HALL OF SHAME

REFUSAL OF BROADCASTING IS NOT ''IMPARTIALITY'', BUT A DENIAL OF THE UNIVERSAL LAWS OF CIVILISATION

 

 

Dear Mr Thompson and the BBC Staff,,

 

According to my opinion, the BBC  refusal to broadcast the DEC appeal for humanitarian help for Gaza, is a shameless denial of the universal humanitarian values, on which civilisation is based. 

 

Access for help-organisations to Gaza

 

I can be short about your practical argument of no access to the suffering Gazan civilian population, which is invalid, since the access is the problem of all humanitarian help-organisations, the International Red Cross included

Therefore it is not to the BBC, but to the public for deciding whether to donate or not

 

''Impartiality''

 

However, the most important is your fundamental objection, that your impartiality is at stake

 

I quote your reaction

 

''The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story. ''

 

Your socalled ''political'' argument is invalid, since  a political point of view is not at stake, but merely the humanitarian disaster of a civilian population

According to your line of thinking, no broadcasting could ever be done in any war-area, where the civilian population is victim, like Darfur, Congo etc

 

You know full well, that apart from ''taking sides'', the humanitarian disaster is caused by a kind of warfare, which violates International Humanitarian law, demanding a strict distinction between combatants [military and fighters] and non-combatants [civilians]

 

This is applicable  to ALL CONFLICTSPARTIES and not ''political'' at all

 

See International Humanitarian Law:

 

 

In this case however, the Gazan civilian population has been subjected to Israeli indiscriminate atracks with phosphorusbombs, which led to 1300 dead and more than 5000 wounded

 

Thousands of people are homeless

 

See the Red Cross

 

 

 

 

Hospitals have a lack of medicines by the continuing israeli blockade on Gaza

 

See the Red Cross:

 

 

Red Cross helpers were denied access to Gaza, ambulances were shoot at

 

As you have seen, my point of view is supported by the NEUTRAL International Red Cross

 

 

Mr Thompson, therefore a political point of view is not at stake here, nor the ''impartiality'' of the BBC, since it concerns the need of the civilian population, who always must be protected against the consequences of war, whether they are Palestinians or Israeli

 

So with your socalled ''impartiality'', you are closing your eyes for a civilian population in need, which means a support de facto, to the Israeli military attacks on Gaza

 

I hope you can live with that choice

 

Sincerely

 

Astrid Essed

Amsterdam

The Netherlands