MAS Freedom Protests Israeli 'Act of Piracy'
Date Posted: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Humanitarian Shipment Bound for Gaza Intercepted in International Waters
WASHINGTON, DC (MASNET) June 30, 2009 – MAS Freedom (MASF), as the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), has sent a vigorous statement of protest to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to this afternoon's interception of the 'Spirit of Humanity' as it sailed through international waters on a humanitarian mission to Gaza.
After departing from the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Monday, bound for Gaza with three tons of medical supplies, the Spirit of Humanity was later surrounded by Israeli Navel ships whose personnel boarded and detained its passengers, including Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire, former U.S. Congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate, Cynthia McKinney, and other activists from Britain, Ireland, Bahrain and Jamaica.
MAS Freedom Civil and Human Rights Director, Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey, called the act both a flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression against a civilian population.
"The Israeli authorities must release the Spirit's crew without delay, and allow the ship to complete its mission of delivering life-saving material aid to the people of Gaza."
It has been reported that those detained would be handed over to immigration authorities on arrival in the southern port of Ashdod, and the humanitarian cargo would be trucked into the Gaza Strip after a security check.
According to United Nations and international relief agency reports, some 80% of Gazans live below poverty level. Malnutrition, fuel shortages and medical emergencies are everyday occurrences within among Gaza's 1.4 million inhabitants.
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MAS Freedom (MASF) is a civic and human rights advocacy entity and sister organization of the Muslim American Society (MAS), the largest Muslim, grassroots, charitable, religious, social, cultural, civic and educational organization in America - with 55 chapters in 35 states.
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