Assad Election Ploys Has The United Nations Concerned.

The United Nations has gently tried to turn its focus back to Syria to warn about illegal voting practices. The United Nations says that conditions for returns to Syria are not yet fulfilled, more than ten years into a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than half the pre-war population from their homes. 

In a report the United nations has cited the unavailability and lack of opportunity for all citizens to vote especially in certain regions of Syria and mainly in areas where the "Scorched Earth" campaign was waged. They also noted that in cities outside of Damascus where there was a high death toll and high incarceration rates of citizens there is in fact a significant shortage of equal rights when it comes to voting. Furthermore the United Nations has identified places where currently there are governmental and Russian fatal hostilities, damages, and displacements events daily. The United Nations has also noted the refugee camps that people were placed in years before are still the center of life for many families without an end in sight.  

Middle East Dilemma

2018 Middle East Dilemma 

Now that we are firmly in to 2018 there is still a chance that some of the Middle East dilemma can be changed before 2019. The biggest problem we face is the constant barrage of media that is currently swilling around the Trump administration. I will admit he has gotten things moving when it comes to North Korea and Russia but it seems Syria, Bahrain and Yemen are stagnant when it comes down to political change and peace.

The Tumultuous Middle East 

The violence in Syria is still occurring daily and even though we don't see the impact it is still very real and nominal. The people in Syria are still dealing with a tyranny government ruling that is trying to slip back to 8 years ago before the civil conflict began as they offer the people no real reforms.  Rebuilding from rubble because of the government's scorched earth campaign is painstaking and almost impossible for the majority of population. The refugee camps are now more like small cities with people still fearful about returning to Syria and Assad's government. In areas of active conflict the government with the help of pro-government groups from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are able to hold a vast population under siege in deplorable conditions throughout the countryside.

Bahrain seems to have been able to restrain most of the political opposition  leadership by locking them up or striping them of their citizenship. I haven't found a lot of reform or change in the ruling class and yet I have found it's more difficult to communicate with the grassroots groups that favored change and equality for the Shiite population.

Yeman still doesn't have a functioning government with all of the fighting fractions they almost seem to be the most vulnerable of all the conflicts because of extreme poverty and the lack of resources. They have lost themselves in the fighting fractions that are being deployed from exterior means from around the Middle East. 

Prominent Peaceful Activist Yahya Sharbaji Dies Under Torture in Assad’s Prisons

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The Syrian Coalition mourned the death of prominent political activist Yahya Sharbaji who died under torture in the prisons of the Assad regime. Assad’s security forces detained Sharbaji in the beginning of the Syrian revolution for his dissident activism.

Yahya’s family on Monday received confirmation of Sharbaji’s death under torture in the prisons of the Assad regime along with his brother Maan Mohammed Taha Sharbaji. The two brothers were detained by the Assad regime’s Air Force Intelligence service along with prominent peaceful activist Ghyath Matar on September 6, 2011.

Yahya was active in the Syrian revolution when it began in 2011, playing an important role in the organization of the anti-Assad peaceful movement in the town of Daraya in Rural Damascus. He started his political activity in 2003 with social activities that emphasized the priority of beginning change at the level of individuals.

Yahya expressed explicit, strong refusal of any behavior leading to sabotage and destruction of the state institutions. He was one of the most prominent non-violent activists in Syria. In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV in 2011, he said that “we will insist on peacefulness until we build a new Syria without violence and build a state that can solve its internal problems with reason, not with weapons with which the Assad regime uses to solve its problems with the people. When we offer flowers to the army and police, we provide them to ourselves in the first place.”

Yahya wondered as to "how the Assad regime distorted the people to this extent when it made the shabiha forces cold-bloodedly kill their fellow citizens. “The Assad regime has ruined the people from the inside,” he said commenting on the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators.

The Syrian Coalition extended its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Yahya as well to all the Syrian people. It stressed that Yahya established the principle of nonviolence when he announced that he prefers ‘to be killed than to be a killer,’ thus emphasizing that the Syrian revolution was a peaceful since its inception.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that that more than 13,000 people were killed under torture in Syria since 2011, 99 percent of whom were killed by the Assad regime's security services. The monitoring group said that it recorded the names of more than 118,000 people who were detained in Syria, 88 percent of whom were detained by the Assad regime. It is estimated that the real number of people detained by the Assad regime exceeds 215,000. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)

https://www.facebook.com/Free.Yahya.Shurbaji/videos/364767416916306/

Letter From a Bahraini Jail - The New York Times

Letter From a Bahraini Jail

NABEEL RAJABSEPT. 4, 2016

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Riffa, Bahrain I write this from a Bahraini jail cell where I have been detained, largely in isolation, since the beginning of summer. This is not new to me: I have been here before, from 2012 to 2014, in 2015, and now again, all because of my work as a human rights defender.

Nor am I alone: There are some 4,000 political prisoners in Bahrain, which has the highestprison population per capita in the Middle East. This is a country that has subjected its people to imprisonment, torture and even death for daring to desire democracy. My close colleague Abdulhadi al-Khawaja was torturedand sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for his human rights work.

No one has been properly held to account for systematic abuses that have affected thousands. In 2015, I was arrested on new charges of “insulting a statutory body” and “spreading rumors during a time of war” for posts on Twitter. The police held me from April to July last year. I was released only after the king of Bahrain issued a pardon in an earlier case, also related to views I had expressed.

Despite the pardon, the 2015 charges and a travel ban remained in place, and I was threatened with further action. The head of the cybercrimes unit at the Criminal Investigation Directorate in Bahrain summoned me and my family to a meeting, where — in front of my children — he warned me that if I didn’t stop my advocacy work, I would face up to 15 years in prison.

That threat became reality when I was arrested in June. The warrant came from the same cybercrimes unit chief who threatened me last year, and I now face prosecution for my work exposing human rights abuses. The authorities even added a third charge of “insulting a neighboring country,” meaning Saudi Arabia. They have also laid a new charge against me of spreading “false news,” in relation to interviews I’ve given to the news media. It’s quite the rap sheet.

My supposed “insult” to Saudi Arabia relates to tweets I posted calling for an end to the war in Yemen, a war escalated by the Saudi-led coalition to which Bahrain belongs and for which the United States provides support. The United States has authorized multibillion-dollar arms sales to the Saudis since the war began last year.

From the beginning, I was against the war. The civilian death toll was immediate and catastrophic, and I spoke out against the unfolding humanitarian crisis, calling for peace. Now, I am paying the price.

I met Secretary of State John Kerry on his visit to Bahrain earlier this year and was glad to talk with him about our difficult situation. Mr. Kerry criticized the boycott of the 2014 election by opposition parties, although the opposition’s demand was simply for a constitutional monarchy in place of Bahrain’s autocratic system. Since that election, the leader of the largest opposition group, theWefaq National Islamic Society, was sentenced to nine years for “promoting violence,” and the society was suspended and its assets frozen.

I would like to ask Mr. Kerry now: Is this the kind of ally America wants? The kind that punishes its people for thinking, that prevents its citizens from exercising their basic rights?

The government has gone after me not only for my comments on Yemen, but also for my domestic activism. One of my charges, “insulting a statutory body,” concerns my work shedding light on the torture of hundreds of prisoners in Jaw Prison in March 2015. The State Department has highlighted the same problem, but last year lifted the arms embargo it had placed on Bahrain since the repressions that followed the 2011 Arab Spring protests, citing “meaningful progress on human rights reforms.” Really?

After I met Mr. Kerry, I was interrogated at the Interior Ministry by the chief of the cybercrimes unit, the one who later ordered my arrest. He wanted to know everything about my conversation with the secretary of state. That official interrogated me again in April after I signed an open letter, with 25 other activists, calling on President Obama to discuss human rights and the plight of activists in the Middle East when he visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

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The Bahraini government tried to pressure me into publicly disavowing the letter. I refused.

Recent Americanstatements on Bahrain’s human rights problems have been strong, and that is good. But unless the United States is willing to use its leverage, fine words have little effect. America’s actions, on the other hand, have emboldened the government to detain me and other rights advocates: Its unconditional support for Saudi Arabia and its lifting of the arms ban on Bahrain have direct consequences for the activists struggling for dignity in these countries.

Instead of fanning the flames in Yemen by supplying arms to the Saudi coalition, Mr. Obama’s administration should use its leverage to resolve the conflict. Working to secure the release of people who call for peace, and are trying to build democracy in the region, would serve that aim.

Nabeel Rajab is the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and an advisory committee member for Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTOpinion), and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter.

A version of this op-ed appears in print on September 5, 2016, on page A11 of the New York edition with the 

Maureen McDonald (@TFME_MAUREEN) | Twitter

Maureen McDonald (@TFME_MAUREEN) | Twitter: http://forusa.org/blogs/maureen-mcdonald  http://mcdonaldm.blogspot.com/ 



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Crisis Update: Yemen | MSF USA

Crisis Update: Yemen | MSF USA:



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The Reach of War: A Day in the Life of the Syrian Conflict | MSF USA

The Reach of War: A Day in the Life of the Syrian Conflict | MSF USA:



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Bahrain: Open Letter from Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on his 21st day of hunger strike to the High Commissioner for Human Rights:

Bahrain: Open Letter from Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja on his 21st day of hunger strike to the High Commissioner for Human Rights

2015-05-10

His Excellency Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson Geneva, Switzerland 

Re: Humanitarian appeal from Jaw Prison 

Geneva, May 10, 2015,  

Your Excellency,

I started a hunger strike on the 20^th of April due to the ongoing violations occurring at Jaw prison where I have been held as a prisoner of conscience for the past 4 years. Building 10 in Jaw prison has become known as the torture building, and I have personally been hearing the screams of the victims. The type of torture I have heard in the last few months is the worst since 2011, and the violations that have occurred over the past period are indescribable. The prison administration has systematically attempted to prevent this information from getting out by harassing us during phone calls and family visits. The Government of Bahrain has recently announced a limited “royal pardon” to receive positive international reactions, while the horrific violations in the prisons continue.

Attached to this letter is compiled information about some of the violations at Jaw prison recently in addition to reports written by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty. I have written numerous letters to authorities in Bahrain about the situation in Jaw and informed them of my hunger strike; my letter to you comes after the authorities have refused to address the situation and put an end to the ongoing violations. The letters I sent:

1. To the prison administration on the 30^th of March
2. The Minister of Interior on the 1^st of April
3. The Supreme Judicial Council on the 6^th of April
4. Follow up letter to the Minister of Interior on the 4^th of May

I have heard about your dedication to human rights from family and colleagues, and urge you to pressure the Government of Bahrain to allow access to Jaw prison by international bodies like your office. It will make significant difference to the situation inside Jaw prison if there is public attention from your office on the matter. The crackdown inside Jaw prison continues to the time of writing this letter, and I appeal to you to act quickly.

Best regards,

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

Jaw Prison

Summary of Situation in Jaw Prison (Attached to the letter)

The following report written on 1/5/2015 is based on information taken from the Bahrain Mirror website, which in turn has obtained its information directly from relatives of political prisoners being held at Jaw prison. ( http://abbas-alsameea.no-ip.info/ )

Background

On the 10^th of March, 2015, a prisoner and his family were reportedly mistreated by prison guards during their visit. This caused a prison riot in which prison guards were forced out of the buildings and following takeover by the prisoners. The riot ended with the involvement of special security forces that used both teargas and shotguns indiscriminately (which caused widespread suffocation and fainting, and at least 10 cases of birdshot pellet injuries). Prisoners were then transferred into the prison yard where they were left out in the open for 10 days before two large plastic tents were brought (310 prisoners were placed in one, 318 in the other, while the rest were transferred to another area) where most of them still remain almost two months later. Calls that lasted around one minute per prisoner were allowed after 15 days, reportedly accompanied by beatings, which is why many prisoners refused to take them. Visits were cancelled for a period of 1 month for some prisoners, and for up to 2 months for others.

On the 1^st of April there was a dust storm that caused suffocation and several cases of fainting among prisoners due the large number of prisoners placed together and the poor protection from the strong wind and dust that the tents provided.

Those who were accused of being the ringleaders of the riot (around 120 prisoners) were transferred to building 10. It had been previously used to hold foreign prisoners who would spend a few nights there before being transferred back to their countries, but had been turned into a torture center following the March 10^th events.

Previous prison guards of Pakistani and Yemeni origins were all replaced with guards of Jordanian origin.

Torture Methods

-  Severe beatings with the use of batons, guns, thick shingles, police boots, and metal rods.

-  Direct or indirect starvation, as prisoners were not given any food or drink on the 10^th and 11^th of March, and later prisoners who requested meals or to use the bathroom following them would be beaten.

-  Denial of medical treatment despite the severity of some injuries.

-   Hanging by handcuffs from the ceiling fan or cell doors, or hanging in what is known by the prisoners as the “onion position”.

-   Denial of basic hygiene needs like showering, bathroom use, and change of clothes. When bathroom breaks were finally allowed (after around 10 days), they were only for limited periods of time (twice a day, for 1 or 2 minutes) and were accompanied by beatings. Showers remained forbidden for many prisoners for a period of 42 days, and many prisoners remained in the same clothes for over 6 weeks.

-   Due to the lack of bathroom access, puddles of urine and filth had formed in the prison yard which guards forced prisoners to lay in. This resulted in the outbreak of scabies.

-   Shaving off prisoners’ hair and half of their beards and/or mustaches.

-   Leaving prisoners out in the prison yard for 10 days despite the scorching heat during the day and the cold wind at night. This left most of them unrecognizable to their families as they had become several shades darker.

-   Pouring cold water on prisoners out in the prison yard while undressed during cold weather, or inside their cells when asleep. Due to this, prisoners who had previous birdshot pellet injuries suffered from bouts of shivering and spasms in addition to tachycardia.

-   Sleep deprivation.

-   Continuous insults to the prisoners themselves, their families, their religious sects, and religious leaders.

-   Degradation through ordering prisoners to do things like count cracks in the asphalt or the openings in the fence, to sing and dance, or to “slither like a snake”.

-   Prisoners were forced to sing the national anthem, repeat praise of the ruling family, and insult their religious sect and leaders.

-   Sleep deprivation.

-   Prisoners were forced to run through two long columns of guards who all beat them as they passed.

-   Others were forced to crawl for a distance of around 15 meters while being beaten by prison guards.

 Individual Cases

 -  Talib Ali (sentenced to 50 years imprisonment) stated that police dogs had been brought to intimidate him, and he had received countless beatings which resulted in injuries all over his body, swelling in both his eyes, and bleeding from his neck. He had been held at the seclusion building when the events of 10^th march had occurred, which is where he was taken from his cell, his hand and feet chained together, and then beaten with batons and metal rods as he was ordered to admit to inciting prisoners in building 1. He was also accused of teaching other prisoners taekwando, as he was known to have experience in the sport. His condition then required him to be transferred to Salmaniya Medical Complex for treatment, where the treating physician was appalled by his condition.  He stated that the officer in charge of his interrogation had attempted to kill him by trying to break his neck. He was then transferred to the tents where the guards singled him out in not allowing anyone to approach or speak to him. Any that did would be beaten.

-   Mohammed Al-Shamali (17 years old, imprisoned since he was 14) was the one most spoken about amongst the prisoners due to his condition and his young age. He suffered a deep scalp laceration due to torture, which had to be repeatedly stitched up as guards would not stop beating him on his head. When the doctor was told to repeat the stitching for the fourth time, he said that the wound edges were too weak and had to limit treatment to covering the wound with gauze. He also stated that if they had waited another 10 minutes Al-Shamali would have been dead. Al-Shamali is among the prisoners who were taken to building 10, where he told his family he would be woken up every morning at 6am by having cold water poured on him, and then would be hung by his handcuffs from either the cell door or the ceiling fan. Afterwards, between 2pm and midnight he would receive several beatings. His mother stated that she had gone to General Secretariat of the Grievances and had told them about her son’s condition. They informed her that they had sent a delegation and had confirmed the severity of his condition but refused to give her any more information or take any action.

-   Naji Fateel, a human rights defender, is also one of the prisoners taken to building 10. Other prisoners report seeing guards drown him in a puddle of filth in the prison yard until he almost suffocated. He was also forced to drink from the same water. He was hung in what is known amongst prisoners as the "onion" position. He was also seen following torture sessions to be unable to walk without support. Naji was due to have iron rods removed from his leg a year after an injury suffered in 2012, but prison authorities continue to neglect his medical condition. According to prison authorities, Naji has been refusing visits in protest since the March events.

-   Ali Sangoor, also held in building 10, has suffered from a dislocated hip due to guards forgetting him hanging for an extended period of time. When he was allowed a family visit on the 12^th of April, he was carried in by 2 of his fellow prisoners as he could not walk or move on his own. Other families in visits at the same time were witnesses to this.

-   Ali Haroon was seen unable to walk on his own on the day of his visit (April 12^th). His family stated that he had several broken ribs and bruises all over his body. He was forced to sit on just one side due to the injuries he suffered from. He also cried during the visit, stating that "they are going to kill us".

-   Abbas Al-Sameea (25 years - handed a death sentence for alleged killing of 3 policemen) was brought to his family visit on the 12^th of April with a broken nose, his front teeth missing, and swollen gums that he stated prevented him from eating or drinking. He had placed tissues in his ear to stop its bleeding.

-   Redha Malallah has a wound on his thigh that had festered and begun to smell badly due to prison authorities refusing to treat him.

-   AbdAli Al-Singais received daily beatings on his head that were not stopped until he bled.

-   Dr. Saeed Al-Samahiji was repeatedly beaten on his eyes.

-   Shaikh Mohammed Al-Mahfoodh, crippled due to polio, was also reportedly very weak due to repeated beatings and torture.

-   Hassan Habib was forced to stand in front of all the other prisoners and shout “I am Hassan the dog who broke the window”.

-   Jaffar Al-Kuwaiti suffered fractures to his arm.

-   A prisoner whose family requested his name not be mentioned for safety reasons did not recognize his daughter when he was brought out to see his family. They stated that he seemed to not know where he was or why he had been brought to the visiting area.

Other

-   Several prisoners requested that their families avoid mentioning their names or filing official complaints as that would make them targets for further mistreatment and torture.

-   Relatives complained of poor treatment from the guards at the visiting area, and repeated delays or cancellations of their appointed visits.

-   Only one copy of the Qura'an was provided for all 128 prisoners in building 10.

-   Some of the Pakistani guards who empathized with the prisoners were reprimanded or transferred as a result.

-   Personal belongings had not been returned to prisoners, and they were forced to buy underwear and hygiene needs from the prison shop.

Syrian Children Still Suffering

For the almost 4 years activist in large cities like Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Idilb, Raqqa and Damascus have reported that children are being targeted by government sniper shots. My initial reaction was one of skepticism even though the violence in Syria is the worst I have seen. In the beginning the summary executions of men in the field and on the front-line of the protests made even more people join in non-violent protests.  The government went onto raze whole neighborhoods, destroyed businesses, and started daily barrel bombs in areas where protesters lived. The government has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and trapped those who try to get away with snipers without punishment. The horrific sights frightened millions and ultimately drew them into civil war as they relentlessly called for punishment to those in the government that murdered. The activists said without the government's proper response the public has grown more disdain for Assad and his governmental control.

The arrival of ISIL terrorists and Al Nusra an Al Qaeda based organization has muted the original fight for justice and now children are struggling with snipers, bombs, grotesk beheadings and mutilations. Validation of the sniper reports from the activists came from two studies worth reading one by the think-tank Oxford Research Group   and the other from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In the Oxford article the research group accumulated interviews and core data and wrote  Stolen Futures: The Hidden Toll of Child Casualties in Syria the article gives readers an articulate understanding about the deaths of the children in Syria. As for the ongoing problems from outside terrorists there does not seem be any end in sight and the already struggling Syrians now have to try to protect themselves from ISIL and  Al Nusra terrorists along with Assad's government.

UNHCR Needs Your Help

Refugees caught in heavy snow as storms lash Lebanon and Jordan Thousands of refugees are struggling to stay warm and protect their shelters this week as heavy snow storms bringing freezing temperatures, fierce winds, and lashing rain hit Lebanon and Jordan. Some refugees are managing to get through the storm to UNHCR’s emergency centres, others are left huddling around heaters and scraping snow from the roofs of their shelters to stop them from collapsing. “People are scared if it keeps snowing because the tents won’t hold up against its weight. They might collapse any minute. We haven’t had electricity since yesterday.”Says a 20 year old refugee living in Bekaa Valley after heavy snowfall hit the area on Wednesday. UNHCR is on the ground providing urgently needed relief distributing stoves and fuel for heating, insulation for tents, blankets, mattresses and other items that have been damaged. Read more about this emergency Lebanon: Surviving the snow UNHCR began its winter aid programme in Lebanon last October, focusing on helping the most vulnerable refugees. While much winter aid has been provided, UNHCR remains concerned; "Despite our best efforts, the situation in Lebanon remains precarious for refugees given the extremely poor conditions in which they live and the scattered nature of the population," Ninette Kelley,UNHCR Representative to Lebanon. The day after the storm Please donate here to help provide further aid. Just $50 can provide high thermal fleece blankets to keep a family warm. Please visit our website or our Facebook page for the latest development on this emergency. UNHCR Team

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell Bahrain 01 01 2015

  Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell

Location:  Geneva
Date:  30 December 2014
Subject:  1) Bahrain

We are seriously concerned at the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, the leader of Bahrain’s main opposition movement, Al Wefaq, as well as the continuing harassment and imprisonment of individuals exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the country.

According to credible information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, Sheikh Salman was arrested after being summoned for questioning at the Criminal Investigation Department on Sunday, only two days after his re-election for a fourth term as the Secretary General of Al Wefaq. His lawyers say he is accused of a number of serious charges that carry hefty prison terms, including calling for the overthrow of the government.

We urge the Government of Bahrain to immediately release Sheikh Salman, as well as all other persons convicted or detained for merely exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly.  Should Sheikh Salman be brought to trial, the Government of Bahrain should guarantee a fair trial. We also call upon the Bahraini authorities to immediately implement the recommendations put forward during the country’s Universal Periodic Review in 2012, as well as by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in 2011, to ensure freedom of expression and assembly.

Opposition parties are fundamental pillars of any democracy and Sheikh Salman’s arrest risks intensifying the fraught political scene that has seen anti-government protests for nearly four years. Peaceful constructive dialogue is the only way out of Bahrain’s current crisis.

ENDS
For further information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 22 917 9466  or + 41 79 752 0488 / ethrossell@ohchr.org )

UN Human Rights, follow us on social media: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire

Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en

- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15461&LangID=E#sthash.7GYEkY5A.u4q8AQml.dpuf

New message from Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja of human rights defenders - the voice of Manama - Bahrain

The message reads as follows as human rights defenders you Kalpharh, and seas battling waves and watching the wind. That the waves are systems, winds are the usual Western governments that sometimes blowing in the direction you want the sea, and sometimes static, sometimes blowing in the opposite direction. Seas skilled team knows that when the wind is blowing in the direction you want, he has to raise the sail and uses all his tools to move toward its goal. When the wind is blowing in the opposite direction, and drop the sail and continue to prepare for when the wind changed.Seas veteran do not give up when the wind is blowing the opposite of what he wants, what matter he will have a compass and knows its destination may sometimes feel that you do not move from your place, or even that you are in decline, but as human rights defenders you have to remember that your influence be in the long run. There are despair and stops when he sees that the wind in the opposite direction you want, but the real defender continues to work, documentation and defense of the oppressed. Because he knows that his determination is what prepares to do a big Bagheiarat while changing wind direction. And he knows, too, Kalphar completely, that perseverance and work is what keeps the boat.

Maureen McDonald on Twitter: "@Pontifex Remember when Hafez Assad proposed a greater #Syria ? This was his map. Seems like his plan is in the works http://t.co/tmjS2LvPCB"

 "Remember when Hafez Assad proposed a greater #Syria ? This was his map. Seems like his plan is in the works

Take a deep breath and remember calmer minds will prevail.

 

 

   

Unbind Their Hands: Free Syrian Nonviolent Prisoners of Conscience

March 22, 2014

Dear Senator,

This is a letter concerning the current events happening in Syria, for almost four years we have witnessed crimes against humanities, human rights atrocities, and conflicts because of outside insurgencies with no end in sight. Somehow the Senate has responded ineffectively and ultimately allowed the conflict to further grow with fears of more Middle East warfare. Assad has supplied arms to Hezbollah with counter parts from Iran and directed more chaos and murder throughout the Middle East.

The beginning plight of the Syrian people had been one for security and justice,  now it is one of survival and endurance with incredible human suffering and human sacrifice. This is not a political agenda but one of humane direction to protect the remaining Syrian people from more hardships. In the last meetings in Geneva there was little progress and without an effective time-line that can be carefully constructed with our Senate and States department to push for more aggressive resolve we will not succeed. The Senate needs to use our diplomacy tools with Arab league and the United Nations to gain monumental changes. I urge the senate to speak more effectively to our intelligence community and find additional resources to expand our role in the peace process. We stand little chance to end this conflict and live in peace anytime soon without the full corporation of the Senate.

Respectfully,

sign your name

These are the addresses of the Senators below 

Alexander, Lamar - (R - TN)	Class II
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
Contact: www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
Ayotte, Kelly - (R - NH)	Class III
144 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3324
Contact: www.ayotte.senate.gov/?p=contact
Baldwin, Tammy - (D - WI)	Class I
717 Hart Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Contact: www.baldwin.senate.gov/contact
Barrasso, John - (R - WY)	Class I
307 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6441
Contact: www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Conta...
Begich, Mark - (D - AK)	Class II
111 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3004
Contact: www.begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailSenator
Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO)	Class III
458 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5852
Contact: www.bennet.senate.gov/contact/
Blumenthal, Richard - (D - CT)	Class III
724 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2823
Contact: www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/
Blunt, Roy - (R - MO)	Class III
260 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5721
Contact: www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form?p=cont...
Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ)	Class II
141 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3224
Contact: www.booker.senate.gov/?p=contact
Boozman, John - (R - AR)	Class III
320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
Contact: www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA)	Class III
112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
Contact: www.boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/
Brown, Sherrod - (D - OH)	Class I
713 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2315
Contact: www.brown.senate.gov/contact/
Burr, Richard - (R - NC)	Class III
217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3154
Contact: www.burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.C...
Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA)	Class I
311 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Contact: www.cantwell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-maria
Cardin, Benjamin L. - (D - MD)	Class I
509 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4524
Contact: www.cardin.senate.gov/contact/
Carper, Thomas R. - (D - DE)	Class I
513 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2441
Contact: carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-senator-carper
Casey, Robert P., Jr. - (D - PA)	Class I
393 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
Contact: www.casey.senate.gov/contact/
Chambliss, Saxby - (R - GA)	Class II
416 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3521
Contact: www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
Coats, Daniel - (R - IN)	Class III
493 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5623
Contact: www.coats.senate.gov/contact/
Coburn, Tom - (R - OK)	Class III
172 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5754
Contact: www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactsenatorcobu...
Cochran, Thad - (R - MS)	Class II
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5054
Contact: www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Collins, Susan M. - (R - ME)	Class II
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Contact: www.collins.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email
Coons, Christopher A. - (D - DE)	Class II
127A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5042
Contact: www.coons.senate.gov/contact/
Corker, Bob - (R - TN)	Class I
425 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3344
Contact: www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe
Cornyn, John - (R - TX)	Class II
517 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2934
Contact: www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm
Crapo, Mike - (R - ID)	Class III
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6142
Contact: www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Cruz, Ted - (R - TX)	Class I
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5922
Contact: www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Donnelly, Joe - (D - IN)	Class I
720 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4814
Contact: www.donnelly.senate.gov/contact/email-joe
Durbin, Richard J. - (D - IL)	Class II
711 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Contact: www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Enzi, Michael B. - (R - WY)                     Class II 379A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 (202) 224-3424 Contact: www.enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=e-mail-sen...
Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA)	Class I
331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Contact: www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Fischer, Deb - (R - NE)	Class I
383 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Contact: www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Flake, Jeff - (R - AZ)	Class I
368 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4521
Contact: www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff
Franken, Al - (D - MN)	Class II
309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5641
Contact: www.franken.senate.gov/?p=contact
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY)	Class I
478 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Contact: www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/
Graham, Lindsey - (R - SC)	Class II
290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5972
Contact: lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.La...
Grassley, Chuck - (R - IA)	Class III
135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3744
Contact: www.grassley.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Hagan, Kay R. - (D - NC)	Class II
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6342
Contact: www.hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact
Harkin, Tom - (D - IA)	Class II
731 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
Contact: www.harkin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Hatch, Orrin G. - (R - UT)	Class I
104 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5251
Contact: www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=Email-Orrin
Heinrich, Martin - (D - NM)	Class I
702 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
Contact: www.heinrich.senate.gov/contact
Heitkamp, Heidi - (D - ND)	Class I
502 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Contact: www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Heller, Dean - (R - NV)	Class I
324 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6244
Contact: www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
Hirono, Mazie K. - (D - HI)	Class I
330 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6361
Contact: www.hirono.senate.gov/contact
Hoeven, John - (R - ND)	Class III
338 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2551
Contact: www.hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator
Inhofe, James M. - (R - OK)	Class II
205 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4721
Contact: www.inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...
Isakson, Johnny - (R - GA)	Class III
131 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3643
Contact: www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Johanns, Mike - (R - NE)	Class II
404 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4224
Contact: www.johanns.senate.gov/public/?p=ContactSenatorJohanns
Johnson, Ron - (R - WI)	Class III
328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
Contact: www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Johnson, Tim - (D - SD)	Class II
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
Contact: www.johnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact
Kaine, Tim - (D - VA)	Class I
388 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4024
Contact: www.kaine.senate.gov/contact
King, Angus S., Jr. - (I - ME)	Class I
359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5344
Contact: www.king.senate.gov/contact
Kirk, Mark - (R - IL)	Class III
524 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2854
Contact: www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=contact
Klobuchar, Amy - (D - MN)	Class I
302 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Contact: www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/contact-amy
Landrieu, Mary L. - (D - LA)	Class II
703 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
Contact: www.landrieu.senate.gov/?p=contact
Leahy, Patrick J. - (D - VT)	Class III
437 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
Contact: www.leahy.senate.gov/contact/
Lee, Mike - (R - UT)	Class III
316 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5444
Contact: www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Levin, Carl - (D - MI)	Class II
269 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6221
Contact: www.levin.senate.gov/contact/
Manchin, Joe, III - (D - WV)	Class I
306 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Contact: www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
Markey, Edward J. - (D - MA)	Class II
218 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Contact: www.markey.senate.gov/contact
McCain, John - (R - AZ)	Class III
241 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2235
Contact: www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
McCaskill, Claire - (D - MO)	Class I
506 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6154
Contact: www.mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=contact
McConnell, Mitch - (R - KY)	Class II
317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2541
Contact: www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact
Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ)	Class I
528 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
Contact: menendez.senate.gov/contact/
Merkley, Jeff - (D - OR)	Class II
313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3753
Contact: www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
Mikulski, Barbara A. - (D - MD)	Class III
503 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4654
Contact: www.mikulski.senate.gov/contact/
Moran, Jerry - (R - KS)	Class III
361A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6521
Contact: moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-jerry
Murkowski, Lisa - (R - AK)	Class III
709 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6665
Contact: www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact
Murphy, Christopher - (D - CT)	Class I
303 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4041
Contact: www.murphy.senate.gov/contact
Murray, Patty - (D - WA)	Class III
154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2621
Contact: www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme
Nelson, Bill - (D - FL)	Class I
716 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Contact: www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Paul, Rand - (R - KY)	Class III
124 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4343
Contact: www.paul.senate.gov/?p=contact
Portman, Rob - (R - OH)	Class III
448 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3353
Contact: www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=contact...
Pryor, Mark L. - (D - AR)	Class II
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2353
Contact: www.pryor.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe
Reed, Jack - (D - RI)	Class II
728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4642
Contact: www.reed.senate.gov/contact/
Reid, Harry - (D - NV)	Class III
522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3542
Contact: www.reid.senate.gov/contact
Risch, James E. - (R - ID)	Class II
483 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2752
Contact: www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email
Roberts, Pat - (R - KS)	Class II
109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4774
Contact: www.roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailPat
Rockefeller, John D., IV - (D - WV)	Class II
531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6472
Contact: www.rockefeller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-jay
Rubio, Marco - (R - FL)	Class III
284 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3041
Contact: www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Sanders, Bernard - (I - VT)	Class I
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5141
Contact: www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/
Schatz, Brian - (D - HI)	Class III
722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3934
Contact: www.schatz.senate.gov/contact
Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY)	Class III
322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Contact: www.schumer.senate.gov/Contact/contact_chuck.cfm
Scott, Tim - (R - SC)	Class III
167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
Contact: www.scott.senate.gov/contact/email-me
Sessions, Jeff - (R - AL)	Class II
326 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4124
Contact: www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Const...
Shaheen, Jeanne - (D - NH)	Class II
520 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2841
Contact: www.shaheen.senate.gov/contact/
Shelby, Richard C. - (R - AL)	Class III
304 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5744
Contact: www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby
Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI)	Class I
133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4822
Contact: www.stabenow.senate.gov/?p=contact
Tester, Jon - (D - MT)	Class I
706 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2644
Contact: www.tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm
Thune, John - (R - SD)	Class III
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2321
Contact: www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Toomey, Patrick J. - (R - PA)	Class III
248 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
Contact: www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact
Udall, Mark - (D - CO)	Class II
730 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5941
Contact: www.markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
Udall, Tom - (D - NM)	Class II
110 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6621
Contact: www.tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
Vitter, David - (R - LA)	Class III
516 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4623
Contact: www.vitter.senate.gov/contact
Walsh, John E. - (D - MT)	Class II
2 Russell Courtyard Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Contact: www.walsh.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Warner, Mark R. - (D - VA)	Class II
475 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2023
Contact: www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact
Warren, Elizabeth - (D - MA)	Class I
317 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Contact: www.warren.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Whitehouse, Sheldon - (D - RI)	Class I
530 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2921
Contact: www.whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/
Wicker, Roger F. - (R - MS)	Class I
555 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6253
Contact: www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Wyden, Ron - (D - OR)
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5244
Contact: www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/