- The Israeli military finally constructed the watchtower
in Ush Ghrab in the middle of our town of Beit Sahour today.
An ugly reminder to us of the apartheid military power and an eye-sore
too. News also indicates that the army decided to declare areas of Bilin
and Nilin as closed military zones on Friday so that they try to prevent
the weekly demonstrations.
-
- The occupation army today injured 10 demonstrators including
some with live bullets (I always hated this term for neither the bullets
nor those who fire them know anything about the value of life). They also
arrested an activist with the Popular Campaign from the village of Al-Masara (Omar Ala'
Edin, 25-year-old).
-
- There is hardly a day that goes by without such injustices
that some in the outside world only hears about through the internet and
others never hear about it. But we also see acts of heroism and self-sacrifice
daily that go unreported. The dignified resistance starts by refusing
to succumb in one's own heart. After all, if you accept injustice and
believe in powerlessness, then you have already lost the struggle before
it starts. Many refuse to accept the injustice and thus are instrumental
in keeping the hope alive and the fires of the struggles burning. This
can progress to acts of solidarity and support.
-
- I meet many internationals daily in Palestine who
are caring deeply about what is going on. The Tree of Life group that
was here Sunday was a blessing to us (see http://www.holylandpeace.org/)
. Families in Beit Sahour hosted them in their homes and many life-long
friendships were made. Several other groups come to learn and support
the people struggling to hang on to what is left of our land.
-
- Many locals engage in activism and it does work. As
an example, the initial work to prepare for the watchtower was done weeks
ago. The time to put the tower today only took less than two hours. Why
was the delay? The answer is clearly related to the resistance encountered
at the site. Why the timing today? Because there was a division about
best tactics to respond between the popular campaign and a city official.
-
- There are lessons to be drawn from this as from a long
history of popular resistance in Palestine. The lessons are: we must
act, we must act strongly, and we must do it regardless of "politics"
(in its banal sense). It is possible to act from wherever you are and by
whatever tool available to you: speaking, writing, blogging, demonstrating,
boycotting, shouting, singing, whispering, dancing, helping. We have great
opportunities and significant openings; e.g. letters about settlements
and Israel's apartheid policies are more read and published now. Together
we are making a difference despite the oppression and together we can effect
real change in our circumstances.
-
- Action: Stop the Wall and www.itisapartheid.org
are organizing the first
- international Israeli apartheid short film contest.
Please consider making
- and submitting a film to this contest. For more information
go to
- http://www.itisapartheid.tv
-
- Background: Is Israel an Apartheid State?
- http://icahdusa.org/2010/03/617
-
- A powerful speech by Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
- http://www.qumsiyeh.org/lynngottlieb/
-
- Open Letter to Mazin Qumsiyeh from Howard Cort
- http://www.qumsiyeh.org/openletterfromhowardcort/
-
- Mazim Qumsiyet, una storia di resistenza che nasce dai
libri (in Italian)
- http://www.terranews.it/news/2010/03/mazim-qumsiyet-una-storia-di-resistenza
- -che-nasce-dai-libri
-
- A video done by a Spanish group about my visit to spain
(in Spanish).
- Vídeo donde se ve al profesor Qumsiyeh en una
acción:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4he1vayLrfo
-
- Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
- Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG)
- A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
- http://www.qumsiyeh.org
- http://www.pcr.ps
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