Saturday 3rd Jan 2009 Demonstration in support of Gaza in Dublin

Very large demonstration against the Israeli atrocity in front of the ICCI on Friday

Very angry demonstration against the Israeli airraids on Gaza تظاهرات صاخبة ضد الغارات على غزة امام مسجد كلونسكي دبلن

Protest and condemnation against the Zionest تظاهر واستنكار للتعسف الصهيوني

MUSLIM COMMUNITY LOBBY IRELAND لوبي الجالية الاسلامية في ايرلندا

44 Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin D1, Republic of Ireland

Tel: 018730684 00353 871238729

28^th Dec 2008

To Mr. Michael Martin TD

The Minister of foreign affairs Dublin

Dear sir,

The Israeli army had caused the killing of civilians, no medical supplies, no enough foods for the people of Gaza. These attacks are an episode of holocaust.

We the Muslim community lobby urge the Minister of foreign affairs to take steps to voice our concern and disgust of what is going on in Gaza strip. To make sure, to put an end to the human suffering that the Israeli army inflicted on the people of Gaza. Also to expel the Israeli ambassador and boycott the Israeli government until the attacks have stopped completely and the human rights are respected in Gaza province.

On behalf of the MCL

Dr. Bashir

رسالة لوبي الجالية الاسلامية الى وزير الخارجية مايكل مارتن يوم الهجوم على قطاع غزة

الى حضرة وزير الخارجية دبلن

ان الجيش الاسرائيلي يقتل المدنيين وانه لا يوجد امدادات طبية ولا مأونة كافية للعيش في غزة. وان الهجوم التعسفي هو سلسة من القتل الجماعي كما هو في الهولوكوست.

ان لوبي الجالية الاسلامية في ايرلندا يطالب وزير الخارجية الايرلندي بان يتخذ خطوات مناسبة للضغط على الحكومة الاسرائيلية لوقف عدوانها على القطاع فورا. وينهي حالة الذعر والقتل والاستباحة لحرمة المواطنين في غزة. كما ونطالب الحكومة بالنظر في قطع العلاقات مع اسرائيل وطرد سفيرها حتى تراعي حقوق الانسان في قطاع غزة.

لوبي الجالية الاسلامية في ايرلندا

MCL has been in contact with the minister of foreign affairs office لقد اتصل لوبي الجالية الاسلامبة في ايرلندا بوزير الخارجية

Mr Micheál Martin, TD

Muslim Community Lobby has been in contact with the minister of foreign affairs office and we asked the minister to speak personally to the foreign minister of Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza Strip.
لقد اتصل لوبي الجالية الاسلامبة في ايرلندا بوزير الخارجية الايرلندي لتحفيزه على الاتصال بالحكومة الاسرائيلية لايقاف العدوان على غزة
. وبهذا نهيب بالاخوة والاخواة بان يعلنوا استنكارهم لما يجري في غزة

Demonstration Sunday 28/12/2008

Demonstration against the mass murder in Gaza

tommorrow, Sunday 1pm, the spire, O Connell Street

Dublin D1

Be there Plz

Condemnation إستنكار

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin has strongly condemned the devastating air strikes in Gaza.

Mr Martin urged Israel to immediately halt its attacks and allow humanitarian agencies access to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.

“I condemn in the strongest terms Israel’s action in launching air strikes in Gaza against Hamas targets which have resulted in widespread civilian fatalities,” he said.

“These actions, far from ending the cycle of violence which has gripped both Gaza and southern Israel in recent weeks, are unfortunately only likely to escalate the situation and make the search for an effective ceasefire in Gaza even more difficult.”

Mr Martin also condemned the firing of rockets into Israeli territory.

“The people of southern Israel have as much entitlement to live in peace and security as do the population of Gaza,” he said.

“Ireland will support all international efforts to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and help re-establish an effective ceasefire.

“In this regard, I would like to acknowledge the considerable efforts which the government of Egypt has been making.”

Labour party spokesman on foreign affairs Michael D Higgins said the attacks were "contrary to all of the principles of international law" and said they should be condemned by all democratic countries.

"These attacks have resulted in a shocking loss of life among Palestinians and add to the misery and suffering created by the prolonged Israel blockade of Gaza," he said.

"The Labour Party has consistently condemned attacks on civilian targets in Israel, but it has to be acknowledged that Hamas is the democratically elected administration in Gaza."

He called on both sides to refrain from further violence.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions also criticised the attacks, describing the Israeli action as "totally disproportionate".

"While Israel has a right and duty to protect its citizens, air strikes on the scale the world has witnessed today are totally disproportionate and can only result in massive civilian casualties. They give further cause for grievance to the Palestinian people and strengthen the hand of all those opposed to a peaceful settlement in the Middle East," Ictu said in a statement.

معايدات

'This is only the start of something that should have happened months ago.' Brian Cowen announces the recapitalisation of the banks yesterday

By Joe Brennan
Monday December 22 2008
AND so, the Government has finally quit dithering and agreed to inject €5.5bn into the main lenders to prevent the system deteriorating into a bunch of zombie banks.
But this is only the start of something that should have happened months ago, when the rest of Europe went a step further than Ireland's €440bn guarantee scheme by pumping fresh money into its banks.
The Government thought it could buy time until January when it revealed it was prepared to lead an investment of up to €10bn into the sector.
However, talks intensified into the weekend as the once high-flying Anglo Irish Bank became embroiled in the controversy over €87m of hidden loans to chairman Sean Fitzpatrick -- which claimed the scalps of the grandee of Irish banking, his chief executive David Drumm and non-executive director Lar Bradshaw.
Anglo is set to receive €1.5bn to bolster its capital reserves against an unexpected loss as bad loans to the property sector mount. This should really only be seen as a stopgap measure, as analysts believe it will need to raise anywhere between €2.5bn and €3.5bn of fresh funds.
Anglo said earlier this month that it expects to take a hit of up to €2.76bn on bad loans as it prepares to write off as much as 1.2pc of its loan book in each of the next three years.
Anglo also indicated that it could absorb these losses and remain profitable over this time. This would allow the group to avoid dipping into the reserves sitting on its balance sheet. Indeed, the group's top executives insisted that it would be able to beef up its coffers naturally by retaining profits and not paying out dividends.
The problem is that the market just doesn't believe the group's worst-case scenario. Anglo's shares have tumbled 59pc since then. Its market value has plummeted to just €266m from its peak at about €13bn at the start of 2007.
There appears to be little appetite among Anglo's existing shareholders or private investors to pump more money into Anglo. But Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks have been told to go out into the market in the New Year and top up the €2bn each is receiving from the State -- albeit with a guarantee from the Government that it will buy any shares which can't be flogged.
But has the Government weakened its own bargaining position by going in before other investors? And, will the damaged reputation of Ireland Inc following the Anglo loan scandal leave it owning more of BoI and AIB than originally intended as some foreign investors give their share sales a wide berth?
Taxpayers, however, are likely to find themselves putting more money into Anglo over the coming years as it goes about either winding it down or merges with a larger rival. It is likely the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) will play a prominent role in the management of bad debts.
Of Anglo's €73.2bn loan book, €21.1bn is out to customers in the UK and a further €9.3bn on loan in North America. The Government is likely to insist that the foreign business would be wound down as a matter of priority -- by drastically limiting new lending or even selling off these loan books.
While all the banks have made a huge fuss about funds they have set aside to lend to hard-pressed small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and ordinary customers, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that they are still sitting tightly on their chequebooks.
There was plenty of bickering between the Government and the three banks included in the plan on elements of a "credit package" that the Department of Finance insisted on putting together as part of yesterday evening's announcement.
But in the end, the banks have agreed to increase lending to SMEs by 10pc next year and provide an additional 30pc in lending to first-time buyers. They have also conceded to hold of for at least six months on taking any legal action on mortgage holders from the them when arrears first arise.
Small businesses will also be relieved that the Financial Regulator and Irish Banking Federation (IBF) will set up a new code in January to make sure lenders do not pull fast ones by changing banking facilities without notice. The code will also set out how banks deal with SMEs in difficulty.
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan argued yesterday that the Government has avoided the mistakes of other countries as they rushed to recapitalise their banks too quickly. The question is, has he waited too long to make any impact in a rapidly deteriorating economy?
jbrennan@independent.ie
- Joe Brennan