Ziad Asali: Against oppression

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1039/letters.htm

Against oppression

Sir-- The recent uprisings in the Arab world, including some regime changes, call for a meaningful reassessment of current policy. One would expect the usual demands for democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and regularly scheduled elections as well as a heightened commitment to the people of the region, that their rights and aspirations will be reflected in this new vision.

The common theme which remains constant among the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and the demonstrations in other Arab countries is neither ideology, religion, foreign policy, nor simple economic deprivation. Instead, that unifying thread is poor governance and its attendant oppression and corruption flagrantly practised by the leaders and their families and cohorts. For decades average citizens have been deprived of dignity and access to the rule of law while the kleptocratic dictators and their inner circle remained above the law. The scope of their corruption ranges from huge commissions on contracts to the more damaging naked form in which the regular citizen is dispossessed, humiliated and abused to such a degree that self-immolation became a viable option as a means of expression.

These leaders, their wives, and their sons established a claim on the present and future ownership of their countries and resources. What we have witnessed is not a Facebook revolution or a Twitter revolt. These have been uprisings against unjust governments which have oppressed their people with impunity. Television and social media have indeed facilitated the organisation and the spread of information, but they did not ignite the human will to revolt. Injustice and indignity did that.

In pursuit of stability, the United States and the West, have tolerated, if not actively supported, tyrants and crooks. Young people of the Middle East have spoken, with dignity and in peace, as they shed their blood to earn freedom for themselves and their countries. They are seeking a future of stability and democracy and are prepared to pay for it. They want accountability and expect transparency; we should listen and must help.

The promise for help and expressions of support from the US administration are insufficient. The time has come for words backed by deeds. Because the people of these incipient democracies have rushed into their streets to demand freedom, now is the time to secure it by providing real accountability and transparency. The system of American, Western and international laws which has been mobilised to fight terrorism globally must be directed against officials who kill, or order the murder of, civilians. These laws must be invoked against corrupt individuals who steal their people's resources, rather than used to create safe havens for the loot in Western financial institutions and investments. The complicity must stop. Western global resources are now threatened by the corruption Western governments have ignored. This corruption has driven societies, and not just individuals, to radicalisation. The mullahs and radical ideologues have a convenient argument at their disposal to incite people whose rights and dignity have been trampled.

US and international legal, economic and financial institutions must mobilise to combat corruption if we are to gain the trust and support of the people who suffer at the hands of their thieving tyrants. The resulting economic benefit and enhanced security for us and also for the whole world will be immeasurable. Yes, it is absolutely our business to demand accountability. Radicalised and disenfranchised people and societies pose a threat to our national security interest. The legal systems, here and abroad, have to support the rights of individuals under the watch of serious, probing and sustained media attention in order to widen the circle of rights for other citizens. The recklessness and impunity which allow tyrants to murder and scare their own people demands accountability and must be faced with the gravity they deserve. Standing by the Arab people in their quest for freedom will help dispel the prevailing narrative that we partner with the regimes of oppression. The departure of Mubarak and Bin Ali are steps in the right direction. A genuine commitment to upholding accountability would open the doors to democracy and stability.

Corruption is a threat to national security and not just a financial crime. We should not be the world's policeman, nor should we be the dictator's patron.

Ziad Asali

American Task Force on Palestine

Washington DC USA

Tell Congress to Support Funding for Palestinian Refugees | Churches for Middle East Peace

Tell Congress to Support Funding for Palestinian Refugees | Churches for Middle East Peace

As a voter here in the United States you can help bring Palestinian voices to the halls of Congress. This Thursday in the House of Representatives the U.S. funding contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will likely come under tough scrutiny and could even be dramatically cut.

UNRWA facilities provide hope and help stave-off despair for 4.7 million Palestinian refugees, sustaining a capable and healthy Palestinian society that will be a good neighbor to Israel when peace comes.

The U.S. contribution is UNRWA’s largest and has been so for the past 60 years. There is no alternative source of funding for this essential work. Any reduction or elimination in funding for this vital program would be dangerous and destabilizing for both Palestinians and Israelis, and a blow to U.S. credibility and influence in the region at a time of rising unrest in the Middle East.

Tell your members of Congress today to preserve funding for UNRWA and the millions of refugees that is serves!

Click Here to Take Action Now!!

Regional upheaval may facilitate peace now for Palestine By Marwan Muasher and Javier Solana

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=126171#axzz1GiO1wq00

Regional upheaval may facilitate peace now for Palestine
By Marwan Muasher and Javier Solana
Friday, March 18, 2011

As revolutionary change sweeps across the Arab world, it is easy to think that now is not the time to push for peace between Israel and Palestine. Until the dust settles on the new Middle East, the old road maps seem dated, and conventional wisdom holds that to expect that progress toward a peace agreement can take place in the context of regional upheavals is an example of wishful thinking.

But the opposite is true. Even with so many failed efforts in the past, there is a clear window of opportunity for the United States and Israel to urgently push for a lasting settlement.

Everyone needs to start thinking differently about developments in the Middle East. The international community’s old approach was to prioritize stability over democracy and pursue Israeli-Arab peace on a completely separate diplomatic track. This policy proved to be a failure. Placing stability ahead of democracy brought neither stability nor democracy, and isolated peace efforts went nowhere.

If the United States and other world powers want to make headway on their three key objectives – stability, political reform, and peace – they need to understand how the three are linked and then pursue all of them simultaneously and holistically. Picking and choosing which challenges to address or care about only increases the risk that they will become intractable problems instead.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=126171#ixzz1GwRc2rSq
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

The Arab Woman You Don't See...

"As popular demands progress to political and social transition in the MENA region, it is of critical importance that the women who have played such an important role not be relegated to secondary status yet again. They must not simply be forced to exchange an old for a new set of oppressions. Any reforms must continue the progress toward full human rights for women that our region so desperately needs, not only for the women's sake. It is vital that MENA countries more urgently recognize that the status of women is the key determinant to the development of their societies. In turn, the international community can play a critical role in helping to build bridges that can further integrate women both locally and globally." Queen Noor of Jordan, International humanitarian activist, on the anniversary of International Women's Day 2011

My letter to the Economist RE Israel's Jewish identity. The state we're in

Palestinian Refugees

RE: Israel's Jewish identity. The state we're in
http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2011/03/israels_jewish_identity

Dear Sir,

Religion should be a personal choice- not a government mandate. As an American, firmly believing that real democracy and true justice and equality depend on firmly respecting universal basic human rights- regardless of race, religion and gender, I am utterly horrified by Israel's bigoted refusal to respect the Palestinian refugees very real right to return to original homes and lands. Let Israel define its own Jewishness however it wants as long as Israel is not harming or harassing non-Jews: Forcing non-Jewish Palestinians into exile and/or poverty is clearly wrong- we should not even need UN Resolutions to point that out.

That said- I also think Palestinians world wide should be investing in the creation of a separate secular Palestinian state to live in peace and security alongside the nation state called Israel. No refugee should be forced to live in new Palestine, but every refugee should be free and empowered to make it their permanent home in hopes of helping to build a beautiful new real Palestine with a healthy economy and a peaceful progressive future for all the people.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab

The Day of the Land by Tamam Al-Akhal

NOTES

GROWING GARDENS FOR PALESTINE

Why Settlements must Go By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=23245&CategoryId=3

Why Settlements must Go Date posted: March 14, 2011 By Joharah Baker for MIFTAH

At Qalandiya checkpoint on March 12, the cars were backed up to kingdom come. Inside where pedestrians are made to walk through, no less than 200 people slowly pushed their way towards the turnstiles in an attempt to get an inch closer to the Israeli soldiers on the other side of the bullet proof windows. The snail-like pace of the peeved soldiers in checking IDs, travel permits, fingerprints and children’s birth certificates served only to exasperate the Palestinians who had been standing there for hours waiting for nothing more than to go home.

While the situation at Qalandiya is always unpleasant, on this day it was particularly awful. Israel had a specific bone to pick with the Palestinians, being the masters of collective punishment that they are. On this day, someone had broken into a home in a West Bank settlement and stabbed to death five members of the same family, children included. For Israel, all Palestinians would have to pay.

The killings shocked not one, but two nations. Palestinians were appalled by it because children and their parents were slain literally in their beds. Israel of course went straight into revenge mode, even though the perpetrator or perpetrators have yet to be apprehended. The assumption, of course, is that Palestinian “terrorists” were responsible, and although a shady group claiming to be Palestinian initially took responsibility for the killings, there is nothing to substantiate the claim.

There is no question as to whether we should all reject such wanton murder. The answer is unequivocally yes. Not only was the method of choice inhumane but the act itself strips the perpetrator of his humanity as well. Any people, even those struggling against the most brutal of oppressions, must preserve their own humanity in order to nurture sound and healthy generations to come.

But this is a lesson that must be learned not only by Palestinians. On the contrary, Israel has everything to learn from the lesson of honoring others’ humanity in order to preserve their own. The Israeli government’s initial response to the Itamar killings was to approve the construction of 500 housing units deep in the heart of the West Bank, in settlements built on confiscated Palestinian land. The settlements themselves scream of injustice for the Palestinians, and the settlers who live in them are a constant source of terror and oppression for the Palestinians around them.

Condemnation is appropriate in regards to the Itamar killings. As citizens of the world, we should demand nothing less from ourselves. However, this is not where condemnations should stop or indeed where they even started. Settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem are a source of violence merely by existence. Land confiscation and home demolitions, the system of segregation and militarization that overwhelm Palestinians living in the vicinity of these colonies are violence of a different but equal form. And given the violent nature with which settlements were created it is only natural that its inhabitants would follow suit.

Countless Palestinians have been killed at the hands of Jewish settlers. In the northern West Bank where Itamar is located, settlers routinely cut down Palestinian olive trees, burn cars and orchards and beat and shoot at Palestinians they claim are “trespassing” on Jewish land.

The entire world community including the United States agrees that settlements are illegal and an obstruction to any fair and lasting peace deal. The presence of settlers on occupied Palestinian land is a provocation in and of itself and deserves condemnation in the strongest terms. Israel’s government, which is ultimately responsible for the sustainability of these colonies, also deserves denunciation for purposely shunning international law and intentionally denying Palestinian rights.

Furthermore, Palestinians are always made to pay a heavy price. It makes no difference whether President Mahmoud Abbas called the Itamar attack “despicable”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still blamed the Palestinian Authority for spreading incitement. Meanwhile, new structures will go up in the already imposing settlements, Palestinians in the villages around Itamar will continue to endure Israeli army raids, curfews and arrests and all Palestinians will feel the brunt of Israel’s Machiavellian-style philosophy, which is that the security and the safety of its citizens justifies all means to reach that end.

Joharah Baker is Director of the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.

MIFTAH: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy

MIRAL: De Niro and Penn back Palestinian film at UN

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110315/wl_mideast_afp/entertainmentfilmunmiralisraelpalestinians

– Tue Mar 15, 12:58 am ET

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – Sean Penn and Robert De Niro joined stars who appeared at the UN headquarters for the US premiere of a contested movie on the Middle East conflict that Israel tried to get cancelled.

Penn, De Niro, Josh Brolin and Steve Buscemi on Monday turned out to support award-winning American-Jewish director Julian Schnabel at the premiere of "Miral," the story of two Palestinian women after the creation of Israel in 1948.... READ MORE

'Miral' Theatrical Trailer (2:02)

West Bank fashion show featuring Jamal Taslaq designs adorned with accents to evoke his homeland.

A model walks down the runway to the beat of remixed Arabic pop songs during a show by Palestinian designer Jamal Taslaq

Taslaq, a Nablus-born designer who has lived and worked in Italy for the past 20 years, sent suits, gowns and wedding dresses down the runway, many of them adorned with accents intended to evoke his homeland.... READ MORE

Sherri Muzher's ESCAPE TO A WORLD OF PALESTINIAN SURPRISES

Introduction

This was supposed to be a book but it made more sense to turn it into a "website book." After all, not everyone will go to the bookstore but nearly everyone has access to the Internet. And the sad reality is that too many people have formed their opinions of Palestinian people, places, and things by the words of others. Well, I’m an American-Palestinian and I’d like to tell you about my own people and heritage.

The initial screen for “Escape to a World of Palestinian Surprises” features different aspects of Palestine. From the olive and cypress trees to the red poppies to the hills in the background, welcome to the land of my parents and ancestors. Taking a walk are curious children inviting you to take a fun journey with them -- a journey to discover “surprises” about their unique heritage and people.

As you go through the “surprises,” please note that there are so many more people, places, and things that could be included. I stopped at 100, for now. This website is an on-going project with additions to be made as they come to my attention.

The “surprises” are brief synopses which should peak your interest to find out more. Wherever possible, I tried to include links to videos, pictures, and interviews to make the journey more enjoyable. A bibliography of my sources is included.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that there is no rhyme or reason to the order of the “surprises.” Well, except for two – the first, as well as #48. The first is St. George, considered a home-grown hero. He is much revered by both Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The number 48 is significant for Palestinians because 1948 was the year that the Palestinian narrative and history gave way to decades of misinformation about who the Palestinians are as a people. For #48, I purposefully chose the late Professor Edward Said.

Professor Said spoke and wrote often about how Palestinians were denied a voice to narrate their own history and talk about their lives in popular media and culture. Essentially, his words came to be known as “Permission to Narrate.” And the “permission to narrate” is what this website is about.

You will discover such gems as: the Palestinian women’s national movement began as far back 1920; Scottish bagpipes are used in religious celebrations; the Hollywood agent for actress Katherine Heigl and rock band Aerosmith is of Palestinian descent (Sam Gores); and so on.

This site will be translated into Arabic in the coming weeks for Palestinian youth in Palestine.

In the meantime, enjoy your escape to a world of Palestinian surprises!

All my Best, Sherri Muzher

Born in Michigan, Muzher’s parents left the Occupied West Bank in 1969 in hopes of brighter days for their future children. She is the daughter of Afaf (Musallam) Muzher of Birzeit and the late Ead Michael Muzher of Taybeh.

Copyright reserved for Palestinian Surprises, 2011

UNRWA: A Good Investment for American Taxpayers

UNRWA: A Good Investment for American Taxpayers

by Amb. Philip C. Wilcox, Jr.

The historic popular uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East are forcing the United States, for the first time in decades, to recalibrate American priorities there. In the past, we have weighted our diplomacy and resources toward order and stability, often at the expense of our commitment to freedom, democracy and development. The events of recent weeks make clear that we must give higher priority to supporting more just and accountable political institutions and to unfulfilled human needs. If we don't, the threat of violence and instability will surely grow.

One bright exception to our uncertain commitment to human development in the Middle East has been our strong support for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), established in 1949. UNRWA's mandate was to help meet basic needs of the 750,000 Palestinian refugees displaced in the 1948 war, pending peace and a resolution of the refugee crisis.

Today, UNRWA provides education, health care, vocational training, emergency relief and social services to 4.7 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Although these refugees remain one of the region's most disadvantaged communities, UNRWA has helped Palestinians become one of the area's best educated societies. Many thousands of graduates of UNRWA's 700 schools, which now educate 500,000 students, have higher degrees and have distinguished themselves in science, medicine, business and academia around the world.

Since the 1960's, girls have made up around half of UNRWA's students. The agency also runs 10 vocational centers that teach entrepreneurial skills, 65 women's centers, and 40 rehabilitation programs in the most distressed areas. Through UNRWA micro-lending Palestinian men and women have received 220,000 loans worth over $250 million to help them achieve dignity and self sufficiency.

UNRWA health clinics receive over 11 million visits a year. Between the mid-1960s and 2006, infant mortality among UNRWA-served populations fell from 16 to 2.2 percent, beating the target of the World Heath Organization for the Middle East.

Contrary to a popular notion, Palestinians served by UNRWA do not exist on relief, except in severe crises like the war in Gaza. Most are poor, but the majority have become self sufficient. UNRWA education, health and other services have brought hope, dignity, and an escape from the most dire poverty for millions of Palestinian refugees, and have helped create a vibrant, productive, aspiring community.

There are other misunderstandings about UNRWA: for example, the myth that UNRWA has perpetuated the Palestinian refugee problem by discouraging refugees from leading normal lives elsewhere. In fact, many refugees have left their camps and emigrated to other countries, but most lack such opportunities. It is the failure of the international community and the parties involved to resolve the refugee issue in the context of a just and durable peace deal that has perpetuated the refugee problem.

As for the well-worn charge that UNRWA has kept alive Palestinian opposition to Israel and supports radical politics, in fact it scrupulously avoids politicization of its staff and schools, which include courses in human rights and non-violence. In running its programs in the West Bank and Gaza, UNRWA works closely with officials in Israel. Indeed, UNRWA schools and services in the West Bank and Gaza are a buffer against joblessness, despair and extremism among refugees, 50% of whom are under 25, in an environment where unrest is a constant threat, pending a long overdue peace.

The United States, as UNRWA's most generous donor for six decades, should be proud of its support for UNRWA's human development programs for Palestinians. Notwithstanding perennial calls for cutting our contributions, all administrations, Republican and Democrat, have maintained America's support for UNRWA as a vital counterpart to our peace-making diplomacy.

This year in Washington, amidst threats to stability and rising demands for freedom, jobs, and more decent lives in the Arab Middle East, there are calls for serious cuts in -- or even eliminating -- our annual contribution to UNRWA. At the same time, UNRWA's needs are growing, as the refugee population grows. (Many students at UNRWA's split-session schools in Gaza study in makeshift shipping containers.)

A retreat from America's leadership in funding UNRWA would be foolish and damaging to U.S. interests and credibility. At a tumultuous turning point in the Middle East, where cries for freedom, jobs and human development are resonating, America needs to reinforce its investment in human development and more dignified lives for Middle Easterners. Keeping faith with America's historic commitment to UNRWA is an essential way to confirm our nation's commitment to these ideals.

Reflections on how the Bible was used — and misused — to fuel the Civil War

In Civil War, the Bible became a weapon
"The Civil War shows us that the words of the Bible have been used to defend what history later determined was indefensible." Henry G. Brinton

“Breaking the cycle of poverty, breaking the cycle of discrimination, breaking the cycle of inequity – the choice is ours to make.”

Flagship report launched: Adolescents are key to prosperity and equity

'The State of the World's Children 2011'

By Chris Niles

NEW YORK, USA, 25 February 2011 – Young people are the key to a more equitable and prosperous world, according to UNCEF’s new flagship report, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2011 – Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity,’ launched today at UN headquarters in New York.

VIDEO: 25 February 2011 - UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on the launch of UNICEF's flagship publication,‘The State of the World’s Children 2011 – Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity,’ at UN headquarters in New York.

The report says that investing in the world’s 1.2 billion adolescents – those who are between the ages of 10 and 19 – can break entrenched cycles of poverty.

“We need to focus more attention now on reaching adolescents, especially adolescent girls, investing in education, health and other measures to engage them in the process of improving their own lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

Need to reach older children

While the international community has made tremendous gains in improving the health and well-being of children under 10, the SOWC report emphasizes that less progress has been made in reaching older children.

The vast majority of these adolescents live in developing countries. Their numbers are rapidly growing, and the challenges they face are formidable:

• Almost half the world’s adolescents of secondary school-age don’t go to secondary school; they are vulnerable to trafficking and recruitment into armed groups
• About 150 million young people between the ages of 5 and 14 are engaged in child labour
• More than 70 million girls and women have undergone genital cutting, which usually occurs by the onset puberty.

“These outrageous statistics don’t even begin to cover the countless numbers of adolescents who are denied adequate nutrition, who lack access to basic health services and care, who become mothers in childhood, at great risk to their lives,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson, who launched the report at a press conference, together with a panel of experts.

Girls are the most overlooked

SOWC also finds that girls are often the most overlooked, even as they have the most potential to pass wealth and well-being on to their children.

“Two cents of every development dollar goes to adolescent girls globally. That makes me think that we as a community can do better,” said UN Foundation Executive Director for Women and Population Tamara Kreinin.

The report indicates that not only is it right to meet the challenges that adolescents face and give them the opportunity to participate in their societies, but it makes economic sense, as well.

“It is also the smart thing to do, enabling us to consolidate our historic gains in early childhood and child survival, and to accelerate progress,” said Ms. Johnson. “Breaking the cycle of poverty, breaking the cycle of discrimination, breaking the cycle of inequity – the choice is ours to make.”