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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Dear
Colleagues,</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>I have just received this appeal,
from Dr Ian Douglas of the Brussels Tribunal Advisory Committee, dated 16
January, asking academics around the world (s<EM>ee attachment)</EM> to
sign a "global petition and call for action in defence of Iraq's educators, over
250 of which have been assassinated since 2003 with many thousands more fleeing
for their lives. This appeal speaks not only to other academics, but all those
who understand that education is the foundation of sovereignty and justice."
</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><STRONG></STRONG></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>"</STRONG></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>This appeal has been endorsed by recognised
champions of human conscience, including Noam Chomsky, Harold Pinter, J M
Coetzee, Bianca Jagger, Tony Benn and Eduardo Galeano . . . along with numerous
academic associations." The names of some of the others who have signed are
listed on pages 5 to 13 of the attachment.
</STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial
color=#0000ff><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>Canadians who have signed include Naomi
Klein, Michel Chossudovksy, Jim Harding, Amy Bartholomew, Paresh
Chattopadhyav, Michael A. Lebowitz, Tareq Ismael, Khairalla Said, and Joe
Emersberger.</STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><STRONG></STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>Page 4 provides a list of five statements that
might serve as something of a template if you choose to write a letter of
protest. The letter can be sent to <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A
href="mailto:info@brusselstribunal.org"><FONT
face=Arial>info@brusselstribunal.org</FONT></A></SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG><FONT
face=Arial>.</FONT></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><STRONG><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff>The petition is meant to be signed at <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><U><http://www.petitiononline.com/Iraqacad/petition.html></U></SPAN></FONT></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>It will be sent to</STRONG>
<STRONG>"<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial>the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary
Executions at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (UNHCHR) in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Geneva</st1:place></st1:City>. It is an integral part of a coordinated
action aimed at providing the special rapporteur with justification for
organising an immediate fact-finding country visit to <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>."<FONT
color=#ff0000> </FONT></FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#ff0000>Please note: I could not <EM>sign</EM> the
petition in this way. It kept taking me to a notice saying the server isn't
working. I tried to send a message to technical support but it was
rejected. Perhaps the system is overloaded and later attempts are
necessary. My email went through successfully, however, and
I emailed them a second time to tell them that the server is down.
</FONT></FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT
color=#ff0000></FONT></FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial><FONT color=#ff0000>However, if you go to <A
href="http://www.brusselstribunal.org">http://www.brusselstribunal.org</A> you
will be able to sign the petition from a link there. There seems to be no
reason not to use this method. I signed without any difficulty. You will
find a link from the petition to a list of the names of the total of 6394 people
and organisations that have signed so far. There are other important links
from <FONT color=#0000ff>http://www.brusselstribunal.org</FONT>--<FONT
color=#ff0000>one that goes directly to</FONT> the email address to which you
can send your email letter of protest; another to a list of the names of 131
Iraqi academics who have been killed, threatened, or kidnapped; and another,
"Stop the Killing of Iraqi Academics," which, among other sources of
information, takes you to links for online articles from a variety of sources
covering this tragic
situation.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial color=#ff0000><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial>The following statement (taken from the attachment) elaborates on the
situation that Iraqi academics have faced and are facing:
</FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>"A little known aspect of the tragedy engulfing
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> is the systematic liquidation of
the country's academics. Even according to conservative estimates, over 250
educators have been assassinated, and many hundreds more have disappeared. With
thousands fleeing the country in fear for their lives, not only is Iraq
undergoing a major brain drain, the secular middle class - which has refused to
be co-opted by the US occupation - is being decimated, with far-reaching
consequences for the future of Iraq. <BR><BR>Already on July 14, 2004, veteran
correspondent Robert Fisk reported from <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> that: </STRONG></FONT><FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG><FONT face=Arial><I>"University staff suspect that there
is a campaign to strip <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>
of its academics, to complete the destruction of <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>'s cultural identity which began when the
American army entered <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City>." <BR><BR></I>The wave of
assassinations appears non-partisan and non-sectarian, targeting women as well
as men, and is countrywide. It is indiscriminate of expertise: professors of
geography, history and Arabic literature as well as science are among the dead.
Not one individual has been apprehended in connection with these assassinations.
<BR><BR>According to the United Nations University, some 84 per cent of
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s institutions of higher
education have already been burnt, looted or destroyed. <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
educational system used to be among the best in the region; one of the country's
most important assets was its well-educated people. <BR><BR>This situation is a
mirror of the occupation as a whole: a catastrophe of staggering proportions
unfolding in a climate of criminal disregard. As an occupying power, and under
international humanitarian law, final responsibility for protecting Iraqi
citizens, including academics, lies with the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<BR><BR>With this petition we want to break the silence. <BR><BR>1. We appeal to
organisations which work to enforce or defend international humanitarian law to
put these crimes on the agenda. <BR><BR>2. We request that an independent
international investigation be launched immediately to probe these extrajudicial
killings. This investigation should also examine the issue of responsibility to
clearly identify who is accountable for this state of affairs. We appeal to the
special rapporteur on summary executions at UNHCHR in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Geneva</st1:City></st1:place>."</FONT></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><STRONG></STRONG></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial
color=#0000ff><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Denis
Salter.</STRONG></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><FONT
color=#0000ff></FONT></DIV></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>__________________________________________________________<BR>"When
a people forget a language, they forfeit the heart of who they <BR>are and
the ability to comprehend the stories that are central to their <BR>cultural,
spiritual and emotional health."--Keren
Rice.<BR>____________________________________________________________________<BR>"That's
what hybrids were invented for: survival in changing ecologies."--Lisa
Doollittle
<BR>_______________________________________________________________________<BR>"To
celebrate this award, and the work it recognizes of those around the world, let
me recall the words of Gandhi: 'My life is my message.' Also, plant a
tree." Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for
Peace.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff>__________________________________________________<BR>Denis
Salter<BR>Professor of Theatre<BR>McGill University<BR>853 Sherbrooke St.
West<BR>Montréal, QC<BR>H3A 2T6<BR>Tel (514) 398 6550<BR>Regular Fax (514) 398
8146<BR>Computer Fax (309) 294 0444<BR><A
href="mailto:denis.salter@mcgill.ca">denis.salter@mcgill.ca</A><BR><A
href="mailto:d.salter@videotron.ca">d.salter@videotron.ca</A><BR>__________________</FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>