On the occasion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Universal Day for Human Rights Defenders
“SHAMS” center emphasizes the appeal to the conscience of the world for significantly applying the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Which is considered as a humanitarian achievement and a turning point in the track of international solidarity due to the positive interaction between cultures and religions. The declaration represents an umbrella of human rights which accord with calls of the human communities since human rights are collective aiming to fulfill freedom in national supremacy and control its sources to achieve the aspirations.
The Israeli violations has continued in terms of infringements upon the right to life, which is represented in the field executions, willful killing in cold blood, arresting children, holding the bodies of martyrs, arresting thousands of citizens and putting them into jail. Also, preventing the freedom of movement and reaching holy places, destruction of homes, uprooting trees, confiscation of lands and expansion and construction of new settlements, isolation of the Palestinian villages by the apartheid discrimination wall, dismemberment of the homeland.
Additionally, the installation of checkpoints, the unjust siege over Gaza Strip, isolation of Jerusalem from its Palestinian surrounding, using internationally restricted weapons, draining the wealth, determined damage of the environment, breaches against the journalists, closure and destruction of radio stations and targeting emergency staffs. The Israeli measures is increasing in an alarming rate, while the Israeli forces and settlers are excessive in their breaches against the Palestinian people and preventing the Palestinian from the right to self-determination. Moreover, they disregard the principles of the International Humanitarian Law and the resolutions of the International legitimacy which ban the occupation of others’ territories.
“SHAMS” center reminds that Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a fundamental constitutive document which defines the meaning of the words fundamental freedoms and human rights for all people equally. Everyone has the right to enjoy all rights and freedom mentioned in the declaration equally against discrimination based on ethnicity, color, religion, political perspective, social origin, wealth, birth or any other factors. Moreover, it is not acceptable to have discrimination according to political or legal status of the country and the region, either being independent or being under trusteeship territory. However, people in their homeland, exile or the country he travelled to challenge discrimination on daily basis, while discrimination is prevailing with criminal actions.
"SHAMS” center calls the Palestinian National Authority PNA for conducting a national evaluation for the status of human rights in Palestine, to figure out obstacles and challenges and to employ official mass media to disseminate the culture of human rights. In addition to significantly support the movement of defending human rights and to revise the applied Palestinian laws to accord with international related treaties and conventions, based on the principles of International Bill of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been the inspiration and motivation of the ideas and activities related to human rights everywhere, and it has become a source from which human rights’ conventions and treaties are derived, to represent mutual aspirations among nations.
"SHAMS” center believes that work conditions for human rights defenders all over the world including Palestine and non-governmental organizations are marked by difficulty. They are exposed to threats, violations, mobbing and public assault on their reputation and personal safety, in attempts to restrict and hinder their work and affect their credibility. Despite the fact that Human Rights Law has much developed in terms of the oversights’ mechanisms however, it hasn’t developed in regard to collaboration’s mechanisms since protecting human rights in an international responsibility.