On This Day

So folks, on this day, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He has been charged for war crimes, and crimes against humanity. President Bashir is responsible for supporting the Janjaweeds who have killed millions in Darfur. This is the first time in history the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting head of state. The Sudanese government reacted by revoking the aid licenses of 6 humanitarian organizations in Darfur, demanding them to remove their personnel from the region.



I reckon, the warrant would probably result in more bloodshed, but it was a necessary measure. The world needed to display some sort of action against the acts of violence campaigned by President Bashir. However, at this point the warrant only seems ceremonial since the ICC does not have any military of its own, and the UN Forces lack the means to arrest the President. I suppose, we are headed in the right direction. Here is hoping, President Obama sticks to his word, and follows through with his promise of assigning a special US envoy responsible for ending the genocide in Darfur.



On a personal note, my sister gets her Iron Ring today.

Sisters. Victims. Heroes.

When so many of the families are scrambling to overcome challenges the economic recession has posed; the genocide in Darfur seems a world away. The genocide has now lasted longer than the second world war. The humanitarian crisis in Darfur has never really received the media coverage, and/or the international community's support that it truly deserves. But, thankfully, Nicholas Kristof, has been writing about Darfur endlessly. He posted the above video from the region.

Hopefully his message would be able to raise awareness, and the Obama government would do its role in ending the genocide. My own Canadian government has been completely ambivalent about the issue. You see, live-blogging about Obama's visit, and giving it endless media coverage is apparently far more important. After all, Obama did go through the trouble of spending FIVE WHOLE HOURS in Ottawa. So in this case, our local media's 48-hour news-coverage of the trip was totally justified :|.

Arbeit macht frei

War Crimes.

Who do you punish for war crimes? They are ordered by a political leader, and carried on by soldiers, who are just doing their jobs.


"But executioners don't hate the people they execute, and they execute them all the same. Because they are ordered to? You think they do it because they're ordered to? And you think that I'm talking about orders and obedience, that the guards in the camps [Nazi concentration camps] were under orders and had to obey?...An executioner is not under orders and obedience. He's doing his work, he doesn't hate the people he executes, he's not taking revenge on them, he's not killing them because they're in his way or threatening him or attacking. They're a matter of such indifference to him that he can kill them as easily as not."

The above lines are taken from the book 'The Reader', which I recently finished reading. The book is about relationships, and the morality of war crimes. It is very well-written and in my opinion is a must read. If you haven't read it yet, I can't recommend this book enough. The film adaptation stars Kate Winslet, and the movie comes out in December.



In the book, the narrator, who had an illicit affair with a former SS guard when he was 15 years old, struggles with the moral dilemma: What does loving a Nazi make him? The narrator also belongs to the generation that grew up in Post WWII Germany, and has to not only deal with his own moral predicament but is also burdened with his nation's guilt.

In the past, I have compared the Holocaust to the genocide in Darfur. But reading Bernhard Schlink (the author)'s description of the concentration camps not only reminded me of Anne Frank and the plight she went through, but also about our modern-day version of Auschwitz, Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay was commissioned by the Bush administration so those with "terroristic" inclinations could be sent away to Cuba, where they wouldn't have to be treated according to the Geneva Convention treaties. Its defenders say the treaties of Geneva Convention don't apply to the Guantanamo detainees because Al-Qaeeda and Taleban terrorists are not uniformed soldiers, they don't belong to any particular country's military. Yes, they are not legitimate uniformed soldiers, but they are humans. Shouldn't we be treating all humans with respect!

The much revered Western value, innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to Gitmo suspects. Upon their arrival they are already considered extremely dangerous, referred to as "enemy combatants", and are put through extreme abuse. They are not only denied legal liberties, but also face extreme torture.

The only Western foreigner left at Gitmo is Canadian born Omar Khadr. He was sent to Gitmo when he was only 15, accused of killing a US soldier. He has already spent 6 years there, and is 21 now. I am not gonna speculate whether he willingly committed the crime or not, that's for the jury to decide. BUT, a vulnerable child shouldn't be housed in the same prison as other grown men. Not much has been done to provide him with the same rights he would have had in his birth country.

The guards believe that the detainees deserve the treatment they are graciously bestowed upon at Gitmo. President-elect Obama has said he would put an end to the atrocities that go on in Guantanamo. But the question is where would he send them? So far out of 225 prisoners (mostly Muslims) only 23 have been charged. The crime of other 204 detainees: They have the ultimate horror of having Muslim names.

Once Gitmo is eventually closed down, would the guards be persecuted, like their SS predecessors? Till this day we still don't know enough about what actually goes on at Gitmo. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Diaz was court-martialed because he publicized the names of Gitmo detainees. Humanitarian organizations, such as the United Nations and Amnesty International have been denied access to the camps and the interrogation rooms.

I think the reason Holocaust still effects us because decades after decades we keep repeating the mistakes of Nazi Germany. There's always some ideology that prompts its adherents to wage a political vendetta against innocent people, who are guilty of having the "wrong" pigmentation, or belonging to the "wrong" religion.

Inside Guantanamo - Photo Essay
Inside the Interrogation of Detainee 063

Darfur

The reason I write about Darfur here is because I don't want it to turn into another Rwanda. My intentions are not to be preachy, but I hope that if enough people got together maybe we would be able to put an end to the killings, and physical violence against women.

Following are the pictures taken by a Harvard student who travelled to Darfur with Mia Farrow in August. I am not trying to evoke pity for these photographed refugees, I just strongly believe that their sacrifices need to be told. The poverty and famine in Africa shouldn't be the expected reality. Shouldn't be theirs and ours legacy.

Chad-Darfur Border

Quotes of the Day

Abdel Wahed Mohammed Al-Nur, a leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, who said that at least 50 people were killed today in a Darfur refugee camp by Sudanese government troops:

"This really is a catastrophe. People are being killed while the world just watches."

Lest we not forget

The Beijing Olympics came to an end today. A lot of importance was placed on these games, labelling them as China's coming out party. The Olympics did show a different face of China. We saw the emergence of a new China, a country that has wealth, modern architecture, and rich ancient culture. The opening ceremony alone showed that China led the West toward it's 20th century glory, and it is ready to takeover the reins again.

The games also saw the emergence of Michael Phelps, and Usain Bolt. The latter had the scientists wondering how fast can humans really run.

But in the midst of these games, the question regarding the Darfur Genocide remained unanswered. I know politics should be left out of the games, and it is not like the G8 countries are doing much for the genocide or about the human rights violations in Guantanamo. But, I also believe that since China opened its doors for the rest of the world, China could have been more willing to cave to the international pressure, to exercise its economic influence on the Sudanese government to bring an end to the genocide.

One Olympian who I immensely respect, more than Phelps or Bolt, is ex-speed-skater Joey Cheek. After his Gold victory at the Turin Winter Olympics, instead of gushing over the Gold, he used his 15 minutes of fame to talk about the Darfur Genocide. He donated his victory money to provide food and shelter to the displaced Darfurians in Chad. Cheek was planning to go to Beijing to speak for the voiceless, nameless Darfurians, but his visa was revoked by the Chinese authorities. However, he decided to turn this negative situation into a positive and decided to speak up against the Genocide from America.

The reason I am writing this post now is because I don't know if Darfurians would ever get a platform where their problems would be addressed, and finally be solved after four brutal years of killing and physical violation of women.

"Save Darfur"

Sudan

Sudan, since its independence in 1956, has been plagued with intensive civil war between the Arab oriented North, and Sub-Saharan South. The violence between the two regions was further escalated when the then President Jafar Numayri wanted to implement Islamic law in the country, in 1985.

Darfur

In February 2003, fighting breaks out in the Western Sudan province of Darfur. The drought instigates tensions between the nomadic and farming populations. The following two groups are involved in the rebellion against the government, fighting against injustice and economic marginalization:

Sudan Liberation Army (SLA): comprised of nomadic Non-Muslim tribal Africans
Justice and Equality Movement (Jem): comprised of African Muslims

Even though, the above two rebel groups have different ethnic backgrounds, they are both fighting against the Sudanese militia, known as Janjaweed.

The government reacts by sending Janjaweeds to Darfur to put an end to the rebellions. The militia is ordered to burn the entire villages suspected of supporting the rebels. Rape is their weapon of choice.

The villagers try to flee to the neighbouring Chad where the UN has set up refugee camps.

Darfur: The United Nations & African Union

In July 2004, the talks between the UN and Sudanese government failed. The Sudanese government refused the help of UN forces. Their refusal to allow the UN forces on their soil can be attributed to three main reasons:

Sovereignty: The Sudanese government is afraid that the UN interference would be a threat to their sovereignty
Division: Their other concern is that the UN interference would divide the rival North and South into two different nations
Oil: They do not trust the United States' intentions. They are afraid that the United States will use Darfur as an excuse to control the booming Sudanese oil economy (Iraq, anyone?!)

So as a result, the Sudanese government has instead favoured the help of African Union (AU) peacekeeper forces. The UN forces have formed a coalition with the AU forces, but they are poorly trained, and have inadequate safety equipments. Moreover, the peacekeepers are usually targeted by the Janjaweeds, and their movement is strictly monitored by the government.

Darfur: The US & Arab World Failure

The United States hasn't done enough to force the Sudanese government to end the genocide. The US inadequacy can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, in 1998 when the US embassies were bombed in Tanzania and Kenya, the US government suspected that a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan was producing chemical weapons of mass-destruction. Consequently, the US attacked the plant in Sudan, which obviously didn't sit too well with the Sudanese people and government.

Moreover, as Nicholas Kristof (yes, him again) pointed out that the US, after the Iraq havoc, does not want to attack another "Arab" oil rich country.

But the US has amazing relations with other Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, so why does it not try to influence the Sudanese government through them? Or is it the United States' oil dependency that's stopping it from pestering Saudi Arabia and UAE?

These Arab countries are, however, donating money to build mosques in the region. What is the point of building these mosques when there are people who are dying of hunger, and inhumane violence? If not with money, they should at least use their Arab connection to influence the Sudanese government. Moreover, Kuwait and Malaysia have also invested money in the Sudanese oil companies, so they can also use their economic influence to negotiate with the Sudanese government regarding Darfur.

Darfur: China

Much is written about boycotting the upcoming Olympics because of China's close ties with the Sudanese government. Some have even referred to the Olympics as "Genocide Olympics." I personally disagree with this immense criticism of China. Firstly, by focusing on China we are evading the United States from its responsibilities. I mean, really, my congratulations go out to Bush for recognizing the mass-killings as a genocide. But recently the Congress cut down on its funding, when they were asked for $724 million in emergency funding for the African Union (AU)-UN peacekeeping mission. But, with two wars to worry about, and poor economy the US really cannot be blamed for its inability to do enough.

So the world has instead started using China as a scapegoat. The new emerging power has been criticized because of its "non-interference" policy. Sudan exports 2/3rds of its oil to China, so China can use it's economic hold in Sudan as a leverage to resolve the issue. China's "non-interference" is akin to a similar policy that the United States exercised in the post-WWI era. The United States' non-interference cost the Czechs their country, and the Allied Forces a significant amount of causalities in the early years of WWII. I think what China needs to realize is that as an emerging superpower and member of the UN Security Council it has some responsibilities to adhere to. The vulnerable Darfurians are really counting on these powerful leaders to step up and provide a voice to their struggles. But they seem more concerned about their financial benefits.

How can we help?

In the past 7-8 years, technology has advanced so much. The other day my friend and I were reminiscing about ICQ, and how it was not too long ago, when ICQ was the coolest thing, ever. Then just between high school and university, we saw Google becoming the primary search engine, the emergence of MSN messenger, Wikipedia, YouTube, iPod, and so on. Now I hear that kids are allowed to use laptops in high schools. While this advancement is impressive, but it is also really sad to think that there are people in this whole different continent who cannot afford basic necessities like food, proper shoes, clothing, and immediate medical help.

We are all part of a global community, and every single contribution we make counts.

In September 2007, Doctor Without Borders, which was working in West Darfur to provide immediate healthcare to women, was forced out of the region by the militia. The bombings, in March 2008, further made it impossible for the organization to return to their clinic. However, the organization is still present and providing healthcare in North and South Darfur. More information about their work can be found here, and donations can also be made online.

Genocide Intervention Network is also providing direct aid to Darfurians, and is also accepting donations. In addition, Christian and North American Muslim organizations are also doing their best to provide aid to Darfurian refugees in Chad.

Sources

If there is anything I have learned from my years at University of Toronto is that to always cite my sources :-). In addition to Nicholas Kristof's numerous bi-weekly NYT op-ed columns, following sources were used to learn about the Genocide.

Council on Foreign Relations
National Geographic, April 2008.
Not On Our Watch

"The crisis in Darfur is not simply an African problem it concerns the entire international community. Whatever name we give it, it imposes responsibilities on all of us. And we must rise to this challenge." - Kofi Annan

Why on our watch?

Looking back at 1994, when I was about 10 years old, I remember Clinton's inauguration ceremony from a year ago. I also remember the OJ Simpson car chase, heck I even remember the fatwa that was issued against Salman Rushdie in 1988. But, I do not remember learning about the killings of 800, 000 Tutsi people that happened in Rwanda, at the hand of Hutu militia.

In our schools we are taught about the Holocaust. Most of us have read one of the most inspiring books of all times, The Diary of Anne Frank. But why are we not made aware of the genocide that is still carrying on in our world? Who is benefitting from our blissful ignorance? Or do we think learning about the mass-killings is not going to benefit anyone, so why ruin our happy mood? Why waste the time to educate ourselves about the world issues when we really can't do much, after all we are not the policy-makers, the powerful world leaders?

I am as powerless as the rest of you, but more powerful than the people in Darfur. I apologize if this sounds cheesy but it is true. I think the least we can do is learn about the atrocities that have been going on in Darfur, 10 years after the Rwandan Genocide. After the Rwandan Genocide the world gathered and promised that never again, on our watch, we would let innocent men, women, and children die. But then why have 400, 000 people died in Darfur, on our watch? There are 4 million people who need our immediate attention.

I know Darfur is not the single most issue our world is faced with. As the NYT's Nicholas Kristof pointed out, the world leaders are faced with the responsibility of dealing with deadly epidemics, the oil crisis, the food crisis, the environment, terrorism, poverty, etc. - It is a long list. But as Nicholas Kristof's trips to Darfur have shown, that nowhere we have seen such inhumane acts of violence as in Darfur. Here, women are raped in front of their families. Mothers are tied around a tree, and beaten with their own babies, until the children are dead. A pregnant woman, he interviewed, volunteered to get herself raped so the virginity of her younger sister could remain protected.

When I learn about these killings, the example of Neanderthals comes to my mind. The Neanderthals were early humans who lived in Europe around 300, 000 years ago. They looked after the sick and elderly. This is probably a weak analogy, but if early Homo sapiens can muster up compassion, why are we not doing enough to care about these severe acts of violence and brutality?

In my next post, I will be writing about Darfur, hoping more people can be informed, so we can create more awareness and write to our local government officials about the urgency of the problem.

"Darfur, where the continuous spectacle of men, women, and children, driven from their homes by murder, rape, and burning of their villages, makes a mockery of our claim as an international community." - Kofi Annan September 19, 2006