Apr 11, 2009

Quneitera, (SANA) – In an arbitrary act that is probably the first of its kind in human history, the Israeli occupation forces placed one-year-old baby Fahd Shuqeir under house arrest for two years simply for being born in Damascus.

This act is one of the many similar actions that aim at oppressing the people of the occupied Syrian Golan's villages and towns. The Israeli occupation used these tactics since the first day of Golan's occupation in 1967 in an attempt to evict the people of these villages and seizes their lands, only to be faced with the resilience and resistance of the Syrian citizens of Golan.

The Israeli enemy continues to harass the people of Golan and take steps that attempt to separate them from their homeland Syria and their people, using any immoral method available in clear disregard for morality and human rights, such as arresting citizens arbitrarily, depriving the people from their water supplies, bulldozing their lands, uprooting their crops and trees, killing their livestock, and finally placing a baby under house arrest.

The baby was born to parents from Majdal Shams who were studying in Damascus University, and upon their return to their hometown with their firstborn son, they were informed by the occupation forces of the decision to place the baby under house arrest.

The baby's uncle Dr. Ihsan Shuqeir stated that the family anticipated all possibilities and the harassments that they will suffer from at the hands of occupation forces, but this act exceeded all expectations, noting that the baby can't visit a doctor or accompany his mother to visit his grandfather.

"The Israeli occupation forces' excuse is that the baby is a terrorist because he was born in Damascus," he said.

He pointed out that the baby's family contacted the International Red Cross and human rights organizations to shed light on this tragedy and pressure the Israeli forces who may attempt to arrest Fahd if he is taken out of the house by his father.

The occupation forces are rejecting any attempt to resolve the situation and are telling the baby's father to leave the town and head to any country and register the baby there so that he will be able to live in Majdal Shams.