<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<base href="x-msg://914/">
</head>
<body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
I don't know about the others signees of the list, but I do know that Gilbert Ashcar was all for the intervention in Libya. That says a lot to me. I also know that the ISO speakers at their conference in Chicago in the Spring were for giving military aid to
the opposition to Assad.
<div>--mkb</div>
<div><br>
<div>
<div>On Nov 26, 2013, at 11:48 AM, Karen Aram wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; ">
<div class="hmmessage" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri; ">
<div dir="ltr">I'm not taking a side in this "conflict of views", merely presenting another side, or response to what was posted recently on this list.<br>
<br>
<a title="Home" id="logo" href="http://socialistworker.org/" rel="home"><img alt="Home" src="http://socialistworker.org/sites/all/themes/swzen/logo.png"></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>
<div id="search-box">
<form id="search-theme-form" action="/2013/11/25/protesting-an-assad-apologist" method="post" accept-charset="UTF-8">
<div>
<div class="container-inline" id="search"> </div>
</div>
</form>
</div>
<br>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div class="clearfix with-navigation" id="main">
<div class="column" id="content">
<div class="section">
<div id="content-area">
<div class="node node node-type-story node-promoted build-mode-full" id="node-24338">
<div class="inner">
<div class="content clearfix">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">
<strong>Protesting an Assad apologist</strong></div>
<div class="dateline">November 25, 2013</div>
<div class="body-introduction">Well-known activists, scholars and writers are speaking out against providing a forum for Mother Superior Agnès Mariam de la Croix, a Catholic nun in Syria. Among Syrians participating in the struggle against the dictatorship
of Bashar al-Assad, Mother Agnés is bitterly criticized as an apologist for the regime, going so far as to claim the horrendous gassing of mainly women and children in Ghouta last August was a fraud.<br>
Mother Agnés is currently on a speaking tour in Britain, though the Stop the War Coalition announced she was withdrawing from her invitation to speak at a conference they have organized for November 30. She will come to the U.S. to speak in the following weeks--activists
in solidarity with the Syrian revolution against the regime are planning for protests.<br>
</div>
<div class="body"><span class="sw image inline-right" style="width: 242px; "><span class="image-242"><img width="242" height="296" title="Mother Superior Agnès Mariam de la Croix" class="image-242" alt="Mother Superior Agnès Mariam de la Croix" src="http://socialistworker.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/242/images/2349077637.sm_a.jpg"></span><span class="caption">Mother
Superior Agnès Mariam de la Croix</span></span><br>
NEWS RECENTLY broke that Stop the War Coalition (StWC) invited Mother Superior Agnès Mariam de la Croix to speak at its November 30<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://stopwar.org.uk/events/international-antiwar-conference">International
Anti-War Conference</a>. Fellow guests included MPs Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn, and journalists Owen Jones and Jeremy Scahill.<br>
Responding to a firestorm of protest, Jones and Scahill vowed to boycott the event if the Syrian-based nun spoke alongside them. Eventually she decided to "withdraw" from the conference, and StWC<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://stopwar.org.uk/statements/stop-the-war-statement-mother-agnes-and-the-international-anti-war-conference-on-30-november-2013">issued
a statement</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>without explanation. Nor did it divulge why anyone would object to a Syrian cleric's participation in an ostensibly pro-peace event.<br>
Here are some reasons why we consider Mother Agnès-Mariam's inclusion in an antiwar event to be a "red line" for opponents of conflict. Despite contrary claims, she is a partisan to--rather than a neutral observer of--the war in Syria.<br>
Mother Agnès claimed that the Syrian opposition faked films of Bashar al-Assad's August 21, 2013, sarin gas attack on Ghouta in the suburbs of Damascus.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/STUDY_THE_VIDEOS_THAT_SPEAKS_ABOUT_CHEMICALS_BETA_VERSION.pdf">In
her 50-page dossier</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>on the horrible events of that fateful morning, she wrote that the dead, gassed children<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2GPTqxf8rE">documented
in those videos</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>"seem mostly sleeping" and "under anaesthesia."<br>
<a href="http://wewritewhatwelike.com/2013/10/29/father-paolo-dalloglio-double-bill-2-must-read-pieces/">According to Father Paolo Dall'Oglio</a>, a Jesuit priest exiled by the Assad regime for speaking out against its suppression of peaceful protests and currently
a prisoner of al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, ISIS, Mother Agnes "has been consistent in assuming and spreading the lies of the regime, and promoting it through the power of her religious persona. She knows how to cover up the brutality of the regime."<br>
Moreover, Syrian Christians for Peace have denounced Mother Agnès for claiming there had never been a single peaceful demonstration in Syria. They also accused her of failing to disburse any of the money she raised in the name of their beleaguered community.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.inewsarabia.com/485/Syrian-Christians-for-Peace-%E2%80%98Mother%E2%80%99-Agnus-is-an-Assad-agent-in-the-clothes-of-a-nun.htm">They
have asked</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>"that she be excommunicated and prevented from speaking in the name of the Order of Carmelites."<br>
Having a massacre denier and apologist for war criminals like Mother Agnès speak alongside respected journalists such as Jeremy Scahill and Owen Jones is not only an insult to them and their principles. It is also, more insidiously, a means of exploiting their
credibility and moral authority to bolster hers, both of which are nonexistent. No journalist should be sharing a platform with Agnès<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/world/middleeast/seeking-credible-denial-on-poison-gas-russia-and-syria-turn-to-nun.html?pagewanted=all">when
she stands accused</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>of being complicit in the death of French journalist Gilles Jacquier by his widow and a colleague who accompanied him into Homs during the trip arranged by Mother Agnès in January 2012.<br>
Given that her UK speaking tour is still scheduled to last from the November 21-30, we feel compelled to express our profound and principled objections to those who give a platform to a woman condemned by Syrian pro-peace Christians for greasing the skids of
the regime's war machine.<br>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br>
<strong>Signatories</strong><br>
<span class="fineprint">Prof.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Gilbert Achcar</strong>, SOAS<br>
<strong>Assaad al-Achi</strong>, Local Coordination Committees in Syria<br>
<strong>Rime Allaf</strong>, Syrian writer<br>
<strong>Abdulaziz Almachi</strong>, Media Committee of the Syrian Community in the UK<br>
<strong>Omar al-Assil</strong>, Syrian Non-Violence Movement<br>
<strong>Hussam Ayloush</strong>, Chairman, Syrian American Council<br>
<strong>Noor Barotchi</strong>, Bradford Syria Solidarity<br>
<strong>James Bloodworth</strong>, journalist<br>
<strong>Mark Boothroyd</strong>, International Socialist Network<br>
<strong>Kat Burdon-Manley</strong>, International Socialist Network<br>
<strong>Clara Connolly</strong>, human rights lawyer<br>
<strong>Paul Conroy</strong>, photojournalist<br>
<strong>Donnacha DeLong</strong>, National Union of Journalists<br>
<strong>Hannah Elsisi</strong>, Egyptian revolutionary socialist<br>
<strong>Raed Fares</strong>, Head of Kafranabel Media Centre<br>
<strong>Naomi Foyle</strong>, writer and coordinator of British Writers in Support of Palestine<br>
<strong>Razan Ghazzawi</strong>, Syrian blogger and activist<br>
<strong>Christine Gilmore</strong>, Leeds Friends of Syria<br>
<strong>Cort Greene</strong><br>
<strong>Golan Haji</strong>, poet and translator<br>
<strong>Marcus Halaby</strong>, staff writer, Workers Power<br>
<strong>Sam Charles Hamad</strong>, activist<br>
<strong>Nebal Istanbouly</strong>, Office Manager of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) in the UK<br>
<strong>Tehmina Kazi</strong>, human rights activist<br>
<strong>Ghalia Kabbani</strong>, Syrian journalist and writer<br>
<strong>Michael Karadjis</strong>, teacher, University of Western Sydney, writer and blogger<br>
<strong>Khaled Khalifa</strong>, Syrian writer<br>
<strong>Alia Al Khattab</strong>, Syrian activist and volunteer at Hand in Hand for Syria<br>
<strong>Danielle Laurent</strong>, human rights activist<br>
<strong>Mark A. Lause</strong>, Professor, Department of History, University of Cincinnati<br>
<strong>Malik Little</strong>, blogger<br>
<strong>Alan Maass</strong>, editor,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://SocialistWorker.org">SocialistWorker.org</a><br>
<strong>Amer Scott Masri</strong>, Scotland4Syria<br>
<strong>Margaret McAdam</strong>, Unite Casa Branch NW567 (pc)<br>
<strong>Middle East North Africa Solidarity Network-U.S.</strong><br>
<strong>Yassir Munif</strong>, sociologist and activist<br>
<strong>Tom Mycock</strong>, shop steward, Unite EM/LE23 branch (pc)<br>
<strong>Mariam Namazie</strong>, spokesperson, Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Fitnah - Movement for Women's Liberation<br>
<strong>Tim Nelson</strong>, Unison Shop Steward (pc)<br>
<strong>Andrew Pollack</strong>, Middle East North Africa Solidarity Network-U.S.<br>
<strong>Louis Proyect</strong>, Counterpunch contributor<br>
<strong>Martin Ralph</strong>, VP Liverpool TUC (pc)<br>
<strong>Matthew Richardson</strong>, League for the Revolutionary Party<br>
<strong>Ruth Riegler</strong>, co-founder of Radio Free Syria, Syrian International Media Alliance<br>
<strong>Mary Rizzo</strong>, activist, translator and blogger<br>
<strong>Christopher Roche and Dima Albadra</strong>, Bath Solidarity<br>
<strong>Eric Ruder</strong>, antiwar activist and contributor to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://SocialistWorker.org">SocialistWorker.org</a><br>
<strong>Walid Saffour</strong>, Representative of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) in the UK<br>
<strong>Gita Sahgal</strong>, Centre for Secular Space<br>
<strong>David St. Vincent</strong>, contributing writer and editor, National Geographic Books<br>
<strong>Reem Salahi</strong>, civil rights lawyer<br>
<strong>Salim Salamah</strong>, Palestinian blogger<br>
<strong>Yassin al-Haj Saleh</strong>, Syrian writer<br>
<strong>Ziauddin Sardar</strong>, writer, journalist, editor of the Critical Muslim<br>
<strong>Richard Seymour</strong>, author<br>
<strong>Bina Shah</strong>, author and contributor to the International New York Times<br>
<strong>Stephen R. Shalom</strong>, New Politics<br>
<strong>Leila Shrooms</strong>, founding member of Tahrir-ICN<br>
<strong>Luke Staunton</strong>, International Socialist Network<br>
<strong>K.D. Tait</strong>, National Secretary, Workers Power<br>
<strong>Peter Tatchell</strong>, human rights campaigner<br>
<strong>Paris Thompson</strong>, International Socialist Network<br>
<strong>Hassan Walid, Anas el-Khani and Abdulwahab Sayyed Omar</strong>, British Solidarity for Syria<br>
<strong>Sherry Wolf</strong>, Middle East North Africa Solidarity Network-U.S.<br>
<strong>Robin Yassin-Kassab</strong>, author and co-editor of Critical Muslim<br>
<strong>Qusai Zakariya</strong>, activist from Moadamiyeh, Syria<br>
<strong>Nisreen al-Zaraee and Wisam al-Hamoui</strong>, Freedom Days<br>
<strong>Tasneem al-Zeer</strong>, activist<br>
<strong>Razan Zeitouneh</strong>, human rights lawyer</span><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
_______________________________________________<br>
Peace-discuss mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a><br>
<a href="https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss">https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss</a><br>
</div>
</span></blockquote>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>