SIRATYST (Stuff I Read and Thought You Should Too) -- “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.” (Calgacus, as quoted by Tacitus, Agricola 30-31)"
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
From Sixteen Minutes to Palestine blog: "A [brilliant] two-minute window into Loyola University’s historic divestment win"
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The following is a two-minute speech presented at Loyola University Chicago on March 24, 2015, in support of a resolution calling on the university administration to divest from companies profiting from Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.
My name is Aiman Abdelmajid and I am a senior at Loyola University Chicago studying political science. My Palestinian narrative is continuously being demonized and marginalized. My Palestinian voice is constantly being silence and buried beneath the ground but they do not know they are planting seeds. Time and time again, my Palestinian people have been given empty promises and false hope. The so called “peace process” has led to nothing but more Palestinians being killed, more Palestinian homes being demolished, more Palestinian land being confiscated in order to build more settlements, more Palestinian children incarcerated, and more olive trees being uprooted. The overall quality of Palestinian life in the West Bank and Gaza continues to deteriorate.z
Nearly a decade ago, Palestinian civil society called for a movement that would put pressure on Israel to meet the demands of the Palestinian people. Today, we ask the Loyola Student Government to consider this resolution calling for the divestment from corporations that profit off of Palestinian human rights violations. We are not asking the student government to find a solution to the conflict, but we are asking that our institution invests responsibly. By divesting from these corporations we aren’t taking sides on the conflict, we take the position of neutrality. Right now we are obviously choosing a side and we simply want our university to remain neutral on this issue rather than invest in the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Aimnan’s speech was one of many that were presented to the Student Government in a discussion that lasted many hours. At the hearing’s close, the resolution passed with a final vote of 16-15-2.
This is the third time in two years that Loyola’s Student Government has passed this divestment resolution. It initially passed unanimously, but the opposition demanded a revote. When the resolution won a majority of the support in the revote, the Student Government’s President put his veto power to use. Many months later, the divestment campaign has only grown in support and administrators are going to have to face, sooner or later, the reality that Loyola students do not want to be complicit in one of the most egregious human rights violations of our time.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Rasmea Sentenced to 18 Months, But is Coming Home! Great News!
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"Be strong whatever happens," Rasmea said before speaking to the judge, "I am strong."
From original -- justice4rasmea.org
"Over the objections of a prosecution team that called for 5-7 years in federal prison, a harsh sentence with terrorism enhancements, Judge Gershwin Drain sentenced Rasmea Odeh, Chicago’s 67-year-old Palestinian community leader, to 18 months for Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization, of which she was convicted last November.
Almost 200 of Rasmea’s supporters filled two courtrooms in the Detroit federal courthouse, and left disappointed but not defeated. “This is a blow, of course, but we have to remember that the government wanted the judge to lock Rasmea up for half a decade or more,” said Muhammad Sankari of the national Rasmea Defense Committee. “Judge Drain had to weigh the outpouring of support that Rasmea has inspired from across the country. We made it impossible for the judge to justify an extended prison term, and now, we will stand with her in the fight to appeal the conviction itself, to make sure she doesn’t serve one day of that prison sentence.”
The decision came after her attorneys argued that she not be imprisoned at all. Seventy important leaders of unions and community-based, faith-based, civil rights, and student organizations, as well as prominent academics and activists, wrote letters to the judge in the past few weeks, urging him to issue a sentence with no prison time beyond the month Rasmea served in a county jail following the November verdict. They cited her invaluable service as a community leader in Chicago, as well as concerns for her age, poor health, and chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
One of the many letters of support came from Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit. He wrote, “I am asking for compassion in her sentencing. Rasmea has much to offer her community…keeping her out of prison would allow her to continue as a contributing and productive person, doing the work that is so critical to hundreds of refugee women.”
For their part, prosecutors called for Judge Drain to issue a sentence far beyond standard sentencing guidelines. While prosecutors had been barred from branding her a terrorist in front of the jury last year, today they were bound by no such court orders, asking that a terrorism enhancement be added to prolong her sentence.
Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said, “The government showed their true colors today, making it clear this case was never about immigration, but rather, the political persecution of a Palestinian hero. What they didn’t bargain for is that Rasmea would defend herself, and that thousands would rally around her.”
During the trial last year, Rasmea was prevented from presenting evidence about the events that led to her conviction by an Israeli military tribunal 45 years ago. Judge Drain had ruled that the circumstances of conviction by Israel didn’t matter. “Not the illegal 1967 massacres and occupation - let alone the military ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from the land and their homes when Palestine was partitioned in 1948 - not the midnight sweeps and kidnapping by the invading Army after the 1967 war, not the torture, not the kangaroo court and false confessions, not the prison time,” said her attorneys in filings to the court.
"Be strong whatever happens," Rasmea said before speaking to the judge, "I am strong."
After the sentencing, Rasmea was released on bond, as she sets out to appeal her conviction. Surprising many, the prosecution did not object, despite having pressed for her bond to be revoked after the guilty verdict. She credits the work of her supporters across the country for forcing the government’s hand.
Zena Ozeir of the Z Collective in Detroit said, “I have no doubt Rasmea’s freedom today is owed to the public outcry against her persecution. The government is still out to lock her up for years, but that is something they couldn’t win today. We have been with her at every hearing and trial date, we’ve held protests across the country, and flooded their phone lines and mail boxes, with people of conscience demanding an end to this prosecution, and an end to her unjust treatment in jail this fall. We will not stop until we win justice for Rasmea!”
After today’s hearing, Rasmea returns to Chicago, where she will continue her important community activism and work with her attorneys on an appeal of the verdict. If Odeh loses her case on appeal, she will have to serve the full sentence, and then lose her citizenship and be subject to immediate removal from the United States.
Rasmea Defense Committee
Friday, March 06, 2015
Sunday, March 01, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
"In Photos: Israel Destroys Protest Camp, Palestinians Vow to Rebuild" bySilvia Boarini on Electronic Intifada
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Nabeel Abdullah, 67, is from Abu Dis. “I came [to the protest camp] because Israel is taking our land. We all need to come down here and stand together to defend it.”
For more amazing pictures, go to the original article: http://electronicintifada.net/content/photos-israel-destroys-protest-camp-palestinians-vow-rebuild/14309
Activists erect more wooden structures as Israeli Border Police prepare to dismantle the camp for the SIXTH time.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The Murder of Malcolm X Was An Incalculable Loss to Us All -- February 21, 1965
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"It is not a case of our people...wanting either separation or integration. The use of these words actually clouds the real picture. The 22 million Afro-Americans don't seek either separation or integration. They seek recognition and respect as human beings."
"I think that an objective analysis of events that are taking place on this earth today points towards some type of ultimate showdown. You can call it political showdown, or even a showdown between the economic systems that exist on this earth which almost boil down along racial lines. I do believe that there will be a clash between East and West. I believe that there will ultimately be a clash between the oppressed and those that do the oppressing. I believe that there will be a clash between those who want freedom, justice and equality for everyone and those who want to continue the systems of exploitation."
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."
Voices for Palestine Crew at Westlake Park, Downtown Seattle. Join Us on the 1st & Third Saturdays!
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| Blazing Seattle Sun Dazzles Sign Saying Stop US Aid to Israeli Occupation! |
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| Voices for Palestine (Seattle) Educating Crowds near Westlake Park. |
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Spirit Horses by Annie Humphrey with John Trudell
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http://youtu.be/gd6wsVgWoUI
HAUNTING & BEAUTIFUL SONG.
AND THE OUTRAGEOUS STORY IT WAS EMBEDDED IN:
http://youtu.be/gd6wsVgWoUI
HAUNTING & BEAUTIFUL SONG.
AND THE OUTRAGEOUS STORY IT WAS EMBEDDED IN:
Native-American Kids Doused With Beer at SD Hockey Game
http://www.laprogressive.com/native-american-kids-doused-with-beer/Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Monday, February 02, 2015
Feb. 9 Seattle Vigil to Defend Rasmea Odeh, Palestinian/American Community Organizer. Thank you, @stopfbi
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When: Monday, February 9, 4:30-5:30
When: Federal Court House, 7th & Stewart
National Week of Action to defend Rasmea, February 9-15
Published on Sat, 2015-01-24 13:56
The campaign to defend long-time Palestinian American leader Rasmea Odeh has reached a critical stage. We urge everyone to join us in organizing an event or protest on your campus or in the community during the week of Feb. 9 – 15.
All of us need to shine a light on the real injustice that is taking place in Detroit. Rasmea, a Palestinian American woman who has done so much for so many, is facing deportation and up to ten years in jail on a trumped-up immigration charge.
We need to go all out in focusing attention on her case before her March 12 sentencing. After the sentencing, it is anticipated that the appeals process will start. This fight will not be over until we have justice.
Rasmea has made great contributions to the community and the cause of Palestinian freedom. We need to stand with her.
*This event is being called ad hoc in response to the above call. Please distribute widely to your lists. Respond to this email with any questions. Thanks. Linda Jansen, Member Voices for Palestine
Sunday, February 01, 2015
"Syriza Victory Reveals Media's One-Dimensional Backwardness" -- By Chris Spannos @teleSURtv
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http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Syriza-Victory-Reveals-Medias-One-Dimensional-Backwardness--20150130-0012.html
The recent coverage of Syriza’s political rise reveals several ways in which the journalistic profession has lost its meaning.
Syriza's sensational triumph in the recent Greek elections sent shock waves around the world and has whipped some international media into a frenzy.
Hours after being sworn in, the new Syriza government froze privatizations, re-instituted a monthly 751 euro minimum wage, promised immigrant children citizenship, canceled public sector layoffs, and more.
The New York Times questioned the ability of the Syriza government to succeed. The Independent asserted that Greece is doomed to failure. And the BBC and Reuters worried about market rumblings.
To these powerful media outlets Syriza's actions — aimed at ensuring basic human well-being so that people have a decent income to guarantee access to shelter and food, for example — are backward. For them, the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank imposed economic austerity — which has caused 3 million Greeks to go without health insurance, soaring infant mortality, and an increase in suicides — is necessary to make the country competitive in the global market.
It is difficult to see how this view could be more irrational.
The Economist magazine proposes that the reforms of Greece’s new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who, according to them, “probably is a crazy leftwinger,” would lead to more loss of worker income and boost unemployment rates even higher than the current 25 percent.
But by September 2011, in the very early stages of the imposition of economic austerity, more than 68,000 small businesses had closed. By the following September, one-third of the shops in Athens’ city center had been shut down. The National Confederation of Greek Commerce reported in April 2013 that an “unprecedented” 150,000 small and medium-sized businesses had closed.
Could Syriza's social democratic reforms do more damage to the welfare of the population, as compared to the ways in which neoliberal capitalism's sweeping privatization — including 14 airports, major radio frequencies, islands, beaches, historic buildings, gas, water, ports, and railway systems — and austerity has savaged the country?
In his seminal text from 1960, “Modern Capitalism and Revolution,” the Greek/French philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis wrote that privatization is one of the most striking features of modern capitalism because it destroys the collective social relations that are the basis for people coming together to solve the important problems of the day. It depoliticizes. It drives society to provide private, rather than public solutions, and pressures people to act alone in a spiral away from others.
No wonder one of the first acts of the Syriza government was to freeze the privatizations. Dominant international media has predictably reacted hysterically.
When the Greek economy hit an iceberg nearly six years ago, the EU and IMF speedily began pushing through a far-reaching free market agenda resulting in millions of people becoming destitute. In resistance, Greeks took to the streets in colorful protests and debilitating strikes.
The hand held lasers that Greeks shone into the lenses of cameras and faces of police in the many street manifestations against austerity and repression sought to blind media's one-dimensional view of their plight. In shining the lasers, they hoped to interrupt the pro-austerity paparazzi occupying Athens Plaza Hotel balconies safely above the tear gas and batons descending in Syntagma Square below.
The pro-austerity paparazzi portrayed the Greek crisis in terms of corruption, responsibility, and debt, sanitizing the human costs and consequences of austerity that Greeks were rebelling against. The austerity that operates as a form of social control, distancing individuals from each other, causing what Castoriadis described as a lonely spiral away from one another.
This helps explain why some Greeks have attacked, or at least physically confronted journalists warning them to stop filming or risk having their camera smashed. I personally have been confronted in this way, by protesters. When your story is not being told, but the images of your resistance are being used to sell a story of irresponsibility against completely “sane” and necessary economic measures — you do not want the images to be made at all.
The institutions of dominant media have been corrupted to their core so that the entire modern enterprise of journalism has lost its meaning.
The word for “journalist” in Greek is dimosiográfos — pronounced dee-mos-eeo-gra-fos — and in Greek looks like this: δημοσιογράφος. In etymological terms, the root “dimos” (δημοσ) means “the people” while “gráfos” (γράφος) means “writer.”
There are different interpretations of what these words signify when put together. My preference is that when combined these words define a journalist as a “writer for the people.” If the Greek word for journalism can be said to have this connotation, the recent historical coverage of crises and Syriza’s victory reveal the number of ways in which the profession has lost its original meaning. Journalists in dominant media do not write in service to the people. They write in service to power.
Ever since Syriza stepped into the ring as a serious electoral contender, European and Greek elites have heightened fears about panicky investors and a Greek expulsion from the eurozone in order to ring fear in the hearts of the population so that they would not vote for Syriza. And now that a Syriza victory has challenged austerity's boundaries of acceptable thought, the chorus peddling fear has intensified.
So while you read nauseating and patronizing headlines suggesting “Why the Eurozone May Need to Sacrifice Greece to Save Spain” (Wall Street Journal), or vague and factually erroneous media reports that “Greece was the laggard of Europe, sometimes hardly bothering to aspire to the standards of other EU nations” (BBC), remember that these and other dominant media institutions are attempting to enforce an irrational world view upon populations that elevate an unjust social order which keeps the powerful secure over the human well-being and free development of all.
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