GUEST BLOG: Lois Griffiths – J’ACCUSE…!
Why the silence, WHY NO OUTCRY OF ANGER, from our mainstream media?
The influential writer Emile Zola was so perturbed by the French establishment ‘s blatantly dishonest accusations of treason against Alfred Dreyfus that he, Zola, wrote an open letter to an influential newspaper , J’Accuse, accusing the President of France and his government of antiSemitism.
This was in 1898. One writer, Emile Zola, is remembered for his stance in exposing the undercurrent of bigotry in the French establishment of his time.
One man, one writer…and one newspaper..
What if someone influential were to write a letter today, in defence of Julian Assange?
Who could one write to? Who in UK has the moral influence and , one has to hope, the moral integrity, to demand that Assange be freed before his health , physical and mental, doesn’t deteriorate completely?
Actually such a letter has been written, and SIGNED BY 61 INTELLECTUALS FROM 16 COUNTRIES : Including : Mairead Maguire, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Oliver Stone, John Pilger, Tariq Ali, Chris Hedges…
The letter was written, not to a newspaper, not to an MP, but to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Partial Text of Letter:
“We the undersigned respectfully call on the moral authorities of the United Kingdom to use their influence to obtain immediately release of Julian Assange, citizen of Australia, from Belmarsh prison where he is being unjustly and cruelly incarcerated.
Julian Assange is not charged with any crime or even misdemeanor in Britain, and has fully served his sentence for his single offense: jumping bail to avoid extradition to the United States via Sweden. He was not and is not charged for any crime in Sweden. The sole charges against him originate in the United States, on purely political grounds, …”
“It is quite clear that in their current treatment of Julian Assange, the United Kingdom is debasing itself as a mere instrument of political repression exercised by the United States.”…
“We ask you to respectfully transmit this message to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
We appeal to your sense of justice and of national honor to uphold the best traditions of British democracy and respect for human rights by calling for the immediately freeing Julian Assange.”
For the entire letter and list of signatures, see here.
“J’Accuse” the UK establishment, declare the signatories)
And, myself, “J’Accuse” our NZ mainstream media. Why do they not take up the cause of Julian Assange, which many consider the cause of journalism itself?
PS :In November an open letter from 65 medical doctors was written to the UK Home Secretary pleading that they feared Assange’s health had so deteriorated that he could die in prison. But that’s another story.
It would be great if our PM would make such an appeal . Then it might force some response . Has anyone appealed to her?
D J S
Yes, DJ
I wrote to her and if I remember rightly, my letter was forwarded to Winston.The message I got back was that the matter was entirely between the UK and Australia
I have written several letters over the years, and of course you will never get an honest answer It is always a cagey”The NZ position is…” and until such time that new evidence etc , this remains…
All very butt covering
I apologize for one wee typo error. This sentence should have ended with a period, ie full stop.
“J’Accuse” the UK establishment, declare the signatories)
ie, meant to be
“J’Accuse” the UK establishment, declare the signatories.
Yes Lois,
A travesy of injustise is what the establishment is doing to Julain.
I ahve servced in NZ army was proud to stand up for our rights to free speech but now I feel ncompromised when we know the health of this man is in a bad way when he is being incarcirated, so the authorities need to let nhim go mfree and give him all the medical assistance he needs to recover to good health again.
Otherwise he is being treated with torture illegally.
It is a disgrace, more shame on the Brits and all who have stood by and allowed this to happen and have not lifted a finger.
Well said Lois. I have also been accusing those who are seemingly determined to be head down pretend that one day, it could be us/me refuseniks.
Or sadly worse already publicly schadenfreude expressed. against Assange ‘cos’ Gaby types.
And they send it to the chief hand-waver and spell-chanter in Britain? Give us a break.
To say such a person has moral integrity is extremely contestable.
It was an open letter. The media could and should challenge Webly.