Relentless Writer 4 Truth

Zionists Kidnapped 7600 Palestinian Children

2009-03-15T01:02:00.001-05:00

21 February 2009

Palestinian researcher, specializing in detainees' affairs, Awni Farawna, stated that the Zionist gangs have kidnapped a total of 7600 Palestinian children, males and females, since the year 2000; 246 children are still behind bars, International Middle East Media Center reported.

At least 200 of the kidnapped children were detained under administrative detention, without charges or trial. Some of the children were as young as 12 years old.

One detainee is now 13 months old as he was born behind bars. His mother, Fatima Al Zoq, was kidnapped while pregnant, and gave birth in prison while she was handcuffed and her legs were tied to the hospital bed.

Farawna stated that Israel's targeting of children is a policy that targets childhood and a healthy growth, and expressed concern over the fate of the detained children as they are subjected to different sorts of violations, including torture and isolation, which affects their growth, physical and psychological conditions, in addition to affecting their education.

Hundreds of children were cut off schools due to being imprisoned; hundreds of detainees were kidnapped when they were children and grew up behind bars. Many of them have spent more years behind bars than with their families.

Several detained children were sexually abused and violated by interrogators and soldiers, while a number of Israeli prisoners, held for criminal violations, also attacked them.

Farawna stated that international law and treaties regarding children forbid barring children from their freedom, forbid torturing and violating them.

Many children were arrested more than one time before they reached the age of 18; others were kidnapped as children, and grew up to be young men and women while they were in prison.

Several children who grew up in prison and were released later on are having difficulties in coping with the outside world; some became violent and tend to seek vengeance.

Farawna demanded international human rights groups to intervene and put pressure on Israel in order to oblige Israel to comply with international law and the fourth Geneva Convention.

Poem: Hands

2009-03-14T15:34:00.001-05:00

HANDS

by L.Hashim-AlBayaa

small hands
smudged by hazelnut-filled chocolates
impatiently reach toward the neck of Sittu’s thobe

a leathery henna-stained hand emerges
with unhurried precision
tissue -- all but dissolved in salty wetness is unfolded

revealed
a shekel moist with old woman’s musk

a silent exchange ensues
one calloused hand (were there three fingers or four?)
claims its prize
while the other (this one has five) pours

dark liquid
its dizzying sweetness shocking the nose
flows into a glass no longer clear after three hours of customers

a moment long awaited
the kharoob feels syrupy and thick on the tongue
the day’s heat having leeched out the possibility of refreshing coolness
(that’s okay when life is not known to be refreshing)

(yes, it is four fingers!)

the four-fingered hand retrieves the glass
now not only cloudy, but decorated by chocolate finger prints
(a few more customers’ hands will rub them off)

Sittu smiles
her slow hand reaches down the neck of her thobe to pull out a hard caramel

small hands
in their never-ending search for sweetness
struggle to release the wrapper welded to the caramel by Sittu’s heat
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬-------------------

trembling leathery hands wipe tears
flowing down a face creviced by memories of small hands
now hidden from sight beneath a white shroud.

"Worse Than an Earthquake"

2009-01-21T22:15:00.001-06:00

Worse Than an Earthquake
by Kathy Kelly
January 21, 2009

Rafah--Traffic on Sea Street, a major thoroughfare alongside Gaza's
coastline, includes horses, donkeys pulling carts, cyclists,
pedestrians, trucks and cars, mostly older models. Overhead, in stark
contrast to the street below, Israel's ultra modern unmanned
surveillance planes criss-cross the skies. F16s and helicopters can
also be heard. Remnants of their deliveries, the casings of missiles,
bombs and shells used during the past three weeks of Israeli attacks,
are scattered on the ground.

Workers have cleared most of the roads. Now, they are removing
massive piles of wreckage and debris, much as people do following an
earthquake.

"Yet, all the world helps after an earthquake," said a doctor at the
Shifaa hospital in Gaza. "We feel very frustrated," he continued.
"The West, Europe and the U.S., watched this killing go on for 22
days, as though they were watching a movie, watching the killing of
women and children without doing anything to stop it. I was expecting
to die at any moment. I held my babies and expected to die. There
was no safe place in Gaza."

He and his colleagues are visibly exhausted, following weeks of work
in the Intensive Care and Emergency Room departments at a hospital
that received many more patients than they could help. "Patients died
on the floor of the operating room because we had only six operating
rooms," said Dr. Saeed Abuhassan, M.D, an ICU doctor who grew up in
Chicago. "And really we don't know enough about the kinds of weapons
that have been used against Gaza."

In 15 years of practice, Dr. Abuhassan says he never saw burns like
those he saw here. The burns, blackish in color, reached deep into
the muscles and bones. Even after treatment was begun, the blackish
color returned.

Two of the patients were sent to Egypt because they were in such
critical condition. They died in Egypt. But when autopsies were done,
reports showed that the cause of death was poisoning from elements of
white phosphorous that had entered their systems, causing cardiac
arrests.

In Gaza City, The Burn Unit's harried director, a plastic surgeon and
an expert in treating burns, told us that after encountering cases
they'd never seen before, doctors at the center performed a biopsy on
a patient they believed may have suffered chemical burns and sent the
sample to a lab in Egypt. The results showed elements of white
phosphorous in the tissue.

The doctor was interrupted by a phone call from a farmer who wanted to
know whether it was safe to eat the oranges he was collecting from
groves that had been uprooted and bombed during the Israeli invasion.
The caller said the oranges had an offensive odor and that when the
workers picked them up their hands became itchy.

Audrey Stewart had just spent the morning with Gazan farmers in Tufaa,
a village near the border between Gaza and Israel. Israeli soldiers
had first evacuated people, then dynamited the houses, then used
bulldozers to clear the land, uprooting the orange tree groves. Many
people, including children, were picking through the rubble, salvaging
belongings and trying to collect oranges. At one point, people began
shouting at Audrey, warning her that she was standing next to an
unexploded rocket.

The doctor put his head in his hands, after listening to Audrey's
report. "I told them to wash everything very carefully. But these are
new situations. Really, I don't know how to respond," he said.

Yet he spoke passionately about what he knew regarding families that
had been burned or crushed to death when their homes were bombed.
"Were their babies a danger to anyone?" he asked us.

"They are lying to us about democracy and Western values," he
continued, his voice shaking. "If we were sheep and goats, they would
be more willing to help us."

Dr. Saeed Abuhassan was bidding farewell to the doctors he'd worked
with in Gaza. He was returning to his work in the United Arab
Emirates. But before leaving, he paused to give us a word of advice.
"You know, the most important thing you can tell people in your
country is that U.S. people paid for many of the weapons used to kill
people in Gaza," said Dr. Saeed Abuhassan. "And this, also, is why
it's worse than an earthquake."
----------

Kathy Kelly (kathy@vcnv.org) is a co-coordinator of Voices for
Creative Nonviolence (www.vcnv.org) She and Audrey Stewart have been
in Gaza for the past six days.

Open Letter to Pres. Obama from Former Malaysian PM

2009-01-20T18:00:00.002-06:00

Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad writes an open letter to Barack Hussein Obama
1st January 2009

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.

I welcome your promise for change. Certainly your country, the United States of America needs a lot of changes.

That is because America and Americans have become the most hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated.

War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.

2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you.

In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.

What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries.

Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions.

Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.

8) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations.

I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.

But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest, you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad
(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

Poem: For Maha

2009-01-19T01:02:00.000-06:00

For Maha 19 January 2009

You, from Gaza should have known better
As your homes were destroyed and you cried
Before doing something no better
As you destroyed a home and you lied

You are no better than they are
As a once happy family’s no more
A destroyed family’s the same world over
But this one, YOU breached the door

Deer El-Balah sent a cunning girl
To steal my family away
From the string she pulled just one pearl
And the whole thing was rendered astray

They say what goes around comes around
And I fear for you for that day
When what you did to me comes to town
And you feel your life slipping away

You said my opinion mattered
If I objected then you’d go away
Instead you left my life shattered
As you rushed to your wedding day

Let this poem always remind you
Of the cunning lies you two told
May the damage you did always haunt you
As the two of you grow to be old.

Poem: The Thorn

2009-01-11T14:42:00.003-06:00

The Thorn (by L. Hashim 10 Jan. 2009)

I have a thorn in my hand - that cannot be pulled out
no matter which way I turn - there is nothing but doubt

ache without pain - deaf, dumb and blind
cannot get away - cannot leave it behind

all lies exposed - the bare ugly truth
the thorn in my hand - is really a tooth

bit by the creature - that feeds off my soul
where once was a heart - now exists just a hole

© 2009 Lamyaa Hashim

Poem: The News (El-Khabr)

2009-01-10T21:59:00.005-06:00

The News
by L. Hashim

I should have known by the sudden onslaught of love letters and poems
they were not a manifestation of love
rather a sad attempt at redemption for an undeclared assault

an assault that neither did I see coming nor knew when it had hit
the aim could not have been more direct
in one blow destroying the infrastructure of my life

the timing could not have been more perfect, my love
as I watched Gaza burn in agony
my past obliterated by mortar rounds

you brought your own rounds of mortar and finished the attack
upon my very soul they fell
do I know where Gaza ends and I begin?

Oh cruelest of cruel – is it you or them – or are you the same?
do I know how I feel or how to feel?
my eyes and heart are empty now

do you know your part in this scheme or are you truly so dense?
there is no difference between heart and home
Gaza and I are the same

© 2009 Lamyaa Hashim

Israel Attacks UN Gaza Convoy

2009-01-08T12:45:00.002-06:00

I am not surprised at all of the isreali's below action. I myself was witness to isreali soldiers throwing a grenade inside the UN compound in 1994 - which they hunted me down for witnessing - UN officials were finally able to pull me into their side of the compound after a physical struggle during which israeli soldiers stronghandled me to try to get my camera and recorder. I ended up getting shot at too. I was told at the time that the UNRWA had an agreement that they were not even allowed to report such incidents (or they could not stay in that region at all) - the price to pay in order to try to help who can be helped. Still believe CNN?

ADC Press Release:
Israel Attacks UN Gaza Convoy

ADC Repeats Calls for Investigations into Israel's Continued Violations of the Laws of War
Washington, DC | January 8, 2009 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today called on the United States Government; including members of Congress, and the international community; including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to investigate an Israeli military attack earlier today on a United Nations relief convoy resulting in the death of one UN relief worker and the injury of two others. The attack took place as the convoy traveled to the Erez border crossing to pick-up humanitarian supplies that were to have been allowed into Gaza during a three-hour ceasefire. UN sources have indicated that the attack by Israeli ground forces took place despite the convoy's coordination of its movement with Israel. It is a violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, to target or attack civilian aid workers or emergency medical personnel engaged in the evacuation and treatment of victims. Further, the Associated Press is now reporting that the United Nations on Thursday said it was halting aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, citing the danger its staff was under from the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel's overwhelming attacks on Gaza, now in their 12th day, have far killed 707 people, including 219 children, 89 women, and 12 paramedics whose ambulances were targeted as they attempted to reach the injured. The Israeli attacks have also injured over 3,100 people, 46% of whom are women and children, many being maimed for life. Israel has also destroyed 12 Mosques and targeted two UN-operated schools, including an attack three days ago which 40 civilians who were seeking shelter from the Israeli onslaught in the school. Since the Israeli attacks began, rocket fire from Gaza has killed 6 Israelis including one soldier. The Israeli army said four of its soldiers had been killed in two separate friendly-fire incidents on Tuesday, when errant Israeli tank shells hit their positions and 60 Israelis have been injured by rocket attacks launched from Gaza into southern Israel.

###
NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.
______________________________________________________________
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee | www.adc.org
1732 Wisconsin Ave., NW | Washington, DC 20007
Tel: 202-244-2990 | Fax: 202-244-7968 | laila@adc.org

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Boycott israel NOW!!!

2009-01-06T21:30:00.002-06:00

The following site contains a pretty comprehensive list of companies and products heavily invested in the israeli market:

http://www.boycottisraeligoods.org/modules5533.php

They are listed alphabetically. In case you question the facts, click on the company name for details of the trail of evidence (how they are in invested). Below I am also posting a link to products shown by brandmark for easy recognition from another site:

http://www.inminds.com/logos/timberland.gif.

Boycotting is an effective, peaceful means of dismantling the infrastructure of an oppressive nation. There is only so long that you can hold up protest signs before you realize that all you are doing is aching your muscles. Hit them in the pocket!

Call to Action!!!

2009-01-05T23:29:00.001-06:00

A concerted effort is under way requesting that members of Congress issue statements supporting Israel's right to "defend its citizens against terrorism" by continuing its military action in Gaza. It is likely that legislation in this vein will emerge shortly after Congress convenes on January 6.

Please immediately call your House member and Senators and urge them to oppose this resolution and issue a statement condemning the disproportionate Israeli actions against the citizens of Gaza. Get one new person every day to make these calls. If they have already called, ask them to call again.

For DC Offices, the free number is 1-800-828-0498.
Sen. McConnell's Louisville office: 582-6304
Sen. Bunning's Louisville office: 582.5341
Rep. Yarmuth's Louisville office: 582-5129

Talking points:

Demand from the President, your Representative, and Senators

* an unconditional, immediate cease-fire;
* full humanitarian access to Gaza and a lifting of Israel’s siege;
* and accountability for Israel’s misuse of U.S. weapons to kill Palestinian civilians. (On 1/3 the U.S. blocked a UN Resolution for an immediate cease fire)

Gaza: On-Line Crisis Resource Center & Action Plans

As of this writing, over 540 Palestinians - at least 30% unarmed civilians - have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza. Of the many injured, over 1000 are children. Protests demanding an end to the attacks are ongoing, as are efforts to educate the public about the reasons for Israel's assault and the underlying nature of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The following are places to find up-to-date, accessible information and analyses, as well as suggestions about how you can raise your voice:

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has developed on online Gaza Crisis Resource Center at http://www.adc.org . This new tool, designed to serve as a primary source of information, incorporates several resources on the Gaza attacks including:

*A factual timeline of the events leading up to the Israeli attacks.
*Reliable articles on the situation in Gaza.
*A list of UN responses and statements on the tragedy.
*A list of credible media sources.
*A continuously updated resource on the numbers of killed and injured.
*An instructive link on contacting the media about the tragedy in Gaza.
*An instructive link on contacting elected representatives including President-elect Obama.
*A list of protests, rallies, and vigils taking place nationwide.

The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation has published a new downloadable fact sheet, "Israel is Killing Palestinians in Gaza w/U.S. Weapons" as part of its emergency campaign, "Take Action: End Israel's Attack on Gaza." For the fact sheet and full information, go to:

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1775

OTHER LOUISVILLE ACTIONS:

* Ongoing vigil for peace in the Middle East. Friday, January 9, 12:00 noon. Corner of 6th and Broadway. Leafletting, updates and congressional office visits.
* Ad Hoc Coalition to End the Siege of Gaza. Organizing meeting Monday January 12. 7:00 p.m. Central Presbyterian Church, 4th and Kentucky. Many projects and efforts are underway from media work to planning cultural events. Every voice is needed now.

*****************************************
Talk to Obama (ACTION REQUIRED)

Talk to Obama:
Share your concerns about Gaza, Palestine and Israel.
Go on line to: http://change.gov/page/s/contact
Click on "Agenda" at the top of the page.
Check your concerns in their list.
THEN use the box at the bottom to state your special concern and request.
OR call the Transition Team directly at 202-540-3000

*****************************************
National Day of Emergency Mass Action for Gaza: Saturday, January 10 (ACTION REQUESTED)
Subject: Jan. 10 March on Washington for Gaza: Momentum Builds, New Sponsors, Endorse & Organize Transportation

Momentum Grows for the
LET GAZA LIVE
National March on Washington
Saturday, January 10
Assemble at the White House (north side) at 1:00 PM
http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage

A doctor in Gaza's main hospital reported that children make up 30 percent of the casualties, among the dead and wounded, in the second day of the ground invasion. The time to act is now! Local marches have taken place all over the country. Now is the time to bring the outrage of the people right to the steps of the White House.

--
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Gaza: You, From Now On, Are Not Yourself

2009-01-04T10:49:00.007-06:00

I felt it pertinent at this time to re-post an enlightening and sobering poem by the notable Palestinian National Poet, Mahmoud Darwish (1941 - August 2008) - may he rest in peace. This poem originally appeared in Al-Ayyam, June 17th, 2007.

You, From Now On... Are Not Yourself

Did we have to fall from a tremendous height so as to see our blood on our hands…to realize that we are no angels…as we thought?

Did we also have to expose our flaws before the world so that our truth would no longer stay virgin?

How much we lied when we said: we are the exception!

To believe oneself is worse than to lie to the other!

To be friendly with those who hate us and harsh on those who love us — that is the lowness of the arrogant and the arrogance of the low!

O past: Do not change us whenever we stepped away from you!
O future: do not ask us: who are you? and what do you want from me? Because we too, do not know.
O present! Bear with us a little because we are nothing but insufferable passersby.

The identity is: what we bequeath and not what we inherit. What we invent and not what we remember. The identity is the corruption of the mirror that we must break whenever we liked the image!

He masked himself and pulled up his courage and killed his mother…because she was the easiest of prey…and because a female soldier stopped him and exposed her bosoms to him saying: Does your mother have ones like these?

Had it not been for shame and darkness, I would have visited Gaza without knowing the way to the home of the new Abu Sufian or the name of the new prophet!

Had Muhammad not been the last of the prophets, every gang would have had a prophet and every apostle had a militia!

June astonished us in its fortieth anniversary: if we do not find someone to defeat us again, we defeat ourselves with out hands so as not to forget!

No matter how long you look in my eyes, you will not find my gaze there. It was kidnapped by a scandal!

My heart is not mine and not for anyone. It became independent of me without turning into a stone.

Does the one chanting on the body of his victim-brother: “Allahu Akbar” know that he is an infidel since he sees God in his image: smaller than any perfectly created human.

The prisoner who seeks to inherit the prison hid the smile of victory from the camera, but he could not succeed in curbing the happiness that cascaded from his eyes.
Perhaps because the fast-paced script was stronger than the actor.

What is our need for Narcissus so long as we are Palestinians.

As long as we do not know the difference between the mosque and the university because they are derived from the same linguistic root, what is our need for a state so long as it and the day are facing one fate?

A large sign on the door of a nightclub: we welcome the Palestinians returning from the battle. Entry is free! And our wine does not intoxicate!

I cannot defend my right to work; a shoe shiner on the pavement.
Because my customers have the right to consider me a shoe thief – a university professor told me!

“The stranger and I are against my cousin. My cousin and I are against my brother…and my sheikh and I are against myself.” This is the first lesson in the new national education in the dungeons of darkness.

Who enters paradise first? The one who died by the bullets of the enemy or the one who died by the bullets of the brother?

Some theologians say: Many an enemy of yours that your mother gave birth to!

The fundamentalists do not exasperate me because they are believers in their special way. But, their secular supporters do and their atheist supporters, too, who only believe in one religion: their images on television!

He asked me: does a hungry guard defend a house whose owner traveled to spend his summer vacation at the French or the Italian Riviera…no difference?

I said: he does not defend!

He asked me: do I + I = two?

I said: you and you are less than one!

I am not ashamed of my identity because it is still in the process of being written. But I am ashamed of parts of the Prolegomenon of Ibn Khaldoun.

You, from now on, are not yourself!

Gaza Update (from 2 Jan 2009)

2009-01-03T19:32:00.000-06:00

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

"...Hamas has repeatedly proposed long-term truces with Israel and offered to negotiate a permanent truce. During the last cease-fire, established through Egyptian intermediaries in July, Hamas upheld the truce although Israel refused to ease the blockade. It was Israel that, on Nov. 4, initiated an armed attack that violated the truce and killed six Palestinians. It was only then that Hamas resumed firing rockets at Israel." -- Richard Falk, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory and former Princeton University law professor.

Israel bears special responsibility as the occupying power exerting effective control over the Gaza Strip. -- Physicians for Human Rights-Israel

"Privilege and power, especially military power, is a dangerous narcotic. Violence destroys those who bear the brunt of its force, but also those who try to use it to become gods. Over 350 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians, and over 1,000 have been wounded since the air attacks began on Saturday. Ehud Barak, Israel's defense minister, said Israel is engaged in a "war to the bitter end" against Hamas in Gaza. A war? Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely crowded refugee camps and slums, to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command and control, no army, and calls it a war. It is not a war. It is murder." -- Chris Hedges, who covered the Mideast for The New York Times for seven years.

"The use of terror and hunger to break a hostile population is one of the oldest forms of warfare. I watched the Bosnian Serbs employ the same tactic in Sarajevo. Those who orchestrate such sieges do not grasp the terrible rage born of long humiliation, indiscriminate violence and abuse. A father or a mother whose child dies because of a lack of vaccines or proper medical care does not forget. A boy whose ill grandmother dies while detained at an Israel checkpoint does not forget. A family that loses a child in an airstrike does not forget. All who endure humiliation, abuse and the murder of family members do not forget. This rage becomes a virus within those who, eventually, stumble out into the daylight. Is it any wonder that 71 percent of children interviewed at a school in Gaza recently said they wanted to be a "martyr"? The Israelis in Gaza, like the American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, are foolishly breeding the next generation of militants and Islamic radicals. Jihadists, enraged by the injustices done by Israel and the United States, seek to carry out reciprocal acts of savagery, even at the cost of their own lives. The violence unleashed on Palestinian children will, one day, be the violence unleashed on Israeli children. This is the tragedy of Gaza. This is the tragedy of Israel." -- Chris Hedges

"It is macabre," Falk said of the blockade. "I don't know of anything that exactly fits this situation. People have been referring to the Warsaw ghetto as the nearest analog in modern times." "There is no structure of an occupation that endured for decades and involved this kind of oppressive circumstances," "The magnitude, the deliberateness, the violations of international humanitarian law, the impact on the health, lives and survival and the overall conditions warrant the characterization of a crime against humanity. This occupation is the direct intention by the Israeli military and civilian authorities. They are responsible and should be held accountable." -- Richard Falk

"...what Israel is doing to the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza "a crime against humanity." Falk, who is Jewish, has condemned the collective punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza as "a flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention." He has asked for "the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law." -- Richard Falk

*****************************************************
For background information, see Item 6. For essential actions, see Items 1-5.

Please act today!

Peace,
Bill

*****************************************************
1) Guardian: Eyewitness: 'The injured were lying there asking God to let them die'
2) Report from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
3) Support Shifa Hospital in Gaza
4) End Israel's Attacks on Gaza: Updated Emergency Action Alert
5) Eyad al Sarraj: An Earthquake On Top of Your Head"
6) Party to Murder
*****************************************************
1) Guardian: Eyewitness: 'The injured were lying there asking God to let them die'

Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:54:52 +0200
From: Sam BAHOUR
Subject: Guardian: Eyewitness: 'The injured were lying there asking God to let them die'

The Guardian
Eyewitness

'The injured were lying there asking God to let them die'

Fikr Shaltoot
The Guardian, Monday 29 December 2008
Fikr Shaltoot is a programme coordinator for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British non-governmental organisation that provides medical supplies in Gaza

Being a health worker, I had to check the needs of Shifa hospital and the other hospitals in Gaza. The situation in Shifa is really bad. There were corpses in corridors covered with blankets. The mortuary couldn't cope with the number of bodies. Two bodies were left on stretchers, one wrapped in a blanket. They leave them until families can recognise them.

There were mothers, fathers looking for children, looking for relatives. Everyone was confused and seeking support. Mothers were crying, people were asking about relatives, the medical team was confused.

Some people were just lying there, some were screaming, some were very, very angry. There were a lot of injured arriving, ambulances coming in and out. The injured were coming by private cars and they were being left wherever. You could see blood here and there.

There is talk [the Israeli air strikes] were targeting the police and security forces but in Shifa hospital, I saw many, many civilians, some dead, some injured, some were children, some were women, some were elderly people.

There are people without their legs in very severe pain. The doctors and nurses were trying to give them painkillers and to keep them alive. Patients are lying there knowing they've lost their legs. Some were asking God if they could die. They were in a terrible psychological state.

The doctors and nurses were trying to do their best. They discharged all the patients from the chronic diseases ward and from the oncology ward to make way for the injured. They were using whatever they could.

There's no gauze so they are using cotton, which sticks to the wounds. They can't sterilise clothes for the operating theatre. They're using wrong sized syringes. They're working 24 hours. They're referring cases from one hospital to the next. One hospital was running out of anaesthesia. They're also drawing blood and there's no alcohol. This is a disaster.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/29/israel-gaza-attack-shifa-hospital/print
*****************************************************
2) Report from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel

Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:31:20 +0200
From: ranyaron@phr.org.il

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Wounded and in A Catch-22

Update: December 30, 2008
Research:Salah Haj Yehyeh, Reut Katz: Hadas Ziv: Ran Yaron

Contextual Information:
Hamam Nasman, spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and incharge of coordinating all incoming information from Gaza hospitals spoke to us from Shifaa Hospital in Gaza: Bombing continued into the night, targeting government buildings and homes. Residents received warnings to leave their homes immediately, 5-10 minutes later the homes were bombarded.
Medical Assistance: Aid dispatches from Saudia Arabia, Qatar, and Libya entered Gaza through Rafah and Kerem Shalom Crossing late last night. The dispatches are extremely important but cannot provide adequate response to an entire medical system already on the verge of collapse due to ongoing closures especially in the face of the complex needs of the critically injured persons.
Inability to admit patients: Dr. Khalil Nahleh, from the Emergency Room in Gaza informed us that the situation in Emergency rooms is very bad considering they have no empty beds. All ten beds in the emergency room are occupied by people with severe injuries. The hospital took another 15 beds from other departments and has been utilizing them for emergency cases. All 25 beds are currently in use. Yesterday, for example, 4 critically injured people were brought in and there were no beds. After some of the patients left for Egypt however, these patients were admitted.
The hospital itself is in a state of emergency. Lightly injured or sick persons are no longer admitted. Urgent cases are accepted on a life-saving basis or for surgery. If possible, they are referred to other hospitals.
There are currently 9 patients in intensive care: including 6 children and two women on ventilators. The hospital has approached the Peres Center for Peace regarding the transfer of the children to Israeli hospitals. At this time they are still awaiting further coordination.
Government Hospitals: According to Mr. Nasman, out of 13 public hospitals only ten are able to admit wounded persons. So far, 362 people have been killed, 15% of them are women and children. 1, 700 people have been injured.
Irrregurlar supply of Electricity, Generators and Gasoline: Gaza hospitals are currently receiving 6-8 hours of electricity per day. This has resulted in power outages in Gaza hospitals and poses a grave danger to the lives of critically wounded individuals who are completely dependant on ventilators and other electrical equipment. Generators have been in use for extremely long periods of time, and require repairs, oil and additional spare parts which are not available.

Transfer of wounded persons through Rafah Crossing:
A Saudi plane has been positioned on the Egyptian side of Rafah Crossing to shuttle wounded victims to medical centers. Gaza’s medical centers are still awaiting necessary permission from Egyptian authorities and have so far not been able to transfer patients. Dr. Hassan Halaf, the Deputy Minister of Health and the Executive Director of Shifaa Hospital notified us that yesterday afternoon, Monday December 29^th, several ambulances with 27 wounded persons, 8 in critical condition and in need of emergency support left Rafah in the direction of El Arish. El Arish Hospital is not properly equipped to treat critical injuries and it is unclear if the patients will be referred to other advanced centers. For this reason, Dr. Halaf indicated that they are currently not referring critically injured patients to El Arish because it is unclear whether they will indeed reach the appropriate centers.

Coordination of Patients and wounded through Erez Crossing:
PHR Israel initiated a call to the Israeli Ministry of Health regarding the transfer of wounded persons to Israel for medical care, the medical administration director has informed us that Israel was indeed ready to accept patients from Gaza and even prepared space for them. Apparently – he claimed - the Palestinian Civil Affairs Committee has decided against submitting requests on behalf of wounded persons to the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO).

Upon receiving this information PHR-Israel contacted the Palestinian Civil Affairs Office in Gaza, (under the direction of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah) and was informed by its representative that it has indeed decided not to refer wounded persons to Israel, only to Egypt. With regards to sick patients, he stated that he would put in a request with Israeli authorities only regarding life saving cases. Since the beginning of attacks, no permit requests have been submitted to Israeli authorities.

The Public Appeals Officer of the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO) has now agreed to take on urgent cases and if they receive security clearance and administrative authorization, they will allow the transfer of sick patients and the wounded through the Erez Crossing. The Israeli Ministry of Health stated that in light of the impending crisis and due to the fact that the Israeli Health System is also on high alert, all security and technical coordination will indeed be done within the DCO office, though the decision of where to refer patients will be taken within the Ministry of Health.

On Monday, December 29^th, an ambulance carrying a young Gazan man 16 years old, wounded in the air attacks, reached Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Only one person succeeded in gaining entry into Israel, despite information from COGAT the that 11 patients were granted authorization to leave the Strip. The youth was injured at the UNRWA school and it was found that he was permitted to exit only after UNRWA agreed to shoulder the costs of his medical care. PHR-Israel has learned, after a thorough inquiry into the matter that wounded persons are not referred to Israeli hospitals due to the decision by the Palestinian Referrals Office in Ramallah that they will not cover the cost of hospitalization in Israel for many reasons, primarily because it regards Israel as responsible for the direct wounds inflicted on the individuals.

PHR Israel's opinion:
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel is adamant that patients and those wounded in the attacks should not become the victim of financial or bureaucratic arrangements. Furthermore, patients should not become an instrument to the conflict. All those with special interests such as Hamas, Fatah Israel or Egypt should leave them aside, and do their utmost to ensure that patients and wounded persons reach immediate and adequate care. Israel bears special responsibility as the occupying power exerting effective control over the Gaza Strip.

A humanitarian crisis of this stature is not the appropriate time for the stubbornness of bureaucratic processes. The sick and wounded can wait no longer!

The high numbers of injuries, compounded with an already devastated medical system necessitates that Israel show responsibility and do all it can to ensure treatment to ailing individuals. If Israel deems itself unable to cope with the crisis it should seek international aid.

Note: we would like to note the difficulties in acquiring information and that things on the ground are constantly changing. We have worked diligently to compare information and explanations received from both Israeli and Palestinian sources. We shall keep you updated.

For more information please contact: Hadas Ziv hadas@phr.org.il + 972-54-6623232 or Ran Yaron ranyaron@phr.org.il
*****************************************************
3) Support Shifa Hospital in Gaza

Please support Rabia's request. 100% of your donation will go toward direct relief. Nothing will be withheld.

Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:08:31 -0500
From: Farouq Shafie
Subject: Fw: Support Shifa Hospital in Gaza

Dear Friends,

Genocide is being committed in Gaza by the Israeli military in violation of international law, not to mention all sense of decency and proportion. We at the Palestine Aid Society (PAS) have been inundated with calls for action by fellow Americans of all faiths and ethnicities. We feel the pain and the hurt as we watch, with horror, the terrorized children, the dismembered bodies, the wounded crying in pain, the frustrated aid workers, all on our television screens. We also hear in disgust the support for this Israeli-conducted genocide by some of our representatives in Washington DC. At the time of this writing the number of dead has exceeded 345 and the wounded more than 1650, most of them unarmed civilians. And it seems that Israel is intent on carrying this orgy of violence for days to come, proclaiming that the people of Gaza are not Israel's enemies, but that their democratically-elected government is! The need in Gaza for immediate relief is immense. The Shifa Hospital is the major medical facility in Gaza receiving and caring for the majority of the victims and it has been inundated, especially after months of an inhumane and punitive siege that has left it short of medicine and other medical supplies. As a small gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza and in order to help alleviate a bit of their suffering, PAS is calling on all people of good will in our community to donate what they can to a fund for Shifa Hospital. Your tax-deductible donations (100% of all monies contributed) will be transmitted by PAS to the International Red Cross with instructions to deliver them to Shifa Hospital. Please make your checks payable to PAS, earmarked to Shifa Hospital, and send it to:

Palestine Aid Society of America
P.O.Box 130572
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113
Tax # 38-2381-291.

Peace,

Rabia Shafie
Palestine Aid Society
(734) 668-6430

****************************************************
4) End Israel's Attacks on Gaza: Updated Emergency Action Alert

Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:45:53 -0500 (EST)
From: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Subject: End Israel's Attacks on Gaza: Updated Emergency Action Alert

December 31, 2008

Israel has killed at least 375 Palestinians through four days of brutal attacks on the occupied Gaza Strip with U.S. weapons in violation of U.S. law. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has threatened that this is merely "the first stage."

Israel's attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip, which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and other necessities of life.

Make no mistake about it-Israel's war and siege on the Gaza Strip would not be possible without the jets, helicopters, ships, missiles, and fuel provided by the United States.

From 2001-2006, the United States transferred to Israel more than $200 million worth of spare parts to fly its fleet of F16's and more than $100 million worth of helicopter spare parts for its fleet of Apaches. In July 2008, the United States gave Israel 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel and signed a contract to transfer an addition $1.9 billion worth of littoral combat ships to the Israeli navy. Last year, the United States signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer to Israel thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and "bunker buster" missiles.

TAKE ACTION NOW

1. Take to the streets and make your opposition public. Thousands of people have already taken to the streets in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dearborn, MI and dozens of other cities to protest Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip. We're maintaining a comprehensive listing of all protests-more than 100 in at least 30 states and 65 cities so far-on our website and updating it continuously. Join a protest near you or organize one and send us the details.

If you know of a protest not listed on our site, send us all the logistical details and contact information by clicking here.

We must keep up the protests until there is a cease-fire and a lifting of the siege of Gaza. We're calling on everyone to continue to organize protests in your community.
2. Educate and organize people in your community. Tonight millions of people will gather in public places around the country to celebrate New Year's Eve.

We are encouraging everyone to attend public events tonight in their communities to pass out information on Israel's atrocities in Gaza and to collect signatures to end U.S. military aid to Israel. Download a flyer by clicking here and a petition by clicking here and make copies.

Also, sign up as a volunteer organizer to challenge military aid to Israel by clicking here and we'll send you an organizing packet with fact sheets, petitions, and the postcards below.

3. Contact your elected representatives and set up emergency meetings with your Members of Congress before January 6. Demand from the President, your Representative, and Senators an unconditional, immediate cease-fire; full humanitarian access to Gaza and a lifting of Israel's siege; and accountability for Israel's misuse of U.S. weapons to kill Palestinian civilians. Send your letter today by clicking here.

Congress is scheduled to go back into session on Jan. 6. Until then, many Members of Congress are in their home districts. Assemble a delegation of concerned constituents and request an immediate meeting with them. For contact information, click here. For tips on how to arrange a meeting, click here.

In these meetings, ask your Members of Congress to send a public letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and make a public statement with the political demands above. To download a sample letter to give to your Members of Congress, click here.

Also give them a copy of our open-letter to President Elect-Obama signed by more than 250 organizations entitled " We Need a Change in Israel/Palestine Policy" to show them that there is growing and widespread opposition to our country's policy of support for Israel's human rights abuses of Palestinians. Download a PDF copy of the letter by clicking here.

If you can take the lead in arranging an emergency meeting with your Members of Congress, please fill out this brief form by clicking here.

4. Get the message out to the media. Call in to talk radio programs and write letters to the editors. To download talking points for the media, click here. To find contact information for your local media, click here.

5. Step Up the Pressure on the New Administration and Congress. Sign our open letter to President Elect-Obama by clicking here. This open letter will be published as a full-page ad on Inauguration Day. Add your individual and organizational endorsements to it today by clicking here.

Then spread the word by copying and pasting the flash graphic below into your email signature, blog, social networking site, or webpage and join our Facebook group and forward it to all your friends.

Join us in Washington, DC on January 20 for Inauguration Day to say "Yes We Can…End U.S. Military Aid to Israel!" Sign up to help us pass out information and collect signatures by clicking here.

And join us again in Washington, DC for a Grassroots Advocacy Training and Lobby Day on February 1-2 with Interfaith Peace-Builders. Gain the skills you need to change U.S. policy toward Palestine/Israel to support human rights, international law, and equality, and express your concerns directly to your Members of Congress. Space is filling up fast. For more information and to register, click here.

6. Donate more money to us and give less of your taxes to Israel's war machine. Make a tax-deductible contribution today to the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation by clicking here. Owe less in taxes for 2008 by making your contribution before midnight (we'll gladly accept your donation in the New Year too) to make sure that less of your money goes to fund Israel's war crimes against Palestinians. Make the most generous contribution you can right now by clicking here.

****************************************************
5) Eyad al Sarraj: An Earthquake On Top of Your Head"

By Dr. EYAD AL SERRAJ
December 26, 2008
The Bombing of Gaza
"An Earthquake On Top of Your Head"

By Dr. EYAD AL SERRAJ

The bombing went on for about 10 minutes. It was like an earthquake on top of your head. The windows were shaking and squeaking. My 10-year-old was terrified, he was jumping from one place to another trying to hide. I held him tight to my chest and tried to give him some security and reassure him. My 12-year-old was panicking and began laughing hysterically, it's not normal. I held her hand and calmed her and told her she would be safe. My wife was panicking. She was running around the apartment looking for somewhere to hide. We live on the ground floor so we headed to the basement.

Not very far from our home is the headquarters of the police and there was a massive bomb. The chief of police was killed. Two streets away there was another bomb and more people were killed. The office of the president is about one kilometre from our house and it was also bombed.

We went downstairs to the basement and tried to hide ourselves from the shelling. The child of one of our relatives, who lives in our building, finally came home from school. We hadn't been able to find her. All the phone connections were jammed. She came home and she was in a very serious state of shock. She was pale and trembling and she was describing dead bodies in the streets. On her way home she passed Hamas people in uniform and they were dead.

I had been very apprehensive when I woke up this morning. I had some bread, some cheese and a glass of tea. Like all the people in Gaza I felt that something was going on and something very serious. When Israel allowed the delivery of food and fuel [when it ended the blockade of Gaza yesterday] I said to myself and my friends that Israel is really planning a massive strike. They don't want to be blamed for starving the people.
I was sitting in the living room with my family trying to figure out what to do today for lunch, it's our main meal. What to cook and how to cook, whether we have enough to eat. There was no rice so I wanted to have lentil soup and my wife said "No, there's no lentils in the market." I said "What else can we do?" She said "I bought some cans of food." We were discussing this when suddenly the whole thing erupted. Suddenly there was a big explosion.

Right now I feel very anxious about what's going to happen. I'm worried about how many more people are going to die.

Dr Eyad Al Serraj is a practicing psychologist in Gaza City.

This article first appeared at www.Counterpunch.org
****************************************************
6) Party to Murder

Published on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 by TruthDig.com
Party to Murder
by TruthDig.com
by Chris Hedges

TruthDig.com editor's note: In light of the recent fighting in Gaza, Truthdig asked Chris Hedges, who covered the Mideast for The New York Times for seven years, to update a previous column [1] on Gaza.

Can anyone who is following the Israeli air attacks on Gaza-the buildings blown to rubble, the children killed on their way to school, the long rows of mutilated corpses, the wailing mothers and wives, the crowds of terrified Palestinians not knowing where to flee, the hospitals so overburdened and out of supplies they cannot treat the wounded, and our studied, callous indifference to this widespread human suffering-wonder why we are hated?

Our self-righteous celebration of ourselves and our supposed virtue is as false as that of Israel. We have become monsters, militarized bullies, heartless and savage. We are a party to human slaughter, a flagrant war crime, and do nothing. We forget that the innocents who suffer and die in Gaza are a reflection of ourselves, of how we might have been should fate and time and geography have made the circumstances of our birth different. We forget that we are all absurd and vulnerable creatures. We all have the capacity to fear and hate and love. "Expose thyself to what wretches feel," King Lear said, entering the mud and straw hovel of Poor Tom, "and show the heavens more just."

Privilege and power, especially military power, is a dangerous narcotic. Violence destroys those who bear the brunt of its force, but also those who try to use it to become gods. Over 350 Palestinians have been killed [2], many of them civilians, and over 1,000 have been wounded since the air attacks began on Saturday. Ehud Barak, Israel's defense minister, said Israel is engaged in a "war to the bitter end" against Hamas in Gaza. A war? Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely crowded refugee camps and slums, to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command and control, no army, and calls it a war. It is not a war. It is murder.

The U.N. special rapporteur [3] for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, former Princeton University law professor Richard Falk, has labeled what Israel is doing to the 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza "a crime against humanity." Falk, who is Jewish, has condemned the collective punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza as "a flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention." He has asked for "the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law."

Falk's unflinching honesty has enraged Israel. He was banned from entering the country on Dec. 14 during his attempt to visit Gaza and the West Bank.

"After being denied entry I was put in a holding room with about 20 others experiencing entry problems," he said. "At this point I was treated not as a U.N. representative, but as some sort of security threat, subjected to an inch-by-inch body search, and the most meticulous luggage inspection I have ever witnessed. I was separated from my two U.N. companions, who were allowed to enter Israel. At this point I was taken to the airport detention facility a mile or so away, required to put all my bags and cell phone in a room, taken to a locked, tiny room that had five other detainees, smelled of urine and filth, and was an unwelcome invitation to claustrophobia. I spent the next 15 hours so confined, which amounted to a cram course on the miseries of prison life, including dirty sheets, inedible food, and either lights that were too bright or darkness controlled from the guard office."

The foreign press has been, like Falk, barred by Israel from entering Gaza to report on the destruction.

Israel's stated aim of halting homemade rockets fired from Gaza into Israel remains unfulfilled. Gaza militants have fired more than 100 rockets and mortars into Israel, killing four [4] people and wounding nearly two dozen more, since Israel unleashed its air assault. Israel has threatened to launch a ground assault and has called up 6,500 army reservists. It has massed tanks on the Gaza border and declared the area a closed military zone.

The rocket attacks by Hamas are, as Falk points out, also criminal violations of international law. But as Falk notes, "... such Palestinian behavior does not legalize Israel's imposition of a collective punishment of a life- and health-threatening character on the people of Gaza, and should not distract the U.N. or international society from discharging their fundamental moral and legal duty to render protection to the Palestinian people."

"It is an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe that each day poses the entire 1.5 million Gazans to an unspeakable ordeal, to a struggle to survive in terms of their health," Falk has said of the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza. "This is an increasingly precarious condition. A recent study reports that 46 percent of all Gazan children suffer from acute anemia. There are reports that the sonic booms associated with Israeli overflights have caused widespread deafness, especially among children. Gazan children need thousands of hearing aids. Malnutrition is extremely high in a number of different dimensions and affects 75 percent of Gazans. There are widespread mental disorders, especially among young people without the will to live. Over 50 percent of Gazan children under the age of 12 have been found to have no will to live."

Before the air assaults, Gaza spent 12 hours a day without power, which can be a death sentence to the severely ill in hospitals. Most of Gaza is now without power. There are few drugs and little medicine, including no cancer or cystic fibrosis medication. Hospitals have generators but often lack fuel. Medical equipment, including one of Gaza's three CT scanners, has been destroyed by power surges and fluctuations. Medical staff cannot control the temperature of incubators for newborns. And Israel has revoked most exit visas, meaning some of those who need specialized care, including cancer patients and those in need of kidney dialysis, have died. Of the 230 Gazans estimated to have died last year because they were denied proper medical care, several spent their final hours at Israeli crossing points where they were refused entry into Israel. The statistics gathered on children-half of Gaza's population is under the age of 17-are increasingly grim. About 45 percent of children in Gaza have iron deficiency from a lack of fruit and vegetables, and 18 percent have stunted growth.

"It is macabre," Falk said of the blockade. "I don't know of anything that exactly fits this situation. People have been referring to the Warsaw ghetto as the nearest analog in modern times."

"There is no structure of an occupation that endured for decades and involved this kind of oppressive circumstances," the rapporteur added. "The magnitude, the deliberateness, the violations of international humanitarian law, the impact on the health, lives and survival and the overall conditions warrant the characterization of a crime against humanity. This occupation is the direct intention by the Israeli military and civilian authorities. They are responsible and should be held accountable."

The point of the Israeli attack, ostensibly, is to break Hamas, the radical Islamic group that was elected to power in 2007. But Hamas has repeatedly proposed long-term truces with Israel and offered to negotiate a permanent truce. During the last cease-fire, established through Egyptian intermediaries in July, Hamas upheld the truce although Israel refused to ease the blockade. It was Israel that, on Nov. 4, initiated an armed attack [5] that violated the truce and killed six Palestinians. It was only then that Hamas resumed firing rockets at Israel.

"This is a crime of survival," Falk said of the rocket attacks by Palestinians. "Israel has put the Gazans in a set of circumstances where they either have to accept whatever is imposed on them or resist in any way available to them. That is a horrible dilemma to impose upon a people. This does not alleviate the Palestinians, and Gazans in particular, for accountability for doing these acts involving rocket fire, but it also imposes some responsibility on Israel for creating these circumstances."

Israel seeks to break the will of the Palestinians to resist. The Israeli government has demonstrated little interest in diplomacy or a peaceful solution. The rapid expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank is an effort to thwart the possibility of a two-state solution by gobbling up vast tracts of Palestinian real estate. Israel also appears to want to thrust the impoverished Gaza Strip onto Egypt. Dozens of tunnels had been the principal means for food and goods, connecting Gaza to Egypt. Israel had permitted the tunnels to operate, most likely as part of an effort to further cut Gaza off from Israel. This ended, however, on Sunday when Israeli fighter jets bombed over 40 tunnels along Gaza's border with Egypt. The Israeli military said that the tunnels, on the Gaza side of the border, were used for smuggling weapons, explosives and fugitives. Egypt has sealed its border and refused to let distraught Palestinians enter its territory.

"Israel, all along, has not been prepared to enter into diplomatic process that gives the Palestinians a viable state," Falk said. "They [the Israelis] feel time is on their side. They feel they can create enough facts on the ground so people will come to the conclusion a viable state cannot emerge."

The use of terror and hunger to break a hostile population is one of the oldest forms of warfare. I watched the Bosnian Serbs employ the same tactic in Sarajevo. Those who orchestrate such sieges do not grasp the terrible rage born of long humiliation, indiscriminate violence and abuse. A father or a mother whose child dies because of a lack of vaccines or proper medical care does not forget. A boy whose ill grandmother dies while detained at an Israel checkpoint does not forget. A family that loses a child in an airstrike does not forget. All who endure humiliation, abuse and the murder of family members do not forget. This rage becomes a virus within those who, eventually, stumble out into the daylight. Is it any wonder that 71 percent of children interviewed at a school in Gaza recently said they wanted to be a "martyr"?

The Israelis in Gaza, like the American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, are foolishly breeding the next generation of militants and Islamic radicals. Jihadists, enraged by the injustices done by Israel and the United States, seek to carry out reciprocal acts of savagery, even at the cost of their own lives. The violence unleashed on Palestinian children will, one day, be the violence unleashed on Israeli children. This is the tragedy of Gaza. This is the tragedy of Israel.

© 2008 TruthDig.com

Chris Hedges writes a regular column for Truthdig.com [6]. Hedges graduated from Harvard Divinity School and was for nearly two decades a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. He is the author of "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. [7]"

Article printed from www.CommonDreams.org
URL to article: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/30-11 The link has all the hyperlinks.

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Israeli Navy Attacks The Dignity on a Mission of Mercy

2008-12-30T10:43:00.004-06:00

I have been, and still am, travelling without internet access (except for a brief 1/2 hour today) or I would certainly have been posting news of Gaza during this time. Inshallah, regular postings will resume upon my return.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For more information, please contact:
(Gaza) Ewa Jasiewicz, +972 598 700 497 / freelance@mailworks.org

(Cyprus) Lubna Masarwa +357 99 081 767 / lubnna@gmail.com

(U.S.) Greta Berlin, +1 310 422 7242 / iristulip@gmail.com

(Larnaca, Cyprus, 10:00 am) On Tuesday, December 30, at 5 a.m., several Israeli gunboats intercepted the Dignity as she was heading on a mission of mercy to Gaza. One gunboat rammed into the boat on the port bow side, heavily damaging her. The reports from the passengers and journalists on board is that she is taking on water and appears to have engine problems. When attacked, the Dignity was clearly in international waters, 90 miles off the coast of Gaza.

The gunboats also fired their machine guns into the water in an attempt to stop the mercy ship from getting to Gaza.

As the boat limps toward Lebanon, passengers have been in contact with the Lebanese government who have said the captain has permission to dock and are willing lend assistance if needed. Cyprus sea rescue has also been in touch, and has offered assistance as well. The Dignity clearly flies the flag of Gibraltar, is piloted by an English captain and has a passenger manifest that includes Representative Cynthia McKinney from the U.S. The attack was filmed by the journalists, and the crew and passengers will report on Israel's crime at sea once they arrive in Lebanon.

On board the boat are doctors traveling to this impoverished slice of the Mediterranean to provide badly-needed relief at the hospitals there. The crew and passengers were also hoping to take wounded out for treatment, since the hospitals are not coping. In addition, the Dignity was carrying 3 tons of medical supplies at the request of the doctors in Gaza.

The three physicans on board who were sailing to Gaza are: Dr. Halpin (UK), an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, medical professor, and ship's captain. He has organized humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza on several occasions with the Dove and Dolphin. He is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics. Dr. Mohamed Issa (Germany), a pediatric surgeon from Germany is traveling to Gaza to volunteer in hospitals and clinics. Dr. Elena Theoharous (Cyprus), MP Dr. Theoharous is a surgeon and a Member of the Cypriot Parliament. She is traveling to Gaza to assess the ongoing conflict, assist with humanitarian relief efforts, and volunteer in hospitals.

Yet Israel thumbs its nose in the face of maritime law by attacking a human rights boat in international waters and has put all of these human rights observers at risk. At no time was the Dignity ever close to Israeli waters. They clearly identified themselves and the Israeli attack was willful and criminal.

The Dignity is still in international waters, 40 miles off Haifa. Everybody on board is safe at the moment as the boat slowly makes its way to safety in Lebanon.

#######

Lessons from Palestine: You, From Now On, Are Not Yourself!

2008-12-15T00:46:00.005-06:00

This poem has been moved to the January 4th, 2009 post.

Why isn't Rahm Emmanuel in Guantanamo?

2008-11-29T02:09:00.003-06:00

Many of you know that President Elect Barack Obama appointed zionist Rahm Emmanuel as his Chief of Staff. Maybe even some of you know that his father was a member of a known zionist terrorist organization (Irgun).

I want you to now just think about the fact that during the first Gulf War, Rahm Emmanuel, an American citizen, chose to volunteer for a foreign army (israeli army) rather than enlist in the military of his citizenship. Now please explain to me how it is not a conflict of interest for him to be appointed any post in the United States Government.

What is the take-home message here?

One person acts on his beliefs, joins the army of another country and gets thrown into Guantanamo, while another acts on his beliefs, joins the army of another country and ends up as the US Chief of Staff!!!

Obama Setting a Dangerous Tone with Emanuel

2008-11-06T20:51:00.004-06:00

Not even 48 hours has passed since Barack Obama was chosen as President Elect and he has already made some dangerous moves regarding his choice for Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel - son of an Irgun member (an Israeli terrorist group). Here is the Wiki version (but you can Google him and see loads of biographies on him (note that Emmanuel himself served as a volunteer in the ISRAELI defense forces during the first Gulf War despite being an American citizen - NOT in the American military - it looks like he has picked his side):

Personal life

Rahm Emanuel (Hebrew: רם עמנואל‎) was born in Chicago, Illinois.^{[citation needed]} His first name, Rahm, means "high" or "lofty" in Hebrew^[8], while his last name, Emanuel, means "God is with us." His father, the Jerusalem-born Benjamin M. Emanuel, is a pediatrician and former member of the Irgun^[9]^[10] (Irgun Zeva'i Le'ummi), a military Nationalist group treated as a terrorist organization during British rule. His mother, Martha Smulevitz, worked as an X-ray technician and was the daughter of a local union organizer.^[2] She became a civil rights activist; she was also once the owner of a Chicago-area rock and roll club.^[9] The two met in Chicago in the 1950s.^[11] Emanuel's older brother, Ezekiel, is an oncologist and bioethicist, and his brother Ari is a talent agent in Los Angeles who inspired Jeremy Piven's character Ari Gold on the HBO series Entourage.^[2] Emanuel himself is the inspiration for the character Josh Lyman on The West Wing.^[2] He also has a younger sister named Shoshanna, 14 years his junior.^[2]

When his family lived in Chicago, he attended Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, a Jewish day school. After his family moved to Wilmette, he attended public school: Romona School, Wilmette Junior High School, and New Trier West High School.^[11]^[12] He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981, and went on to receive a master's degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985. While still an undergraduate, he joined the congressional campaign of David Robinson of Chicago.^{[citation needed]}

His father, still practicing near Chicago, emigrated to the United States from Israel. Emanuel volunteered as a civilian volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, serving in one of Israel's northern bases, rust-proofing brakes.^[13]^[14]

Emanuel's wife Amy Rule, a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania converted to Modern Orthodox Judaism shortly before her wedding.^[13] They are members of Anshe Shalom, a modern Orthodox congregation in Chicago.^[15] They have three children, son Zacharias and daughters Ilana and Leah.

Emanuel is a long time close friend of fellow Chicagoan David Axelrod, Chief Strategist for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. Axelrod signed the ketubah at Emanuel's wedding, an honor that goes to a best friend.^[16]

Rabbi Asher Lopatin of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation, is quoted as saying: "It's a very involved Jewish family"; "Amy was one of the teachers for a class for children during the High Holidays two years ago."^[15] Emanuel has said of his Judaism: "I am proud of my heritage and treasure the values it has taught me."^[15] Emanuel's family lives on the North Side of Chicago, in the North Center neighborhood.^[8]

Emanuel trains for and participates in triathlons.^[17]

Another Trip to Gaza

2008-11-01T17:42:00.002-05:00

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Irish <iristulip@gmail.com>
To: gazafriends <gazafriends@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:15:06 PM
Subject: We've done it again

For Immediate Release
October 29, 2008

For More Information, Please Contact:
Greta Berlin (Cyprus) +357 99 081 767 / iristulip@gmail.com
Osama Qashoo (Cyprus) +44 (0)78 3338 1660 / osamaqashoo@gmail.com
Angela Godfrey Goldstein (Jerusalem) +972 (0)54 736 6393 / angela@icahd.org

LARNACA - The Free Gaza Movement is delighted to announce that their third boat, the SS Dignity carrying 27 crew and passengers arrived in Gaza at 8:10 Gaza time, in spite of Israeli threats to stop them. In the pouring rain, the boat pulled into port amid cheers from the people of Gaza and tears from the passengers.

David Schermerhorn, one of the crew members called an hour before the boat entered the waters of Gaza and said, "There is a rainbow stretching across the Mediterranean from where we are right now."

Yesterday, The Israel Navy said they would stop the stop our vessel once it reached Israel's territorial waters. Apparently to save face, they said they would harm our boat, arrest us and tow us IF we entered Israeli waters. The problem for Israel is that the SS Dignity had no intention of getting anywhere near those waters.

One of the organizers, Huwaida Arraf cheered, "Once again we've been able to defy an unjust and illegal policy while the rest of the world is too intimidated to do anything. Our small boat is a huge cry to the international community to follow in our footsteps and open a lifeline to the people of Gaza."

For the second time, the Free Gaza Movement has demonstrated that the might of the Israeli navy is no match for a small boat of human rights activists determined to call to the attention of the world the occupation of the people of Gaza.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council added, "Despite the injustice against the Palestinian people, we believe in justice and will keep on trying to break Israel's siege. The occupation has divided the Palestinians, but our nonviolent resistance has united us."

Osama Qashoo, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, overjoyed for the second time in three months, "We are all capable of leading a nonviolent and effective movement to end the Israeli Apartheid and expose the injustice that has been meted out to the Palestinians. We in the FG movement have provided the new dictionary, it's up to the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Internationals to add the words."

--
Greta Berlin
Media Team
Free Gaza Movement
357...
www.freegaza.org
www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm
www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/

The Joys of Having a Wood Stove

2008-10-20T16:50:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in the last post, we had our first freeze two nights ago. In my household, that means shifting to our winter kitchen arrangement - to accommodate heating and cooking with our wood cook stove.

In the summer, I use my wood stove as a counter-top and its reservoir as a spice and condiment rack, which works great when company arrives for our cook-outs over our outdoor fire ring. However, when cold weather comes around, the table cloth is taken off of it, and everything else on it has to find a home elsewhere in new cabinets or in the dry sink in the outdoor kitchen.

Due to my neglect to check the weather forecasts last week, what I normally do for "winterizing" over several days, had to be done within one hour - in addition to bringing in a large load of wood, moving a bakers rack and cabinets around, etc. Then there was the fun of building the first fire - (my son took the liberty of doing that).

You would think, that after all of that, we would be fed up with having only a wood stove for winter heat and cooking; but quite to the contrary, once the fire was going and the reservoir filled, a sense of comfort enveloped the house, subhanallah. There is nothing comparable to the sound of a crackling fire and the type of heat that a wood-stove puts out. No electric or gas stove can compare to the ambiance of a wood stove.

On the practical side, we don't have to worry about the ups and downs of rising fuel costs that jack up electricity bills and gas or propane bills. If the electricity goes out, we know we have heat and a stove and oven to cook with (we probably would not notice, unless we tried to get on the internet.)

As long as we keep the reservoir filled, we also have a constant source of hot water on demand, as well as humidity in the house rather than the dryness and static that electric and gas heaters produce.

Some people may think our way of living is "backward", but I challenge that. If any major blackout, or energy crisis or technological breakdown were to occur, everyone will be knocking at the doors of homesteaders like us. Our homemade candles and lanterns are always handy - as well as our homemade soaps, homespun yarn for weaving or knitting for just about anything needed.

All of this is by the grace of Allah (God) of course. He is the one who brought our harvest to fruition, allowing us to preserve enough for use til next season and who sustains our animals as well.

I usually save some things in the freezer, like the blackberries picked in June, so that I can make them into jam over the wood stove and save electricity. Also, having a nice smooth metal top (about 36 inches wide), I can make specialty breads directly on top of the stove (the tortillas and Bosnian Pita bread come out great, as well as several Indian breads).

My wood stove is my favorite part of Autumn and Winter. Now it is time for me to enjoy its coziness while I sit down and finish removing leaves from the Malukhia!

Lost in a Pile of Malukhia Leaves!

2008-10-20T02:03:00.005-05:00

While most of my garden had already been harvested, I had left a couple stragglers out there to "milk their worth", like some late tomatoes that had not yet ripened, sections of basil that I wanted to go to seed for next year's planting, and most importantly: malukhia! I had left about a 20 x 20 foot section of malukhia.

Last night we had our first freeze (that snuck up on me). That meant that today my son and I had to scurry to get all of it harvested onto a large bedsheet in a huge pile that is now sitting on my living room awaiting processing. It is now 2:14 am and it doesn't look like I have made a dent in the "de-leafing"process. (I dry some and cut some to freeze "green").

If you are not familiar with Malukhia, a native of Egypt (in my dialect, pronounced "imlukhia"), it is a plant that is actually related to the mint family and it is a mallow (also known under the name of "Jew's Mallow or by the common name of "Leaf Okra").

When cooked, it is slimey like Okra, but it is the leaves that are cooked (like spinach). As a matter of fact, spinach or other greens are sometimes mixed with it to vary the flavor or cut down on sliminess. (I happen to like the sliminess!) When left to mature, it actually develops long, skinny, okra-like growths at the crown.

Malukhia is also a relative to the marsh mallow. Yes, there is an actual plant called a Marsh Mallow. You guessed it! It grows in marshy areas. There is a lot of it growing wild in my area along the creeks, lakes and rivers. Initially the roots of these plants were harvested and boiled and sweetened to form the original "Marshmallow" that is used to put in S'mores and hot cocoa. Of course, synthetic nation that we are, they began to be produced for large market leaving out the most important element - THE MARSHMALLOW! (I opt to dig the real thing out and cook it the original way).

The leaves have a similar taste and consistency (Marsh Mallow and Malukhia). Cress and either mallow makes a nice taste combination.

Recent studies say it helps remove cholesterol from the body. Move over Crestor!

How do I Prepare Malukhia at MY House?

First, I get my pressure cooker ready, put some olive oil in it, saute onions, then brown some lamb or goat meat (you could use chicken). After it is brown, I cover it with sufficient water and add salt and pepper. Then I let the pressure cooker do its job for a sufficient amount of time (depending on how much meat) to let the meat fall off the bone.

In another pot, I melt some butter (or ghee) and saute the minced malukhia before adding broth from the meat in the pressure cooker, to a consistency that I like (sometimes I might add turnip greens, or spinach or swiss chard also minced, with it). Once it comes to a boil again, I turn it down to simmer for no more than 20 minutes. (note that this is the way for green [fresh or frozen] malukhia, as dried only needs about 5 minutes).

During that time, I take a heaping tablespoon of whole coriander seeds and crush with mortar and pestle (you could use a coffee grinder, but its not as good) and set aside. Then I crush about 8 cloves of garlic over some salt in the mortar and pestle. In a skillet I add a tablespoon of olive oil then saute the garlic for at least 3 minutes while stirring to prevent burning. To that mixture I then add the crushed coriander seeds and stir constantly for about 30 seconds to a minute (don't burn it!). Then I quickly pour about 1/4 cup of lemon juice into that skillet, stir it and add it immediately to the malukhia mixture.

I serve it with lemon wedges and a side of rice (I personally like to put the rice in a bowl and ladle the malukhia over it and squeeze some lemon over it). I sometimes just eat it with pita bread, tortilla or just a spoon as a soup.

Enjoy!

Sacred Months - Hajj is coming!

2008-10-11T17:47:00.006-05:00

November 30th, 2008 (depending on Lunar crescent sightings) will be the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijja - the month in which Hajj is performed, inshallah. Given this date, Hajj rites start on December the 8th and Eid-Al-Adha on December 9th 2008. The time between the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Hajj is two months that seem to fly by without notice.

Those of you who plan on performing Haj this year, should definitely begin brushing up on your knowledge of Hajj rites from now in order to best utilize your precious time there.

Preparation should be physical, mental, and spiritual.

Physical: Start walking! If you are out of shape, know that you will have to do a lot of walking - even if just for making tawaf and sai - the expanse of Sa'i is more than you would expect.

Mental: You will need to know the rites - when to be where, how to do this or that. Do not assume that those around you know more than you, nor make the mistake that it is okay to do what the majority is doing. You are responsible for your own actions and no one else's. There are a lot of false practices out there.

Spiritual: Make sure you are right with God before you go. Do you owe anyone money? Have you offended anyone and need to set it right? Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged, make tawba. Increase your salawat. Practice shutting the world out during your 'ibada. Let go of any prejudices.

I'll be posting more about Hajj and Eid-Al-Adha both here and via articles on www.Suite101.com from now though the Eid inshallah - so stay tuned. You will notice that there are Hajj related videos now on this site to give you more information.

If you are not Muslim, it's a great opportunity to learn more about your Muslim neighbors and what we're up to. :-)

Swap-Bot

2008-10-08T14:19:00.003-05:00

If I have been missing since the Eid was finished, it is because I have discovered www.Swap-Bot.com. If you like trading of any sort, chances are you can find it there. As for me, I enjoy doing crafts of all sorts and trading with others who do as well, in order to learn new techniques or just to enjoy getting a surprise.

Yes, I did see the Veep Debates - big snooze. Yes, I am aware there is a financial crisis (but hasn't the rest of America known all of this for quite a long time, despite denials by current administration and its mouthpieces?).

Swap-bot provided more useful entertainment than either VP candidate or the talking heads regarding Wall Street.

I can at least wear a crocheted scarf, or use some new fiber for spinning into yarn. Whereas, it doesn't look like neither VP candidate nor W. nor Wall Street can do anything useful for me or any average person at this time!

Eid al Fitr

2008-09-30T06:56:00.010-05:00

According to the proper Islamic traditions, Eid Al-Fitr is on Tuesday, Sept 30th. Islam requires only that one or two trustful sources have reported the naked-eye sighting of the new moon anywhere in the world for the rest of the Muslims (no matter where they are) to break their fast.

A lot of fitna has been produced by so-called modern "fiqh councils". However "la ta3t elMakhlooq fi ma3siyat al Khaliq" (there is no following the one who has been created (man) in the disobedience of the Creator) - AND "Whosoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah (God)".

A Fatwa (or religious verdict) cannot be made to change a matter for which precedent has already been set by Allah and his Messenger. In this matter, precedent has been set, so it is upon the servants of God to obey and encourage their leaders to fall in line with what is Islamically correct.

Verily we are living in times of fitna and in need of reform. Let's take example from Imam Hasan al-Basri who humbly and effectively began the reformation of Islam to bring it back to the teachings of the Qur'an after the two fitnas. (for more on that, please see my article on suite101.com on Islamic Reformation and Hasan al-Basri).

Just because a "ruling" may come from Saudi Arabia or an American or European "Fiqh Council", does not mean it is correct. I encourage everyone to be responsible for obtaining proper knowledge and to keep their leaders in check armed with that knowledge. When a person lets knowledge disappear, they are lost.

Laylat El-Qadr

2008-09-23T00:28:00.004-05:00

Laylat el-Qadr (the Night of Power) is estimated to occur during the last 10 days of Ramadan. Many speculate that it is the 27th night, others say it is any odd night. I think it is best to say that Allah alone knows best.

Having said that, I just had to share somthing. While I was praying Taraweeh alone tonight, the ground trembled beneath my feet. When I would finish each 2 rakats, it would stop. Let me make it more clear: Whenever I was reading Qur'an out loud or making du'a aloud, the ground shook, subhanAllah - when I would stop, nothing. I literally thought that I was going to fall through the floor.

I just wanted to share that and see if anyone else had a similar experience tonight, as we are in the last ten nights of Ramadan. You can ridicule me all you want, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

One more thing... during the second week of Ramadan, I happened to be making more du'a than usual while facing the heavens, and a shooting star shot down exactly where I was looking. It really sent happy shivers down my spine. There is barely over a week of Ramadan left, everyone. Let's try to get the most out of it!

Salam!

Ramadan is Zooming By

2008-09-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that the last time I posted was 9 days ago (the first day of Ramadan)! Ramadan is about 1/3 over. It may be hard for those who do not fast to understand that Ramadan feels like a guest coming to visit you - the kind of guest who's company you enjoy - and when that guest leaves you miss it.

With Taraweeh prayers at night, and fasting in the day it has been hard to keep blogging. I just want to say to those out there who are observing this month of Ramadan to remember that a lot of it is about learning to control one's self and one's desires. Keep this in mind, when remembering that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that if one intentionally breaks his fast for one day during Ramadan without an excuse, even if he spent the rest of his life fasting it will not make up for that day.

Peace out folks!

First Iftar (Fast-Breaking) of Ramadan

2008-09-01T23:18:00.005-05:00

All of you will be greatly relieved that I did not spend my first Iftar eating a Hot Pocket alone. I was invited to break fast with a very lovely family and my son who had just arrived back from the conference.

Here is a "shout out" to that family: "Jazakum Allahu khairan" (May God reward you with Good). You know who you are. What a wonderful Indian meal - MMMmmmmmm!

I still have my name on that Hot Pocket though - this time for Suhur (the meal before beginning the fasting day).

Here is my question though - I was told that they didn't see my blog yet (only because I wondered if they had seen Brother Ali's video "Ramadan Reruns" on it) and all I got was shrugged shoulders - yet when we were leaving, the sister gave me a container of dates saying, "You said you didn't have any dates". All fine and dandy - God bless her.

This is where it gets interesting folks... I didn't mention anything about having or not having dates - but it IS written in my blog below. How embarrassing! Do you think I got a pity invite?

Well, everyone, here is how to do it - if you want to get invited somewhere for Iftar announce that you are planning on staying home alone and eating a Hot Pocket!

First Day of Fasting Ramadan

2008-09-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Ramadan Kareemun Mubarak to all of you "celebrating" Ramadan today. Yes, today is (was for some of you) the first day of fasting. As is to be expected, my mouth feels like sticky cardboard - after the third day that kinda goes away. When one thinks about the blessings of the sacrifice though, it is easy to make peace with a cardboard tongue - it is kind of like a badge of honor.

Probably many of you are expecting me to make some exotic meal to break my fast with - a lamb and rice dish with sides of hummus and chutneys and salads. Sorry to disappoint you - it's Hot Pocket night for me (the 4 cheese one).

I haven't found any dates yet (edible ones folks - mind outta the gutter, we're fasting here), so I will actually break fast with plain water, pray, then eat the Hot Pocket. You see, people? It doesn't have to be complicated. Besides, that 4-Cheese Hot Pocket is basically nothing more than "Mana'eesh bi-Jibnah" except that it only takes 90 seconds to make!

I wish a successful fast to everyone inshallah!

Largest Congregational Taraweeh Prayer in USA

2008-08-31T22:55:00.000-05:00

My son just called. He is in Ohio at the ISNA Annual Conference and just attended that landmark event in the title - the largest congregational Taraweeh prayer ever in the US. He was excited - and I am excited that he is excited. Isn't that what every parent hopes for - that their kids get excited about things like community and/or worship rather than isolated and on drugs? (mashallah)

Ramadan Begins - Monday is the First Fast

2008-08-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

It has already been announced, pretty much all over the world, that Ramadan will begin on "Monday" (Sept.1 2008). That actually means that it begins after sunset the night before Monday (Sunday night). (for more info on that visit my article on The Islamic Concept of Time, which can be reach via clicking on the articles section to the right side of the page or just going to Suite101.com)

Tomorrow night, Muslims will begin the rites of Ramadan by praying special prayers at night called Taraweeh, in addition to the usual 5 obligatory ones. Okay Muslims, we know what this means...
(hint: read the sign)

On a serious note, the Taraweeh prayers are a way to show reverence and worship, and done together, a sense of unification towards that same goal, although it did not start out to be a group thing in the early days of Islam (covered that in an earlier posting).

For those of you planning to attend Taraweeh prayers in masjids around the world this Ramadan, please try to avoid onions and garlic. If you are a burp-meister, by all means, take Beano with your Iftar (Fast-breaking meal). Nothing smells worse than recycled Sambosa/Samosa/Sambusik mixed with curried goat and a side of garlic dipping sauce while you are in the middle of a prayer and cannot escape it. Besides, Muslims shouldn't even be eating anything with onion or garlic in it when going to the masjid anytime during the year - that is the Sunnah.
I suggest everyone have a glance at "Baba Ali's" video on the right side of this page. He has some interesting observations on Ramadan as well.

Lastly, I would like to say:

RAMADAN MUBARAK EVERYONE!!!

My New Hejiri Calender Widget!

2008-08-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

This post is just to direct your attention to the Hejiri calender on the right side of the Blog. I thought it was tres "sweet", as the kids say. You can click on it to get one of your own.

For you non-Muslims reading this, I know you have just been dying to know what a Hejiri calender is? Am I right? No, it is not a countdown to some nuclear event - shame on you!

The Hejiri calender's year one began at the time that the Muslims migrated to Madina from Mecca, well 1429 years ago, to be exact. The migration to Madina was a pivotal point in the beginning of Muslim society breaking free from the oppression of the Quraish of Mecca. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. (Okay, it's a lot more than that, but I am sure if you want to know more you will either ask or Google it anyway).

Can you tell by my post it is almost midnight?

About this Blog

2008-08-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who gave me input - positive or negative - on my Blog. As it states at the top - the postings are simply the musings of my Muslim mind at any given time.

Why? Well, frankly there are a lot of people out there that wonder "What are those Muslims thinking?" Maybe they think we spend our days and nights thinking about and building Katushya rockets or set in a permanent state of Sujud (prostration).

I simply wanted to provide a place for the curious to peek in and perchance learn something - even if it is only to learn that we are just as normal or as weird as everyone else in the world. What sets us apart is our own words, thoughts and actions.

Some times I might be posting an interesting article someone sent me that I think deserves some exposure (like the one below). Other times, I may just feel I have to rant about something - whether silly or compelling, political or religious, funny or serious.

For those who want just the serious stuff, I do write for Suite101.com in various departments and I welcome you to check those out. They are in the areas of Islam, Environmentalism, Religious Intolerance, Politics and probably other areas I can't think of right now.

I make no apologies for seeing the world with a Muslim world view - but it is a fair and just view. As a freelance writer and journalist, I promise that all of the available facts have been examined and reviewed in my articles.

Hence, this Blog. This Blog is just me being me, most of the time - something I cannot do in my articles. So have fun with it - get mad at it - learn something from it - or hit control-alt-delete if it pleases you more.

Have a wonderful evening (or day)!

SS Free Gaza and SS Liberty Take Off

2008-08-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

International Flotilla Breaks Israeli Siege of Gaza

2008: Sixty Years On (from http://www.freegaza.org)

May 2008 marks the 60-year anniversary of the Nakba, "the catastrophe", when the overwhelming majority of Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their ancestral homeland to create the state of Israel. In contravention of International law, human rights, and basic principles of morality, Israel continues to deny these refugees and their descendants their right to return home. Israel has neither acknowledged nor attempted to amend this historic injustice that gave birth to the Jewish state. Instead, more than 5 million Palestinian refugees languish in refugee camps, while their homes, farms, and properties are inhabited by Jewish immigrants who arrived in Palestine from around the globe.

The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in 1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that has squeezed Palestinians in the West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.

This tragic event has dispossessed and disinherited Palestinians all over the world; and a destitute population of refugees with only their memories of Palestine, crumbling property deeds, and an undaunted will to return.

Mission Statement
We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation. We want to uphold Palestine's right to welcome internationals as visitors, human rights observers, humanitarian aid workers, journalists, or otherwise.

Who are we?
We are these human rights observers, aid workers, and journalists. We have years of experience volunteering in Gaza and the West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians. But now, because of the increasing stranglehold of Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, many of us find it almost impossible to enter Gaza, and an increasing number have been refused entry to Israel and the West Bank as well. Despite the great need for our work, the Israeli Government will not allow us in to do it.

We are of all ages and backgrounds. Back home, we are teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, truck drivers, youth workers, musicians, secretaries, parents, grandparents, lawyers, students, activists, actors, playwrights, politicians, web designers, authors, international training consultants, and we even include a former Hollywood film industry worker, a former Marine, an aviator, and an explorer. We are Italian, Irish, Canadian, Greek, Tunisian, German, Australian, American, English, Scottish, Danish, Israeli, and Palestinian.

What are we going to do?
We've tried to enter Palestine by land. We've tried to arrive by air. Now we're getting serious. We're taking a ship.

Listen to the story on Democracy Now

Two converted fishing boats set sail from Cyprus today carrying more than forty activists and humanitarian workers who are part of the Free Gaza movement that is trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants, “We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organization in Gaza.” We speak with three of the activists at sea: Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; Lauren Booth, a journalist and sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Israeli anthropology professor Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. [includes rush transcript]

To read, listen to, or watch the whole story:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/22/free_gaza_boats_set_sail_from

I Stand Corrected - Maybe

2008-08-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

(You might want to make sure to read the Obamiden post before this one, so it will make sense). I was corrected a while ago regarding the possibilities of conjoining Obama and Clinton's names - while all I could think of was Clobama, he came up with "Obomery" (Obama + Hillary). I still don't think they could have gone with that though - sounds too much like "tom-foolery". I guess what I am trying to say is all of this Obomery is giving me a headache.

Some are speculating that McCain may pick Powell - are we looking at a possible McPowell?

How many decades has this campaign lasted again?

Obamiden?

2008-08-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

As if we weren't already inundated with the cutesy names of celebrity couples such as Brangelina, here we come with.... are you ready for it? OBAMIDEN!!! Can you believe it? This adds proof to the pudding that this whole campaign is nothing more than a big celebrity circus.

Sure we had "Billary" while Bill Clinton was president - but that was not during campaigning, it was pretty much a result of how the White House was viewed while "they" were in office (not to say that it didn't work for them).

I had already made my decision not to participate in the election - I refuse to hold any responsibility for the mess that follows of evil versus evil. After seeing the conjoined name, "Obamiden", in the headlines this morning, I don't know how anyone can take it seriously now.

I did a search of "Obamiden" this morning and was surprised to see that some people were now going to vote for "Obamiden" just because they thought that it was a cute and clever name! I think that proves my point.

It makes me wonder if the only reason Obama picked Biden is because if he picked Clinton the only workable conjoining of the names would have put her first: "Clobama". *Sigh*

Unprepared for Ramadan???

2008-08-24T17:26:00.000-05:00

With one week left for Ramadan (for more info about Ramadan fasting, Google my article Significance of Fasting in Ramadan, if the link doesn't work) I find myself rather unprepared. It seems just yesterday that I was saying to someone, "Ramadan is only two months away. It'll be here before you know it!" Lo, here it is - and me, caught unawares.

One might ask what there is to prepare for. I guess it is just a psychological preparedness. After all, most Muslims, including myself, look forward to Ramadan and embrace the fast wholeheartedly. I guess it is like that nervous tingle that one gets before giving a speech, or taking a flight to see relatives or a beautiful destination. Are my bags packed? Do they weigh the correct amount? Are my handbags free of no more than 3 bottled and bagged liquids?

Yes, Ramadan is a time for spiritual focus and awakening. However, there are also a lot of cultural activities associated with it as well. For instance there are huge group gatherings for breaking fast, where families compete for the honor of providing the meals. Believe me... that can get highly competitive!

In addition to issues associated with meal preparation for breaking fast and preparing for fast before the pre-dawn, one must prepare himself to be able to control the inner self. Will I be able to hold my temper? Just how patient can I be? The fast-breaking meal I described above can actually lead to arguments, etc. that are easy to get caught up in. One has to be careful to refocus what Ramadan is about.

It is not the Sunnah (Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) to partake of such large meals to break the fast. Sometimes he broke it with milk, sometimes 3 dates - not these tables and tables of banquet feasts we see today that make one so full that it is hard to bend to pray.

And the Suhur... well the Suhur is supposed to be an actual meal, it is the meal that is to sustain us throughout the day taken before the pre-dawn beginning of the fast. To the contrary many of us nowadays wake up for 5 minutes, drink a glass of water and maybe eat a piece of cheese and go back to sleep until Fajr prayer time - or even sleep through Fajr time (morning prayers).

Ramadan is the month in which the Qur'an was revealed and it is preferred to try to finish reading the whole Qur'an during this month. We all start off with that wonderful one Juz (1/30) a day, sometimes more. Then, well, we have this errand and that errand - have to cook for the group iftar, have a doctor's appointment - sure we will make up what we missed tomorrow. Then tomorrow becomes the next day and the next day. Soon we are behind and trying to catch up.

We strive to pray the Taraweeh prayers (also, you can see my article for this info, too) for the whole month. Are we prepared to give up our nights to prayer and worship for Allah? Are we prepared to give up our TV shows and X-Box's, and movie theatres, bowling outings, and jam sessions? This is our true test.

There is a night in Ramadan in which it is described that the skies will be open and all who are in sincere prayer and have fasted sincerely through Ramadan shall have their prayers answered during that time. What if we are mindful all month and were off our guards that one night? We know that the devil (Shaytaan) is chained during Ramadan - so we cannot blame him. We have only ourselves to blame for our neglectfulness of the One who sustains us day in and day out.

Shaytaan is leaving and Ramadan is coming. What we make out of it is what we will get out of it. Let us remember to pray for all of mankind this Ramadan - that True guidance and tolerance and love and understanding will envelope the world. Lord, grant us Patience. Lord, grant us Patience. Lord grant us Patience!

Post-Midnight Madness

2008-08-24T02:23:00.000-05:00

After just completing 3 full-length articles in a row (yes, fun-seekers, you can read them by clicking on my name on the right side of this page), I just realized it is after 2:00am. I don't know if Hurricane Fay is in Florida or in my backyard. I don't know what is going on with Russia and Georgia. It has been a research and writing frenzy.

I wouldn't have even known that Biden was chosen by Obama had it not been headlined as I entered into my e-mail servers opening page. (Honestly, of all the things that I could have stumbled upon that I missed during my writing frenzy, Obama's new romance with Biden was not what I would have hoped for!)

In the end, I guess I have to ask myself - "Did I lose today as a result of writing or did I gain something by putting something out there that might be useful to someone?"

I really have to wonder that as I sit here under the only lit light in the house, suddenly realizing that everyone has long gone to sleep, everything shut off and locked down. The worst part? I didn't even notice!

Did I robotically answer questions that were asked of me and just don't remember? Gosh I hate that when people do that to me!

Tomorrow will be a better day Inshallah (God-willing). I will post a note above my computer that says "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses today".