Fate & Struggle

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=55 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="060085a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Fate & Struggle</B></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"><B>Home</B></A><B>    </B>-    <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Added"><B>Updates</B></A><B>    </B><B>-</B>   <B> </B><A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meta Index"><B>Index</B></A>    <B>-    </B><A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><B>Links</B></A><B>    -    </B><B>Contact</B><B>    </B> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meta Index"><B><IMG SRC="04e0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="Up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>   </B><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chronology"><B><IMG SRC="04d0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="Previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intro on Blacklisted"><B><IMG SRC="04f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="Next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=155 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="061d2e83.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chronology">Chronology</A></div> <div> Fate & Struggle</div> <div> <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intro on Blacklisted">Intro on "Blacklisted"</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blacklisted">Blacklisted</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The terrors of Putte Allegations hover ">"The terrors of Putte - Allegations hover over European director of aid organization, his family"</A></div> <bR> <div>  <STYLE> </STYLE>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=408 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>A summary of the Sayadi's struggle and Fate</B></div> <bR> <div> Nabil Sayadi and his wife Patricia Soraya Vinck staffed a Belgian non-profit humanitarian aid organization. They have 4 childeren. They are Muslim and have all Belgian citizenship. Their own government placed them on a UN list of terror supporters. No arguments are provided. No trial planned.</div> <bR> <div> One day journalists informed Ms. Sayadi that her government had placed them on a UN blacklist of people providing aid to terrorism. As a result their lives might not have changed that drastic if it weren't the Belgian government imposed restriction on their liberty.</div> <bR> <div> <B>1./ Bank accounts blocked</B></div> <div> <B>2./ Not allowed to leave Belgium</B></div> <div> <B>3./ Not allowed to be involved in arms trade</B></div> <bR> <div> No accusations have been made. On public television and after an initiative the Sayadis took themselves, the prime minister promised to investigate their case. The prime Minister promissed to request the UN to remove the Sayadis form any blacklist if it turned out within eight days of investigation a trial would make any chance. Many months have since then passed and the situation of the Sayadi family has grown even more difficult since their government made those promises.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>1./ Bank accounts blocked</U></B></div> <div> The Sayadi's personal bank account, including those of their children and of the organization they worked in, have remained frozen ever since. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>2./ Not allowed to leave Belgium</U></B></div> <div> The Sayadis are no longer allowed to leave Belgium. The tiny kingdom is about 30.000 square kilometers small. Traveling within the European Union, or even amongst the <A HREF="http://www.eurovisa.info/SchengenCountries.htm" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.eurovisa.info/SchengenCountri">Schengen countries</A> only, is forbidden to them. </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>3./ Not allowed to be involved in arms trade</U></B></div> <div> Arms are a major product of export in Belgium. Of course only to areas without war and to countries who are democratic and that defend democracy.</div> <div> The Sayadis have and never will be involved in anything that involves the trade of arms. They provided in a much different way to those who were often victims of armed conflicts.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="672" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FF6600 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> <B>Dramatic outcome due to Belgian government's decisions</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Put without an income</U></B> <I><U>- The System at work -</U></I></div> <div> To provide for his family Mr. Sayadi had to sell the truck he owned. He found an other job soon but when his employer was questioned by customs abroad he became unemployed again.</div> <bR> <div> The State body supposed to take care of unemployed people, sues him but only after the family went to court because that same State body seemed not able to make up whether he was eligible for an allowance or not. As a former employee he would be eligible but if Mr Sayadi could be considered as a self-employed businessman who went broke he and his family would be on their own. The later has indeed not the right to obtain an unemployment payment because self-employed people do not contribute in the same way to the Social Security system as employees do. However, for years Nabil contributed a significant amount of his wage to the mandatory Social Security System, being employed in the non-profit organization he worked for. Until the State's law suit isn't decided the law suit the Sayadi's started earlier is on hold. </div> <div> - Back to square one -</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Fire insurance canceled</U></B></div> <div> In the Spring of 2004 the insurance company contracted to provide for the house the Sayadis rent, informed the family their contract would not be renewed because of a government's decision not allowing insurance companies to provide coverage to anyone the government - without having to provide proof - considers as eligible to be placed on any official list related to terrorism.</div> <div> If their house is no longer covered the owner might not be able to let is for much longer.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Health care at stake</U></B></div> <div> Before the <A HREF="http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/">Berlin Wall</A> fell health care was relatively cheap, as taxes had paid for in advance. Nowadays the part of the fee that is not eligible for reimbursement has risen to a level studies show exposing the whole population to threats because a growing part of participants in the mandatory social security system is not able anylonger to get access to healthcare when needed.</div> <bR> <div> Also the Sayadi family members suffer now under the poverty their government has organized for them.</div> <bR> <div> Their only income - June 2004 - is provided by a health care allowence one of the family members receives. It's about 1100 Euro a month. The rent is over 600 Euro a month.</div> <bR> <div> The price of bread has been released recently. Thus there is no limit anylonger on what can be asked. Anyway, Ms. Sayadi bakes now herself two loafs of bread a day. We only hope the people who provided the bakery equipment won't be put by whatever goverment on whatever list....</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>1 liter of full-cream milk</B>: 0,54 Euro - 1,10 Euro</div> <div> <B>1 kilogram of carrots:</B> 0,59 - 0,90 Euro</div> <div> 1 kilogram of high grade </div> <div> <B>1 carton of cigarettes:</B> / <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >(None of the Sayadi's smokes neither grow themselves).</FONT></div> <div> <B>6 eggs:</B> / <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >(The Sayadis are blessed to have un-listed chicken around).</FONT></div> <div> <B>1 liter of unleaded petrol:</B> at the very least 1 Euro <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >(Country side folks; fuel).</FONT></div> <div> <B>Rent: </B>over 600 Euro/month <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >(nothing included; only stones & soil).</FONT></div> <div> ===========================================================================</div> <div> <B>Income:</B> slightly over 1100 Euro/month for 2 adults + 4 children<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" > (June 2004).</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I>Currency converter:</I> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Courier New" ><A HREF="http://www.xe.com/ucc/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.xe.com/ucc/">http://www.xe.com/ucc/</A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="672" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FF6600 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 144 ><NOBR><div> <B>How do they survive ?</B></div> <bR> <div> Prayer, strive and patience</div> <div> Cutting back on whatever possible</div> <div> Gifts from the Muslim community, family and friends</div> <bR> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Access to education and social life on the detour</U></B></div> <div> Government programs fighting <I>"Poverty Over The Generations"</I> and advocating <I>"Fair Chances For All"</I>, have been in place for many years. The free-market politics are clear: 'The Welfare State must be an active one: no job, no rights'. This policy seems fair, according to some, however what if unemployment is a result of e.g. the government's policy?</div> <bR> <div> Free access to basic education is a legal right. </div> <div> That right - or better the money involved - has been advocated for ever since the country came into existence in 1830. Belgian history books mention even two "Wars of Schools" ("Schoolstrijd") where Catholics, Socialists and Liberals threw their troops on the streets to truly fight for their share of the cake.</div> <div> Free education for all is far from realized. Politicians do question, at the eve of elections, 'public' elite schools organizing schooltrips to the Amazon forest but in the end the costs to get an education are driven many of the schoolbanks from the moment the law allows it. The basic costs to get an education seems to have become to high for many families nowadays.</div> <bR> <div> Two of the four children the Sayadis have go to primary school.</div> <div> They are dealt with as if nothing has happened but their parents know the whole situation puts a lot of stress on their young shoulders.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Next:</U></B> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Courier New" ><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intro on Blacklisted">Introduction on the text </A><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intro on Blacklisted">"Blacklisted"</A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meta Index"><B>INDEX</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pointer">Pointer</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id90_articles__index_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles">Articles</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id33_link_index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links">Link Index</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Index of Letters">Index of Letters</A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome">Homepage</A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"> (Welcome)</A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books Movies">Index of Books & Movies</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Added">More recently added information</A></div> <div>  <STYLE> </STYLE>  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=17 BGCOLOR="#003366" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="id93_m.htm" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Fate Struggle"><B>Top</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intro on Blacklisted"><B>Next</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chronology"><B>Previous</B></A><B> </B><B>    </B><A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Meta Index"><B>Index</B></A><B> </B><B>    </B><A HREF="id33_link_index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><B>Links</B></A><B> </B><B> </B><B>   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome"><B>Home</B></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Added"><B>Updates</B></A><B>     </B><B>Contact</B><B>     </B><A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pointer"><B>Pointer</B></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>