More international momentum: A new Belgian petition calling for dropping any military charges against Ismael Shaeikh Hassan

قضية اسماعيل الشيخ حسن وحرية التعبير تأخذ مزيدا من الزخم عالميا:

بيان جديد من كتّاب بارزين في بلجيكا يطالب بوقف أي تعقبات قضائية عسكرية بحقه

After HWR report and solidarity by prominent Lebanese, Palestinian and international writers, the case of Ismael Shaikh Hassan and freedom of expression is gaining more momentum world widely by a new Belgian petition issued today Tuesday 24 Aug. initiatied by the prominent writer/professor Lieven De Cauter and Dr.Nurhan Abujidi, and co-signed by writers and professors. The petition calls for stopping any military charges against Ismael Shaikh Hassan. The petition is sent to the Lebanese embassy in Brussels and to senior officials.

Please drop the criminal charges against the planner Ismae’l Sheikh Hassan
Open letter to the Lebanese Ambassador in Belgium, the Lebanese Prime Minister and to the Prime Minister of Belgium

Dear Excellencies,
It is with utmost concern that we learned Isma’el Sheikh Hassan has been detained and may face a military court for writing an article on the handling of the Nahr El Bared camp disaster. This is in sharp contradiction with Lebanese law (see article underneath). Hassan is a former student and now researcher at the Departement of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning of the University of Leuven. He had maximum marks for his master-thesis and is now preparing a ph.d. He gave a workshop in Leuven on Nahr el Bared. His serene and peaceful commitment to help the rebuilding of the camp made a great impression on our entire staff. It is sad that the military cannot take some critique and uses detention and a trial as mere means of intimidation. It is bad for the image of Lebanon in Belgium and in the world. We are told that Lebanon is the cradle of free speech in the Middle East, we hope that the reality is not different. The staff of the department of Architecture and the intellectual and cultural scene in Belgium is shocked. We condemn this detention and appeal to the military and the Lebanese government to drop the criminal charges against Isma’el Sheikh Hassan. We hope all necessary steps will be taken to stop this attack of freedom of speech.

With utmost respect,
Yours Truly

Initiating Signatures:

Prof. dr. Lieven De Cauter, philosopher, ASRO, KULeuven, co-promotor of Isma’el’s research
Dr.Nurhan Abujidi, Researcher, Cosmopolis, VUB & KULeuven Alumnus
co-signed by:
Fabienne Verstraeten, directrice Les Halles de Schaerbeeck
prof. dr. Jean Bricmont, physics, Université catholique de Louvain
Prof. dr. Jihanne Sfeir, Middle East studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Em.Prof.Dr.Herman De Ley, Philosophy and Moral Science ,Ghent University
prof dr. Sami Zemni, Middle East and North Africa Research Group, Ghent University.
Prof. Dr. Christopher Parker, Middle East and North Africa Research Group, UGEnt
Ludo De Brabander, director Vrede vzw.
Ward Treunen, excecutive committee BRussells Tribunal
Abdul Ilah Al Bayaty, Iraqi political analist and activist, member of BRussells Tribunal, Cairo
Leen Van der Vorst, Coördinator IPSOC adult scholing
Alessandro Petti, architect, Decolonising Architecture, Beit Sahour, Palestine
Eric Goeman, spokesman Attac Vlaanderen
Bert Ruelens, Engineer-architect, ex-student of Ismae’l
Arnout Veugelen, Engineer-architect, ex-student of Ismae’l
Sebastiaan Loosen, Engineer-architect, ex-student of Ismae’l
Charlotte Lebbe, Engineer-architect, ex-student of Ismae’l
for context and background:
https://albared.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/a-curious-incident-on-the-way-to-thecamp/