Monday, April 28, 2008
Gazan Mother and 4 Children Killed During Israeli Operation
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Relatives of four children and their mother killed during an Israeli operation against militants in Gaza mourned during their funeral on Monday.
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian mother and her four young children were killed in northern Gaza on Monday during an Israeli operation against militants there, and a dispute quickly arose over exactly how they had died.
The Israelis said they shot a missile from the air that hit two armed men who were carrying heavy explosives, which blew apart the family’s house behind them. Palestinian witnesses said they believed an Israeli tank shell or a missile from an unmanned drone flew into the small house, killing the four as they were eating breakfast. Two other children from the same family were badly wounded and hospitalized.
The killings prompted vows of revenge and seemed likely to complicate Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire between Hamas, the militant Islamist group that rules Gaza, and Israel.
Shortly afterward, seven rockets and nine mortars were fired at southern Israel from Gaza. No one there was wounded, although a building was damaged.
Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, director of emergency medical services in Gaza, said at least 10 were wounded in Gaza from the fighting.
Outside the destroyed Gazan house, where the Abu Maatak family lived, in the town of Beit Hanoun, pots, children’s clothes and shoes lay scattered on the ground, a scene shown repeatedly on Palestinian and other Arab television channels, along with photographs of the swathed dead bodies, including that of a baby, lying on metal trays in a Gaza morgue.
The dead were named by relatives as Rudayna and Hana Abu Maatak, aged 6 and 3, sisters; their brothers Saleh, 4, and Mousad, 15 months; and their mother, Miyasar, the youngest of three wives of Ahmed Abu Maatak, 70, who said he had gone to the market when the missile hit.
Palestinian security officials said that several Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers backed by helicopters stormed Beit Hanoun early on Monday. Militant groups said in separate leaflets sent to reporters that they confronted the Israeli forces with bombs and grenades, adding that Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants exchanged fire.
Maj. Avital Leibovich, the Israeli military’s chief spokeswoman for the foreign press, said that while the army was still investigating, an initial inquiry into the events showed that several Israeli armored personnel carriers had entered the area of Beit Hanoun in what she described as a routine search for rocket launchers, snipers and terrorists.
Two heavily armed men approached the Israelis, she said, leading an Israeli aircraft to fire a missile at them, killing them. On their backs, she said, were rucksacks apparently holding large amounts of explosives, which caused the nearby house to tumble and kill those inside. She said the analysis was based partly on images taken from the air.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak placed the blame squarely on Hamas.
“We see Hamas as responsible for everything that happens there, for all injuries,” he said while on a tour of an Israeli weapons factory, Israeli radio reported. “The army is acting and will continue to act against Hamas, including inside the Gaza Strip.”
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, a bitter rival of Hamas, condemned the killing of the mother and her four children. It said in a statement that the Israeli army escalation in Gaza "would harm the efforts to agree on a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians."
After Hamas took over Gaza last June in a battle with Fatah forces, Israel imposed a blockade on the area, severely limiting supplies into it. Thousands of crude rockets have been launched against southern Israeli towns and communities in recent years by Hamas and smaller factions, which oppose Israel’s existence.
Militants have tried to infiltrate the border crossing into Israel five times in recent weeks. That has led Israel to keep the border closed more often, further reducing supplies and worsening the already severe humanitarian crisis there. Cooking gas has essentially run out since the supplier became too afraid to deliver, Israeli security officials and Gazans say, closing most bakeries.
The United Nations agency that provides the most aid in Gaza suspended its work for four days because of fuel shortages. And while United Nations and other international officials complain angrily about Israel’s policies, the attempted infiltrations have recently prompted criticism of Hamas by the European Union, which accused it of actions that “lead to further suffering of the population.”
The aid agency, United Nations Relief and Works Agency, announced on Monday that it had just obtained enough fuel to resume its work in Gaza for five more days.
Egypt has been negotiating with Hamas officials on establishing a six-month cease-fire with Israel. On Monday, representatives of smaller factions associated with Hamas, including Islamic Jihad, left for Egypt to discuss their participation in such a cease-fire. If that effort succeeds, Egypt’s intelligence minister, Omar Suleiman, is expected to come to Jerusalem next week to get Israel’s response.
Israeli officials have been exceedingly cautious in their public statements about such a truce offer because they do not trust Hamas and fear that it seeks a truce simply to give itself the time and breathing room to arm more heavily. They have added that if Hamas wants a cease-fire, it must first stop all rocket fire, attacks on Israel from Gaza and the West Bank, and arms smuggling into Gaza from Egypt.
Nonetheless, with President Bush due here in two weeks for Israel’s 60th anniversary celebrations and efforts to reach a real agreement with the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, there is a strong incentive to obtain a period of calm.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due back in Jerusalem this weekend to push the Israelis and West Bank Palestinians closer together in the hope that by the time Mr. Bush arrives there will be some peace framework document.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Rep. Kucinich statement on the Nakba (Palestinian Holocaust)
Congressional Record, April 22, 2008, Page: H2522
Mr. KUCINICH.
Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues in Congress in celebrating Israel's accomplishments over the past 60 years. I am happy to be co-sponsor of this congratulatory resolution. However, like many Israelis and Palestinians, I have concerns about Israel's future, its stability, its security and the prospect for peaceful coexistence for both Palestinians and Israelis. One of those concerns relates to the ongoing lack of resolution on the dispossession of Palestinian property and the dislocation of Palestinians after Independence. It must be remembered that about 700,000 Palestinians became exiled. Much Arab property was appropriated. And about 500 Arab villages were destroyed. On December 11, 1948, the United Nations passed Resolution 194, affording Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes in Israel, or to compensation for their property should they choose not to return. To this day, the mandate of U.N. Resolution 194 has not been fulfilled. Unfortunately, this failure remains as one of the most significant barriers to the realization of a two-state negotiated solution.
I am also concerned for those Palestinians who did not flee and who became Israeli citizens after Independence. According to the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, today there exist 20 Israeli laws which explicitly discriminate against the Palestinian minority in Israel, who constitute 20 percent of its population. In its 2005 Annual Report, the U.S. State Department said that ``[There is] institutionalized legal and societal discrimination against Israel's [Arab] Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens. The government does not provide Israeli Arabs with the same quality of education, housing, employment and social services as Jews.''
Finally, Israel has a right to security and a right to defend itself. Accordingly, I am concerned that the 40 year military occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem has been and continues to be brutal and unjust and undermines the security of Israel. It is a fact that the government of Israel continues to support the construction of settlements on Palestinian land, perpetuating the consequences of dispossession and exile. Additionally, I am concerned that the government of Israel has increased the number of checkpoints which destroy a viable Palestinian economy and a vibrant civil society. I am concerned that the Israeli government has erected a wall, often on Palestinian land, that divides Palestinians from Palestinians, rather than divide Israel from the West Bank. As stated by Judge Elaraby of the International Court of Justice in his 2004 Advisory Opinion on the legality of Israel's separation barrier, ``The fact that occupation is met by armed resistance cannot be used as a pretext to disregard fundamental human rights in the occupied territory.'' This conundrum of a dialectic of conflict further separates Israelis and Palestinians alike from hopes for peace.
H. Con. Res. 322 eloquently states the many reasons why I celebrate Israel's accomplishments and I sincerely wish it a bright future. I only wish to add that, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many Israelis and Palestinians as well, Israel's future will be bright only if it includes an open dialogue with Palestinians, a respect for human rights and international law, and a society built on coexistence and tolerance. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace with justice and I encourage the United States government to help Israel achieve that so the joy of future anniversaries will be unalloyed.
I support the resolution in the spirit of reconciliation to which we must all inevitably turn, to achieve peace and justice with our brothers and sisters from whom we may be estranged.
Mr. KUCINICH.
Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues in Congress in celebrating Israel's accomplishments over the past 60 years. I am happy to be co-sponsor of this congratulatory resolution. However, like many Israelis and Palestinians, I have concerns about Israel's future, its stability, its security and the prospect for peaceful coexistence for both Palestinians and Israelis. One of those concerns relates to the ongoing lack of resolution on the dispossession of Palestinian property and the dislocation of Palestinians after Independence. It must be remembered that about 700,000 Palestinians became exiled. Much Arab property was appropriated. And about 500 Arab villages were destroyed. On December 11, 1948, the United Nations passed Resolution 194, affording Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes in Israel, or to compensation for their property should they choose not to return. To this day, the mandate of U.N. Resolution 194 has not been fulfilled. Unfortunately, this failure remains as one of the most significant barriers to the realization of a two-state negotiated solution.
I am also concerned for those Palestinians who did not flee and who became Israeli citizens after Independence. According to the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, today there exist 20 Israeli laws which explicitly discriminate against the Palestinian minority in Israel, who constitute 20 percent of its population. In its 2005 Annual Report, the U.S. State Department said that ``[There is] institutionalized legal and societal discrimination against Israel's [Arab] Christian, Muslim and Druze citizens. The government does not provide Israeli Arabs with the same quality of education, housing, employment and social services as Jews.''
Finally, Israel has a right to security and a right to defend itself. Accordingly, I am concerned that the 40 year military occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem has been and continues to be brutal and unjust and undermines the security of Israel. It is a fact that the government of Israel continues to support the construction of settlements on Palestinian land, perpetuating the consequences of dispossession and exile. Additionally, I am concerned that the government of Israel has increased the number of checkpoints which destroy a viable Palestinian economy and a vibrant civil society. I am concerned that the Israeli government has erected a wall, often on Palestinian land, that divides Palestinians from Palestinians, rather than divide Israel from the West Bank. As stated by Judge Elaraby of the International Court of Justice in his 2004 Advisory Opinion on the legality of Israel's separation barrier, ``The fact that occupation is met by armed resistance cannot be used as a pretext to disregard fundamental human rights in the occupied territory.'' This conundrum of a dialectic of conflict further separates Israelis and Palestinians alike from hopes for peace.
H. Con. Res. 322 eloquently states the many reasons why I celebrate Israel's accomplishments and I sincerely wish it a bright future. I only wish to add that, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many Israelis and Palestinians as well, Israel's future will be bright only if it includes an open dialogue with Palestinians, a respect for human rights and international law, and a society built on coexistence and tolerance. Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace with justice and I encourage the United States government to help Israel achieve that so the joy of future anniversaries will be unalloyed.
I support the resolution in the spirit of reconciliation to which we must all inevitably turn, to achieve peace and justice with our brothers and sisters from whom we may be estranged.
You will be missed, Roger!
A great big personality in our Humboldt County community and a friend of mine died yesterday. Roger Rodoni will be greatly missed.
The best tribute I can make is to continue Roger's independent mindset that just would not allow bullshit to enter into County politics.
Stephen
The best tribute I can make is to continue Roger's independent mindset that just would not allow bullshit to enter into County politics.
Stephen
Monday, April 21, 2008
The fear factor that silences
By Paul Findley
Published: April 16, 2008, 00:17
Candidates for public office, high and low, are bewitched -frightened is the more accurate word - by an unwarranted but costly fear of the US lobby that functions on behalf of the State of Israel.
Comb through the millions of words expressed by the "final three" in the presidential sweepstakes - Barak Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain - and you will not find a word, not even a syllable, of criticism of the longstanding US policy bias that heavily favours Israel, a policy that imposes a staggering burden on US society and infuriates Muslims worldwide, including eight million who are US citizens.
A search of the millions of words of analysis of talking heads and other commentators who make a living examining day-by-day the impact of presidential candidate behaviour discloses the same empty-headed silence. They don't even mention candidate silence on this topic that should be a fundamental and continuing focus of discussion.
A search of major media -print, radio and television - has virtually the same result: silence. The internet is one of the few places where one can find thoughtful and candid examinations of Israel's dominance of US society.
This silence is a phenomenon unknown elsewhere in the world. Discussion of the US bias and its terrible consequences are common in periodicals in Britain, France, Germany, all Arab countries, and most other nations, even in Israel, whose Hebrew newspapers and journals regularly discuss candidly and deeply the bad behaviour of Israel's government.
Because of this silence, the American people are denied the benefit of civilised discussion of the grievances that are believed to be the main factor leading to the dreadful assault on 9/11, the tunnel vision that prompted President George W. Bush to order war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the drumbeat for war against Iran.
The silence obscures US complicity in the awful, worsening Palestinian plight. The news coverage that reaches the US public tends to demonise Muslim insurgents who protest, sometimes with terrible violence, against US attempts at military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and similar protests by Muslim and Christian Palestinians against Israel's US-supported suppression of what is left of Palestine.
Media coverage
US citizens seldom see reminders that Israel, with US encouragement, came into being in 1948 by the sword and has expanded its domain and carried out its destruction and humiliation of Palestinian society the same way ever since. The bias in media coverage leads uninformed people to view Israelis, not Palestinians, as the victims.
A few salient facts:
- According to the Christian Science Monitor, grants to Israel have cost US taxpayers over $1.2 trillion since 1975. That sum includes, as it should, the cost of servicing the annual outlays as new debt.
- In 1982, Israel, using US-donated arms, killed over 17,000 people in the environs of Beirut, Lebanon. In addition to the death toll, according to data compiled by journalist Alison Weir surgeons amputated over 1,000 limbs in the aftermath of just one day's assault. Two years ago, Israeli forces killed over 1,000 people in another invasion of Lebanon. Most of the dead in both invasions were civilians.
- Israel now keeps 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned in the desolate Gaza Strip, because, in a well-monitored election, they voted into power Hamas, an organisation hostile to Israel's conquests. Another two million are cordoned off like cattle behind 20-foot walls and fences in the West Bank.
- In recent years, Israelis have destroyed over 10,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and elsewhere in occupied Palestine.
The invasions of Lebanon, the mistreatment of Palestinians, and the destruction of homes are crimes under international law. None of this would have happened if any US president in the last 30 years had the courage to refuse to finance Israel's conquests. If the US government had suspended financial, military, and political support Israel could not have carried out these monstrous crimes.
None of the three candidates seriously contending for the presidency says a word about suspending aid until Israel stops its criminal acts. Not even the slightest hint. Indeed, each mentions Israel only with peons of praise and pledges of unqualified support. Why? Fear.
Is the US fated to have another president take office next January who is afraid to challenge the lobby for a small scofflaw country the size of New Jersey?
Paul Findley served as a Representative of Illinois from 1961 to 1983. He was a chief author of the 'War Powers Resolution'. Since leaving Congress, he has written three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Washington Post best-seller, 'They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby'. He resides in Jacksonville Illinois.
Published: April 16, 2008, 00:17
Candidates for public office, high and low, are bewitched -frightened is the more accurate word - by an unwarranted but costly fear of the US lobby that functions on behalf of the State of Israel.
Comb through the millions of words expressed by the "final three" in the presidential sweepstakes - Barak Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain - and you will not find a word, not even a syllable, of criticism of the longstanding US policy bias that heavily favours Israel, a policy that imposes a staggering burden on US society and infuriates Muslims worldwide, including eight million who are US citizens.
A search of the millions of words of analysis of talking heads and other commentators who make a living examining day-by-day the impact of presidential candidate behaviour discloses the same empty-headed silence. They don't even mention candidate silence on this topic that should be a fundamental and continuing focus of discussion.
A search of major media -print, radio and television - has virtually the same result: silence. The internet is one of the few places where one can find thoughtful and candid examinations of Israel's dominance of US society.
This silence is a phenomenon unknown elsewhere in the world. Discussion of the US bias and its terrible consequences are common in periodicals in Britain, France, Germany, all Arab countries, and most other nations, even in Israel, whose Hebrew newspapers and journals regularly discuss candidly and deeply the bad behaviour of Israel's government.
Because of this silence, the American people are denied the benefit of civilised discussion of the grievances that are believed to be the main factor leading to the dreadful assault on 9/11, the tunnel vision that prompted President George W. Bush to order war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the drumbeat for war against Iran.
The silence obscures US complicity in the awful, worsening Palestinian plight. The news coverage that reaches the US public tends to demonise Muslim insurgents who protest, sometimes with terrible violence, against US attempts at military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and similar protests by Muslim and Christian Palestinians against Israel's US-supported suppression of what is left of Palestine.
Media coverage
US citizens seldom see reminders that Israel, with US encouragement, came into being in 1948 by the sword and has expanded its domain and carried out its destruction and humiliation of Palestinian society the same way ever since. The bias in media coverage leads uninformed people to view Israelis, not Palestinians, as the victims.
A few salient facts:
- According to the Christian Science Monitor, grants to Israel have cost US taxpayers over $1.2 trillion since 1975. That sum includes, as it should, the cost of servicing the annual outlays as new debt.
- In 1982, Israel, using US-donated arms, killed over 17,000 people in the environs of Beirut, Lebanon. In addition to the death toll, according to data compiled by journalist Alison Weir surgeons amputated over 1,000 limbs in the aftermath of just one day's assault. Two years ago, Israeli forces killed over 1,000 people in another invasion of Lebanon. Most of the dead in both invasions were civilians.
- Israel now keeps 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned in the desolate Gaza Strip, because, in a well-monitored election, they voted into power Hamas, an organisation hostile to Israel's conquests. Another two million are cordoned off like cattle behind 20-foot walls and fences in the West Bank.
- In recent years, Israelis have destroyed over 10,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and elsewhere in occupied Palestine.
The invasions of Lebanon, the mistreatment of Palestinians, and the destruction of homes are crimes under international law. None of this would have happened if any US president in the last 30 years had the courage to refuse to finance Israel's conquests. If the US government had suspended financial, military, and political support Israel could not have carried out these monstrous crimes.
None of the three candidates seriously contending for the presidency says a word about suspending aid until Israel stops its criminal acts. Not even the slightest hint. Indeed, each mentions Israel only with peons of praise and pledges of unqualified support. Why? Fear.
Is the US fated to have another president take office next January who is afraid to challenge the lobby for a small scofflaw country the size of New Jersey?
Paul Findley served as a Representative of Illinois from 1961 to 1983. He was a chief author of the 'War Powers Resolution'. Since leaving Congress, he has written three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Washington Post best-seller, 'They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby'. He resides in Jacksonville Illinois.
Man found in Lady Bird Lake was teacher, FBI target
It saddens me to report in this weekly message the death under very suspiscious circumstances of an important activist for Palestine/for peace. Riad Hammad visited us in CT twice and we have met many times and exchanged lots of conversations by email and phone. He will be missed by his family, by the hundreds of Palestinian children and families he helped, and by all of us who knew him.
Obituary as Published in Austin American Statesman
Riad Elsolh Hamad
Longtime peace activist, beloved father, partner, soul mate, and educator
Riad Elsolh Hamad died tragically on April 14, 2008. Riad was born on September 20, 1952 in Beirut, Lebanon, but called Austin home since 1970. A lifelong scholar, Riad received the first of many degrees from the University of Texas, Austin. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a PhD in Educational Technology. Riad touched many lives as an educator and friend. He was a computer technology instructor at Clint Small Middle School. He was a selfless individual who focused on helping students realize their potential. He was also a champion of human rights and worked tirelessly for peace and justice. He founded the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund to aid Palestinian children, women, and families in need.
Riad is survived by his loving partner, Diana; his daughter, Rita; his son, Abdullah; his brother, Omar; and other siblings and family across the world. He leaves behind countless friends who will miss him dearly and a legacy of love and peace. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund (http://www.pcwf.org, or by mail at PCWF - Riad Hamad Memorial, 405 Vista Heights Road, El Cerrito, CA 94530).
An interview with Riad can be found here
I think the best way to honor Riad and all who preceded him (Rachel Corrie, Tanya Reinhardt etc) is by getting more involved and doubling our efforts including donating more. Towards this, I wanted to focus in this week's message on Asking for your support for Peace Action.
The board has since endorsed our Wheels of Justice Bus tour. Peace Action had previously also supported the Palestinian Refugees Right to Return. Peace Action Education Fund's work is an excellent compliment to the Wheels of Justice work, and I expect my role on the Board of Directors will provide great opportunities for cross-fertilization and potential partnership with both organizations. As a grassroots membership organization of 50,000 members the Peace Action Education Fund can provide an excellent opportunity for outreach for the Wheels of Justice Tour.
As one of my first acts of Board of Directors I'd like to invite you to visit the Peace Action Education fund website and consider join the Peace Action Education Fund, with a tax-deductible contribution of , $100 $50 or $15.
I am working to raise $1,000 over the next two month, and your contribution will go directly to support work educating voters about our issues, during campaign season and promoting a more diplomatic foreign policy.
If you are not ready to join with a membership, but would like to support their work you can take action to end the occupation of Iraq by visiting here.
The Peace Action Education Fund works to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs and encourage a foreign policy that embodies respect for human rights. Their work includes supporting the Student Peace Action Network, and voter education to elect pro-peace candidates, through their Peace Voter campaign.
If you have any questions about the Peace Action Education Fund's work or ways you can get involved, please contact Development Associate Seth Long at 301-565-4050 x 308 or by email at slong@peace-action.org
Obituary as Published in Austin American Statesman
Riad Elsolh Hamad
Longtime peace activist, beloved father, partner, soul mate, and educator
Riad Elsolh Hamad died tragically on April 14, 2008. Riad was born on September 20, 1952 in Beirut, Lebanon, but called Austin home since 1970. A lifelong scholar, Riad received the first of many degrees from the University of Texas, Austin. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a PhD in Educational Technology. Riad touched many lives as an educator and friend. He was a computer technology instructor at Clint Small Middle School. He was a selfless individual who focused on helping students realize their potential. He was also a champion of human rights and worked tirelessly for peace and justice. He founded the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund to aid Palestinian children, women, and families in need.
Riad is survived by his loving partner, Diana; his daughter, Rita; his son, Abdullah; his brother, Omar; and other siblings and family across the world. He leaves behind countless friends who will miss him dearly and a legacy of love and peace. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund (http://www.pcwf.org, or by mail at PCWF - Riad Hamad Memorial, 405 Vista Heights Road, El Cerrito, CA 94530).
An interview with Riad can be found here
I think the best way to honor Riad and all who preceded him (Rachel Corrie, Tanya Reinhardt etc) is by getting more involved and doubling our efforts including donating more. Towards this, I wanted to focus in this week's message on Asking for your support for Peace Action.
Police said that victim, who taught at a Southwest Austin middle school, may have committed suicide.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, April 18, 2008
Austin police said Thursday that they are leaning toward a ruling of suicide in the death of a middle school teacher and activist whose body was found Wednesday in Lady Bird Lake with his hands and legs bound and tape over his eyes.
Police identified Riad Hamad, 55, at a news conference Thursday and said the binding of his limbs and the placement of the tape was consistent with Hamad having done it himself.
Austin police homicide Sgt. Joe Chacon said family members told investigators that the Clint Small Jr. Middle School teacher had "several stressors" in his life and had talked about possibly killing himself. Police said that they think Hamad walked from his car to the lake, based on evidence they gathered at the scene.
"The car was found on the south shoreline with no signs of mysterious activity," Chacon said.
Police said that they found Hamad's car along Lady Bird Lake on Tuesday and searched but did not find him.
Joggers found Hamad's body about 2 p.m. Wednesday near Comal Street and Nash Hernandez Sr. Road. Investigators said they found no signs of trauma or a struggle.
Debbie Russell, president of the local American Civil Liberties Union chapter, sent an e-mail Thursday to dozens of activists throughout the city saying that Hamad's death had been ruled a homicide. Russell said in a later interview that she wrote that e-mail after she thought she had heard media reports that Hamad had been killed.
She said in the e-mail that Hamad had recently been under investigation by the FBI — federal officials confirmed the investigation — and described him as "NOT a terrorist but a peaceworker." Hamad was serving as an official for the Austin chapter of the Palestine Children's Welfare Fund.
FBI spokesman Erik Vasys said that Hamad had been a "person of interest" in a criminal investigation but that he could not elaborate.
Austin police said Hamad's family reported him missing Monday. Family members released a statement Thursday saying that he disappeared after going to pick up a prescription at a local pharmacy.
Hamad's body was taken to the Travis County medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The office did not respond to an open records request Thursday for information about the case and would not confirm that Hamad's body was there.
According to the family's statement, which was released through an attorney, Hamad was a University of Texas graduate and had taught in the Austin school district for a decade.
The family's statement described him as a "peace activist who worked tirelessly on behalf of those less fortunate than him and was loved and admired by many members of the local, as well as international community."
"Mr. Hamad's family and friends are obviously devastated over their loss," the statement said.
Hamad had taught at Austin Community College but was fired in June 1998 after officials said he violated the school's nondiscrimination policy by making "sexist and off-colored jokes" in class, school officials said.
Small Middle School Principal Sheila Anderson sent a letter to parents at the Southwest Austin school Thursday informing them of Hamad's death and saying that grief counselors were available for students and teachers.
"Mr. Hamad was a longtime and valued member of the Small Middle School faculty, and his love and passion for education touched us all," Anderson said in the letter.
tplohetski@statesman.com; 445-3605
Additional material from staff writer Molly Bloom.
======================================================================
The board has since endorsed our Wheels of Justice Bus tour. Peace Action had previously also supported the Palestinian Refugees Right to Return. Peace Action Education Fund's work is an excellent compliment to the Wheels of Justice work, and I expect my role on the Board of Directors will provide great opportunities for cross-fertilization and potential partnership with both organizations. As a grassroots membership organization of 50,000 members the Peace Action Education Fund can provide an excellent opportunity for outreach for the Wheels of Justice Tour.
As one of my first acts of Board of Directors I'd like to invite you to visit the Peace Action Education fund website and consider join the Peace Action Education Fund, with a tax-deductible contribution of , $100 $50 or $15.
I am working to raise $1,000 over the next two month, and your contribution will go directly to support work educating voters about our issues, during campaign season and promoting a more diplomatic foreign policy.
If you are not ready to join with a membership, but would like to support their work you can take action to end the occupation of Iraq by visiting here.
The Peace Action Education Fund works to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs and encourage a foreign policy that embodies respect for human rights. Their work includes supporting the Student Peace Action Network, and voter education to elect pro-peace candidates, through their Peace Voter campaign.
If you have any questions about the Peace Action Education Fund's work or ways you can get involved, please contact Development Associate Seth Long at 301-565-4050 x 308 or by email at slong@peace-action.org
Sincerely,
Mazin Qumsiyeh
http://peace-action.org
http://justicewheels.org
http://qumsiyeh.org
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Other Side of the Picture that Rose and Fred left out
Israel strikes after Hamas raid
A car burns after an Israeli air strike near Beit Lahyia, Gaza Strip, on 16 April
An air strike also killed a man in a car near Beit Lahyia
An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip has reportedly killed nine Palestinians after a Hamas attack which left three soldiers dead.
Two children were among the nine people killed by the strike near Bureij refugee camp, Palestinian doctors say.
Confirming the air strike, the Israeli military said it had been attacking gunmen, and the target had been hit.
The overall death toll for the day has risen to 19, including a cameraman working for Reuters news agency.
Fadel Shana, 23, was killed along with two bystanders by an explosion as he got out of a vehicle in central Gaza, the agency said.
Local residents said an Israeli air strike had caused the blast but Israel's military said it had no knowledge of any strikes on vehicles in the area.
A car burns after an Israeli air strike near Beit Lahyia, Gaza Strip, on 16 April
An air strike also killed a man in a car near Beit Lahyia
An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip has reportedly killed nine Palestinians after a Hamas attack which left three soldiers dead.
Two children were among the nine people killed by the strike near Bureij refugee camp, Palestinian doctors say.
Confirming the air strike, the Israeli military said it had been attacking gunmen, and the target had been hit.
The overall death toll for the day has risen to 19, including a cameraman working for Reuters news agency.
Fadel Shana, 23, was killed along with two bystanders by an explosion as he got out of a vehicle in central Gaza, the agency said.
Local residents said an Israeli air strike had caused the blast but Israel's military said it had no knowledge of any strikes on vehicles in the area.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Three blind women at a checkpoint
Three blind women at a checkpoint, notes by Rana Qumsiyeh, April 13, 2008
[While reading this remember that a) all here are the lucky 0.1% of the population of Bethlehem who have a "permit" to get to Jerusalem and b) that this is the mild forms, many died at checkpoints while refused to get to medical facilities and many are starving because their lands and jobs are on the other side of the Apartheid wall. Mazin Q]
Yesterday was not the first time I see those three blind women at the checkpoint. They are familiar to many who cross the Bethlehem checkpoint on daily basis to get to Jerusalem. Two middle-aged Palestinian women and one elderly woman who seems to be a foreigner; could be German, as I have heard them talk to each other in German at times. I have always wondered how they manage to make their way through this maze, being blind, when most people with perfect eye sight struggle to find their way through, when crossing this checkpoint for the first time, and have to ask for directions.
So, yesterday, despite that it was a Saturday, there was a long line forming when those three blind women walked in, and it was taking too long for the door to open and let people in one by one. As usual, they were let through ahead of everyone because of their situation. A few minutes later, they got inside and it seems two of them got through the metal-detector door and the third one “beeped”. The female soldier on duty screamed at her in Hebrew to take her shoes off. This female soldier is known to all of us, the crowds who go through everyday, we call her the screamer. We know she is on duty before we even get into the terminal, because her yelling reaches outside the Wall! Of course, standing in line outside, we barely can see anything of what is happening inside, we just hear and try to understand what is going on. Thus, we assumed that the blind woman took off her shoes and passed again and she still “beeped”, the soldier screamed again, now louder, in Hebrew, ordering her to take her jacket off. One more time, we hear beeping, then we hear crying. Apparently, the blind woman started to cry at that point. The soldier screamed louder, and this time, I didn’t understand what she was saying.
Half an hour had passed since I got in line and I was still there, and the line was not moving. People started complaining, calling, so a male soldier’s voice came through the loud speaker saying “You have to wait, we have ‘problems’ inside”. We heard more beeping and then a loud laugh from the “screamer”.
Eventually, they opened the door and I got to the ID and permit inspection point, there were the two other blind women, apparently still waiting for their companion, who had been forced into one of the “further investigation” rooms. I went outside and got on the bus, and soon after the three women followed. The third one was very stressed out and in tears. It turns out; her skirt zipper was the problem. I am not sure if she was forced to take her skirt off in that closed 'cell', no one dared ask. As the bus drove off, I watched her cry all the way from the checkpoint to Jerusalem…
[While reading this remember that a) all here are the lucky 0.1% of the population of Bethlehem who have a "permit" to get to Jerusalem and b) that this is the mild forms, many died at checkpoints while refused to get to medical facilities and many are starving because their lands and jobs are on the other side of the Apartheid wall. Mazin Q]
Yesterday was not the first time I see those three blind women at the checkpoint. They are familiar to many who cross the Bethlehem checkpoint on daily basis to get to Jerusalem. Two middle-aged Palestinian women and one elderly woman who seems to be a foreigner; could be German, as I have heard them talk to each other in German at times. I have always wondered how they manage to make their way through this maze, being blind, when most people with perfect eye sight struggle to find their way through, when crossing this checkpoint for the first time, and have to ask for directions.
So, yesterday, despite that it was a Saturday, there was a long line forming when those three blind women walked in, and it was taking too long for the door to open and let people in one by one. As usual, they were let through ahead of everyone because of their situation. A few minutes later, they got inside and it seems two of them got through the metal-detector door and the third one “beeped”. The female soldier on duty screamed at her in Hebrew to take her shoes off. This female soldier is known to all of us, the crowds who go through everyday, we call her the screamer. We know she is on duty before we even get into the terminal, because her yelling reaches outside the Wall! Of course, standing in line outside, we barely can see anything of what is happening inside, we just hear and try to understand what is going on. Thus, we assumed that the blind woman took off her shoes and passed again and she still “beeped”, the soldier screamed again, now louder, in Hebrew, ordering her to take her jacket off. One more time, we hear beeping, then we hear crying. Apparently, the blind woman started to cry at that point. The soldier screamed louder, and this time, I didn’t understand what she was saying.
Half an hour had passed since I got in line and I was still there, and the line was not moving. People started complaining, calling, so a male soldier’s voice came through the loud speaker saying “You have to wait, we have ‘problems’ inside”. We heard more beeping and then a loud laugh from the “screamer”.
Eventually, they opened the door and I got to the ID and permit inspection point, there were the two other blind women, apparently still waiting for their companion, who had been forced into one of the “further investigation” rooms. I went outside and got on the bus, and soon after the three women followed. The third one was very stressed out and in tears. It turns out; her skirt zipper was the problem. I am not sure if she was forced to take her skirt off in that closed 'cell', no one dared ask. As the bus drove off, I watched her cry all the way from the checkpoint to Jerusalem…
Friday, April 04, 2008
Tribute to Phil Ochs
This painting done in 1968 contains all the words to Phil Och's song, "Changes".
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- Steve Lewis
- Prophesy bearer for four religious traditions, revealer of Christ's Sword, revealer of Josephine bearing the Spirit of Christ, revealer of the identity of God, revealer of the Celestial Torah astro-theological code within the Bible. Celestial Torah Christian Theologian, Climax Civilization theorist and activist, Eco-Village Organizer, Master Psychedelic Artist, Inventor of the Next Big Thing in wearable tech, and always your Prophet-At-Large.