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From: Mazin Qumsiyeh <qumsi001@...>
Subject: Illnesses and cures
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Yesterday, several surreal items connected in my mind including the news of=
Swine flu epidemic [1], a child tortured to death in Jordan, home demoliti=
ons in Jerusalem [2], Israeli celebratory fireworks over these demolished h=
omes in Jerusalem, and an overnight posting of hundreds of thousands of pos=
ters of Mahmoud Abbas all over the West Bank. The surrealism of celebrati=
ons on top of continuing ethnic cleansing perhaps is what got me most refle=
ctive. While many Israelis celebrate their victory with flag waving and par=
ties, Palestinians (and conscientious Israelis) of course commemorate the p=
eriod in our joint tragic history that marked the beginning of the Nakba (t=
he large scale ethnic cleansing of Palestine that accompanied the formation=
of Israel on top of Palestine). This Nakba did not stop in 1949 when Isra=
el managed to destroy 530 Palestinian villages and towns and drive their in=
habitants out and then (contrary to International law) refused to allow the=
m their right to return. I see little nakbas here every day. Perhaps my ow=
n little illness (no not swine flu) made me think about the larger illnesse=
s in our societies. The illness of thinking that wars and nuclear weapons =
provide "safety" to Jews (when one individual could potentially kill thousa=
nds by just passing on a virus). The illness of an apartheid wall between B=
ethlehem and Jerusalem. The illness of a half brother of the ruler of the W=
estern backed leader of the United Arab Emirates who tortured an Afghani me=
rchant and the illness of his getting away with it. The illness that cause=
d the death of a five-year-old by torture from his relatives in Jordan. Th=
e illness of use of white phosphorous on civilian areas. The illness of th=
e acts that Nazis and Zionists perpetuated [3]. The illness of those who tr=
y to justify all these other illnesses. But thinking of illnesses and viru=
ses also make us think of viral transmission of ideas. While ideas like po=
litical Zionism and Bin Laden Islamism can spread, ideas of humanism can al=
so spread (maybe these are the immune system against self-destruction). I =
believe the time will come when Israeli leaders finally publicly acknowledg=
e the injustice inflicted on the Palestinians and begin the difficult proce=
ss necessary for a durable peace: namely restorative justice. The sheer ill=
ogic of endless wars created to establish and strengthen a Jewish state in =
a multiethnic area is becoming hard to ignore for many people [4]. I belie=
ve this coming year will be pivotal. The number of people around the world=
who have seen this situation as what it is and the danger it poses to the =
world is unprecedented. Military might cannot secure a people's future on =
stolen lands at the expense of basic human rights. The massacres in Iraq (=
a war at the behest of Israel), the Israeli massacres in Lebanon in 2006, a=
nd the ongoing massacres in Gaza all made people think that the instability=
caused and created by the Zionist project in the Middle East cannot contin=
ue. But we cannot blame all our ills on Zionism and Imperialism. Corrupt A=
rab leaders, complacent publics, and indifferent people who actually can ma=
ke a difference adds to all of this mess.=20
AIPAC, the foreign agents trying to influence US Policy in favor of Zionism=
at the expense of US interests [5] will hold their annual convention this =
weekend in Washington DC. It's time to expose AIPAC=92s pro-war stance and=
take a stand in favor of human rights and international law. Join CODEPINK=
and other groups in Washington DC May 2-5 in a variety of activities plann=
ed throughout the convention. E-mail pam.codepink@... for more inform=
ation. For example, two protests will be held Monday 8:30-10:45 a.m. just b=
efore and during the address to AIPAC by Israeli President Shimon Peres and=
5-7 PM just before and during AIPAC's gala celebration, where all the atte=
ndees and their guests will be gathering in front of the DC Convention Cent=
er (555 13th St., NW). Dress in black.
In good news, President Obama wants aid to go to PA even if Hamas joins gov=
ernment. Despite attacks from Congressmen beholden to AIPAC lobbyists, "[H=
illary] Clinton has defended the proposal, saying that the U.S. has continu=
ed to fund other governments in which designated terror groups are represen=
ted, including the Lebanese government which includes officials from the He=
zbollah militant organization. [she stated] "We don't want to . . . bind ou=
r hands in the event that such an agreement is reached, and the government =
that they are part of agrees to our principles". Please send the President=
your thoughts, he actually even responds personally to some emails. Recent=
polls indicate that his supporters want the US to play an honest role and =
not continue to take the side of Israel [6]. You might want to tell him to=
at a minimum to force Israel to halt all settlement activities in all the =
occupied areas including Jerusalem. For links and resources for such action=
needed, see http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3D1867=20
Feel ready to take another action (those are the best pills against the ill=
nesses)?=20=20
Hold Motorolla shareholders accountable for supporting Israeli war crimes=20
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3D1971=20
Or follow your conscience and do something you think important for fellow h=
uman beings.
[1] Information on Swine Flu (it is still Swine flu despite the attempt by =
Israeli health officials to change its name)
English: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cd-swineflu.shtml=20
Arabic: http://www.who.int/ar/index.html=20
[2] see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016258.stm=20
[3] This link shows pictures that compare situations faced by Palestinians =
to situations faced by victims of the Nazis
http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/GazaHolo/index.html=20
[4] The transmission of memes, like genes in population is now well recogni=
zed. The meme that Israel is an apartheid state is now well established fo=
r example. See Applicability of the crime of apartheid in Israel
http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php/reports/35-reports/1307-applicability-of-t=
he-crime-of-apartheid-to-israel.html=20
[5] Please read an article I wrote about these folks and published a few ye=
ars ago that is still relevant: http://www.qumsiyeh.org/continuamagazine/=20
[6] Surprising finding: Democrats=92 and Republicans=92 Divergent Views on =
Israeli-Arab Peace
http://www.aaiusa.org/washington-watch/=20=20=20
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live=99 SkyDrive=99: Get 25 GB of free online storage.=20=20
http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=3DTXT_TAGLM_WL_skydrive_042009
--_0c2d6aa3-a913-462c-9123-74082339f5aa_
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<body class=3D'hmmessage'>
Yesterday, several surreal items connected in my mind including the news of=
Swine flu epidemic [1], a child tortured to death in Jordan, home demoliti=
ons in Jerusalem [2], Israeli celebratory fireworks over these demolished h=
omes in Jerusalem, and an overnight posting of hundreds of thousands of pos=
ters of Mahmoud Abbas all over the West Bank. The surrealism of=
celebrations on top of continuing ethnic cleansing perhaps is what got me =
most reflective. While many Israelis celebrate their victory with flag wavi=
ng and parties, Palestinians (and conscientious Israelis) of course commemo=
rate the period in our joint tragic history that marked the beginning of th=
e Nakba (the large scale ethnic cleansing of Palestine that accompanied the=
formation of Israel on top of Palestine). This Nakba did not stop in=
1949 when Israel managed to destroy 530 Palestinian villages and towns and=
drive their inhabitants out and then (contrary to International law) refus=
ed to allow them their right to return. I see little nakbas here ever=
y day. Perhaps my own little illness (no not swine flu) made me think about=
the larger illnesses in our societies. The illness of thinking that =
wars and nuclear weapons provide "safety" to Jews (when one individual coul=
d potentially kill thousands by just passing on a virus). The illness of an=
apartheid wall between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The illness of a half brot=
her of the ruler of the Western backed leader of the United Arab Emirates w=
ho tortured an Afghani merchant and the illness of his getting away with it=
. The illness that caused the death of a five-year-old by torture fro=
m his relatives in Jordan. The illness of use of white phosphorous on=
civilian areas. The illness of the acts that Nazis and Zionists perp=
etuated [3]. The illness of those who try to justify all these other illnes=
ses. But thinking of illnesses and viruses also make us think of vira=
l transmission of ideas. While ideas like political Zionism and Bin L=
aden Islamism can spread, ideas of humanism can also spread (maybe these ar=
e the immune system against self-destruction). I believe the time wil=
l come when Israeli leaders finally publicly acknowledge the injustice infl=
icted on the Palestinians and begin the difficult process necessary for a d=
urable peace: namely restorative justice. The sheer illogic of endless wars=
created to establish and strengthen a Jewish state in a multiethnic area i=
s becoming hard to ignore for many people [4]. I believe this coming =
year will be pivotal. The number of people around the world who have =
seen this situation as what it is and the danger it poses to the world is u=
nprecedented. Military might cannot secure a people's futur=
e on stolen lands at the expense of basic human rights. The massacres=
in Iraq (a war at the behest of Israel), the <FONT color=3D#0c0c0c>Israeli=
massacres </FONT>in Lebanon in 2006, and the ongoing massacres in Gaza all=
made people think that the instability caused and created by the Zionist p=
roject in the Middle East cannot continue. But we cannot blame all our ills=
on Zionism and Imperialism. Corrupt Arab leaders, complacent publics=
, and indifferent people who actually can make a difference adds to all of =
this mess. <BR><BR>AIPAC, the foreign agents trying to influence US Policy =
in favor of Zionism at the expense of US interests [5] will hold their annu=
al convention this weekend in Washington DC. It's time to expose AIPA=
C=92s pro-war stance and take a stand in favor of human rights and internat=
ional law. Join CODEPINK and other groups in Washington DC May 2-5 in a var=
iety of activities planned throughout the convention. E-mail pam.codepink@g=
mail.com for more information. For example, two protests will be held Monda=
y 8:30-10:45 a.m. just before and during the address to AIPAC by Israeli Pr=
esident Shimon Peres and 5-7 PM just before and during AIPAC's gala celebra=
tion, where all the attendees and their guests will be gathering in front o=
f the DC Convention Center (555 13th St., NW). Dress in black.<BR><BR=
>In good news, President Obama wants aid to go to PA even if Hamas joins go=
vernment. Despite attacks from Congressmen beholden to AIPAC lobbyist=
s, "[Hillary] Clinton has defended the proposal, saying that the U.S. has c=
ontinued to fund other governments in which designated terror groups are re=
presented, including the Lebanese government which includes officials from =
the Hezbollah militant organization. [she stated] "We don't want to . . . b=
ind our hands in the event that such an agreement is reached, and the gover=
nment that they are part of agrees to our principles". Please send th=
e President your thoughts, he actually even responds personally to some ema=
ils. Recent polls indicate that his supporters want the US to play an hones=
t role and not continue to take the side of Israel [6]. You might wan=
t to tell him to at a minimum to force Israel to halt all settlement activi=
ties in all the occupied areas including Jerusalem. For links and resources=
for such action needed, see <A href=3D"http://endtheoccupation.org/article=
.php?id=3D1867">http://endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3D1867</A> <BR><=
BR>Feel ready to take another action (those are the best pills against the =
illnesses)? <BR>Hold Motorolla shareholders accountable for supportin=
g Israeli war crimes <BR><A href=3D"http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article=
.php?id=3D1971">http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=3D1971</A> <=
BR><BR>Or follow your conscience and do something you think important for f=
ellow human beings.<BR><BR>[1] Information on Swine Flu (it is still Swine =
flu despite the attempt by Israeli health officials to change its name)<BR>=
English: <A href=3D"http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cd-swineflu.shtml">=
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cd-swineflu.shtml</A> <BR>Arabic: <A hr=
ef=3D"http://www.who.int/ar/index.html">http://www.who.int/ar/index.html</A=
> <BR><BR>[2] see <A href=3D"http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016258=
.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016258.stm</A> <BR><BR>[3] Th=
is link shows pictures that compare situations faced by Palestinians to sit=
uations faced by victims of the Nazis<BR><A href=3D"http://whatreallyhappen=
ed.com/IMAGES/GazaHolo/index.html">http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/Gaz=
aHolo/index.html</A> <BR><BR>[4] The transmission of memes, like genes in p=
opulation is now well recognized. The meme that Israel is an aparthei=
d state is now well established for example. See Applicability of the=
crime of apartheid in Israel<BR><A href=3D"http://www.odsg.org/co/index.ph=
p/reports/35-reports/1307-applicability-of-the-crime-of-apartheid-to-israel=
.html">http://www.odsg.org/co/index.php/reports/35-reports/1307-applicabili=
ty-of-the-crime-of-apartheid-to-israel.html</A> <BR><BR>[5] Please read an =
article I wrote about these folks and published a few years ago that is sti=
ll relevant: <A href=3D"http://www.qumsiyeh.org/continuamagazine/">http://w=
ww.qumsiyeh.org/continuamagazine/</A> <BR><BR>[6] Surprising finding: Democ=
rats=92 and Republicans=92 Divergent Views on Israeli-Arab Peace<BR><A href=
=3D"http://www.aaiusa.org/washington-watch/">http://www.aaiusa.org/washingt=
on-watch/</A> <br /><hr />Windows Live=99 SkyDrive=99: Get 25 GB of =
free online storage. <a href=3D'http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?oc=
id=3DTXT_TAGLM_WL_skydrive_042009' target=3D'_new'>Check it out.</a></body>
</html>
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