They want you silent. Speak anyway Opinion

"... This is what authoritarianism looks like in America now.  Not jackboots. Not tanks. Just forms and subpoenas and investigations triggered by anonymous resentment. We don’t imprison you for your words—we just make you afraid to speak..."

"... We have entered an era where dissent is punished not just by political operatives, but by the system itself. You say the wrong thing, and suddenly the police want your papers. Meanwhile, the billionaires who own our national platforms—Zaslav, Bezos, Murdoch, and Musk—aren’t standing up for speech. They’re sanitizing it...

...These are the new gatekeepers. Not elected. Not accountable. But absolutely in control of who gets heard and who gets silenced.  They don’t have to delete your words. They just make sure no one sees them. They don’t ban books—they bury them in algorithms. They don’t need to arrest you—they just make you so afraid of being called out, canceled, or investigated that you say nothing at all.  

And in that silence, they win.  But here’s the thing..."  READ MORE in context  https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2025/08/they-want-you-silent-speak-anyway-opinion.html?gift=f7e0ead7-d04e-4b6f-a83b-3e2ffebe1203

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My letter to the NYTimes RE "The Facebook Intifada" by Micah Lakin Avni

RE "The Facebook Intifada" by Micah Lakin Avni
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/opinion/the-facebook-intifada.html?ref=international

Dear Editor,

The NYTimes illustration for the badly named article "The Facebook Intifada" by Israeli Micah Lakin Avni looks quite similar to a cartoon by a french cartoonist, Zeon, where a Palestinian child is being stabbed by a state shape knife labeled Israel:  The french cartoonist Zeon, was recently arrested in France: " A complaint appears to have been filed by the BNVCA (National Bureau of Vigilance against Anti-Semitism)... The judge has indicted the designer of incitement to racial, religious hatred, by speech, writing, picture or means of electronic communication."  http://nonalignedmedia.com/2015/03/french-cartoonist-zeon-arrested-anti-zionist-work/

I think it is totally horrifying and tragic that Micah Lakin Avni's father, Richard Lakin, was murdered.  I also don't like Zeon's ugly cartoons.   But I think blaming Facebook/Twitter/social media (or cartoonists) for spreading venom and inciting violence is crazy and totally misleading.  

People do not need social media to spread ideas- word of mouth and posters and pamphlets work too. If the point is to convince young Palestinians not to attack Israelis then please start seriously noticing and publicizing facts about all the many ways that the sovereign nation state Israel has been persecuting, impoverishing, disenfranchising and destroying Palestinian individuals and communities.

Israel obsessed with being "Jewish" is in long term and flagrant violation of international law and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights when it comes to the native non-Jewish Palestinians.   

Israelis yearning to build global support for silencing criticism of the sovereign nation state called Israel are often able to curb the mainstream conversation, deflecting attention away from the very real plight and suffering of the Palestinians, but that most certainly does not stop the conflict and escalating hostilities.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

NOTES
"What is so special about the Journal of Palestine Studies is our commitment to academically rigorous content that is also accessible to non-academics, to anyone interested in Palestine. I want to make sure Palestinian non-academics who crave this information and history can enjoy the Journal as much as a scholar in Middle East studies." Nehad Khader, managing editor of The Journal of Palestine Studies
 

Bright & beautiful Karmah Elmusa in Elle Magazine.... "I'm Longing for Palestine While Living the American Dream" Oct 30, 2015

BDS calls for culinary boycott of Israel: After cultural and academic boycotts, movement urges top international chefs to 'take apartheid off the menu' and cancel their participation in November's Round Tables event in Tel Aviv.

#JeSuisBDS... "Anti-Israel" Activism Criminalized in the Land of Charlie Hebdo and “Free Speech”

National Geographic: A Photographer Captures Joy in Gaza ... From days at the beach to party preparations, Tanya Habjouqa offers a different look into life during conflict.

Concrete tent embodies contradictions of Palestine refugee life 2015

Strangling Jerusalem: "In reality, the roots of the violence in Jerusalem are deeper and far more complex. For decades now, Israel has been strangling East Jerusalem denying its Palestinian inhabitants freedom, opportunity, dignity, and hope, with devastating impact. Before Israel closed Jerusalem off from the rest of the West Bank in 1994, the city had served as the hub of Palestinian life. Not only was the city important for its religious role, all of the major Palestinian economic, social, cultural, educational, medical, and service institutions were located in the city. " James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute & author of 'Arab Voices'

IBISH: The Tragedy of the Palestinians

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A Curious Land: Stories from Home..."A superb collection and a perfect selection for public libraries"

STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

Unclench your fist... Live by the Golden Rule...

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Words to Honor: The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

#JeSuisCharlie

From Seattle Sketcher Gabriel Campanario: Today was a sad day with senseless loss of life in Paris, where 12 people were murdered by gun-toting terrorists in the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Read more: http://seati.ms/1xRizHk
More Seattle Sketcher: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seattlesketcher/






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STAY CONNECTED... Given the U.S. commitment to religious freedom, and to the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right of every human being, the United States seeks to: Promote freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world as a fundamental human right and as a source of stability for all countries

Jordan's King Abdullah says world faces fight against extremism

King Abdullah II of Jordan

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http://news.yahoo.com/jordans-king-abdullah-says-world-faces-fight-against-154940641.html

Amman (AFP) - Jordan's King Abdullah said Tuesday the world was engaged in a battle against extremism as his country takes part in US-led air strikes on Islamic State jihadists in Syria.

"All countries in the world are witnessing a war between moderation and extremism, and today Islam is plagued by a civil war," Abdullah told a meeting of Jordanian lawmakers.

"Unfortunately, we as Arabs and Muslims have not seen this to such an extent before," he added.

Jordan is one of five Arab States -- along with Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- taking part in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, where the jihadist group is headquartered.

Sharing a border with Syria and conflict-hit Iraq has provoked fears that Jordan, which is grappling with its own home-grown Islamists, could be targeted by IS revenge attacks.

"Jordan's participation... in the war on terrorism is within the framework of protecting its interests and consolidating its security faced with the chaos in neighbouring states and throughout the region," Abdullah said. 

The Hashemite ruler said the fight to defeat extremism would take "several years" even once military action against IS wound up.

Abdullah said extremism was not unique to Islam, adding that it existed in aspects of Israeli politics and "everywhere" in the Middle East. 

The king said Jordan was well situated to "protect not only Muslims facing danger but also Christians who have been subjected to a catastrophe in Syria and Iraq". 

The UN refugee agency said in July it expects the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan to reach 800,000 by the end of this year.

My Published Letters 2014

Our words have a way of echoing out into either war or peace....

Anne Selden Annab's published letters

@AnnieAnnab

 Published letters 2014

*************
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/opinion/how-to-answer-the-fears-of-a-palestinian-mother.html?ref=opinion

The Opinion Pages | Letters

How to Answer the Fears of a Palestinian Mother

JULY 10, 2014

To the Editor:

Re “A Mother’s Fear in East Jerusalem,” by Rula Salameh (Op-Ed, July 10), and “Religious Freedom in Peril,” by Nicholas Kristof (column, July 10):

Horrified by the hate crimes and violence generated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ms. Salameh condemns Israel, but she doesn’t condemn the nefarious part that Islamists are playing in perpetuating the tragic conflict.

Mr. Kristof admits that he was reluctant to write his column “because religious repression is an awkward topic when it thrives in Muslim countries.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is ruining many lives; it needs to end, for everyone’s sake. Big-picture, inclusive thinking is the only way out of this cruel mess.

Ending the conflict with a just and lasting peace built by two fully secular sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, both fully respecting international law and universal human rights, is the best way forward.

ANNE SELDEN ANNAB
Mechanicsburg, Pa., July 10, 2014

*************
The Baltimore Sun
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-israel-20140709,0,1374094.story#ixzz370OY2jif

Readers Respond

Religious extremists are scuttling prospects for Mideast peace [Letter]

12:00 p.m. EDT, July 9, 2014

Freedom of religion, as well as freedom from religion, is crucial to the stability of all countries. Arming religion with lethal weaponry plus public funds is a very bad idea ("A dangerous turning point in Israel," July 7).

The Israel-Palestine conflict has always been personal for the people who live there, and the momentum for making the Israel-Palestine conflict into a religious conflagration starts with the fact that Israel foolishly insists on being "a Jewish state."

Israel being "Jewish" translates into taxpayers' money and international aid generously funding Israeli policies that privilege Jews, including but not limited to Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank and Jews-only settlement projects built on land usurped from native, non-Jewish Arab Palestinians.

These policies have created and exasperated a huge refugee crisis, with countless Palestinians pushed into poverty, forced exile and despair.

Islamist extremists have risen up to make a bad situation worse in every possible way. Were it not for the Islamists' reign of terror, many more people and governments worldwide would have much more sympathy and compassion for the Palestinians' plight.

Advocating full respect for international law and universal basic human rights to shape a secular, two-state solution with two sovereign nations living side by side in peace and security is the only way out of the mess made by the religious extremists and hatemongers on both sides.

There are many good and decent people on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict who deserve a chance to live and raise their children in peace and dignity. Worldwide the rule of fair and just laws is an ongoing process that requires educated, empowered and engaged citizens who are willing and able to see beyond their own personal suffering and sorrows. The best revenge is living well.

Anne Selden Annab, Mechanicsburg, Penn.

*************

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-israel-asa-letter-20140215,0,2785848.story

 Readers Respond

Don't silence criticism of Israel [Letter]

12:30 p.m. EST, February 15, 2014

 

I totally agree with Melani McAlister's point that the "question of how Americans should respond to the deteriorating situation in Israel and Palestine — what our government should do, what we as individuals can or should do — should be openly and freely debated" ("Maryland bills would stifle academic freedom," Feb. 12).

Already, social pressure tends to convince numerous concerned Americans to voluntarily refrain from criticizing Israel. Some stay silent because they do not want to be falsely labeled as anti-Semitic. Meanwhile, many other people, including movie stars who prefer to empower Israel and Israeli propaganda continue to be highly motivated to do so at every opportunity.

More than 60 years ago, Israel's application to membership in the United Nations clearly pointed out that Israel was directly contravening "the previous recommendations of the United Nations in at least three important respects: in its attitude on the problem of Arab refugees, on the delimitation of its territorial boundaries, and on the question of Jerusalem."

Since then, things have only gone from bad to worse. Did you know that the number of Palestinian structures (including many Palestinian homes) demolished by the Israeli authorities in the Jordan Valley more than doubled, from 192 in 2012 to 393 in 2013? Adding in American legislation to penalize the few American scholars and students who are willing to publicly discuss the very real suffering and plight of the Palestinians gives sovereign Israel even more power to oppress, persecute, disenfranchise and displace the native non-Jewish population of historic Palestine.

Islamists thrive on the continuation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and so do anti-American hate mongers and many misinformation campaigns. It is in our best interests as a nation, and as conscientious compassionate global citizens, to seek the full and total truth about Israel and Palestine and to do all we can to support an actual end to the Israel-Palestine conflict with a just and lasting peace shaped by a fully secular, two state solution that fully respects international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Anne Selden Annab, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

*************

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-le-0111-saturday-israelis-palestinians-20140111,0,6299511.story#axzz2q99pO6jx

Letters: Bringing peace to the Middle East

January 11, 2014

The peace process has been tragically unsuccessful, and war in the region has produced terrible consequences. No one in the Middle East is safer, and many countries are much less stable now than before.

Multiple factors, including religious extremism and terrorism motivated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are likely to make this dangerous situation go from bad to worse.

Considering all that, I have to agree with the gist of your editorial, and I very much hope that more people do what they can to help make a just and lasting peace for both Israel and the Palestinians a reality.

Anne Selden Annab
Mechanicsburg, Penn.

Citizens of the Earth

International Day of Peace 

This is just one of the ‪#‎PeaceDay‬ contributions from our Friends at the The Prem Rawat Foundation TPRF... Huge ‪#‎PeaceHug‬ to all...

Hussein Ibish: The three-way Israeli-Palestinian impasse- Israel, the PA and Hamas are all trapped in their own policies with no idea how to move forward.

"...The Palestinian groups are simply too divided to meaningfully reunify under current circumstances. Each of them faces a dead-end for their policies, and no notion of what a good alternative would be. Yet Israel, too, is in a dead end of its own. It's addicted to the status quo, which is unsustainable and, eventually, will almost certainly lead to another brutal confrontation. Israel has no idea what to do with the millions of Palestinians that live under its rule. And those Palestinians don't know what to do to get rid of Israel's rule. The three-way standoff is unprecedented and exceptionally dangerous.

It may be the broader regional changes are required to resolve the conflict. But that really means that Israelis and Palestinians have proven utterly incapable of resolving it themselves, including with the help of the United States. What those regional changes might be, moreover, is itself a source of potential alarm. With all three of the principal actors in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict stuck in their own traps and unable to see a way forward, they have essentially lost agency and left themselves at the mercy of events they do not, and cannot, control." Hussein Ibish

Hussein Ibish is a columnist at NOW and The National (UAE). He is also a senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine. He tweets @Ibishblog

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https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/564237-the-three-way-israeli-palestinian-impasse

Palestinian women, one holding up the national flag, push against a metal gate part of the controversial separation barrier being constructed by Israel. (AFP/Abbas Momani)

In #Palestine #Olive Trees witnessed foreign invaders for thousands of years...

Mike Hanini Odetalla facebook/twitter post 2014: In #Palestine #Olive Trees witnessed foreign invaders for thousands of years...

THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE: Ethnographic Habitat, Place Memories, and Cultural Identity

Byzantine, Crusader, and Ottoman traces.

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http://thisweekinpalestine.com/retrocog-nition-in-sebastiya/

"Sebastiya successfully combines the ideological framing of history and identity. The exquisite rehabilitation of Sebastiya homesteads and previously abused monuments addresses the relationship between time and space, and points the way for the future development of Palestinian cultural geography...."

Retrocog-nition in Sebastiya

Ethnographic Habitat, Place Memories, and Cultural Identity

By: Ali Qleibo

"...Sebastiya is a living ode to Palestinian life, a museum of memories with which we are already acquainted though Fairuz’s classical ballads. In fact, the lyrics and melodies immortalised by Fairuz haunt the old town of Sebastiya.

Sebastiya is a “place memory” par excellence, wherein the visitor “remembers” events that have been experienced by others, and it is closely associated with retrocognition, which literally means “backward knowing.” In retrocognition, visitors and locals witness events as “a playback of a past scene.” Thus, place memory and retrocognition juxtapose present-day environmental place memory with alterations in time that might let you literally see the past (retrocognition). With retrocognition there is a dream-like state and an altered sense of time.

Each village has its own narrative, its own individuality, and its own unique character. Sebastiya brings together Biblical, Roman, Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman archaeological architectural elements, not as cold relics but as an integral expression of Palestinian key symbols and signs within an ecological niche that the Palestinian genius has sculpted through the past five millennia.

In Sebastiya, history and its relationship with narratives constitutive of national identity weave a lyrical poem that celebrates the roots of Palestinian national identity in antiquity. By situating the cultural architectural narrative within the local spatial context and connecting it to wider regional cultural geography and history, the heritage attraction sites become signifiers that help advance the understanding of the highly diversified cultural expressions of Palestinian national identity.

In Sebastiya we find a venue that reveals the composite multi-layered historical and demographic levels of which our cultural identity is an expression. Sebastiya as an iconic heritage site has come to symbolise fundamental aspects of “Palestinianness,” and in so doing presents the nation as a family, a group of relations with shared history, values and beliefs, and common characteristics."

Dr. Ali Qleibo is an anthropologist, author, and artist. A specialist in the social history of Jerusalem and Palestinian peasant culture, he is the author of Before the Mountains Disappear, Jerusalem in the Heart, and Surviving the Wall, an ethnographic chronicle of contemporary Palestinians and their roots in ancient Semitic civilisations. Dr. Qleibo lectures at Al-Quds University. He can be reached at: aqleibo@yahoo.com.
  

 ****** 

Message From the editor

 Habitat

Habitat is not your usual word. A look at the English dictionary definition reveals a number of meanings:

• The natural environment of an organism; a place that is natural for its life and growth. For example, a desert habitat and all the wildlife thriving there.
• A place where an organism is usually found. For example, Nablus is a major habitat for knafeh chefs and sweet shops in Palestine.
• A special environment in which organisms reside over an extended period. For example, the village habitat in Palestine is special for both humans and animals.

If we take a look at the beautiful old houses in Palestinian villages, towns, and cities, we find that they easily integrate with their surrounding habitats. They have been built by the descendants of people who have lived and been nurtured in this habitat for thousands of years. A totally different perspective from the one you get when you are struck by the illegal Israeli settlements that intrude on the natural habitat of Palestine and impose ugly structures that have little to do with their surrounding environment.

In the pages of this issue you will discover the unique floral aspects of Palestine, its rich wildlife, and just how little you know about it all. We hope that you will gain a greater appreciation of the village habitat, the way Jerusalem produced its own kind of habitat, and how all of it is endangered mainly because of the occupation but also because of other social and economic factors.

Habitat is not just a word in Palestine; it is a way to affirm and preserve
our identity and way of life!

Ahmad Damen
Content Editor
THIS WEEK IN PALESTINE

http://thisweekinpalestine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/October-198-2014-low.pdf

Highlights of Palestinian Habitats

Dorothy Shea: "Palestinians should be applauded for largely eliminating the gender gap in education. Unlike in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Palestinian girls and young women enjoy equal access to education as their male counterparts."

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http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=732403

Graduation ceremony at Bethlehem University, 2010. (MaanImages/file)

Analysis: The marathon to close the gender gap in Palestine

By Dorothy Shea

Dorothy Shea is the Deputy Principal Officer at the United States Jerusalem Consulate General.

Secretary John Kerry said that finding a solution to gender inequality is a marathon and not a sprint. I've only recently arrived in Jerusalem but I've already been impressed by how boldly Palestinians are running this marathon.

On Oct. 11, 2014, we celebrate the International Day of the Girl in recognition of girls' rights to education and the unique challenges girls and women continue to face around the world, including women and girls in the Palestinian Territories.

Empowering women throughout the world has been a long-term goal of Secretary Kerry as it was for former Secretary Clinton. Closing the gender gap will take time, but we must steadfastly move towards a more inclusive society if we want peace and prosperity.

Palestinians should be applauded for largely eliminating the gender gap in education. Unlike in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Palestinian girls and young women enjoy equal access to education as their male counterparts.

In 2012, girls accounted for half of all students enrolled at Palestinian schools, making up 50 percent of the primary school population and 54 percent of secondary school students. In fact, last year's statistics show an even stronger female presence in higher education, where 58 percent of students were young women. Among graduates, too, women form a clear majority -- around 60 percent in 2012. The literacy rate is 94 percent for women, one of the highest rates in the Middle East.

However, Palestinians still have a gender gap in the workplace, and this is where greater attention is needed.

In 2014, 72 percent of men were employed as opposed to just 19 percent of women, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Paradoxically in Palestinian society, employment opportunity among Palestinian women decreases as their level of education increases.

Palestinian women with 13 years of schooling or more suffer from the highest rate of unemployment, at over 53 percent. As a result, many more women than men with higher-education degrees are forced to accept jobs that are far below their qualifications. Female graduates from Gaza to Jenin to Jericho file away their diplomas and go to work in hair salons or tailor shops. They conclude they have no chance of working in their professional field, but they can contribute to their household income as low-skilled workers.

I've been fortunate in my role at the American Consulate General to witness first-hand the enormous energy, creativity and confidence that girls and young women bring to our public events. Recently, we sent two amazing young Palestinian women to Boston to participate in a leadership conference as part of the Women-2-Women exchange, and our TechGirls program is emboldening young girls to pursue professional and academic careers in science and technology.

Politically, the voice of Palestinian women is also incredibly significant and inspiring; some of the most articulate and compelling arguments regarding the Palestinian cause that I have heard come from women. Palestinians have done a commendable job in embarking on the marathon but as we acknowledge this important day we should also recognize that Palestinian women are ready for the next phase in achieving gender equality.

A whole host of data, from the World Bank and World Economic Forum to the OECD, indicates that when women are gainfully and fully employed, societies tend to function better, are more stable and prosperous. I am convinced that when Palestinian women are more fully integrated into business, journalism, and politics all Palestinians will reap the benefits. I think that the Palestinian leadership understands the transformative power of female employment and is committed to ending discrimination in the workplace and ensuring broader rights for women. Now is the time to realize this noble goal -- in the boardrooms, on the mastheads, at the summits.

Ultimately, Palestinians themselves must choose to invest in their society and better utilize the talents and education of women. Overcoming gender inequality will not come overnight, but we cannot stand still either and let time pass.

As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl, let us consider how far we have come and what is left to be done for a more inclusive society.

The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.

UK MPs To Vote On Recognition Of Palestine... "Dr Hanan Ashrawi, executive committee member of the PLO, told Sky News the Palestinian cause must be "rescued" to prevent jihadists [from] using it to fuel radicalisation and further extremism in the region."

UK MPs To Vote On Recognition Of Palestine

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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-mps-urged-recognise-palestine-001441519.html#STbzRqG

A leading Palestinian politician has urged British MPs to vote in favour of recognising a Palestinian state when the issue is debated in Westminster later today.

Dr Hanan Ashrawi, executive committee member of the PLO, told Sky News the Palestinian cause must be "rescued" to prevent jihadists using it to fuel radicalisation and further extremism in the region.

In reference to the growing influence of groups like Islamic State, she said: "The Palestinian question has always been appropriated by others, and I've always said we need to rescue it from being 'up for grabs' by those looking for a cause, or who are trying to borrow our constituency or our legitimacy.

"It is imperative we remove one core issue from the region that has constantly fed… and send a clear message to the whole region and the rest of the world that justice can prevail and that we can make peace."

The debate in the House of Commons has been tabled by MP Grahame Morris, chair of the Labour Friends of Palestine.

"Not only is statehood the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, but recognising Palestine will breathe new life into a peace process that is at an impasse," Mr Morris told Reuters.

The Westminster vote will not be binding on the UK Government and is unlikely to change official policy, which states recognition of a Palestinian state must follow a bilateral negotiated process with Israel.

However, Dr Ashrawi said it was nonetheless "a very significant moment".

She said: "It is the beginning of a process of genuine consideration of the historical responsibility of the British towards Palestine, dating back to 1917, and we believe this process of rectification has to start.

"It is about time … not just as a way of doing justice to Palestine and respecting international law, but as a way of trying to rescue the chances of peace, which are disappearing rapidly."

The debate comes after Sweden's new government said it intended to officially recognise Palestine, a move that has...READ MORE

U.S. calls for renewed commitment to lasting Mideast peace: "... a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians for all people of this region"

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attends the Gaza international donors conference in Cairo October 12, 2014. Kerry announced on Sunday an additional $212 million in aid to the Palestinian people at a Cairo conference on rebuilding Gaza following a war earlier this year. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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http://news.yahoo.com/u-calls-renewed-commitment-lasting-mideast-peace-101544372.html

CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Sunday for a renewed commitment to achieving Middle East peace, saying a lasting deal between Israel, the Palestinians and all their neighbors could be achieved.

"Out of this conference must come not just money but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians for all people of this region. And I promise you the full commitment of president Obama, myself and the United States to try to do that," Kerry told a Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo. 

"Everything else will be a band aid fix, not a long-term solution... Everything else will be the prisoner of impatience and that has brought us to this unacceptable and unstable status quo."

The latest round of U.S.-brokered peace talks foundered in April over Israeli objections to a Palestinian political unity pact including the Islamist Hamas movement and Palestinian objections to unremitting Israeli settlement growth.

(Reporting by Stephen Kalin and Lin Noueihed, editing by John Stonestreet)

New Ibish article: Hisham, Hope and Despair..."The crucial point is that the one thing that is certain is that the choices that we make individually and collectively will have a direct and profound impact on the short, medium and long-term outcomes. And, therefore, our choices must be carefully considered, deliberate and purposive, while apathy and inaction are not options."

Denial is not only pointless; it's no longer possible without becoming downright delusional. (AFP Photo/STR)

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https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/commentaryanalysis/564209-hisham-hope-and-despair

Hisham, Hope and Despair

Hisham Melhem is correct about the collapse of "Arab civilization," but hope remains

On 18 September, Hisham Melhem – the distinguished Arab journalist and de facto "dean" of the Arabic-language press corps in Washington – published a brilliant, ringing and profoundly significant cri de coeur in the American news magazine Politico. Its impact has reverberated powerfully throughout the Middle East-related commentariat, particularly in the United States. Surveying the wreckage of Arab culture and civilization as normatively understood over most of the past 100 years or so – in other words, what most Arabs thought we knew about ourselves, and which now lies largely in ruins – he conducts an unflinching, overdue and merciless autopsy of what he declares to be, at least for the rest of his own lifetime, a social, economic and political corpse.

All serious observers who care about the Arabs and the Arab world must either immediately acknowledge an instinctive and heartbroken identification with Melhem's anguish, or continue kidding themselves. Denial is not only pointless; it's no longer possible without becoming downright delusional. The profound crisis in the contemporary Arab social order and political culture is simply a fact. It can, and must, be analyzed and interrogated. But it cannot be dismissed or even downplayed.

Details aside, it's just impossible for any serious or honest person to take issue with the essence of Melhem's grim analysis. Many once-promising Arab societies have ...READ MORE

"Let’s not feed Islamophobic bigotry... The great divide is not between faiths, but one between intolerant zealots of any tradition and the large numbers of decent, peaceful believers likewise found in each tradition." Nicholas Kristof

Cultural diversity is a driving force of development... an asset that is indispensable for poverty reduction and the achievement of sustainable development:  Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusion a facebook page

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/opinion/nicholas-kristof-the-diversity-of-islam.html?ref=opinion

The Diversity of Islam

by Nicholas Kristof

A few days ago, I was on a panel on Bill Maher’s television show on HBO that became a religious war.

Whether or not Islam itself inspires conflict, debates about it certainly do. Our conversation degenerated into something close to a shouting match and went viral on the web. Maher and a guest, Sam Harris, argued that Islam is dangerous yet gets a pass from politically correct liberals, while the actor Ben Affleck denounced their comments as “gross” and “racist.” I sided with Affleck.

After the show ended, we panelists continued to wrangle on the topic for another hour with the cameras off. Maher ignited a debate that is rippling onward, so let me offer three points of nuance.

First, historically, Islam was not particularly intolerant, and it initially elevated the status of women. Anybody looking at the history even of the 20th century would not single out Islam as the bloodthirsty religion; it was Christian/Nazi/Communist Europe and Buddhist/Taoist/Hindu/atheist Asia that set records for mass slaughter.

Likewise, it is true that the Quran has passages hailing violence, but so does the Bible... READ MORE

REZA ASLAN: "No religion exists in a vacuum. On the contrary, every faith is rooted in the soil in which it is planted. It is a fallacy to believe that people of faith derive their values primarily from their Scriptures. The opposite is true. People of faith insert their values into their Scriptures, reading them through the lens of their own cultural, ethnic, nationalistic and even political perspectives." 

Last Thursday, the United Nations released a report that could provide us with one of the keys to defeating ISIS. Unfortunately, it received almost zero media attention.

"... this fight is not Islam versus the West. Rather, it’s everyone who doesn’t want to live under ISIS’ brutal dictatorship versus ISIS." 

Dean Obeidallah @Deanofcomedy 

Who is ISIS killing the most of by far? Muslims. But that fact is barely covered by US media. 

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/07/isis-s-gruesome-muslim-death-toll.html

ISIS’s Gruesome Muslim Death Toll

The group’s killing of Westerners gets attention. But ISIS has killed far more Muslims, and publicizing that fact would harm it more.

 

Last Thursday, the United Nations released a report that could provide us with one of the keys to defeating ISIS. Unfortunately, it received almost zero media attention.

What makes this 26-page report (PDF) so powerful is that it describes to us the gruesome circumstances in which ISIS has killed fellow Muslims. We are talking beheadings, killing of women for objecting to ISIS’ policies, and executing Sunni Muslim clerics for refusing to swear allegiance to ISIS.

Why is this important? This information can hopefully help dissuade other Muslims from joining or financially supporting ISIS. And it may even persuade other Muslim countries to join or increase their efforts in fighting ISIS. The reason being that slaughtering fellow Muslims is seen as universally wrong across the Muslim world and as a violation of Islamic values. In fact, Al Qaeda has even publicly criticized ISIS for this very conduct.

Now the report also details ISIS’ horrific actions against Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities. But these events—along with the grisly beheadings of American journalists and Western aid workers- have been covered extensively by our media.

The killing of Muslims has not, and part of the reason may be because we lacked facts surrounding those events. After all, ISIS releases videos of its gruesome actions that it wants the world media to discuss but doesn’t publicize events it understands can hurt its cause.

This report changes that. It provides us with evidence we were missing about the specifics of ISIS’ actions...READ MORE

To promote the values of dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect, among religions and cultures... Let’s teach our youth to build, not destroy

"We must protect our young from the vicious ISIS campaign that preys on innocent minds promising them paradise and a better life. We need to provide our young with the proper religious education and awareness to renounce violence and extremism and to promote the values of dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect, among religions and cultures." Khaled Almaeena

   Let’s teach our youth to build, not destroy

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/10/06/Let-s-teach-our-youth-to-build-not-to-destroy.html

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  Anne Selden Annab retweeted

Ziad Asali @ZiadAsali  ·  24h 24 hours ago

Let’s teach our youth to build, not destroy - Al Arabiya News http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/10/06/Let-s-teach-our-youth-to-build-not-to-destroy.html#.VDKk9jsT-ac.twitter … @KhaledAlmaeena

*** 

IMHO

The Marketplace of Ideas is (and always will be) an ongoing dialogue.

Listen, really listen and learn to look for the best, the most honest and honorable and intelligent. 

Empower decency, dignity, diplomacy, and civilization itself at every opportunity. 

 
START in small ways every day- find & promote good ideas and good role models. 

Take the time to click forward or "like" or retweet or recommend, highlighting the best and brightest and most helpful essays and comments.

Accept responsibility for your own part in making things better or worse. 

AND ALWAYS

REMEMBER

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

&

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights because...

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

 

Hussein Ibish: US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements

"Israeli leaders and others were livid at Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’s recent United Nations speech, which included the hyperbolic claim that Israel is guilty of “genocide” in Gaza. This unusually strong language from Mr Abbas was undoubtedly aimed at a domestic audience and designed to express the anger and frustration of Palestinians who seemingly have no viable strategy for moving forward towards national liberation.

Even though such remarks – including Israel’s own hyperbolic claims on social media recently that that “Hamas = ISIL” – aren’t helpful, they don’t actually change the strategic equation on the ground. They are, in both cases, snapshots of a political moment, and crucially one that can pass quickly without leaving a deep scar.

The same cannot be said for ­Israel’s latest announcement of impending settlement activity in occupied East Jerusalem. Plans for 2,610 new settler housing units were revealed last week in the so-called Givat Hamatos settlement, to the south of Jerusalem." Hussein Ibish 

 US has a responsibility to rein in Israeli settlements

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The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP): Established in 2003, its mission is to articulate and educate about the United States national interest in helping to create a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace, security and dignity. ATFP is committed to strengthening Palestinian-American relations at every level. The Task Force supports Palestinian institution-building, good governance, anti-corruption measures, economic development, and improved living standards. ATFP holds that these same values are relevant to the broader Arab world, and that the question of Palestine is inextricably linked to regional realities and developments.