disproportionate harm.

Sincerely,


Hanny Megally
Executive Director
Middle East and North Africa division
Human Rights Watch

-------------------

MIM: Apparently Shallah didn't listen to Human Rights Watch over the past 4 years since the letter, when they have killed scores of people including a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv a few months ago. Today Shallah announced he and Islamic Jihad would continue to attack Tel Aviv.

Islamic Jihad Challenges Israel Amid Growing Anarchy

Sunday, June 26, 2005

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=84555

Islamic Jihad terror leaders declared they will end the "calm" and strike Tel Aviv if Israel tries to capture or kill them. Meanwhile, Arabs continued shooting each other in Jenin.

Israel earlier this week arrested 50 Islamic Jihad terrorists, including several who were not "ticking bombs," following a continued escalation in terrorism which killed an IDF soldier and a civilian. Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, quoted in an Arab newspaper in Lebanon, warned Israel that if goes after terrorist leaders, the diplomatic process will end immediately.

Abu Udai, a leading terrorist of the Jenin branch of Fatah party's military arm, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, threatened that "suicide bombers will shake the heart of Israel and Tel Aviv" if Israel does not stop arresting terrorists...

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