Update on Afghan Hunger Strike: Day 4 - Wednesday

by Starstruck Wed May 17, 2006 15:15

Two men have just been taken from the cathederal in a state of semi-consciousness,one appears to be in a critical condition.
A schoolchild has just been hospitalised from the cathederal,many of his schoolfriends are outside,some in tears.

This is an urgent callout for all who can to come to the cathederal ro show both your support and disgust at what is happening.

GATHERING AT 6.30 TONIGHT AT THE CATHEDERAL.
Please forward this to any and everyone you can,the situation is becoming critical and we cannot let it pass by unnoticed and leave those responsible for this torment unaccountable for their actions.

by School Students Against Deportations Wed May 17, 2006 17:13

Despite the bad weather conditions there was a decent protest by school students outside of St. Patricks Cathedral, organised by school students against deportations.
School students were joined by members of Socialist Youth, Labour Youth and Anarchist Youth along with members of Residents Against Racism and general supporters who are maintaning a presence outside the church. The situation is worsening with two more asylum seekers admitted to hospital today.

Students from St. Tiernan's School

Help our Friends

School Students Against Deporations

by Con Carroll - class-war Wed May 17, 2006 17:42

well guys it says a lot about Ireland of welcomes
the ignorance is mindboggling
still thankfully we have people who are not been educated by Evening Hearld
or by our friends whom certain people say are from racist right wingers who encourage local youth to taunt afghanistan supporters of people on hungerstrike

we need to say this is solidarity protest with people on hunger strike
don't be proved by people with other agendas
neither should people turn up with alcohol in their system

itf one cannot come and show solidarity with people on hunger strike with respect
then don't come at all

Mc Dowell department of justice is where the finger points

nice one to residents against racism.

by anon Wed May 17, 2006 17:49

didn;t some of men protest in front the dail last year along with others, there photos on the site I can't find them iwth search but it would show they didn't speed to a hunger strike.

by iosaf Wed May 17, 2006 17:57

As ought be obvious to all, protest campaigns do not generally originate within "comercial or state" media circles. That was one reason the worldwide indymedia network began and grew so dramatically and continues to grow.
Commercial media in Ireland is happy to front page Bono or Geldof every other day of the week, but whenever concerns closer to home such as the intention of the Michael Mc Dowell to deport a blind and crippled man to a country ravaged by war, selective omission always comes in.
We amongst the supporting groups & individuals, knew from the beginning that the men had chosen to play 3 cards in their struggle :-
1) enter Saint Patrick's cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, a deanery church which is outside of the diocese of Dublin. St. Pat's first received its right to offer sanctuary (the basis of our modern asylum law) before most Irish history books began, but you'll find special mention of it in the standard work on the history of the Church of Ireland "ancient & modern" written by the very Dean of Saint Patrick's the most reverend Mc Carthy.
2) they began a hunger strike.
3) they included a liquid fast.
4) they sought and recieved immediately support.

The commercial media in Ireland chose to report their presence and the hunger strike, & report the thoughts of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, most Irish people nowadays being lapsed catholics would have probably thought St Patrick's is his church - _It is not_
The commercial media made no mention of the thirst fast only after the supporting groups & individuals, who are not only found in Dublin, within and without the Cathedral, but throughout the global justice and migrant rights organisation had made contact with the BBC. Thus the first mention of "thirst strike" came from the British state news organisation, to be followed by the first reporting on RTE and "breaking news" mentions in both the Irish Times and Irish Independent : all 4 media organisations linked the ending of the "thirst fast" with the belated envoy, a low ranking civil servant sent by Mc Dowell (as his pleni-potentiary?). From the offset these mens' "new found friends" had asked them to take water. The commercial press in Ireland then saw fit to use such words as "stalemate". That is a term which refers to an unsatisfactory endgame of Chess where neither side can win. I have no idea how it is apt for this situation. These men are in sanctuary in a Deanery church, the minister for justice wants to deport them to a war-torn land. If they stay in the cathedral - they've won. If they're packed on to planes - the minister has won. If they die of hunger or thirst - they've won, and th minister has lost. Really only one outcome shall be anything more than a pyrric victory for anyside - they stay as obvious guests of the Irish nation & if that mean only their "new found friends" so-be -it. inch'Allah! Amen!

The last most obvious omission from commercial media coverage, has been the attempt by the ministry of justice in partnership with the ministry of health to seperate the spokesperson of the group from his fellows. As ham-fisted an attempt at skullduggery as one would expect from the Progressive Democrats, whilst the Taoiseach without irony this 25th anniversary of the Long Kesh hunger strikes, simultaneously welcomes moves in the "Irish USA migrant battle" and confirms "the government will not give in to the hunger strikers". All we need now for surreality's sake is a Chinese or other migant group dressed up as mary magdalene children of former dayss organising a dirty blanket protest in the roman catholic Pro-Cathedral or some such other venue.

There has been no stalemate & this is not an endgame. First mention of the Afghani Hunger strikers in Saint Patrick's cathedral was made on US radio this morning. It took pride of place ahead of the Taoiseach's approval of migrant rights. Perhaps he ought ask Bono, himself an old boy of the once C of I but now non-denominational Mount Temple school to go chat at the mosques of Ireland this Friday and pour "oil on troubled water". But most probably neither he nor his PD government pals have realised how deep and still that water was before.

Let us continue extending this protest nationally & internationally, in every community. It is no longer just about deporting a blind crippled Afghani man and his mates . Its about the Irish state's (that means the elected government and the regime it underpins) blatent hypocrisy and injustice and the fawning commercial media that serves it. & we must be confident for this week the extent of our alliances which have grown in mutual respect and understanding between political parties, rights groups, individuals, collectives, religious groupings, fraternal organisations has for the first time become apparant.

by Padraic - 1 of Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group Wed May 17, 2006 18:03

Osman, one of the spokespeople who was interviewed by RTE today is being taken to hospital. Medical staff suspect a cardiac problem and a resusitator has been taken into the cathedral.

Osman was on hunger and thirst strike since Sunday. He came off the thirst strike yesterday but is still refusing to take food.

by chekov - 1 of Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group Wed May 17, 2006 18:35 chekov at indymedia dot ie

.

Teenaged Hunger Striker Being Taken Away in an Ambulance

Schoolmates Look on Tearfully

Schoolchildren Protest

Schoolmate of Hunger Striker

Another schoolmate shows her support

by Mairead Wed May 17, 2006 18:51

Manuel Jordao, the representitive of the UN-High Commissioner for Refugees in Dublin is quoted as follows

Mr Jordao said: “I think that they might have very good reasons to believe that they should not be returned to Afghanistan. I believe that they are choosing the wrong way to plead their case.”

He added: “I think that they should go back to the trust they had once deposited in those that have been assisting them to present their claim to asylum institutions here in Ireland.”

There is a system for asylum seekers, and while the hunger strikers clearly have grave concerns and fears about being compelled to return to Afghanistan, they need to complete the asylum seeking process. In whose interests would it be for the government to abandon the system?

I don't think that this is about racism, and I think throwing labels about like this only succeed in creating divides between groups where there should be discussion.

by Justin Morahan - Peace People Wed May 17, 2006 19:00

Good to see a big crowd in spite of the rain. State reported to have offered another meeting in that awful Immigration office where we have seen so much intimidation of asylum seekers and their supporters in the past.

Have they any conception at all of human decency.

socialist youth

giving her support

joe higgins back

supports every good cause

Supporters in the rain

by dunk Wed May 17, 2006 19:04 fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

interview with Fr. Joe McCullough, catholic priest, after visiting the men yesterday @ 7pm
length- 6.42
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/post_visit.wav

rough unfinished transcript:

D - You have just come out from visiting the men, can you just tell us how they are

Fr. Joe - Well, I was very moved by their determination and their courage, a few of them are obviously quite ill, I think seven of them have been to hospital today and come back, thankfully most of them are taking water, I just assured them as a catholic priest and a member of a missionary congregation here in Ireland that we were very much in solidarity with them, that we recognized their plea for justice. And that we hope that Mr. Mc Dowell, if he is a lawyer, and if he is a Christian, that he will show some humanity and compassion. He made a preposterous suggestion that they were just escaping trouble in Afghanistan, but who cased the trouble in Afghanistan and the situation in Afghanistan going back hundreds of years. it is ironic that there are 2 plaques in this cathedral to the British soldiers that died during the British invasion of Afghanistan. So the people in there who are fighting on their behalf, residents against racism, noticed the irony of that, but I was met with nothing but absolute warmth from these people, especially these young men, and they are very determined. So we hope now… It would make you ashamed to be an Irish citizen, we hope that the gobt and the dept of just will get sense, and even if there si some interim solution. 1 young man, hes living in a hostel, not able to work, not able to study, what kind of existence is that, would mc d like an existence like that, and then given the history of this country too, and its emigration and all that’s been happening, it’s a disgrace

D -You’d think we’d remember having gone through what we went through

Fr. Joe - You think we would remember that, but no we forgot because there is a preoccupation with money and wealth and all that’s all that occupying even the government, and a sense of justice, of humanity, irrespective of what peoples religious beliefs are, humanity, will the justice ministers not come up here and meet these people.

D -Do you think that if more Irish people come out and support these men that they can put pressure on mc d to come up and meet them?

Fr. Joe - Absolutely, if the Irish people, with a tradition of supporting a just cause, this is a just cause, this is a truly just cause that these people have, so we hope that the Irish people will get behind it in the name of humanity and the name of god if we are a Christian nation, if were a Christian people. Why doesn’t Mr. McDowell come and meet these people, and see their sincerity, their warmth, their cause. Even the lawyers that are acting on behalf of residents against racism have said they haven’t been due process in relation to their appeals for asylum. So you know threes lots of injustice upon injustices, upon in, as I said it would make you ashamed to be an Irish citizen

D -we all see how much Irish society has changed in last generation, you can see it turning into a more greedy me me country, but I’m hoping that people will come out, but do you think it will split between people who support them and people who are against t them. Already we’ve had people saying "get the Taliban out" wave had young people coming up and just shouting in racist taunts to the people who are here supporting the men.

Fr. Joe - I think that’s down to a degree of ignorance..........

more soon........

by Phuq Hedd Wed May 17, 2006 19:11

Including people that had a prior relationship to the men and were there at the start? The report from Chris-Unmanageables makes it sound like the Cathedral is allowing in the corporate exploiters and keeping out people that were actually helping the hungerstrikers, in conflict with the explicit arrangement that the Cathedral staff made with them. Do we know if the hungerstrikers are aware that this is happening?

by ! Wed May 17, 2006 21:28

35 - 40 people at tonights 6.30 vigil.

15 or so counter protesters. Seemed to be bored young locals and a couple of dodgy older types. They threw a egg at the anti racist/deportation crowd, who did not react.

by Seán Ryan Wed May 17, 2006 21:29

Here’s a photocopy of a letter sent to Michael (Thatcher) McDowell on behalf of the refugees, as was promised yesterday. Many thanks to John Aherne for scanning this image for me and also to jd for some great technical advice.

This letter was a result of talks with the refugees and in particular with Osman.

It’s chilling to hear that Osman has been hospitalised with suspected cardiac problems. I immediately liked Osman when I first spoke with him on Sunday. Despite his predicament he has a keen sense of humour and an ability to make others feel at ease, myself included. When I left the cathedral on Sunday night many of the refugees shook hands with me and thanked me for my efforts. Osman was the last refugee I said goodbye to, he left me with a firm handshake and his thanks also.

I felt like a humbug. All I had done and all I continue to do is to witness. I witness a fine and healthy young man and an inspiration too, offer up his life to educate me and other Irish citizens to our common hypocrisy, our government.

I got to know 1 of 46. He at the very least deserves to live. He has the ability and the desire to make Ireland a better and more humane place.

If anyone has an update on Osman’s condition, I’m quite anxious.

Please go to the cathedral, be educated, educate and WITNESS.

Blood On Your Hands

by Citizen Smith Thu May 18, 2006 02:00

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I must point out that the vast majority of Irish people fully support Mc Dowell's refusal to be intimidated by the threats of suicide by these protestors. Afghanis did this in Belgium as well and the Belgian Government caved in, sending out the message that all you have to do to get asylum in Belgium is to go on hunger and thirst strike. Belgium will pay a high price for its cowardliness over the next months and years. I hope that Mc Dowell will have the courage of his convictions and resist this form of intimidation from the outset. Sorry to hurt your feelings here in Indymedialand, but that is the way most Irish people feel about this situation.

by anon Thu May 18, 2006 02:49

Here is UNHCR take on Afghanistan
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm...a3474
Today, the number of Afghan refugees returning home this year from Pakistan under UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme is set to pass the 50,000 mark. This brings to some 3 million the total number of Afghans returning from Pakistan since the programme started in 2002. More than 90 percent of returnees have repatriated with our assistance.

UNHCR respone to Belgian situation 2003
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/we....html

No jobs when they are repatriated
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/21/content_44...1.htm
KABUL, April 21 (Xinhua) -- "I love my country and that was why I returned home from Iran two years ago but unfortunately could not find a regular income to properly feed my offspring," complained Ahmad Jan. Jan, 49 and father of five, said that continued unemployment forced him to go back to Iran. "At least I can work as a labor and feed my children properly there in Iran," he maintained.

Over 3.5 million Afghans have returned home since the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001 with majority of them living in misery in shantytowns here as the war-shattered country is still depending on the foreign aid. In addition to seeking visa from Iran, hundreds of Afghans apply to Pakistan embassy here to obtain Pakistani visa in order to make their business easy.

Will these men get visa to work in neighbouring countries? When deported from Ireland?

UNHCR report states 'Afghans in Pakistan cite shelter and jobs as deciding factors in return' meaning there is little.
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendoc.htm...eb054
Some 600 refugees have repatriated from the four camps in the last month; the rest of the 250,000 affected Afghans are still undecided.At Jalozai camp, the reactions are equally mixed. While 20 families have already repatriated, others cite obstacles to their return. "Everyone loves his country but there is no peace and land is occupied by other people," said Abdul Manan, 37, from Jawzjan province in northern Afghanistan.

U.S. topples Taliban, now poverty and violence reign.Few jobs await Afghan refugees
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2006051.../1009
HERAT, Afghanistan -- Promises of work and security made Ghulam Hazara return to the western Afghan city of Herat from Iran two years ago. Now a lack of both is driving him back.

by Elaine Thu May 18, 2006 02:54

"You can judge politicians by how they treat refugees; they do to them what they would like to do to everyone else if they could get away with it." - Ken Livingstone.

Three In A Row

Deep In Conversation

Must Be Part Of An Umbrella Group

Mind The Traffic!

Many People Did

by Elaine Thu May 18, 2006 03:26

... who had followed us down to the Cathedral, many of the supporters continued to keep vigil outside. The mainstream media were allowed in to the building just after 8pm, in time for the 9 O'Clock news.

Meanwhile At The Cathedral...

Wrapping Up The Vigil

Rosanna And Mark After A Long Day In The Cathedral

Indy Gets An Update

by Mark Grehan - Residents Against Racism Thu May 18, 2006 11:14

Amnesty Requests Irish Government Not to Return Afghan
Asylum Seekers
Public Statement: Tuesday 16th May 2006

Amnesty International believes that current conditions
in Afghanistan are generally adverse to the return of
rejected asylum-seekers as there are no sufficient or
durable guarantees ensuring that such returns are safe
and dignified.

The Afghanistan Government and its international
partners are still incapable of providing security to
the people of Afghanistan. In August 2005, the
Afghanistan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation
stated that 40% of all returned refugees were in a
vulnerable situation, "struggling between hope and
hopelessness".

If reports in the media are accurate, the men on
hunger strike in St Patrick's Cathedral have been
unsuccessful at first stage of the refugee
applications process, and some have also been rejected
on appeal. We are unfamiliar with the precise details
of these individual cases as yet, hence, while Amnesty
certainly has some concerns about the overall asylum
process in Ireland, it cannot comment specifically
about these cases. For those who were rejected at all
stages, they may still appeal to the Minister for
Justice for humanitarian leave to remain. Amnesty
encourages the Irish Government to ensure that these
individuals are not returned to Afghanistan while the
present circumstances there persist. Any return of
rejected asylum-seekers should take place in safety,
dignity and with full respect for human rights, which
cannot be guaranteed at present.

by Paulie Fri May 19, 2006 01:21

I dont see much balanced coverage of this event here, not very independent.
So Amnesty supports the use of children in a hunger strike ?
Very strange!
Amnesty support's the Taliban ?
Really strange!
So Amnesty support's the right of anyone to enter this country to apply for asylum, not get it, go on hunger strike and be granted full asylum?

This is while I would consider myself "leftwing" have given up on groups like Amnesty, they make calls without any hard fact's,do they fully know who these people are ?
They are sure that within this group of people there are no Taliban member's ?
They did check this out , did they not ?

I do not have all the fact's either, but then I am not telling other people what to do.

High moral ground, dangerous place to be, one has a long way to fall.

I am pretty angry, this is not even remotely balanced coverage.

by Balanced Fri May 19, 2006 02:16

Amnesty didn't say it supported the use of children in hungerstrikes. If you concentrate on what someone didn't say it gives you much scope to say what you want. This is dishonest. To further explore this point, allow me to say that our government have no problem with deporting these desolate children and to do so without caring whether they will have basic human rights afterwards. These children would rather die than be sent to hell. Suicide is not illegal. You shouldn't get too upset though. Thanks to the 'legal' actions of the coalition of the willing it's ok to bomb, maim and torture children. Methinks you should look into this issue and try to achieve some 'balance.'

Amnesty did not say it supported the Taliban. See above.

Amnesty did not say it supported the right of anyone to enter this country, be refused asylum, go on hungerstrike and be granted full asylum. Again this is very dishonest of you Paulie. Amnesty simply said that refugees from Afghanistan could not be guaranteed basic human rights if forcibly returned to Afghanistan.

It is not the job of Amnesty to assign rights to some and claim that others do not deserve them. This is with regard to your second 'point' about the Taliban. Now just so's we're clear. Everyone has basic human rights. Our country cannot legally facilitate the torture of any individual - read all about it here on Indy in issues to do with Shannon Warport and Extraordinary Rendition. Torture is wrong and our government recognises this - on paper at least. They have continuosly denied that Ireland is a part of the Extraordinary Rendition for torture obscenity.

McDowell and his clique now wish to personally render these men for probable torture. It is the claim of these children and men that they fear they will be tortured if returned to Afghanistan. McDowell has said nothing whatsoever that will refute this. He hasn't even bothered to recognise it as an issue, similar to yourself Paulie.

And that's the issue. Not what hasn't been said. If you want to balance anything the least you could do is to focus on the issues.

by D Ni Eile Fri May 19, 2006 17:12

As Citizen Smith said, most people support the minister's stance on the refugees. I believe they should be let starve if they want to. This is a free county and if they choose to harm themselves, why should we stop them? I do not want to see anyone die, but this is a time for the minister to show some backbone and stick by his guns.

There is a legal process for asylum seekers in this country. Why should anyone be let stay when they show such disrespect for the law of the land in which they say they want to stay? What do we do when the churches in the land are overflowing with people trying to by-pass the system?

The biggest disgrace here is not the ministers stand, but the waste of our limited heath system resources on these peoples self inflicted ills. I would now even go so far as to support their forcible removal from the church and immediate deportation to Kabul where they could continue their strike if they wanted.

by Centz Fri May 19, 2006 17:17

Support the Rule of Law?
Tell that to the Wheelock family.

Secondly, the 'limited health care resources'?
Your not suggesting that its these peoples fault our health service is in a mess? CAuse you'd be factually incorrect and way off the mark.

Your arguments dont stand up at all. Ministe has a backbone- one built and maintained by his friends in IBEC- the people he represents. So a defeat for him is a victory for ordinary people.
To win a good health service and see an end to the PD regime we should be saying victory to the hunger strikers.