The Middle East

Discriminatory treatment of refugees in Lebanon

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Amnesty International appealed to the Lebanese government and the international community to improve the treatment and conditions of the Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.  The report, “Exiled and Suffering: Palestinian Refugees Living in Lebanon,” condemned Lebanon’s discriminatory practices that has led to the deplorable status of many refugees.

There are three classes of refugees living in Lebanon:  (1) those who are registered with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and with the Lebanese authorities – registered refugees; (2) those who are registered with the Lebanese authorities, but not with the UNRWA – non-registered refugees; and (3) those who are unregistered with both the UNRWA and the Lebanese authorities – non-ID refugees.  Currently, there are over 400,000 registered Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon; an estimated 10,000 to 35,000 non-registered refugees; and an estimated 3,000-5,000 non-ID refugees.  Most of the refugees live in the 12 “official” UNRWA refugee camps, while many others live in smaller “informal gatherings” or unofficial camps.

Many of these displaced Palestinians are children or grandchildren of Palestinians who fled the Palestinian Mandate during the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948.  While the refugee population has increased fourfold since then, the land allocated to them has remained unchanged.  Many families crowd into small huts that lack proper ventilation and protection from the elements.  Camp residents are unable to build or repair their housing, in fear of being arrested or fined by the Lebanese government for violating the government ban on improving homes.

In addition to poor living conditions, Palestinian refugees also lack the security of tenure.  The Lebanese government prohibits people who are not citizens of a “recognized state” from owning housing or land in Lebanon.  This means that Palestinians are vulnerable to arbitrary eviction.

Also, there are high rates of unemployment and poverty among the refugees as a result of discriminatory labor restrictions.  In 2005, the Ministry of Labor reduced the number of prohibited jobs from 70 to 20; however, Palestinians are still banned from professional positions such as doctors, lawyers, and engineers.  Also, the process of obtaining and renewing a work permit is expensive and time-consuming.  This leads many Lebanese companies to hire Palestinians to work lower level jobs, where there is more competition and a lower salary.  Another drawback is that while Palestinians are required to pay taxes, they are not allowed to receive social benefits.  Many refugees work illegally, exposing themselves to exploitation and abuse.

The lack of job prospects and limited access to education has lead to a high drop-out rate.  Unemployment and poverty often require children to leave school to work as manual laborers or as “rag-pickers” – picking through trash to sell as recycling – to help provide for the family.  Also, many refugees view years spent on education as wasted since there is virtually no access to well-paying jobs.

In addition to poor living conditions and a lack of legitimate job prospects, many refugees lack access to proper health care.  Not only is medical treatment expensive, and only partially subsidized by UNRWA, but there is a shortage of health workers, facilities, and supplies in the camps.

While condemning present conditions, Amnesty International recognized the effort made by the Lebanese government, especially recently, to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of refugees.  It also recognized that the responsibility for the suffering of the Palestinian refugees goes beyond Lebanon and urged the international community to provide Lebanon with assistance so that the rights of the refugees are protected.

For “Exiled and Suffering: Palestinian Refugees Living in Lebanon” report, please see:

Amnesty International – Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon – 17 October 2007

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: Six decades of exile and suffering – 17 October 2007

Amnesty International – Palestinian refugees suffer in Lebanon – 17 October 2007

BBC – Appeal for Lebanon refugee rights – 17 October 2007

Daily Star – Amnesty International calls on Lebanese government to halt discrimination against Palestinian refugees – 17 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – International rights group urges Lebanon to end discrimination against Palestinians – 17 October 2007

Reuters – Lebanon urged to treat Palestinian refugees better – 17 October 2007

BRIEF: Iraqi Invasion Approved by Turkish Parliament

The Turkish parliament has overwhelmingly passed a resolution that will allow Turkey to invade Iraq to pursue the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).  The PKK’s purpose is to obtain more freedom for the Kurds in Turkey.  The vote was approved 507-19.  The decisiveness of the vote showed Turkey’s unwillingness to solely depend on Iraqi forces to deal with the PKK, despite Bush’s promise that a Turkish invasion is unnecessary.  The Iraqi Kurds fear that an attack by the Turkish military will destabilize the region.  However, Turkey has amassed 60,000 troops near the Iraqi border.  The Turkish military has not immediately attacked Iraq because the military is still hoping that a diplomatic solution can be reached.  The likelihood of a diplomatic resolution is shrinking, especially with the strained relations between the US and Turkey regarding Congress’s passage of the Armenian “genocide” bill.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press- Turkish Parliament Approves Iraq Mission- 17 October 2007

BBC News- Turkish MPs back attacks in Iraq- 17 October 2007

US and Turkish Relations Strained over Armenian “Genocide”

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey- The United States House Foreign Affairs Committee has passed a bill recognizing the Turkish acts of 1915-1923 as “genocide” against the Armenian people.   This action was greatly disfavored by the both the Turkish government and the Bush Administration.   Immediately after the non-binding bill passed, Turkey recalled its ambassador from the United States.

The Armenians report the total number who died during that period through systematic deportations was around 1.5 million Armenians.   Conversely, the Turkish figure places the number around 300,000 Armenians who died.   The Turkish government is quick to point out that both it was an interethnic war where Turks died too, and that the “genocide” occurred during the context of the World War I.

Nancy Pelosi and the democratic-led Congress championed the bill with strong backing from the Armenian American community.   The passing of the bill has been praised by the Armenian President Kocharyan.   “We hope that this process will lead to the full recognition by the United States of America of the fact of the Armenian genocide,” he said.   (BBC News- Armenia welcomes ‘genocide’ vote)

President Bush tried to stop the Committee from passing the bill, the first step in having it voted on in the House of Representatives, because it will strain US diplomatic relations with Turkey.   He has stressed the importance of Turkey in stabilizing Iraq.   Turkey has been an American ally, and the US uses its military base located in Turkey.

Turkish President Gul alleged that US politicians were “sacrific[ing] big problems for small domestic political games.”   (BBC News- Armenia welcomes ‘genocide’ vote)  Gul has stressed that the diplomatic relations between the US and Turkey will be strained because of the bill.   The Turks fear that the “genocide” bill will allow other countries to draw comparisons between the Turks’ actions and the Nazi Germans.   However, the strong reaction to the bill seems to be counter to President Gul’s speech in Strasburg, France, where Gul stated that he believed that article 301, which prohibits a Turk from criticizing Turkishness, ought to be changed.

It is necessary to shed light on acts against humanity to recognize the value of each person’s life.   However, the situation between the Turks and the Armenians happened ninety years previous to the Committee bill.   Also, Armenians living in Turkey are wary that this bill could cause a backlash against them.  Turkey is in a pivotal time as it desires to join the European Union while engaging PKK in Northern Iraq.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press- Turkish General Warns US Over Ties- 14 October 2007

BBC News- Q&A- Armenian ‘genocide’- 11 October 2007

BBC News- Turkey condemns US Armenia vote- 11 October 2007

BBC News- Armenia welcomes ‘genocide’ vote- 11 October 2007

New York Times- Turkish General Warns U.S. on Resolution- 14 October 2007

Reuters AlertNet- Rice urges Turkey to show restraint on N.Iraq- 13 October 2007

Reuters AlertNet- Armenian-American clout buys genocide breakthrough- 12 October 2007

Israeli soldiers transferred to Iran

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

LONDON, England – A London-based Arabic newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, reported that two Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser, 31, and Eldad Regev, 26, were transported from Lebanon to Iran, in anticipation of their possible release.  Goldwasser and Regev were captured in July 2006, by Hezbollah.

Asharq al-Awsat reports that a high ranking Iranian official said that the two Israelis were transported to a country outside of Lebanon and then to Iran by a special unit of the Revolutionary Guard.  The source claimed that the release of the soldiers could be part of a prisoner-swap brokered by Germany.  In exchange for the release of Goldwasser and Regev, Germany may release an Iranian intelligence agent, Kazem Darabi, who is in prison for the murder of four Kurdish dissents in 1992.  The source said that negotiations were being conducted by the UN and Germany.

Senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office categorically denied the report, labeling it “juicy nonsense” and Iranian “misinformation.”  The families of the captured soldiers also expressed skepticism regarding the reports.  The family of Goldwasser added that regardless of the location of the soldiers, that Israel would continue their efforts in securing their release.

Israel also denies the claim that it believes that Goldwasser and Regev died during the attack.  Instead, it reaffirmed a report released in December 2006.  In the December report, the Israeli Defense Force found evidence showing that the two were injured during the attack, one critically, but that both were alive when they were captured.

The Asharq al-Awsat report does not mention a third captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, whose continued captivity is highly publicized.

For more information, please see:

Telegraph – Captured soldiers “in Iran” – 15 October 2007

Ashaq al-Awsat – Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah in Iran – Source – 14 October 2007

Jerusalem Post – Israel: Goldwasser, Regev not in Iran – 14 October 2007

Middle East Times – Captive Israeli held in Iran says report – 14 October 2007

Yedioth – Report: Israeli captives transferred to Iran – 14 October 2007

Ha’aretz – Israel denies it believes troops captured by Hezbollah are dead – 11 October 2007

Baha’i Iranians Denied Access to Higher Education

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – In Iran, students are excluded from university admissions solely based on the religion they practice. That meant 800 Baha’i students were prevented from obtaining their national matriculation exam results this year. Without the scores, they could not complete the university admission process. And because the process was incomplete, they were denied of admissions.

Baha’is regularly face discrimination and persecution in Iran, which is overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim. The religion was founded in Iran in the mid-1800s and became Iran’s largest religious minority with over 300,000 members. However, because the Iranian government considers Baha’is to be apostates from Islam, the authorities implemented broad restrictions on Baha’is that severely undermined their ability to function as a community – the latest of which is on education.

One applicant was suggested that he would be able to get his test scores only if his family recanted their faith. Others were simply told that the examination officials had “received orders from above not to score the tests of Baha’i students.”

This blatant religious discrimination is contrary to Iran’s commitment to make higher education equally accessible to all without discrimination as a member of International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Iran is also under obligation to guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, and religion as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yet Baha’is cannot practice their religion in public and hundreds of Baha’i students will be absent from campuses because of their faith.

For more information, please see:

Chicago Sun-Times – Iran’s crackdown victimizes Baha’is – 30 September 2007

Iranian Truth – Grant Baha’is access to higher education – 22 September 2007

Reuters – Rights groups says Iran barring Baha’is from study – 20 September 2007

Human Rights Watch – Iran: allow Baha’i students access to higher education – 20 September 2007