Statement by International Quranic Center concerning Suffering of (Ashref) Camp in Iraq

By Ahmed Subhy Mensour

Published on 08-10-2011

Since the Iraqi armed forced took over the task of (protecting) Ashref Camp at the beginning of 2009 and until now, there has been and still taking place, all sorts of infringements, violations, repressive practices, criminal military attacks against the inhabitants of the camp, who in reality are under the military siege of the Iraqi forces, depriving them of the basic necessities of day to day life, especially after the brutal attack by said forces against the camp and its inhabitants on 04/08/2011, resulting in the death of 36 martyrs and 340 heavily injured who are still without treatment or adequate medical care.

Those abhorrent ugly crimes inflicted upon peaceful, innocent defenseless individuals, are incompatible with all divine laws, man-made laws, moral principles, universal agreements, treaties and Islamic values.

The International Quranic Center, true to its declared principles of defending the oppressed, joins in with all political, social, Arab, European, parliamentarians, lawyers and enlightened personalities in condemning, denouncing and censuring those repulsive criminal acts committed by the Iraqi Government against the oppressed people of Ashref Camp. The Center expresses its support and allegiance to those people by:

1-Cautioning the Iraqi Government against the consequences of further embroilment in the bloodletting and massacring of members of (Mujahidi Khelq), furthermore we call upon members of Iraqi armed forces to abstain from pointing their arms against (Mujahidi Khelq).

2- We call upon all independent national parties, members of the parliament and religious leadership, to protest in unquivering voices, the atrocities of April 8^thto prevent the current crumbling government due to popular protests, mass demonstrations and social upheavals, from perpetrating further crimes against Ashref Camp inhabitants, to garner the support of the Iranian regime.

3-Afferming that the presence of Ashref Camp inhabitants in Iraq for the past 25 years is legally binding, since they are considered political asylees protected under the 4^thGeneva convention. Their expulsion is in direct conflict and contradiction to international laws and agreements, and in acquiescence to Iranian pressures and demands which is seeking their annihilation.

4- We appeal to the United Nations and to the United States of America to assume the responsibility of protecting Ashref Camp and its inhabitants, and to honor its promises to them upon the failure of the Iraqi Government in protecting them as long as they reside within Iraq, and to condemn moving them around and about Iraq as a clear plot by the Iranian regime and its cronies to eradicate and wipe them out.

5-By stating our unconditional support for the imitative by the European Parliament to resolve the issue of Ashref Camp peacefully, we demand the immediate withdrawal of the Iraqi Forces from the Camp, and to avail its inhabitants of medical care, to abandon its siege and allow them access to highly needed provisions. We also declare our support for the Spanish Court which decreed on July 11^th 2011,to summon Prime Minister Al Maalki and 3 military leaders involved in those atrocities to appear before it. We consider that verdict to be in the best interest of Iraq, as we demand an independent transparent investigation of the massacre at Ashref Camp committed on April 08 2011,which United Nation High Commissioner for human rights, Navanethem Pillayalso demanded