Amanuel Asrat's 50th Birthday

Today 26 July 2021 is the 50th birthday  of Eritrean Poet, critic and editor-in-chief of the leading newspaper Zemen, Amanuel Asrat.

Amanuel  a graduate of soil science and water conservation of University of Asmara, is greatly credited for Eritrea’s poetry resurgence of 2000s. An award-winning poet and critic, Amanuel along with two friends, also created a literary club called  ቍርሲ ቀዳም ኣብ ጠዓሞት  (Saturday’s Supper) prompting literary clubs to emerge in all major Eritrean towns. While he was editor-in-chief of Zemen, the newspaper was the leading literary newspaper in Eritrea and helped shape the cultural landscape; Asrat himself was a popular art critic.

Amanuel’s paper was one of several that reported on divisions between reformers and conservatives within the ruling Party for Democracy and Justice and advocated for full implementation of the country’s democratic constitutionn 2001, the Eritrean government began a campaign to silence its critics, arresting opposition politicians, students and many journalists. As part of this crackdown, Amanuel was arrested at his home on 23 September 2001, alongside the editors of all privately-owned newspapers for reporting around the G-15 letter, an open letter from prominent Eritrean politicians that condemned the actions of President Isias Afwerki and his regime. 

 The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights ruled in May 2007 that journalists arrested in September 2001 in Eritrea, which includes Amanuel Asrat, were being held in arbitrary and unlawful detention. It called upon the Eritrean government to release the men and compensate them. The Government of Eritrea has ignored the ruling and journalists arrested in September 2001 remain in detention.

.Over the years, Eritrean officials have offered vague and inconsistent explanations for the arrests–accusing the journalists of involvement in anti-state conspiracies  in connection with foreign intelligence, of skirting military service, and of violating press regulations. Officials, at times, even denied that the journalists existed. Meanwhile, shreds of often unverifiable, second- or third-hand information smuggled out of the country by people fleeing into exile suggested as many as seven journalists have died in custody.

 When asked in a June 2016 interview with Radio France International about the status of journalists and politicians arrested in 2001, Eritrean Foreign Affairs Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed said "all of them are alive" and “in good hands,” adding that they would face trial "when the government decides.”

 In June 2019, a group of over 100 prominent African journalists, writers, and activists wrote an open letter to Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki asking to visit the imprisoned journalists and activists, according to a copy of the letter that was published by the South African newspaper Mail & Guardian. In a response published on its website, Eritrea’s Ministry of Information said that only reporters with a “genuine interest in understanding the country” were welcome, and said the imprisoned journalists were arrested for “events of sedition.”

According to English PEN, Asrat and his fellow writers are believed to have been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including lack of access to medical care, while detained in the purpose-built maximum-security prison Eiraeiro. The free speech organisation, which awards the PEN Pinter prizes  said that it was unknown whether charges have been brought against them or if they have ever been brought to trial. He has not been heard from since. 

Asrat's writings detailed the daily life of the underprivileged, and explored themes of war and peace, notably depicting the negative side of conflict. Amanuel Asrat is one of the few Eritrean writers who are assuming their proper places and due recognitions internationally mainly through PEN Eritrea’s advocacy campaign. He was profiled in August 2015 issue of The Guardian along other five Eritrean journalists; his poem was translated into 14 languages to mark International Translation Day; he held one of the empty chairs at the 81^st PEN Congress in Quebec, Canada; and he was one of the five writers featured in 2015 on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, an international day that recognizes writers who have suffered persecution as a result of exercising their right to freedom of expression. In October 2020,Asrat was named International Writer of Courage by Linton Kwesi Johnson. the writer and musician  Linton Kweisi Johnson won the PEN Pinter Prize 2020 in memory of playwright Harold Pinter.As part of the win, he could  “share” his prize with another individual,and he chose Amanuel.

Johnson paid tribute to Asrat: "Keeping a citizen incarcerated, incommunicado, without charge or trial for nearly 20 years is the kind of egregious brutality that we associate with totalitarian states and dictatorships. As a gesture of solidarity from a poet of the African diaspora, I have chosen the Eritrean poet, songwriter, critic, and journalist Amanuel Asrat as the Writer of Courage for 2020."

Daniel Mebrahtu, Amanuel Asrat’s brother, commented: "We, the family of Amanuel Asrat, are very pleased, honoured and humbled to accept this award on behalf of our son and brother, Amanuel Asrat. Many thanks to English PEN and Mr Linton Kwesi-Johnson. Amanuel is suffering under the harsh conditions of the Eiraeiro dungeon in Eritrea for 19 years and counting. His whereabouts are not known. We don’t even know whether he is alive or dead. We wish Amanuel was aware of this prize and honour somehow. We ask the international community to intervene in his case and other prisoners of conscience in Eritrea, and demand their immediate release. Thank you for the recognition, for your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your constant support. We really appreciate it."

For International Translation Day on 30 September 2015, PEN members from around the world translated Amanuel's  ኣበሳ ኲናት (The Scourge of War) into  many different languages. The poem is an unflinching look at the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia that lasted from 1998 to 200 and that reports from the time that left tens of thousands dead,

‘ኣበሳ ኲናት (The Scourge of War)’

Where two brothers pass each other
Where two brothers meet each other
Where two brothers conjoin
In the piazza of life and death
In the gulf of calamity and cultivation
In the valley of fear and peace
Something resounded.
The ugliness of the thing of war
When its spring comes
When its ravaging echoes knock at your door
It is then that the scourge of war brews doom
But…
You serve it willy-nilly
Unwillingly you keep it company
Still, for it to mute how hard you pray!
– Translated by Tedros Abraham

To mark Amanuel Asrat’s 50th birthday, I hope that you will join me  in sending messages of solidarity to his family, to show them that he has not been – and will not be – forgotten. You can do so here:-

https://www.englishpen.org/pen-writes/penwrites-amanuel-asrat/

Support the RNLI : Oppose the Racist Nationality and Borders Bill

 

The British charity Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) received a backlash recently following a news report which described the entry of their vessel into French waters to search for a boat in distress with 20 migrants on board.

RNLI said it received a huge volume of comments on social media after a British tabloid published the article on July 2. Former UKIP and Brexit party leader, and seven-time failed parliamentary candidate, Ngel Farage    said at the time the RNLI had become "a taxi service for illegal immigration".

On July 5  the day before the publication of the highly contentious Nationality and Borders Bill  (July 6), which seeks to further restrict the asylum application process and to clamp down on clandestine Channel crossings by people seeking refuge in the UK, the RNLI responded with a statement clarifying that its mission is to "save lives at sea . . . without judgment of how they came to be in the water." The charity added, "we want to be absolutely clear that we are incredibly proud of the humanitarian work our volunteer lifeboat crews do to rescue vulnerable people in distress."

The RNLI is a voluntary  body that;s sole purpose of existence is to save lives,  they don’t care about the immigration status of the people they pick up.

Furthermore, the service will keep rescuing people under those conditions, no matter what Patel says, because they have a Royal Charter – the Queen supports what they do.

Sadly, the publicity given to our brave lifeboat people has attracted the attention of the nastier elements of society , emboldened from the rhetoric from such as Nigel Farage and Home Secretary Priti Patel we’re starting to see incidents like the following .

On Friday (23 July) evening, some members of the RNLI Tower lifeboat crew were verbally abused while reporting for duty. A volunteer with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has reported being ‘verbally assaulted’ by members of the public whereas on responsibility. The Tower RNLI station stated on a twitter post :https://twitter.com/TowerRNLI/status/1418703723631624199
"We are shocked and saddened to report some of our volunteer crew were verbally assaulted due to their role when reporting for duty tonight. This behaviour will not be tolerated. Thank you @metpoliceuk for your support."

RNLI Tower reported that the reason for the verbal assault was 'due to their role'.in rescuing people from drowning in UK waters,

Tower lifeboat station operates from lifeboat pier on the River Thames in central London and provides a 24 hour search and rescue service, 7 days a week.

The service covers 16 miles of the Thames, between Barking Creek and Battersea from its station under Waterloo Bridge.

Alongside search and rescue, RNLI Tower conducts patrols on the river at busy times, are on hand to provide first aid treatment for passengers and crew on other boats and assist the recovery of bodies from the river.

It is the RNLI's busiest station, and as with all RNLI crews, is served by volunteers who work long shift patterns to cover the 24/7 service.

 The unit said on a twitter post :https://twitter.com/TowerRNLI/status/1418703723631624199

It's  really hard to comprehend how twisted someones views would have to be to to verbally abuse them.The RNLI represent  the best of us: courageous, selfless, non-judgemental men and women who, seeking no reward, go into danger to save us regardless of the colour of our skin. Hardly any wonder then that such heroes shame the cowards by their actions.

Home secretary Priti Patel’s immigration bill, which will criminalise rescuing drowning migrants at sea, looks to punish asylum seekers attempting to flee to Britain,  I really think it is not not just a material attempt to kill migrants but also to attempt to demonise the very concept of compassion and feed the minds of racist bigots..

Despite this over 250 organizations – including the Refugee Council, the British Red Cross, Freedom from Torture, Refugee Action and Asylum Matters – have formed a coalition called Together with Refugees to call for a more humane approach to people seeking asylum in the UK.

And in response  to the Home Office’s Borders Bill introduced to parliament on 6 July, Steve Valdez-Symonds, Refugee and Migrants Rights Programme Director at Amnesty International UK, said: 

“This shockingly-bad bill will fatally undermine the right to asylum - both in the UK and elsewhere. 

“Instead of introducing this piece of utter legislative vandalism, what the Home Office should be doing is establishing safe routes for the relatively few people escaping persecution who wish to seek asylum here. 

“This reckless and deeply-unjust bill is set to bring shame on Britain’s international reputation. It will open the door to other countries also seeking to dismantle a global refugee system which has saved countless lives. 

“This is a shameful dereliction of duty from the Home Secretary. If the bill goes through, the UK will have reneged on key international commitments - including the Refugee Convention, put in place after the horrors of World War Two.”

 Britain's immigration system, the so called 'hostile environment' is already inhumane and inherently racist.The racist Nationality and Borders Bill  which received its second studying in parliament on Monday, contains provisions for individuals who have fled hazard to search asylum in Britain to be arrested at sea and prosecuted below a new offence for arriving with out a legitimate entry clearance, will only add to this misery. It must be opposed.

As it stands it undermines everyone’s right to claim asylum, protection and safety. It introduces a two-tier system so that regardless of what horrors people are fleeing from they will be first of all judged on the way they arrived in the UK. Anyone arriving by a so-called illegal route would be penalized.  People fleeing for their lives to escape war, rape and other violence, starvation and environmental devastation can’t wait to be invited to travel via a “legal” route – and it is a fallacy as there are virtually no legal routes into the UK, which results in thousands risking their lives crossing the channel in trucks or flimsy dingies.

People could be turned back by border force officials while out at sea – it is estimated that 1,500 people drowned in the Mediterranean in 2020 – how many bodies will wash up on English beaches if this “push back” policy is implemented. People could be put in detention immediately on arrival and their claim fast tracked leaving little time to get legal representation, gather evidence and get a fair hearing.  If they manage to claim asylum they could be at risk of being removed at any time while their claim is being decided and get only “temporary protection status” if it succeeds. It will be harder to appeal a refusal of an asylum claim which means that even rape survivors will be expected to speak about all that has happened to them immediately on arrival.  People will be forced to live in designated accommodation like Napier and Penally barracks, which were exposed as being unfit for human habitation,

Also by removing helping an asylum seeker for 'gain' under the current legislation the Home Secretary would not only be able to  prosecute a charity like the RNLI, but also anybody rescuing drowning asylum seekers at sea, in clear contravention if international law and basic humanity.

We should not forget Britain has a long tradition of giving a warm welcome to a range of different groups seeking sanctuary and protection  maybe it's time in the midst of ongoing crisis to once agin opn its borders to the world;s displaced people. 

In the meantime for all those sickened by the abuse members of the RNLI  recently received ( the last thing the charity’s crews should have to put up with is racists angry that they did their job),  please consider making a small donation to the RNLI  and give them the support they truly deserve and help them keep saving lives. You can donate here :-,https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/donate

Norway marks decade since Anders Breivik killed 77 people

 

 Norway has begun commemorations marking  10 years  since  July 22 2011 the thirty-two year-old Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian fascist, drove into the city center of Oslo where he placed a car bomb at the government quarter. The bomb went off at 3:25 pm killing eight people and wounding thirty others severely. The office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg from the Labor Party was badly damaged, and parts of the governmental quarter are to this day still inaccessible. Thereafter the same terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik, drove to the tiny of Island Utøya, 3 8 kilometers outside Oslo. Here the annual youth camp of the Labor Youth League was taking place, as it had done each year since 1950. Dressed up as a police officer he was allowed to enter the camp where he shortly after killed an unarmed police officer, the one person being in charge of the security on the Island. Hoping to target former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, whose appearance at the island that day was cancelled, he fired indiscriminately at adults and teens alike. The next hour the youth camp was transformed into a nightmare where teenagers in hiding, or on the run, were systematically tracked down and executed. Most of them were shot in the head or in the face at close range. From 17.22 to 6:35 pm sixty-nine people, mostly teenagers were murdered at Utøya. The two youngest victims were fourteen years old.It shocked the country and the world.

More than 500 survived, many. by hiding for several hours in the woods. Others swam into the cold water of the Tyrifjord from where they were rescued by locals.

Breivik’s attack was labelled terrorism, joining only two other terrorist attacks in the country since the second world war (the 1977 bombing of a left-wing bookshop, and a bomb thrown into a peaceful demonstration in 1979).

Breivik’s attack differed from the horrors of other headline-making mass shootings in that his shots were not “random carnage”, but targeted at fledgling political figures of the future. His use of the bomb as a distraction to aid his main attack was even more impactful, one in four Norwegians knew someone personally affected by the massacre.

Brevik’s actions led to copycat attacks in the Czech Republic and Poland in 2012 and the  New Zealand Mosque attacks in 2019 which left 51 dead and the massacre at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, which claimed 23 lives.

Other sickening attacks since the Breivik massacre include the 2017 mosque gun attack in Quebec, the 2016 Munich shopping mall attack and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

“When you’re looking at terrorism in advanced economies, it’s driven by disenfranchisement from society and alienation from the system,” Killelea told the Times.

Due to the contagious nature of mass shootings and the large amount of global media attention they receive, it is likely that this will continue to happen for years.

Two years ago, Norway was also, once more hit by far-right extremism when an armed far-right activist, after shooting dead his adopted, half-Asian sister, attempted to break into a mosque in Bærum. Worshippers successfully subdued him.

Only then did Norway’s security police changed its assessments and say that right-wing extremists were more likely to carry out domestic terrorism than Islamists. Eight years after Breivik's attack.

"I thought that Norway would positively change forever after the attacks," said Aasmund Aukrust, then-deputy leader of the Labour Youth Wing who helped organise the 2011 camp on Utøya.

"Ten years later, that hasn’t happened. And in many ways, the hate we see online and the threats against people in the Labour movement have increased."

According to the party, one in three Utøya survivors say that they have experienced hate speech or direct threats since the 2011 attacks.

Aukrust, now a national lawmaker for the Labour Party, is one of many who has been campaigning for a nationwide inquiry into the right-wing ideology.

There is hope that a new book, featuring a newfound openness and anger among survivors, will "lift the debate" and shed light on the historical roots of the far-right in Norway.

"What was very positive after the terror attacks was that people saw this as an attack on the whole of Norway. It was a way of showing solidarity,” said Aukrust.

"But that has disappeared. It was an attack on a multicultural society. And though it was the act of one person, we know that his views are shared by more people today than they were 10 years ago."

Memory politics, he organisation of collective memory by political ,by the Norwegian government was also deemed to be a "string of failures" by Jakobsen.

The government decided to tear down a landmark building in the centre of Oslo damaged by the bombing. The building had been adorned with a giant mural of a Picasso painting engraved by Norwegian sculptor Carl Nesjar. Critics said the decision to tear it down and replace it with a sparkling new building would erase the atrocities of July 22, 2011.

A positive element of Breivik’s legacy is that Norway, which already prohibits civilians from owning automatic weapons, announced plans in 2018 to  ban  semi-automatic gun ownership by 2021 (except for hunting and sport). Although the ban is yet to be enacted, there are over 40 different semi-automatic weapons slated to be largely outlawed. The ban would require current owners of semi-automatic weapons to surrender them to the authorities, and would prohibit future sales.

While Breivik believed that direct action was required over democracy, studies have shown that Norwegian youth are now more determined to use democracy than ever, with 67% of Norwegians aged 18-21 casting a ballot in 2013 elections, an increase of 10% from 2009.

Breivik was what researchers have called a “fame-seeking mass shooter” – he chose to be captured, and distributed photos and a manifesto to enhance his notoriety.

Court-ordered psychological assessment ultimately concluded that Breivik’s acts were the result of grandiose, delusional narcissism – his views were “extreme overvalued beliefs,” not delusions.

He wanted his audience to view him as a “freedom figher” acting against an imagined Islamist threat, when in reality he was a hate-filled fantasist who lacked any meaningful social connections or occupation. Like many similar perpetrators, he turned to mass shooting at a difficult and lonely point in his life.

Breivik was sentenced to preventative detention for 21 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed by Norwegian law. This can be repeatedly extended by five years if needed. He may only be eligible for release if he is deemed rehabilitated. However, reports of his continuously disruprive and litigous behaviour.  Breivik still believes in forming a fascist revolution led by white supremacists. which make it unlikely he will be released anytime soon.

 A psychiatrist's assessment written in December 2016 said that Breivik "is more conspiratorial," wanted contact in jail with other extreme right-wingers and to form a fascist party with radicals on the outside. It also said that he was more convinced his ideas were right and that others' were wrong.

Although he is now behind bars, Norway is still wrestling with the devastating impact of his acts and  the far-right, anti-Islam ideology that inspired them. But ten years after the attacks, Norway’s strict gun laws are set to become more so, with fewer dangerous people accessing firearms. The youth of “generation Utøya” are more committed to political debate and less tolerant of violence, and better public understanding of the facts around mental illness and violence was a consequence of Breivik’s highly publicised trial.

Despite Breivik’s atrocity, he inadvertently made a civilised country even more so. Should he ever be released from prison, he may find himself in a Norway he no longer recognises.

The events of 2011 have been recorded in various book and film projects over the past decade.

On Netflix, 22 July focuses on the story of one survivor struggling to come to terms with the incident. It would have been very easy to focus such a movie on the tragic events on the island. While that's of course featured, the film focuses in much more on the experience of the one teenager after the day itself.

For a more in-depth look, I recommend the book that inspired the movie. One Of Us by Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad opens with a harrowing tale of what it was like to be stranded on the island with only the sound of gunshots for company: 

The heavy rain had eased off, but some last drops were still trickling down their necks and sweaty cheeks. They took in as little air as possible, trying to breathe without a sound. A raspberry bush had strayed out onto the cliff. Wild roses, pale pink, almost white, were clinging to the dance. The they heard footsteps approaching.

She then proceeds to explore the history of Anders Beiring Breivik from his troubled childhood to his right-wing activism and online gaming addiction, all through the lens of his lengthy trial in the Oslo courtrooms. You can read more about the book here.

A memorial planned near Utøya remains unfinished. Swedish artist Jonas Dahlberg's 'Memory Wound' project had been the one selected for the memorial after an international competition.

The work planned for the tip of the peninsula facing Utøya to be cut to create a gap but the decision was later reversed following complaints by locals.

The project the government later settled on was of 77 bronze statues, designed by Norwegian architect Manthey Kula.

"I think it’s shameful that Norway, 10 years after the terrorist attack, doesn’t have an official memorial site near Utoya," Tonje Brenna, the former deputy leader of the Youth Wing, and today Labour leader of Viken, the county where Utoya and Oslo stand, said.

"It stands in grave contrast to the fact that the Norwegian Labour Youth have created their own beautiful, respectful and award-winning memorial site on the island,” Brenna said. “The youth have been able to do the task the Norwegian government has been unable to do."

Thursday's rememberance events started with a memorial service outside what was once the Prime Ministr's office, an empty shell since the attack due to disagreements over how to rebuild it..

The service, which was broadcast on television, was attended by Prime Minister Erna Solberg, survivors and relatives  of the victims, political leaders and members of Norway's royal family.. 

Thousands of people gathered in the streets outside to mourn the 77 victims.

Disturbingly ten years after Brievik's lilling spree on social media there are still people motivated by extreme ideological thoughts, based on conspiracy theories and a fascist nazi view of the world.FAR-right terror attacks are rocketing with deaths soaring by 700 per cent in atrocities "inspired" by neo-Nazi Anders Breivik's massacre.

The 2020 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) found that despite a fall in the overall terrorism death toll some extremist factions are deadlier than ever.

In the West, far-right terror attacks soared by 250 per cent between 2014 and 2019 with the number of victims dying rising by 709 per cent.

There have now been more than 35 far-right terrorist incidents in the West every year for the past five years, the report reveals.

The terrifying rise appears to have been sparked by the 2011 massacre at a Norwegian summer camp by hate-fuelled Breivik, say experts.

Far-right propaganda on social media  is used by extremists to  try to exploit a captive audience during lockdown.and have tried to take advantage of the chaos and uncertainty caused by the global pandemic to spread extremist messages. They live on the internet, they live around the dinner table, they live in our communities , they live in  our neighbourhood.We have to  resist them so that what happened at Utøya Island  never happens again.

Over the last few year the media focus has solely been on that pathetic excuse of a human being, Anders Behring Breivik, Today I will try to rebalance this by focusing more on the victims of that fatal day on July 22,2011.

Hanna Endresen, 61, Oslo

Receptionist in the security department of the Government Administration Services. She was described as a “good colleague”.

Tove Ashill Knutsen, 56, Oslo

Secretary with the electricians and information technology workers’ union. On her way to subway station when bomb exploded.

Kai Hauge, 32, Oslo

Owned a bar and restaurant in Oslo. A colleague described his death as “a great loss”.

Jon Vegard Lervag, 32, Oslo

A lawyer who worked in the justice department. He was described as “socially engaged”.

Ida Marie Hill, 34, Oslo

Originally from Grue, Hedmark county, Ida worked as an adviser to the ministry of justice. She was described as “a dear and highly-valued employee”.

Hanne Ekroll Loevlie, 30, Oslo

A senior government worker originally from Tyristrand, Buskerud county. Colleagues said she “represented the best in us”.

Anne Lise Holter, 51, Valer i Oestfold, Oestfold county

Senior consultant to Norway’s PM Jens Stoltenberg’s office. Officials sent their “warmest thoughts and sympathy” to her family and friends.

Kjersti Berg Sand, 26, Nord-Ordal

Worked on international issues in Justice Department. Colleagues said they had lost a “dear and highly valued employee”.

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Utoeya island shooting
Utoeya island victims – photos of some of those who died are not available
Mona Abdinur, 18, Oslo

The committed young politician was described as “a well-loved friend, who was socially engaged and interested in multicultural issues”.

Maria Maageroe Johannesen, 17, Noetteroey, Vestfold county

Student at Greve Forest High School who was interested in music, dance and drama. Described as a wonderful, conscientious girl who was a “ray of sunshine”.

Ismail Haji Ahmed 19 Hamar, Hedmark county

Better known as Isma Brown after appearing on a talent show. The dance instructor was described as a “very bubbly, happy, caring and happy boy. He was very positive with a very big heart.”

Ronja Soettar Johansen, 17, Vefsn, Nordland county

An active blogger, Ronja had a keen interest in music. Friends said she was “a person with courage, commitment and kindness”.

Thomas Margido Antonsen, 16, Oslo

A student council representative. Described by friends as “a boy who spread joy”.

Sondre Kjoeren, 17, Orkdal, Soer-Troendelag county

Described as a gentle but committed person. He was said to have been heavily involved in efforts to get a new sports hall in his village.

Porntip Ardam, 21, Oslo

Known as Pamela. She was described as talented, super-intelligent, politically active and down to earth.

Margrethe Boeyum Kloeven, 16, Baerum, Akershus county

The student council leader was described as an “active and versatile girl”.

Modupe Ellen Awoyemi, 15, Drammen, Buskerud county

Daughter of the city council politician Lola Awoyemi. Described as a kind and open girl, who was active in AUF discussions.

Syvert Knudsen, 17, Lyngdal, Vest-Agder county

The student politician is believed to have been one of the first shot on the island. His family described him as a “bubbly” boy with a keen interest in music.

Lene Maria Bergum, 19, Namsos, Nord-Troendelag

Her head teacher described her as an excellent, beautiful youth, who was sociable, interested in international issues. She had planned to start a summer job as a journalist.

Anders Kristiansen, 18, Bardu, Troms county

An active young politician and leader of the AUF in his area. He was said to be “full of initiative” with “a great desire to work in politics”.

Kevin Daae Berland, 15, Akoey, Hordaland county

Active in Askoey AUF and was involved in local politics as well as being a member of the youth council.

Elisabeth Troennes Lie, 16, Halden, Oestfold county

A board member of the Halden AUF. Described as “the sweetest person in the world”.

Trond Berntsen, 51, Oevre Eiker, Buskerud county

Crown Princess of Norway’s step-brother. The royal court said the off-duty police officer was killed while working as a security guard on the island.

Gunnar Linaker, 23, Bardu, Troms county

Regional secretary of Labour party’s youth wing. Father described him as a “calm, big teddy bear with lots of humour and lots of love”.

Sverre Flate Bjoerkavag, 28, Sula, Soer-Troendelag county

Union official concerned about justice, equality and community thinking. Described as a well-liked young man who fought for pupils and students’ rights. Was training to be a nurse.

Tamta Lipartelliani, 23, Georgia

Secretary of the international committee of the Young Socialists of Georgia.

Torjus Jakobsen Blattmann, 17, Kristiansand,Vest-Agder county

Son of former political adviser. His father said he was a boy “full of humour” who loved playing the guitar.

Eva Kathinka Lutken, 17, Sarpsborg, Oestfold county

She was described as an active politician who was well liked.

Monica Boesei, 45, Hole, Buskerud county

PM Jens Stoltenberg said: “To many of us, she was the embodiment of Utoeya. And now she is dead. Shot and killed whilst taking care of and giving joy to young people.”

Even Flugstad Malmedal, 18, Gjoevik, Oppland county

The student with an interest in politics was described as “a gentle boy who stood up for his friends”.

Carina Borgund, 18, Oslo

Friends and family said she was “kind, caring, gentle and positive. She loved life and spread joy to everyone around her”.

Tarald Kuven Mjelde, 18, Osteroey

Said to be a big fan of Chelsea football team and described as “very warm, friendly and socially engaged”.

Johannes Buoe, 14, Mandal, Vest-Agder county

“An independent boy with a good sense of humour,” his parents told NRK. He was interested in dogs, hunting, snowmobiling and took an active part in the youth community.

Ruth Benedicte Vatndal Nilsen, 15, Toensberg, Vestfold county

Described by friends as “always happy, positive, and without prejudice”.

Asta Sofie Helland Dahl, 16, Sortland, Nordland county

Teachers described her as a wonderful girl who was “open and cheerful”.

Hakon Oedegaard, 17, Trondheim, Soer-Troendelag county

Music student at Heimdal high school and member of Byasen school marching band. Described as a role model for others in the band.

Sondre Furseth Dale, 17, Haugesund, Rogaland county

Had large network of friends through music scene and politics. Described as a dedicated person who put 100% into everything he was interested in.

Emil Okkenhaug, 15, Levanger, Nord-Troendelag county

A sports lover described as modest and liked by all who knew him.

Monica Iselin Didriksen, 18, Sund, Hordaland county

Active in Sund AUF, she was described by friends as a unique and bubbly girl.

Diderik Aamodt Olsen, 19, Nesodden, Akershus county

Vice president of Nesodden AUF. He was the youngest member of editorial staff working on the organisation’s magazine.

Gizem Dogan, 17, Trondheim, Soer-Troendelag county

Described as a clever student who contributed to the cohesion of her class. Elected as central member of local AUF a month before the tragedy.

Henrik Pedersen, 27, Porsanger, Finnmark county

Leader of Porsanger AUF. Described as a “breath of fresh air” in the local community. A Labour colleague said he was very engaged and engaging.

Andreas Edvardsen, 18, Sarpsborg, Oestfold county

Director of Sarpsborg AUF and active in in the Labour youth league regional committee in Oestfold. Described as “a very caring and confident person”.

Rolf Christopher Johansen Perreau, 25, Trondheim, Soer-Troendelag county

Known as Christopher. Long-term member of the AUF and was elected to the board in October. Described as a skilled orator and a charismatic young politician.

Tore Eikeland ,21, Osteroy, Hordaland county

PM Jens Stoltenberg described him as “one of our most talented young politicians”.

Karar Mustafa Qasim, 19, Vestby, Akershus county

Originally from Iraq, Karar was with friends at summer camp when he was killed. The local mayor described his death as “an enormous tragedy”.

Bendik Rosnaes Ellingsen, 18, Rygge, Oestfold county

Had a summer job at the justice ministry before attending camp. He was secretary of Moss Regional Labour Youth, who said they had lost a caring, open and inclusive boy.

Bano Abobakar Rashid, 18, Nesodden, Akershus county

Leader of Nesodden AUF. She was said to have dedicated her life to fighting for democracy and against racism.

Aleksander Aas Eriksen, 16, Meråker, Nord-Troendelag county

Described as socially-engaged as well as “impulsive and passionate”.

Henrik Rasmussen, 18, Hadsel, Nordland county

Treasurer of Hadsel AUF. Said to be a very committed person, both in politics and culture.

Andrine Bakkene Espeland, 16, Fredrikstad, Oestfold county

Described as a politically-engaged girl who was keen to take care of the weakest.

Synne Roeyneland, 18, Oslo

A student described by friends as a “funny girl, who always had something to offer: opinions about politics and love and fun and witty comments”.

Hanne Balch Fjalestad, 43, Lunner, Oppland county

Danish government confirmed the Danish national was killed while working on the island as a first aid assistant. She was with her 20-year-old daughter, who survived the shooting.

Ida Beathe Rogne, 17, Oestre Toten, Oppland county

A keen student described as happy and funny as well as determined.

Silje Merete Fjellbu, 17, Tinn, Telemark county

Student politician described as a “wonderful girl who had much to contribute”.

Simon Saebo, 18, Salangen, Troms county

The student politician was said to be a natural leader. Those who knew him described him as trusting and kind, and a person who showed great concern for others.

Hanne Kristine Fridtun, 19 Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane county

The nursing student was the local AUF county chairman. Described as energetic with great commitment.

Marianne Sandvik, 16, Hundvag, Stavanger

The student was described as a quiet girl who always stood up for those who needed her. Her father said she was concerned with injustice in the world.

Andreas Dalby Groennesby, 17, Stange, Hedmark county

His father had exchanged text messages with him before the shooting. His father told NRK that public support had helped at a painful, terrible time.

Fredrik Lund Schjetne, 18, Eidsvoll, Akershus county

Described by friends as “a great person” whom it was “an honour” to have known.

Snorre Haller, 30, Trondheim, Soer-Troendelag county

Painter and union man. He was a board member of the Joint Association’s Central Youth Committee. Described as a “kind, quiet and generous man”.

Lejla Selaci, 17, Fredrikstad, Oestfold county

Leader of the AUF in Fredrikstad. Described as a “very happy and social girl who committed herself to what she believed in”.

Rune Havdal, 43, Oevre Eiker, Buskerud county

Worked as a security guard on the island of Utoeya.

Birgitte Smetbak, 15, Noetteroey, Vestfold county

Politicians from her local area said hearing news of her death was “a difficult day”.

Guro Vartdal Havoll, 18, Oersta, Moere og Romsdal

An active and determined politician, the young student’s family said she was inspired by Ghandi and wanted to make the world a “better place”.

Isabel Victoria Green Sogn, 17, Oslo

An enthusiastic member of the AUF who saw her future involved in politics.

Ingrid Berg Heggelund, 18, As, Akershus county

A student who said she loved going to school.

Silje Stamneshagen, 18, Askoey, Hordaland county

Active in Askoey AUF and played in school band. Classmates described her as a happy girl who lit up the school day and every day.

Karin Elena Holst, 15, Rana, Nordland county

A member of the Rana AUF, she spoke to her mother during the shooting. She had urged her daughter to hang up and hide.

Victoria Stenberg, 17, Nes, Akershus county

The oldest of three siblings, she was said to be looking forward to the youth camp.

Eivind Hovden, 15, Tokke, Telemark county

Eivind was involved in his local youth centre and was attending his first summer camp. Described as an “amazing guy, always happy, caring and helpful”.

Tina Sukuvara, 18, Vadsoe, Finnmark county

Described as “very talented and engaged” and a person who participated actively in political debates.

Jamil Rafal Mohamad Jamil, 20, Eigersund, Rogaland county

Originally from Iraq, Jamil was described as happy, attentive and curious with a strong desire to contribute.

Sharidyn Svebakk-Boehn, 14, Drammen, Buskerud county

Known as Sissi to friends and family, the schoolgirl was described as a “beautiful, caring and vibrant girl”.

Steinar Jessen, 16 Alta, Finnmark county

A keen member of the AUF. The mayor of Alta described him as “a flower that would have grown big and strong”.

Havard Vederhus, 21, Oslo

Elected leader of Oslo Labour Youth in February. Friends said he was “ambitious and fearless”.

Espen Joergensen, 17, Bodoe, Nordland county

Had recently become head of Bodoe AUF. His best friend said he was someone who could “light up the darkest days”.

77 souls taken

77 dreams stolen

77 ideas destroyed

 Sources

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-14276074

earlier poem

https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2011/07/after-utoya-norway.html

 

Passages of the Sun

Golden fingers shoot forth 

Banishing dark clouds

Clearing nights doom.

Orchards burning in

Russet flames, ablaze

Like shimmering waves

Cooling shadows comfort

In leafy streets, romance flickers

Stirred and sun kissed.

Burning rays, drench

Release the most trenchant of spirits

Under the whirl of summer time.

In perilous times, sadness lifts

As we let sunshine in

Open up our hearts.

Beyond capitalisms drunkeness

Get highjacked by warm vapours

That heal and nourish the soul.

Swimming in the arms of the ocean

Bodies glistening, serenity shining

Delivering comfort until dawn.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Grief

 

 In 2018, Nick Cave received a message from a fan named Cynthia on his Red Hand Files site. Going through her own pangs of devastation after the loss of multiple loved ones, she asked Cave "

I have experienced the death of my father, my sister and my first love in the past few years and feel that I have some communication with them, mostly through dreams. They are helping me. Are you and Susie feeling that your son Arthur is with you and communicating in some way?"  Cave had lost his son, Arthur, in 2015, the 15-year-old  tragically falling from a cliff at Ovingdean, near Brighton. Following his son’s death, Cave’s works have been inspired by Arthur and the lingering effects of his death.

“Grief and love are forever intertwined,” he replied. “Grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love and, like love, grief is non-negotiable. There is a vastness to grief that overwhelms our minuscule selves. We are tiny, trembling clusters of atoms subsumed within grief’s awesome presence. It occupies the core of our being and extends through our fingers to the limits of the universe. Within that whirling gyre all manner of madnesses exist; ghosts and spirits and dream visitations, and everything else that we, in our anguish, will into existence. These are precious gifts that are as valid and as real as we need them to be. They are the spirit guides that lead us out of the darkness.”

 Cave continued in his letter to Cynthia. “I hear him talk to me, parent me, guide me, though he may not be there. He visits Susie in her sleep regularly, speaks to her, comforts her, but he may not be there. Dread grief trails bright phantoms in its wake. These spirits are ideas, essentially. They are our stunned imaginations reawakening after the calamity. Like ideas, these spirits speak of possibility. Follow your ideas, because on the other side of the idea is change and growth and redemption. Create your spirits. Call to them. Will them alive. Speak to them. It is their impossible and ghostly hands that draw us back to the world from which we were jettisoned; better now and unimaginably changed."

 This poignant exchange inspired Cave to pen a new single, Grief. “My reply was the first time I was able to articulate my own contradictory feelings of grief,” said Cave. “Letters like Cynthia’s have helped bring me and many others back to the world.”

The poetic spoken-word track came out as a 7″ vinyl in April as a follow-up to their February album, Carnage with Letter to Cynthia on the A-side and Song for Cynthia on the reverse. Cave wrote the lyrics to Letter To Cynthia with music performed and written by Warren Ellis; the latter was performed and written by the pair.

The shivering track carries deep tones that carry the weight of grief, Cave also reflecting on those he has lost. It is heartfelt, bursting with empathy, and a touchstone of comfort for those in mourning.

Cave Things - Letter to Cynthia by Nick Cave

https://www.theredhandfiles.com/communication-dream-feeling/

Bosnia commemorates 26th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide

 

 

 

26 years ago Serb forces captured the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, and carried out Europe's worst worst atrocity on European soil since the  Second World War. Around 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed there over several days. They had been forcibly separated from the women and children. The Bosnian Muslims had found shelter in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War because it was supposed to be under UN protection. On 16 April 1993, one year into a civil war that began when Bosnia sought independenc from Yugoslavia, the  Security Council had passed Resolution 819 requiring all parties to treat Srebenica and its surroundings as a safe area which should be free from any armed attack or any other hostile act. 

However in July 1995, General Ratko Mladić and his Serbian paramilitary units overran and captured the town,  Dutch  UN peacekeeping forces were at the time accused of  failing to do enough to prevent the massacre.The Muslim men and boys were told by the Dutch peacekeepers they would be safe and handed over to the Bosnian Serb army. They never returned. The Netherlands  has since been found  partly liable for the deaths of 300 Muslims killed in the Srebrenica massacre, The Hague appeals court upheld a decision from 2014 that ordered the Dutch state to pay compensation to the victims families. In August 2001 the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) concluded that a crime of genocide was committed in Srebrenica. Ever since, the survivors and the victims’ families have been fighting to obtain justice and recognition. 

The Srebrenica killings were the bloody crescendo of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, which came after the break-up of Yugoslavia unleashed nationalistic passions and territorial ambitions that set Bosnian Serbs against the country's two other main ethnic factions Croats and Bosniaks .Srebrenica  happened during a war with seemingly few rules of engagement, bitter fighting, indiscriminate shelling of cities and towns, ethnic cleansing and systematic mass rape. Essentially a territorial conflict, one in which people of difference looked back on times of peaceful coexistence, however fragile, and forward to ethnic separation, exclusion and to living apart.

When the attackers overran Srebrenica on July 11 and took peacekeepers hostage, about 25,000 Bosniaks fled to the UN base at Potocari on the city's outskirts. They sought refuge despite the scorching heat and catastrophic hygienic conditions. A day later, the attackers began to assault, rape and kill them. On July 12 and 13, girls, women and elderly refugees were loaded onto buses and driven to regions under Bosniak control. After murdering thousands of Srebrenica’s Muslims, Serbs dumped their bodies in numerous mass graves scattered throughout eastern Bosnia, in an attempt to hide the crime. Because the bodies of the victims were originally dumped into mass graves, most of which were then moved in an effort to hide the atrocity, families were not able to bury the remains of their loved ones until they were found years later Body parts are still being found in mass graves and are being put together and identified through DNA analysis. Newly identified victims are buried each year on 11 July, the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995.

The remains of 19 such victims, including two teenagers, were laid to rest during  a ceremony today , held at a memorial  in Potocari in the eastern part of the country.

They joined the remains of 6,671 Srebrenica victims that have been buried at the cemetery so far, while another 236 people have been laid to rest elsewhere.

"I will bury only the scull of my brother but even it is not whole," Azir Osmanovic told reporters.

His brother Azmir was 16 years old in July 1995 when he tried to flee Srebrenica with a group of other teenagers as the Serbs captured the town, but entered a mine field, Osmanovic said.

"My brother and two other boys died there."

Azmir's scull was found in 2018 and identified a few months ago.

"I decided to bury him this year to have at least a place to pray for him.

"I don't think anything else could be found after all these years," Osmanovic said.

Most of the massacre victims were shot dead in groups of hundreds at different sites in the Srebrenica region.

"It's getting more difficult to find new mass graves," the memorial centre spokeswoman Almasa Salihovic said."We are still searching for more than one thousand victims."

A UN court sentenced both Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic and his army chief Ratko Mladic, to life in prison, notably for Srebrenica. In all, the tribunal and courts in the Balkans have sentenced close to 50 Bosnian Serb wartime officials to more than 700 years in prison for the Srebrenica killings.

 The massacre was declared a genocide by international and national courts, but Serb leaders in Bosnia and neighboring Serbia continue to downplay or even deny it despite the irrefutable evidence of what happened.The Serbian Orthodox Church supported Mladic, and Serbs celebrated the notorious  paramilitary commander Zeljko Raznatovic, better known as "Arkan," as a hero, and a quarter of a century after the slaughter of Srebrenica, most Serbian leaders and many citizens still refuse to recognize it as a genocide; streets, schools and student dorms in Serbia are named after the convicted war criminals Mladic and Karadzic; and many of the men who were directly or indirectly involved in the 1995 massacre hold key positions in the country's political and economic sphere.
In fact, Bosnian Serb political leaders have consistently prevented the country from adopting a law that would ban genocide denial,  and on the eve of this year's massacre anniversary, the Serb member of Bosnia's joint presidency Milorad Dodik repeated his view that "there was no genocide."

"There is information that coffins (with victims remains) are empty, that there are no remains in them, they just put a name," he said quoted by the Bosnian Serb television RTRS.

Head of Bosnia's institute for missing people Amor Masovic labelled Dodik's comments "horrifying."

"At the memorial centre, there are victims of whom only one bone was found and buried."

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the bloc's enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi urged Balkan political leaders to face the past.

"There is no place in Europe for genocide denial, revisionism and glorification of war criminals," they said in a joint statement Saturday.

Also on Saturday a group of runners marked the genocide with a 227-km ultra-marathon, TRT World reported. The event has been held every year for the past 10 years. Runners start in the Croatian city of Vukovar and run in five stages until arriving in Srebrenica. 

In another event, thousands of people also finished a three-day walk around the Bosnian city to mark the escape of Muslim refugees, re-enacting the escape of Muslim refugees in 1995.

The 11th July has been designated as the official day of remembrance for the victims of Srebrenica. During this week each year, communities across the country,  honour the victims and survivors of the genocide, and pledge to create a better, stronger and more cohesive society.However the Bosnian government earlier this week failed to proclaim July 11 the national mourning day since ethnic Serb ministers opposed the move. 

 Every year, Remembering Srebrenica selects a theme that reflects an aspect of the genocide that must be commemorated, but also speaks to communities here in the UK.

The theme for 2021 is ‘Rebuilding Lives’ and this aims to honour the two million people who were displaced during the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia in the 1990s, shedding light on their stories and showing how they have rebuilt their lives.

Humanity has lived through the darkest of times, but few events have stained our collective history more than the Srebrenica genocide.Today we remember the victims, survivors and those still fighting for justice.We must reaffirm our commitment to put tolerance, kindness and respect at the heart of our communities so we and future and generations can build a better future without hatred, learning the lessons of Srebrenica and other genocides and do all we can to never allow evil like this to flourish again.The lesson from Srebrenica is that no society is invulnerable to prejudice and intolerance. We must all remain vigilant against these forces, and take positive action to build stronger, more resilient communities and continue to learn lessons from this tragic event, never forget and recognise the dangers of what can manifest when racism, prejudice,  religious-hatred and discrimination go unchallenged and ethnic divisions are exploited by political leaders.

Remembering Srebrenica is a stark reminder of how important it is to stand up to any form of hatred of discrimination, which has no place in our society and we must do all we can to tackle inequalities and support those who need it the most.

Here is a link to the official site of rememberance.:-

http://www.srebrenica.org.uk/

Remembering Palestinian revolutionary and novelist Ghassan Kanafani

 

45 years ago this week, 36-years-old,  Palestinian revolutionary socialist and novelist Ghassan Kanafani was assassinated Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency.

Long before his assassination, Kanafani’s personal experiences set the stage for his interest in Marxism and his quest for the liberation of Palestine.

Kanafari was born in the city of Acre, Occupied Palestine on April 8 1936. His father was Fayiz Kanafani, a lawyer,who was active in the national movement that opposed the British occupation of Palestine, and his mother was A’isha al-Salim. He had four brothers, Ghazi, Marwan, Adnan and Hassan; and two sisters, Fayzah and Suha.

He attended the Frères School in Jaffa. As a boy, Kanafani was already shadowed by death: He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. When he was twelve years old, following the Nakba  he and his family were forced to leave Jaffa before it fell to the Zionist forces in 1948; they sought refuge in Lebanon. The family then left Lebanon for Syria and settled in Damascus.

It was while working in refugee camps that Kanafani began writing his novels, and he later took an interest in Marxist philosophy and politics while living in Beirut.

“My political position springs from my being a novelist. In so far as I am concerned, politics and the novel are an indivisible case and I can categorically state that I became politically committed because I am a novelist, not the opposite,” he had stated at one point.

When his interest in communism grew, he turned away from pan-Arab nationalism, and towards the Palestinian struggle.

“The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever he is, as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era,” he said.

Most of his fictitious works focused on the lives of Palestinians and the challenges they faced living under Israeli occupation.

 In exile, he worked at a printing press; he later distributed newspapers and worked in a restaurant. In the daytime and at night he pursued his studies until he obtained the intermediate school certificate in 1953, and then he worked as an art teacher in UNRWA schools in Damascus.

His journalism and writings were deeply rooted in Arab-Palestinian culture, and inspired a whole generation both during and after his lifetime.

His contact with Arab political activists who had established the Arab Nationalist Movement began in 1953. After he met George Habash, he began to write for the weekly magazine al-Ra’i.

After obtaining his secondary school certificate, Kanafani joined his sister in Kuwait in 1956 where he worked as an art and athletics teacher. While working as a teacher, he enrolled in the Arabic Department of Damascus University for three years while also being active in Kuwait in the Arab Nationalist Movement and at the Arab Cultural Club, which was dominated by the movement. He also wrote for the weekly magazine al-Fajr, which was published by the movement. In 1957, he published his first story, “A New Sun.”

In 1960,  the year before his marriage, he relocated again, this time to Beirut.A year later Kanafani met Anni Hoover, a Danish teacher who had come to Beirut to study the Palestinian refugee situation; in two months they were married. “School teaches nothing. It only teaches laziness. So leave it and plunge into the frying pan with the rest of humanity.” (‘Men in the Sun’)

In 1963 he became editor of the daily al-Muharrir and in charge of its monthly supplement Filastin. 

1964 saw the founding of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), to be soon followed by the launch of the armed struggle to regain Palestine. 

 “Vietnamese revolutionaries have been struggling against imperialism for tens of years. They will transfer their revolution to other places; first, because their revolution is continuous, second, because they are internationalists . . .” - Ghassan Kanafani

 In 1967 he became the editor of the weekly supplement of the daily al-Anwar, remaining in that post until 1969. Kanafani, a novelist who first deployed the notion of “resistance literature” in the context of Palestine. to refer to Palestinian poetry written in Occupied Palestine , a now recognized genre within the Arabic literary sphere. Mahmoud Darwish,arguably Palestine's national poet who dedicated one of his own works, The Palestinian Wedding, to Kanafani, writes in an introduction to a volume of Kanafani’s literary critical studies that, “It was Ghassan Kanafani who directed Arab public opinion to the literature of the occupied land […] the term ‘resistance’ was not associated with the poetry until Ghassan applied it, thereby giving the term its special significance."

Kanafari , was also a leading member of the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front  for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).Kanafani took part in founding the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in December 1967 and was elected to its political bureau. He then became its official spokesman and was in charge of its media activities and in 1969 became editor of al-Hadaf, the movement’s magazine. He remained in that post until his assassination in 1972.

 In the PFLP’s Marxist vision, not only Palestine but the entire Arab world would be liberated, not just from foreign colonialism but also from archaic attitudes and social forms. The Palestinian resistance fighter was a revolutionary figure of the romantic type—a keffiyeh-wearing version of Che Guevara.

Ghassan Kanafani was a man of great originality and many talents. He wrote short stories, novels, and plays as well as journalistic articles and analytic studies; Arab publishing houses (including Dar al-Tali‘a, Mu’assasat al-Abhath al-‘Arabiyya, and Manshurat al-Rimal) have published editions of his collected works. Many of his works have been translated and published in sixteen languages.In 1966, the Friends of the Book Society in Beirut awarded Kanafani its annual prize for his novel All That’s Left to You. 

He was also a talented painter. After he was assassinated, some of his novels and stories were turned into feature films or shorts, such as his classic first novel of dispossession, opportunism, and migration—Men in the Sun, which in 1973 was adapted into a feature film entitled The Deceived. This film was directed by the Egyptian Tawfiq Salih and produced by the General Film Institution in Damascus. The film won the Golden Prize at the Carthage Festival for Arab and African cinema in 1973. Many critics consider this film as one of the most distinguished political films of world cinema, occupying tenth place in the list of the 100 most important movies of Arab cinema since its beginnings. This list was compiled after a survey of hundreds of critics and was announced at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2013.

Ghassan Kanafani  -Untitled 1964- 

Ghassan Kanafani - Women , 1968

Kanafani was assassinated in Beirut on 8 July 1972. The Israeli Mossad had placed an explosive charge in his car, which killed him and his niece, Lamis, who happened to be with him.

His killing by the Israeli secret forces was in response to the Lod Airport (now Ben Gurion International) massacre on May 30, 1972.26 people, including 17 Puerto Ricans, were killed by members of the Japanese Red Army who had been enlisted by the PFLP in the assault.

Despite his support for the armed struggle, neither Kanafani nor his 17 year-old niece, were involved in planning the series of ongoing  attacks organised against “imperialist targets” at the time. Whatever  responsibility the PFLP may have borne for Lod, Kanafani carried none of it – certainly not enough to justify his murder by the Israeli state (if anything could justify such barbarity)

Ghassan Kanafani was buried in Beirut and was posthumously awarded the World Union of Democratic Journalists prize in 1974 and the annual Lotus Prize for literature by the Union of Asian and African Writers in 1975. In 1990 the PLO awarded him the Jerusalem Medal for Culture, Arts and Literature.

His obituary in Lebanon's The Daily Star shortly after his death stated, "He was a commando who never fired a gun, whose weapon was a ball-point pen, and his arena the newspaper pages.”

Mahmoud Darwish, wrote in his eulogy to  Kanafari : “They blew up you, as they would up a front, a base, a mountain, and a capital, and they went to war with you, as they would an army. Because you are a symbol, and a civilisation is a wound. And why you? Why you? Because the homeland in you is real and transparent, and innovation for rivers whose waters are carved from the blood of migrants. Its streaks are always burnt, in which the late olive shade blends between memory and earth.” 

 Khanafari's  short works, particularly Men in the Sun (1963) and Returning to Haifa (1970), continue to resonate down through the decades, inspiring engaged responses in visual art, celluloid, on the stage, and in other novels. In 1977, Israeli authorities banned the performance of a theatrical adaptation of Men in the Sun set to be staged in Nazareth. But it is Kanafani’s controversial and beloved Returning to Haifa that continues to spark the keenest discussion, literary reaction, and re-interpretation.

The impact of both his life and death highlights is a clear reminder of his effect on the Palestinian people.

 Kanafani's assassination should be situated within a broader strategy of Israeli military and intelligence policy during the 1970s and 1980s to target, and inevitably remove influential Palestinian leaders.Another voice silenced by the Mossad was Naji al-Ali. The latter was a journalist and caricaturist who is best known for creating one of the most iconic Palestinian symbols, Handala. 

Cultural and political assassinations continue till this day; recent cases are the loss of prominent thinkers, authors and activists: Basel al-Araj and Nizar Banat.

Like Kanafani, both of these men had a significant impact on their surroundings and were viewed as pioneers of resistance. Al-Araj was killed by an Israeli ‘counter-terror' unit, allegedly facilitated by the Palestinian Authority, and Nizar Banat, killed less than one month ago, at the hands of the US-trained PA forces. Both these men were referred to as martyrs who resisted through education and writing, and they both had suspicions that they would meet their end because of it.

Sadly decades after Kanafani's death Palestinians continue to this day to pay the price for holding on to their identity and persisting in the fight to exist equally and with their full human rights. The struggle for freedom continues.

 Bibliography

Ghassan Kanafani, Palestine’s Children,

Translated and Introduction by Barbara Harlow & Karen E. Riley (2000)

Ghassan Kanafani, Men in the Sun

 Video

Watch Ghassan Khanafani in Interview in  Beirut in 1970: on the Conversation between the sword and the neck…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h_drCmG2iM

Interview with PFLP spokesman, Ghassan Kanafani, 1970,  by upitn reporter Michael Nicholson about the recent guerilla demands for which they would release their hostages

“To us to liberate our country to have dignity to have respect to have our human rights is something as essential as human life itself” Ghassan Kanafani

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObkyyBhDMg

 Stories online

Letter from Gaza (1955) by Ghassan Kanafani

https://web.archive.org/web/20160313200158/http://newjerseysolidarity.org/resources/kanafani/kanafani5.html

https://www.marxists.org/archive/kanafani/1956/letterfromgaza.htm

Ghassan Kanafani, The Land of Sad Oranges

http://www.nobleworld.biz/images/sad_orange.pdf

Kanafani’s The Stolen Shirt

https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/31937

Ghassan Kanafani, Excerpt from Returning to Haifa

 “Ghassan Kanafani: The Symbol of the Palestinian Tragedy,” by Rasem al-Madhoon,

Happy 73rd Birthday NHS : Medals Don't Pay Bills

 

 The NHS today marks its 73rd birthday as it continues to work through a mammoth backlog amid staff shortages, following more than a year of unprecedented challenges and disruption due to the pandemic. Nye Bevans legacy came into the world 73 years ago this morning, then Minister of Health in Attlee’s post-war government, when he opened Park Hospital in Manchester at a time of rationing and shortages, when we were nearly bankrupt, a jewel  that the war generation left us with, a proud legacy, for us to all to continue to share.For the first-time doctors, nurses, opticians, dentists and pharmacists all worked under one organisation. It was a ray of hope in that bleak time, and it remains one today. The creation of the NHS in 1948 was the product of years of hard work and a motivation from various figures who felt the current healthcare system was insufficient and needed to be revolutionised..

Born in 1948 to a post-war Britain amidst the rubble of war,and a skeptical medical profession, the NHS has had its ups and downs over the years. However, its role and importance as a symbol of our Britishness and intense pride in being able to provide universal care, free at the point of delivery, from the cradle to the grave, has remained throughout, out of the belief that healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth,with health and care as priorities – not profit, .these ideals remains one of the NHS’s core principles.

 

 

 

Aneurin Bevan, Minister of Health, on the first day of the National Health Service, 5 July 1948 at Park Hospital, Davyhulme, near Manchester. 

These ideas can be traced back to the early 1900s with the Minority Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Law in 1909. The report was headed by the socialist Beatrice Webb who argued that a new system was needed to replace the antiquated ideas of the Poor Law which was still in existence from the times of the workhouses in the Victorian era. Those who were involved in the report believed it was a narrow-minded approach from those in charge to expect those in poverty to be entirely accountable for themselves. Despite the strong arguments provided in the report, it still proved unsuccessful and many ideas were disregarded by the new Liberal government.
Nevertheless, more and more people were beginning to speak out and be proactive, including Dr Benjamin Moore, a Liverpool physician who had great foresight and a pioneering vision of the future in healthcare. His ideas were written in “The Dawn of the Health Age” and he was probably one of the first to use the phrase ‘National Health Service’. His ideas led him to create the State Medical Service Association which held its first meeting in 1912. It would be another thirty years before his ideas would feature in the Beveridge Plan for the NHS.
Before the creation of the NHS or anything like it, when someone found themselves needing a doctor or to use medical facilities, patients were generally expected to pay for those treatments. In some cases local authorities ran hospitals for the local ratepayers, an approach originating with the Poor Law. By 1929 the Local Government Act amounted to local authorities running services which provided medical treatment for everyone. On 1st April 1930 the London County Council then took over responsibility for around 140 hospitals, medical schools and other institutions after the abolition of the Metropolitan Asylums Board. By the time the Second World War broke out, the London Council was running the largest public service of its kind for healthcare.
Today, we have a lot to thank the NHS for; from the introduction of polio and diphtheria vaccinations to all under 15-year olds to the success of smoking cessation services and cancer screening services, the NHS has been instrumental in many of the medical achievements the UK has seen over the last 73 years.a shining example of what separates us from the US. It offered for the first time a free healthcare system for all, and has since  played a vital role in caring for all aspects of our nations health. It has been the envy of the world ever since. Remember we paid for it, so it is owned by us, it is our precious commodity, it must survive, we must tear the vultures hands from it.
It wouldn’t be possible to run a 7-day NHS, caring for millions of people day-in-day-out without the hard work and dedication of its staff. Despite all the adversity that’s thrown at them: poor pay, bursary cuts, hospital parking fines and staff shortages to name a few; they continue to become stronger and relentlessly deliver fantastic healthcare to the nation .

 The NHS  here in Wales employs close to 72,000 staff which makes it Wales’ biggest employer. I can never forget the compassion they gave to a dear departed, the staff always managing to keep her spirits high, never once showing any dereliction of care.  At the moment dedicated, compassionate staff  are under increased pressure, leading to low morale. Recent figures have emerged that 2/4s of hospitals have been warned about dangerous staff shortages. We are now standing at a precipice: the NHS has been severely damaged by underfunding and privatisation .

Today the Queen has awarded the UK’s highest accolade for heroism to NHS workers to mark more than 70 years of public service as she praised their efforts during the pandemic.

In a personal handwritten note, Her Majesty awarded the George Cross to all healthcare staff who have carried out their work ‘with courage, compassion and dedication’.

It is only the third time in history that the George Cross has been awarded to a collective body, country or organisation instead of an individual.

The award was instituted by King George VI on September 24 1940 during the height of the Blitz, and is granted in recognition of ‘acts of the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger’.

It can only be awarded by The Queen and is made on the advice of the George Cross Committee and the Prime Minister.

In her message, on Windsor Castle-headed paper, the Queen wrote: ‘It is with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that I award the George Cross to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom.

‘This award recognises all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four nations.

The Queen wrote a note on Windsor Castle headed paper to all NHS staff

 

The Queen thanked healthcare workers for their ‘courage, compassion and dedication’

‘Over more than seven decades, and especially in recent times, you have supported the people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication, demonstrating the highest standards of public service. ‘You have our enduring thanks and heartfelt appreciation.’

 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge  attended a thanksgiving service in its honour at St Paul’s Cathedral  alongside Boris Johnson and a celebratory tea party at Buckingham Palace.

Bojo also shared several pictures on Twitter which showed him meeting NHS workers, volunteers and charity workers on what he called “Thank You Day”.

He said: “This evening I had the opportunity to meet and thank some of the fantastic people who have gone above and beyond to support others throughout the pandemic, including NHS workers, volunteers and charity leaders.” Just another photo op, giving Bojo the chance to dress up and pretend to be involved with people, an insult to these brave people many of whom work in the NHS and have been denied a pay rise while his rotten government has lied, broken rules and squandered money,

I'm  sure all the staff are absolutely delighted. NOT!  It;s all rather patronising Here's a bloody medal while my family live in luxury.It's such a meaningless empty gesture  and unless Bojo  pays nurses, care workers and health staff a decent wage it means nothing. Medals like claps and badges are useless when it comes  to paying bills.  Such recognition of the debt owed to health workers 16 months into a deadly pandemic rings hollow given ministers’ refusal to concede a proper raise after a decade of shrinking pay packets.

The official NHS anniversary celebrations are nothing more than a propaganda stunt. Some photo-friendly public ceremonies studded with royalty are meant to imply that this institution — possibly the last widely trusted institution in the country, given the way the reputations of Parliament, police, the City, the media and more have been shredded by successive scandals — is above politics, cherished by all, Conservative politicians included. Actually the health service has been systematically undermined by successive governments.

Since the passing of the Health and Social Care Act in 2012 by the Tory-LibDem coalition Government, the NHS in England has been forced down a route of increased marketisation.The Government has accelerated its aggressive outsourcing to private firms during the Covid pandemic. And we are talking about serious amounts of money.

£10 billion on block-booking private hospital beds instead of building NHS capacity

£37billion for a track and trace system that the Public Accounts Committee said had ‘no clear evidence’ of curbing transmission of the virus. That has given out 600 million tests they have no idea where they are. That pays an average of £1000 a day for ‘consultants’.

Vast amounts spent on useless PPE. Contracts let without proper procurement processes. Contracts kept secret. Contracts where the Health Minister was found to have acted unlawfully.

As the Tory's and their rotten hearts seek to dismantle it,  we should not forget Nye's words who said ' It will last as long as their are folk with enough faith to fight for it. We  cannot reach the day again where people make a profit out of our sickness. The NHS is a shining example of how a caring society can create  good and safe care based on social solidarity., making such a great contribution towards social and health equality.  A beacon to the world. And the greatest example of Socialism in action and the basic decency and fairness of our labour movement.

Thank you  NHS to all the staff for their tireless work , especially  over the last 16 months who have once again highlighted their strength, professionalism , humanity, dedication and bravery in the most challenging and unpromising circumstances.y on the frontline, have risked their lives to treat Covid patients. hundreds have died from the virus, and many more are suffering long-term effects. NHS workers have also helped to administer  79 million jabs and have treated 204,00 seriously ill Covid hospital patients alone, often in sweltering hot  PPE. It is truly inspiring to see how amazing the staff handled the awful situation and it was a testament to every healthcare worker throughout the UK. They  are a credit to our nation and we couldn’t be more proud. to all of those who have worked and who are still working tirelessly to provide the best care to over 64 million people in the UK.

The NHS is currently in real danger, under attack from those that want to privatise it, run it down and fragment it now more than ever and we can't allow this to happen.With American plutocrats turning their eyes on the NHS,it's more important than ever to that we continue to defend it with all we've got. It is not now or any day for sale. Today, and everyday, we must keep fighting to protect this most special institution and the people working within it.

Now the government should  put its hand in its pocket and give these brave souls in the NHS a decent pay increase above inflation then  to properly say thank you for all their hard work and dedication to their jobs during this pandemic. A 1% increase is a measly  pathetic offer and needs to be increased.It's not OK that NHS staff like nurses are resorting to food banks to get by and a bloody George Cross won't stop staff from leaving , a great birthday gift that would prevent them  would be to: Fund it properly, Improve working conditions for staff, Give NHS workers the 15% pay rise  they truly deserve.