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Crisis in Darfur

"Let us remember: what hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander."
- Elie Wiesel

What is happening in Darfur?

Since early 2003, Sudanese government forces and ethnic militia called "Janjaweed" have engaged in armed conflict with two rebel groups called the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice Equality Movement (JEM). As part of its operations against the rebels, government forces have waged a systematic campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against the civilian population who are members of the same ethnic group as the rebels. [www.hrw.org]

The Statistics

• Over 300,000 estimated deaths since February, 2003.

• Nearly 2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur.

• 220,000 Sudanese refugees in camps in Eastern Chad.

• 3.5 million conflict-affected people in need of assistance

What is Genocide? Is this one?

Genocide is defined by international law as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group: "Killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group." (Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), Article II)

President Bush and Congress have both called what is happening in Darfur a genocide.

Rep. Israel's Actions

• Rep. Israel cosponsored H.R. 1424 "The Darfur Genocide Accountability Act of 2005"

• Rep. Israel cosponsored H.R. 723 - calling on the United Nations to authorize a peacekeeping mission and urging the President to take immediate steps to improve the situation.

• Rep. Israel voted for the supplemental $50 million in funds to double the African Union mission in Sudan.

• Rep. Israel cosponsored H.R. 3127 "The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005."

• Additionally, Rep. Israel is committed to raisingawareness about this issue here on Long Island so that our community can lead the country in this effort.

Rep. Israel, with local
elected officials, declares,
"We Will Not Remain Silent."

Click here for more information about Washington's response to the crisis in Darfur

Links - For More Information on Darfur

State Department Fact Sheet http://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/fs/2005/45105.htm

“Darfur in Crisis” - Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org

Videos, Pictures and other information http://www.savedarfur.org/home

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Committee on Conscience
http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/alert/darfur/

Student involvement
http://www.standnow.org/

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