52 1276541364 1526562832 No James Leas No 7 IHH, a major charitable organization with UN consultative status, faces scandalous attacks, made without evidence. The partner-organizations of the Freedom Flotilla issued this solidarity statement. We partners in the Freedom Flotilla would like to offer our deepest sympathy to the people of Turkey and particularly to the nine families who have lost their brothers, sons, and fathers.

We have been proud and honored to work with the Foundation for Human Rights & Freedoms & Humanitarian Relief (IHH), and we respect IHH’s track record of humanitarian missions worldwide.

IHH was one of the first charitable organizations to send in teams of doctors to Haiti after the earthquake. IHH outreach and aid to impoverished and traumatized people is based on doing the right thing and not on religion, ethnicity, or nationality. See www.ihh.org.tr.

IHH is a member of ECOSOC, one of only 3 thousand organizations worldwide to be granted consultative status to the UN. See the UN site on NGO accreditation.

To be eligible for consultative status, an NGO must have:

• • A democratically-adopted constitution

• • The authority to speak for its members

• • A representative structure

• Appropriate mechanisms of accountability and democratic and transparent decision-making processes.

The basic resources of the organization must be derived in the main part from contributions of the national affiliates or other components or from individual members.

In the past few days, Israel and its apologists around the world have demonized this charity. Instead of facing the fact that the Israeli navy committed crimes of murder, maiming, hijacking, and theft, they are blaming the victim. It is time for all of us who believe to stand up and shout: “We are all IHH!”

Statement endorsed by all Flotilla partner organizations: Free Gaza Movement, European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza, Ship to Gaza-Sweden and Ship-to-Gaza-Greece.