veiled4allah

Palestinians rally for release of Christian hostages in Iraq

8ackgr0und N015e has an important diary at Daily Kos about how Palestinians are rallying in support of the Christian Peacemaker Team members who are being held hostage in Iraq:

Yesterday in Hebron Palestinians held a rally calling for the release of the Christian Peacemakers Team being held hostage in Iraq. These Palestinians are standing in solidarity with the hostages because they know that Tom Fox, one of the hostages, on many occasions had stood between Palestinian children and Israeli tanks... ...A demonstration will be held in Rammallah today at the Al Manara square 3:00 PM to call for the release of the four kidnapped peace activists in Iraq. Speakers at the demonstration will include a representative of the Palestinian Islamic Forum, Shawkat Samha The Mayor of Jayouss (where Harmeet and Tom volunteered), Mustapha Barghouti head of the Palestinian Initiative and Kadura Fares of the National committee against the wall and settlements. This is the second rally in support of the CPT hostages being held in Iraq. Yesterday, friends of Tom Fox in Hebron held a rally also calling for the release of the CPT hostages. A third demonstration will be held in the village of Tawani, tomorrow at 1:30, where American Tom Fox served as a volunteer.

Please do read the whole thing. We don't see enough positive reports about Palestinians in the news. Update: In other news:

A leading British Muslim and anti-Iraq war campaigner has arrived in Iraq on a mission to secure the safe release of kidnapped Briton Norman Kember. Anas Altikriti went to Baghdad to try to persuade the hostage takers to free Kember. Altikriti, who is representing the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Stop the War and CND, has the blessing of Kember's wife Pat, who said: "I much appreciate this visit." ... ...A spokesman for the MAB said Altikriti's first step would be to meet CPT in the city, after which he would talk to influential Sunni Muslim organisations in a bid to convey to the hostage takers that Kember should never have been seized. But he admitted Altikriti, who is of Iraqi extraction, was "under no illusion" about the riskiness of his mission. "He will try to explain that by holding Mr Kember they are doing a great injustice," the spokesman said.

Later: CAIR:

The leading US Muslim civil liberties group has called for the immediate release of four Christian peace activists kidnapped in Iraq and threatened with murder. "Those who left the comfort of their homes to advocate for the rights of others that do not share their faith, ethnicity or language should be celebrated and honored by Muslims, not humiliated by being made captives or, God forbid, killed," Parvez Ahmed, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told a news conference Sunday, December 4. "As a leader of the American Muslim community and the head of America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, I make a personal appeal to the captors of the four members of the Christian Peacemakers Teams - release our brothers in humanity immediately and unconditionally," he said in a statement posted on CAIR's Web site.

Later: Via the Daily Mail:

The head of the world's oldest Islamic movement has called for the immediate release of British hostage Norman Kember. Mohammed Mahdi Akef, president of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, is the latest leading Muslim to urge the kidnappers to release their captives. In a message broadcast on al-Jazeera on Thursday Mr Akef said kidnapping innocent people was against the principles of Islam. He said: "In the name of the the Muslim Brotherhood worldwide I call for the western peace activists in Iraq to be released immediately. "Islam rejects the kidnapping of innocent people regardless of their aim, beliefs and opinion and all laws locally and internationally consider kidnapping a crime, particularly when it targets innocent peace activists who are known for their activity and solidarity for the Iraqi cause." Mr Akef said the hostages were from a well-known Christian group which works in solidarity with Palestinian people "against Israeli aggression". "Such people should be welcomed, not harmed, and their efforts should be endorsed," he said. "Kidnapping will only distort the image of Iraq."

do they know it's Christmas?

It's almost Christmas, that one time a year when American Christians seem to turn their attention to what's happening in Bethlehem:

The town where Jesus was born is being turned into a "big prison" by the Israeli barrier going up in the West Bank, say the heads of churches in the Holy Land in a pre-Christmas message... ...Yet much of its lifeblood tourist trade remains shut down and residents blame Israeli encirclement -- Jewish settlements expanding on occupied land around Bethlehem and the wall that now cuts into part of the town. "The future of Bethlehem need special attention. In these days, just before Christmas, this little town of peace is being transformed into a big prison with the continuation of the wall around it," the churchmen said. Israel says the barrier of fences and wall now extending more than 200 kms (120 miles) is to keep out suicide bombers. Palestinians accuse Israel of a disguised bid to annex land. The churchmen said the barrier and years of conflict were also spurring emigration of minority Christians "Many Christian families have already left the Bethlehem area because of the hardships they have experienced, not least from the building of the 'separation wall', and the incredible structure at the entrance to the city," they said. They were referring to a series of towering Israeli concrete blocks meant to protect visitors from Jerusalem going to Rachel's Tomb, where Jews believe the biblical matriarch is buried. The fortifications around the tomb have severed the main Christian pilgrimage route into central Bethlehem, turning the once thriving commercial strip into a virtual ghost town. "All these works have also meant many Christian families have had their land confiscated from them," the churchmen said... ...A U.N. humanitarian agency report issued this week said Bethlehem was surrounded by 78 obstacles including army checkpoints, dirt mounds and the barrier.

More here. Update: A follow-up story:

Muslims and Christians united in the hope that the festive season will herald a new dawn after four years of violence, attending midnight mass in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Celebrating the mass at the Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the patriarch of Jerusalem called for an end to the walls and violence which he said had turned Palestinian towns into prisons. "Our situation is a situation of conflict and of violence, of insecurity and of fear, of military occupation, of the separation barrier, of prison towns, of humiliations," Michel Sabbah told a congregation of at least 3,000. They included PLO chairman Mahmud Abbas, who is tipped to replace late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. "We pray that all walls fall down, those around Bethlehem and the other Palestinian towns, and the walls of hatred in our hearts," Sabbah said. "We say that it has lasted too long. It is time to conquer the violence in the souls and in the hearts of individuals, of leaders."... ...Earlier Friday, Muslims and Christians thronged the streets of Bethlehem, whose fledgling tourist industry has been crippled by travel restrictions and the West Bank barrier, deemed essential by Israel for its security after four years of the Palestinian intifada. Christmas brought momentary relief to those suffering from the tourist dearth. Muslims and Christians flocked from nearby villages joining pilgrims from afar to celebrate the birth of Jesus in his hometown... ..."People are hoping for the best, you can see it in their eyes. You can feel the spirit," Joseph, 38, told AFP outside his falafel shop. "It's time for us to have a normal life like everybody else and we pray to God that he will make it easier for us. "The Israeli troops have to remove all these barriers and sanctions and make it easier for people to come here and enjoy the festivities and meet up with their friends and their families," he said. The Israeli authorities eased travel restrictions over the Christmas period for those keen to visit Bethlehem but a notable exception did not make it into the congregation as he had hoped. Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, complete with Santa hat, was arrested as he headed to the mass Friday in blatant breach of the terms imposed on him by Israel after his release from jail. Vanunu, 50, converted to Christianity during 18 years' imprisonment for leaking details of Israel's secret nuclear arsenal to a British weekly newspaper.

latest on Palestinian non-violence movement

One of my occasional features here is highlighting various Palestinians who are advocating for and pursuing non-violence. The latest is film-maker Hanna Elias:

Controversial Palestinian director Hanna Elias, who made a movie with an Israeli crew, wants to promote nonviolence as a means to ending settlements and prove the two sides can live together in peace. "It's the only film on which I worked with an Israeli crew," he said. "I wanted to make that move as a Palestinian, to show we can work together, open borders and all be one country." "The Olive Harvest," filmed in the Ramallah and Jenin regions of the West Bank, is a complex Palestinian love story and one of 13 movies that made their Gulf premiere during the six-day Dubai International Film Festival, which closed on Saturday. Elias, who said he was ambushed in Dubai by Arab reporters who criticized him for working with an Israeli crew, argues that his film is strictly a love story and portrays the experience of women. "There are complex universal issues in the film, but people don't concentrate on that. Because I had an Israeli crew, it created a hoopla." When screened Friday before a full house, however, the public reacted positively during a subsequent question-and-answer session. "There was no aggressiveness, even though they were aware I'd worked with Israelis ... and when I said I would do it again, that I would work with Israelis and build bridges, there was wide applause," he said. The film's two leading male characters, brothers Mazen and Taher, who fight over the same woman, Raeda, represent Israelis and Palestinians fighting over the same land. "We salute the makers of 'The Olive Harvest,' who have shown that two peoples can work together and produce excellent cinema," the festival organizers said. "That is why I agreed to come here," said Elias, pointing to the festival guide write-up. "When I read the statement, that means they salute the Palestinian cast and Israeli crew. That means this is a place I must come to honor." ... ...Elias says he wants to establish a "nonviolent movement in Palestine." As a start, he is dubbing Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" into Arabic and plans to release it in February. "We will open in Ramallah and try it in different (refugee) camps as a pilot. All the people working on the dubbing are Palestinians from Ramallah. "I'm doing this as a way to get the settlers and Israeli Army out of the West Bank. Engaging my people with that I think will bring a change from within," Elias, who grew up in Galilee, said optimistically. "The biggest hurdle in the peace process is the settlements. ... That's what will kill us if it isn't solved." Elias is involved in a $7 million enterprise of building a Palestinian-Israeli film school in Jerusalem in collaboration with Israeli-American producer Natan Zahavi and another three founders. The school, to be opened in 2007, will accommodate 20 Palestinian students, 20 Israelis and 10 foreigners, all of who will live together. "I want to focus on the young generation," he said, "they're not poisoned like us."

Other posts in this series include Could a Palestinian non-violence movement work?, Follow-up on Palestinian non-violence movement, Leading Palestinians call for non-violence, and Another post on Palestinian non-violence movement. I've also written entries about the larger context of Islamic non-violence movements, not limited to the Palestinians. My reason for particularly focusing on Palestinians is the idea common in certain right-wing circles that "all" Palestinians support terrorism and want to "drive Israel into the sea". This simply is not true.

another post on Palestinian non-violence movement

Just to remind people that a diversity of viewpoints has always existed and continues to do so, I like to post about calls for a Palestinian non-violence movement every now and then. The latest is from Ghassan Rubeiz:

But Palestinians would do well now to abandon armed struggle, and invest in civil resistance to the Israeli occupation through non-violent tactics as an unswerving strategy. Gandhi and Mandela figured out the power of ideas in civil resistance; they utilized the moral power of justice for the oppressed to erode the dominance of the oppressor. Civil disobedience and hunger strikes, are more effective than exploding a bomb in a restaurant. The peace groups in Israel are a serious potential ally. The world is ready to support the Palestinians if they change the formula of their struggle. Through diplomacy, political marches, village social mobilization, economic boycotts, street theater, music festivals, and other peaceful tactics of influence, Palestinians can convince Israelis to leave the occupied territories. Civil resistance over time reduces the exaggerated fears that the oppressor has toward the oppressed. Palestinians can only "disarm" Jews with ideas of co-existence. In addition, Jews can only gain lasting security through return of occupied territories and facilitating the establishment of a friendly Palestinian state as a neighbor and a future partner. When I raise the issue of non-violent resistance with Palestinian and other Arab intellectuals I know, I receive mixed reactions. There seems to be a growing realization that Palestinian civic resistance is worth trying. But I do not observe signs of excitement among Palestinians, the concept of civil resistance may now be slightly gaining ground in the Palestinian community, inside Israel proper. Poor leadership, however, and ambiguity of agenda of social change among Palestinians slow the birth of a new social movement for peace, justice and reform. There is a fragile nonviolence movement among Palestinians, but so far it has been unable to assert itself since its leadership comes from the NGOs rather from the grassroots. So Palestinians now need constructive Arab support to divert the current intifada from a path of hopelessness into a path of peaceful resistance to occupation. If we ask Palestinians to change the nature of their struggle, it would be also be fair to ask the Israelis to seek peace through generous land exchange and creative offers for future cooperation in human and economic development. Cold logic dictates that one day Palestinians and Jews will rediscover the humanity in each other's faces and start negotiating peace built on justice and sharing of land, borders, ideas and good will. We do not know how social change takes place and what historical development will precipitate a new way of rational and human problem-solving in Palestine and Israel. What is badly missing is good leadership on both sides of the conflict and visionary international support. The Palestinians would do well to review their strategy immediately.

There are two basic themes in these calls. One argues that non-violence is the most moral or ethical course of action from a religious perspective. I first addressed that in Islamic non-violence. The other theme is that non-violence is the most practical course; i.e., that violent struggle has failed to gain anything for the Palestinians and in fact is only making their situation worse. Rubeiz seems to be taking that view. The issue is discussed in Leading Palestinians call for non-violence. You can also check out a list of my other posts on non-violence.

leading Palestinians call for non-violence

When I posted here previously about Islamic non-violence, some people in the comments felt that I was advocating for "surrender" or for inaction in the face of oppression. That is not correct. I was advocating for non-violent action. That a call for non-violent struggle is different from a call for "surrender" or "inaction" is illustrated by this advertisement placed by leading Palestinians, such as Hanan Ashrawi, Shaher Sae'd, head of the Palestinian trade union federation, and others (see linked page for complete list of signatories):

We, the undersigned, Palestinians from various political, intellectual and social institutions, united in our endurance and struggle for freedom, emphatically condemn and denounce Israel's blatant aggression on our people. The cold-blooded murder of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and his faithful companions by Sharon and his right-wing extremist government two days ago epitomizes Israel's criminal and insidious behavior. While we assert our people's rights, guaranteed by all international covenants, to defend themselves by all means available and despite the enormity of our pain at this horrific tragedy and its impact, we nevertheless call upon our people throughout Palestine, guided by the imperatives of national interest and the removal of the initiative from the hands of the criminal occupation gang, to repress their rage and rise once again in a widespread, popular and peaceful Intifada, based on clear objectives and forthright discourse, with the fate of our people steered by the masses. Such an Intifada would be conducted by our valiant people as a proactive approach to deny Sharon the pretext to continue escalating his aggression on our people and holy sites and would prevent him from finalizing his “security” plot. We call for this unified Intifada as a step towards the resurrection of constructive and disciplined popular action, with clear objectives as well as a binding program and political return. We reaffirm our commitment to our just and legal demands and to our people's inalienable rights. We call for uniting ranks on grounds of national unity and a unified leadership that can effectively resist the occupation.

Here, the objection to violent tactics is a practical one: they backfire and only bring more misery and repression upon the Palestinian people. Thus non-violent action is proposed as an alternative tactic for continuing the struggle. My blog entry on Islamic non-violence presented a moral argument: certain types of tactics (e.g., attacks on civilians, mutilation, etc) and weapons (e.g., nuclear weapons, cluster bombs, landmines, depleted uranium, and other weapons that kill civilians along with military targets) are forbidden by Islam and must be refrained from by those who wish to abide by what Allah SWT has commanded. In situations where the only tactics or weapons that can be used are those which are forbidden, non-violence provides an alternative, lawful means of action and struggle. Remember, Muslims, the pains and joys of this world are fleeting; the Hereafter is forever. Don't sell your happiness in the Hereafter for an illusory gain of victory in the world that is obtained by means that Allah SWT has forbidden. Better to remain patient and endure the suffering, and achieve Paradise, than to use forbidden tactics and be cast into Hell. N.B. See also Could a Palestinian non-violence movement work? and Follow-up on Palestinian non-violence movement. Other related posts include A Muslim Gandhi, Resources on Islamic non-violence, and (from Open Source Politics), Islamic Non-Violence (written for the anniversary of 9/11 last year). Update: Unfortunately, I had to close the comments on this entry because it turned into an abuse-slinging session instead of a discussion. Unfortunately, it seems that the subtleties I mentioned in the first paragraph of this entry remain difficult to grasp. If you would like to share your thoughts on the topic of non-violence in a positive manner, please email me. Thanks. Update 2: Brother John submitted an excellent comment by email, which you can read in the extended entry field; just click "Read more" if you need to, inshallah.

Palestinian peace directory

Richard Silverstein of Tikun Olam has posted a Palestinian Peace Directory, which he put together with the aid of Jonathan Edelstein and Gato of the Middle East Information Center. Do check it out, inshallah, and learn more about these organizations.

follow-up on Palestinian non-violence movement

Awhile ago, I posted about whether a Palestinian non-violence movement would work. Jonathan Edelstein drew my attention to a recent article in The Jerusalem Times, an independent, weekly English-language Palestinian newspaper. The article looks at previous attempts by the Palestinians to employ non-violent tactics in their struggle, and the growing feeling among ordinary Palestinians that:

the use of arms in the intifada resulted in the destruction of all the Palestinian people's institutions, the re-occupation of its land, the destruction of its economy, and the unification of the Israelis behind a rightist leadership, while realizing that the objectives of the Palestinian extremist forces are the destruction of the Hebrew state; a war that is an extension of the 1948 war. After September 11, the killer of civilians, under any pretext, is a miniature Osama bin Laden.

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Please observe a moment of silence for Rachel Corrie (more from Ha'aretz). There are too many stories of excessive violence like this by Israel. It only fuels hatred, it's no solution and never will be. That's all I'll say right now. This story particularly grabbed my attention because Rachel was from near where I live (Olympia is about an hour's drive away). Added: Commentary from Max Sawicky (brief), Nathan Newman, and MB. Also Barry Deutch. Kynn Bartlett of Shock and Awe has more details on Rachel. Jonathan Edelstein provides a balanced response. The Talking Dog sees a larger context. Hesiod of Counterspin Central has excellent commentary and also some more useful links. Added: Local coverage from the Seattle Times, Seattle P-I, and Tacoma News Tribune. Olympia's newspaper, The Olympian, has three stories on the front page of their site (1, 2, 3). The local TV stations also have information up on their websites: KING5 (they also have an excerpt from her journal), KOMO4, and KIRO7. Seattle Indymedia is all over it, of course. Also, Rachel's college, Evergreen State College, mourns her death. Added: A personal remembrance from a man who knew Rachel growing up. One of her professors talks about how her death is part of a larger pattern of the killing of civilians by Israel. Website of International Solidarity Movement, the organization that Rachel was working with. Updates: A few more posts from around the blogosphere: Barry Deutch (1, 2). Jeanne d'Arc (1, 2). Shelley Powers. Hesiod. Nathan Newman. Jenny of Little Red Cookbook (1, 2). And Aziz Poonawalla takes a strong stand in support of Rachel. Also see what Mirele of Mirele's Spiritual Outpost has to say. Plus, read the views of Aron Trauring, a Jewish peace activist.

could a Palestinian non-violence movement work?

The discussion started with a post by Aziz Poonawalla, then continued with a post by Jonathan Edelstein. Should the Palestinians try non-violent methods? Non-violence has in fact been proposed more than once. See Non-Violence and Civil Disobedience, A Plea for Realism, and Non-Violent Resistance in Palestine: Pursuing Alternative Strategies. The most notable proponent is Mubarak Awad, a Palestinian Christian. You can read a profile of him here. Ali Abunimeh gives qualified support to the idea of a sustained, large-scale campaign of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience, but discusses some problems with the idea or with the suggestions that have been made. One of the problems that Abunimeh mentions, and that I've seen myself, is when a call for non-violent resistance by the Palestinians implies that the Palestinians don't have a right of armed resistance. Abunimeh rejects this implication and so do I. The Palestinians are under military occupation by Israel. America's own Declaration of Independence recognizes the right to take up arms against an oppressive rule:

...but when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government...

But when non-violence is used as a tactic in a struggle that is recognized to be legitimate, that is another matter, and that's what I particularly want to address here. Non-violent resistance as a tactic has one huge benefit that no other kind of resistance does. Either Israel will have to refrain from violence in return and accede to Palestinian demands, or if Israel chooses to respond with violence the Palestinians would be in a position of unassailable moral superiority while Israel would face condemnation from most of the world. I personally would be interested to see what Israel would do in this case. I also personally believe that non-violent methods should be tried first if possible and only if they fail (a lot of the discussion going on at both Aziz's blog and Jonathan's blog has to do with when non-violence as a tactic is likely to succeed) should violent methods be used. And of course, armed struggle must stay within the bounds of what is lawful in war. Deliberate killing of civilians is forbidden in Islam. Better to remain in oppression in this world, and gain Paradise in reward for perseverance, than to claim victory in the world, only to have God declare it void because its means were unlawful. Victories in this world are fleeting and soon over. Victory in the Hereafter is the one that counts. Update 1/31: Is there already some support for such a movement today?

a Jewish friend of Palestine

Aron's Israel Peace Weblog - What a great find! Aron Trauring is an Israeli peace activist and opponent of the Occupation. Do check out this blog! I've added it as a "Featured Blog" in my sidebar. Note: Aron also writes for No War Blog, which opposes war on Iraq.