5/29/2010

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 135, June 13, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful

EDITORIAL:

HAS JUSTICE BEEN SERVED FOR THE VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS OF THE WORLD'S WORST INDUSTRIAL DISASTER ?

In the past week, June 7, 2010, the Bhopal Court in Bhopal, India convicted seven former senior employees of Union Carbide's Indian subsidiary of 'death by negligence' for their roles in the Bhopal gas tragedy that left an estimated 15,000 people dead more than a quarter century ago in the world's worst industrial disaster.

According to 12.06.2010 - Mayank Chhaya is a US-based writer and commentator in an article on Bhopal disaster (www.twocircles.net) wrote:

"Had a disaster comparable to Bhopal happened in Union Carbide's plant in the US, justice would have been long served, new stringent laws enacted, the guilty jailed and large sums of money paid out to the victims and their families"

According to one reader who commented on www.twocircles.net: (not verified)


"20,000 people died in the Bhopal Tragedy; but since "most" victims were Indian Muslims, the then State/Centre Govt. did not give a damn. (One Muslim dead, is one Muslim less; seems to have been the mindset). Thats why it was never a priority for any party (Congress, BJP, CPI-M, etc. etc). That is the ugly reality., uttered plainly".

9/11 (3500 casualties) changed world geo-politics., but Bhopal Tragedy showed Indian state's response and intent., most plainly.


HISTORY OF THE BHOPAL DISASTER AT THE INFAMOUS UNION CARBIDE PLANT (WHICH IS NOW A SUBSIDIARY OF DOW CHEMICALS)


On December 3, 1984, a Union Carbide Corporation pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked around 32 tons of toxic gases, including methyl isocyanate gas which lead to the worst industrial disaster to date. The official death toll was initially recorded around 5,000. Many figures suggest that 18,000 died within two weeks, and it is estimated that around 8,000 have died since then of gas-poisoning-related diseases. The Greenpeace organization cites a total casualty figure of 20,000 as its own conservative estimate. The Bhopal disaster is often cited as the world's worst industrial disaster. December 3 is annually observed as the official day of mourning, and every year, all government offices in Bhopal remain closed on this day.


History of Bhopal

Bhopal is said to have been founded by the Parmar King Bhoj (1000–1055), who had his capital at Dhar. The city was originally known as Bhojpal named after Bhoj and the dam ('pal') that is said to have been constructed by him to form the lakes surrounding the city. The fortunes of Bhopal rose and fell with that of its reigning dynasty. As the Parmaras declined in power, the city was ransacked several times and finally faded away into obscurity.

An Afghan soldier of the Orakzai tribe called Dost Mohammad Khan (not to be confused with the later Afghan King carrying the same name) laid out the present city at the same site following the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. He brought with himself the Islamic influence on the culture and architecture of Bhopal, the ruins of which can be found at Islam Nagar.

Bhopal, the second largest Muslim state in pre-independence India was ruled by four Begums from 1819 to 1926. Qudisa Begum was the first female ruler of Bhopal City, who was succeeded by her only daughter Sikandari, who in turn was succeeded by her only daughter, Shahjehan. Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum was the last female ruler, and stepped down for her son. The succession of the ‘Begums’ gave the city such innovations as waterworks, railways and a postal system. Several monuments still stand in the city as reminders of this glorious period in its history. A municipality was constituted in 1907.


It was one of the last princely states to sign the 'Instrument of Accession' 1947. Though India achieved Independence in August 1947, the ruler of Bhopal acceded to India only on 1 May 1949. Sindhi refugees from Pakistan were accommodated in West Bhopal Cities, Bairagarh Sub-Area (Sant Hirdaram nagar), a western suburb of Bhopal. According to the States Reorganization Act of 1956, Bhopal state was integrated into the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal was declared as its capital. The population of the city rose rapidly thereafter.


BHOPAL- INDIA:



An Indian court has sentenced the former managers of the company blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas leak to two years in prison in the first convictions over the catastrophe. (AFP/Graphic)



Victims of the Bhopal poison gas tragedy who were blinded in the accident. A lethal plume of gas escaped from a storage tank at the Union Carbide pesticide facility in Bhopal.
(AFP/File)



An elderly woman whose eyes were damaged by the 1984 Union Carbide gas leak, sits on the dirt floor of her home in Bhopal. An Indian court has sentenced the former managers of the company blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas leak to two years in prison in the first convictions over the catastrophe. (AFP/File/Raveendran)



Survivors and mourners hold torches as they shout slogans during a rally on the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal industrial accident. (AFP/File/Indranil Mukherjee)




In this photo taken on November 18, 2009, the Union Carbide factory, which now lies abandoned, is seen in Bhopal. An Indian court sentenced the former top managers of the company blamed for the massive Bhopal gas leak 25 years ago to two years in prison on Monday in the first convictions over the catastrophe. (AFP/Raveendran)





After 25 years, Indian court convicts 7 for roles ...

Elderly survivors hold posters as they wait for the verdict in the premises of Bhopal court in Bhopal, India, Monday, June 7, 2010. The court on Monday convicted seven former senior employees of Union Carbide's Indian subsidiary of 'death by negligence' for their roles in the Bhopal gas tragedy that left an estimated 15,000 people dead more than a quarter century ago in the world's worst industrial disaster.



Survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy beat with sandals a poster of Warren Anderson, the head of Union Carbide Corp. at the time of the gas leak, as they protest against the verdict in the premises of Bhopal court in Bhopal, India, Monday, June 7, 2010. An Indian court on Monday convicted seven former senior employees of Union Carbide's Indian subsidiary of 'death by negligence' for their roles in the Bhopal gas tragedy that left an estimated 15,000 people dead more than a quarter century ago in the world's worst industrial disaster. (AP Photo)

KASHMIR-INDIA




Federal police dispel Kashmiri protesters throwing stones during a protest in Srinagar on June 5. An Indian army officer has been suspended and another removed from his command after police blamed the two for the killing of three Muslim civilians in Kashmir, the army said Sunday.
(AFP/File/Rouf Bhat)

MALAYSIA



Muslim and Liberal cleric Asri Zainul Abidin(L), seen here being greeted by supporters at the Syariah court in Kuala Lumpur in April 2010, is the poster boy for liberal Muslims who are tussling with hardliners in this multi-ethnic nation.



Muslim and Liberal cleric Asri Zainul Abidin(L), seen here being greeted by supporters at the Syariah court in Kuala Lumpur in April 2010, is the poster boy for liberal Muslims who are tussling with hardliners in this multi-ethnic nation.(AFP)


IRAN's WOMEN ONLY BANK



A woman draws money from an ATM machine in Tehran May 4, 2008. Iran's first women-only bank branch opened on Monday, allowing women to manage their finances without dealing with unrelated men -- something likely to appeal to religious families who oppose mingling between the sexes. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/Files


ABU-DHABI
United Arab Emirates




A view of the 160-metre Capital Gate tower, developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, leans at 18 degrees -- over four times the angle of Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, has been recognised as the "furthest-leaning man-made tower" in the world by Guinness World Records, local newspapers reported. (AFP)


ISRAEL
ARAB Member of Parliament





An Israeli parliamentary committee on Monday recommended that the plenum vote to strip Arab Israeli MP Haneen Zuabi of some of her parliamentary privileges for taking part in last week's bid to break the blockade of Gaza, which ended with a deadly raid by Israeli forces. 48(AFP TV)



Orthodox Jewish demonstrators protest against the government of Israel outside the Israeli mission to the United Nations, in New York, May 31, 2010. Protestors claim the government run by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is desecrating grave sites by allowing construction atop an ancient cemetery in the coastal town of Ashkelon.REUTERS/Chip East


SAUDI ARABIA:

RIYADH NIGHT LINE



File photo of a general view of Riyadh. Although most daring novels remain banned from bookshops in this ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, Saudi book lovers buy them from other Arab countries where they are freely sold. (AFP/File/Hassan Ammar)


SAUDI BOOK CLUB



Saudi men pick books from shelves at a book cafe in the coastal city of Jeddah. In a country where cinema and theatre are banned and most forms of public expression are censored, Saudi novelists are enjoying new popularity by breaking taboos with daring novels. (AFP/Amer Hilabi)




Members of a book club discuss a novel at a book cafe in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. In a country where cinemas and theatres are banned and all formsof expression are censored, Saudi literature is achieving success thanks to defiant authors.
(AFP/Amer Hilabi)

EUROPE


Controversial Danish Muhammad cartoonist to retire ...
FILE - This is a February 2008 file photo of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. Westergaard the cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad says he is quitting because he is getting old. Westergaard said 'one has to stop at some point.' He says he has been working since the age of 23, first as a teacher and then as an artist. He turns 75 on July 13. (AP Photo, Miriam Dalsgaard/ POLFOTO, File)


Geert Wilders, 46, the flamboyant bleach-blond leader of the populist Freedom Party, who proposes closing Dutch borders to immigrants from Muslim countries, banning the construction of new mosques and charging a 'headscarf tax' for Muslim women, reacts prior to a debate organized by the Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR) and Een Vandaag TV show at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday June 7, 2010, two days ahead of June 9 2010 general elections. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)



AFRICA

DARFUR


Graphic locating the region of Darfur in Sudan. Clashes in west Sudan's Darfur region cost almost 600 lives in May, the highest monthly death toll since peacekeepers were deployed in 2008, according to a UN-African Union document seen by AFP. (AFP/Graphic)




A Darfurian holds a barbed wire outside a Red Crescent hospital in Nyala. Clashes in west Sudan's Darfur region cost almost 600 lives in May -- the highest monthly death toll since peacekeepers were deployed in 2008 -- according to a UN-African Union document seen by AFP. (AFP/File/Mustafa Ozer)



A picture made available by Albany Associates shows a Nigerian soldier of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) speaking with children during a night patrol through the Krinding camp in el-Geneina, Darfur, in 2008. Clashes in Darfur cost almost 600 lives in May, the highest monthly death toll since peacekeepers were deployed in 2008, according to a UN-African Union document. (AFP/HO/File/Stuart Price)

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE

Thanks to Dr. Lewis for forwarding below e-mail:


The Man Rules

At last, a guy has taken the time to write this all down. Finally, the guy's side of the story. (I must admit, it's pretty good). We always hears "the rules" from the female side.

Now here are the rules from the male side.

These are our rules!

Please note.. these are all numbered "1 "
ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.
( FIRST & FOREMOST RULE )

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports, It's like the full moon
or the changing of the tides.
Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.
Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do..
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something
Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it , just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing,"
We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to,
Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine.... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1.. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.

Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight.

But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Pass this to as many men as you can -to give them a laugh.

Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh

THE END




5/28/2010

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 134, June 6, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Editors: Haji Mohamed & Hajira Rashida Ziauddin

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and Merciful

HOW THE FLOTILLA TRAGEDY REVERBERATED THE HEARTBEAT OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH AND PUT UMMAH IN ACTION:




Pro-Palestinian demonstrators wave Turkish and Palestinian flags during a protest in Ankara against Israel's deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ship. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said normalisation of ties with Israel was out of the question if it rejected an international inquiry into the raid. (AFP/Adem Altan)


LONG LIVE THE GLOBAL UMMAH



IT IS STATED IN THE HOLY QURAN:

"And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allâh (i.e. this Qur'ân), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allâh's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allâh makes His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided."



"And verily this Ummah of yours IS A SINGLE UMMAH and I am your Lord and Cherisher: Therefore Fear Me (and no other)."


SAYINGS OF PROPHET MOHAMED (SAW):

The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said, "The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Muslim],

"The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body suffers." [Muslim],

"An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return, a non-Arab is no better than an Arab. A red raced man was not better than a black one except in piety. Mankind are all Adam's children and Adam was created out of clay." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Musa]

Meaning that the Muslims, whether they are of Chinese, African, European or Asian origin, are one Ummah and they cannot be separated from each other.


(http://www.islamic-world.net)



EDITORIAL:

In a small way, the global ummah practically implemented the above hadith pertaining to the UMMAH being one body by expressing their solidarity and support to the Palestinian cause in terms of the Flotilla tragedy.

We thank all participants both Muslim and Non-Muslims from our home town of St. Louis, from other cities within the United States and from global supporters who were involved in the peaceful demonstrations from the following countries:
Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, England, France, Greece, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Ramallah (Homeland of the Palestinians) , Spain and Turkey. We will continue to oppose burning of the Israel flag and we believe it is wrong.


HOW THE FLOTILLA INCIDENT NOT ONLY GALVANIZED THE GLOBAL UMMAH BUT ALSO ELICITED GREATER SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP FROM NON-MUSLIMS.



Map showing general area where Israel raided a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian
supplies to Gaza. Israel on Tuesday vowed to block all aid ships heading for Gaza as defiant activists said they would launch another bid to smash the Israeli blockade, despite the latest mission ending in tragedy (yahoo.news.photos)



The front pages of European newspapers after a deadly raid by Israel on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. World leaders demanded Tuesday an investigation into Israel's deadly commando raid on a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla and the swift release of their seized citizens
. (yahoo.news.photos)

PART I
LOCAL

(St. Louis, Missouri)

St. Louis PSC protests flotilla massacre

St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, a project of US Campaign member group St. Louis Instead of War, joined the global protest of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla massacre yesterday:

"Yesterday, June 1st, STL-PSC members and other outraged members of the St. Louis joined together at Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s office to protest the Israeli military’s massacre of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. A good crowd of around 100 people came out to tell Claire McCaskill that the tacit USA support for Israel’s brutal treatment of peaceful humanitarians is not acceptable, nor is its illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and siege on Gaza."

(http://endtheoccupationblog.blogspot.com)


PART II
NATIONAL (USA)

Eyewitness reports on actions protesting attack on Gaza flotilla and Israeli blockade

June 2, 2010

By: PSL bureaus
(condensed version)

Emergency actions across the country occurred within hours of the criminal attack. Participants from the indicated cities sent in the following reports.

Austin
TEXAS

About 35 activists gathered in downtown Austin to express their outrage at the brutal flotilla massacre. Ranging in age from the very young to the elderly, the protesters included members of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), the Palestine Solidarity Committee, and the Interfaith Community for Palestinian Rights, among others. They chanted almost without a break for over two hours:

“One, two, three, four, we don’t want your racist war! Five, six, seven, eight, Israel is a terrorist state!” and “Free, free Palestine! Long live Palestine!” “


Long live the Intifada! Intifada! Intifada!” were among the more popular chants.


Iraq war veteran Bobby Whittenberg said, “As Americans, we have no ethical decision but to engage in resistance to the U.S. and Israel’s occupations. These occupations take place with our money and our names, and we must be ever so clear that we do not consent to them and that they must stop immediately.” As the demonstration continued, some pedestrians picked up signs and joined in the chants. At one point, a driver slowed traffic as he stopped, blew his horn for several seconds and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the demonstrators.

Boston
Massachusetts


An estimated 300 people came out for an emergency protest against the Israeli assault on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The action started at Park St. train station in downtown Boston and turned into a march to the City Hall area and back. When passing through the Faneuil Hall area, hundreds of tourists looked on as an energized crowd chanted:

“Free, Free Palestine!,” “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, Palestine will never die!”


and the popular “Resistance is justified, when people are occupied!” Several mock coffins draped with Palestinian flags were carried during the march.
ANSWER organizers and Party for Socialism and Liberation members participated in the action and handed out hundreds of leaflets with 10 facts on the attack, the three-year Israeli blockade of Gaza and U.S. financial and political support for the continued occupation of Palestine.

Future actions in the Boston area are being planned for the coming days as the hundreds in attendance made it clear they are committed to a week full of action.

Chicago
ILLINOIS


2,000 march in Chicago, June 1

Photo: John Beacham

On June 1, over 2,000 people came out in Chicago to denounce the Israeli massacre on the lead ship of the flotilla of humanitarian aid vessels. Waving a sea of Palestinian flags, people came out from all communities to link arms with their Palestinian sisters and brothers. Dozens of groups endorsed and mobilized for the action, including the ANSWER Coalition. The American Muslims for Palestine and the Free Gaza Movement sponsored the emergency demonstration. Protesters closed down the street in front of the Israeli consulate and formed a massive picket line. Strong and united chants of “End the siege on Gaza now!” and “Who is the terrorist? Israel is the terrorist!” thundered through the crowd.

Many young people came out for the protest. Faoud, a Palestinian youth who was at his first protest said, “This is great. It’s so important to protest this crime and stand with Palestine. I saw the notice for the protest and had to get involved.”

Los Angeles
CALIFORNIA


Los Angeles protest, May 31
Photo: Benthany Malmgren

In response to a call by Al-Awda, the ANSWER Coalition, Free Palestine Alliance and others, over 600 people gathered at the Israeli consulate May 31 to denounce Israel’s blatant act of piracy and U.S. funding of Israeli apartheid. Palestinian youth chanted:

“Palestine will be free! End Israeli piracy!” and “End the siege on Gaza now!”


Protesters took over all four corners of the busy intersection on Wilshire Boulevard. PSL member Corazon Esguerra spoke at the rally, among others.

Miami
Florida

Some 120 people gathered in front of the Israeli consulate to protest. Participants in the protest, called by the ANSWER Coalition, waved Palestinian flags and carried signs. Chants included:

“Free, free Palestine,” “Long live Palestine” and “Viva Palestina.”

“We hold the Obama administration responsible for the massacre of the flotilla activists, as the U.S. continues to send 15 million dollars a day in aid to Israel and support the devastating blockade of the people of Gaza,” said Emmanuel Lopez from ANSWER during the rally. The Israeli consulate issued a statement as a result of our demonstration, making the absurd claim that the Freedom Flotilla had ties with Al-Qaeda, and that under the guise of sending humanitarian aid, it was designed to incite violence.

The Miami Herald and CBS 4 reported on the protest. New Haven, Conn. Two demonstrations were held. The first started at noon in front of Union Station. Demonstrators shouted, “Free, Free Palestine” and carried signs supporting the Right of Return for Palestinians. The demonstration ended as activists boarded the train for a mass demonstration in New York. At 3 p.m., almost 50 people gathered in front of the federal court house demanding that the Obama administration end its continued support and funding of Israel’s weaponry. They condemned Israel for its murderous and illegal attacks on ships bringing aid to the strangled Gaza Strip. They chanted, “End the blockade, send Gaza aid” and “Occupation is a crime, from Iraq to Palestine.”

The demonstration was organized by the Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT, New Haven Peace Council, Party for Socialism and Liberation and other local activists.

New York City
NEW YORK


On May 31, approximately 2,000 New Yorkers descended on Times Square to demand an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza by the Israeli government. The diverse crowd marched from Times Square to the Israeli Consulate. The previous night’s murders of international humanitarians on the high seas was the driving force behind the anger all in attendance felt. The march, which included members of the ANSWER Coalition, could be heard from up to several avenues away, as demonstrators chanted

“Viva viva Palestina! Lucha lucha Palestina!”


Tempe
ARIZONA


Tempe, Ariz., protest, June 1
Photo: Carlos Alvarez

On June 1, the Answer Coalition and member group Party for Socialism and Liberation joined several groups including Students for Justice in Palestine-Arizona State University and the Coalition of Arabs and Muslims in America-Arizona chapter for a protest against the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla. About 100 people came out to protest on the busy intersection of University Drive and Mill Avenue.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “Free Palestine, end the siege of Gaza now!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” George Galloway, pro-Palestinian British politician and activist, addressed the crowd before heading over to a speaking engagement at Arizona State University. Many passersby responded positively; others walked by espousing anti-Palestinian racism. One shouted at the overwhelmingly Arab crowd screaming, “You’re in the wrong desert.” Despite the vitriolic racism of a few, the sentiment in the crowd was to resist Zionism and U.S. imperialism.

San Francisco
CALIFORNIA

For the last two days pro-Palestinian crowds have gathered in San Francisco’s downtown area to show their condemnation of the Israeli attack on the flotilla of aid to Gaza early Monday morning. An emergency demonstration was held Monday afternoon at Powell and Market Streets. Some 350 people chanted :

“Free Free Palestine!” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!”


Sentiments for prosecuting the Israeli government for its ongoing war crimes and for boycotting Israeli products were widespread in the crowd.



Washington, D.C.

Three demonstrations took place in the course of two days in Washington, D.C., each involving hundreds of people, including many from the Arab American and Muslim community, students, families, community organizers and many others.
On May 31, activists first took to the streets in front of the Israeli Embassy.

A strong picket line chanted:

“Shut down the embassy; stop Israeli piracy.”

After a spirited protest, everyone dispersed and reconvened at the White House for a continuing rally that pointed to the complicity of the Obama administration in Israel’s crimes. Then on June 1, a lunchtime rally took place at the White House. Groups involved have included the ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, Code Pink, DC Metro BDS and others. Protests are planned to continue throughout the week.


(Carlos Alvarez, Deb Malatesta, Dustin Slagle, Jennifer Zaldana, John Beacham, John Peter Daly, Meghann Adams, Nita Seng, Patrick Moore, and Sarah Sloan contributed to this (above) round-up).



Protestors demonstrate against Israel in front of the White House in Washington, DC. The White House declined Tuesday to specifically condemn Israel for its raid on a humanitarian flotilla, but said it showed Middle East peace moves were now needed more than ever. (yahoo.news.photos)



A protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a demonstration in front of the White House in Washington, DC. The White House declined Tuesday to specifically condemn Israel for its raid on a humanitarian flotilla headed for Gaza, but said it showed Middle East peace moves were needed "more than ever". (yahoo.news.photos)

PART III
INTERNATIONAL




BAHRAIN



Bahraini lawmaker Nasser al-Fadhala, right, addresses protesters waving Palestinian flags during a demonstration against Israel's raid Monday on ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, outside the U.N. offices in Manama, Bahrain, Tuesday, June 1, 2010
. (yahoo.news.photos)

BULGARIA



Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shout anti-Israeli slogans during a rally in central Sofia June 1, 2010. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov


CANADA



Approximately 300 protesters demonstrate on Parliament Hill against Israel's attack on a flotilla of ships carrying aid pro-Palestinian activists during a rally in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Monday May 31, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Adrian Wyld)


EGYPT



An Egyptian protester shouts slogans in front of riot police during a demonstration in Cairo against Israel's interception of a convoy of Gaza-bound aid ships, June 1, 2010.
(yahoo.news.photos)



Egyptian opposition activists clash with riot police during a demonstration in front of the Shura Council in Cairo to condemn Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
(yahoo.news.photos)

ENGLAND



British police officers stand guard by gates outside the Israeli embassy in London as demonstrators across the street take part in a protest denouncing Israel's raid on ships allegedly taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)



Protestors demonstrate outside the Israeli embassy in London. Israel is holding hundreds of people after its failed commando raid on a Gaza-bound international aid flotilla which killed nine activists and sparked international outrage. (AFP/Carl de Souza)


FRANCE



Pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrate in central Paris, June 1, 2010. Israeli marines stormed a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza on Monday and 10 pro-Palestinian activists were killed, triggering a diplomatic crisis and plans for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council.
(yahoo.news.photos)



Pro-Palestinian activists shouting anti-Israeli slogans demonstrate in Paris, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Israeli naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip on Monday, killing nine passengers in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis (yahoo.news.photos)



Pro-Palestinian activists gather at the Rond Point des Champs Elysees to protest against Israel near the Israeli embassy, Monday May 31, 2010 in Paris.The assault took place in international waters in the Mediterranean. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)



Pro-Palestinian activists shout anti-Israeli slogans during a demonstration in Paris, Tuesday, June 1, 2010.
(yahoo.news.photos)


GREECE



Supporters of Greek Communist labor group
Supporters of Greek Communist labour group PAME protest outside the Israeli embassy in Athens June 1, 2010. Israel detained or deported on Tuesday hundredsof activists who were on Turkish-backed aid ships seized en route to Gaza, and the U.N. called for impartial investigation into the deaths of nine people in the takeover .(yahoo.news.photos)



Bullets, tear gas and tazers: witnesses tell ...
Greek activist Michalis Grigoropoulos has described the moment Israeli troops stormed the ill-fated Gaza-bound aid flotilla, using rubber bullets, teargas and electroshock weapons to subdue those aboard. (AFP/Louisa Gouliamaki)



Palestinians ride boats and wave flags of various countries, in Gaza port, a day before a flotilla of aid ships is expected to try to sail into the blockaded territory, in Gaza city, Sunday, May 30, 2010. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on seven ships were to set sail for the Gaza Strip on Sunday from international waters close to Cyprus, edging closer to an expected naval showdown as Israeli officials warned they would halt the flotilla from reaching the blockaded territory. ((yahoo.news.photos)


GERMANY



Demonstrators march through the streets of Berlin, June 1, 2010. Several hundreds protested in the German capital after Israeli marines stormed a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza on Monday and at least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed, triggering a diplomatic crisis. The banner reads, "The victims of today are martyrs." REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz




Demonstrators shout slogans during an anti-Israel protest in Berlin, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Israeli naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip on Monday, killing nine passengers in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis
. (yahoo.news.photos)



Demonstrators hold Palestinians and Turkish flags during an anti-Israel protest in Berlin, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Israeli naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip on Monday, killing nine passengers in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis. In the background is Berlin's Television Tower

INDONESIA


Thousands of Indonesian Muslims protest Israel's ...
A Muslim student holds up a poster during a rally against Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

IRAN



Iran's Ahmadinejad wants tough Security Council ... An Iranian female protestor chants slogans, in an anti-Israel demonstration in front of the U.N. office in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 31, 2010, to protest over Israel's deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

IRAQ


Followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr holds huge Iraqi flags at a rally across the Tigris River from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday,May 31, 2010. More than 3,000 Shiite followers of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr organized a demo in Baghdad to protest the Israeli attack on aid convoy. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

ITALY:



A Palestinian woman shouts anti-Israeli slogans during a rally next to the Israeli embassy in downtown Rome June 1, 2010. REUTERS/Max Rossi



Pro-Palestinian activists shout slogans as they approach the Israeli's embassy in Rome Tuesday, June 1, 2010 to stage a protest against the Israeli naval operation storming a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip
. (yahoo.news.photos)

JAPAN



Japanese youths hold candles during a protest rally denouncing Israel's raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, in front of the Israeli Embassyin Tokyo. Israel on Tuesday vowed to block all aid ships heading for Gaza as defiant activists said they would launch another bid to smash the Israeli blockade, despite the latest mission ending in tragedy. (yahoo.news.photos)


KUWAIT



Kuwait MPs call for withdrawal from Arab peace ...
An Arabic sign reads, "Freedom to Mona Shashter" -- who is a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency and one of 16 Kuwaitis on board a Gaza-boundaid flotilla -- is placed over the Kuwaiti flag during a special session at the parliament in Kuwait City. Kuwaiti MPs on Tuesday blasted Israel as a criminal state over its attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. (yahoo.news.photos)




Kuwaiti MP Msallam al-Barrak speaks next to a picture of colleague Walid al-Tabtabae, who is one of 16 Kuwaitis on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, duringa special session at the parliament in Kuwait City to discuss Israel's deadly raid on the convoy. Kuwaiti MPs on Tuesday blasted Israel as a criminal state over its attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. (AFP/Yasser al-Zayyat)


LEBANON



A child carries a banner depicting (from L-R) Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and army chief Lieutenant-GeneralGabi Ashkenazi as she walks in front of Lebanon's Hezbollah female members carrying Hezbollah and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israel protest in Beirut, June 1, 2010, after the storming of a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza by Israeli marines on Monday. (yahoo.news.photos)



A Lebanese woman steps on a replica of the Star of David as several hundred left-wingers demonstrate near the US embassy in Awkar close to Beirut on June6, calling for an end to Israel's blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip (yahoo.news.photos)




A female Hezbollah supporter carries a placard reading in English and Arabic ' Terrorism of a State' and showing pictures, left to right, of Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and military chief Gabi Ashkenazi, at an anti-Israel demonstration in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. A few thousand protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and waved flags representing Turkey, Lebanon and numerous Palestinian factions in front of the United Nations building in downtown Beirut on Tuesday, while Pro-Palestinian activists sent another boat to challenge Israel's blockade. (yahoo.news.photos)




Protesters burn a placard reading in English and Arabic 'Terrorism of a State' and showing pictures, left to right, of Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and military chief Gabi Ashkenazi at an anti-Israel demonstration outside the United Nations building in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. A few thousand protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and waved flags representing Turkey, Lebanon and numerous Palestinian factions in front of the United Nations building in downtown Beirut on Tuesday, while Pro-Palestinian activists sent another boat to challenge Israel's blockade. (yahoo.news.photos)


MALAYSIA




A pro-Palestinian protester shows a cutter knife as he tries to slash himself during a protest against Israel's naval commando raid on a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip, outside the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. (yahoo.news.photos)



Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, seen here at a news conference, has condemned Israel as "world gangsters" and said it should face the International Criminal Court over the deadly Gaza aid flotilla attack.



PAKISTAN



Pakistani protesters who try to reach the U. S. Consulate, confront with a police officers during a rally denouncing Israel's raid on ships allegedly taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, Tuesday, June 1, 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan. (yahoo.news.photos)


RAMALLAH
(Homeland of the Palestinians)



Palestinians hold up their own flag and the Turkish flag during a protest in downtown Ramallah. World leaders have demanded an investigation into Israel'sdeadly commando raid on a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla and the swift release of their seized citizens. (yahoo.news.photos)


SPAIN


Demonstrators shout slogans as they hold a banner reading, 'Yesterday Gaza. Today the Flotilla', during an anti-Israel protest in Pamplona, northern Spain,Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Israeli naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip on Monday, killing nine passengers in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis. (yahoo.news.photos)


TURKEY



Pro-Palestinian Turkish women pray during a protest against Israel in Ankara. The United States "deeply regrets" the loss of life during an Israeliraid on an aid convoy to the Gaza Strip and is looking into the details of the incident, the White House said. (yahoo.news.photos)




Protesters burn a representation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Tuesday,June 1, 2010. Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship has ignited unprecedented anger in Turkey and driven the Jewish state's relations with its most important Muslim ally to their lowest point in six decades
. (yahoo.news.photos)




Demonstrators shout slogans in front of the Israeli consulate during a protest against Israel in Istanbul June 1, 2010. (yahoo.news.photos)


A police officer stands in front of graffiti during a demonstration outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship has ignited unprecedented anger in Turkey and driven the Jewish state's relations with its most important Muslim ally to their lowest point in six decades. (yahoo.news.photos)


THE END