Government
of Fujeira
POST OFFICE
Fujeira - Arabian Gulf
17 August 1970
FURTHER OFFICIAL ADVICE
On three previous occasions, June 9, July 20 and July 30, we advised overseas editors to exercise caution regarding illegal announcements and mail reaching them on printed forms bearing the Fujeira Government or Post Office name.
Despite this official caution, and despite the fact that all that was required to check any statements was a letter addressed back to this Post Office (directly to this Post Office, and not via a post office box in Beirut, or somewhere else) we have been informed that several publications have taken it upon themselves to publicize worthless labels purporting to be stamps of Fujeira, and to disseminate libel originating with the manufacturers of such stamps.
We feel that this is inexcusable and such editors must personally accept the full responsibility for their violation of normal editorial obligations.
Our investigations:
In investigating the actions of the Middle East Stamp S.A.L. (Jacques Anhoury, George Hage, et al) we have been appalled at their total disregard for Universal Postal Union conventions. We have been even further appalled by the philatelic ignorance of some stamp editors, or the total indifference of such editors to basic postal facts on which the hobby they publicize is based.
The international collector following of stamps of the Arab world has been abused and insulted by a huge deluge of stamps emanating from geographic points supposedly in the Arabian area, often nothing but spurious labels bearing fictitious names. These quickly die out as they are obviously frauds against the collector.
But two blatant examples still continue by the same parties who are involved in this Fujeira matter under investigation.
Kingdom of Yemen: Obviously there was a Kingdom of Yemen, and everyone knows that there was an extensive Civil War. However, there have not been legal Kingdom of Yemen Post Offices for quite some time. Yet hundreds upon hundreds of stamps were and are produced by the above stamp dealer, who in announcements gives as the return address for the Post Office a city outside Yemen. Furthermore they illegally despatch covers bearing such labels through other post offices in violation of Universal Postal Union procedures.
Oman: An even greater fraud is the production of spurious propaganda labels which they call postage stamps of Oman. There is no existing currency equal to that shown on the stamps; there is no Post Office in which such stamps can be mailed. Here again they illegally mail covers in violation of Universal Postal Union regulations while they or their representatives claim to represent a government post office, they cynically give as a return address a post office box in Amman, Jordan.
We have further found out:
It is the practice of these people to display voluminous masses of documents bearing all sorts of fancy titles, which they give to each other and their collaborators, so that they can pretend to be legally appointed officials who will verify all of the illegal rubbish which they throw upon the market.
With the expenditure of a few minutes and the price of a postage stamp, any editor or any overseas philatelist can address a letter directly back to the so-called post office where such labels supposedly originate. When mail will be returned to them they will find out that there is no such post office, or the labels will be condemned for what they are. But, obviously, if they address their mail to a post office box in Lebanon, or Amman, London or any other city, then they are not writing directly back to the "Post Office" supposedly issuing the stamps.
Distribution of illegal labels:
Investigations show that Middle East Stamp S.A.L., and their associates who produce these labels, work through a network of dealers in various countries who assist them, knowingly or unknowingly, in dumping this material onto the stamp collector market.
In Great Britain these include Southern Stamp Service, Haase R.H. Investments; in France the Silombra firm,; in Germany Mr. Masters, Frankfurt; in the U.S.A. the Fatoullah Lazar, Weishaupt Corp., and Franknina. Some of these dealers receive this material directly from the printers for distribution as though these were legal postage stamps.
The Board of Trade in Great Britain has a section devoted to representation in advertising, and their attention is directed to the passing of such fraudulent labels as postage stamps following their importation into Great Britain duty free as though these were postage stamps and not printed matter.
Illegal Fujeira Stamp Issues:
We previously officially advised that no legal stamps of the Post Office of Fujeira have been printed in any of the Communist country printing works. We have further advised that certain spurious and fraudulent stamps were printed in Hungary have appeared on the market and steps will be taken against those handling them.
Legal procedures require time and proper steps are being taken against the various parties involved in this matter, and will be taken against those who knowingly collaborate with these people to the harm of this Post Office and overseas collectors interested in its stamps.
Official Advice:
May we once again officially caution editors to be careful about announcements bearing the name Fujeira which reach them without bearing the proper stamps and the normal cancellation which has been unchanged for many years.
Should the above mentioned Middle East Stamp S.A.L., Jacques Anhoury, George Hage, and/or the various associates involved in the matters above mentioned, attempt to obtain credibility for their statements and/or illegal productions by brandishing what they allege to be "official documents" or statements, such should be referred to the Post Office of Fujeira for checking. Please be advised that every bit of so-called documentation which these people have already displayed is either meaningless or fraudulent. This is an official advice.
If any editors or overseas residents have doubt about any particular statements they should write directly to the Post Office of Fujeira for verification. They should not write via Beirut, or via Sharjah, or any other place outside of Fujeira. The address of the Post Office of Fujeira is and has been, simply:
POST OFFICE OF FUJEIRA
Fujeira, Trucial States
Arabian Gulf
Links
to the other announcements and to the Arab Gulf and Yemen Philatelic Resource
Page:
Index |
20 July 1970A |
20 July 1970B |
30 July 1970 |
17 August 1970 |
Resource Page