Al-Marsad – Arab Human Rights Centre in Golan Heights is an independent, not-for-profit international human rights organization with no religious or political affiliation that operates in the Golan Heights.[2] The Golan Heights region is internationally recognised as Syrian territory occupied by Israel, although Israel asserts it has a right to retain control over the area.[3] The organisation was created in October 2003 and is run from Majdal Shams.[2][4] It was the first human rights organisation founded in the Golan.[5]
Al-Marsad has also voiced concern over what it deems Israel's "ethnic cleansing" of the Syrian Arab population in the Golan.[4] 130,000 Syrian Arabs from the Golan Heights were expelled or fled to Syria following Israel's capture of the territory in 1967. Most villages were also destroyed by Israeli forces, leaving six villages and 23,000 Syrian residents remaining in the Golan.[13]
Al-Marsad has reported that Israeli settlers receive five times the amount of water than the area's Syrian farmers do,[14] and that land has been expropriated for Israeli settlements.[15] Al-Marsad has also reported that Arab residents, moreover, pay more taxes to Israel than their Israeli counterparts while receiving fewer services.[15]
Israeli (de facto) annexation of the Golan Heights
^Y.Z Blum "Secure Boundaries and Middle East Peace in the Light of International Law and Practice" (1971) pages 24–46
^ abSzerman, Nathalie and Feki, Masri. Les druzes du GolanIsraël Magazine, 9 July 2007 (in French) Original: L'objectif révélé du centre est de «faire l'inventaire des graves violations de l'occupation israélienne contre les Arabes syriens du Golan afin de faire connaître à la communauté internationale la situation des. Droits de l'homme dans le Golan» et d'encourager une intervention internationale. L'un de ces abus serait le «nettoyage ethnique» des Arabes syriens du Golan effectué par Israël. Al-Marsad, fondé en octobre 2003 par un groupe d'avocats et de professions libérales est une organisation indépendante à but non lucratif. Translation: The centre's explicit aim is to "draw up an inventory of the serious violations made by the Israeli occupation against the Syrian Arabs of the Golan," in order to both bring to the international community's attention and encourage intervention. One of the abuses is the "ethnic cleansing" of Syrian Arabs of the Golan carried out by Israel. Al-Marsad, founded in October 2003 "by a group of lawyers and professional people" is an independent, non-profit organization.
^Burghoorn, Alex. Klem tussen bezetter en dictatuurde Volkskrant 15 August 2008. (in Dutch) Original: Munir Fakher Eldin, een 36-jarige historicus, die in Majdal Shams drie jaar geleden betrokken was bij de oprichting van Al Marsad, de eerste mensenrechtenorganisatie op de Golan. Translation: Munir Fakher el-Din, a 36-year-old historian, who three years ago in Majdal Shams was involved in the founding of Al-Marsad, the first human rights organization in the Golan
^Keane, David; McDermott, Yvonne, eds. (2012), The Challenge of Human Rights: Past, Present and Future, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 142–143, ISBN9780857939005