Date: Saturday, 23rd February 2019
Time: 9AM – 2PM
Venue: International Institute of Islamic Civilization & Malay World (ISTAC)
24 Persiaran Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, Taman Duta, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Welcoming address by Tan Sri Razali Ismail, SUHAKAM
Keynote address by YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia
Background
The war in Yemen has been on-going for the last three years. More than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed with tens of thousands wounded, many as a direct result of the Saudi-led bombing campaign supported by the United States and Britain and nine other African and Middle-East countries. Women and children in particular have borne the brunt of the hardship and deprivation of the war. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Yemen and an estimated 85,000 children under the age of five may have died from acute malnutrition. And some 3.5 million Yemenis have had to flee their homes and now live under the most deplorable conditions.
The Saudi blockade, in place since 2015, together with the deliberate targeting of means of food production and distribution in Yemen such as farms, fishing boats, ports and food factories have pushed Yemen – which imports 80% of its food – to the brink of famine reaching critical levels. The UN estimates that 130 children die every day in Yemen as a result of the war, famine and disease. To make matters worse, cholera and diphtheria are now also ravaging the land. There were 120,000 cases suspected of cholera between January and August 2018 with 19.3 million Yemenis do not have access to clean water and sanitation. According to UNICEF, more than 22 million Yemenis or 78% of the population need humanitarian assistance every day. The World Health Organization WHO also estimated that 1.8 million under the age of five suffer acute malnutrition including 500,000 children suffered from severe acute malnutrition.
According to UN estimates, around 8.4 million Yemenis are on the verge of starvation and do not know when their next meal will come from. No wonder then that Yemen’s situation has been described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world.
Aims
- To raise awareness of the conflict in Yemen and the unfolding humanitarian crisis there;
- To encourage the Government of Malaysia to play a more active role in the search for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and in particular to assist in alleviating the suffering people of Yemen in their hour of need;
- To encourage Malaysians and civil society groups to help raise funds for humanitarian assistance to Yemen;
- To deliver a Declaration on Yemen to the Parliament.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/symposium-on-stand-with-yemen-photo-exhibition-tickets-56381196677
PROGRAM
830 – 900AM: Registration & arrival of guests
900 – 917AM: Arrival of YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia
Greeted by the heads of the Stand with Yemen Coalition
Brief remarks by Shaykh Kulliyyah Profesor Ulung Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, ISTAC
Photo Opportunity Session
917 – 920AM: Welcome remarks by the Rector of International Islamic University of Malaysia, Emeritus Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abd. Razak
920 – 930AM: Remarks by Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Chairman of SUHAKAM
930 – 1000AM: Keynote Address by YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia
1000 – 1015AM: Launch of the Photo Exhibition by YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on stage followed by a short tour of the Photo Exhibition
Montage of photos from the Exhibition plays in the lecture hall
1015 – 1045AM: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad meets the Press at the Holding Room, accompanied by Tan Sri Razali Ismail and Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim, representatives of the Stand with Yemen Coalition, and Prof Dr Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, the Rector of ISTAC
Photo exhibition opens for participants
1045 – 1100AM: Tea break
1100-1110AM: Speech by Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Chairman of SUHAKAM
1110- 1120AM: Video screening of “The War in Yemen – a first-hand account” by Fatima Noman
1120 – 1220AM: Forum moderated by Dato’ Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, Islamic Renaissance Front
Panelists:
- Dr Abdul Rahman Al Maamari, Tangible Association for Yemeni Refugees – TAYR
- Dr James M. Dorsey, Nanyang Technological University
- Dr Chandra Muzaffar, International Movement for a Just World
- Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs
1220 – 1225PM: Short comments by HE Dr Adel BaHamid, Ambassador of Yemen to Malaysia
1225 – 125PM: Discussion and Q&A
125 – 130PM: Presentation by GPM on their recent mission to Yemen
130 – 135PM: Reading of the Symposium Declaration by Brig Jen (Rtd) Dato Mohamed Arshad Raji, President of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan on behalf of the Stand with Yemen Coalition
135 – 200PM: Lunch at the Banquet Hall for honourable guests and participants
Press Conference and Photo Opportunity for the Stand with Yemen Coalition
Speakers’ Profile:
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Maamari
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Maamari has a PhD in Post-colonial Literature from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). Currently a researcher and freelance translator, Dr. Al-Maamari devotes his time to assisting the Tangible Association for Yemeni Refugees (TAYR), an NGO which is registered under the UNHCR and based in Negeri Sembilan.
Dr James M. Dorsey
Dr James M. Dorsey is a Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University focused on the Middle East and North Africa who publishes widely in peer-reviewed journals as well as non-academic publications. A veteran, award-winning foreign correspondent for four decades in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the United States for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Financial Times, James has met a multitude of the region’s leaders. As a journalist, James covered primarily ethnic and religious conflict, including some of recent history’s most dramatic events such as the 1973 Middle East war; the Lebanese civil war; the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S.-backed insurgency that ultimately led to the withdrawal of Soviet troops; the Palestinian intifadas; the Iranian revolution, U.S. embassy hostage crisis and the Iran-Iraq war; the Iraqi invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein; the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; the wars in Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia; the armed struggles in the Western Sahara, Algeria, the Philippines, Kashmir, Eritrea, Tigre, the Ogaden, Chad, Niger, Chechnya, the Caucasus and Georgia; the Columbian drug cartels; the fall of Noriega in Panama; the wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador; the Kurdish insurgency in south-eastern Turkey, post-revolution Iran and Saddam’s Iraq; and the war on terror. James writes a widely acclaimed blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer, has published a book with the same title, and authors a syndicated column. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences, workshops and seminars and is consulted by governments, corporations and judicial authorities. James won the Dolf van den Broek prize in 2003 and was a two-time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 and 1988 as well as was a finalist for the 2012 European Press Prize; the Kurt Schork Award and the Amnesty International Media Award in 2002 and the Index on Censorship Award in 2012. James also co-directs the Institute of Fan Culture of the University of Wuerzburg.
Dr Chandra Muzaffar
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is the President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), an international NGO based in Malaysia, which seeks to critique global injustice and to develop an alternative vision of a just and compassionate civilisation guided by universal spiritual and moral values. He has published extensively on civilizational dialogue, international politics, religion, human rights and Malaysian society. The author and editor of 32 books in English and Malay, many of his writings have been translated into other languages. Among Chandra’s latest publications are, A World in Crisis: Is There a Cure? and Reflections on Malaysian Unity and Other Challenges. In l977, he founded a multi-ethnic social reform group called Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN) which he led for 14 years. Today, apart from his role in JUST, Chandra sits on the board of a number of international NGOs concerned with social justice and civilizational dialogue. Chandra was Professor at, and Director of, the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya (1997-1999) and Professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia (2007-2012) Chandra travels abroad frequently, giving lectures and speaking at seminars and conferences. He is also a regular speaker at meetings at home in Malaysia. Chandra is the recipient of a number of international awards related to his scholarship and social activism, including the Harry J. Benda Prize for distinguished scholarship on Southeast Asia by the Association of Asian Studies, North America (1989) and the Juliet Hollister recognition as an “inter-faith Visionary” by the New York based Temple of Understanding (2010)
Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs. He is the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Parit Buntar constituency in Perak for Parti Amanah Negara. Mujahid is the son of former PAS President Yusof Rawa and has a PhD in Political Science. Rawa has spoken of transforming PAS, an Islamic party, into a multi-racial party before becoming founding member of new Muslim democratic party, Parti Amanah Negara. He has authored several books including Menuju PAS Baru (2010), Rejuvinasi PAS (2012), Malaysia Pasca Rasisme (2014), Engaging Christianity (2014), Islam dan Kepelbagaian (2015), Melakar Agenda Masa Depan Politik Islam di Malaysia (2015), and Islam Bukan Agama Teroris (2016).
Organizers:
- Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM)
- G25 Malaysia (G25)
- Global Peace Malaysia (GPM)
- International Movement for a Just World (JUST)
- Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
- Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM)
- Sisters in Islam (SIS)
- Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
- United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM)
- Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot)
Media Partner:
- Free Malaysia Today
To donate to the humanitarian aid fund for Yemen by Global Peace Mission Malaysia:
Maybank: 5642 2161 1602
Bank Islam: 1402 3010 02922 4
Ref: Yaman
Email: [email protected]
