Israel arrests leading Palestinian astrophysicist

A renowned Palestinian professor and astrophysicist, Imad al-Barghouti, was arrested by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on Sunday evening. 

The 53-year-old professor of space physics at al-Quds University in East Jerusalem was arrested at an Israeli military checkpoint, near the village of Nabi Saleh in the central occupied West Bank.

He had been returning home to a nearby village.

Barghouthi was previously arrested in 2014 while passing though the Israeli-controlled border with Jordan on his way to a conference in the United Arab Emirates.

The leading scientist was interrogated about material he had posted on Facebook. Protests from scientists worldwide led to his release from prison a month later.

Barghouti is a leading researcher, publishing frequently in academic astrophysics journals, and has previously worked for NASA.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2016/4/25/israel-arrests-leading-palestinian-astrophysicist

From Barghouti’s last arrest and release a year ago, he posted a letter thanking AURDIP, the French association of academics in support of Palestinians’ rights, for pressuring for his release after a month and a half in jail:

I was arrested on December 6, 2014, at the Karama border crossing, as I was travelling to Jordan on my way to the United Arab Emirates to attend a conference organized by the Arab Association of Astronomy and Space Sciences of which I am a founding member. The Israeli military order to detain me extended until March 5, 2015 and would have likely been renewed had such international pressure by people of conscience not been exerted on the Israeli government. Now that I have been released, I am still subject to detention at any moment without charge or trial because of my political views and political affiliations.
Many other Palestinians have not been as lucky as I am. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, the wave of mass arrests conducted by Israeli military courts against Palestinians in the first two weeks of December of last year included 54 Palestinians besides myself. Another Palestinian academic, Dr. Ghassan Thuqan of the Faculty of Education at An-Najah University, is languishing in ill health at the Naqab (Negev) desert prison without charge or trial since July 9th…
These waves of mass arrests and detention without charge or trial continue to be a means that the Israeli authorities use in order to repress freedom of expression by criminalizing it through Israeli Military Order 101, used by the IDF to restrict Palestinians’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

- See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2016/04/palestinian-astrophysicist-arrested-and-jailed-for-second-time-in-15-months/#sthash.nFCDjVgg.dpuf

Interesting news, Sass. Do you know of a link to what he actually posted to Facebook? I couldn't find it.

There doesn't appear to be one and Israel have got his account taken off!!!

YouTube videos of Barghouti speaking at Hamas rallies show he was not just a critic of Israeli policy in the West Bank, but was also a vocal supporter of Hamas’s military wing the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and their terror activities, including the firing of rockets at Israeli cities.


In a video published August 11, 2014, in the midst of Israel’s 50-day war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Barghouti can be seen speaking at a Hamas rally in downtown Ramallah calling on West Bank Palestinians to “take up arms to defend their homes.”
In a speech two months later at his university, Barghouti praised the actions of the Qassam Brigades and called on listeners to devote themselves to the “resistance” and “liberating Al-Aqsa and the holy places.”




http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-arrests-pro-hamas-palestinian-astrophysics-professor/






So is on record as rendering civilians as combatants by calling for them to take up arms. Telling them to defend their homes, making those that follow his call willing participants and willing human shields. Which renders their status and protection under the Geneva convention nullified. The worst part is he very intelligent and sadly on this aspect, emotional hate is blinding him to think rationally  Be interested why again they have arrested him, but someone of this hate. Who calls for the human right of Jews to even be near their religious holiest of places for the Jews.

I mean I thought Islam teaches to be respectful of other religions and to not deny religious people their access or rights to attend them. I mean this Mosque built centuries at least the temple built be Herod, likely earlier Temples as corroborated by outside sources of the first temple being plundered. Is just another Mosque, only elevated based off what has to be verging on the realms of Peter Pan and Perseus and Pegasus. That Muhammad ascended into the heaven on winged horses.. The Holiest Places in Islam are in Saudi, not the Colonized conquered area, the former Judah and Israel. This is the bases for the continued denial and hate spouted in order to prevent Jews simply being or coming close to what is to them, their most Holiest site. Now I always thought that Muslims are taught to respect other places of Worship and believers?
Is the following wrong, meaning Islam is incompatible with allowing for other religions. Or is it based off no such call to do so in the Quran, and claims to deeds done by Muhammad?



“To the Jews who follow us belong help and equity.  He shall not be harmed nor his enemies be aided.”


“Beware!  Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawud)







Or



The Ashtiname of Muhammad




“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.  Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God!  I hold out against anything that displeases them.  No compulsion is to be on them.  Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.  No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.  Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet.  Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.  No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.  The Muslims are to fight for them.  If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval.  She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.  Their churches are declared to be protected.  They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.  No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”