Orphans to be thrown out of orphanage in Hebron, Palestine, this week

by Justin Morahan Thu Apr 03, 2008 17:33

DEAR OPRAH

My name is Rabiha Abusnineh and I am 16 and a half years old. For the first fifteen years of my life, I have lived in Houston, Texas in the United States of America. I was really happy there because I had everything I wanted. For instance, I had a 3.9 GPA and I had awesome friends and went to a really good school (North Shore High School). But all that changed when I moved to Hebron, Palestine, in August of 2006. I didn't know the Arabic language at all but over time and practice and a lot of repetition I have learned it and become the highest ranking in my class due to endless cooperation from my school.

I go to Al-Shar'iya Secondary School for Girls but it is not just any normal school. It is a school of 650 girls, 500 of them being orphans that depend on the school for a place to study, to eat, to sleep, toget treated if they're sick, to get school supplies, and probably every other necessity they need to live. And now for some reason the Israeli Occupation wants to close it down along with its other branches that include a school for orphaned boys and an elementary school for orphaned children. What they do not realize is that if they were to close the Islamic Charitable Society which funds these orphanage schools, they would be kicking some of these orphans into the street with no one to care or to spend on them.

They say that these orphans practice terrorism and due to their false accusations they have confiscated all of the properties and the income that are required to care for the orphans and the buses that transport them from their homes to the school and they've closed down the bakery that extends bread to the orphans to sustain their hunger and they've stolen all the food in the food pantry that contains canned goods and meats for the orphans and they've confiscated the warehouse that contains school supplies and clothes for the orphans. Ideclare that these are not things used for terrorism so why have they taken them? And now they have given the different orphan schools
warning to be closed by April the first.

My school and the Palestinian people have done plenty of things to stop this decision that came out about a month ago. We have marched and protested all without any result. I ask you Oprah as a last resort to please please please help! I am asking you not for money but to help spread awareness on this situation and to help people see that the students of this school are orphans that have lost their fathers or mothers or both and in that lost their main source of income and their main source of love and care. This is not a political situation but rather it is a humanitarian one. Ever since I was a kindergartener in America I have learned that "All men were created equally" and that the American people have "the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". If we were all created equally then us striving for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness shouldn't differ between Americans, Palestinians, Africans or any one else.

I have been taught to stand up for what I believe in and what I believe has nothing to do with politics because I've always been neutral but Oprah by studying at this school and seeing everything that is provided I can not imagine what life is going to be like if it closes down so I will stand by them to the very end until they get back their rights. I ask you Oprah to please respond to this message as soon as possible because there is roughly a week left until the Israeli Occupation decide to carry out their inhumane and heartless plan. I watch your show about every week day here from Saturday-Wednesday and so does practically every other girl in my school. They see you as a source of kindness and compassion due to your help with building the African Schools and your help with a lot of different things. Please help them see that personally by helping them. Again all I ask for is coverage and awareness and hopefully a visit from you. Your reward will be in heaven. God Bless You for you are surely one of my role models and what I strive to be like when I'm older.

And thank you again for being my role model and for any help that you can offer.

Sincerely,
Rabiha Abusnineh

P.S. Please hurry!! God Bless You and all of your staff and crew!

by Stu Hickey Fri Apr 04, 2008 16:59

Jeez ,

Oprah?

The lady who said " that she sympathizes with the suffering of the Israeli people."

I dont know if Oprah is the right person to be pinning one''s hopes on in such a dire situation as described here. She is no doubt a brave lady but seems to flip flop on this issue somewhat.
I mean, what happened in the end in relation to her trip to Israel for "solidaity".

Did she go ?

Do we know?

http://www.ilanpappe.org/News/Oprah%20Integrity%20at%20....html

by lulu Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:24

Well can we do anything to help the orphanage?

by Justin Morahan Sun Apr 06, 2008 03:50

I have asked my contact in Palestine what can be done for the children in Hebron. I don't know what we can do, but I would urge contact by e-mail, letter, telephone or visit with the Israeli Ambassador to express our concern. I have sent him an e-mail.

ambsec@dublin.mfa.gov.il

by Ali Moussa Wed Apr 09, 2008 20:15

If the military confiscation and closure will be implemented, 7000 Palestinian students, aged 5 to 16, will have no school. 4500 orphans will become homeless for the second time. 5000 weakened families will go without assistance. 600 workers will lose their livelihood. ...

http://www.alternativenews.org/news/_english/_israel-at....html

The original military order indicated that the schools and orphanages would be closed as of 1 April 2008. However, after the governor of Hebron, Hussain al-A’raj, expressed his astonishment at the order and requested the Israeli authorities to revoke it, and after the lawyer Osama Hallabi petitioned the Israeli High Court in this matter, the order was postponed for one week. On the morning of 2 April, school officials received word that the Israeli High Court had given the Israeli army four days to provide full justification for the closure and evacuation of the schools and orphanages. On 3 April the attorney for the Islamic Charitable Society was informed that the Israeli High Court will rule in this matter on Monday 7 April.

What happened next ?

The Israeli state prosecutor demanded on Tuesday an extension to the period given by the Israeli high court of Justice to the army to justify the army decision to close schools and orphanages in the southern west Bank city of Hebron.

http://www.imemc.org/article/54027

by Justin Morahan Thu Apr 10, 2008 23:59

PRESS RELEASE from Christian Peacemaker Teams

Hebron Orphanages Press Conference
8 April 2008

HEBRON
The Popular Committee for Supporting the Orphanages hosted a press conference, on Monday, April 7th, at the Hebron Girls Orphanage with approximately 70 attending, including independent media, internationals, and clergy. The Israeli Military has given orders to shut down the orphanages and schools run by the Islamic Charitable Society by 7 April.

The lawyer representing the Islamic Charitable Societies spoke of the invaluable work of serving 2,500 children, 240 of them orphans, aiding an additional 4,000 students and 5,000 needy families, running a dairy and 2 bakeries, a warehouse and 4 small store fronts which serve the schools and orphanages of the Hebron area. The warehouse, bakeries and the storefronts were raided on 6 March 2008. The Israeli Military confiscated food, clothing, school supplies, refrigerators and 2 buses worth $300,000.

The lawyer also spoke of how the monies donated to support the orphanages and schools are accounted for and audited by certified public accountants and monitored by the Palestinian Authority. The books are open to audit by the Israeli Government as well. Twenty percent of the monies donated come from the Hebron local community. The other eighty percent come from Europe and the US and Middle East countries. The Islamic Charitable Society is highly respected by locals, NGO's, and other reputable organizations such as Catholic Charities.

During the conference Rabbi Arik Ascherman, of Rabbis for Human Rights, spoke to the press conference by speaker phone, saying that under Jewish law there must be evidence brought before the court and that there must be witnesses to that evidence. Even in the name of security, this closure is not warranted, as the Islamic Charitable Society has threatened no human life.

Members of CPT and other internationals slept at the orphanages to accompany, and to document any possible incursion by the Israeli Military; however by midnight of 7 April, the attorney for the Israeli Military had asked for an extension of time to prepare and submit to the court a full justification for the closures of the schools and orphanages.

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an ecumenical initiative to support violence reduction efforts around the world. To learn more about CPT's peacemaking work, visit our website www.cpt.org Photos of our projects are at www.cpt.org/gallery

by Justin Morahan Fri Apr 11, 2008 00:05

Latest word from Hebron received via e-mail

"Thursday 10/4 -Update:

This morning Israeli Military soldiers came to the girls orphanage, took some inventory of supplies, and announced that the girls have to be out of the orphanage by Sunday.

There is no decision given yet by the Israeli High Court whether the orphanages and schools have to be closed. "

by Justin Morahan Tue Apr 15, 2008 23:22

(Tuesady, 15,51) "Hebron: Regarding the Palestinian schools issue you raised we have contacted the relevant authorities in Israel and are awaiting a response."

by Justin Morahan Tue Apr 15, 2008 23:35

(Last comment heading should have refered to Tuesday Apri 15, not 16th)

Another snippet from a blogger: "Hebron: Still no word from the courts. CPTers and internationals continue to sleep in the orphanages."
http://hoseyblog.blog.com/

by Justin Morahan Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:01

See today's Indymedia Indymedia Ireland story :http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87377