[stlimc-editorial] Palestine Solidarity

[Andy Jones]

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Vishal,

I made some comments on your article [IN BRACKETS AND ALL CAPS]. 
They're mostly minor phrasing type things, although I thought the 
last paragraph could be stronger and the quote from the 12-year old 
boy about winning the war left me with a funny feeling.

At 12:47 AM -0500 4/9/02, Vishal Singh wrote:
>hey y'all.
>sorry for taking a bit longer on this than i said i would.
>i think we should try to get this up real soon though - like tomorrow
>(tuesday).  so
>hopefully a couple of you will have a chance to look this over pretty
>quick-like.
>
>much love.
>v
>
>
>
>Attachment converted: Retrosplenium:PalestineSolidarity.rtf 
>(TEXT/ttxt) (000216A0)

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\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Conflict in the Middle-East was taken to 
the highest level in recent history this past week.  After a rash of 
Palestinian suicide-bombings, Israel has gone on a full assault in 
Palestine.  The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have invaded every major 
Palestinian city and imposed strict curfews on the people.  Reports 
of human rights atrocities are continuously pouring out of the area. 
Some including ambulances not being allowed into areas of wounded 
civilians, ambulances and civilians being shot at by IDF soldiers, 
houses bulldozed with people inside, electricity and water being cut, 
and much more.  IDF soldiers are facing stiff resistance in certain 
areas but on the whole they are moving forward with their invasion 
and are crushing the Palestinian resistance.  \par
\par
President Bush and numerous key international leaders have called for 
Israel to immediately withdraw but Ariel Sharon has refused to do so 
until his goal is reached - destroying all Palestinian terrorist 
organizations[COULD THIS BE A SHORT QUOTE?].  \par
Many around the world have heard the cries of the Palestinian people 
and have organized mass solidarity demonstrations.  In St Louis the 
call was heard by many Peace and Justice Activists in the area and 
even more so by Palestinian and Arab-Americans living in the city. 
In response to the violence in Palestine, around 200 people gathered 
in University City on April 6 to bring attention to the incredible 
violence taking place.  Various peace and justice groups and 
Protestant Justice Action organized the event, but the primary 
driving force and most vocal of the groups was the Arab-American 
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).\par
\par
\ldblquote We came here to protest against the Israeli occupation and 
the U.S.\rquote s complicity in it,\rdblquote  explained Rana 
Yaghnam, Vice-President of ADC-St Louis.  She continued, \ldblquote 
Today we are speaking to the American people because we want them to 
act in solidarity with Palestine and to President Bush because his 
Middle-East policy is unjust and is perpetuating the cycle of 
violence.\rdblquote   The demonstration began at noon on Saturday 
with local activist speaking about the need for peace on both sides. 
A short street theater was also acted out bringing attention to the 
death of numerous civilians and the disruption of basic services. 
\par
\par
By 12:30 the street theater was over and the event turned 
predominantly pro-Palestinian [I WOULD REPHRASE THIS 1ST SENTENCE TO 
REFLECT THE BALANCE OF CHANTS BELOW (OR JUST FIND DIFFERENT TERM THAN 
PRO-PALESTINIAN -- MAYBE: BY 12:30...WAS OVER AND THE CROWD WAS 
GETTING RESTLESS -- I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE].  Chants of 
\ldblquote long live Yasir Arafat\rdblquote  and \ldblquote Hitler 
and Sharon are the same\rdblquote  were interspersed with \ldblquote 
end the occupation\rdblquote  and \ldblquote we want justice, we want 
peace.\rdblquote   \par
\par
The crowd was predominantly comprised of Arab-Americans and people of 
all ages [COULD CUT THIS FIRST SENTENCE SINCE YOU"VE ALLREADY SAID 
THE CROWD IS MOSTLY PAELESTINIAN].  One small groups of students 
holding an Israeli flag felt the demonstration was very one-sided. 
\ldblquote It seems like [the fact that people are dying on both 
sides] is being overlooked here today. . . We didn\rquote t see an 
Israeli flag and we wanted to make sure all sides are 
represented.\rdblquote   After the students began to explain 
Israel\rquote s recent actions as self-defense a small but heated 
argument ensued.  [DON"T NEED "BUT", MAYBE: HOWEVER< ONE ON-LOOKER,AN 
AMERICAN WOMAN NAMED LIZ,...] But Liz, an American woman, did not see 
the rally as nationalistic or anti-Israeli, \ldblquote I don\rquote t 
necessarily see this is an expression of hate.  It\rquote s a 
struggle for justice.\rdblquote\par
\par
[SEVERAL OF THOSE GATHERED WERE CONCERNED THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT 
WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL TO HELP THE SITUATION ]
\ldblquote Enough is enough, people are fed up.  We want to say in a 
loud voice \lquote let\rquote s end this madness\rquote .  This 
message is especially directed to the American government.  We are 
the only super power left and I must admit that the government is not 
doing enough.\rdblquote   [CAN CUT THIS NEXT ONE AND ADD SOMETHING AT 
THE BEGINNING OF THE PARA] This sentiment expressed by an 
Arab-American was shared by many.  Chants of \ldblquote free 
Palestine\rdblquote  and \ldblquote end aid to Israel\rdblquote 
we\rquote re repeated throughout the rally.\par
\par
Many were skeptical of any official statements coming out of Israel. 
Sharon responded to the U.S. demands to pull out with an explanation 
that they will pull out after dismantling the terrorist 
organizations.  \ldblquote Regardless of the official statement 
Israel has no right to be in this land to start with, they have no 
right to occupy the West Bank and Gaza,\rdblquote  stated Talaq a 
Palestinian-American.  He went on to say, \ldblquote I don\rquote t 
think they will pullout.  They will find hundreds of reasons to keep 
oppressing the Palestinian people.  They think they\rquote re 
security will come from the occupation.  They are wrong.\rdblquote 
Another Palestinian-American shared Talaq\rquote s opinion, 
\ldblquote I don\rquote t believe [the official Israeli statement]. 
It seems to me, and I hope that I\rquote m wrong, that the real 
intention is to break the Palestinian will.  To make them docile 
towards the Occupation.\rdblquote\par
\par
The affects of the Israeli incursions are felt by many living far 
from Palestine.  Rana Yaghnam expounded, \ldblquote It greatly 
affects Palestinians living here because a lot of them were refugees 
from \lquote 48 and \lquote 67.  A lot of them wish to go home.  And 
many of us have families who are still there.\rdblquote   Contact has 
been all but impossible for those attempting to get word from 
Palestine.   Yaghnam went on to sum up the situation, \ldblquote It 
doesn\rquote t make a difference if you are a woman, man, Muslim, 
Christian, or Jew - there are Palestinian Jews. We\rquote re talking 
about ethnically-cleansing an entire nation regardless of their 
creed.\rdblquote\par
\par
The rally lasted a good [GOOD=VALUE JUDGEMENT?] three hours.  Many 
people took turns behind the bullhorn and the group decided to march 
up and down the sidewalk to have more visibility and spread the 
message to as many people as possible.  [I'm NOT SURE WHAT THIS QUOTE 
ADDS, AND ITS A STRANGE WAY TO END] Omar a 12 year old 
Palestinian-American boy described how he saw the conflict unfolding, 
\ldblquote We\rquote re gonna win the war.\rdblquote\f1\fs20\par
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