Thanking Those Who Offer Support in the Face of Dogged Harassment

The Dignity, a Free Gaza boat on a mission of mercy to besieged Gaza, is being attacked by the Israeli Navy in international waters. The Dignity has been surrounded by at least half-a-dozen Israeli warships. They are firing live ammunition around the Dignity, and one of the warships has rammed the civilian craft causing an unknown amount of damage. Contrary to international maritime law, the Israelis are actively preventing the Dignity from approaching Gaza or finding safe haven in either Egypt or Lebanon. Instead, the Israeli navy is demanding that the Dignity return to Cyprus – despite the fact that the ship does not carry enough fuel to do so. Fortunately, no one aboard the ship has yet been seriously injured.

There are 15 civilian passengers representing 11 different countries (see below for a complete list). At approximately 5am (UST), well out in international waters, Israeli warships began surrounding the Dignity, threatening the ship. At 6:45am (UST) we were able to establish brief contact with the crew and were told that the ship had been rammed by the Israeli Navy in international waters, and that the Israelis were preventing the ship from finding safe harbor. We heard heavy gunfire in the background before all contact was lost with the Dignity.

Also, in an above on the same day, she acknowledges McKinney as a “brave truthteller” as she links to a CNN story about the former Congresswoman’s very public participation. Barr’s unrestrained views can also be heard on her new radio program “Beneath the Surface with Johnny Argent” on Los Angeles public radio station, 90.7 KPFK Wednesdays at 5pm. The same radio station that has previously been the recipient of much scorn from the Zionist community for broadcasting a program called “Radio Intifada.”

Beyond the usual cadre of Arab American activists on the issue, support from other communities, or people representing other communities must also be acknowledged and commended. A facebook friend of mine, a Black women from Detroit who lived in Brazil for some time tagged me in a note titled, “Why Obama Must Speak Up”:

Thinking about the duality involved in the Gaza conflict.

Ali wrote such a valuable numerological study on the number one, that it inspired this whole train of thought about Gaza. interesting both islam & judaism claim to worship the One. Ali purports that rather than 1 representing a single and absolute entity – it represents duality. as 1 cannot exist without 0 that precedes. considering that the two sides are in constant conflict, clearly neither one is aligned with the One – but rather the duality of being on one side or another. and i promise this writing is NOT theological.

can’t we be honest? can we talk about how during certain times, the value of life has been determined by racism? why is it so necessary for one group of people to hate another?

from my own point of reference, i think of the enslaved Africans, who were said to have no human souls, so that they could be enslaved and murdered by a superior race. Heads of of people were severed and posted in public places to instill fear and enforce white power.

the oppressor vs the oppressed, the believer vs the infidel, the powerful vs the weak, the good vs the evil – it is a very ancient duality that is manipulated to keep ONE people divided.

this duality is ALWAYS manipulated to perpetuate power.

israelis need to believe that muslims (read hamas) can never be trusted, will always fire their pathetic rockets, and whatever else in their means, because they are dishonest, & uncivilized.

and the palestinians need to just shut up, stay in place or die. or at least that is what the recent bombings convey. certainly as owners of “al-haqq” (the truth ) muslims will never swallow “defeat” from their jewish counterparts. and to allow themselves to be dictated by the israelis would be in defiance of their own survival.

perhaps you think i do not understand, i am an outsider. but esp. as an outsider i can plainly see this is an issue of racial supremacy.

at this time in history – power is with the Jewish people. certainly we can be honest enough to admit that in the face of recent bombings none of american leaders step out of line to question the financial aid given to israel.

there is so much pressure on Obama to focus on the economy, not the Gaza conflict. why? cause our economy is in trouble? but those two things are not related? israel receives more aid than the ENTIRE continent of Africa! but i know better than to expect Obama to cut aid to israel – (i’ll keep that as a dream, though. going to start lighting a candle for that one).

why? because of the forces of power.

Anytime a Jewish man can make off with stealing over 50 BILLION dollars, and not have to see the inside of a jail cell, while IF i (a Black woman) got stopped by the police and was caught with $20 worth of crack cocaine i know i wouldn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to my kids- we know there is something inherently wrong with the values of our society.

Where is Obama? What is the significance of Gaza being pushed onto Egypt? Why doesn’t Egypt open it’s borders?

The reason why reading from the script about Gaza (i.e. “Hamas= terrorist”, and “Iran is the next big threat”) will never break this dysfunctional cycle set by our past, is that it excludes the framework of racialized power.

Hamas is not the power of Palestine. Hamas does not dictate their border regulations- israel does. Racism supports those in power. And is maintained by a
n intricate system of social and legal rules. events like, bombing the Islamic University – it is symbolic of israel’s disrespect & psychological strategy to enforce it’s power.

Thank you for this writing Ali, it stayed with me, and is bringing me great insight.

My prayer for the new year is for the future of the world, the children of two brothers: Isaac and Ishmael, sons of Abraham.

May we be honest and come to the reality that we are all One. loss of human life is tragedy. All life holds value. racial supremacy CANNOT be supported and THAT is why Obama must speak up.

Thank you Leila & Ali to have inspired this note. Ali your stuff is DEEP.

Reading the note and Barr’s numerous posts affirmed a hope I have for a deeper understanding of the conflict by broader audiences, ones that the mainstream media and pro-Zionist forces have been hell-bent on brainwashing with biased coverage. It also made me ask: when it is time to standup against atrocities directed towards Jewish or African American communities or groups will our Arab American community be there to condemn human rights violations, or will we continue to be so self-absorbed in our own issues like has been the historical pattern for our group?