KHADER ADNAN: DAY 60 AND COUNTING

I am shamed to say that I have not paid too much attention to this particular unfolding tragedy. This brave man deserves much better from us all!  It is a huge statement when a person starves himself over an issue. 

Does anyone remember the Irishman Bobby Sands? He got tons of attention although he eventually died from his starvation. Somehow a Palestinian gets less attention than an Irishman? 

Or is our world just that much more hardened to such things nowadays? I believe it is a combination of both. 

By Stephen Lendman

WMC NEWS

February 15, 2012

On February 15, Palestinian faction leaders began supportive hunger strikes. Gazans erected a sit-in tent near ICRC's Gaza City offices. 

Islamic Jihad leaders Sheikh Nafth Azzam, Ahmad Al-Mudallal, Dawood Shihab and Khader Habit joined with others and civil society organization members. 

Al-Mudallal said striking "support(s) the battle of dignity of Sheikh Khader Adnan. This is the least we can do (for) this legendary symbol." 

Palestinian Authority civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh said PA officials were trying to free him and hold Israel responsible for his well-being. 

Palestinian prisoner affairs minister Issa Qaraqa called for demonstrations, protest marches, and solidarity fasts throughout the Territories. 

Hundreds of Palestinians began supportive hunger strikes. Many rallied in Gaza and West Bank towns. Ofer Prison detainees joined them. Israeli security forces attacked protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets. Palestinian National Initiative head Mustafa Barghouti was wounded in his foot. 

Adnan's a political prisoner, detained since mid-December but not charged. On his 60th day without food, a mass call for action urged support to help free him. He symbolizes Israeli brutality, injustice and lawlessness. He inspired others saying: 

"For every gram you lose from your weight,

we gain a thousand grams in our dignity."

Many support him globally and responded. He hasn't yet slipped into coma, but remains perilously close to death. 

A February 14 Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I) press release said Adnan's High Court appeal will be heard. His lawyer filed an urgent petition. A hearing will be set shortly. 

PHR-I examined him five times in the past week, most recently on February 14. After 52 days without food, he lost one-third of his weight. As a result, he has stomach aches, vomits, at times with blood, and experiences headaches. 

He's still lucid and understands what's happening. "His general condition is pale and very weak. His tongue is smooth. He has slight bleeding from the gums, dry skin, loss of hair, and significant muscular atrophy." 

His pulse is weak, his blood pressure 100/75. He's connected to a heart monitor. He underwent tests and treatment. It includes liquids, salts, glucose, and vitamins. However, he won't ingest food. 

His condition "is commensurate with the impact of 60 days of fasting." He's in immediate danger of death. No food over 50 days causes muscle decomposition, including heart and stomach muscles. As a result, toxin build-ups follow. "Death may occur suddenly" from heart failure or infection following immune system collapse. 

Digestive track bleeding as well as renal and hepatic failure may follow. "A deterioration in his state of consciousness can be expected due to the shortage of vitamins and intracerebral hemorrhage." 

Fasts exceeding 70 days prevent survival. "Infusion of liquids, adjustment of salts, and the addition of glucose and vitamin(s) cannot prevent certain death due" to protracted periods without food. 

On February 15, Richard Falk, Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestinian human rights released a supportive statement, saying: 

"I call on the international community, especially States with close relations with Israel, to urge the Israeli Government to fulfill its responsibilities under international law, most urgently with regard to Mr. Adnan." 

"In view of the emergency of his situation, the Government of Israel must take immediate and effective action to safeguard Mr. Adnan's life, while upholding his rights." 

On February 20, following his regional visit, he'll hold a press conference. In June, he'll submit his report to the UN Human Rights Council.  

For now, saving Adnan is top priority. Perhaps Israel will yield to world pressure. It's unlikely but possible. Rogue states don't apologize or do the right thing.  

Israeli state terror matches the world's worst. With Washington and Britain, they're axis of evil partners. 

Torturing Adnan to death shows it. His martyrdom won't go unnoticed. 

AL JAZEERA ENGLISH DOESN’T CARE 

ABOUT KHADER ADNAN

Of course it doesn't! Surely this surprises no one....... However, the conversations below are just a tad shocking and so VERY VERY Zionist in how the callers to Al Jazeera themselves are interrogated as if criminals themselves....

By Linah Alsaafin

02/10/2012

Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan has entered his 55th day of hunger strike. He has long passed the critical stage and is in danger of organ failure any moment now. In other words, Khader Adnan is dying.

The silence from international media is deafening. Much of the publicity highlighting Adnan’s case came from social media via Twitter and blogs.

Does a young father of two arrested in the dead of night from his home, held under illegal administrative detention i.e. no charges have been brought against him, beaten and tortured during his interrogation, hunger striking since December 18^th ~ a day after his arrest ~ not warrant headlines?

Does his identity as spokesperson for the Islamic Jihad cloud the editors’ judgments? Does his long beard ~ most of which has now fallen out due to the effects of starvation ~ not make for sexy media attention?

Yesterday a group of Palestinians called up Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem Bureau, demanding to know the reason for the bureau’s nonexistent coverage regarding Khader Adnan. Why Al Jazeera English?

Why not the myopic BBC ~ who’ve recently proclaimed their censorship of the word “Palestine” from their music programmes ~ or The Guardian or CNN? (The last one was a joke.)

As an Arab news source with a bureau based in Jerusalem, Al Jazeera English holds the responsibility to report what is happening to Palestinians.  Not only are they not covering the bombings in Gaza, but they are ignoring the ethnic cleansing happening under their noses in Jerusalem.

They have also completely ignored the weekly, daily popular protests in Palestine, while at the same time attempting to present themselves as the voice of the people who are revolting against oppression in the Middle East.

The litany of crimes that Israel commits on a daily basis against Palestinians is long and ranges from land theft, ethnic cleansing, violence against men, women, and children, bi or tri-weekly bombing campaigns on the besieged people of Gaza, political arrests of dozens of Palestinians on a weekly basis including children as young as 13 years of age and institutionalized racism and discrimination that Palestinians face every day which prohibits them from living anything resembling a normal life.  

As a result many of us turn to blogs and twitter to find out what is happening which begs the question, what exactly is AJE correspondent Cal Perry being paid to report on in Palestine?

 Furthermore, while all political prisoners are a shame to the countries imprisoning them, what was the criteria that Al Jazeera used to determine that a self professed Egyptian Zionist, Maikel Nabil, was more worthy of coverage than a Palestinian anti-Zionist?

Coverage of Maikel Nabil from Al Jazeera English:

• Egptian blogger’s arrest stirs doubts
• Maikel Nabil Live Blog
• Egyptian blogger’s arrest stirs doubts
• Ministrial declared in case of Egyptian blogger
• Egyptian anti-military activist Maikel Nabil rejects pardon

Al Jazeera simply cannot state that Khader Adnan’s hunger strike is not news worthy as international human rights organizations have expressed alarm and condemnation over his detention and concern for his deteriorating health.

The following conversation took place between one caller and a woman from Al Jazeera English Jerusalem office, in response to that caller’s question about why Khader Adnan has been receiving so little exposure from Al Jazeera English.

“But there are other important stories we’re covering.”

“But Khader Adnan has been on hunger strike for 54 days in administrative detention and he’s dying.”

“But there are people dying everywhere.”

The caller was then directed to the editor, who said:

“With all due respect, it’s not up to you to tell us what to cover. I’m only accountable to my superiors in Doha.”

The editor continued to say that there will be a story on the website today so perhaps “you should wait before passing judgments.” 

Did that mean that the caller should wait until Khader Adnan dies before he can get decent coverage? 

The caller then asked why there had been no TV reports, features, etc. The editor replied that there were more important stories around.

Another caller had this conversation:

“Hello, I’m wondering why Al Jazeera English hasn’t given the Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan who’s been hunger striking for 54 days any coverage?”

“Who is this?”

“It doesn’t matter. I want to know-“

“WHO ARE YOU? I’ve been getting calls every five minutes from people asking about the same subject.”

“Why does that matter? I-“

“I need to know if I should make a list of people calling. I need to know if something is wrong.”

“Of course there’s something wrong. Your coverage of Khader Adnan has largely been nonexistent.”

[Speaking to someone in the room] “It’s another one of them, asking about Adnan.” [Addressing the caller] “You need to tell me who you are.”

“Consider me a viewer of your network.”

“Listen, you can’t do this. Who are you?”

“Why are you getting defensive? I’m only asking why Khader Adnan hasn’t been getting any attention-“

“Who are you? Tell me your name.”

“So you’re interested in my name but not in Khader Adnan’s? The man has been on hunger strike for 54 days and-“

A man took over the phone. “Hello, who is this?”

“I’d rather remain anonymous. I want to know-“

“Look, why should we bother to answer you if you won’t even give us your name? Ok, thank you.” [The line went dead.]

The disrespect and arrogance that Al Jazeera English has shown to Palestinians with the lack of coverage has been nothing short of shocking.

If Al Jazeera cannot commit itself to doing actual reporting about the cruelty of the Israeli occupation on a daily basis against Palestinians then it would be best for them to move their office to Tel Aviv or head back home to Qatar.