Is the West Bank Next? by MJ Rosenberg
Gaza youths are calling for an international day of protest for Palestine on March 15th. They're not calling for the overthrow of Hamas or Fateh, but a unity that will make Palestine strong enough to challenge the Israeli occupation, since the U.S. proved with its veto that even the mightiest superpower is too afraid to challenge Israel.
End the Division (One People Against Zionism)
Unfortunately, a lot of people are going to see this as a call to throw Israel into the sea. Hopefully this will open up some meaningful debate...
Speaking of, Peace Now is hosting a debate at Tel Aviv University, between settler leader and Likud MK Danny Danon and Peace Now's Director Yariv Oppenheimer. Really wish I could see that...
Debate: Left or Right?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
To desecrate the American flag
Since I got back from Palestine two months ago, every Friday has brought me back to the village of Bil'in. I won't even remember the importance of Friday, as anything other than the start to my weekend, until I stumble across a video in my Facebook mini-feed and watch Haitham's footage of the weekly demonstration in Bil'in.
During my three-week trip, I made it to two "demos" and spent five days in Bil'in, hanging out in the office of the Popular Committee and getting to know the people who send out articles, photos, and videos to the press and the general public via blogs, YouTube, Facebook, etc. I'm always proud, albeit a little anxious to see their footage, and faces at the demos on Friday.
When I saw yesterday's video start off with the burning of an American flag, I went on a short emotional roller coaster ride. The first emotion was shock--"I know these people, why are they doing this?" The next was worry--"What will the people who don't know them think?" Then I remembered the U.S. veto. Last week, the United States was the only country to veto the UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion, knowing full well that its tacit approval would enable Israel to continue to steal land in Bil'in and all over Palestine. I couldn't help but think of the Consent lecture we were in given in college; they told us that most rape happens when a lack of "no" is interpreted as a "yes." But maybe it isn't rape when the subjects aren't seen as human, and maybe freedom and justice don't apply to them either. Like I said, it was a short roller coaster ride, but suddenly the image of Palestinians wrapped in kaffiyehs burning an American flag (and stomping on it) was no longer a violent or threatening image. I realized that that young man from Bil'in couldn't possibly desecrate my flag any more than my president did last week.
Since I got back from Palestine two months ago, every Friday has brought me back to the village of Bil'in. I won't even remember the importance of Friday, as anything other than the start to my weekend, until I stumble across a video in my Facebook mini-feed and watch Haitham's footage of the weekly demonstration in Bil'in.
During my three-week trip, I made it to two "demos" and spent five days in Bil'in, hanging out in the office of the Popular Committee and getting to know the people who send out articles, photos, and videos to the press and the general public via blogs, YouTube, Facebook, etc. I'm always proud, albeit a little anxious to see their footage, and faces at the demos on Friday.
When I saw yesterday's video start off with the burning of an American flag, I went on a short emotional roller coaster ride. The first emotion was shock--"I know these people, why are they doing this?" The next was worry--"What will the people who don't know them think?" Then I remembered the U.S. veto. Last week, the United States was the only country to veto the UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion, knowing full well that its tacit approval would enable Israel to continue to steal land in Bil'in and all over Palestine. I couldn't help but think of the Consent lecture we were in given in college; they told us that most rape happens when a lack of "no" is interpreted as a "yes." But maybe it isn't rape when the subjects aren't seen as human, and maybe freedom and justice don't apply to them either. Like I said, it was a short roller coaster ride, but suddenly the image of Palestinians wrapped in kaffiyehs burning an American flag (and stomping on it) was no longer a violent or threatening image. I realized that that young man from Bil'in couldn't possibly desecrate my flag any more than my president did last week.
Friday, February 25, 2011
“I will call them my people,
Which were not my people;
And her beloved,
Which was not beloved.”
Romans 9:25
Beloved people,
Langston Hughes’ question, “what happens to a dream deferred?” is being answered again in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya. Something has “exploded” as Langston imagined it might when dreams are deferred. But the explosion is not horrific. The explosion is beautiful, even in the struggle, as it reveals to us once again that the essentials-- love and freedom--cannot be extinguished. In fact, we are discovering as Paul did that all of us are “my people.”
For the last several weeks, we have been watching people realize that their choseness is not in the hands of dictators and kings, but in the awakening to the same power and presence that all of us understand in our hearts; that we are beloved. It is a power which is not of our making, and it calls forth dreams of being chosen when all the evidence around us would suggest otherwise. So we root for the Libyans, and we trust that far from the cautious words of our chosen leaders, their freedom will only make us freer.
Pray for one Libyan tonight. Pray that her dreaming be deferred no longer. Pray for her continued awakening. Pray for her courage to endure the suffering that comes when we awaken to the power of knowing we are chosen and beloved. And, look around your own little world, who can you “choose” who has become certain that they are not chosen; and who can you love, who knows it not? Set them free.
Be good to yourself,
See you Sunday, 11:10 AM,
Pastor Shawn
Which were not my people;
And her beloved,
Which was not beloved.”
Romans 9:25
Beloved people,
Langston Hughes’ question, “what happens to a dream deferred?” is being answered again in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya. Something has “exploded” as Langston imagined it might when dreams are deferred. But the explosion is not horrific. The explosion is beautiful, even in the struggle, as it reveals to us once again that the essentials-- love and freedom--cannot be extinguished. In fact, we are discovering as Paul did that all of us are “my people.”
For the last several weeks, we have been watching people realize that their choseness is not in the hands of dictators and kings, but in the awakening to the same power and presence that all of us understand in our hearts; that we are beloved. It is a power which is not of our making, and it calls forth dreams of being chosen when all the evidence around us would suggest otherwise. So we root for the Libyans, and we trust that far from the cautious words of our chosen leaders, their freedom will only make us freer.
Pray for one Libyan tonight. Pray that her dreaming be deferred no longer. Pray for her continued awakening. Pray for her courage to endure the suffering that comes when we awaken to the power of knowing we are chosen and beloved. And, look around your own little world, who can you “choose” who has become certain that they are not chosen; and who can you love, who knows it not? Set them free.
Be good to yourself,
See you Sunday, 11:10 AM,
Pastor Shawn
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
I just got back from our Mid-Year AmeriCorps conference. I think we're four hundred-something strong? Just Notre Dame Mission Volunteers. Everyone met up for four days at a Hyatt in Herndon, VA to share what we do at our service sites and reflect on the first six months of service.
-Every group made a video/slide show/skit to present their site to the conference, and I made the video for the New Orleans group. It was really time-consuming but really, ridiculously fun. Now that I know how to make videos I think I'll be making a bunch of them in Palestine. The Boulder group did a dance to Passion Pit's Little Secrets so I think I might steal that one for the next video venture...
-It was really inspiring to see the work being done at all the other sites. To think of how many lives are being touched by the NDMVA program alone, not the mention all of AmeriCorps, and how many lives could be touched if every American put in a year or two of service...!!!
-"If you're not angry and in despair, you're not paying attention." Note there are two kinds of despair, the despair that makes you resigned and withdrawn, and the despair that lights a fire under you and inspires you to action. I'd say the proposal to cut funding from AmeriCorps would fall under the latter definition. I've been despairing at the cluelessness of these "leaders," how we have to play Stupid vs. Evil again because that decision couldn't be described as anything else. But I called my representatives and signed the petitions, though I don't think the bill will pass. And maybe we'll come out stronger in the end. This is a great opportunity to talk about national service and the impact we're making. I just wish we had the advertising power and financial incentives to compete with the U.S. military. Join AmeriCorps! Serve your country! Build a house! Support the youth! Gain skills and confidence! Advocate for social justice! Celebrate your individuality! Restore your faith in humanity! Come out not traumatized.
Education really is our best weapon. Today was a really rough day at school, but I'm so glad I decided to stay in New Orleans another year and teach. Middle schoolers are awesome.
-Every group made a video/slide show/skit to present their site to the conference, and I made the video for the New Orleans group. It was really time-consuming but really, ridiculously fun. Now that I know how to make videos I think I'll be making a bunch of them in Palestine. The Boulder group did a dance to Passion Pit's Little Secrets so I think I might steal that one for the next video venture...
-It was really inspiring to see the work being done at all the other sites. To think of how many lives are being touched by the NDMVA program alone, not the mention all of AmeriCorps, and how many lives could be touched if every American put in a year or two of service...!!!
-"If you're not angry and in despair, you're not paying attention." Note there are two kinds of despair, the despair that makes you resigned and withdrawn, and the despair that lights a fire under you and inspires you to action. I'd say the proposal to cut funding from AmeriCorps would fall under the latter definition. I've been despairing at the cluelessness of these "leaders," how we have to play Stupid vs. Evil again because that decision couldn't be described as anything else. But I called my representatives and signed the petitions, though I don't think the bill will pass. And maybe we'll come out stronger in the end. This is a great opportunity to talk about national service and the impact we're making. I just wish we had the advertising power and financial incentives to compete with the U.S. military. Join AmeriCorps! Serve your country! Build a house! Support the youth! Gain skills and confidence! Advocate for social justice! Celebrate your individuality! Restore your faith in humanity! Come out not traumatized.
Education really is our best weapon. Today was a really rough day at school, but I'm so glad I decided to stay in New Orleans another year and teach. Middle schoolers are awesome.
This is an account of a Canadian activist's experience in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It's beautiful.
Refuge and Return
By Lamya Hussein
"Palestine is not an identity, land, home or some 'right' in international law! It's this memory we chase of a time that has long gone by, and knowing so we live in the shadows, chasing what used to be."
Bourj al-Barajneh Camp
Refuge and Return
By Lamya Hussein
"Palestine is not an identity, land, home or some 'right' in international law! It's this memory we chase of a time that has long gone by, and knowing so we live in the shadows, chasing what used to be."
Bourj al-Barajneh Camp
Sunday, February 13, 2011
When the Times Picayunne reports on crime in New Orleans, its website gets filled with racist comments. Example:
Why are you even available to get shot at 11:30am? Perhaps if you sought gainful employment you would be working at this time of day instead of getting shot at. #justsayin
Here's a blog dedicated to weeding out some of these posts:
NO Comment
I read Israeli article comments everyday and it's the same thing. After any article related to Palestinians, the gist is "they're all violent, stupid and lazy and they're getting what they deserve for threatening my security."
Here's one from Huff Po:
...Palestinians have been attacking Jews for a century, have no interest whatsoever in assimilation, and rejected every offer to have a state of their own. The Palestinians have brought their suffering upon themselves, and a relatively mild suffering it is: they control 98% of their own population, continue to grow in population, and enjoy billions in international aid.
Worst is when people call them "the pals" or "pallies." That's where racism gets felicitous and a little more hair-raising. Would those kinds of jabs would be considered offensive if they were directed towards Jews?
I guess I ask because I don't really see that kind of talk among the Pro-Palestine crowd in the mainstream media. People direct their anger towards the Israeli government, the occupation forces, and Zionists, but a Zionist is a person who follows a particular ideology, it's not another word for "Jew."
If I had to pick a winner for who exemplifies that "hate the game, not the player" mentality, I'd have to give it to the Palestinians.
Why are you even available to get shot at 11:30am? Perhaps if you sought gainful employment you would be working at this time of day instead of getting shot at. #justsayin
Here's a blog dedicated to weeding out some of these posts:
NO Comment
I read Israeli article comments everyday and it's the same thing. After any article related to Palestinians, the gist is "they're all violent, stupid and lazy and they're getting what they deserve for threatening my security."
Here's one from Huff Po:
...Palestinians have been attacking Jews for a century, have no interest whatsoever in assimilation, and rejected every offer to have a state of their own. The Palestinians have brought their suffering upon themselves, and a relatively mild suffering it is: they control 98% of their own population, continue to grow in population, and enjoy billions in international aid.
Worst is when people call them "the pals" or "pallies." That's where racism gets felicitous and a little more hair-raising. Would those kinds of jabs would be considered offensive if they were directed towards Jews?
I guess I ask because I don't really see that kind of talk among the Pro-Palestine crowd in the mainstream media. People direct their anger towards the Israeli government, the occupation forces, and Zionists, but a Zionist is a person who follows a particular ideology, it's not another word for "Jew."
If I had to pick a winner for who exemplifies that "hate the game, not the player" mentality, I'd have to give it to the Palestinians.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
He wants to blowdry Palestine....
Someone found this video and posted it on Mondoweiss last week. It's a parody of Justin Bieber's "Baby," asking Justin to cancel his Tel Aviv concert as part of the cultural boycott against Israel. It's hilarious! Unfortunately, the video was censored by YouTube for copyright infringement. But you can still YouTube other Bieber parodies for some less controversial alternatives.
Justin Bieber BDS
.....
This is an Israeli parody of Macy Gray's "I Try," thanking her for deciding not to cancel her Tel Aviv show. She put up a Facebook status saying, "I think what Israel is doing to Palestinians is disgusting, but I wanna go..and I don't know how my NOT going changes anything. What do you think? Stay or go?" Her facebook page was inundated with comments, most of which equated being pro-boycott with being pro-terrorist. I wanted to say something like "don't go. you can't be more entertaining than this tantrum" but instead I said something like, "if you go, speak your mind." I think that's her plan.
It's a good debate, whether cultural boycotts are moral, even effective. All I know is, it's easy to be in denial when you're hanging out on the promenade in Tel Aviv...
Justin Bieber BDS
.....
This is an Israeli parody of Macy Gray's "I Try," thanking her for deciding not to cancel her Tel Aviv show. She put up a Facebook status saying, "I think what Israel is doing to Palestinians is disgusting, but I wanna go..and I don't know how my NOT going changes anything. What do you think? Stay or go?" Her facebook page was inundated with comments, most of which equated being pro-boycott with being pro-terrorist. I wanted to say something like "don't go. you can't be more entertaining than this tantrum" but instead I said something like, "if you go, speak your mind." I think that's her plan.
It's a good debate, whether cultural boycotts are moral, even effective. All I know is, it's easy to be in denial when you're hanging out on the promenade in Tel Aviv...
Uri Avnery article
A Villa in the Jungle?
05/02/11
WE ARE in the middle of a geological event. An earthquake of epoch-making dimensions is changing the landscape of our region. Mountains turn into valleys, islands emerge from the sea, volcanoes cover the land with lava.
People are afraid of change. When it happens, they tend to deny, ignore, pretend that nothing really important is happening.
Israelis are no exception. While in neighboring Egypt earth-shattering events were taking place, Israel was absorbed with a scandal in the army high command. The Minister of Defense abhors the incumbent Chief of Staff and makes no secret of it. The presumptive new chief was exposed as a liar and his appointment canceled. These were the headlines.
But what is happening now in Egypt will change our lives.
AS USUAL, nobody foresaw it. The much-feted Mossad was taken by surprise, as was the CIA and all the other celebrated services of this kind.
Yet there should have been no surprise at all - except about the incredible force of the eruption. In the last few years, we have mentioned many times in this column that all over the Arab world, multitudes of young people are growing up with a profound contempt for their leaders, and that sooner or later this will lead to an uprising. These were not prophesies, but rather a sober analysis of probabilities.
The turmoil in Egypt was caused by economic factors: the rising cost of living, the poverty, the unemployment, the hopelessness of the educated young. But let there be no mistake: the underlying causes are far more profound. They can be summed up in one word: Palestine.
In Arab culture, nothing is more important than honor. People can suffer deprivation, but they will not stand humiliation.
Yet what every young Arab from Morocco to Oman saw daily was his leaders humiliating themselves, forsaking their Palestinian brothers in order to gain favor and money from America, collaborating with the Israeli occupation, cringing before the new colonizers. This was deeply humiliating for young people brought up on the achievements of Arab culture in times gone by and the glories of the early Caliphs.
Nowhere was this loss of honor more obvious than in Egypt, which openly collaborated with the Israeli leadership in imposing the shameful blockade on the Gaza Strip, condemning 1.5 million Arabs to malnutrition and worse. It was never just an Israeli blockade, but an Israeli-Egyptian one, lubricated by 1.5 billion US dollars every year.
I have reflected many times – out loud – how I would feel if I were a 15 year-old boy in Alexandria, Amman or Aleppo, seeing my leaders behave like abject slaves of the Americans and the Israelis, while oppressing and despoiling their own subjects. At that age, I myself joined a terrorist organization. Why would an Arab boy be different?
Full article on Gush Shalom
05/02/11
WE ARE in the middle of a geological event. An earthquake of epoch-making dimensions is changing the landscape of our region. Mountains turn into valleys, islands emerge from the sea, volcanoes cover the land with lava.
People are afraid of change. When it happens, they tend to deny, ignore, pretend that nothing really important is happening.
Israelis are no exception. While in neighboring Egypt earth-shattering events were taking place, Israel was absorbed with a scandal in the army high command. The Minister of Defense abhors the incumbent Chief of Staff and makes no secret of it. The presumptive new chief was exposed as a liar and his appointment canceled. These were the headlines.
But what is happening now in Egypt will change our lives.
AS USUAL, nobody foresaw it. The much-feted Mossad was taken by surprise, as was the CIA and all the other celebrated services of this kind.
Yet there should have been no surprise at all - except about the incredible force of the eruption. In the last few years, we have mentioned many times in this column that all over the Arab world, multitudes of young people are growing up with a profound contempt for their leaders, and that sooner or later this will lead to an uprising. These were not prophesies, but rather a sober analysis of probabilities.
The turmoil in Egypt was caused by economic factors: the rising cost of living, the poverty, the unemployment, the hopelessness of the educated young. But let there be no mistake: the underlying causes are far more profound. They can be summed up in one word: Palestine.
In Arab culture, nothing is more important than honor. People can suffer deprivation, but they will not stand humiliation.
Yet what every young Arab from Morocco to Oman saw daily was his leaders humiliating themselves, forsaking their Palestinian brothers in order to gain favor and money from America, collaborating with the Israeli occupation, cringing before the new colonizers. This was deeply humiliating for young people brought up on the achievements of Arab culture in times gone by and the glories of the early Caliphs.
Nowhere was this loss of honor more obvious than in Egypt, which openly collaborated with the Israeli leadership in imposing the shameful blockade on the Gaza Strip, condemning 1.5 million Arabs to malnutrition and worse. It was never just an Israeli blockade, but an Israeli-Egyptian one, lubricated by 1.5 billion US dollars every year.
I have reflected many times – out loud – how I would feel if I were a 15 year-old boy in Alexandria, Amman or Aleppo, seeing my leaders behave like abject slaves of the Americans and the Israelis, while oppressing and despoiling their own subjects. At that age, I myself joined a terrorist organization. Why would an Arab boy be different?
Full article on Gush Shalom
WDSU covered the Rally for Egypt in New Orleans today.
1, 2, 3, 4, Get Mubarak out the door!
Hey! So did ABC....
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights...
1, 2, 3, 4, Get Mubarak out the door!
Hey! So did ABC....
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights...
Bill Maher just hosted Mona Eltahawy to talk about the Egyptian Revolution. I knew Bill was anti-religion, but I didn't expect him to blow off the entire situation because of a few innaccurate facts on Islam. Mona handled it like a pro, and by the end I wondered if it was all an act, like he was playing a bigot to make her look good...
Sources say...no. Here is "Bill Maher on Islam," telling Anderson Cooper, yes Islam is a religion of peace. They blow you up, there's a piece of you here, a piece of you there...
He does step back and look at the bigger picture. Islam is different from Christianity because it's a younger religion. But he makes no mention of dictatorships, colonialism and occupation. How do you look at extremism in the Middle East and not connect it with history?
I always liked Real Time, watching Maher fight it out with the panel. He provoked great discussion on domestic issues like health care. In Mona's interview you can see he prides himself on being the opposite of Fox News. In many ways, yes, but he's just as racist. I would use the word Islamophobic except he lumps Arab Christians in there too...
Today on Fox News:
Mike Huckabee was giving an interview to an Israeli general. After talking for a bit about how Israel's moderate southern buffer of Egypt is being compromised, Huckabee said the Muslim Brotherhood has always been about taking total control, that they were just "bad people." The general echoed this sentiment by saying that without a secure border between Gaza and Egypt there will be more opportunity for the "bad guys" to communicate.
So this is what we're up against. The toxic alliance between American and Israeli neocons that believes their security is all that matters. The Egyptians will have to transition their government based on OUR needs because we need to be able to sleep at night without worrying that the Muslims are coming to get us.
Jerusalem Post-We Know that Netanyahu Can't Sleep Now
Note the comments-JPost never disappoints.
Yes, if Egyptians gain a representative democracy, the 1979 peace treaty will Israel will be reviewed. The southern buffer will indeed fall. Israeli presence in the Sinai will be challenged, and the occupation of Palestine won't escape either. Question is, how long will this transition take? I want to brush off the neocon talk and say it doesn't matter what anything else thinks, that the Egyptian people have spoken and they won't take anything less than full regime change. I'm just afraid that outside meddling is going to drag this thing on for far too long.
Sources say...no. Here is "Bill Maher on Islam," telling Anderson Cooper, yes Islam is a religion of peace. They blow you up, there's a piece of you here, a piece of you there...
He does step back and look at the bigger picture. Islam is different from Christianity because it's a younger religion. But he makes no mention of dictatorships, colonialism and occupation. How do you look at extremism in the Middle East and not connect it with history?
I always liked Real Time, watching Maher fight it out with the panel. He provoked great discussion on domestic issues like health care. In Mona's interview you can see he prides himself on being the opposite of Fox News. In many ways, yes, but he's just as racist. I would use the word Islamophobic except he lumps Arab Christians in there too...
Today on Fox News:
Mike Huckabee was giving an interview to an Israeli general. After talking for a bit about how Israel's moderate southern buffer of Egypt is being compromised, Huckabee said the Muslim Brotherhood has always been about taking total control, that they were just "bad people." The general echoed this sentiment by saying that without a secure border between Gaza and Egypt there will be more opportunity for the "bad guys" to communicate.
So this is what we're up against. The toxic alliance between American and Israeli neocons that believes their security is all that matters. The Egyptians will have to transition their government based on OUR needs because we need to be able to sleep at night without worrying that the Muslims are coming to get us.
Jerusalem Post-We Know that Netanyahu Can't Sleep Now
Note the comments-JPost never disappoints.
Yes, if Egyptians gain a representative democracy, the 1979 peace treaty will Israel will be reviewed. The southern buffer will indeed fall. Israeli presence in the Sinai will be challenged, and the occupation of Palestine won't escape either. Question is, how long will this transition take? I want to brush off the neocon talk and say it doesn't matter what anything else thinks, that the Egyptian people have spoken and they won't take anything less than full regime change. I'm just afraid that outside meddling is going to drag this thing on for far too long.
Friday, February 4, 2011
New Orleans ColorOfChange members just helped deliver a monumental victory for their city's future, winning a fight to drastically reduce the size of Orleans Parish Prison.
The victory came after ColorOfChange members, in conjunction with the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, stopped a proposed expansion of the prison in November. Then, just this week, more than 300 New Orleans ColorOfChange members urged the City Council to limit the new prison to 1,438 beds - less than 1/3 the size of the proposed expansion. Yesterday, the City Council voted unanimously to do so.
The significance of this cannot be overstated. New Orleans has been notorious for locking up a higher percentage of its adult population than any other large city in the nation. Stories abounded of men and women going to jail for offenses that routinely only merit tickets in other cities. The frequent arrests were spurred on by the jail's funding structure, which created a perverse incentive to keep the jail as full as possible.
Yesterday's vote marks a major step in reforming New Orleans' criminal justice system. Instead of paying for an expensive, oversized jail, city leaders will be able and encouraged to allocate increasingly scarce city resources to infrastructure that will benefit the whole community.
This is a major win for New Orleans, and it couldn't have happened without dedicated activists like you speaking up.
Thanks and Peace,
James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
-February 4th, 2011
The victory came after ColorOfChange members, in conjunction with the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, stopped a proposed expansion of the prison in November. Then, just this week, more than 300 New Orleans ColorOfChange members urged the City Council to limit the new prison to 1,438 beds - less than 1/3 the size of the proposed expansion. Yesterday, the City Council voted unanimously to do so.
The significance of this cannot be overstated. New Orleans has been notorious for locking up a higher percentage of its adult population than any other large city in the nation. Stories abounded of men and women going to jail for offenses that routinely only merit tickets in other cities. The frequent arrests were spurred on by the jail's funding structure, which created a perverse incentive to keep the jail as full as possible.
Yesterday's vote marks a major step in reforming New Orleans' criminal justice system. Instead of paying for an expensive, oversized jail, city leaders will be able and encouraged to allocate increasingly scarce city resources to infrastructure that will benefit the whole community.
This is a major win for New Orleans, and it couldn't have happened without dedicated activists like you speaking up.
Thanks and Peace,
James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
-February 4th, 2011
Tomorrow in Bil'in
This Week's West Bank Demonstrations Will be in Solidarity with the Egyptian People
Posted on Facebook by Iyad Burnat
Throughout the West Bank, demonstrations will call for the safety of Egyptian protesters engaged in legitimate political protest. The villages of Bil'in, Ni'...ilin, Nabi Saleh, and Al Ma'asara will stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
WHEN: Friday, 4 February 2011, 12:30
WHERE: The Villages of Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, and Al Ma'asara
WHAT: Demonstrations Against the Israeli Occupation and Separation Barrier in Solidarity with the Egyptian People
At least one thousand demonstrators from five Palestinian towns and villages will demonstrate tomorrow against the Israeli occupation and in solidarity with the Egyptian people. The demonstrators will demand that their call for freedom of self determination denied to them by the Israeli occupation be heard along with the call for freedom of the Egyptian people.
The villages of Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, Al Ma'asara and Wad Rahel will join together against the Israeli occupation and the separation barrier. In light of the incredible events in Egypt, the demonstrations will be held in solidarity with the Egyptian people and against the repression of the people's will. The demonstrators will be calling for the safety of the Egyptian people engaged in legitimate political protest.
Posted on Facebook by Iyad Burnat
Throughout the West Bank, demonstrations will call for the safety of Egyptian protesters engaged in legitimate political protest. The villages of Bil'in, Ni'...ilin, Nabi Saleh, and Al Ma'asara will stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
WHEN: Friday, 4 February 2011, 12:30
WHERE: The Villages of Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, and Al Ma'asara
WHAT: Demonstrations Against the Israeli Occupation and Separation Barrier in Solidarity with the Egyptian People
At least one thousand demonstrators from five Palestinian towns and villages will demonstrate tomorrow against the Israeli occupation and in solidarity with the Egyptian people. The demonstrators will demand that their call for freedom of self determination denied to them by the Israeli occupation be heard along with the call for freedom of the Egyptian people.
The villages of Bil'in, Ni'ilin, Nabi Saleh, Al Ma'asara and Wad Rahel will join together against the Israeli occupation and the separation barrier. In light of the incredible events in Egypt, the demonstrations will be held in solidarity with the Egyptian people and against the repression of the people's will. The demonstrators will be calling for the safety of the Egyptian people engaged in legitimate political protest.
Emily Ratner, on behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace
When I stood up with four other fellow young, proud Jews and interrupted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before the Jewish Federation's General Assembly in November, we knew it would upset and infuriate people--especially in my home community of New Orleans where the event took place.
But we did it anyway, inspired by the brave example of many people who took similar actions in the past, often at much greater risk. Some of the people who inspired us were 11 Muslim students at UC Irvine who earlier last year disrupted the talk of Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., as he defended his government's violations of human rights and war crimes in Gaza.
Remarkably, these Muslim students, who acted in the best tradition of human rights activists everywhere, may now face criminal charges. After the students were disciplined by the University, the Orange County District Attorney empaneled a grand jury which almost always leads to indictment on felony charges. The deadline for charging the students is this Monday, February 6. They need us to speak out on their behalf.
I can't help but notice the difference between how these Muslim students are being treated, and how we young Jews were treated. And perhaps, if you once took a stand like them, how you were treated.
We challenged the same government, and spoke for the same values of human rights and equality. We both interrupted speakers representing a foreign government.
But while my fellow Jewish protesters and I were removed from the hall and faced no punishment beyond some bruises from the attacks of audience members, these students saw their group suspended by the University, an unheard of step in a case that did not involve hazing or alcohol abuse. And more shocking, they may face criminal charges that would remain on their records forever.
What will happen to the Irvine 11, and to freedom of speech for all of us?
As the Los Angeles Times editorial board asked yesterday in Free the Irvine 11, "Is it really necessary to threaten the futures of students who engaged in a nonviolent protest that didn't, ultimately, stop Oren from delivering his remarks?"
Please sign here if, like these brave student activists, or the young Jews in New Orleans, you have ever interrupted a person, a speaker, or an event to make a stand for human rights and justice. Let's stand in solidarity with the Irvine 11 and tell the Orange County DA to "Charge me, too!" If interrupting to make a point about human rights is a crime, we are all criminals, and we have plenty of good company.
Emily Ratner
Young, Jewish and Proud
When I stood up with four other fellow young, proud Jews and interrupted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before the Jewish Federation's General Assembly in November, we knew it would upset and infuriate people--especially in my home community of New Orleans where the event took place.
But we did it anyway, inspired by the brave example of many people who took similar actions in the past, often at much greater risk. Some of the people who inspired us were 11 Muslim students at UC Irvine who earlier last year disrupted the talk of Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., as he defended his government's violations of human rights and war crimes in Gaza.
Remarkably, these Muslim students, who acted in the best tradition of human rights activists everywhere, may now face criminal charges. After the students were disciplined by the University, the Orange County District Attorney empaneled a grand jury which almost always leads to indictment on felony charges. The deadline for charging the students is this Monday, February 6. They need us to speak out on their behalf.
I can't help but notice the difference between how these Muslim students are being treated, and how we young Jews were treated. And perhaps, if you once took a stand like them, how you were treated.
We challenged the same government, and spoke for the same values of human rights and equality. We both interrupted speakers representing a foreign government.
But while my fellow Jewish protesters and I were removed from the hall and faced no punishment beyond some bruises from the attacks of audience members, these students saw their group suspended by the University, an unheard of step in a case that did not involve hazing or alcohol abuse. And more shocking, they may face criminal charges that would remain on their records forever.
What will happen to the Irvine 11, and to freedom of speech for all of us?
As the Los Angeles Times editorial board asked yesterday in Free the Irvine 11, "Is it really necessary to threaten the futures of students who engaged in a nonviolent protest that didn't, ultimately, stop Oren from delivering his remarks?"
Please sign here if, like these brave student activists, or the young Jews in New Orleans, you have ever interrupted a person, a speaker, or an event to make a stand for human rights and justice. Let's stand in solidarity with the Irvine 11 and tell the Orange County DA to "Charge me, too!" If interrupting to make a point about human rights is a crime, we are all criminals, and we have plenty of good company.
Emily Ratner
Young, Jewish and Proud
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Rally for the Brave People of Egypt
February 5th, 2:00pm
Hale Boggs Federal Building
500 Poydras St @ Magazine
New Orleans, LA
February 5th, 2:00pm
Hale Boggs Federal Building
500 Poydras St @ Magazine
New Orleans, LA
E-mail from the Congress of Day Laborers:
Dear Friends,
Today our members will be taking courageous action to hold Sheriff Gusman accountable for racial profiling and constitutional violations in his jail. We would like to invite you to come to the launch of this 24 hour prayer Vigil today at 1:00PM and also to stop by at any time during the 24 hour time period (please see the media advisory below for details).
We also would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the incredibly important vote tomorrow in New Orleans City Council on jail size. Please come out and support the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition and the community in this important vote Thursday, Febaruary 3 at 3:00PM in City Council Chambers.
New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Immigrant Workers Launch 24 hour-long Prayer Vigil
to Stop Gusman’s Racial Profiling
Clergy and Community Demand End to ‘Living in Terror’
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at 1pm, members of the Congress of Day Laborers, New Orleans reconstruction workers, and their allies will launch a 24-hour prayer vigil at the office of Sheriff Marlin Gusman to demand an end to the racial profiling and race-based deportation of immigrant in Orleans Parish Prison (OPP).
Community members will give firsthand testimony of racial profiling and constitutional violations within OPP, including deprivation of liberty and due process, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress. Survivors of OPP will give witness accounts of Gusman’s policy and practice of funneling Latino immigrants into deportation for minor offenses. Community members will talk about the climate of terror they live in as a result, and demand that Gusman reverse his current policy of submitting to hold requests from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The prayer vigil follows Gusman’s refusal to comply with an Open Records Act requests from the Congress of Day Laborers, as well as his repeated cancellation of meetings to launch a real community dialogue on the issue, even after he publicly committed to do so in front of TV cameras on the steps of the New Orleans federal courthouse on Nov. 15, 2011 after a federal judge ordered the release of one immigrant workers from the Sheriff’s illegal custody.
Following the end of the prayer vigil on Feb. 3, clergy and community members will march from Gusman’s office to the New Orleans City Council meeting for the 3pm vote on an ordinance that would limit Gusman’s authority in expansion of Orleans Parish Prison’s jail size.
WHAT: 24 hour prayer vigil to stop Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s racial profiling policy.
WHEN: 1:00 PM CST, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011
WHO: Members of the Congress of Day Laborers; New Orleans reconstruction workers; their friends, family, and allies, and the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice.
WHERE: Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, 819 South Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
CONTACT: Saket Soni, saket@nowcrj.org, 504-881-6610
Dear Friends,
Today our members will be taking courageous action to hold Sheriff Gusman accountable for racial profiling and constitutional violations in his jail. We would like to invite you to come to the launch of this 24 hour prayer Vigil today at 1:00PM and also to stop by at any time during the 24 hour time period (please see the media advisory below for details).
We also would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the incredibly important vote tomorrow in New Orleans City Council on jail size. Please come out and support the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition and the community in this important vote Thursday, Febaruary 3 at 3:00PM in City Council Chambers.
New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Immigrant Workers Launch 24 hour-long Prayer Vigil
to Stop Gusman’s Racial Profiling
Clergy and Community Demand End to ‘Living in Terror’
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at 1pm, members of the Congress of Day Laborers, New Orleans reconstruction workers, and their allies will launch a 24-hour prayer vigil at the office of Sheriff Marlin Gusman to demand an end to the racial profiling and race-based deportation of immigrant in Orleans Parish Prison (OPP).
Community members will give firsthand testimony of racial profiling and constitutional violations within OPP, including deprivation of liberty and due process, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress. Survivors of OPP will give witness accounts of Gusman’s policy and practice of funneling Latino immigrants into deportation for minor offenses. Community members will talk about the climate of terror they live in as a result, and demand that Gusman reverse his current policy of submitting to hold requests from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The prayer vigil follows Gusman’s refusal to comply with an Open Records Act requests from the Congress of Day Laborers, as well as his repeated cancellation of meetings to launch a real community dialogue on the issue, even after he publicly committed to do so in front of TV cameras on the steps of the New Orleans federal courthouse on Nov. 15, 2011 after a federal judge ordered the release of one immigrant workers from the Sheriff’s illegal custody.
Following the end of the prayer vigil on Feb. 3, clergy and community members will march from Gusman’s office to the New Orleans City Council meeting for the 3pm vote on an ordinance that would limit Gusman’s authority in expansion of Orleans Parish Prison’s jail size.
WHAT: 24 hour prayer vigil to stop Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s racial profiling policy.
WHEN: 1:00 PM CST, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011
WHO: Members of the Congress of Day Laborers; New Orleans reconstruction workers; their friends, family, and allies, and the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice.
WHERE: Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, 819 South Broad Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
CONTACT: Saket Soni, saket@nowcrj.org, 504-881-6610
Report from Haitham in Bil'in:
Today at 2pm, the Israeli Occupation Forces arrested three boys at the Apartheid Wall in Bil’in. They are Jamal Al-Khatib (age 14), Ammar Al-Khatib (age 14), and Mahmoud Samaara, (age 15).... All three boys were on their way to join their families, who were cultivating their land behind the Wall.
At the gate of the Apartheid Wall, the IOF has installed a large camera for the purpose of filming the weekly demonstrations in Bil’in. Since these boys are usually participating in these non-violent demonstrations, the Israeli Army seemed to have recognized their faces. As they tried to join their families to help them working in the field today, they were arrested. Jamal Al-Khatib was released this evening after having been badly beaten. He shows signs of this all over his body. Ammar al-Khatib and Mahmoud Samaara are now being held at Ofer prison.
Ammar Al-Khatib had been arrested already two weeks ago, then released, and arrested again today. Three of his friends, Maotasem Mansour (age 15), Khalil Yaseen (age 17), and Amjad Abu Rahma (age 15) who were arrested together with him two weeks ago, remain imprisoned at Ofer prison to this day.
This brings the total of arrests of minors in Bil’in over the past two weeks to six.
Amazing how peaceful this village is. Boy if someone did that to my brother...
Today at 2pm, the Israeli Occupation Forces arrested three boys at the Apartheid Wall in Bil’in. They are Jamal Al-Khatib (age 14), Ammar Al-Khatib (age 14), and Mahmoud Samaara, (age 15).... All three boys were on their way to join their families, who were cultivating their land behind the Wall.
At the gate of the Apartheid Wall, the IOF has installed a large camera for the purpose of filming the weekly demonstrations in Bil’in. Since these boys are usually participating in these non-violent demonstrations, the Israeli Army seemed to have recognized their faces. As they tried to join their families to help them working in the field today, they were arrested. Jamal Al-Khatib was released this evening after having been badly beaten. He shows signs of this all over his body. Ammar al-Khatib and Mahmoud Samaara are now being held at Ofer prison.
Ammar Al-Khatib had been arrested already two weeks ago, then released, and arrested again today. Three of his friends, Maotasem Mansour (age 15), Khalil Yaseen (age 17), and Amjad Abu Rahma (age 15) who were arrested together with him two weeks ago, remain imprisoned at Ofer prison to this day.
This brings the total of arrests of minors in Bil’in over the past two weeks to six.
Amazing how peaceful this village is. Boy if someone did that to my brother...
Fox 8 Morning News-this link probably won't last :P
My faculty sponsor from Loyola gave an interview on Fox 8 this morning :)
Anchorwoman: "The rising tensions in Egypt could end up taking a toll on our nation's economy and...possibly...our security."
The last question:
"Dr. Moazami, do you think that the US security situation will be better off, or worse off? Mubarak, of course we have our issues with him, but he's also been an ally on certain things...do you think we could end up with a more radical leader or do you think Egypt will put in a democracy and a pro-Western leader?"
"Actually, democratic leader does not mean to be pro-Western at the same time. People are fearful of the possibility of the rise of the Muslim Brotherhoood, but I don't think that's the right understanding of what's going on in Egypt. In any case the Muslim Brotherhood is going to be a part of the political landscape of Egypt, there's no doubt about it, but they're not the dominant force. They are a part of it. They've shown throughout their history that they're committed to the democratic process. In fact, in the last parliament they had 20 members in Mubarak's governmet. The fear is that there would be some type of Islamist, extremism as we do see for example, in Iran, to take power, but we have to know that the democratic order in Egypt and elsewhere the Middle East will not be so friendly to the United States....because of the policies of the United States."
"Well, thank you, Dr. Moazami for your time...we'll be checking in with you as the situation continues to develop..."
My faculty sponsor from Loyola gave an interview on Fox 8 this morning :)
Anchorwoman: "The rising tensions in Egypt could end up taking a toll on our nation's economy and...possibly...our security."
The last question:
"Dr. Moazami, do you think that the US security situation will be better off, or worse off? Mubarak, of course we have our issues with him, but he's also been an ally on certain things...do you think we could end up with a more radical leader or do you think Egypt will put in a democracy and a pro-Western leader?"
"Actually, democratic leader does not mean to be pro-Western at the same time. People are fearful of the possibility of the rise of the Muslim Brotherhoood, but I don't think that's the right understanding of what's going on in Egypt. In any case the Muslim Brotherhood is going to be a part of the political landscape of Egypt, there's no doubt about it, but they're not the dominant force. They are a part of it. They've shown throughout their history that they're committed to the democratic process. In fact, in the last parliament they had 20 members in Mubarak's governmet. The fear is that there would be some type of Islamist, extremism as we do see for example, in Iran, to take power, but we have to know that the democratic order in Egypt and elsewhere the Middle East will not be so friendly to the United States....because of the policies of the United States."
"Well, thank you, Dr. Moazami for your time...we'll be checking in with you as the situation continues to develop..."
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Message from Change.Org
Last November, hundreds of New Orleans ColorOfChange members helped stall plans to build a monstrous 5,800-bed prison that would have sucked up city resources and increased incarceration rates.
Thanks in part to these efforts, the Council will vote this Thursday on a proposal to cap the new Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) at 1438 beds — building a smaller jail and saving money for the good of the public.
This is a critical chance to help rebuild a New Orleans that truly reflects the community's needs, but some members of the Council still haven't committed to support the smaller prison. Please ask them to stand with the thousands of New Orleanians who are demanding a better future. And when you do, ask your friends and family to add their voices as well — it only takes a moment:
Petition
The cap is critical to stopping an effort, led by Sheriff Marlin Gusman, to give New Orleans the nation's largest jail relative to the size of the local population.
Cities and counties across the country (including Jefferson and other nearby parishes) have reduced their jail populations using well-tested alternative policies and programs. These initiatives increase public safety, reduce costs and don’t rely on increasing the number of people locked up. Because Orleans Parish Prison is funded according to the number of prisoners it houses, a larger prison would only boost the incentive to arrest more people and mismanage public safety resources.
A smaller prison will be less expensive to run, and the money saved can be reinvested into city services, schools and other necessary public infrastructure. Please join us in asking the City Council to do the right thing.
There’s one more way you can help — attend and speak out at the Feb. 3 City Council meeting. If enough of us attend, it will show that the Council has the public support to chart a new course for New Orleans. Please RSVP your attendance to opphearing@colorofchange.org and let us know how many people you will be bringing with you.
Here are the details:
WHAT: City Council Meeting and Vote to Cap the OPP Jail Size
WHEN: Thursday, February 3rd, 3pm
WHERE: City Council Chambers, 1300 Peridido Street
Please attend, and let your voice be heard. If you have specific questions about this event, please reach out to our partners at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana. You can email them at contact@jjpl.org, or leave them a voice message at 504-894-8099.
Thanks and Peace.
Last November, hundreds of New Orleans ColorOfChange members helped stall plans to build a monstrous 5,800-bed prison that would have sucked up city resources and increased incarceration rates.
Thanks in part to these efforts, the Council will vote this Thursday on a proposal to cap the new Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) at 1438 beds — building a smaller jail and saving money for the good of the public.
This is a critical chance to help rebuild a New Orleans that truly reflects the community's needs, but some members of the Council still haven't committed to support the smaller prison. Please ask them to stand with the thousands of New Orleanians who are demanding a better future. And when you do, ask your friends and family to add their voices as well — it only takes a moment:
Petition
The cap is critical to stopping an effort, led by Sheriff Marlin Gusman, to give New Orleans the nation's largest jail relative to the size of the local population.
Cities and counties across the country (including Jefferson and other nearby parishes) have reduced their jail populations using well-tested alternative policies and programs. These initiatives increase public safety, reduce costs and don’t rely on increasing the number of people locked up. Because Orleans Parish Prison is funded according to the number of prisoners it houses, a larger prison would only boost the incentive to arrest more people and mismanage public safety resources.
A smaller prison will be less expensive to run, and the money saved can be reinvested into city services, schools and other necessary public infrastructure. Please join us in asking the City Council to do the right thing.
There’s one more way you can help — attend and speak out at the Feb. 3 City Council meeting. If enough of us attend, it will show that the Council has the public support to chart a new course for New Orleans. Please RSVP your attendance to opphearing@colorofchange.org and let us know how many people you will be bringing with you.
Here are the details:
WHAT: City Council Meeting and Vote to Cap the OPP Jail Size
WHEN: Thursday, February 3rd, 3pm
WHERE: City Council Chambers, 1300 Peridido Street
Please attend, and let your voice be heard. If you have specific questions about this event, please reach out to our partners at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana. You can email them at contact@jjpl.org, or leave them a voice message at 504-894-8099.
Thanks and Peace.
The American Enterprise Institute is the most prominent think tank associated with American neoconservatism....
Time to Shut the Spigot on Egypt
By Danielle Pletka
January 31, 2011, 9:49 am
Luckily for most members, a foreign policy crisis puts the White House in the spotlight, and the Hill can manage by press release. But that won’t last forever. And there are some lessons in what has happened in Egypt for our nation’s legislators:
• Rubber-stamping billion dollar aid programs year in and year out is irresponsible (yes, this also means Israel aid).
• Aid should be connected not only to our foreign policy priorities but also to our values; in Egypt, the disconnect was clear. Ditto Jordan. Ditto Lebanon. (I could go on.)
Full article
...this is exciting stuff.
Time to Shut the Spigot on Egypt
By Danielle Pletka
January 31, 2011, 9:49 am
Luckily for most members, a foreign policy crisis puts the White House in the spotlight, and the Hill can manage by press release. But that won’t last forever. And there are some lessons in what has happened in Egypt for our nation’s legislators:
• Rubber-stamping billion dollar aid programs year in and year out is irresponsible (yes, this also means Israel aid).
• Aid should be connected not only to our foreign policy priorities but also to our values; in Egypt, the disconnect was clear. Ditto Jordan. Ditto Lebanon. (I could go on.)
Full article
...this is exciting stuff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)