Sunday, May 22, 2016
Sunday, May 15, 2016
This is Palestine... "I don't want to carry hate in my heart" Widid Kawar
This is Palestine from Lucy Lyon on Vimeo.
Collector, Widad Kawar explains her motivation towards creating a little piece of Palestine in her home in Amman, Jordan.
"I taught myself not to hate. If I am going to carry hatred to Israel in my heart all the time, I am poisoning myself. I am a slave to this hatred. So I learned to do something just the opposite: To be positive in one way or another... " Widad Kawar
Monday, May 2, 2016
Palestinian Photographer Captures The Colors Of Children’s Eyes In Gaza
To SEE ALL THE PHOTOS PLEASE CLICK HERE
Fadi Thabet
is a Palestinian school teacher in one of the schools of Gaza Strip in
Palestine. He is also a freelance photographer.
“I was not expected to have such a collection of colorful eyes in Gaza. It is a joyful surprise!” What Fadi did was not photo sessions, he went out in walks in the streets of the city. The children reacted spontaneously seeing the camera and the result was that he caught some of the very special moments in the everyday life of those children.
In this collection children’s eyes are telling childhood stories, from Gaza under siege.
More info: Facebook
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Following international outcry Israel releases 12 year old Palestinian girl, Dima Al-Wawi, from prison.
BDS South Africa added 6 new photos.
Following international outcry Israel releases 12 year old Palestinian girl, Dima Al-Wawi, from prison.
To date, al-wawi was one of the youngest Palestinian prisoners, many others (including over 400 other Palestinian children) still languish as political prisoners in Israeli prisons, torture centers and detention facilities.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
My letter to the NYTimes RE Room for Debate: Is Anti-Zionism Anti-Semitism?
RE Room for Debate: Is Anti-Zionism Anti-Semitism?
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/04/is-anti-zionism-anti-semitism
Dear Editor,
Kudos to Omar Zahzah for having the wisdom, the courage, and the patience to participate in the NYTimes Room for Debate "Is Anti-Zionism Anti-Semitism?." His hyperlink to Adalah points out "50 laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel and render them second-class citizens."
Kudos too to all the many various Jewish individuals and groups who have the wisdom, courage and patience to argue with and about Israel. Seems to me the Zionist quest to bully, oppress, and displace those who understand and object to Israel's institutionalized bigotry and injustice is now up against a modern world with modern communication. One can easily search out or simply stumble across highly pertinent facts and heart wrenching stories and statistics- and enlightening artwork. The BDS boycott movement is not the only campaign seeking to create a greater global awareness of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the very real plight of the Palestinians.
Holy Land Principles , a corporate code of conduct for American companies doing business in Palestine-Israel was launched only a few years ago. "The Holy Land Principles seek to ensure that American companies practice fair employment in Palestine-Israel or Israel-Palestine." According a recent article regarding General Electric being asked to sign the Holy Land Principles: "The Principles do not take any position on solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The Principles do not try to tell the Palestinians or the Israelis what to do. The Holy Land Principles only call for fair employment by American companies in Palestine-Israel." http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ge-given-second-chance-on-holy-land-principles-300240062.html?tc=portal_CAP
So on one hand we have a BDS movement on college campuses getting attention by demanding boycott, and on the other hand we have a corporate code of conduct quite reasonably asking American businesses already doing business in Israel/Palestine to respect American ideals.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES
Palestinian artist Ahmed
Yaseen paints depictions of the Palestinian narrative on a
cactus [Photo by Abdul Qusiney]
11 Gibran quotes
including: "It is when U give of yourself that U truly
give.” http://buff.ly/1YbNQ3b
Palestinian Central
Bureau of Statistics: Israeli killed 181 Palestinians
during 2015 http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=Xu246Ba34361138559aXu246B …
I have 38 new
followers from France, Germany, and more last week. See
http://tweepsmap.com/!daoudkuttab
Qamar, aka 'The
Golden Foot,' set the beat for the first day of
filming for the @realmadrid
Foundation documentary!
Filming has begun
in Balata camp, #Nablus for the @realmadrid
Foundation's documentary on its #SocialSportsSchools!
Dear
International Community, we warned you 4 years ago
that #Gaza would become
an unlivable place. Please read this http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-water-shortage-841243299 …
Impassioned
piece by @VictoriaBrittain about the #PalestineRefugee
experience http://www.iol.co.za/the-star/sixty-years-of-shame-2004712 …
RT #Jordan #NationalChampionship
Moms
are key to a better future for families around
the world! Join Moms +SocialGood on 5/5. http://bit.ly/MomsSocialGood #GlobalMoms #jnj
60+ million ppl have had to flee
their homes - the majority women &
children. https://impossiblechoices.org
#ShareHumanity
Ahead of #PressFreedom
Day, @UNESCO
has posted highlights from design
contest http://on.unesco.org/25FKZ8p
#WPFD2016
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Palestinian Artist ...Ahmad Yaseen
 |
| Palestinian Artist .... poignant photo found on social media, but I could not find a name or photo credit or title in English beyond "Palestinian Artist" and this: القدس - alquds |
UPDATE
from my friend
For Palestinian artist, spiny cactus makes perfect canvas...
Ahmad Yaseen makes stunning drawings on cactus pads. His colleagues from the art faculty at An-Najah University in the Palestinian city of Nablus relate that people are impressed not only by his great skills as a painter but also by his original way of expressing Palestinian suffering: using a raw material that no one had ever before contemplated.
“I do not paint martyrs, nor do I paint scenes occurring in the current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. I draw elements that provide also a glimmer of hope and not just despair....
His favorite set of drawings is of two newborns. One is resting in his
mother’s arms while the other is breastfeeding. From above, the arms of
the mother of the second baby look like a keyless lock. Generally
speaking, keys are a recurring motif in Yaseen’s drawings. “This is the
key of return,” he explained, adding that it also represents hope.
“I have mumbled the words 'sumud' [perseverance] and 'sabr' [patience], and sabr sounds like 'sabra' [cactus],” he said. “Sabra is a plant symbolizing the land of Palestine, expressing the rugged nature of the people. It grows everywhere, under all weather conditions. Tenacious and strong, it is hard to stamp out. What better way than to use this plant through which to relate the Palestinian narrative?”
“I have mumbled the words 'sumud' [perseverance] and 'sabr' [patience], and sabr sounds like 'sabra' [cactus],” he said. “Sabra is a plant symbolizing the land of Palestine, expressing the rugged nature of the people. It grows everywhere, under all weather conditions. Tenacious and strong, it is hard to stamp out. What better way than to use this plant through which to relate the Palestinian narrative?”
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
My letter to CSM RE "The Israeli model..."
 |
| Palestinian child plants flowers among the debris from Israel's 2014 assault on Gaza. Photograph- Anadolu Agency |
Models of security. Security measures at Israel's main airport, one of the world's safest, are vastly different from those in Brussels. But there is a tradeoff."
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/0325/The-Israeli-model-What-airport-safety-looks-like-and-what-it-costs-travelers
Dear Editor,
Is it really fair- or logical- to feature "The Israeli Model" of airport security and assert that "For prospective air travelers, this is what one of the world’s safest airports looks like."
The vast majority of international airports worldwide have not had a major incident, although all have had to deal with various crazy people and criminals. Why feature Israel?
Israel does not set a good example, and should not be lauded as a role model for safety and security. Israeli profiling is pervasive- and cruel, and has been for decades with horrible ramifications for countless persecuted Palestinian men, women and children (both Christian and Muslim) who are being profiled, oppressed, impoverished, pushed into forced exile, and refused their inalienable right to return to ancestral homes and lands.
Hamas and Hezbollah have risen up in response to the very real plight and suffering of the native non-Jewish population of the Holy Land, and alongside Israel's own state subsidized Jewish religious extremists, have been inflicting huge harm on the Palestinian quest for statehood and an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
And by the way, the quote by an Arab from East Jerusalem, claiming he does not see any discrimination "The security checks can take a long time, but the security is good"... That man is experienced enough to know that if he's been quoted in international publications, or on his Facebook page, pointing out the full and total truth about Israeli discrimination, Israeli authorities are more than likely to refuse to allow him to travel back to return to his home and family in East Jerusalem.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
My letter to the NYTimes RE Overreacting to Terrorism? by Nicholas Kristof
 |
| A red rose, symbol of love- Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository |
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/opinion/terrorists-bathtubs-and-snakes.html?ref=international
Dear Editor,
Nicholas Kristof astutely asks if we are "Overreacting to Terrorism?"... YES- I totally agree! But while his point about climate change is indeed quite important, I am more concerned about the current social and political ramifications of overreacting to terrorism. A crime is not more criminal based on the perpetrator's worldview or religion. Paraphrasing Gertrude Stein's 1913 poem: A crime is a crime is a crime!
Kristoff pulls up cogent statistics verifying Obama's belief that "Americans more likely to die from falls in tubs than from attacks by terrorists", but Kristoff does not look at equally telling statistics showing escalating insults and hate crimes against Muslims here in America. Nor does Kristoff look at statistics concerning domestic violence, or child abuse, or rape which he is much more aware of than most people... Fact is good people do good things, and horrible people do horrible things. A crime is a crime is a crime, a hate crime is a hate crime is a hate crime, and murder is murder is murder.
The Middle East scourge ISIS/Daesh is quite happy to take credit for, and be empowered by violent crimes perpetrated in the West by lone wolf copy cat criminals. Don't hand criminals, thugs, murderers, and religious tyrants an ego trip narrative to recruit more lone wolf copy cat criminals.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES
Cruz wants to patrol Muslim neighborhoods. What happened when N.Y. tried it? (+video) http://fw.to/y71PWFd
AIPAC Brings Donald Trump’s Anti-Semitic Fans Out of the Woodwork
People thought 21% of UK were
Muslims actual figure just 5% - fear-mongers succeeding
On #ShareHumanity
trip Ban Ki-moon visits Lebanon where 1/3 of population are #refugees from
Syria or Palestine.
"Let us renew our resolve to
#fightracism"
- Ban Ki-moon on @RememberSlavery
Day http://j.mp/1RBU2TH
From our occupied capital #Jerusalem, we
send our best wishes to everyone celebrating #GoodFriday #Palestine
Environment and Climate in
the Middle East - Gaza pollution flows to Israel due to power...
http://fb.me/7jjCiunkp
" ... "Gaza’s water treatment facility not yet
online due to electricity shortages, causing wastewater to flow
north into Israel; major desalinization plant in Ashkelon shut
down as result."
Clinton attacked #BDS: http://buff.ly/1q4fJ2r Stand 4 free speech
w @jvplive
& #AAI http://buff.ly/1q4fHrl ..."“Clinton is
unashamedly showing that she has embraced Israel advocacy
groups’ talking points wholeheartedly,” Dima Khalidi, the
director of Palestine Legal, told Shadowproof. “She is
broadcasting her opposition to a broad popular nonviolent
movement for Palestinian human rights, and promising to
throw her weight behind the concerted suppression of First
Amendment-protected human rights advocacy in the U.S.”"
University of California Adopts Policy Linking Anti-Zionism to
Anti-Semitism http://bit.ly/1PtwxnX [Robert Mackey] ...
"As Omar Zahzah, a Palestinian-American graduate student at UCLA
who spoke against the proposed policy before the regents voted
on Wednesday, observed
later:
We all agree that anti-Semitism and racism must be combated on campus. Where we disagree is in the claim that anti-Zionism is bigotry. Palestinian and Jewish students alike should have the right to say that the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 was morally wrong and that Palestinian refugees should have the right to return home to a state where Palestinians and Jews live in equality rather than in a discriminatory Jewish state. '
UN database will list
businesses operating in settlements in occupied territories https://goo.gl/qYpZKK
The Palestinian ‘Arab Idol’
winner, now a megastar, has a life story worthy of a biopic http://on.ft.com/1XQj53B ...
"Assaf’s family remain in Gaza and he regularly returns to visit
them. I suggest that he is now a Palestinian icon but he firmly
rejects this. “I don’t consider myself an icon. There are more
deserving people among the Palestinians who merit that. Hanan Al
Hroub, the Palestinian teacher who recently won the Global
Teacher Prize, is an icon."
.@NPR
lifts up the story of how Bassam Aramin became a voice for peace
in the Middle East http://n.pr/1UMIOL1
Israeli settlers use Ibrahimi
Mosque loudspeaker to sing racist songs and call for expulsion
of ‘Arabs’ from Hebron http://bit.ly/1Udbkqs
My letter to the NYTimes RE Art of the Anecdote: Presidential Candidates’ Speeches to AIPAC
 |
| Photoshopped meme (depicting an image that evokes a creepy image from a wellknown horror movie coupled with two names from a well known nursery rhyme & Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass) found flying around on Facebook & Twitter March 2016: "Tweedledee and Tweedledum to headline #AIPAC conference" |
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/art-of-the-anecdote-presidential-candidates-speeches-to-aipac/?ref=international&_r=0
Dear Editor,
Presidential candidates speaking at AIPAC wanted free media coverage and more campaign funds... and the New York Times helps hand them exactly that, completing a trifecta of complicity that further empowers Israel's punitively cruel anti-Palestinian apartheid policies by perpetuating a warped "pro-Israel" narrative that totally ignores sovereign Israel's ongoing flagrant violations of international law and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Shedding light on personality? I'd say it is more like shedding light on a lack of character and integrity- and a lack of understanding American ideals of real freedom, justice, equality and democracy... plus a distinct lack of interest in being an honest broker for peace and the rule of fair and just laws in the Middle East.
Israel clearly wants the land but not the native non-Jewish population of that land. How would you feel if tonight, you were denied your right to return to your family home because the powers that be decided you were the "wrong" religion?!!!
We live in a global world with the internet giving every one the ability to ferret out news and opinion worldwide: How would you feel about negotiations to end the Israel-Palestine conflict knowing that Palestinian men, women and children continue to be harshly oppressed, impoverished, pushed into forced exile, and cruelly demonized by the so-called "Jewish State" while America's presidential candidates tell AIPAC exactly what Israel's state subsidized settlers and religious extremists want to hear. Not what they need to hear, but what they want to hear.
And hey- lets not forget about real terrorists, those criminals of ISIS/Daesh following Israel's lead by arming religion with lethal weaponry and a desire to impoverish and/or kill "others" ... What message does America want to send them?
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
NOTES
PLO's Hanan Ashrawi's strong
condemnation of the events in Brussels
بيان صادر عن منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية حول بروكسل
http://ln.is/dci.plo.ps/EN/XsjIt …
Erekat met US
Senate Delegation: Security & peace won't be achieved
without justice for the Palestinian people.
Erekat to @ThomasOppermann:
To defeat Daesh,is mandatory to end the occupation &
establish an independent #Palestine
Ted Cruz wants to "secure
Muslim neighborhoods." How many shawarma restaurants does it
take to make it officially a "Muslim neighborhood"?
Trump truly
spreading #hate and #violence
My #Trump
Tweets Earned Me So Many Anti-Semitic Haters That I Bought a
Gun
http://forward.com/opinion/336159/my-trump-tweets-earned-me-so-many-anti-semitic-haters-that-i-bought-a-gun/#ixzz43XqKlSY5 …
Hussein Ibish
Retweeted
If values
have any meaning at all, they should disqualify Trump from
becoming President. http://huff.to/22pMtRB
Please let's stand together
against anti-semitism of Trump supporters same way we denounce
racism. My @thedailybeast
http://thebea.st/1XKzF52
Islamic
State: How Iraqi widow's resistance became a symbol of hope
http://trib.al/dtA6iBG @janearraf
Prize-winning
Palestinian teacher: I create a safe, peaceful, loving
environment https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/prize-winning-palestinian-teacher-theyve-seen-death/2016/03/21/78aad396-ec80-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html …
#OurCulture
He hated Israel but became a voice for
peace--even after Israeli police killed his child. http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/03/22/467689134/a-palestinian-takes-a-different-road-in-his-fight?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160322 …
The time is now to
prevent & end conflict. @WHSummit
info is here: http://bit.ly/core_1 #ShareHumanity
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