Warm solidarity from Leuven! More than 90 Belgian and international professors of Ismael, ex-students of him, colleagues, planners and concerned academics sign the petition to drop military charges

تضامن دافئ من لوفين: أكثر من ثمانين أكاديميا بلجيكيا ودوليا يتضامنون مع حرية التعبير مطالبين باسقاط التعقبات القضائية العسكرية بحق اسماعيل الشيخ حسن

The Catholic University of Leuven

AlBared- Updated on 3 Sep. evening

The Belgian petition, co-initiated by prof. Lieven De Cauter and dr. Nurhan Abujidi last Tuesday 24 Aug., calling for dropping any military charges against the vocal urban planner Ismael Shaikh Hassan has gathered 60 signatures till Friday 27 Aug., mainly from Leuven University in Belgium where Ismael S.H. is persuing his PhD studies and gave a studio course. [You can sign in comments section. see signatures below]

The signatures of the petition to drop military charges against Ismael S.H. included professors of Ismael S.H., ex-students of his Nahr el Bared reconstruction studio at Leuven University, a planning program director Prof. dr. ir. Bruno De Meulder, colleagues, and concerned academics and planners for the freedom of expression and Ismael’s case. A mass mail has been circulating inside the university where signatures have been added quickly in three days, and called for the international signatures to CC: the Lebanese embassy in their countries. The petition is supposed to be submitted to the Lebanese ambassador in Brussels, and to the Lebanese and Belgian PMs. Already, as one organizer following up the petition asserted, “letters were sent to the Lebanese embassies in Cyprus, Italy, Austria and others”.

Ismael S.H. has been illegally arrested by the Lebanese army intelligence, without being able to see a lawyer or family and friends for three days, after writing an article critisizing the reconstruction process of Nahr el Bared and the security procedures around and inside the Palestinian refugee camp in North Lebanon. He was released from Al-Qubba prison on Friday 20 Aug. afternoon. The army neither ofically declared the reason of the arrest nor officially charged him till now, which happened in other cases. However, Ismael S.H. has been oraly told by the army, during his arrest, that he would face a military court. The Lebanese publication law clearly demonstrates that publication cases are to be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the publication court, a civilian body. Also, the publication law clearly forbids detention for publishing articles.

Ismael S.H. asserted that the investigation during his arrsest had centered on the article, where red lines were heighlighting some sentences. The Lebanese daily newspapers and websites, Human Rights Watch, and others asserted also that the arrest is clearly due to the published article.

Alexandru Rauta, one of Ismael’s colleague who signed the Belgian petition, demonstrated solidarity by saying “I join this petition with all my heart,” reflecting the warm solidarity and anger in Leuven for Ismael’s arrest and the obvious breach of the freedom of expression around Nahr el Bared Palestinian camp in Lebanon. Mark Vandaele, an engineer at the Belgian Building Research Institute, sent a message saying “We consider Ismae’l as a family friend and an architect fully committed to the case of his people”.

The petition itself mentioned that Ismael’s “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”. Many comments accompanied the signing of the petition and showed personal commitment to Ismael’s case and freedom of expression.

Albared knew that additional petitions are expected to be launched by academics and others from different universities and cities around the world.

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.

Joke Lambelin, Theology and Religious science, Catholic University of Leuven.

Prof. dr. ir. Bruno De Meulder, MaHS/MaUSP program director, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Alexandru Rauta – colleague and friend during the Advanced Master in Human Settlements 2004/2005, KU Leuven.

Viviana d’Auria.

Laura Vescina.

Ceren Kurum, Isma’el Sheikh Hassan’s Fellow PhD Researcher, Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning, University of Leuven.

Rémi van Durme, architect and post-graduate student, University of Leuven.

Benoit legrand.

Heather Moore, architect, previous fellow student and long-time friend of Ismae’l.

Yingtian Zhang, MaUSP/EMU student, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Helena gutmane.

Helena Gutmane, member of the board of Association of Landscape Architects of Latvia, ex-student of Isma’el.

Rana Sadat Habibi, Master of Urbanism and Strategic Planning of K.U.Leuven.

Koen Goetschalckx.

Prof.dr. Chris Kesteloot, Social and Economic Geography, University of Leuven.

Joud Khasawneh, PhD Student, KULeuven, Colleague of Ismae’l.

Julie Ann Grace Robles, Engineer, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Miguel Vanleene, Engineer-architect, European Master in Urbanism student, University of Leuven.

Prof. dr. Kelly Shannon, ASRO/ OSA University of Leuven.

Prof. Dr. Ann Cassiman, host for Ismae’l during debate on Cities in Development, Institute for Anthropological Research in Africa (IARA), Master of Cultures and Development Studies (CADES), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Isabelle Verhaert, urban planner.

Veva Roesems, Architect, Urban Planner for City of Antwerp , frend of Ismae’l. Michiel Dehaene, Assistant Professor in Urban Design, TU Eindhoven,the Netherlands.

Bram Van Hulle, Belgium.

Marianne Vaes.

Kristof Cloeten.

Aku Rini.

Asmayani Kusrini, a journalist, ex- colleague of Ismael in MaHS.

Barbara Sandra, architect, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Sven Augusteyns, former student of Ismael at the Narh el Bared studio.

Beatrice De Carli, PhD student, Politecnico di Milano, visiting scholar at KU Leuven.

Veerle Cox, architect, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Xiaoxiao Ma, student of MaUSP, University of Leuven.

Wiet Vandaele, Engineer-architect, spatial planner in Flemish regional government.

Karen Allacker, Eng. Arch., ASRO, KULeuven.

Maria Angela Morales Polar. Architect URP. MaHS.

Sara Vandaele, Belgium.

Christine Vaes.

Laura Nagels, Architect, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Filip Suykerbuyk, Architect, Urban Planner.

Jan Limet.

Eyob Girma, MaHS, 2009-2010.

Luk Vandaele, Engineer at the Belgian Building Research Institute.

Josee Goossens.

Dagnachew G. Aseffa, KULeuven, Master of urbanism and strategic planning,

graduate student ’10.

Enrique Aucha Gómez, architect, student of the MaUSP programme.

Cheng-Hsuan Kao, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, King’s College London, ex- colleague of Ismae’l in PGCHS, KU Leuven.

Niels Buys, Architect, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Bc. Eva Ruskova, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, student of architecture.

Vu Thi Phuong LINH, National Project Manager, PAR in Hochiminh city (Ismae’l Sheikh Hassan’s classmate in MaHS program 2004-2005 in KUL).

Aryani Sari Rahmanti, graduate student architect and post-graduate student ASRO KULeuven.

Valerie Dewaelheyns, research fellow, Earth and Environmental Sciences, KULeuven.

Le Quang Tuan, creative director of K.Hoa architect, Hanoi, Vietnam; Ismael’s classmate in MaHS program 2004-2005 in KUL

Philippe Vandenbroeck, partner, shiftN, Leuven, Belgium

Karen Allacker, Eng. Arch., ASRO, KULeuven

Bram van der Hout, Brussels, Belgium.

Pieter Bomans, Belgium.

Prathiwi Widyatmi Putri, PhD researcher KU Leuven (from Indonesia).

Tom Callaerts, Brussels.

Gerard Stalenhoef, Ministry of the Flemish Region, dpt of spatial planning RWO, Brussels, Belgium.

Tania Vandenbroucke, engineer-architect, urbanist, formal research assistent, Universite of Leuven.

Kishwar Habib, Isma’el Sheikh Hassan’s Fellow PhD Researcher, Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning (ASRO), KULeuven.

Jo Quirynen, Engineer-architect, friend of Ismae’l.

Katrien De Ryck, editor.

Hannes Deryckere, teacher

prof. em. Han Verschure.

Wouter Bervoets, PhD Researcher, Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning (ASRO), KULeuven.

Kenis Raymond – research, university Leuven Belgium.

Marijn van de Weijer, PhD researcher, ASRO OSA KULeuven.

Jon Geib, Architect, ex-student of Ismae’l.

Anke Van Caudenberg, Mechelen.

Dr. Michael Ryckewaert.

Masooma ShakirEx classmate, KU Leuven 2005.

Nguyen Cong Tien, architect, Ismael’s classmate in MaHS.

Hoang Phong Lan, architect, Ismael’s classmate in MaHS.

Davide Cassinari, Social Polis, Research and communication associate, K.U.Leuven – Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning.

Michiel Dehaene, lecturer in urbanis, Eindhoven University of Technology.