Remembering Genocide

On the Holocaust Memorial Day

27th January 2007

I'm a Palestinian; I'm also a Human, and thus I care for people like me, whether Muslims, Christians, Jews, followers of other religions, or atheists.

I'm a Palestinian; I can be a Muslim Palestinian, a Christian Palestinian, a Jewish Palestinian, or an atheist Palestinian.

I don't hate the Jews, simply because they are humans like me. Yet I oppose Zionists because they stole or supported the theft of my homeland. And my ultimate aim will remian the freedom of my land, Palestine, and my people, the Palestinians.

I don't deny the Holocaust that was committed seven decades ago by the Nazis and their collaborators and in which many Gypsies, Poles (Catholic/Christian, and Jewish), Serbs, Soviet military prisoners of war, civilians on occupied territories including Russians and other East Slavs, mentally or physically disabled, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Communists and political dissidents, trade unionists, Freemasons, Eastern Christians, and Catholic and Protestant clergy were persecuted and killed. I totally condemn this crime and I'm disgusted by its savagery and severity. For me a crime is a crime whether ten or ten million innocent people were killed.

I do condemn the 1930s' Holocaust, but I also condemn, even more, the apathy and the silence of the whole world on the 58-year-old still ongoing Holocaust committed against the Palestinians by the Zionists in the name of the victims of the first Holocaust. It is the support and approval -even by silence- to this current Holocaust that should be considered illegal and it is today’s Genocide that is now more demanding to be remembered and stopped immediately.

I condemn the 1930s’ Holocaust, but I also condemn the cheap exploitation of that horrific crime to justify the displacement of the Palestinian nation, the occupation of their homeland, and the continuous killing of innocent Palestinians. Likewise, I denounce the cheap use of the 11^th of September’s massacre and its innocent victims to justify the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the killing of hundreds of thousands of other innocent victims. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights; this is what the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, and unfortunately this is what we first forget when we deal with each other’s conflicts and disputes. There are no chosen people for God; we are all equal, and those who fulfil their duties as humans are the ones who deserve their humanity the most.

Finally, this year Bolton Council decided to replace the Holocaust Memorial Day with a more inclusive Genocide Memorial Day which will include among its activities both the Nazi Holocaust and the ongoing genocide and human rights abuses of Palestinians by Israelis. I strongly encourage you to campaign for a similar action in your own locality. Remembering the cruelty of the past must be enough of a motivation to make us work hard to stop today’s cruelty from taking more innocent lives around the world.

PALORAMA

Palestine Film Collection

Palestine Through The Camera Lens

This is a humble effort to start a library of all film material on Palestine that are available online. There are some documentaries, movies and video footages. I would encourage everyone to buy their personal copies of the films from www.arabfilm.com or www.palestineonlinestore.com as they are really precious assets to keep at home and show to your family, friends and in local community events.

This library needs your help. If you know any film on Palestine that is available online please let me know about it by adding its link and information at the comments section.

Happy watching!

Latest:

• Hadeel (NEW)

Documentaries:

• Palestine is still the issue

• Peace Propaganda and the Promised Land

• The Iron Wall

• Arna's Children

• My Dear Olive Tree

• Jenin Jenin

• The Agony... Deir Yassin

• Deir Yassin Remembered

• The Nakba Archive

• This Body is a Prison

• The Killing Zone

• Palestinian Refugees in Iraq

• Rachel... An American Conscience

• Frontiers of Dreams and Fears

• People and The Land

• We Dare to Speak: Jews Against Zionist Genocide in Palestine

• Captured Prisoners: the Whole Story

• Israel’s Secret Weapon

• Zionist War Crimes

Movies:

• Paradise Now

Video Footages on Zionist savagery against Palestinian civilians:

• Settler Riot in Tel Rumeida

• Settler Children in Tel Rumeida

• Settler Women in Tel Rumeida

• Soldiers Swim in Drinking Water

• Hebron Settlers Assault International Activists

• Palestinians Harassed by Jewish Settler in Hebron Cage (Part 1)

• Palestinians Harassed by Jewish Settler in Hebron Cage (Part 2)

• Tobias - Life in Palestine Real Footage

• Shebab Daiya - Life in the Promised Land

Important Notice

The owner of this blog is not responsible for the content of the posted films and doesn't claim to have watched all of them. If you believe any of the films posted or parts of them are offensive to any race or faith please post a comment in the comments section or email me at akram.awad(at)gmail.com and I will take action accordingly

Hadeel

Palestine is still the issue

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land

The Iron Wall

Arna's Children

My Dear Olive Tree

Jenin Jenin

The Agony.. Deir Yassin

Deir Yassin Remembered

The Nakba Archive

This Body is a Prison

The Killing Zone

Palestinian Refugees in Iraq

Rachel Corrie... An American Conscience

Frontiers of Dreams and Fears

People and The Land

We Dare to Speak

Captured Prisoners: the Whole Story

Israel’s Secret Weapon

Zionist War Crimes

Paradise Now

Settler Riot in Tel Rumeida

Settler Children in Tel Rumeida

Settler Women in Tel Rumeida

Soldiers Swim in Drinking Water

Hebron Settlers Assault International Activists

Palestinians Harassed by Jewish Settler in Hebron Cage (Part 1)

Palestinians Harassed by Jewish Settler in Hebron Cage (Part 2)

Tobias - Life in Palestine Real Footage

Shebab Daiya - Life in the Promised Land

The Real Antisemitism

Here we are with another very good reason to boycott all Israeli educational and academic institutions, simply because an educational system that is based on the racist Zionist ideology shall beget such a racist generation who will feed their sick mentality to their children. Hence if we are sincere in our fight against racism we shall stand firm against Israel and its racist educational curriculum.

On the other hand, it is really impressive to see that the Palestinians haven't lost their humanity even with their enemy who stole their homeland in 1948 and have been killing and torturing them even before then. It just reveals which nation truly aspires to peace.

If there is one identified group that should be labeled Antisemites it is the Zionists who are full of hatred toward the largest group of Semites, Arabs.

Youth believe Arabs dirty, uneducated

By Ahiya Raved, Yediot Aharanot

Recent poll reveals 75 percent of Jewish students believe Arabs uneducated, uncivilized, unclean. Similar stereotypes found amongst Arab students toward Jews, but in lower percentages.

A Haifa University survey investigating Arabs and Jews' views on one another reveals disturbing results.

The poll showed that 75 percent of Jewish students believe that Arabs are uneducated people, are uncivilized and are unclean.

On the other hand 25 percent of the Arab youth believe that Jews are the uneducated ones, while 57 percent of the Arab's believe Jews are unclean.

Over a third of the Jewish students taking part in the survey confirmed that they are afraid of Arabs.

The poll was conducted by Dr. Haggai Kupermintz, Dr. Yigal Rosen and Harbi Hasaisi of Haifa University's Center for Research on Peace Education.

The data was presented at a bi-lingual conference held in Haifa. The study, titled "Perception of 'the Other' amongst Jewish and Arab Youth in Israel" included 1,600 students studying in 22 high schools around the country.

"We have found a serious expression of stereotypical thinking on the Jewish students' part regarding the Arab youth," said Dr. Kupermintz, who pointed out that 69 percent of the Jewish students think that Arabs are not smart.

Willingness to meet with Jewish students

"These students come in with firm stereotypical baggage regarding the other, and in this case, this is the Arabs," said Kupermintz.

According to the survey, the Arab youth views the Jewish society with fewer reservations: 27 percent of the Arab students believe Jews are uneducated, while 40 percent say they are uncivilized, and 47 percent believe they are not smart.

"We were not surprised with the outcome of the research," Kupermintz told Ynet.

"Anyone who is familiar with the field knows that these warped perceptions exist, but these findings are at the most severe extreme of a disturbing phenomenon. Also, up until now, I don’t think such a high level amongst the Jewish students' population – over a third – who admit that are afraid of Arabs, has ever been recorded." Kupermintz further stated that the survey was conducted in October 2004, and that if it was to be held today, he believes the results would be much more extreme.

He also added that, contrary to stereotypes, the Arab public in Israel shows more willingness of integration in the Jewish sector, than Jews do in the Arab sector.

Data from the survey also showed that 75 percent of Jewish students feel Arabs are violent, as opposed to 64 percent of Arab students.

Over 50 percent of Arab students showed understanding towards the feelings of the Jewish students.

75 percent of Arab students showed willingness to meet with Jewish students as opposed to less than 50 percent willingness amongst Jewish students.

Carter Centre's Voluntary Cleanup

Carter Center advisers resign over book

POSTED: 2:19 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter's controversial book and subsequent remarks about the Israel-Palestinian conflict have prompted the resignations of 14 people from an advisory board of the Carter Center, the 25-year-old Atlanta-based humanitarian organization.

The 14 explained their concerns, which reflect an uproar in the U.S. Jewish community over Carter's Mideast stance, in separate letters sent Thursday to fellow Board of Councilors members and Carter.

"We can no longer endorse your strident and uncompromising position," the letter to Carter said. "This is not the Carter Center or the Jimmy Carter we came to respect and support."

The letter to the fellow Board of Councilors, with more than 200 members, was brief and less detailed but expressed concern about Carter's book "Palestine: Peace not Apartheid."

"We are deeply troubled by the president's comments and writings and are submitting the following letter of resignation to the Carter Center," the letter said.

The letters were signed by Alan Abrams, Steve Berman, Michael Coles, Jon Golden, Doug Hertz, Barbara Babbit Kaufman, Liane Levetan, Jeff Levy, Leon Novak, Ambassador William B. Schwartz Jr., William B. Schwartz III, Steve Selig, Cathey Steinberg, and Gail Solomon.

The letter to Carter said while each person "has been proud to be associated" with the center and its work, "we can no longer in good conscience continue to serve the center as members of the Board of Councilors."

The Board of Councilors is separate from the center's board of trustees, which is its governing body, the center says.

The Board of Councilors "is an advisory body of community leaders and business people who are briefed quarterly on the center's work and serve as emissaries of the center to the greater community," the center said. "They are not engaged in implementing work of the center and are not a governing board."

The letter to Carter accused him of abandoning his "historic role of broker in favor of becoming an advocate for one side." Carter's book confused "opinion with fact, subjectivity with objectivity and force for change with partisan advocacy," the letter said.

"Israelis, through deed and public comment, have consistently spoken of a desire to live in peace and make territorial compromise to achieve this status. The Palestinian side has consistently resorted to acts of terror as a national expression and elected parties endorsing the use of terror, the rejection of territorial compromise and of Israel's right to exist. Palestinian leaders have had chances since 1947 to have their own state, including during your own presidency when they snubbed your efforts."

The center's initial response to the departures expressed appreciation for the members' efforts but did not address the concerns.

"We are grateful to these Board of Councilors members for their years of service and support for The Carter Center in advancing peace and health around the world," the center said.

Many Jewish groups say it is unfair to equate Israel or its policies in occupied territories with the old South African apartheid system that divided the races.

Carter has said the term refers to Israeli policies in occupied territories, not to Israel itself.

The former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner has been busy speaking out on the issue since the book was published.

Brandeis University in Massachusetts -- a nonsectarian school with a Jewish heritage and a large Jewish student body -- said Thursday that Carter will speak there and take questions.

The school said he "has accepted an invitation from a student and faculty committee" there "to speak on campus, perhaps as soon as January 23, although the date may be subject to change."

Carter: Israeli Apartheid Worse than South African

Last Word: Jimmy Carter

Revisiting 'Apartheid'

Newsweek International

Dec. 25, 2006 - Jan. 1, 2007 issue - Former president Jimmy Carter has long been regard-ed as an elder statesman, using his political muscle to address issues like democracy and human rights. But he's also been a prolific author. Since leaving office in January 1981, he has written 23 books, on subjects ranging from American moral values to his childhood on a Georgia farm. His latest—and perhaps most controversial—offering, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," reflects his long interest in the Middle East. (As president, he personally negotiated peace between Israel and Egypt.) But it has also drawn fire for its use of the word apartheid to describe the current circumstances of the Palestinian people. While the book has shot up the best-seller list, the former president has been denounced for his criticism of Israel. He's also come under fire from former Carter Center associate Kenneth Stein, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Emory University, who has raised questions about the book's accuracy. (Disclosure: NEWSWEEK's Christopher Dickey was one of the people asked to comment on an early draft of the book.) President Carter spoke to NEWSWEEK's Eleanor Clift. Excerpts:

Clift: You've created quite a stir. I suspect it was partly intentional.
Carter: Well, it was. One of the purposes of the book was to provoke discussion, which is very rarely heard in this country, and to open up some possibility that we could rejuvenate or restart the peace talks in Israel that have been absent for six years—so that was the purpose of the book.

The word apartheid—did you agonize about that?
Not really, I didn't agonize because I knew that's an accurate description of what's going on in Palestine. I would say that the plight of the Palestinians now—the confiscation of their land, that they're being suppressed completely against voicing their disapproval of what's happening, the building of the wall that intrudes deep within their territory, the complete separation of Israelis from the Palestinians—all of those things in many ways are worse than some of the aspects of apartheid in South Africa. There is no doubt about it, and no one can go there and visit the different cities in Palestine without agreeing with what I have said.

Why do you think you're under attack for the book and the title?
You and I both know the powerful influence of AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee], which is not designed to promote peace. I'm not criticizing them, they have a perfect right to lobby, but their purpose in life is to protect and defend the policies of the Israeli government and to make sure those policies are approved in the United States and in our Congress—and they're very effective at it. I have known a large number of Jewish organizations in this country [that] have expressed their approval for the book and are trying to promote peace. But their voices are divided and they're relatively reluctant to speak out publicly. And any member of Congress who's looking to be re-elected couldn't possibly say that they would take a balanced position between Israel and the Palestinians, or that they would insist on Israel withdrawing to international borders, or that they would dedicate themselves to protect human rights of Palestinians—it's very likely that they would not be re-elected.

In some of your interviews you've said that this is a debate that's out in the open in Israel, and it's only here that we feel inhibited.
Oh yes—that's correct. Not only in Israel—all over Israel, the major news media, every day—[but] obviously in the Arab world, even in Europe. In this country, any sort of debate back and forth, any sort of incisive editorial comment in the major newspapers, is almost completely absent.

You're obviously aware of your main critic, Mr. Stein, who used to be with the Carter Center.
Thirteen years ago! He hasn't been associated with the Carter Center for 13 years.

He says that he was a third party in some meetings and that his notes don't jibe with yours.
He was a third party in some of the meetings, I can't deny that. And a lot of those meetings took place when I was still president and an exact transcription was kept and it's in the official files. So the reports that I gave in the book are completely accurate.

He also accuses you of plagiarism, saying you took from other sources.
The only source that I took anything from that I know about was my own book, which I wrote earlier—it's called "The Blood of Abraham" ... Somebody told me [that Stein] was complaining about the maps in the book. Well, the maps are derived from an atlas that was published in 2004 in Jerusalem and it was basically produced under the aegis of officials in Sweden. And the Swedish former prime minister is the one who told me this was the best atlas available about the Middle East.

© 2006 Newsweek, Inc.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16240761/site/newsweek/

 

Talking about apartheid, I remember few months ago when we erected the mock Apartheid wall here in Leeds a Jewish student approached me and shouted "This is disgusting!" I replied "It is indeed." He got mad when he sensed sarcasm in my reply (I was serious though. I was referring to the original wall not the mock one!) He said "I am a Jewish student and I feel offended by calling the fence Israel is building an apartheid wall" !!!! One think I have to admit, when Zionists get bankrupt of any worthy arguments they become really funny and they make your day after a day full of hard work!