AIFD joins Middle East American Coalition for Democracy in plea to United Nations for international support to civil society NGO’s in response to Arab Awakening
Middle East American Coalition for Democracy
2300 M Street NW
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Washington DC, 20037
Group sends memo to UN Chief asking for coordinated strategy to prioritize engagement of liberal civil society groups in the Middle East
(New York–May 16, 2013) — A number of Middle East NGO leaders joined efforts in a full day of meetings with Secretariat General’s officials and with various missions at the United Nations on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 to demand an international engaging with civil societies in the Greater Middle East in general and with Arab Spring peoples in particular.
The Middle East American Coalition for Democracy presented a memorandum to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon entitled: “A Plea for United Nations to begin a coordinated strategy to prioritize engagement of liberal civil society groups in the Arab Awakening” and focused on that sentiment at their landmark meetings with the following missions:
Ambassador Terje Roed Larsen and staff, President of the International Peace Institute and Special Envoy for US Secretary General to Lebanon for the Implementation of UN Resolution 1559 and 1701.
Ms. Antonella Caruso and staff, UN Director of Middle East and West Asia
Mr. Javier Sanabria, Minister Counsellor, of Spanish Mission at the U.N
Mr. Andrey Listov, Counsellor of Russian Mission at the U.N.
The coalition represented many of the expatriate communities of Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia and called for the meetings in order to highlight the dire situation for liberal civil society groups who despite the promise and hope of new beginnings in the Arab Awakening have been left with the same resources they had under dictatorship- none. They highlighted how the civil society NGO’s are trapped between the old forces of dictatorship and the emerging Islamist fundamentalist forces, particularly Salafists, which have for long been far better organized and fueled with an entrenched regional infrastructure against which they cannot compete without the support of the free world. The coalition was joined and advised by Dr. Walid Phares, the Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Legislative Group on Counter Terrorism, a caucus of members of the US Congress and the European Parliament focusing on defending democracy internationally and particularly in North Africa and the Middle East
Tom Harb, chair of the Middle East American Coalition for Democracy asked during the meetings that the culture at the U.N. begin to adapt to the post Arab Spring realities stating that, “the U.N. should rather than simply and exclusively address the old power structures of governments often led by autocrats now facilitate the expansion of programs and engagement with those organizations which share our Western ideals of liberal democracy including reformers, women, and minorities.”
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and Save Syria Now! asked missions during meetings that, “as the Arab Awakening evolves, each nation finds itself in a once-in-a-generation or even millennium tipping point for simply the chance at genuine modern reform and change. It is our hope that you can help us give the democracy forces in civil society on the ground in each nation a chance to get their campaigns for freedom and liberty heard among the citizenry. Without the U.N. on their side they will not be heard. Egypt, Tunisia and especially Syria are each proving that in their own very unique way. We are certainly dedicated to these nations having the right to self-determination. But it is that very right to self-determination of the majority and the minorities of their citizenry on the ground which brings us to you. We come together to ask you to help us protect the right to self-determination of liberal groups, women’s groups, minorities, and secularists to name a few.”
The Coalition hopes to come back and engage a broader array of missions at the U.N. with regards to establishing a global strategy in the wake of the Arab Awakening. They left asking parties to consider asking the Secretary General to establish a “Special Envoy to the Arab Awakening”. The day of meetings at the United Nations were joined in the Coalition by:
Dr M. Zuhdi Jasser, President Save Syria Now and the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (Arizona)
Robert Ozgun, Representative Syriac National Council (N.Y.)
Dr Adel Kobeish, Chairman, Voice of Egypt NGO (DC)
Mokhtar Kamel, Executive Director, President of the Egyptian American Alliance.(VA)
Dr Essam Abdallah, Egyptian Liberals Movement (VA)
Sheikh Sami Khoury, former Consul General of Lebanon in Ecuador, former President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCM) and President of the World Maronite Union
Eblan Farris, Communications Director, World Council of the Cedars Revolution (D.C.)
Sana Karray Hababou, coordinator Tunisia Democracy NGOs, New York area.
Tom Harb, Co-Chair, Middle East Americans Coalition for Democracy
Dr. Walid Phares, advisor and Congressional advisor. Washington DC
During the meetings, Dr Zuhdi Jasser and Robert Ozgun reported on the dramatic and bloody developments in Syria urging a UN intervention to stop the suppression by the regime and at the same time insure the isolation of Terror groups infiltrated in the opposition. “Priority in Syria,” said Ozgun is to protect the Syrian population in general and its weakest elements, women, children and minorities.” On Egypt, Dr Adel Kobeish and Mokhtar Kamel underlined the deterioration, both political and economic and asked for a protection of peaceful demonstrators after months of targeting at the hands of armed elements. Sana Hababou, from the Tunisian NGOs, said “civil society in general and women in particular are very concerned about the new constitutional document which diminishes their fundamental rights.” She also indicated that armed extremist militias are expanding in the country, menacing the democratic achievement of the first revolution of the Arab Spring.” Last on Lebanon, Sheikh Sami el Khoury and Eblan Farris warned about the systematic domination of the country by Hezbollah militia, against the stipulation of UNSCR 1559 and 1701 and the rising competition between the pro-Iranian network accused in the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri and nascent Salafi armed groups. Finally, commenting on the meetings, Dr Walid Phares said “this is a first step in the internationalization of the support to the Arab Spring and the freedom movements in the region. Since 2011, civil societies in the region, though first to rise for political change and democracy, have been sidelined by stronger and more organized militant forces and regimes. Hence Arab and Middle NGOs, both in the region and worldwide, are coalescing to engage the international community directly, starting with the United Nations, in order to grow a direct partnership under international law and in the interest of implementing humanitarian values and human rights.”
MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 7th , 2013
From: Middle East Americans Coalition for Democracy
To: United Nations Secretary General
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Executive Office of the Secretary-General
U.N. Headquarters #S-3800
New York, NY 10017
SUBJECT: PLEA FOR UNITED NATIONS TO BEGIN COORDINATED STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE ENGAGEMENT OF LIBERAL CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS IN THE ARAB AWAKENING
The Honorable Ban Ki-Moon,
1. Our American NGO’s representing the expatriate communities of Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia call for these meetings in order to highlight the dire situation for liberal civil society groups who despite the promise and hope of new beginnings in the Arab Awakening have been left with the same resources they had under dictatorship- none. They are trapped between the old forces of dictatorship and the emerging Islamist fundamentalist forces, particularly Salafists, which have for long been far better organized and fueled with an entrenched regional infrastructure against which they cannot compete without the support of the free world.
2. We hope and pray that the United Nations facilitate the expansion of programs and engagement with those organizations which share our ideals of liberal democracy including reformers, women, and minorities.
3. As the Arab Awakening evolves, each nation finds itself in a once-in-a-generation or even millennium tipping point for simply the chance at genuine modern reform and change. It is our hope that you can help us give the democracy forces in civil society on the ground in each nation a chance to get their campaigns for freedom and liberty heard among the citizenry. Without the U.N. on their side they will not be heard. Egypt, Tunisia and especially Syria are each proving that in their own very unique way. We are certainly dedicated to these nations having the right to self-determination. But it is that very right to self-determination of the majority and the minorities of their citizenry on the ground which brings us to you. We come together to ask you to help us protect the right to self-determination of liberal groups, women’s groups, minorities, and secularists to name a few. Egypt for example, is evolving into a state controlled by fundamentalists which is a far cry from a liberal democracy. The voices of the genuine liberals in civil society are being drowned out on the ground between the old guard of secular fascists and the rising tide of authoritarian Islamists. We hope to help the UN acknowledge the presence of other new choices for moderation beyond the old ones of autocracy.
We all thank you for the attention of your team to the concerns of our organizations and expatriate constituencies.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr M. Zuhdi Jasser, President Save Syria Now and the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (Arizona)
Sherkoh Abbas, Chairman, Kurdish National Assembly of Syria (Michigan)
Robert Ozgun, Representative Syriac National Council (N.Y.)
Dr Adel Kobeish, Chairman, Voice of Egypt NGO (DC)
Mukhtar Kamel, Executive Director, President of the Egyptian American Alliance.(VA)
Dr Essam Abdallah, Egyptian Liberals (VA)
Sheikh Sami Khoury, former Consul General of Lebanon in Ecuador, former President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCM) and President of the World Maronite Union
Eblan Farris, Communications Director, World Council of the Cedars Revolution (D.C.)
Sana Karray Hababou, coordinator Tunisia Democracy NGOs, New York area
Tom Harb, Co-Chair, Middle East Americans Coalition for Democracy
The delegation is accompanied by our academic and legislative relations advisor, Professor Walid Phares (D.C.)
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