Former US Marine Kenneth O’ Keefe Rebuts Israeli Lies Over Flotilla Massacre

Its part & parcel of the game that Israel’s advocates will attempt every method to ensure that their side of the story dominates the media and the general public’s subconscious. In the aftermath of Israel’s assassination of 9 peace activists aboard the MV Mavi Marmara, Israel sent their hasbara (propaganda & PR) teams into overdrive, so the ensuing narrative would be that peaceful unarmed activists on a ship, would be portrayed as murderous terrorists. While machine gun toting Israeli commando’s equipped with night vision lenses, stun grenades and 9mm pistols were peacefully going about their business.

For us on the blogosphere, we present information as we receive it, and trust the viewers judgement, unlike the watered down media corporations, who present it as they want it to be, through a crystallised bias lens.

In doing so, I and many others leave ourselves open to be targeted by Israel’s online hasbara squad, on which I’ve blogged extensively about here, here and here.

On an increasing note, Pro-Israeli’s are leaving streams of messages on my blog, some abusive, others not and the choice is down to me on what I publish, take for example a recent comment:

“I could not expect to see a more, biased, one sided piece of dribble if I tried.
Every piece of evidence shows that NONE of the other ships had any injuries and that only te one where the soldiers were attacked did anything happen.
You need to get you facts right before you spurt this garbage on the internet”

It would be all to simple to consign this rant into the spam section and forget about it, or tell him if wants “biased one piece dribble” he should stick to watching Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News or reading any of his papers.

This recent BBC Hardtalk programme is evidence, if any was needed, that the BBC is simply not following its own charter in providing fair and accurate programming.

Note the presenters hostility towards Ken O’ Keefe, I’m sure a person with lesser convictions may have buckled under the quite ridiculous line of questioning, which seems to have been drawn from an Israeli Defence Force press release.

The Akh met Ken O’ Keefe last year, and is happy to say that the brother Ken is one of the most realist people he has met, who walks the walk like he talks the talk and he certainly takes no prisoners and says it how it is, regardless of who he is speaking to.

Watch the interview, and see how to handle yourself if you are ever face to face with a hardcore advocate of the zionist project.

The Akh is currently away, and will try to update every few days as time and web connection dictates.

Chaos in Yemen Today is a Direct Result of “The West’s” Secret War Fourty Years Ago

What’s so fascinating about the reporting on the War OF Terror is the way almost all of it ignores history – as if it is a conflict happening in another time. The Yemen is a case in point. In the wake of the underpants bomber we have been deluged by a wave of terror journalism about this dark mediaeval country that harbours incomprehensible fanatics who want to destroy the west. None of it has explained that only forty years ago the British government fought a vicious secret war in the Yemen against republican revolutionaries who used terror, including bombing airliners.

But the moment you start looking into that war you find out all sorts of extraordinary things.

First that the chaos that has engulfed the Yemen today and is breeding new terrorist threats against the west is a direct result of that conflict of forty years ago.

Secondly it also had a powerful and corrupting effect on Britain itself. To fight the war both Conservative and Labour governments in the 1960s set up international arms deals with the Saudis. These involved bribery on a huge scale which led to the Al Yamamah scandal that still festers today.

To fight the war in secret the British government also allowed the creation of a private mercenary force. Out of it would come today’s privatized military industry that fights wars for dictators throughout Africa and is deeply involved in fighting against the insurgency in Iraq.

The key figure behind Britain’s involvement was called Colonel David Stirling. He brought Britain into the war, created the mercenary amy, and set up the Saudi Arms deal. Stirling was one of the main characters in a documentary series I made called The Mayfair Set, and a large part of the first episode tells the inside story of Britain’s role in the Yemen war in the 1960s. I thought I would put up that section plus a brief background to our whole involvement in Yemen.

Here is a map of Aden in the 1960s:

And here is one of the Yemen:

Aden had been a crucial part of the British Empire since 1839. In 1963 a rebellion began. A nationalist group called the National Liberation Front started an armed revolt against the British army. The NLF were followers of Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser who was the president of Egypt. Nasser was an extraordinary figure who inspired the whole of the Arab world. He wanted to unite all the Arab countries and use that power to force the western colonial powers out of the Middle East.

By the mid 60s the revolt had developed into a bitter and vicious insurgency as the NLF used terror against British civilians as well as attacking the soldiers. Here is some footage shot by the BBC Panorama programme of the aftermath of the killing of a British Civil Servant on a dusty road just outside the Crater district of Aden. As well as showing the details it also conveys the mood of a once confident imperial power caught up in something it doesn’t fully understand and feeling its power slipping away.

It is also interesting how back then Panorama broadcast shots that lingered far longer on the dead body than we would be allowed to today.

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As the insurgency continued both sides turned to terror. An Amnesty report in 1966 alleged that the British were torturing prisoners including beating them and burning them with cigarettes. The British soldiers were also stripping the Arab prisoners naked to humiliate them.

Here is a short piece of film that was grabbed by a Reuters cameraman in 1967. It graphically shows the hatred of the local people that had built up in the British troops.

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The terrorists meanwhile had resorted to throwing grenades into childrens’ parties and had blown up a DC3 civilian airliner over the Yemen killing everyone on board. Here is a news item where a BBC journalist shows some of the Improvised Explosive Devices that were being used against civilians.

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At the same time as the insurgency began in the south, in Aden, another revolution happened in the North Yemen. A group of republicans who were also followers of President Nasser overthrew the ruling royal family. Nasser then sent Egyptian troops to support the republicans.

Many in the British government wanted to recognise the new regime, but a small group in the security services, led by David Stirling, persuaded the Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan, to let them organise a covert war in the deserts and mountains of Yemen in support of the royal family.

These men had a romantic and simplified view of the world. They did not see this war as a nationalist struggle but as part of a much wider fight against a communist takeover of the world. Engaging in this global conflict would be a way of recapturing Britain’s power and greatness.

Stirling also believed that selling arms and planes to the Saudis would not only help fight the war, but would also re-establish Britain’s influence in the Middle East in a new way – through the arms trade.

And he was right. Although the mecenaries failed to restore the royalists in Yemen, they did help defeat Nasser and destroy his anti-colonial project. But more than that, their secret war also helped re-establish western influence in the Arab world in a new way. In a post-imperial age the British returned to the Middle East by supporting and propping up regimes through selling arms and through mercenary armies. Just as Stirling had intended.

But it had a terrible price.

The regimes that Britain, and America, would support for the next forty years were mostly corrupt and despotic. The very regimes that Nasser had told the Arab world were a part of the past which the modern world would sweep away. The man who foresaw this was the British Prime Minister – Harold MacMillan. In 1963 he wrote privately:

“It is repugnant to political equity and prudence alike that we should so often appear to be supporting out-of-date and despotic regimes and to be opposing the growth of modern and more democratic forms of government.”

The Islamism that we face today rose up in the 1970s precisely as a reaction to those corrupt regimes and their western backers. It too is an anti-colonial project that is very similar to Nasser’s vision of a united Arab world free of western influence – but with religion bolted on. And now, to fight it, we are preparing to send arms and “intelligence advisers” to help prop up a corrupt regime in Yemen.

To the Arabs in Yemen it must seem like deja vu. We are the old ghosts who have returned.

Here is the section from The Mayfair Set. It begins with the owner of the Clermont Club in Mayfair, John Aspinall, musing on the group of entrepreneurs and adventurers who spent their time gambling in his club. Men like David Stirling.

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Source: The Medium & The Message, Adam Curtis, “Yemen, The Return of Old Ghosts”

The Akh is currently away, and will try to update every few days as time and web connection dictates.

The V’s & Zionism – Science Fiction Mirroring Reality

The Akh has been watching “V” a remake of the 80’s classic sci-fi, where a militaristic alien starfleet arrives on Earth, and its people, human-like aliens, infiltrate every level of human society.

But a select few become suspicious; forming a resistance, the Fifth Column, they soon discover the truth — the Visitors are not like us, they are not our friends, and they don’t want our help; they have a far more hidden & sinister purpose to serve.

The Akh has been watching this with one eye on how Israeli Zionists operate.

Take the V high commander, Anna , who reassuringly sticks to the mantra, “Don’t be frightened. We mean you no harm.”

The Visitors spread their message quickly and clearly: They come in peace (Israel is always at peace, surrounded by blood thirsty Arabs who want to drive them into the sea), bearing gifts of medical miracles and technological breakthroughs (take Israel’s claims of R&D and innovation, usually in the military sector, bankrolled by billions in aid from the US) far beyond our wildest imaginations.

Through their Peace Ambassadors program (zionist advocates, right here in Britain you can take your pick), the Visitors have built a loyal following.

There are those who believe they are strategically arming themselves with a very powerful weapon: Devotion. Note how Christian fundamentalists support the zionist cause as they believe it will hasten the return of Jesus.

But not everyone trusts the V’s.

There are some V’s who have turned against their leadership and have became known as the Fifth Column and along with the humans it is their job to expose the V’s for what their true purpose is….anyone who resists or criticises is smeared or hunted down and killed, sound familiar to anyone?

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There’s a character of Chad Decker, who is an ambitious network news anchor. He scored the first one-on-one TV interview with Anna. This led to an exclusive relationship that furthered Chad’s career while providing positive PR for the V’s. This was necessary because there are those who are skeptical of Anna’s intentions and need to be won over.

Hasbara anyone?

Not too far a contention with the zionist media brigade – whether that’s Regev, Aaronavitch or the husband and wife team of mad mel philips and joshua rozenberg…thats before I even mention rupert murdoch’s media empire.

Right wing zionists have also gotten whiff of the allegorical aspect of the show, and have used it to bash Barack Obama.

All The Akh has to say is – John May Lives!

Analysing The House of Commons debate on Gaza & Britain’s Middle East Policy 14/15 June 2010

Last week, two debates were held in the House of Commons on Britain’s Policy on Gaza and the Middle East. The Akh provides you with analysis on what was said.

This debate is being paraded as a success by the Conservative Friends of Israel because they managed to flood the debate with their members and controlled the floor.

What’s most interesting is the amount of MP’s who act as Israel’s attack dogs, who stifle any real debate with the obvious red herring of Hamas being a terrorist group, to counter any sort of criticism put towards Israel.

The Akh has taken a lengthy look at the comments made, and aims to dissect it’s true meanings, the following are excerpts of the debate in the order they were made.

The full transcript of what was said on the 14 June debate is available to read here. Whilst the debate held on the 15 June can be read here.

“Let me spell out in simple terms, but in no particular order, the Government’s aims and objectives for the middle east. We will work to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. The only long-term solution to the conflict is a secure Israel living alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, with Jerusalem the future capital of both states, and with a fair settlement for refugees.”

Secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state – What a joke, tell you what Alistair, I’ll give you a map, and you show me where a “Viable” Palestinian state would exist. Al-Quds/Jerusalem cannot be called an Israeli capital, not now, not in the future. United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 proves this to be the case, although successive Israeli administrations since 1980 have given international law the middle finger salute.

Allow the six million plus Palestinian diaspora back to their homeland, and have a full and frank democratic election.

Hold on a second, Israel would never have that, an open election where there would be more Arab/Muslim voters then the imported russian zionists, we could never settle for that.

“Hamas might be as an expression of a movement, it also represents a repressive, authoritarian force which has had a grip on Gaza for too long and held Gilad Shalit unfairly as a hostage for too long.

Democratically elected, whilst Shalit was captured deep into Lebanese territory, remind us what Israeli tanks were doing there in the first place?

“the countries of the middle east will continue to be essential suppliers of the world’s energy needs. There is similarly mutual benefit in the flows of other trade and investments between Britain and the region. This Government will work closely to support and extend those links, facilitating trade missions and signing investment and promotion protection agreements.”

Britain’s role in the Middle=East has always been two fold – secure a cheap and plentiful energy supply and protect Israel, nothing has changed in the last 60 years.

“96 humanitarian aid workers were gunned down in different conflict zones. Why does the United Nations not demand inquiries in every other country where humanitarian aid workers are slaughtered?”

Red herring alert! Denis Macshane is Labour Friends of Israel
see how he tries to divert the pressure away from Israel – Israel isn’t the only bad guy in the world, this kind of thing happens everywhere, it’s normal – No Denis, it is not, no army sends it’s commando’s to invade a ship in the middle of international waters and then proceeds to machine gun unarmed civilians in the back of the head.

“I was asked several times in my ministerial capacity during interviews on al-Jazeera: how could I, as a Jew, undertake my role as British Minister for the middle east independently and objectively? Putting aside the appropriateness or otherwise of the question, my answer was and is straightforward. I am proud to be a friend and supporter of Israel.”

Nothing to do with your Jewishness Ivan, but your belief in humanity.

“The Labour party-in government and opposition-has long championed a two-state solution: a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.”

Labour had 13 years in charge, what did you do?

Nothing.

Note the wording again “Secure Israel”, “Viable Palestine”.

“Does my hon. Friend agree that a good step forward would be if Israel released the substantial number of Palestinian parliamentarians who are still held in prison, several years after the election? Otherwise, the message is that democracy does not work, and it is like saying to the Palestinians, “Your leaders get arrested and taken away, and therefore you have no representation.” The anger at that in Gaza and the west bank is very serious indeed.”

First bit of sense, in this whole debate, well done Jeremy!

“Does my hon. Friend agree that Hamas, with its view that eliminating the state of Israel is a religious imperative, is a real obstacle to peace?”

More moral midgetry by another key zionist attack dog and paid up member of Labour Friends of Israel, no less the vice chair herself, Louise Ellman.

What she fails to say is that Hamas accepted a 2002 Saudi peace proposal that accepts and recognises Israel’s right to exist in a secure and peaceful manner. It is primarily Israel, as well as its allies refusing to accept the democratically elected Hamas administration as a representative that they can sit and discuss terms with.

“If any other country had behaved as Israel is behaving towards the Palestinians in the occupied territories, international action would have been taken long ago. Yes, Iran’s regime is detestable and it is important to do all we can to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, but it does not have them at present and it has never invaded another country. Israel does possess nuclear weapons; it is said to have 200 warheads. It has refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty and it recently refused to attend President Obama’s conference on nuclear weapons divestment. Israel has invaded Lebanon three times. It facilitated the Sabra and Shatila massacres. It also conducted Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza blockade and the attack on the Gaza flotilla.

Let us also dispose of the distractions that impede action. It makes no difference whether the inquiry into the attack on the flotilla is conducted internally by Israel or internationally. Even an international inquiry would not change Israeli policy. The Goldstone inquiry into Operation Cast Lead had no influence at all, and Goldstone was vilified as a Jewish anti-Semite and a self-hating Jew. We have heard mention this afternoon of the dreadful situation involving Gilad Shalit, the young man who was taken into captivity four years ago this week. I feel great sorrow for his family, but he was a soldier on military duty. About 15 members of the Palestine National Council are being held without charge by the Israelis, and about 300 children are being held in prisons by the Israeli Government. It is a distraction to propose, as Tony Blair and Baroness Ashton have done, to change the terms of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Neither of them has challenged the principle of the blockade, yet it is that principle that contravenes the Geneva convention.”

Wow!

“Israel ignores international opinion on the illegal wall that has turned towns such as Kalkilya and Bethlehem into prisons, and on the illegal checkpoints. It knows that, whatever it does, no action will follow. It has the most extremist Government it has ever had, under the most extremist Prime Minister it has ever had, and a Foreign Minister who is an avowed racist. Israel is allowed literally to get away with murder. Only punitive international action will make even the tiniest difference. That means an arms ban, and the kind of sanctions that were imposed by the senior President Bush on Yitzhak Shamir to force him to participate in international talks in Madrid.

This is a situation in which one country is holding 1.5 million people in an internal prison and 4 million other Palestinians in a form of detention, but let us be clear about this: no action will be taken against Israel. President Obama will take no action, partly because he has mid-term elections in five months’ time, and partly because the odious pressure group, AIPAC-the American Israel Public Affairs Committee-can destroy any United States politician who makes the slightest criticism of Israel. When a Republican Congressman suggested that a tiny sliver of the billions of dollars that the United States gives to Israel should be transferred to alleviate a certain amount of poverty in Africa, AIPAC labelled him an anti-Semite. That is what American politicians, including Obama, have to put up with. We could take action, however. The European Union could take action over trade agreements, for example. Let us be clear that we cannot appeal to the conscience and good will of a country that has not demonstrated that it has either quality.

The situation is now unsustainable. The more the Israelis repress, suppress and oppress the Palestinians, the more precarious the future of their state will be. I saw, as did other hon. Members when we went to Iraq this year, that the Israelis are breeding children who hate them because of their hunger and their lack of schooling, and because of the way in which they are being treated. The Israelis seem to believe that treating the people of Gaza like that is a way of weaning them away from Hamas, but it only makes them support Hamas even more. Nobody is excusing Hamas; it has done dreadful things, as I pointed out to its representatives when I was in Gaza earlier this year. The fact is, however, that the Israelis are creating a generation of children who will grow up hungry and hating them.

This Israel does not want a two-state solution, but the only alternative is a one-state solution, and the existential fact is that, before long, there will be more Palestinians than Israeli Jews. It took the Jews 2,000 years to get their homeland in what is now Israel. After 60 years in that homeland, they now risk throwing it all away.”

Now that’s impressive! A politician that actually says it how it is!

“My speech has also been informed by my visit to Gaza in March as part of a cross-party delegation led by my noble Friend, Lord David Steel. The hon. Members for Hammersmith (Mr Slaughter) and for Westminster North (Ms Buck) were also part of the delegation. For me, that visit to Gaza was one of those life-transforming experiences that crystallised the issues in my head and made me see them more clearly than I had done before.

In Gaza, 1.5 million people are being held under siege conditions. First, they are blockaded on land. We saw the wall and, more pertinently, we had to be careful not to get too close to it because of the snipers who patrol it. The people are also blockaded by air, as well as by sea, the tragic result of which we saw a couple of weekends ago. To set this in the context of my own constituency, that is the equivalent of the whole of greater Bristol, Bath and all of Wiltshire being blockaded off from the rest of the United Kingdom and denied access to the most basic goods. This is a humanitarian violation on a quite staggering scale”

Note Stephen Williams says he is informed by his visit to Gaza. Instead of doing collections for masajid extensions, use those funds to send more MP’s out to Gaza and the occupied territories of Palestine, let them see for themselves the situation with their own eyes and ears, instead of relying on press statements issued by Israel’s hasbara department.

“We have heard plenty of words, but they have been interspersed with violence. There have been conferences, accords, mutual recognitions, declarations of principles, assassinations, memorandums, elections, permanent status negotiations, unilateral withdrawals, intifadas, reports, ceasefires, peace initiatives, curfews, a so-called “security barrier” that separates families from their livelihoods and nomadic people from their land, rocket attacks, road maps, air strikes, incursions, prisoner exchanges-we have seen all that and more since 1991. We have heard many words, but we have seen many negative consequences and very little positive impact. UN resolutions have been ineffective and Israel has not been held accountable to international standards of conduct and law.”

Oh indeed Sandra, lip service has been all to common, it’s solid action not harsh words which are needed.

“I declare my interest: I am interested in Israel, I am the parliamentary chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel and proud to be so. Everyone in this House should have an interest in Israel, because it is a country that embodies the values that we should stand for. It was created in the 1940s, partly as a reaction to the way in which the Jews were treated during the holocaust. Israel was created by the international community and it became a bastion of the rule of law, democracy, free speech, business enterprise and family values. If that is not what this country also stands for, I am disappointed.”

Need I say more?

Arbuthnot is Conservative Friends of Israel’s Parliamentary Chairman and Chairman of the Defence Select Committee.

“I would say to my hon. Friend Mrs Ellman and Mr Arbuthnot that, to get to the bottom of what happened on the Gaza flotilla, why can we not have an inquiry to international standards, run by the international community? What is the problem with that if we are to get to the truth?

There has been a lot of focus on Gaza today-rightly so; it is understandable in the circumstances-but let us not forget the west bank. Although there has been a partial easing of checkpoints and movement restrictions, it is still under occupation. Since the start of this year, there has been an escalation of attacks by settlers on Palestinians-up to 132. Land confiscations continue. Demolitions of homes continue. There has been a particularly pernicious systematic eviction of Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem from their homes-often virtually in sight of the United Kingdom consulate general.

If we are to bring such things to an end, we must do more than talk. It is time to say what action can begin to be effective. The European Union has an association agreement with Israel that carries not only rights but responsibilities. It carries the right to trade preferences and various other preferences, but it carries the responsibility of Israel abiding by standards of international humanitarian law. Israel is simply not abiding by those standards. The terms of the EU-Israel association agreement are not being carried out. Therefore, until Israel changes its attitude, that agreement needs to be suspended.”

Yes Richard I agree with you totally.

Sanctions are an excellent way of reprimanding Israel for its bellicose actions.

Boycotting, sanctions and divesting are what ended the apartheid regime in South Africa, and should be used against Israel, by a governmental level (don’t see it happening) and on an individual level.

“The first, fundamental duty of any Government is to safeguard their citizens and borders, and to look after their people at home and abroad. As we come up to the 70th anniversary of the battle of Britain, we may ask, who would have denied our nation the right and duty to safeguard ourselves against the Nazis? Who would condemn Britain’s historical roles, both in the middle east and blockading the African coast to enforce the abolition of slavery back in the 19th century?”

Bob is pretty delusional, talking about nazi’s, who is imposing collective punishment on whom?

“We must challenge the position taken on the flotilla and ask what its purpose was.”

Yes Bob, do go on

“Look at what happened on 31 May, particularly on the Mavi Marmara. Many of the individuals concerned appeared to wish to be martyrs to the great cause. They attacked Israeli soldiers-remember, Israeli soldiers were injured during the boarding, and the reality is that they were attacked with weapons.”

Bob, take that poster of Mark Regev off your wall.

Obviously myself and most of the world got it wrong, it was the israeli elite commando’s in their helicopters who were minding their own business and were stormed by gun toting maniacs who climbed up to the helicopter and proceeded to bash them with kitchen utensils…yes yes, that’s how it happened.

Be careful Bob, you are a newly appointed MP, The Akh helped to get rid of the zionist MP Dismore in Hendon, be careful what you say or I may just end up on your doorstep. After witnessing your performance first hand at the hustings, it wouldn’t take much to get the natives restless and get you kicked out on your rear.

“I wanted to take a little time to step back and tell the House why, ultimately, I count myself a friend of Israel, first and foremost, in the middle east. That is because I think of some fundamental truths. So let us be clear: for all its errors and excesses, which I and the whole House see, Israel is an oasis in a desert-an oasis of freedom, democracy and human rights in the middle east. We therefore have to ask ourselves, why does Israel do those things that shock, pain and worry us all? Why does it feel driven to inflict on the people of Gaza what we all recognise, whether in law or not, as seemingly like collective punishment? The answer is very simple: it is not just faced but encircled by an enemy that wishes to destroy it.”

Another ideologically driven zionist comes out of the woodwork.

“I was going to say something very different when I started listening to the debate, but after hearing Nick Boles talk about different countries’ rules, regulations and societies, I must say that that is no basis for invading, for killing or for destroying other people. One cannot say, “I’m a friend of Israel because it is a democracy.” We can be friends with Israel; I have no problem with the state of Israel. I welcome what my hon. Friend Mr Lewis said about the way to deal with the situation in the middle east. He said that the Palestinian people should receive land in proportion to their population. There should be an end to illegal settlements, and we should end the war, which has created so much misery for the Palestinian people.”

Well said Yasmin.

You may not like it, but this is the way that debates are framed and policy is formulated in Britain, a policy that effects millions around the world.

You have to ask yourself what you are doing to challenge the status quo.

Are any of these your elected representative?

Did your MP even bother to turn up at this debate?

Why aren’t your views being heard?

All Members of Parliament are public servants, and occasionally they need to be reminded of this fact, they are in their position to represent the points of view of their constituents.

The only way they can do this, is if you keep the pressure up on your local MP.

Give them the carrot and the stick approach.

Pressure politics, simple and plain!

Israeli Army Recruiting In The UK

Aish Malach is a new body set up to actively recruit scores of non-Israeli Jews, many of them American, to serve in the Israeli army death squads. Consider the fact that many Jewish Israeli’s are no longer willing to take up mandatory national service for a zionist cause, and scores of former soldiers are now so against the atrocities being committed against defenceless civilians in the name of a “Jewish” homeland, they would rather face jail time then join up.

It is a closely guarded fact that Israel recruits for its death squads, right here in Britain. The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) has called for Jewish British students to voluntarily serve in the Israeli Army.

The Akh would like to send out a timely reminder to the great and the good that govern us of the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870:

The Akh would also like to point out that its illegal for British citizens to serve in the Israeli army as Israel is in a state of war with several Arab nations which are at peace with the UK – according to the legislation above – its a crime for a British subject to enlist in the army of a foreign nation that is at war with any country that the UK is at peace with.

Recently ex-Israeli Jewish academic Ilan Pappe was vilified for accusing Jewish campus groups in the UK of being “”ambassadors of Israel”, the reality seems far worse – by openly recruiting for the IDF, the UJS has clearly revealed itself as an agent of a foreign power.

As such, British universities and colleges should take a firm stand against it by giving no platform to any campus society that affiliates with UJS and the Government needs to have a clear line denouncing and outlawing the recruitment of UK citizens by Israel into its death squad of an army.

After all, we are all against our citizens going abroad for training in terrorist training camps, aren’t we?

Soundtrack to the Struggle – Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique has to be one of the most politically charged MC’s out there today, think of him as today’s version as a one man Public Enemy. The Akh is tired of hearing “studio gangsters” on the mic, so it’s refreshing to see someone with principles, who stays independent, and will even go to Afghanistan to do charity work…now that’s keeping it real!

Immortal Technique on Gaza: Raw footage!

Land of The Gun – Immortal Technique

Diabolic feat. Immortal Technique – Frontlines

Charity Family Fun Day – Queens Park, Kilburn, THIS Sunday 20 June 1-6pm

Its that time of the year where I’m helping out at my sister’s school annual fundraiser, if you’re in the area, or fancy some BBQ and a bit of shopping or even a master class in boxing by The Akh, turn up and support a charity fundraiser for a new school building including a masajid, all money you donate will count as Sadqah Jarriyah Insha’Allah.

When Islam Ruled Europe

In 711AD, Muslim forces entered Spain, Portugal and Southern France, creating a society so rich and so powerful that it became the envy of the whole world. This wasn’t the “rigid” and “ferocious” Islam the Orientalist skewed narrative would have you believe, but, a progressive, sensual and intellectually curious culture that for a number of centuries looked set to sweep through all of Europe.

Historian Bettany Hughes traces the story of the Islamic society that ruled in Spain for 700 years, but whose legacy has become virtually erased from the West’s history books.

The documentary is essential viewing, and is available to view on Channel 4’s youtube page.

Ours is a faith that is committed to learning and amongst one of the early instructions that were sent down to the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) was to seek knowledge. From the earliest days of Islam, literacy and religious learning went hand in hand, whereas other religions of the time preferred to keep literacy within the hands of a clerical elite, Islam actively encouraged it.

History will always be written by those who have conquered, the story of the vanquished is one which is banished from the annals of time. Consider the Orientalist revisionist view of history and how it manifests itself today. The subterfuge against Muslim’s is to effectively demonstrate that you are the worst of the worst, a people that have done nothing to contribute to society, no findings in Science, Mathematics or Fine Arts, you are all limb amputating, women oppressing terrorists.

The truth couldn’t be more further removed from this quasi racist thinking.

The Akh laments the fact that today’s Muslims just do not read, to the extreme that books now represent some kind of kryptonite. Rather sad considering the first revelations from the Qu’ran were “Iqra, Iqra, Iqra”…Read, Read, Read!

If you wish to make a start on discovering the impact Islam had in Europe, then view the documentary.

If you wish to read on a deeper level, then there is an excellent website, History of Andalus, that explains in scholarly detail about the Muslims of Spain Post 1492 in a Global Context and its Relevance to Muslims Today.

If you need a more interactive experience, Exhibition Islam and The London Central Mosque and the Islamic Cultural Centre are running an exhibition between 19th and 24th June 2010.

This modern exhibition will seek to draw on textual references and historical milestones to establish how the fundamental teachings of the Islamic faith promote religious freedom, justice, tolerance and mercy amongst all societies.

The 6 day exhibition will witness the introduction of brand new exhibits and displays that are currently in production from the Exhibition Islam team. The exhibition will also showcase a number of manuscripts, coins, and other artefact’s that show how the Islamic faith gives immense importance to the freedom of religion and recognises people of different faith backgrounds.

The Akh will be in attendance, and urges Muslims and the wider community in general to increase their knowledge, what a great opportunity you have to do so!

British MP’s – Whoring For Israel

Has your MP been prostituting themselves for their pimp paymaster in Tel Aviv? Barely days after Israeli commando’s murdered nine peace activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, members of Conservative Friends of Israel were busy writing to the Telegraph newspaper, banging the drum for the “only democracy in the Middle East”.

We must not forget what Hamas, which controls Gaza, stands for: it is intent on violence, smuggles arms, colludes with other rogue states and thumbs its nose at the international community.

To achieve long-term security in the region, Hamas must accept the Quartet Principles – to renounce violence, accept the existence of Israel and abide by previous agreements.

Israel, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and the West have a shared interest in preventing Hamas from being strengthened, ensuring that a moderate national unity government is established in Gaza and the West Bank and supporting ordinary Palestinians to secure a two-state solution.

The international community must be very careful not to do anything that emboldens Hamas to pursue its course of aggression and rejection. To hand such a propaganda coup to Hamas would pave the way for future conflict. Hamas needs to know that the British government will not reward its terror tactics, and that getting it to abide by the Quartet Principles will form the core of our policy.

Signed by:
James Clappison MP (Con)
David Amess MP (Con)
James Arbuthnot MP (Con)
Bob Blackman MP (Con)
David Burrowes MP (Con)
Douglas Carswell MP (Con)
Mike Freer MP (Con)
Robert Halfon MP (Con)
Gareth Johnson MP (Con)
Stephen Metcalfe MP (Con)
Matthew Offord MP (Con)

It’s been one atrocity after another, so you’d think that Israel’s cheerleaders scattered about the upper echelons of the British establishment would have the decency to keep quiet and “consider their position”.

The British government has paid lip service to the real issue at hand and continues to reward Israel for its terror tactics. These MPs would paint a much truer picture if they substituted Israel for Hamas.

But who are these MP’s anyway?

Never heard of them?

Don’t be surprised.

With 650 MPs in the UK Parliament, it is easy to vanish into the woodwork. Some have been there for years and never been noticed. But the name Robert Halfon gives the game away. He is former political director of the Conservative Friends of Israel. James Arbuthnot is chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel and, worryingly, chairman of the Defence Select Committee. It would seem therefore that the rest of the group are similarly allied to the Israel admiration society.

What they propose is certainly no path to peace but a sure way of keeping strife on the boil, which is Israel’s true purpose, as we’ve seen these last 62 years.

They clearly don’t respect Palestinian democracy or humans rights but they love Israel’s racist ethnocracy. They still enthusiastically bat for Israel regardless of its long crime-sheet, even though doing so puts British interests and British citizens in danger.

A hundred years ago people siding with a foreign power at British expense could have found themselves swinging by the neck. Three hundred years ago they risked their heads on pikes for what used to be called treason.

Many of these Conservative MP’s belong to the Henry Jackson Society who in 2006 released their manifesto titled “The British Moment” which called for a new way of thinking about British foreign, security and defence policy, and argued that it is time for Britain, and indeed the rest of Europe, to reclaim the tradition of interventionism across the globe.

This is generally taken to mean the bully-boys can cook up daft excuse – like a country not having Western-style democratic government – to help themselves to the world’s goodies – like Iraqi and Iranian oil and Afghanistan’s mineral wealth.

The British Parliament now has so many Zionists and Friends of Israel that these admirers of the rogue state are still swinging from the chandeliers despite the non-stop killing sprees, mega-maiming and wholesale destruction.

Over in the Labour camp there’s a struggle going on for the party leadership. Interest is centred on the Miliband brothers, front-runner David (former foreign secretary) and Ed. The prospect eventually of a Jewish prime minister after the Zionists Brown and Blair is too depressing. Is the Labour Party really going to saddle us with that?

The Conservatives meanwhile are bulging with Israeli flag wavers. The prime minister David Cameron, has declared himself a Zionist. His foreign secretary and defence secretary are both leading Friends of Israel. Indeed, 80 per cent of Conservative MPs and MEPs are thought to belong to the pro-Israel lobby, according to a recent Channel 4 TV “Dispatches” programme.

After recent scandals the British people have been promised a major clean-up of politics. In the pipeline are constitutional changes that will give voters power to force an MP who engages in serious wrongdoing to face another election. All they’ll need is the backing of 10 per cent of constituents in a petition.

As well as the power to get rid of corrupt MPs, changes include a clampdown on lobbying in Parliament, a statutory register of lobbyists and a clean-up of party funding.

But could any of this bring an end to infiltration by agents of a foreign power?

The three main political parties in the UK each have a “Friends of Israel” lobby organization that ensures pro-Israel members are embedded at all key levels in Parliament and government. These adherents to another flag inhibit the government when it comes to taking a principled stand on issues such as Israel’s murderous and unlawful blockade of Gaza and continuing illegal occupation of the West Bank.

As the parties show no sign of cleansing themselves of these obnoxious groups, an obvious way of dealing with them would, in theory, be to engage the Committee on Standard in Public Life, a standing committee which says that “Seven Principles” should apply to everyone in the public service. These are:

Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

Integrity
Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

Objectivity
In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

Openness
Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

Honesty
Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

Leadership
Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

I produce them here in full because they are a beacon of good practice and a splendid basis on which to build solid and reliable government. These principles are now included in the Ministerial Code, a document setting out “rules” and standards for government ministers.

So why aren’t they enforced? Especially the one about Integrity?

In 2005 it was reported that the UK government was considering bringing prosecutions for treason against a number of British Islamic clerics who had publicly spoken positively about acts of terrorism against civilians in Britain, or attacks on British soldiers abroad. That does not seem a million miles away from speaking encouragingly about Israeli thugs carrying out acts of lethal violence against peaceful activists, including British nationals, in international waters.

The Standards Committee is essentially a parliamentary sleaze watchdog, but two years ago it turned down a request by a group of 20 top academics, surgeons and others to investigate the influence of Israel lobby organizations like Friends of Israel at the heart of British government.

The group maintained that “the man in the street is entitled to look at the Seven Principles of Public Life and say that the activities of lobbies like Friends of Israel are against the intentions, both in word and spirit, of those Principles“.

No-one will be surprised to learn that the sleaze watchdog had itself been infiltrated by Friends of Israel. The Jewish Chronicle reported a “smear” on Israel lobby MPs, one of whom suggested that if the committee failed to investigate it might be accused of being part of a Jewish conspiracy. But the then political director of Conservative Friends of Israel, none other than Mr Haflon, confidently predicted there would be no investigation, his cocksure attitude leading one to suppose that he and others of similar persuasion were a protected species within the Westminster village.

There wasn’t an investigation; and they are.

At the time Liam Fox, now defence secretary, was quoted on the Conservative Friends of Israel website as saying: “…We must remember that in the battle for the values that we stand for, for democracy against theocracy, for democratic liberal values against repression – Israel’s enemies are our enemies and this is a battle in which we all stand together or we will all fall divided.”

Dr David Halpin, a trauma surgeon who had led a team of seven UK doctors to Gaza, said: “Dr Fox presumably speaks for all Friends of Israel in the party that hopes to form the next government. He would have Parliament and the public believe that Israel’s enemy, Iran, must become Britain’s enemy. Such dangerous and irresponsible nonsense could lead this country to disaster.”

That is even truer today. The group observed that British people should not have to tolerate dual allegiance in their Parliament and government, since obviously it put national security at risk.

Today, the Jerusalem Post reports that a study by B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights organisation, shows that 95 per cent of Gaza’s factories are closed, 93 per cent of the water is polluted and Israel’s blockade has caused an economic collapse. B’Tselem’s executive director, Jessica Montell, sums up by saying that the ongoing occupation both violates Palestinian rights and poses clear dangers for Israel’s democracy. “For this reason we as Israelis must demand accountability for actions taken in our name in the occupied territories and work to change policies that infringe human rights.”

Words are simply not adequate to describe those who perpetrated this evil and those who encourage, support and cheer from the sidelines like the stooges hiding behind the respectable trappings of Westminster.

We’ll have to see whether our bright new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government really means to abolish sleaze, as it says, or is just a “big girl’s blouse” – a bunch of wimps – when action is needed.

Source: Stuart Littlewood is the author of the book Radio Free Palestine, which tells the plight of the Palestinians under occupation. For further information please visit www.radiofreepalestine.co.uk.

Is Your Phone Spying On You?

Nearly all of us have a mobile phone, and as technology gets better, it brings more ways to instantly communicate with people. You may even consider your smart phone a life-saver, but is your phone also being used to spy on you, without you even realising it?

Now before you start rolling your eyes, thinking “conspiracy loon”, The Akh finally bit the bullet and got a (much needed) upgrade on his phone to an all singing & dancing Android handset. Being happy with just being able to make phone calls and send the occasional text, The Akh was more than happy with his battered old handset, throw in a huge wedge of resistance to change, and why should I change my handset?

Did The Akh like being called by salesman from India?

So a couple of weeks ago my shiny new handset arrived, and to be honest I took it out of the box, looked at it, and decided the time wasn’t right, I mean, porting across all those numbers and data, what a chore…yes more resistance to change.

Eventually with a free weekend, a rarity if there ever was one, The Akh got all the fiddly bits done, and got all his numbers and data across, set the ringing tones and speed dials….and then proceeded to sync his email account, twitter feed, instant messenger and even the mobile plug in for wordpress…hows that for embracing change!

With the plethora of apps available on the market, and the fact that phones pack more of punch then my old sega megadrive did, it’s within the realms of possibility that your phone can be used for more nefarious purposes. Nevermind your built in GPS navigation or Google Latitude giving away your location…a bigger danger lurks.

The CBS report above states how spyware or malware programmes can be placed on your phone without you even noticing.

Professor Murat Kantorcioglu, who teaches cyber security at UT Dallas, says the more advanced the phone, the more spying that can be done.

“Remember, this is a computer that does phone calls. So when you have malicious software it will be able to access all information. As more people buy smart phones, the more common the problem will become. I think it’s emerging and will be bigger and bigger”

Eric Robi is president of Elluma discovery, a computer forensics firm in Los Angeles. He says:

“It could be anybody’s cell phone. Spyware can get onto your phone through an email or text message with a trojan horse that hides the program or through a computer connected to your phone when you’re not looking. You can get someone’s text messages. Do GPS tracking and you can get their emails.”

After Robi downloaded the spyware onto his blackberry, he sent an email to his co-worker John.

Minutes later, that email showed up on the spyware’s webpage. “This is the entire content of the email, so it’s pretty scary.”

The spyware doesn’t stop there, it can even turn on your cell phone’s microphone and allow someone to listen in to your conversations with someone else in a room – even when you’re not on your phone. In fact experts say some programs will even activate your cell phone’s video camera, allowing someone to watch and record everything you’re doing.

But there are ways you can protect yourself. Anti-spyware programs are sold on the internet and in some stores that are designed for phones.

If you haven’t installed one such program, and you believe your phone is infected with spyware, experts say you can have a security wipe done on your phone’s operating system.

Experts say there are some other warning signs you can look out for that may indicate your phone is infected with spyware: if your battery is warm even though you haven’t been using it, or the battery is wearing down faster than normal.

Experts also suggest you treat your cell phone like your computer: use a password and don’t download programs or emails you don’t know.

Another recommendation, treat your phone like your wallet and never let it out of your sight.

Don’t have nightmares, it seems like there’s an app out there called the “Akinator” an appropriate name if there ever was one.