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An appeal
for Nablus
Nowhere across their land are Palestinians spared the
effects of Israeli aggression. From north to south,
cities, towns, villages, camps -- all wish to make their
plight known, and all must vie for coverage by the world's
media, whose priorities are often politically motivated.
The media spotlight has not yet been trained on Nablus, a
city under curfew and buffeted by relentless army assault.
It is long past time that we hear the voice of besieged
Nablus.
For over three months now, the cries of Nablus have been
muted by the roar of jet bombers flying overhead and the
blasts from tanks encircling and effectively laying siege
to the city. At all times of the day and night, and often
without warning, Israeli soldiers shell and shoot at the
civilians of Nablus, who never know when or where to take
cover. Children, women and men have been injured and
killed.
The City under Siege is entirely cut off from the
neighboring towns and villages -- and from the rest of the
world. 200,000 people are trapped inside the tank-fence
around the city and subjected to a curfew that has been
lifted for a total of 70 hours since it began over 100
days ago. But the inhabitants of Nablus are determined to
survive. They have been breaking the curfew, even though
the Israeli army has been using "vicious violence
(physical and psychological) to impose [it], attempting to
keep the population caged in their homes like animals
through the use of terror and excessive military force",
according to International observers based in Nablus.
Students and schools are specifically targeted. The
Internationals report that schools are regularly tear
gassed, and that "tanks arrive in front of the various
refugee camps and schools in the city center by 6:30 a.m.,
when they begin firing endless rounds of ammunition,
frequently large calibre rounds (250, 500). [S] The
Israeli army attempts to close the schools before they
even open by spending an hour or more terrorizing the
students and teachers with this incessant tank fire."
The Internationals witnessed one army assault on young
students (5-15 years old) as they were going home from
school: "The tank began by opening fires then proceeded to
literally chase the students at high speed, shooting
continuous rounds of live ammunition in the air. The
children ran in all directions young girls and boys some
in tears and all in fear, their faces seized by terror,
crinkled in panic." (Source: Susan Barclay, International
Solidarity Movement, Nablus, 8 October 2002.)
Along with its people, Nablus' exceptional cultural
heritage is under threat from these military assaults.
Classified as a World Heritage Site, Nablus and its
environs have been inhabited for more than 4,000 years --
as far back as the Iron Age. Just outside of the
modern-day city is the site of Flavia Neapolis, one of the
best-preserved examples of a Roman city, with its
colonnaded streets, forum theatres and temples. It
features such gems of Middle Eastern Roman architecture as
the hippodrome dating from the 2nd century A.D. and the
amphitheatre built in the following century, which covers
the circular part of the hippodrome.
Later civilizations have also left their mark on Nablus,
where the old city's remarkable Christian and Islamic
monuments are of special interest. UNESCO has undertaken
to restore historic Nablus with World Bank funding. In
fact, the Palestinian authorities and UNESCO signed the
agreement for the third phase of the restoration programme
only two days before Sharon's historic visit to Al Aqsa in
September 2000! Had the programme gone ahead, it would
have not only helped to safeguard Nablus' cultural
heritage, but also provided a resuscitating boost to the
city's economy.
We are sending this message, in solidarity with Nablus,
because we believe that culture and communication have a
major role to play in bringing peace to the region. We are
calling on the international community to reiterate its
commitment to upholding human rights, and its commitment
to Palestine, and to take notice of Nablus! International
involvement is essential if the people of Nablus and their
cultural heritage are to be treated in accordance with
International Humanitarian Law and the relevant
international declarations, conventions and covenants.
The basic rules of International Humanitarian Law state
that persons not taking part in hostilities are entitled
to respect for their lives and their moral and physical
integrity. That they shall in all circumstances be
protected and treated humanely without any adverse
distinction. That armed forces do not have unlimited
choice of methods and means of warfare. That it is
prohibited to employ weapons or methods of warfare of a
nature to cause unnecessary losses or extensive suffering.
And that neither civilian populations as such nor property
shall be the object of attack. The Geneva Conventions and
Protocol I are applicable in case of declared war or of
any other armed conflict arising between two or more of
the Parties. Even if the state of war is not recognized by
one of them. These agreements also cover armed conflicts
in which people are fighting against colonial domination
and alien occupation and against racist regimes in the
exercise of their right to self-determination.
The Charter of the United Nations holds that recognition
of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. The
need to extend particular care to the child has been
stated in the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the
Child (1924) and in the UN Declaration of the Rights of
the Child (1959), and recognized in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Declaration
on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and
Armed Conflict.
Cultural heritage should be safeguarded as stipulated in
the Hague Convention and Protocol for Protection of
Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954),
the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) and its Additional
Protocols, and the Convention for the Protection of the
World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972).
WE APPEAL to the international community -- human rights
organizations, people working in the media, all those the
world over who wish to see basic human rights respected
and cultural heritage preserved -- to turn their attention
to the plight of the Nablusians and their historic city.
WE APPEAL to the international community to mobilize
support for Nablus by working jointly with local community
representatives and Palestinian organizations in their
efforts to counter the siege.
Immediate intervention is desperately needed to save
Nablus, its people and its legacy.
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Women And Family Affairs Center - Nablus
Cultural Connexion - Minneapolis
Norwegian People's Aid |
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