SPHR: AMS President Bijan Ahmadian Blocks Humanitarian Relief to Gaza

On Thursday November 18th, 2010, AMS President, Bijan Ahmadian, informed SPHR that he would block humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip. In a meeting with members and executives of SPHR, Mr. Ahmadian indicated that he will freeze a financial transaction that SPHR was supposed to receive from the Social Justice Center (SJC) at UBC. The SJC generously agreed to support the efforts of concerned Canadians to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Mr. Ahmadian thinks that this cause is not worthy of support.



SPHR believes that Mr. Ahmadian’s actions are motivated by an inherent bias towards Israel’s policies. The blockade has been deemed illegal by the international community for being a direct violation of the fourth Geneva Convention. It is the direct source of the severe humanitarian crisis Gaza’s Palestinians suffer on a daily basis.



According to a January 13, 2009 statement by Human Rights Watch: “Israel should immediately allow humanitarian groups broad access to Gaza and the evacuation of the wounded to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population.” The report goes on to say that the “highly restrictive blockade and two weeks of intense military operations have left Gazans in desperate need of food, water, electricity, and sanitation. Medical care is woefully inadequate to deal with the thousands wounded in the fighting. Civilians have nowhere to flee the aerial and ground attacks engulfing the territory.” An August 26, 2008 report by Amnesty International indicated that “the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip over a year ago has left the entire population of 1.5 million Palestinians trapped with dwindling resources and an economy in ruins. Some 80 per cent of the population now depend on the trickle of international aid that the Israeli army allows in. This humanitarian crisis is man-made and entirely avoidable.”



Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have applauded the international efforts to lift the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid. In response to Israel’s illegal and gruesome attack on the activists of the Freedom Flotilla; Amnesty has called for an international investigation of these war crimes and reiterated “that the blockade of Gaza is a form of collective punishment in contravention of international law and called on the Israeli government to lift it without delay.”



It has become abundantly clear that Gaza’s Palestinians are facing a supreme emergency especially after the 22 day aggression against the besieged Gaza strip. As a result, Canadian humanitarian workers and activists decided to participate in efforts to counter Israel’s policies in Gaza. The Canadian Boat to Gaza is a very important step towards justice and peace in Palestine.



Despite all that, Mr. Ahmadian (exploiting his position as president of the AMS) has demonstrated worrisome disregard to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His political stance is not representative of the UBC community and is not reflective of UBC’s values and dedication to human rights. Mr. Ahmadian expressed unacceptable belligerence by freezing the transaction and disallowing the receipt of the donation by the SJC. By blocking this generous donation, Mr. Ahmadian is complicit in the efforts to deprive Palestinians from a decent living; the attainment of their rudimentary human rights and their access to basic human needs.



It is imperative at this point that the UBC community comprising students, professors and faculty members demand that Mr. Ahmadian allow the donation to be received by the Canadian Boat to Gaza steering committee. It is also important for Mr. Ahmadian to uphold his responsibility as President of the AMS (the representative of the student body) and take a principled position regarding this issue.



Send an e-mail to Bijan Ahmadian and indicate your dissatisfaction with his belligerent and anti-Palestinian stance. Mr. Ahmadian can be reached at president@ams.ubc.ca



In solidarity for peace and justice;

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – UBC

sphr.ubc@gmail.com

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