First paragraph (Teaser):

Contrary with the hypocrisy of the traditional Christmas-celebrations and the consumption-hysteria, the message is to work for peace, against racism and exclusion of ''illegals''.

To say it shortly: the advancement of human rights, without distinction.

Rest of the text:

Christmas-message 2007

Dear Readers,

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."

At Christmas Eve, I read in the Dutch news, between the daily messages about wars, occupations and other human rights violations, two messages, which stroke me.

The first mentioned the record money, the average ''Dutch'' had spent for Christmas-shopping, 700 million euro, 15 percent more as last year.

The second message referred to the statement of the Israeli military Prosecutor, that Israel hadn't made an illegal use of the clusterbombs in South-Lebanon, because they should be thrown in a ''non populated'' area and were mentioned in the battle against the Hezbollah rocket-attacks.

Therefore the commanders, who have used those clustermunitions, will not be persecuted before the Court.

I wonder, whether the Israeli Prosecutor can sleep at night, thinking of the daily Lebanese civilian victims, caused by the landmines, which are the result of non-exploded clustermunitions.

How he can justify this, thinking of all those Lebanese civilians, who fled for the Israeli bombings and found those devilish weapons in their homes and gardens, so that the children couldn't play safely.

How can the man live with this lie, since Human Rights reports have shown, that it were populated areas, where the clustermunitions were thrown!

See
www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/24/isrlpa13798.htm

Thirdly an experience of my own:
At a meeting with a delegation of members of the European Parliament, the Dutch section of Amnesty International made the scandalous remark, to have ''no objections against deportations of rejected asylumseekers and ''illegal'' migrants, when the deportation would be ''humanely'' [without beatings up or chaining people, or pushing a pillow on their face, which caused a life of a Congolese woman in Belgium and caused lifelong paralisation to a nameless Eastern-Europaean migrant man, in the Netherlands]

Without any referring to the fact, that most deportations take place to lands, which are either war-areas, or have a very bad record regarding human rights, or lands, which the deportated persons are being at risk of personal persecution.

In all cases, against the human rights treaties, the Netherlands itself have undersigned!

Amnesty International Netherlands is a human rights organisation!

She should protest against that, instead of implicitly supporting that.

A shame and disgrace also, that this same organisation, at this very EP meeting, asked for the Dutch State Secterary of Justice, mrs Albayrak [responsible for the asylumpolicy], for a 'maximum-lenght'' for the detention of rejected asylumseekers and ''illegal'' migrants
People, who have commitred no crime or other punishable fact and are only detained, because they don't dispose of a ''legal'' Dutch paper like an ID, Green Card or passport and have to leave the country.

Detained under worse conditions as the ordinary Dutch criminal.

4 to 6 people in one cell, no access to work, limited access to recreation, limited access to medical services.

Also there are children locked up, together with their parents.

And still the worst, that there is no official limit to the ''detention'', since they call it a ''measure''

Of course, that is a form of administrative detention.

All major violations of Dutch and international Law!

Israeli war-crimes:

About Israeli war-crimes, whole books can be written.

So let's limit us now to the situation in the Netherlands, the country, which claims to have respect for human rights, but is violating them time after time.

But before that, the Christmas-consumption-hysteria :

Thus than mean, I don't wish, people have a nice Christmas-diner?

Of course that is nonsense

I mean here the sickening mentality of ''more, more, more'', while at the ''other side of the Netherlands'' there is a growing poverty
People, who have a very small allowance and can't afford eating meat just one in a week
Rejected asylumseekers, who are excluded from food, housing and medical support and have to beg in this high-developing country, because of the legal measures regarding the ''foreigners'' law.

The result of this ''foreigner law'' I have described above.

Dutch people are filling themselves hideously with food and worthless luxe-necessities while people in the Third World, especially Africa, are dying of hunger accross the road, caused by the unfair Western economical and military dominance.

When then Africans want to fled to the rich Western-Europe, on rotten little boats, they are mostly drowning in the Mediterranean See.

I want to ask you NOW for a two minutes silence for those victims, more than thousands a year............................

The EU political leaders mention it indifferently and are building farther to the Fortress Europe.

You think they can't sleep, thinking of the African drownees.
I doubt it sincerely.

This hideous consumption-hysteria and the egoistic mentality [of course with the exeception for the good-willing people] evokes remembrances to the Old Testamentic Story of ''Sodom and Gomorrah'', cities, which are being mentioned to be destroyed by God, because of their 'many sins''. [nowhere there is a reference to sexual perversities, well to violence against other people, and xenofobia, for example against Lot, the nephew of Abraham]

Of course I don't believe in a God, Who destroys cities, because to me, God is Love, but from the story can be learned, that all acts of men, certainly those of political leaders, have their price.

Like the Dutch supprt for the American politics of war and torture.

www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/26/usint16514.htm

Like the way, the Dutch State is treating asylumseekers and ''illegal'' migrants
The Dutch economical power in the Third World, as unfair trade-agreements and thus confirming unequality and poverty.

And that would have no consequences ?

Of course IT HAS

One day, the victims and oppressed want to regain their rights, either non-violenly, by fleeing to the rich West, or violently, by waging legal liberation wars against their own oppressive regimes and the supporting or occupying West, or by committing illegal terroristic attacks.

Yes, Western political leaders, ''you harvest, what you sow''.

It is to be hoped, that there is yet time, to turn of the Tides, before a mass explosion, but the heart of the Western political leaders are hard and stubborn.
That is of all ages.

BUT BACK TO ''CHRISTMAS''

But now back to ''Christmas''
One would have nearly forgotten, that it was all about ''Christmas''.

With the rejection and exclusion of a poor Jewish family, for who was ''no place at the Inn''.

Who had to go to Bethlehem, because of the measure of the Roman occupator, which decided, that all occupied people had to be registrated.

In the most bizar circumstances, the woman is delivering a Child, Who would bring a message of humanity and was willing to pay the highest price.

Who would say, that one has to treat people, as he or she wants to be treated.

Who would say, that the ''opponents'' or ''enemies'' have the same right on humanity and respect as any other.

In this world, that is a mockery.

Look for example for Guantanamo Bay, but also the Netherlands is a ''good'' example.

For example the deportation of terrordefendants to countries with a bog chance on torture, which is illegal according International Law, but who cares?

The confirmation of anti-terrorlaws, by which defendants can be placed 2 years and 90 days in awaiting arrest and can be convicted on the ground of ''secret'' evidence.

The placing under detention of terrordefendants and verdicts under circumstances [like isolation], which are contrary with human rights.

I know a case of a female terrorverdict, who is put since months in solitary confinement.

Is that the way, a civilised country is dealing with prisoners?

I don't think so.

Russian, American or Stasi-measures.

O no, dear Readers, these are common Dutch lawmeasures.

O, the Dutch lawmakers are sly and cunning, by making the definitions of terror as broad, that even a common strike can be qualified as ´´terrorist´´.

The modern demons

Another demon in the Netherlands, which has been feed more since 11/9/2001, is racism and xenofobia.

Now the coryfees are people like Mr Wilders and Mrs Verdonk, former minister of Foreigns Affairs and among else responsible for the Schiphol/fire (investigation led to the conclusion, the detention cells were not safe for the fire, according to legal obligations, 11 asylumseekers were burned alive)
Also a part of the media is poisoning further the mentality of the average Dutch, spreading hatred between the original Dutch and in the Netherlands living ´´minorities´´
Racism, anti/semitism and anti/Islamism.

The basical feedings of the extreme right movements

Therefore, I applaud the ´´Christmas´´ speech of Queen Beatrix, who did an appeal for understanding and respect towards foreign ´´minorities´´, stating that anyone has a right on his owm culture and religion.

Although head of State of a country, which takes measures against asylumseekers and playing an evil international role, yet it is to be respected, that het speech is a blow to the nowadays racist powers in the Netherlands

Real Christmas

Yes, the Child in the manger would have done it better.

He would have demonstrated against the exclusion of fugitives, asylumseekers and ´´illegal´´ immigrants.

He would have protested against war, hunger, torture and occupation.

He would have stretched out his hand to each detainee, whether convicted of ´´terror´´ or another crime, stating, that all human beings have a right to a humane treatment.

He would have protested against the fact, that a socalled human rights organisation like Amnesty International, the Netherlands (London is far more rigtheous and principal) would implicitly consented with ´´detention´´ for asylumseekers.

Or it is a crime to flee for persecution

Or for war
Or for hunger and poverty

One can learn from that Child and not from the hypocrites, who call themselves ´´christians´´, doing their own criminal and powerseeking work

But one need not to believe in God to work for a better world, without war, poverty and human rights violations.

The only thing one need to do is to protest against the unjustice.

Doing this, you will bring a piece of ´´Heaven´´ to this Earth.

I end to wish you blessed and merry Christmas-days.

Also I want to thank you for all your activities for a better world.

The oppressed of the Earth can not thank you for that, but I do it in their name.

Blessed Christmasdays and all the good wishes for 2008.

Together we will fight again for a better world.

Peace upon you

No one is illegal !
Only law-measures are !

Astrid Essed

Amsterdam
The Netherlands