Shahroudi: West uses human rights as a stick against Muslim states

9 September 2008

Tehran-Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said here Tuesday that the West has turned Human Rights into a stick to encounter Muslim states.

Ayatollah Shahroudi told Nigerian Ambassador to Tehran Al Haji Abubakar Cika that Muslim countries and the Third World states should close their ranks and get united.

"The only way to get rid of colonialism and global arrogance is unity and solidarity among states and vigilance vis-a-vis the deceitful ploys of the global arrogance to dominate the oppressed nations," Shahroudi said.

He said that through unity among the oppressed states and cooperation among Muslims, the interests of nations can be guaranteed.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Shahroudi said the so-called advocates of human rights and freedom have committed numerous crimes under false slogans and today too the crimes are being committed in new forms.

He said Iran is ready to expand judicial cooperation with Nigeria.

The Nigerian diplomat said for his part that his country is ready to utilize Iran's judicial experience.

He said the meeting of Muslim states judiciary heads, held in Iran last year, was a valuable step towards bolstering judicial cooperation among Muslim states.

Legal Notice:

If You Were Scheduled To Fly on or After December 28, 2003 Between the United States and Lagos, Nigeria on World Airways, and World Airways Did Not Fly You as Scheduled, Your Rights May Be Affected By the Settlement of A Class Action

Wednesday August 6, 4:27 pm ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The settlement resolves a class action lawsuit concerning whether Ritetime Aviation and Travel Services, Inc. and World Airways, Inc. wrongfully failed to transport passengers between Nigeria and the United States on or after December 28, 2003. World Airways, Inc. ("World Airways"), Ritetime Aviation and Travel Services, Inc. ("Ritetime"), Dr. O. Peter Obafemi ("Obafemi") and Capitol Indemnity Corporation ("Capitol Indemnity") are the Defendants in this lawsuit.

This case was brought as a class action. The Plaintiffs allege that World Airways and Ritetime wrongfully failed to fly the Plaintiffs between Nigeria and the United States. The Plaintiffs have brought claims of breach of contract, negligence, fraud and claims under international conventions regarding air travel. World Airways denies Plaintiffs' allegations, and claims that it is not liable for passenger claims arising out of the cancellation of the flights.

WHO IS AFFECTED

You may be entitled to receive compensation under this Settlement if all of the following five things are true:

(1) Before January 31, 2004, you (or someone on your behalf) purchased but did not use all or part of a ticket for a flight between the United States and Nigeria in either direction on World Airways for travel on or after December 28, 2003 as part of the flight program run by Ritetime; and

(2) You did not receive reimbursement from World Airways or Ritetime or any of their employees or agents for the unused portion(s) of your ticket; and

(3) You did not receive a replacement flight paid for by World Airways or Ritetime or any of their employees and/or agents; and

(4) You have not already entered into a binding settlement agreement with Ritetime or World Airways; and

(5) Your claim against Obafemi, Ritetime, Capitol Indemnity or World Airways has not been previously decided in another proceeding.

YOUR OPTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE SETTLEMENT

If you do nothing, you will not receive any compensation from this Settlement and you will be unable to sue or continue suing World Airways and Capitol Indemnity.

FILE A CLAIM: If you meet the requirements described in this Notice and file the documents described in this Notice on time, you may be entitled to receive compensation as described in this Notice.

OBJECT: Write to the Court if you do not like this Settlement.

GO TO A HEARING: Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement.

BE EXCLUDED OR "OPT OUT": You may opt out of this Settlement. If the Court approves the Settlement and money payments are awarded, you will not get any benefits but will keep your rights to sue World Airways and Capitol Indemnity. But, as explained at the website http://www.waclassaction.com, you may not be able to recover from Capitol Indemnity once funds contributed by it for the Settlement are exhausted.

-- These rights and options -- and the deadlines to exercise them -- are explained in this Notice.


-- The Court will have final decision whether to approve the settlement.


SUMMARY OF THE SETTLEMENT

To settle the lawsuit, World Airways and Capitol Indemnity have agreed to create a fund of $5,700,000 (the "Fund") that will be used as a lump sum settlement amount to pay qualifying Class Members, attorneys' fees and expenses. Of this amount, Capitol Indemnity has contributed $200,000, which represents the full penal sum limit of the Public Charter Operator's Bond that it issued on behalf of Ritetime.

The Settlement provides for a maximum total payment of $3,485,000 to be paid to passengers meeting requirements described in this Notice. If 2,050 or fewer meet the requirements and file valid claims as described in this Notice, each qualifying passenger will receive $1,700 and any unpaid funds will revert to World Airways. If more than 2,050 people meet the requirements and file valid claims, the $3,485,000 will be split equally among qualifying passengers. For example, if 2,500 people meet the requirements and file valid claims, the $3,485,000 will be divided equally among the 2,500 people, and each person will receive $1,394. You will not pay attorneys' fees from this distribution.

The Settlement also provides for payment of certain administrative costs of the class action, the reimbursement of the litigation expenses paid by Plaintiffs' Counsel and for payment of Plaintiffs' Counsel's attorneys' fees. Plaintiffs' Counsel intend to apply to the Court for attorneys' fees and costs of $2,065,000, approximately one third (1/3) of the Fund.

The Settlement also covers the claims that Plaintiffs have asserted against Ritetime and Obafemi. The Court has entered a default judgment against these two defendants. As part of the settlement process, the Settlement Class Members will assign their claims against Ritetime and Obafemi to the Settling Defendants.

FINAL SETTLEMENT APPROVAL HEARING

The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will hold the fairness hearing at 12:00 p.m. on September 11, 2008 at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York, 11201. At this hearing the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. The Court will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may decide these issues at the hearing or take them under consideration. We do not know how long the Court's decision will take. The Court has the right to adjourn or continue the fairness hearing without further notice to you.

If you are a Settlement Class Member, you can object to the settlement if you do not like any part of it. You can give reasons why you think the Court should not approve it. Plaintiffs' Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have, but you are welcome to come to the hearing at your own expense. If you send an objection, you do not have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as you submitted your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may also apply for your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.

TO COMMENT, OBJECT OR OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION

To obtain documents containing all information about the proposed Settlement and the long form Notice of this Settlement, please visit the class action website at http://www.waclassaction.com or: call Ike Echeruo at (212) 295-2189 or write to Ike Echeruo, ECHERUO, COUNSEL, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, LLP, 432 Park Avenue South, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10016. To object, you must send a letter stating that you object to the settlement in Anyoku et al. v. World Airways, Inc. et al., case number 04-CV-0304 (RJD/MDG). Be sure to include (1) your name, (2) address, (3) telephone number, (4) your signature and (5) the time and date of your scheduled World Airways flight. Mail the objection to each of the following places, such that it is postmarked no later than August 26, 2008: Clerk of the Court, United States District Court For The Eastern District of New York, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201; Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP, Two World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281, Attn: Jackie Novikov, Fax: (212)912-7751; Ike O. Echeruo, Echeruo, Counsel, Attorneys at Law, LLP, 432 Park Avenue South, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, Fax: (212)295-2121; David M. Goldhaber, Esq., Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP, One North Wacker Drive, Suite 4200, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Fax: (312)641-9530; Malcolm L. Benge, Esq., Zuckert Scoutt & Rasenberger LLP, 888 Seventeenth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, Fax: (202)342-0683.

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Source: Zuckert Scoutt & Rasenberger LLP

Developing Nations Open Summit in Malaysia

6 July 2008

Kuala Lumpur-The 11th meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight Islamic Developing Countries (D-8) started its work on Sunday.

The meeting was inaugurated by Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim who stressed the need for further cooperation among the D-8 member states.

The D-8 compromises Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

It was set up in 1997 as an economic alliance with the objective of improving the position of Muslim developing countries in the global world economy through the diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities via increased trade relations.

The ministerial meeting would be followed up by the sixth Summit of the D-8 heads of states due to be held on July 7-8.

The theme of the Summit is "Meeting Challenges Through Innovative Cooperation."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is expected to leave Tehran for Kuala Lumpur Sunday evening to attend the D-8 Summit.

This is the first time that Malaysia is hosting the D-8 Summit.

The last summit was hosted by Indonesia, the current chairman of D-8, in Bali, Indonesia on 13th of May 2006.

Meeting of the D-8 states' senior officials known as the 25th Session of the Commission of D-8, was held between July 4-5 in Kuala Lumpur.

The opening session of the 6th Summit of D-8 would be held on July 8 with a speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi.

More in the inaugural ceremony, the D-8 presidency would be handed over to Malaysia by the group's current chairman President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Malaysia would be the D-8's president for two years.

The 2008 Summit is expected to adopt the decision on the setting up of the D-8 Permanent Secretariat and D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation in the Second Decade of Cooperation.

Israeli Police Detain African Migrants

A Sudanese refugee surveys an empty shelter deserted after a police raid in Tel Aviv, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. Israeli police on Monday detained about 200 Africans who infiltrated the country through the porous border with Egypt in recent months, a police official said, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered a crackdown on illegal migrants.(AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)

25 February 2008

By ARON HELLER

TEL AVIV-Israeli police arrested about 200 African migrants Monday, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered a crackdown on the growing problem of illegal immigration, officials said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the migrants, mostly Sudanese who entered through the porous border with Egypt, were arrested in a raid near Tel Aviv's old bus station, where many live. Rosenfeld said the arrests would continue this week.

The dilapidated buildings that shelter migrants in southern Tel Aviv were nearly empty after the raid as people tried to avoid arrest. They left hundreds of barren mattresses side-by-side in smelly underground dwellings.

Solomon Mangstie-Dayan, a 40-year-old migrant from Ethiopia who crossed into Israel nine days ago, said police officers raided his shelter, seizing fellow African migrants and hurrying them onto three buses. He said he was spared only because of the cries of his 3-year-old daughter, Sunight.

Olmert on Sunday ordered security officials to tighten supervision of the Egyptian border and directed officials to expedite the processing of those seeking asylum, to decide which were just seeking work and could be deported.

Africans have been sneaking into Israel in increasing numbers over the past year. More than 7,000 have entered the country illegally through Egypt in just over a year, including more than 2,000 so far in 2008, said Michael Bavly, a representative in Israel of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Israeli government statistics estimate about 100,000 legal foreign workers in the country. At least 100,000 others, many from Africa, work in Israel without permits, according to experts.

Foreign workers flock to Israel because the higher wages allow them to send relatively large amounts of money back home to their families. Refugees seeking asylum from wars or persecution see Israel as a welcoming, Westernized country.

Many Israelis feel an obligation to help refugees because of the centuries of persecution Jews endured before they created their own state.

Most migrants are from Sudan, including southern Sudan, where a 22-year conflict left 2.5 million people dead, and Darfur, where a rebellion has cost more than 200,000 civilian lives and made 2.5 million homeless. Others have fled Eritrea and forced military conscription there.

This year, Israel granted temporary residency status to 600 refugees from Darfur. It also recognized about 2,000 migrants from Eritrea whose lives would be endangered if sent home.

But the nation plans to deport another 4,500, many of whom came from countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria.

Their route to Israel is often treacherous. Egyptian border police on Monday shot and wounded a Sudanese and a man from Ivory Coast in separate incidents as they tried to cross into Israel. On Sunday, Egyptian forces shot and killed an African woman who was trying to cross the border into Israel, a medical official said.

A spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry said those arrested Monday who have work permits would be released. Those whose refugee status is being reviewed by the U.N. would be granted a limited stay, and the others would be deported.

Sigal Rozen, of the Hotline for Migrant Workers in Tel Aviv, who represents the migrants, said authorities were shipping some of the arrested migrants to a prison in southern Israel.