And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 09:31:45 EST >Subject: Fwd: *MOBILIZE! (12/18) - 20/20 Stole Footage/Euro. Parliament on MUMIA >X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 226 > > >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.5 (16) >Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 18:44:36 >To: (Recipient list suppressed) >From: Marpessa Kupendua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: *MOBILIZE! (12/18) - 20/20 Stole Footage/Euro. Parliament on > MUMIA >X-Original-Envelope-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Afrikan.net News Service >www.afrikan.net >================== > >"European Parliament Appeals to Gov. Ridge" >by Julia Wright, 12/18/98 >Text of European Parliament Resolution, >JAMAL NEWS SERVICE - 12/18/98 >................................................................... > > Responding to an invitation by Madame Aline Pailler -- who belongs > to the United European left group of the French European Parliament > -- two organizations (International Concerned Family and Friends for > Mumia Abu-Jamal/France and the Leonard Peltier Support > Committee/France) invited to the palace of Europe in Strasbourg, > France, a delegation representative of the increasing momentum of > our united front for the abolition of the Death penalty in the United > States. > > On December 16th, this high profile delegation led by Angela Davis > (Critical Resistance Movement), Ramona and Sue Africa > (MOVE/International Concerned Family and Friends for Mumia > Abu-Jamal), Bobby Castillo (Leonard Peltier Defense Committee / > American Indian Movement, Sam Jordan (Amnesty USA, Director for > the Campaign Against the Death Penalty), Leonard Weinglass (main > counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal), Professor Raymond Winbush (Fisk > University Race Relations Institute), and Julia Wright (International > Concerned Family and Friends for Mumia Abu-Jamal/France), > addressed a packed auditorium of European members ofParliament on > the racist, classist and barbaric use of the death penalty in the United > States and the inhuman ordeals of the internationally known Black > and Indian political prisoners: Death Row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, > who has been railroaded both by a corrupt criminal and racist justice > system AND by the media -- as well as Leonard Peltier, whose state > of health behind bars has been criminally allowedto grow critical. > > The response by an indignant group of European Parliamentarians > was both supportive, informed and action-oriented. Several > Parliament members spoke forcefully in favor of Economic pressure to > be placed on the United States when such agreements are being > negotiated with European member states (see Clause 5 of the > Resolution adopted on Dec. 17). > > Later in the day (Dec. 16th) at a well attended press conference with > the European Parliament, Angela Davis made a passionate appeal to > world opinion and to the European Community to focus on helping to > save the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal, "an eminent champion of human > rights, indeed a human rights defender" whose case has become a > landmark challenge within the struggle to abolish the death penalty. > As a former journalist, Julia Wright appealed to all the journalists > present at the press conference to be supportive of Mumia Abu-Jamal, > a fellow journalist and colleague, whose highly acclaimed > investigations into the Philadelphia police brutality onslaughts > targeting the organization Move and whose articles written when he > was a teenaged member of the Black Panther Party marked him for > the infamous 1981 frame-up. > > Professor Raymond Winbush introduced the theme of the heavy > responsibility of America's mainstream media in the railroading of the > Black and the poor: "The United States' most important export to the > rest of the world IS the media." > > Ramona Africa chillingly reminded the gathered journalists of the > 1985 bombing of Move -- an eerie reminder a few hours before the > breaking of the news of the bombing of Iraq by the United States. > > Julia Wright > ICFF-MAJ/France > Dec. 18, 1998 >==============================> >Text of European Parliament resolution > >The following is the definitive text of the European Parliament resolution >of the abolition of the death penalty adopted by a wide majority in the >presence of the above mentioned delegation on 12-17-98: > >The European Parliament, > >* having regard to its previous resolutions on the death penalty, > >* having regard to the resolution adopted in Geneva by the 53rd session of >the UN Commission on Human Rights on the question of the death penalty, > >A. having regard to Protocol 6 of the european convention on human Rights, > >B. having regard, in particular, to its resolution of 18 June 1998 on the >establishment of a universal moratorium on executions(1) and regretting the >fact that the Council has not yet acted thereon, > >C. having regard to the continuing use of capital punishment in many >countries, often without a free and fair trial, > >D. appalled by the number of executions taking place each year in countries >such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, > >Regarding certain specific cases > >E. expressing its deep regret about the fact that, despite international >reaction against executions, the United States continues to apply the death >penalty, > >F. noting that Mumia Abu-Jamal was condemned to death in December 1982 >following an unfair trial, that his application for a re-trial was rejected >on 30 October by the Supreme court of Pennsylvania, and that an appeal to >the Supreme court is now the only avenue left open, > >G. whereas this rejection means that the Governor of Pennsylvania may at >any time sign a fresh warrant seting a date for his execution, > >H. having regard to the case ofthe Spanish national Joaquin Jose Martinez, >who has been condemned to death and is in Starke Prison, Florida; whereas >Martinez' defense lawyer is submitting an appeal to the Supreme Court of >florida, > >I. noting that Sarah Jane Dernatera, a 24-year-old Filipino woman, was >sentenced to death in February 1996 by a Saudi Arabian court, and >emphasizing that Mrs. Dernatera had only a very limited opportunity to >prove her innocence, as she had no access to legal assistance nor any other >opportunities to enable her to exercise effectively her right of defence, > >J. expressing its concern at the death sentences passed in Turkmenistan on >Shaliko Maisuradze, Gulshirn Shykhyeva and her sister, Tylla garadshayeva, > >1. Calls for the immediate and unconditional global abolition of the death >penalty; > >2. Calls on those states still practicing the death penalty to declare an >immediate moratorium; > >3. Calls, therefore, on the Council and on the Member States of the >European Unioin to promote the tabling, at the 1999 session of the United >Nations General Assembly in New York, of a motion for a resolution >entailing a universal moratorium on executions, with a view to the complete >abolution of the death penalty; > >4. Calls on the member States not to agree to extradite individuals for >crimes which carry the death penalty to those states which retain it on >their statute books; > >5. Calls on the commission and the council to promote the abolition of the >death penalty through their relations with third countries, including when >they negotiate agreements; > >Regarding certain specific cases > >6. Calls once again on all the States within the United States to abandon >the death penalty; > >7. Issues an urgent appeal to the Governor of Pennsylvania not to signa >fresh warrant settingan execution date and reiterates its call for a >re-trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal and for the death sentence passed on him to be >commuted; > >8. Calls for the Supreme Court of Florida to annul the death sentence >passed on the Spanish national Joaquin Jose Martinez and to guarantee his >right ot prove his innocence through a re-trial; > >9. Calls on the Saudi Arabian Government to abolish the death penalty and >to commute the sentence on Mrs. Dernatera and all other death sentences, >and furthermore calls on the Saudi Arabian Government to give all those >accused of capital crimes the necessary access to legal assistance during >all stages of their trials; > >10. Expresses its concern about the high number of death sentences being >passed in Turkmenistan, and calls on the President of turkmenistan to use >his constitutional authority and commute the death sentences passed on >Shaliko Maisuradze, Gulshirin Shykhyeva and Tylla garadshayeva, and all >other death sentences that come before him; > >11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, >the Council, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of >the UN Commission on Human Rights and the parliaments and governments of >the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Iran and the People's >Republic of China. > >(1) OJ C 210, 6.6.1998, P. 207. > >=================================> > >PEOPLES VIDEO NETWORK RESPONSE TO ABC 20/20 > >From: "Ellen Andors" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:13:44 -0500 > >Harry Phillips >Phu Nguyen >20/20 ABC > >Dear Mr. Phillips > > You and your assistant Ms Nguyen contacted the Peoples Video Network >to ask us for permission to use our footage of an original interview with >Mumia Abu Jamal to put into your 20/20 segment. You claimed that you tried >to get permission from the prison authorities to interview him directly but >that your efforts were in vain. Therefore, you desperately needed our >footage, otherwise Mumia's voice and point of view would not be heard and >your piece would be biased against Mumia. You told me repeatedly that if we >denied you use of our footage, this bias would be our fault as you were >really trying to present a "balanced" picture. > > First of all, your attempts to interview Mumia were a sham. In your >letter to the prison authorities for a request to interview him, you said >you were working closely with the FOP and Maureen Faulker and wanted the >interview with Mumia in order to present a more balanced point of view. Not >suprisingly, the prison authorities cooperated with your real intentions >which was to not have a balanced point of view. > >It was apparent that you had already edited our footage into your piece and >were calling us at the last minute to ask permission to use it in order to >cover your behinds. In several phone conversations I had with you and Ms. >Nguyen, I categorically told you that you did not have permission to use >our interview footage and suggested that you should put off airing the >piece. I followed this up in writing in a letter to both you and Ms. >Nguyen. You even went so far as to offer us money for the footage by >saying, meaningfully, "Of course, we wouldn't be so crass as to offer you >money?.." Nevertheless, despite our written and verbal agreement that you >would not use our footage, you proceeded to go ahead and use not only the >interview footage, but much of our other footage including marches and >demonstrations taken over the last few years. > > The threat that our refusal to let you use our footage would leave >Mumia's point of view out is so hypocritical, it defies the imagination. >The pieces of our interview that you did use (calculatingly and totally out >of context) you used to serve your purposes -to try to make Mumia appear as >a dangerous and irresponsible character that only fringe elements and duped >brain dead automatons could admire. So much for your dedication to truth, >honesty and investigative journalism. > > Your treatment of the Peoples Video Network is just another example of >your overall arrogance and unscrupulousness that was so glaringly clear in >your 20/20 piece on Mumia. You lie as a way of life, but in the service of >your masters, the rich and powerful. Everyone else can be stepped on like >ants. Thanks for your consideration in calling us up in the first place. >You will be hearing from us again. > >Ellen Andors >Peoples Video Network >=============================> > >From: Kiilu Nyasha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sam Donaldson: > >It's hard to believe that such an experienced journalist as yourself >could present such an incredibly biased "investigative report" on the >case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. > >Your broadcast was about as racist as the original trial. If you really >investigated, and I presume you did, I'm sure you couldn't help but >note the outrageously prejudiced behavior of Judge Albert Sabo. > >I went all the way to Philadelphia in a wheelchair to be in court for the >last hearing of the PCRA (Post Conviction Relief Appeal) in August, 1995, >the month Mr. Jamal was scheduled to be executed. Never in my life >have I witnessed such blatant bigotry and bias in favor of the prosecution >(and I've seen numerous judges in action). Judge Sabo shamelessly >upheld all prosecution motions and denied all defense motions. I felt >sorry for Leonard Weinglass who suffered gross disrespect at the hands >of this "hanging judge" who has sent twice as many prisoners to their >deaths as the second-place "executioner" judge in the U.S. > >You lied by omission, choosing to ignore entirely the PCRA hearings >of '95 and '96 wherein Mr. Jamal's attorneys presented new evidence >and several witnesses who recanted their original testimony, citing >police coercion and misconduct. > >Your treatment of Att. Weinglass was disgraceful. I learned later that >you interviewed him for about an hour; yet you rudely cut his responses >to pieces and made this very competent lawyer (who has never lost a >capital case) appear inept. > >Moreover, your very non-objective, editorial conduct with regard to >Mr. Jamal's supporters clearly reflects your bias in favor of the prosecution >and the Fraternal Order of Police with whom they're all affiliated. > >I trust you realize that by saying all these people in favor of a new trial >are "duped," you have insulted Presidents Jacques Chirac and Nelson >Mandela; 51 members of the British Parliament; over 70 members of the >Danish Parliament; 100,000 Italians who signed a petition calling for a >new trial; thousands of Germans, Swedes, Africans. French, Americans, >among other nationals; notable journalists such as Gamal Nkrumah, >Julia Wright and David DuBois; clergy such as Desmond Tutu; authors >such as Alice Walker and E. L. Doctorow, and the list goes on. > >Nevertheless, you chose to interview two white actors whom you also >reduced to a few sound bites that made them appear "duped." In my >opinion this choice smacked of racism simply because you knew that >cutting up a couple of well-respected Black supporters wouldn't play >well to the viewers. > >If your superiors were not likewise biased and/or racist, such slanted >journalism would have cost you your job. > >In closing, I must say that since "any publicity is good publicity" in >America, you have accomplished the opposite of what you intended. >Your report has galvanized the movement to save this courageous and >honest journalist's life. > >Yours truly, > >Kiilu Nyasha >Broadcast journalist >San Francisco, California > >======================== >BE ONE OF MILLIONS FOR MUMIA! >APRIL 24, 1999 >www.mumia.org > <<<<=-=-=FREE LEONARD PELTIER=-=-=>>>> If you think you are too small to make a difference; try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.... African Proverb <<<<=-=http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ =-=>>>> IF it says: "PASS THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW...." Please Check it before you send it at: http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm
