Vittorio was Not a Peace or Human Rights Activist

Vittorio Arrigoni, who was killed yesterday by a Muslim group in Gaza, was not a peace activist. He was not a human rights activist.

And, as Zvi points out in the comments to my last post, he was not even a "pro-Palestinian" activist.

A look at his Facebook page photos show nothing about how much he loves Palestinian Arabs. Barely any pictures of him smiling with his friends the Gazans. Unlike most Facebook pages, stuffed with photos of people smiling with their family and friends, Arrigoni's page is filled with hate.
In fact, one can see how he defined himself: not as pro-anything, but only as anti-Zionist:




He never had anything bad to say about Hamas. He never campaigned for Arab countries to stop their discrimination against Palestinian Arabs. He never spoke a word demanding that "refugee camps" in Gaza be dismantled and real homes built.

Here is how he was described by his Free Gaza friend, Mary Hughes Thompson (via email):

Words can't express the shock and sense of bereavement at the loss of this beautiful man, who considered himself Palestinian. The videos we saw of him bloodied and blindfolded were chilling, nothing like the Vittorio we knew and loved, always smiling, always wearing a skipper's hat and holding his beloved pipe.


The anti-Israel left might consider themselves "Palestinian," but clearly some Palestinian Arabs don't.

Imagine if Christian Zionists who visit Israel in solidarity were murdered - by Jews. You can bet that their enthusiasm for Israel would cool quite quickly.

But that is because their support is built on love, not hate.

So-called "Pro-Palestinian activists" are not motivated by love. If they were, they would act completely differently. So the murders of Arrigoni and Juliano Mer-Khamis - done by the people they supposedly love - will not make a dent in far leftist "support" for PalArabs, because they don't support them in any real way.

They only have a shared hate for Israel.

One last cartoon on Arrigoni's Facebook page is stunning in its irony, an irony that his fellow activists will never, ever get:





UPDATE: One more lovely photo that Vittorio thought was wonderful: (h/t Kramerica)


His heart was overflowing with love.

To be clear...he didn't deserve to die. But he doesn't deserve to be remembered as a person who cared one bit about peace or human rights, either.

He was a hater.
Elder of Ziyon

Bloggers on the Frontline for Liberty

American bloggers are on the verge of discovery. They have pretty much figured out the Fascist ‘surge’ of the past 60 years.
Among progressives there has been much said about amending the present situation. Potential reformers may find the following article helpful.

'Egypt: Bloggers on the Frontline'
by Amira Al Hussaini, Global Voices

Egyptian bloggers worked round the clock telling the world about a workers' revolt that shook their country, as thousands rioted at a textile mill in Al Mahalla, demanding better pay and protesting against increasing prices. They were also among the first casualties of the unrest, which left two people killed, scores injured and an undetermined number of activists, organisers and mere spectators behind bars. Their coverage came in the form of blog posts, YouTube videos, Twitter feeds, Flickr shots, Facebook messages and all other online tools they could get their hands on.

April 6 was supposed to be a day of civil disobedience, where a general strike would be observed, with people staying home for the day. The government swore to hit the strike with an iron fist, and warned the public not to heed to the call. Rallies were also quashed and the day ended with a confrontation between workers and the police at the Mahalla district, at the heart of Egypt's textile industry.

Blogger Malek Mustafa was the first to be arrested, allegedly for distributing flyers, on the day of the strike. Malek has since been released, but other bloggers are still behind bars, awaiting prosecution, along with an unspecified number of detainees. Among them is Esraa Abdul Fattah, an Egyptian girl, and one of the founders of the 6 April - The Day of Anger Facebook Group, which was instrumental in spreading the word about the strike. So far, the group has attracted 68,000 members and counting. Bloggers Sharkawy and Karim Al Bihairi have also been reportedly arrested.

Tadamon Masr blog (Ar) announced Bihairi's arrest saying:

Karim Al Bihairi, of the Egypt Labour Blog, who works in Mahalla, was arrested and taken to an unidentified location, where he was beaten up and electrocuted. He was also asked about all the telephone numbers which were registered on his cell phone. The source of all this information is Karim himself, who met with lawyers from the Coalition to Defend Egyptian Protesters and told them what happened to him.

Blogger Hossam El Hamalawy offers exceptional coverage of the unrest and security threats on bloggers, in his detailed reports, which are regularly updated and which include accounts of the incidents, dotted with graphic photographs. More photographs can be seen here and here.

Dedicated phone lines were also set up for members of the public to report their sightings of unrest to a collaborative blog called 6 April 08 (Ar), which provides detailed coverage of the three days of unrest. A coalition of lawyers to defend those arrested has been formed too and the blog posts the following plea:

The coalition to defend those arrested following the strike calls upon all lawyers interested in human rights and freedom to volunteer their services and participate.

American photojournalist James Buck, who is in Cairo, posts the following Tweet, saying:

Hundreds still missing in mahalla; families beg for human rights help

More clashes are expected in the next few weeks as online activists, supported by the masses on the ground, gear up for another face off with authorities. A new Facebook Group calling for a bigger strike on May 4, which coincides with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's birthday.

Photo credit: May 4 Strike Facebook Group

You may view the latest post at

http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/09/egypt-bloggers-on-the-frontline/

Is Briana Waters a Terrorist? A Continuing Debate

· The legal system needs reform, not anti-terrorism laws

Brianna Waters was found guilty of arson despite what appear to be gaping holes in the case against her. She was named by witnesses hoping to reduce their own punishments, and there is no other credible evidence against her.

But all that has nothing at all to do with the increasing tendency of prosecutors, law enforcement and legislators to treat eco-terrorism and animal rights terrorism as what they are: terrorism. The article teaser screams that "U.S. attorneys exploited post-9/11 counterterrorism laws to pursue and prosecute an environmental activist." But the FBI and prosecutors did not go after Waters because she was an activist. They went after her because she was named by witnesses as a participant in criminal activity.

Prosecutors may very well have abused their power in this case, as they do in many cases. The problem is not the post-9/11 anti-terrorism laws. It is that there is little accountability for prosecutors who "win" convictions of innocent people. The legal system needs reform, not the law.

-- Saleem

[Read Saleem's other letters]

Permalink Wednesday, March 26, 2008 07:00 PM