I just returned to Palestine from the Basque Country, a European country that is partly under French and partly under Spanish rule (sort of like the Kurdish region). It was great to see the mountains and to see open roads without checkpoints (it was not always like this as the fight for Basque independence meant much similar conditions just a few years ago before political agreements were reached). I return willingly to a jailed community under an apartheid system and daily assaults (home demolitions, displacement, judaization). It is exactly where we find ourselves most needed and most alive. The staff and volunteers at the Palestine Museum of Natural History - Bethlehem University (http://palestinenature.org) have done an excellent job in my absence of one week. My luggage hopefully will catch up with me and it has many books I acquired for the museum. Please join us and help (donating time and/or money would be good). Now for some collected items related to human rights:
Today is the anniversary of Duwaima massacre (29 Octber 1948), one of over 40 massacres committed by the Zionist colonial forces to drive native Palestinians out of our country. I recommend the book by Ilan Pappe “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” for those who want to know more. And here is Sam Bahour reflecting on another massacre: One almighty military order and 49 dead Palestinians http://972mag.com/one-almighty-military-order-and-49-dead-palestinians/122881/
Palestinian universities on the front line by Sam Bahour
http://epalestine.blogspot.com/2016/10/palestinian-universities-on-frontline.html
It is all about money. A report by Human Rights Watch details how the colonial settlement enterprises are profiting from human rights violations. https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/01/19/occupation-inc/how-settlement-businesses-contribute-israels-violations-palestinian
Both my parents died in 2005 dreaming of the day of their return to Zarnouqa, their village. Never in their life did they abandon that idea. I grew up calling myself a Zarnouqi, a villager from that village erased from the face of earth by Zionist gangs in 1948. BDS will make that, i.e. my return, possible!
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/boycott-apartheid-israel-response-liberal-friend/
Is this the legacy that you want to leave? Is this what you want South Africa to be remembered for? --- Choose Leigh-Anne Naidoo’s courage, bravery and commitment to universal values of equality and humanity rather than Ambassador Ngombane’s racism. Choose to stand up and be counted in the struggle against Israeli oppression: today it is actions like the women’s boat and BDS that show us all what solidarity means.
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/open-letter-president-zuma-choose-naidoos-courage-not-ngombanes-racism/
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/NewsDetail/index/1/8945/Open-Letter-to-President-Zuma-from-Gaza
EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, affirms the right to BDS. The EU governments have still to bow to public pressure and obey their own laws which is not to do business with countries that persistently violate human rights. To show you a glimpse of the Israeli response to BDS, here are two wikileaks secret documents related to the issue from Stuart Eisenstadt a Jewish Zionist lawyer who dedicated his life to supporting Israeli government racism and apartheid policies.
About Eisenstadt https://www.cov.com/en/professionals/e/stuart-eizenstat
Wikileak documents:
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/272
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/1197
Many wikileaks secret documents show “Israeli” attempts to drag the US into endless wars (Iraq, Syria, next Iran) including through US proxies/puppets like “Saudi Arabia” which is ‘deliberately targeting impoverished Yemen’s farms and agricultural industry’. Increasing evidence suggests Kingdom is not merely bombing civilians in neighbouring country, but systematically targeting infrastructure survivors will need to avoid starvation when the war is over. Robert Fisk Middle East Correspondent 23 October 2016
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-s-bombing-of-yemeni-farmland-is-a-disgraceful-breach-of-the-geneva-conventions-a7376576.html
And in Syria, the proxy war continues. “As the world rightly decries the savagery committed in eastern Aleppo, in the west of the city there is also suffering as 'rebel' shells rain down,” writes Robert Fisk “There is a problem with the story I am about to tell you. It is bloody. It is about the massacre of innocents – six of them, the youngest a little girl of two – blasted to death by shell fire in
Aleppo.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-aleppo-conflict-latest-innocent-children-killed-isis-assad-russia-nusra-a7385791.html
And Hillary Clinton promised to put a “no-fly zone” in Syria and escalate the ongoing start of World War III.
Stay tuned and Stay Human
Mazin Qumsiyeh
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
Professor and (volunteer) Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability
Bethlehem University
Occupied Palestine
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://palestinenature.org
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http://lists.qumsiyeh.org/listinfo/humanrights
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