Small World Cafe Mongolian Night
Thursday, April 21th
Join members of the Nottingham Mongolian community for a Small World Cafe night, doors open at 6.30 pm, film “cafe of the yellow dog” at 8.30pm. Refreshments and snacks available for donations.
Location: The Square Centre
More info: http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=187352707972968

Small World Cafe Kurdish Film Night
Thursday, April 14th at 7:00pm, film at 8pm. Refreshments and snacks available for donations.
Film title: Welcome
Location: The Square Centre
More info: http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=206329959383271

Throughout the 6 months that we knew him he was never anything but a caring, giving and polite man. Even through all of the traumatic experiences he had to face, he never let these crush his compassionate spirit. This compassion, along with the immense strength he showed, is what we will always remember him for.

On several occasions Osman said that he just wanted the whole world to live in peace, and that he did not wish any pain or revenge on anyone. It is this compassion that makes his life a beacon to all those who are suffering in similar situations to him.

-Friends

What happened to Osman and how you can help:

Since Osman’s death we have started raising money in order to help pay for the repatriation of his body and burial. As soon as this is attended to, and its importance cannot be stressed enough, we hope to continue to raise money to help support those who face similar problems to Osman. This is in the knowledge that if we can prevent just one other person suffering what Osman went through, we will be doing right by our friend.

Osman was an asylum seeker from Kurdistan who had lived in the UK since 2003. Having faced constant dismissal from the Home Office over all these years and in the wake of several traumatic experiences over the past month, Osman took his own life on 25th July 2010. A commemoration event and fundraising efforts are now being put in place in order to mark Osman’s life. These will be taking place over the next month. The immediate future requires that we help raise the £3,300 needed to send Osman’s body home, so he can be buried by his family. Once this has been done we will be raising money to help support asylum seekers in Nottingham. There will be more detail about this on the blog.

We have now set up a dedicated bank account to handle donations taken in the immediate future. If you feel you can spare anything, you can find details on how to donate, along with information about the progression of the campaign, at http://friendsofosman.wordpress.com/

Thank you so much on behalf of all of Osman’s family, friends and those who understood his struggle.

News Articles:

Osman’s story has been published in the press, please see the links below and the ‘Friends of Osman’ blog page for more information on this:
An article published by the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/01/asylum-seeker-osman-rasul-death-legal-aid

An article published by the Nottingham Post:
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Friend-launches-campaign-send-asylum-seeker-s-body-home/article-2481872-detail/article.html

The story was discussed on BBC Radio Nottingham’s breakfast radio show just before 8am on Tuesday 3nd August. Segment begins at 1:53.30
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0091tf0/Andy_Whittaker_03_08_2010/

Osman’s story will also be discussed on Radio 4’s Face the Facts show on Thursday 5th August.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t8752

A Poster / leaflet can be downloaded from here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23897135@N04/4484469773/sizes/l/

All 9 arrested on the action were released on bail between 9pm and 2am. Their bail conditions include keeping away from Sussex, all UK airports (except for pre-booked flight) and all UK Border Agency facilities (detention centres, reporting centres etc.). They are due in court on March 30th.

Even when they eventually go ahead, delaying such flights can help give time for court injunctions to go through. Plus it is necessary to highlight and subvert the ongoing state practice of deporting people from UK to dangerous areas where they do not want to be sent. The government is using charter flights in part because of the actions taken by detainees, other passengers & supporters against their removal on commercial flights and presumably because they see it as efficient to round people up and move them in groups like farm animals.

More to follow on the hunger strike.

More details on Indymedia:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424368.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424406.html

Fazzel the leader of the Campsfield hunger strikers contacted the Federation from Northern Iraq to tell the story of his forcible deportation. Fazzel was removed with approximately 51 other Iraqi Kurds late last night (17 September) on the HamburgInternational plane. Fazzel is still very badly injured from the failed 15 September deportation two days before when during a disturbance on the plane a Home Office Guard had pushed Fazzel?s head through one of the windows on the plane. These events lead to the 15 September deportation flight being cancelled. Following this assault Fazzel had been taken back to Colnbrook and promised a doctor, but no onecame to treat his injuries prior to his deportation on the 17 September.

The Hamburg International plane landed in Erbil at 1am on the 18 September. As the asylum seekers were taken off the plane there were approximately two hundred Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) troops waiting for them. Fazzel reported thatone of the asylum seekers dressed in white clothes (Fazzel believes he had been on hunger strike at another detention centre) was separated off from the other asylum seekers and escorted away by four of the KRG troops. Fazzel still does not know where he has been taken or if he has been released yet.

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR, Coalition to Stop Deportation to Iraq-CSDIRAQ
For more information please contact:
Dashty Jamal 078 5603 2991, Karen Johnson 078 04891082 Samera Ahmad 078 2842 4164 email: sarahp107@hotmail.com,Karen.Johnson@btinternet.com, d.jamal@ntlworld.com

POBOX 1575,ILFORD IG1 3BZ, LONDON, UK
Tel:0044 7856032991
www.csdiraq.com
www.federationifir.com

Important update by International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR : Forcible Deportation of Iraqi asylum seekers ended in violence

Earlier this year, in a press release by the Respect Nigerians Coalition, it was explained how a man Ayodeji Omotade had been charged with threatening/abusive/insulting/disorderly behaviour towards British Airways (BA) crew, as a result of intervening in a violent deportation flight to Lagos on March 27, 2008, from Heathrow, London. Despite widespread public protest, including internationally, the case against Mr Omotade is going ahead, although his trial (due to take place Tomorrow Thursday 18th September at Uxbridge Magistrates Court) has been adjourned ? no new date yet. He sends his heartfelt thanks everyone who wrote messages of support.

Join a peaceful protest the day before at 12 noon, WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 2008, at British Airways PLC, Waterside (HAA3), Harmondworth, UB7 0GB.

Mr Omotade asks: “What would you do if someone on your flight was
distressed and crying out for help? Would you stay silent or would you
speak? I spoke and B A didn’t like it. This type of corporate tyranny
must be challenged and stopped.”

More details: Respect Nigerians Coalition: http://www.respectnigerians.com/BoycottBA.pdf

Note: the recently failed charter airline & tour operator XL Airways was previously forced by activist pressure to pull out from deportation flights. More pressure can and must be put on airlines not to participate in forced removals and deportations.

The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) is sorry to inform you that one of our comrades Mohammad Hussain died of cancer on Sunday 3rd August. Many of you will know Mohammad Hussain from Doncaster. He was a big man with a big heart. Mohammad was originally from Erbil in Northern Iraq. Mohammad has been a political campaigner all of his life. He was forced to leave Erbil and seek refuge in the UK March 2000, following threats from the Kurdish Democratic Party because of his political campaigning.

Unfortunately Mohammed became one of the many Iraqi Kurds caught up in the UK Home Office asylum system. But until the very end of his life, Mohammed never gave up on the fight to gain refugee status. He was arrested and he was moved from Lindholme detention centre to Campsfield detention centre in Oxfordshire, to Tinsley House and then to Haslar. The Home Office tried to deport him on 14th June 2008 to Iraq via Royal Jordanian Airlines but 44 minutes before he was due to be deported his solicitor and the campaign to defend him sucessfully stopped his deportation. While he was in the detention centre at Lindholme he was very stressed and suffered much pain. When he explained that he had a lump in his stomach which was getting bigger and harder he was given a mild painkiller, then sold a headache tablet by the detention centre ?doctor?. Mohammad died but did not get refugee status.”

For the eight years Mohammad was in the UK he was a constant and fierce defender of refugee and human rights. Mohammad worked with many refugee charities and organisations.

Download IFIR full leaflet including appeal: [attachment=15]

See also, Stop Deportations to Iraq news blog: http://www.csdiraq.com/

Mohammad Hussain Mohammad 11th March 1962 ? 3rd August 2008

Mohammad Hussain Mohammad 11th March 1962 ? 3rd August 2008

الاتحاد العام للاجئين العراقيين
فيدراسيوني سةراسةري ثةنابةراني عيَراقي
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF IRAQ REFUGEES-IFIR

Mohammad Hussain dies of cancer following 8 years struggling to gain refugee status

Appeal for funds to send Mohammad Hussain?s body home to be buried

The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) is sorry to inform you that one of our comrades Mohammad Hussain died of cancer on Sunday 3rd August. Many of you will know Mohammad Hussain from Doncaster. He was a big man with a big heart. Mohammad was originally from Erbil in Northern Iraq. Mohammad has been a political campaigner all of his life. He was forced to leave Erbil and seek refuge in the UK March 2000, following threats from the Kurdish Democratic Party because of his political campaigning.

Unfortunately Mohammed became one of the many Iraqi Kurds caught up in the UK Home Office asylum system. But until the very end of his life, Mohammed never gave up on the fight to gain refugee status.

He was arrested and he was moved from Lindholme detention centre to Campsfield detention centre in Oxfordshire, to Tinsley House and then to Haslar. The Home Office tried to deport him on 14th June 2008 to Iraq via Royal Jordanian Airlines but 44 minutes before he was due to be deported his solicitor and the campaign to defend him sucessfully stopped his deportation. While he was in the detention centre at Lindholme he was very stressed and suffered much pain. When he explained that he had a lump in his stomach which was getting bigger and harder he was given a mild painkiller, then sold a headache tablet by the detention centre ?doctor?. Mohammad died but did not get refugee status .

For the eight years Mohammad was in the UK he was a constant and fierce defender of refugee and human rights. Mohammad worked with many refugee charities and organisations. As well as being an active member of IFIR he was also treasurer of the Doncaster Focus Group (a co-ordinating group of refugee and migrant volunteers). He was an active member of the South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group and marched 40 miles in October 2008 from Sheffield to Lindholme to protest at conditions there. He was one of the best known and loved members of the Kurdish community in South Yorkshire. In the last weeks of his life, his bedside was crowded with friends and well-wishers.

Mohammad spent much of his life campaigning and helping other people. IFIR is now asking you to help him. Mohammad?s family want to take his body back to Iraq to be buried. Please help us to make this possible please donate online to www.csdiraq.com or send cheques to IFIR made out to :

ACCOUNT NAME : A GORAN MOHAMMED
account number: 81397680
sort code: 40/04/07

IFIR
PO.BOX1575,
ILFORD,
IG1 3BZ,
LONDON UK

6 August 2008
______________________________________________________________________
IFIR: PO. BOX1575, ILFORD, IG1 3BZ, LONDON UK Tel: 0044 7856032991
00447895636633, 0041787557786, 004799387599, 003584404464905
d.jamal@ntlworld.com
www.csdiraq.com
www.federation.org

See also: http://sankofafoundation.blogspot.com/2008…ns-to-iraq.html