Extremists have hijacked Islam, says Madani

JEDDAH: HABIB SHAIKH

Published — Wednesday 2 April 2014

Extremist voices and groups have hijacked Islam and misappropriated the right to speak on its behalf, according to Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani.

In his address at the inaugural session of the 25th Session of the Arab Summit held in Kuwait recently, he stressed that in actual fact, Islam with its established values and aspirations and with its advocacy of justice, equality, concord, coexistence and mutuality, is totally unrelated to them and to their ideologies and what they call for.

Madani said that the relations between the OIC and the League of Arab States are of a fundamental and pivotal character, with the cause of Palestine, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Quds at the forefront, particularly under the recurrent and systematic Israeli violations aimed at judaizing Al-Quds and the stifling and brutal constraints meted upon the Jerusalamities.

He paid tribute to the close cooperative and consultative relations between the two organizations in their stand in the face of their common issues and challenges, and underlined the OIC’s keen interest in furthering its coordination with the Arab League.

He said that “the advancing danger and the serious challenges facing us all take the shape of discord and mutual killings which have gained ground in our ranks. This is a war where there is no victor but it will invite perils for all.” He recalled that the Extraordinary Islamic Summit which was held in Makkah in 2012 had adopted the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud for the establishment of a Center for Dialogue among the Islamic Doctrines for the benefit of mutual understanding. He added that the OIC is striving hard to ensure that the Center becomes a reality in the near future.

The Secretary General invoked a number of other challenges facing the OIC and the Arab League, including the identity challenge, the challenge of achieving an innovative approach to coexistence that is mindful of the legitimate national interests of states and that lays the foundations at the same time for regional and inter-regional concord and coexistence and maximizes mutual interests and benefits rather than engaging in conflicts and mutual killings.

Source: Arab News

OIC To Host 3rd Meeting On “Religious Hatred” In Geneva

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) — The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will host the third meeting of international experts on the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on combating intolerance and incitement to hatred on religious ground from June 19-21.

The meeting, to be held in Geneva, Swtitzerland, is expected to focus on concrete steps in implementing some of the measures under the UN Resolution 16/18, which focuses on “combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion and belief.”

The experts will discuss issues like ‘Speaking out against intolerance, including advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence’ and ‘Adopting measures to criminalise incitement to imminent violence based on religion or belief as stated under the UN Resolution, the OIC said in a statement.

One other point for discussion is ‘Recognising that the open, constructive and respectful debate of ideas, as well as interfaith and intercultural dialogue at the local, national and international levels, can play a positive role in combating religious hatred, incitement and violence,’ it added.

OIC secretary-general, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who will be attending the three-day meeting, said that developing a better understanding among the international community on the issues and devising a suitable plan was significant.

The first meeting was held in Washington D.C. in December 2011 while the second one was held at Wilton Park in London a year later, the statement said.

The UN HRC Resolution 16/18 is within the framework of the Istanbul Process launched by the OIC secretary-general and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in July 2011.

Source: Bernama News

Panel of legal experts prepares the groundwork for a political OIC strategy on religious intolerance against Muslims

OIC Newsletter Issue Number 2 | 10/01/2013

A panel of legal and human rights experts prepared the groundwork for the political strategy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to tackle religious intolerance against Muslims and the growing incidents of Islam bashing. The two-day meeting held in Istanbul of the Panel of Eminent Persons on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims expanded on a working paper drafted by the OIC General Secretariat for a politically tenable strategy that is anchored firmly in international law.

With the increasing trend of Islamophobia, such as the reprehensible episodes of burning of copies of the Holy Qur’an by a Pastor, the Utoya massacre in Norway, and most recently the release of the trailer of ‘The Innocence of Muslims’ on YouTube, in addition to indications of institutionalization and constitutionalization of Islamophobia, there is mounting public pressure on OIC Member States to draw a line and take concrete action, according to OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

“The OIC strategy must be proportionate to expectations of the Muslim World – being their political voice. It must be substantive and credible to shift the initiative away from the street to the table of meaningful and result oriented multilateral discourse,” said Ihsanoglu in his opening remarks to the meeting on January 7, 2013. “We must emphasize that there is no hierarchy of human rights whereby a single right can trump others. OIC believes that the relevant provisions of international law on freedom of opinion and expression support our position. If so, it must clearly be brought out with cogent legal arguments. Or we should look for other legally tenable options to engage the negotiating partners in a result-oriented fashion,” he added.

As mandated by the 39th Council of Foreign Ministers held in Djibouti last November, the significance of the Panel lies in furnishing a set of available options, in terms of legal merits and demerits, on combating discrimination and intolerance against Muslims. A legal opinion is formed based on purely technical analysis. The output of the Panel’s work will be presented to the OIC leadership at the forthcoming 12th OIC Summit in Cairo on 2-7 February 2013, which is expected to take a political decision on an OIC approach to dealing with this issue.

The deliberations of the Panel will also be useful during the high-level meeting at Wilton Park in the UK on 22 January 2013, which is part of the Istanbul Process launched by the Secretary General to implement UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18 on combating religious intolerance. In that context, the Panel addressed the issue of criminalization of incitement to imminent violence and accorded it a special focus. Furthermore, the work of the Panel could contribute significantly towards the ongoing international discourse on combating intolerance and discrimination on religious grounds.

Source: http://www.oic-oci.org/newsletter.asp

OIC Secretary General strongly condemns attack on mosque in Pakistan

OIC Secretary General strongly condemns attack on mosque in Pakistan

21/08/2011

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has strongly condemned the horrendous terrorist attack against a mosque in North-Western Pakistan, on Friday 19th August 2011, in which more than 40 people were reportedly killed and dozens of other innocent worshippers in the mosque injured. The Secretary General expressed his shock and dismay at the horrific attack that targeted worshippers praying in a holy place during the sacred month of Ramadan.

Prof. Ihsanoglu has expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the Government of Pakistan. He further stated that the perpetrators and supporters of these shocking crimes have definitely no place among Muslims.

While reiterating the OIC’s support to Pakistan in fighting extremism and terrorism, the Secretary General called on the Pakistani authorities to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this terrorist act and bringing them to justice.

 

source:

http://www.oic-oci.org/topic_detail.asp?t_id=5584

 

HRW accuses Egypt military of silencing critics

HRW accuses Egypt military of silencing critics

17 August 2011

CAIRO — Human Rights Watch accused Egypt’s military on Thursday of escalating a crackdown on critics, after it decided to try an activist for insulting the ruling generals.

 

Asmaa Mahfouz, an activist and blogger involved in the uprising earlier this year that toppled president Hosni Mubarak, will be tried by a military court for defamation, a judicial source said this week.

Mahfouz was questioned Sunday for “speaking inappropriately about the military council and for using defamatory and offensive insults against the council on Facebook and Twitter,” the official MENA news agency had reported.

“The military prosecutor’s decision to prosecute the youth leader Asmaa Mahfouz for ‘insulting the military’ is a serious escalation of efforts by military leaders to silence critical voices,” the New York-based rights group said in a statement.

“The Mahfouz case is the latest in a series of moves prosecuting critical expression by the military, which is increasingly setting narrower and narrower limits on what it permits,” it said.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has ruled Egypt since the fall of Mubarak on February 11.

The military council has come under much criticism from pro-democracy activists in Egypt, who suspect it will delay a transition to civilian government.

It has also been criticised for summoning journalists over their reporting and arresting them during protests.

Mahfouz was a co-founder of the April 6 youth movement which had called for the January 25 street protests that led to the ousting of Mubarak 18 days later, ending his 30 years of autocratic rule.

Arab League: Hold Emergency Meeting on Syria

Arab League: Hold Emergency Meeting on Syria

August 15, 2011

Human Rights Watch,

(Cairo) – The League of Arab States should hold an emergency meeting about the crackdown in Syria, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Nabil al-Arabi, secretary general of the league.

Human Rights Watch also urged the league to press Syria for unhindered access to the country for a UN-mandated fact-finding committee and for independent observers and journalists.

“The region is changing, and so should the Arab League,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “To remain relevant, it should break from its history as a closed shop of autocrats who support each other’s crimes, and start looking out for the interest of the citizens of its states. Syria’s people, at this time of severe oppression, deserve to have their voices heard.”

The Arab League, which includes all 22 Arab countries, finally broke its silence on Syria this week, when its secretary general issued a statement calling on the Syrian authorities to end the bloody repression of mostly peaceful protests. The statement did not propose any concrete actions similar to its unequivocal actions on Libya earlier this year. Libya’s membership was suspended for its abuses of its own citizens.

The league has remained generally silent on Syria, in line with the position of most Arab countries. The stance started changing last week when Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait and Qatar criticized the ongoing crackdown by Syrian security forces. Saudi Arabia joined the ranks, withdrawing its ambassador from Damascus “for consultations,” although King Abdullah’s statement fell short of condemning the Syrian government’s actions.

The Arab League’s Arab Charter on Human Rights supports the principles of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It affirms the rights to freedom of assembly and expression, liberty, and security as well as protection from torture.

Local and international human rights organizations and activists have documented a sustained campaign of repression in Syria that has so far left an estimated 2,000 people dead and thousands wounded. More than 120 people have been killed since the beginning of the month of Ramadan, less than a week ago. And more than 10,000 Syrians have been detained for participating in mostly peaceful protests against the government of President Bashar al-Asad. The documented violations of human rights include extra-judicial killings, mass arrests, torture of detainees, and laying siege to cities, towns, and villages, and severing their water and power supplies.

Syrian authorities have claimed they are battling an armed insurrection and accused “terrorists” of inflicting most of the casualties. But they have been unable to offer any credible evidence to support their claims.

“Nabil al-Arabi and the organization he represents shouldn’t limit themselves to words of concern when Syrian tanks are gunning down protesters in the streets,” Whitson said.

Shi’a cleric held in Saudi Arabia for ‘inciting public opinion’

Amnesty International, 11 August 2011

The Saudi Arabian authorities must release or charge with an internationally recognizably offence a Shi’a cleric reportedly held for “inciting public opinion,” Amnesty International said today.

Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-‘Amr was arrested on 3 August, reportedly over statements he had made in sermons during Friday prayers although no formal charges are known to have been made.

The cleric was previously arrested in February following a sermon he gave calling for reforms in Saudi Arabia including a constitutional monarchy, fair distribution of jobs, and an end to discrimination against religious minorities.

“It would appear that this cleric has been arrested in connection to his continuing calls for reform,” said Philip Luther, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

“If so, he would be a prisoner of conscience detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and should be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-‘Amr was arrested on 3 August while on his way home from a mosque in the city of al-Hafouf, al-Ahsa governorate.

He is said to have received a letter from the authorities days before he was arrested telling him to report to them.

The authorities did not tell his family where he was until five days later when they were allowed to visit him at a police station in the west of the city of Dammam.

The cleric was previously arrested and held incommunicado for a week earlier this year after a sermon he gave calling for reform in Saudi Arabia. He was released without charge.

Two years ago, Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-‘Amr was arrested and detained for 10 days apparently in connection with his practice of the Shi’a faith.

He was also arrested three years ago and detained for three days, apparently in connection with an art exhibition he organized for the religious festival of Ashura.

Critics of the Saudi Arabian government face gross human rights violations. They are often held incommunicado without charge, sometimes in solitary confinement, prevented from consulting lawyers and denied access to the courts to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.

Torture or other ill-treatment is frequently used to extract confessions from detainees, to punish them for refusing to “repent”, or to force them to make undertakings not to criticize the government.

The vast majority of Saudi Arabian citizens are Sunni Muslims and the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam is the official version followed by the state. The public practice of faiths other than Sunni Islam is not tolerated in Saudi Arabia. Even when practising their faiths in private, members of other faiths are at risk of persecution.

UN council condemns use of force by Syria

UN council condemns use of force by Syria

4 August 2011

 

UNITED NATIONS – In its first substantive action on Syria’s five-month-old uprising, the UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned human rights violations and use of force against civilians by Syrian authorities.

 

In a rare but not unprecedented move, Syria’s neighbor Lebanon, where Damascus’ influence is strong, disassociated itself from a formal statement agreed by the other 14 members of the council.

A Lebanese envoy said the Western-drafted statement would not help the situation. Statements are meant to be unanimous, meaning Lebanon could have blocked it, but by simply disassociating itself Beirut allowed the statement to pass.

The statement, read out to a council meeting by Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, this month’s president of the body, “condemns widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities.”

The document, agreed after three days of hard bargaining instead of a full council resolution that the West would have preferred, also urges Damascus to fully respect human rights and comply with its obligations under international law.

The council called for “an immediate end to all violence and urges all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions.”

That phrase was a gesture to Russia and other countries that had called for a balanced statement that would apportion to both sides blame for the violence in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Weeks of frustration

A resolution on Syria drafted by West European countries had been languishing in the Security Council for two months, blocked by opposition from Russia, China and several nonaligned countries.

The Europeans resurrected it this week, galvanized by weekend violence in the Syrian city of Hama in which more than 80 people died. Russia and its supporters eventually agreed to council action but insisted that it be just a statement, which carries less clout than a resolution, diplomats said.

The statement ends weeks of frustration for Western nations, which had faced a threatened veto of their resolution by Russia and China and had been unable to persuade temporary council members Brazil, India and South Africa to support it.

Russia, a long-standing ally of Damascus, had argued that it did not want a repeat of a March 17 council resolution on Libya that was cited by Western countries as justification for air strikes on the forces of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Moscow said that was an abuse of the terms of the resolution.

The bloodshed in Hama appeared to have broken the logjam in the council, diplomats said.

The statement contains no provision for sanctions or other punitive measures against Syria, nor does it call for a referral of Syrian leaders to the International Criminal Court, as some human rights groups have demanded.

The only future action provided for is a request to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report back to the council within seven days on the situation in Syria. It does not specify what follow-up there might be to his report.

Mubarak Menolak Semua Tuduhan

Mubarak Menolak Semua Tuduhan

Kamis, 4 Agustus 2011

KAIRO, KOMPAS.com — Sebuah titik balik sejarah tergores di Mesir ketika ranjang pasien yang membawa mantan Presiden Mesir Hosni Mubarak (83), Rabu (3/8/2011) pukul 10.10 waktu setempat, terlihat masuk ruang khusus sidang pengadilan di kompleks akademi kepolisian di kota Kairo.

Mubarak yang mengenakan baju putih diadili bersama dua putranya, Alaa dan Jamal, mantan Menteri Dalam Negeri Habib al-Adly, serta sejumlah mantan pejabat tinggi lain. Mereka dikenai tuduhan melakukan pembunuhan sengaja terhadap pengunjuk rasa dan kasus korupsi.

Berkas perkara pidana Mubarak dan Al-Adly tercatat bernomor 3643 tahun 2011 yang dikenal dengan berkas perkara Qasr al-Nil. Qasr al-Nil adalah nama jembatan di atas Sungai Nil, dekat Alun-alun Tahrir, tempat berjatuhannya korban tewas dalam jumlah besar pada 25 Januari 2011. Adapun kedua putra Mubarak hanya dikenai tuduhan korupsi.

Namun, Mubarak dan kedua putranya menolak tuduhan itu. Pengacara Mubarak, Farid al-Deeb, menolak berkas perkara pidana nomor 3643 tahun 2011 itu. Berkas perkara pidana tersebut menggabungkan perkara Mubarak dan Al-Adly menjadi satu paket.

Persidangan Al-Adly dimulai lagi pada 4 Agustus, sedangkan persidangan Mubarak pada 15 Agustus. (Musthafa Abd Rahman dari Kairo, Mesir)

Hama, Bapak, dan Anak

Hama, Bapak, dan Anak

Rabu, 3 Agustus 2011

TRIAS KUNCAHYONO

HAMA kembali berdarah. Sejarah kota ini, yang sudah ada sejak tahun 1100 SM, memang menceritakan pertumpahan darah. Hama yang dalam kisah lama disebut Hamath—berarti benteng—pernah menjadi ibu kota Kerajaan Kanaan. Dari waktu ke waktu, Hama selalu diperebutkan: pernah di tangan Romawi dan terakhir kali di tangan Ottoman. Setelah kekuasaan Ottoman berakhir pada tahun 1918, karena kalah dalam Perang Dunia I, Hama berada di bawah Mandat Perancis untuk Suriah. Kini, Hama menjadi bagian Suriah.

Namun, darah yang mengalir kali ini bukan karena tindakan kekuasaan asing, melainkan kekuasaan dalam negeri. Peristiwa pertama terjadi tiga dasawarsa silam, di zaman Presiden Hafez al-Assad. Meski peristiwa itu sudah lama, tetapi belum hilang dari ingatan Umm Yasseen (62), karena anak lelakinya yang baru berusia belasan tahun ditembak persis di depannya.

”Saya menjerit sekuat tenaga melihat anak saya ditembak. Seorang tentara pemerintah segera memegang bahu saya dan mengatakan, ’Anakmu penjahat. Ia bunuh diri,’” kata Yasseen mengenang tragedi 2 Februari 1982, seperti dikutip kantor berita Reuters, Kamis (7/7).

Hafez al-Assad menggempur Hama, menumpas pemberontakan kelompok Persaudaraan Muslim, Sunni. Sejak berkuasa Hafez al-Assad didukung oleh sekte Alawi, Syiah, yang merupakan kelompok minoritas, 12 persen dari jumlah penduduk (sekitar 22 juta) Suriah.

Serangan dipimpin adik kandungnya, Rifaat al-Assad. Ribuan orang dibunuh. Mingguan The Economist menyodorkan angka 30.000 orang. Robert Fisk, seorang penulis sekaligus wartawan asal Inggris dalam Independent.co.uk (16/9/2010), menyebut korban 20.000 orang. Sementara itu, Komite Hak Asasi Manusia Suriah memberikan angka lebih tinggi, yakni 30.000-40.000 orang. Karena itu. Komite HAM Suriah menyebutnya sebagai genosida dan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan.

Hari Minggu lalu, Presiden Bashar al-Assad mengikuti jejak ayahnya, Hafez al-Assad. Ia mengirim tentara juga dengan tank di bawah pimpinan saudaranya, Maher al-Assad, menggempur Hama, kota berpenduduk 700.000 orang. Jumlah korban tewas memang tidak sebanyak tahun 1982—menurut berita mencapai 74 orang (bila ditambah dengan korban tewas di kota-kota lain pada hari yang sama mencapai 140 orang)—tetapi mereka tetaplah manusia.

Gempuran militer ini merupakan usaha pemerintah Damaskus meredam protes rakyat yang menuntut perubahan politik. Sejak pergolakan pecah pada 15 Maret lalu, diperkirakan korban tewas 1.634 orang, sebanyak 2.918 orang dinyatakan hilang, dan sekitar 26.000 orang ditahan.

Rakyat protes karena, menurut Foreign Affairs (25/5), korupsi yang dilakukan rezim yang berkuasa sudah keterlaluan. Karena itu, rakyat menuntut perubahan: cabut undang-undang darurat yang sudah diterapkan sejak 48 tahun silam (sudah dicabut) dan menuntut pembubaran pemerintahan (sudah dikabulkan). Namun, tindakan itu dianggap tidak serius. Sebab, setelah mencabut undang-undang darurat, pemerintah berencana memperkenalkan undang-undang antiterorisme yang sama dengan undang-undang darurat.

Tuntutan akan perubahan terus bergema. Apakah jatuhnya korban jiwa akan memperlemah kekuasaan Bashar al-Assad? Ini akan sangat tergantung apakah sekte Alawi dan tentara masih tetap mendukungnya. Bila sekte Alawi meninggalkannya (mendapat jaminan keamanan dari kelompok oposisi demokratik) dan bergabung dengan oposisi-demokratik ditambah makin banyaknya tentara yang memiliki hati nurani, rasa kemanusiaan, posisi Bashar akan terancam.

Pilihan lainnya adalah membiarkan perang saudara. Berarti, korban nyawa sebagai tumbal kekuasaan akan makin banyak.

 

Serangan Suriah Berlanjut

Serangan Suriah Berlanjut

Selasa, 2 Agustus 2011

Damaskus, SENIN- Seolah tidak peduli dengan dimulainya hari pertama bulan Ramadhan, militer Suriah terus melanjutkan serangan mematikan mereka atas kota Hama, kota yang dinilai menjadi sumber gerakan perlawanan antipemerintah di negeri itu.

Serangan tersebut adalah yang kedua setelah hari Minggu sebelumnya militer Suriah menghujani kota Hama dan beberapa kota lain dengan tembakan senapan mesin dan peluru artileri tank. Dilaporkan lebih dari 70 warga sipil tewas.

Insiden berdarah itu memicu kemarahan dunia internasional. Reaksi keras dilontarkan sejumlah negara, seperti Amerika Serikat dan beberapa negara anggota Uni Eropa. Mereka mengancam menjatuhkan sanksi atas Suriah.

”Warga kota tetap berkomitmen melawan dengan cara damai. Rakyat siap mempertahankan diri walau hanya bersenjatakan batu. Rakyat tidak akan menyerah sekarang. Kami tidak akan membiarkan peristiwa 1982 kembali terjadi,” ujar Omar Hamawi, salah seorang aktivis, saat dihubungi di kota Hama.

Masyarakat kota memasang sejumlah barikade di jalan-jalan utama demi memperlambat gerakan kendaraan tempur militer. Barikade penghalang juga dipasang penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan pedesaan sekitar kota Hama untuk menghalangi arus pasokan logistik bagi militer.

”Rakyat mendirikan sejumlah pos pemeriksaan, sementara para aktivis kami memblokade seluruh jalan raya yang menghubungkan antara kota Aleppo di sebelah utara dengan ibu kota Suriah, Damaskus,” ujar Hamawi.

Insiden berdarah serupa pernah terjadi tahun 1982, juga di kota Hama. Presiden saat itu, Havez al-Assad, ayah pemimpin Suriah sekarang, Bashar al-Assad, menjadikan kota Hama sebagai ”contoh” bagaimana nasib mereka yang melawan pemerintah. Sedikitnya 20.000 warga sipil tewas oleh militer saat itu atas perintah Havez.

Reaksi dunia internasional

Aksi serangan membabi buta militer dan pemerintahan Suriah memicu kemarahan sejumlah negara. Presiden AS Barrack Obama, Minggu, menyebut peristiwa berdarah itu sebagai kejadian yang sangat ”mengerikan” sekaligus ”menggemparkan”. Mengerikan lantaran kebrutalan dan kekerasan Pemerintah Suriah dilakukan justru terhadap rakyatnya sendiri.

Tak cuma itu, Obama juga menyebut itu menunjukkan wajah dan karakter sesungguhnya rezim yang tengah berkuasa di Suriah.

Presiden Obama juga menyebut Presiden Bashar al-Assad sebagai pemimpin yang ”sama sekali tak berkemampuan dan berkeinginan” merespons kesedihan dan penderitaan rakyatnya.

Walau ikut mengecam, Menteri Luar Negeri Inggris William Hague menyebut aksi militer terhadap rezim pemerintahan Suriah oleh dunia internasional bukanlah solusi tepat.

Hague menyebut, idealnya sanksi tidak cuma datang dan dilancarkan negara Barat, melainkan juga oleh negara Arab, terutama dari negara yang kuat di kawasan seperti Turki.

Juru bicara Menlu Perancis, Christine Fages, menyatakan, negerinya bersama sejumlah negara anggota Uni Eropa tengah mempersiapkan sanksi tambahan baru atas Suriah.(AP/DWA)

137 Orang Tewas di Suriah

137 Orang Tewas di Suriah

Selasa, 2 Agustus 2011

AMMAN, KOMPAS.com — Memasuki hari ketiga aksi serangan brutal berdarah oleh militer Suriah ke warga sipil di sejumlah kota, termasuk Kota Hama, jumlah korban tewas diyakini melonjak hingga 137 orang.

Seperti diwartakan, langkah dramatis diambil Presiden Suriah Bashar al-Assad dalam menghadapi para pengunjuk rasa dan kelompok oposisi, yang memintanya turun dari tampuk kepemimpinan di negeri itu.

Assad mengirim pasukan militernya ke sejumlah kota yang menjadi basis perlawanan kelompok oposisi dan pengunjuk rasa. Secara membabi buta militer menembaki warga sipil dengan senapan mesin dan menghujani mereka dengan peluru artileri tank-tank Angkatan Darat Suriah.

Kebrutalan Assad memicu kecaman dunia internasional. Mereka mencoba menekan Pemerintah Suriah dengan menjatuhkan sejumlah sanksi embargo ekonomi dan militer. Italia bahkan menarik duta besarnya sebagai bentuk protes.

Terkait jumlah korban jiwa terkini, sebuah insiden dilaporkan terjadi di penjara utama Kota Hama Senin dini hari ketika dua bus penuh berisi milisi pro-Assad merangsek ke sana pada malam harinya.

Menurut saksi mata, beberapa jam kemudian kerusuhan dan pembakaran terjadi di dalam penjara, yang diiringi teriakan dari para anggota milisi, “Hanya Tuhan, Suriah, dan Bashar,” terdengar dari dalam gedung.

“Terjadi kerusakan parah di seksi utara kompleks bangunan penjara. Beberapa orang menceritakan, sejumlah mayat narapidana yang tewas terbakar dikeluarkan dari sana pada pagi harinya,” ujar salah seorang penghuni penjara tersebut.

Serangan militer pertama kali dilaporkan terjadi mulai hari pertama bulan Ramadhan ketika warga Muslim baru saja memulai ibadah puasa mereka.

Kantor berita Suriah SANA menggambarkan, ratusan orang bertopeng dan bersenjata merangsek dan menyerang dengan mengendarai sepeda motor.

Mereka membakar gedung pengadilan utama Kota Hama pada Senin siang dan juga merusak banyak gedung lain. Kelompok-kelompok pejuang hak asasi manusia memperkirakan jumlah korban tewas dalam tiga hari insiden berdarah itu telah mencapai sedikitnya 137 orang tewas, sebagian besar (93 korban tewas) di Kota Hama.