A memorandum to express outrage over Israel's violence against Palestinians was submitted to the United Nations today by the PAS youth wing.

A four-person delegation led by PAS deputy leader Sallehudin Ayub presented the four-point memorandum to UN coordinator Anis Yusof at the international body's mission in Kuala Lumpur.

The memorandum urged the UN to take serious action against the Israeli troops and criticised the organisation's double standards when it comes to human rights abuses.

According to PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar, the Muslim community no longer had confidence in the UN because "it is a well-known fact that they are Jewish agents in promoting international violence".

He added that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had often criticised the west for its human rights records but is silent when Muslims in Palestinian are being abused and murdered.

"We demand the government to make an official stand on this issue," he said.

Since April, the Israelis were reported to have gunned down more than 50 Palestinians and injured many more demonstrators on the grounds of national security.

Last week, Ariel Sharon, head of Israel Likut Party, conducted a "private visit", accompanied by about 3,000 police and special forces to the Muslim holy site of al-Haram al-Sharif (site of al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock) in the old city of Jerusalem, despite repeated warnings by Palestinians and several American officials that the visit could destabilise the situation.

The provocation created by the visit and the heavy Israeli police presence resulted in the Israeli occupation forces opening fire on the large number of Palestinian worshippers who had assembled there for Friday prayers.

The death toll is reported to be over 40 people, including children, and over 1,000 other injured, mainly from bullet wounds to the upper part of the body and head.

Growing outrage

Meanwhile, several non-governmental organisations criticised the UN and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) for their inability to resolve the ongoing dispute between Israel and Palestine.

In a letter sent to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan yesterday, the Asean Network for Palestinians (ANP) urged the international organisation to investigate Israeli violation of Palestinian rights since 1967.

ANP coordinator Mohiddeen Abdul Kader said that the UN must initiate and coordinate actions to protect the human rights of Palestinians and refugees in Jerusalem and their rights to repatriate and restitute their properties.

"We recommend that the UN set up a special tribunal to investigate and punish those responsible for committing war crimes and human rights abuse against the Palestinians," he added.

The Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) lamented the helplessness of the UN in protecting unarmed civilians protesting against injustices and marginalisation in their own homeland.

"The entire world cannot but simply watch as Israel unleashed its killing machines on the killing fields of Palestinian youth," said its president Halim Ismail.

"The Zionist forces have clearly shown their utter disregard for human rights, including the rights of Palestinians to statehood," he added.

He also said that the civilised world in general and the Muslims in particular have betrayed the people of Palestine for not being able to "lift a finger" in defence of justice and the human rights of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Islamic Council criticised the west especially the United States and its allies who had seemed to be promoting peace in Palestine but are now silent when acts of violence take place.

"We are urging the Muslim countries to stand firm against the Israel regime and terminate whatever diplomatic and trade relations with Israel," said its International Relations Committee chairperson Hafidzi Mohd Noor.

"We also appeal to the Muslim community to support the struggles of the Palestinian Muslims to free Jerusalem and their land from being violated by the Israel regime," he added.

Disproportionate use of force

International Movement for a Just World (Just) executive officer Abdul Basir said that the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli government against Palestinian demonstrators protesting the Sharon visit is indicative of the orientation of the government.

Using tanks and helicopters against innocent civilians and young children shows that the Tel Aviv regime has no compunctions about employing violent methods to suppress popular protest, he said.

Student groups, too, have joined the condemnation.

Universiti Malaya Islamic Students Association urged the OIC to take the necessary steps to stop the bloodshed because not only does it go against human rights, but it is also an insult to Islam.

Its president Muhammad Faisal Abd Rahman said that the student body has taken the initiative to raise funds for the victims during the whole month of October and will organise peaceful demonstrations and mass prayers on friday.