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Fears for Med massacre girl
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 01 June 2010
Oldham worker caught in deadly Israeli assault on Gaza aid flotilla
FEARS were growing today for the safety of an Oldham worker caught up in the deadly assault on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla.
Paveen Yaqub, who works as a manager at Oldham SureStart, is believed to have been volunteering on the flotilla which came under attack by Israeli forces.
Her name has appeared on an unconfirmed list of 19 of people, released by The Muslim News website, believed to have been killed.
At least nine people have been confirmed dead after Israeli forces attacked the pro–Palestinian flotilla, which left Cyprus on Sunday and was due to arrive in Gaza yesterday, defying a block on humanitarian assistance.
Medlock Vale councillor Ateeque Ur-Rehman, who knows Paveen through her work with various voluntary and charity groups in Oldham, said: “Paveen has been emailing all her friends while she has been away on this mission.
“I last heard from her three days ago when she was getting ready to leave Turkey.
“She said she was enjoying the trip and she was urging everyone to donate to charity.
“Paveen did a lot of work with Oldham Race Equality Partnership and with a group to promote equality for ethnic minority workers within Oldham Council.
“Paveen is a very active woman who loves doing things for others.
“I am lost for words and hope she is okay.”
Fazal Rahim, from Oldham Interfaith Forum, said Paveen, who has a house in Marsden, West Yorkshire, was well known in Oldham and socialised in the borough.
He said: “We are aware that she is part of the flotilla, and her colleagues are worried about her.
“The last we heard from her was via an email just before the flotilla set off, we know she was looking forward to volunteering.
“Since then we’ve heard nothing, people are worried.”
Oldham’s deputy council leader, Councillor Jackie Stanton, said: “We are currently trying to obtain further information regarding Paveen.
“Our thoughts go to Paveen and her family and we hope she is safe and well.”
It is believed that as many as 28 people from the UK were taking part in the aid effort when it came under fire.
Foreign Office sources said many of those detained had refused to give their names to the Israelis, making it hard to give firm numbers of Britons involved.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said they hadn’t had any confirmation that any British nationals had been killed but said that one British national had received medical treatment for injuries.
Israel insists its forces retaliated against an attack by people on board armed with weapons including knives and guns, but activists said the commandoes were shooting as they boarded.
Several British nationals have been detained by Israeli authorities following the assault on a Gaza–bound aid flotilla, the Foreign Office said today.
Consulate officials were “urgently seeking access” to the Britons being held in the the town of Be’er Sheva.
The UN Security Council has also called for the immediate release of all the ships and citizens detained by the Israeli authorities.
Comments
ProDriver - Oldham Council is trying to find out the whereabouts of one of its employees, never heard of duty of care. As for your sarcastic and inappropriate comment regarding her holidays, Paveen is using her holiday allowance to go over to Gaza. Surprise Surprise yes Oldham council employees do have holidays, suppose you object to that also!!
Prodriver Oldham Council is not getting involved. It is simply enquiring on the welfare of one of their staff, never heard of Duty of Care?
This woman as you refer to her (Paveen) is not asking for pity she is simply doing what she deems right, no matter what your political persuasions are.
As for holidays she is taking a proportion of her annual leave which she is justifiably allowed to do. Or do you not think Council employees deserve holidays!
ProDriver: Have you no sense of empathy or compassion? Your flippant, cynical view is typical of so many in Britain today - that's why the country is in such a bad state. Thanks billy1830 for posting the facts and I hope Paveen arrives home safely.
billy1830 - out of curiosity, what duty of care do OMBC owe this employee? If she is on annual leave and not official business, where does this duty of care lie? I can understand a concerned employer assisting the family out of kindness, but I'm unaware of what you make sound a legal obligation.
Billy and Road Rocket why waste time replying to someone who has not got anything better to do except always moan and whinge as if he's the one who pays wage to all the population working in U.K.
I have seen some pathetic comments on chron's forums but this prodriver is in a league of his own, on a different planet.
Curiously one of my responses has not been published. I don't have empathy or compassion for religious fundamentalists and hypocrites. She was on a flotilla intent on breaking a blockade, one legal under international law. The way in which Israeli troops were attacked when they boarded showed that theose manning the ships were far from peaceful activists. This woman put herself in great danger to support one religion over another, and she has no doubt been detained awaiting extradition.
@Road Rocket. my view is not flippant or cybical, it's hard nosed realistm on a centuries old unsolvable conflict. This woman supposedly works in race equality, but believes Muslims have more rights than Jews to the disputed lands. To me, that makes her just as much a religious fundamentalist as any Zionist who acts on what they think.
Strange how a fundametalist can be considred fit to teach kids and manage a kids facility, yet other fundamentalists are hounded and barred from such job
We all would hope that Parveen is returned alive to her family asap. I take issue with the journalism this is the only account having reviewed all newspaper accounts available that mentions "massacre" "deadly force" and sensationalist phrases to support a pro palestininian version of events.
I don;t believe that the Chronicle can stand this languague up. This is a serious bias.
@videoscape. You have a very valid point regarding the use of massacre in the headline. Even the ICRC has this down as a legal boarding. the Israeli troops were under concerted violent attack, heavily outnumbered and in great danger, so they retaliated with force.
To describe it as a massacre suggests it was an unprovoked attack on innocent bystanders.
@proudofoldham, feel free to rebutt any comments I have made on this thread.
Some of the onboard activists looked far from peaceful in the video of the confrontation. One group were attacking the Israeli soldiers with sticks or bars. And pictures from the scene published in a national newspaper show a cache of knives and other weapons found on one of the ships. It seems some peace activists at least like to be well armed when delivering "Aid".
I hope Parveen turns up in good stead...But,if you make a mission over there and you think you're doing good,there's always a danger..Anywhere in the middle East,Arab countries lately is a danger,and why people go,especially British,is beyond me!!I hope Parveen makes it home,I really do..And Prodriver,show a bit of compassion!
A divided and alienated town with a racist population that will not change until they go to their graves
Censored again!
join the club flake, and as for sky786 . you can always leave!!!!!
A number of 'posts' have not been included on here re this matter. I wonder why? Chron' censorship?
I saw on Fox News and CNN that the Israeli's actually only decided to show the video some 14 hours after the event - and it had been edited (allegedly) and so what was shown by the Israelis was out of context with what actually happened and the aid workers were retaliating against the treatment they had received when the soldiers boarded the ship. So, which is the TRUE VERSION of events?
Have Your Say
Why is Oldham Council getting involved?
This convoy is all about a battle between Muslims and Jews over who owns a bit of land.
If this woman is so politically and religiously motivated to get involved in such a dangerous situation and put herslef at great risk, because the dangers were well known, then if there are consequences she has to take them.
Wonder if she was on paid holiday from her government funded job??
By ProDriver @ 01/06/2010 11:56:14