Dream of Peace: View from Gaza

Posted by Marivel Guzman
On September 24, 2010

Dream of Peace: View from Gaza
by Issam Samour

During the Israeli War on Gaza in 2009, we were so terrified. We all prayed for God to save our lives. AlhamdulAllah(Thanks God). He did. Some lived to tell the tale.

I am a Gazan Citizen, from a large family of eleven brothers and one sister.

My father is a poor farmer, but as is the case of so many of us here, he is now unemployed.

Living in Gaza has been difficult since the Israeli Assault of 2009, and the inhumane Siege that have affected so many Gazan families.

The lack of basic services such water and electricity are shocking us, medical supplies and medicines indispensable to treat our sick are in short supply creating a  double humanitarian crisis.

But my dreams of peace for my land stay in my heart and mind.

My Goal is to inform people outside of Gaza, about the situation that we live in and to raise international awareness about the blockade of the Gaza Strip and to send a message to the international community to stop the support to Israel and stop the occupation of our land.

We Gazans along with all Palestinians are dreaming to break the siege and stop the suffering for Gaza.

Gazans dreams to break the siege and stop the suffering, is shared by all our Palestinians brothers in West Bank and in the world.

May this year be a year of peace in Palestine!

We Palestinians have the dream to live in peace, despite of having terrible experiences and reactions to the war, the siege, and the occupation.

We have no borders, no life, we are all walled in and blockaded.

Life is full of difficulties and constant danger, and we are forced to live with so little and some of us with nothing.

With the checkpoints and so many restrictions, there is no way out. We are trapped inside our own Land.

However, I personally believe things can change, and I work toward that goal in every way I am able.

 I refuse to allow hope to die in me. I have dreams of finishing my degree in PT conflict resolution and of spreading the news about Gaza widely in such a way as to help my people and my land.

 I pray day and night to see my people’s face cheer up, expressing the love for each other in a peaceful condition.

I have worked with the youth project in Khanyounis for demonstrating our rights in jobs, expressed in study. The EU youth Parliament nominated me as the member from Gaza to represent Gaza Youth in the "Berlin Conferences” in 2007

I was unable to attend due to the border restrictions and the Siege.

 I worked for the American Friends Service Committee, training for responding to conflict situations, transforming the conflict to opportunities for young people, and encouraging peace on our side, so we can live our lives

With various other trainings and experiences, I am now the Project Coordinator with Catholic Relief Services CRS, basically the Gaza Emergency and Recovery Project. as it is.

I do believe there is always a reason to hope and dream of peace despite whatever horrors are surrounding us. I am learning and hope to continue learning the tools needed to meet conflicts with resolution, teaching people to have hopes and dreams of peace, reconstructing peoples’ lives.

Issam Sammour

Gaza Strip, Palestine

Email :Sammour.issam@Gmail.com

Ibrahim Amireh Non Violent Protester and Palestinians Witness and Victim

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Nonviolent resistance in Ni'lin, a village in the West Bank

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Ni’lin weekly demo 10.09.2010

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

Usually we celebrate the end of Ramadan (called Eid al Feter in Arabic) with a lot of joy and happiness. But this year was different. The people of Ni’lin refused to celebrate as all the years before because we suffered too much in the past year to celebrate now: too many people have been murdered, injured or arrested. And the Apartheid wall is being built on our land under the pretext to protect Israeli children. But instead Israel make us and our children suffer.

Our protest march started at 6:40am, after the holy prayer for Eid. Many many people from Ni’lin took to the streets, chanting slogans that express their deep sorrow about the suffering. After that they visited the graves of the 5 martyrs of Ni’lin that have been killed in the past 2 years by Israeli soldiers during the non-violent protests against the Apartheid wall. The first one was the child Ahmed Mousa who was only 10 years old when he got shot on 29 July 2008, then the 17 years old Yousef Amireh, killed on 4 August 2008, and Arafat Alkhawajah who was 23 years old when he got killed on 28 December 2008, 18-year-old Muhammed Khawaja who was killed on 30 December 2008 and Aqel Srour who was killed on 5 June 2009, at the age of 36. Everyone started to pray for them and to ask God for mercy.

Yousef Amireh's father with Yousef's brother at the grave. They put sweets for the dead on the graves.

The protest that followed at 1pm was organized by the Ni’lin Popular Committee against the Apartheid Wall. And it send a strong message to the Occupation Forces and the Israeli government: we will never forget those who died for our just cause. And we will not stop our protests against the Apartheid wall until we get back the land that was stolen from us. We will continue our struggle, no matter what.

As soon as the demonstration reached the wall the Israeli Occupation soldiers began to threaten the protesters, telling them that they were in a closed military zone (our olive groves). No one responded to the soldier’s threats. Instead, the protesters started speaking with the soldiers. They asked them, whether they don’t feel shame for what they are doing to the people of Ni’lin? How can they kill innocent children?

What about human rights? What about humanity? They’re human, too, or aren’t they? Don’t they have children themselves? How can they live with the shameful crimes they are committing? But the soldiers didn’t response. It looked like they don’t feel any shame, instead they seem to be proud of killing innocent people.

The people of Ni'lin visiting the graves. In the background Yousef Amireh's father is crying at his son's grave.

The Israeli military wanted to arrest as many protesters as possible, thus they made them come closer to the wall and didn’t shoot any tear gas at them this time. But the demonstrators were clever enough to understand what was going on and before the soldiers could arrest them, they left the wall. The demonstration took place until 2:30 pm. No one was shot or arrested this time.

Posted in 1. Updates About Our Situation, 2. News From Ni'lin | Leave a comment

Ni’lin weekly demonstration 03.09.2010

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

2 demonstrators (international activists) got arrested 6 demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalations very badly. The medical team had to take care of them.

photo courtesy of HamoudH Amireh

 Dozens others suffered from the tear gas inhalations in the fourth demonstration in Ramadan and the people of Ni’lin village continue their struggle despite of Ramadan and the very hot weather.Like every week, the demonstration started with a prayer under the olive trees.

photo courtesy of HamoudH Amireh

 7 International and 8 Israeli activists joined our demonstration. As every friday, the protesters marched towards the Apartheid wall which is being built on our land. We are very upset because we cannot farm on our land, some of which was set on fire by the Israeli soldiers 3 weeks ago. The demonstrators carried pictures which showed the shameful crimes the Israeli soldiers committed against our prisoners.

photo courtesy of HamoudH Amireh

When the protesters reached the wall, the Israeli military started shooting tear gas canisters into the crowd. 6 demonstrators suffered so badly from the inhalation that the medical team had to take care of them. Again, the soldiers tried to catch and arrest as many demonstrators, as they always do. This time they succeeded in arresting 2 International activists, one man and one woman. The soldiers beat the woman heavily, even when she fell down and told them that her leg hurt very much they continued to beat her.

photo courtesy of HamoudH Amireh

It was very strange and also scary, when the soldiers spread into the orchards and surrounded us; we all felt like in a trap. The demonstration was finished at 2pm. After a long time of interrogation, the arrested activists were released .

Posted in 1. Updates About Our Situation, 2. News From Ni'lin | 1 Comment

I miss my father so much

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

My father is in jail since more than 7-1/2 months. I miss him so very much! I don’t want to lose hope because he can’t be with us, but sometimes it is very difficult. Now, during Ramadan, it is very painful that he can’t be with us. I feel like I can’t wait for him to be here with us and get out of jail. To give strength to my hurting heart, I looked at old pictures from him.
In 2008, my father has been jailed already once. I look at the pictures of the time, when he came home from jail. It hurts in my heart to see him only in pictures. But at the same time it gives me hope, that he will come out of jail soon and be with us. I would like to share some photos of him from that time with you:

This is my father with uncle Salah. My father was so happy to hold his brother in his arms.

Here, he is with my older brother Sadat. I love his happy smile on this picture.

Here, he is hugging my cousin, uncle Ahmed's son.

When my father came out of jail, the pain of everything he had to suffer was still very fresh and made him cry. Also, he found out, that the Israeli occupation refused his work permit. He was so worried that he would not be able to feed the family without any income.

Uncle Ahmed and my father holding each other.

My father was so happy to meet Hassan Mousa after his release. He is a very close friend of my father. Right now, he is in jail, the same as my father: for 20 months and 15 days. We are trying to raise the money to pay the fine for him, too. So that he can go back to his family earlier.

My father with his closest friend Hassan Mousa

My grandmother (the mother of my mother) is so happy when my father was finally back from jail. He too, hold her tight, celebrating his return.

My father with my grandmother.

My father, when he met with his other friends for the first time after jail.

So many friends came to celebrate when my father came out of jail… I hope we can celebrate his return very soon, again…

Celebration after my father's return from jail.

Posted in 3. Diary | 2 Comments

A video of my father Ibrahim and Hassan and Zaydoon about our resistance

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

In 2009 the villagers of Ni’lin were suffering so hard and payed an unbearbly high price for the non-violent protests against the wall. Not only were they beaten, arrested and shot at, but also all inhabitants lost their work permits and were unable to feed their families.
To help all those who were suffering from the wall and opressed and who didn’t have a voice, my father established a non-profit organization, called “Ni’lin’s Sons”, to support the people to stand steadfast against the wall and don’t fear the Israeli opression.
They also funded a Media Center where all the injustice and wrong-doing and violence against us is being documented as part of our resistance. Both are connected to the Popular Struggle Against The Apartheid Wall. Everyone can contribute what they filmed or photographed during our resistance.
My uncle Hamoudh Saeed Amireh has filmed, produced and edited a video that shows our father Ibrahim and the two other leaders of the Popular Committee and lets my mother and my grandparents about our suffering.
Please watch the video and share it. Thank you!

[ Download ]

Posted in 1. Updates About Our Situation, 2. News From Ni'lin, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Nilin weekly demonstration 27.08.2010 – Red Crescent medical team members and photographers arrested

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

In the third demonstration during the Ramadan, 7 people got arrested, among them the medical team as well as 2 photographers.
Dozens of people suffered from the tear gas inhalation and the heat was unbearable. Nevertheless, the people of Ni’lin continued to struggle and protest against the apartheid wall.

photo courtesy of Joseph Dana

We started the day with prayers under olive trees, nearby the land that was confiscated by the State of Israel and occupied by the Israeli military. The demonstration began with international and israeli peace activists who came and joined us in solidarity. Together, we were heading towards the area of the wall, protesting its construction on our land. The demonstators carried tires, which they wanted to set on fire near the wall. The black smoke shows our sadness about the confiscation of our land and the injustice being done to us. Also, because the Israeli military our olive groves on fire two weeks before and destroyed many trees.
We reached the gate of the concrete wall and started shouting and chanting and setting the tires on fire. We tried to tell the soldiers about our sadness: they do not allow us to farm on our land. This is like a punishment for us that causes us a lot of pain and sadness. Also, we told them that we would stay steadfast and come back and demonstrate no matter what they do to us. We will do so, until the day of justice will come.
Once we reached the wall, the Israeli miltary started heavily shooting tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. 4 demonstrators got shot by the tear gas canisters.

photo courtesy of Joseph Dana

After that, the Israeli soldiers disappeared into the fields. They tried to trap us and arrest us. Once we discovered their plans, we escaped towards the village. We were followed by the soldiers who were trying to arrest as many demonstrators as they could.
They caught 7 people, among them the medical team, as well as two photographers. One of the photographers is an Israeli peace activist, the other one is from the Ni’lin Popular Committee Against The Wall. They were all arrested for about 30 minutes and then released. This was not the first time they got arrested. Before they were arrested and held in jail for 3 days without any charges. The Israeli military tried to charge them with throwing stones. However, a camera man caught the scene on video and thus could prove that the charges were false.
The demonstration lasted till 14h30. 4 people got hurt and 7 were arrested.

Posted in 1. Updates About Our Situation, 2. News From Ni'lin | 3 Comments

Our day will come

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

Every evening, I sit in the fields and watch the sun go down. I see the sun go down and disappear into the sea. I can only catch a glimpse of the sea; it’s difficult for us to see it, since it’s far away and we’re not allowed to reach the sea or even go near it. But even when I’m only able to see a tiny bit of it, it makes me calm and makes me feel at peace. It also gives me hope because as the sun raises again the next day, we will get back our freedom, one day.
I remember what my father told us about Jaffa, which is where our family originally came from, before the catastrophe happened in 1948. He always told us to be assured because one day we will be able to return home. And that we shall never lose hope because we are right and they are wrong, and the wrong doesn’t stay forever. There will be an end to the darkness and than the light will come back. Looking at the sunset and the sea makes me feel my father’s presence very strong; I can feel that what he says is right.
Today, when we sit on the roof of our house, all we have are memories of my father; the way he lived and the funny things he always used to say. My father loves joy and jokes and he is always trying to make everybody happy and smile and optimistic in life. We are brave and we will not lose hope because my father wants us to. He taught us to face all difficulties and not escape them, and always stay confident. Because in life, nothing is impossible.
This is what I believe, too. We will achieve our aim  and my father will be with us again. I know that he would tell me not to despair and therefore I’m full of hope that we will manage to pay the fines to get my father and Hassan Mousa and Zaydoon Srour out of jail, so that they can come back and be all with their families again and rest and get back their strength.

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Ni’lin weekly demonstration 13.08.2010

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

It was the first demonstration during the Ramadan dozens of people suffered from tear gas inhalation.

photo courtesy of Joseph Dana

Despite the hot weather, we continue our struggle against the occupation. This week, our Friday prayers took place under the olive trees, nearby the land which was confiscated by Israel. International and Israeli peace activists joined us this week, approaching the area where the apartheid wall is being built that separates us from our land. Some activists spray-painted the wall, writing that it is illegal and that we all want the occupation to end and that the wall be torn down.

photo courtesy of Joseph Dana

We approached the gate of the concrete wall, chanting and letting the soldiers know, that we will not go down. Instead we will remain steadfast and not stop protesting until they tear down the illegal wall and give us back our land.

photo courtesy of Jospeh Dana

Once we reached the gate, the soldiers started shooting tear gas. It was so bad, that 15 demonstrators got severaly hurt due to the inhalation. Right after that, the Israeli soldiers opened the gate and started running towards us, trying to catch demonstrators and arrest them.
They didn’t succeed. Thus, they approached the houses in our village and started shooting tear gas at the inhabitants. Two little boys (Mustafah Amireh, 6 years and Sakir Jamal, 8 years) got hurt from the tear gas.
The demonstration finished around 3 o’clock pm. All in all, 17 people were hurt from the tear gas. But luckily, no one got arrested.

Posted in 1. Updates About Our Situation, 2. News From Ni'lin | Leave a comment

Visiting my father in jail

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

Yesterday, finally my mother could visit my father in jail. She woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning and left the house together with my two little brothers who were allowed to join her to visit our father.
About two weeks ago, my father has been transferred to the Alnaquab jail, which is in the desert. Hence it is terribly hot there during the day and cold at night time. My fathers health is not good and he suffers a lot from the heat. He knows that it makes aprt of his punishment. Still, he is full of hope and in high spirits. He is so happy about our effort to collect the fine and very much hopes that we will succeed, thus he will get out of jail as soon as possible. Despite the hardship, he remains steadfast and wants to give hope and strength to all of us: we shall stay strong and not an inch despite the crimes and injustices of occupation.
He is very grateful for those who are supporting him and sends greetings to all of you. He wants to send a message to all and tell about how life as a political prisoner in an Israeli jail.
My brothers where able to actually reach my father (usually the visitors are allowed only to see the inmate through a window and speak to him him). This time, my father was allowed to actually hug them and kiss them. They were all so happy and my father didn’t want to stop caressing them.
They came back at 11 o’clock in the evening. My mother was very exhausted because it was a long and tiresome trip. Still, she was very happy that we were able to come up with the 300 Shekel (which is a lot for us right now), and visit my father.
I am so happy that Israel didn’t succeed in breaking my father. I want to find every possible way to raise the money and make sure that he as well as Hassan and Zaydoon will be released soon. I know, I can’t disappoint my father.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Ni’lin weekly demo 06.08.2010

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

Today was the second anniversary of the death of 17-year-old Yousef Amireh. An Israeli soldier shot him in the head with a rubber bullet and killed him. Also, 10-year-old Ahmed Mousa was killed two years and two days ago by the Iraeli military. Both children are from Ni’lin.
The people of Ni’lin demonstrated together with Israeli and international peace activists demonstrated. To mark this painful anniversary, everyone in town put down their work and mourned for 6 hours. After the Friday prayers, we marched towards the Apartheid wall, holding pictures of the two boys. We chanted slogans and told the soldiers that we will never forget that they murdered two innocent children. And that we will remain steadfast and protest until they tear down the wall and remove it from our land.
The Israeli soldiers started shooting a lot of tear gas into the crowd. 5 protesters suffered couldn’t breath and were injured due to the inhalation of the toxic tear gas.
Then, as always, Israeli soldiers came towards our village and started chasing protesters and fired tear gas at them and tried to hurt and arrest us. The demonstration continued until 4 o’clock pm. Luckily, no one other than the 5 who inhaled the tear gas, git hurt.
About Yousef Amireh, who was murdered 2 years ago:
Yousef was 17 years old. He was shot in the head with a rubber bullet on 4.8.2008 by an Israeli sniper from the Border Patrol Unit, while he was demonstrating in solidarity with the 10-year-old Ahmed Mousa, who got killed only 2 days earlier.
Today, on this very painful anniversary, members of Ni’lin’s Son’s Society visited the family to stand by them while they mourn the loss of their son. On this occasion, Yousef’s mother said, that we will continue to stand steadfast and that nothing will stop our protests against the apartheid wall. Even if the Israeli military aims to kill all of us, we will not go down. Yousef’s brothers said that they will never surrender and will always honor what Yousef died for: a free and peaceful Ni’lin. For every one of us who gets killed, thousands will stand up and refuse to surrender to the inhuman forces that insult life and try to deny us a peaceful and dignified existence. No person on this planet should be denied freedom and peace and dignity. For this, we will always stand up and struggle.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Finally my mother can visit my father

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Saeed Amireh

Yesterday, my mother got a new ticket to visit my father in the Al Naquab jail. We are all very happy because this time, things went much easier and faster than before. My mother can only take my two 5-year-old brothers with her to the visit. But we are all very happy because we know that, even though we can’t see him or reach out to him, at least my mother can and we will hear about him and how he is doing.
Also, the Red Cross promised that they will give me information where to send letters for my father. I will get the address on Sunday and publish it on the blog. I think my father will be very happy when you all write to him. At least, he knows he is not alone and people are thinking at him and praying for him.

“Quantum Note”: On Two American Wars

Posted on 03. Sep, 2010 by Marivel Guzman Original by Raja Mujtaba in War On Terror

[Translate]

Editor’s Note:
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal is a distinguished scholar who has been contributing to Opinion Maker for a long time but then for some reasons it got discontinued. Now that he has consented to resume his contributions there his “Quantum Note” will appear every Thursday/Friday.
By Dr. Muzaffar Iqbal

Afghans glorify the wars - its a way of life

So they are gone, we are told, but 50,000 remain. Active combat mission in Iraq is over, Mr. Obama declared on August 31, 2010, but the largest embassy on earth with scores of CIA staff is there to coordinate the work of remaining soldiers who are ostensibly there to train Iraqis so that the made-in-America stamp is engraved deep into the soil where 1.5 million US troops toiled for seven-and-a-half-years. We are told 4,400 Americans lost their lives and 900bn dollars went down the drain in a war that was based on concocted reports and outrageous dishonesty on both sides of the Atlantic. But that is not all. There is an untold, unacknowledged misery that no one is talking about at this hour of so-called end of war in Iraq: the cost of war for the Iraqis.
“We don’t do body counts,” General Tommy Franks, the top officer in the U.S. Central Command for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, had summed up the American military’s attitude  back in 2003. He was right. The Pentagon officially stopped counting the people US soldiers kill after the Vietnam war. So, when Mr. Barack Obama “turned the page” on August 31st, what did he actually turn? A virtual page that exists in imagination only.
In reality, nothing has changed in Iraq over this so-called watershed: life for Iraqis is filled with the same horror and suffering as it was before this turning of the page took place in the White House. No one has come forward and said: let us do a broad counting of the damage we have caused to Iraq in this ill-justified invasion; no one is ready to acknowledge the wrong done to the Iraqis, no one is ready to acknowledge the death of several thousand Iraqis and destruction of the fabric of life for the whole nation.
Even the British Iraq Inquiry, announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown on June 15, 2009, “to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict”, with its so-called “very broad mandate” excludes Iraqis from the terms of reference. Soon after the announcement of the Inquiry, the Iraq Body Count (IBC) project, a UK-based non-governmental organisation that has been tracking and analysing Iraqi civilian deaths from violence since the military intervention of 2003, “urgently requested that the Inquiry take full and proper account of Iraqi casualties resulting from the conflict, and the subsequent breakdown in civil security,” but that formal request did not move any heart in the hierarchy of British government.
Hidden behind that cold official silence are crimes against humanity: use of prohibited chemicals, torture of innocent civilians, death and destruction of scores of human lives, the untold misery of countless mothers and the continuing ordeal of thousands of orphaned children. And all of this is supposed to remain untracked, unmarked, unrecorded.
Then there is Afghanistan, the longest American war in history. There is little doubt that soon there will be a lot of bloodletting in Kandahar. Occupying Kandahar and its hinterland was one of the main goals of General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, before his sacking by Barack Obama. It is now the first big object of General David Petraeus, his successor, who has stated that he does not consider himself bound by a July 2011 deadline set by President Obama to begin the withdrawal of US forces—a deadline that increasingly isolated Hamid Karzai does not want either.
The Battle for Kandahar may even be more symbolic than real, for it is the heartland of the Taliban movement and taking its control would mean a display of American power for a while, as everyone knows that the Taliban will simply melt and then return when suited. After his summer’s operation, Kandahar will not change; it will still be run by local strongmen holding sway over segregated areas, running private armies, unanswerable to any authority. All that will happen will be more money for people like Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of Hamid Karzai, who was dubbed “a CIA asset” during the Congressional hearing in Washington, DC.
What America faces in Afghanistan is not a war but a double-sided genocide. On the one side of this atrocious war is the obvious ruthless killing by the NATO forces of whoever comes in front of them and on the other side is the indiscrete cold-blooded murder of countless human beings out of mutual hostility of Afghans themselves; in between, is a large body of terrorized and traumatized citizens who have seen nothing but war and destruction throughout their lives.
Today, very few Afghans have a choice to live their lives normally. The long war has left deep scars. Everyone has been affected: from the high profile leaders to the vegetable seller on the streets of Kandahar whose cart is the only possession he has, there is constant fear, constant killing in the air: from tribal elders to religious scholars, to the so-called “elected” representatives, and policemen, district chiefs, school teachers, and just about everyone.
America faces the same dilemma in Afghanistan as it did in Iraq; there simply are not enough Afghan security forces to fight for America. Thus, no matter how many claims are made by the NATO commanders, everyone knows the ground realities: there is nothing on the horizon for them except a long-drawn out battle with years and years of despair in a land where no army has ever won. So, no matter how many times Generals and Major Generals, like Major General Nick Carter, the British commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, claim that “much progress has taken place since phased, low level, security operations got under way in Kandahar last April,” they always have to put caveats: “The nature of the problem in Kandahar City is one characterised by Moscow in the 1990s. When you needed a patron, mobs and the mafia prevailed, protection rackets were the order of the day. Within that environment it’s very easy for the insurgents to intimidate and threaten those associated with the government. But we are getting on with it and I would hope by the time the parliamentary elections come around [in mid-September], Kandaharis would feel a little bit more secure. I’m a great believer in Afghanistan in doing things quietly if you can, under-promising, then hopefully overachieving.”
That hope, however, is a forlorn hope and the Generals know it.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal who is a Pakistani Canadian is the President of Center of Islam and Science in Canada. He did his PhD in Chemistry but later switched to study of Islam. He has authored several books and presently he is working on Islamic Encyclopedia.
He also has a very critique eye on the current affairs and more so the conflicts going on in the Muslim World. He has been a regular contributor to Opinion Maker. His travels to Pakistan are not that frequent.

The Free Press: The New Press: Shadi Nassar: Gaza Dreams

The Free Press: The New Press: Shadi Nassar: Gaza Dreams: "Posted by: Marivel Guzman on September 02, 2010. He Broke The Siege Before his profile was deleted from Facebook, he was another resident..."

Shadi Nassar: Gaza Dreams

Posted by: Marivel Guzman on September 02, 2010

He Broke The Siege
Before his profile was deleted from Facebook, he was another resident of the besieged Gaza Strip, with dreams to travel the world, and like any other young person with university degree with plans for his future.
He worked arduously for 2 years fighting the injustice of an oppressive regimen that sees the 1.5 millions residents of Gaza as enemies of war, but in reality they are regular, ordinary citizens like you and me.
Gaza is been under an inhumane siege for more than 3 years, Israel have destroyed their schools, public buildings, and thousands of homes.
The Occupations Forces had murdered thousands of unarmed civilians, dozens of non-violent protesters. Just in her last incursion what Israel equivocally called war, she killed more than 1400 civilians, including more than 400 children.
The world have been trying to help Gaza to brake the siege, and have organized land convoys and Sea Voyages, the whole world was in outrage during the piracy act of Israel that in International waters, assaulted and killed 9 peace activists, that only “crime” was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and with this, brake the siege, that the UN with it silence has stamped with official indifference.
Live in Gaza is less than pleasurable, the youth has no other entertainment but few left enjoyments not robbed yet by Israel. The beach is meters safe only, before it become a target practice for the Israel Occupier Forces that shoot live ammunition to the beach goers and fishermen as well.
Facebook have offered the escape window to the world for residents of the besieged Gaza, I meet my dear friend Shadi Nassar almost a year ago, his story was appealing for me, he told me his dreams. The dreams of a young person, that wanted to go study abroad. Really for most of the developed world, this is just a step in their education, but not for the youth of Gaza.
They suffer the problematic of countless troubles, simple documents that in a regular free country will take few minutes, for Gaza students that want to travel out of Gaza, is an huge waste of time and energy, documents signing takes months to get. Even the Palestinians Authority as in complicity with Israel make the procedures eternal and sometimes impossible to achieve.
Shadi, lost already an opportunity last year during the Gaza Massacre, where life become unbearable for the residents. He was ready to leave, when the assault started and all his dreams were killed with “Operation lead”.
But you can’t kill the dreams as easy as you kill a Palestinian, his resolved proved stronger than Operation lead, and he continued with his efforts to work again for another opportunity until finally “HE MADE IT OUT OF GAZA”.
We can say, that he broke the Siege in its own merit. His case is one to tell, because not all the youth, have the opportunity to fulfill his dreams, I can tell you that if we offer our support to help them in the outside world more students can achieve their dreams.
Scholarships are hard to get for Palestinians in the occupied territories, advocate in Universities to offer support for Palestinians. There are thousands of foundations that offer grants and facilities for students, but not for Palestinians, if you are part of this foundations, work hand and hand with the administrators to offer more grants for this students, that need more than anybody in the world. There are few foundations that I have found in the internet:
USA: For Palestinians Resident – 2011 – 2012 Fulbright Science and Technology Scholarship PhD Student Program, “They help you to apply for the Travel Visa Plane ticket Money to spend for 36 months,Telephone to call: Gaza Residents: Tel: 08-2864-623″ ******************************************************************************************* Scholarships PALESTINE Master International Business Palestinian students
http://scholarships.reingex.com/ps.asp
******************************************************************************************* FURTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME Regional Scholarships
Palestinian Refugee Scheme
http://www.saidfoundation.org/whatwedo/regional.shtml
Support one student, you do not need to be rich, even hosting a student in your own home, or supporting their studies can make a wealth of different.
There are thousands of graduates from the University in Gaza, that need an opportunity to go study abroad, we are billions of compassionate being that can make a different for one Gaza student.
Lend your hand to them, show your humanity. Sponsor a student from Gaza.
My dear friend Made it out of Gaza, I wish I can write the story of hundreds of Shadis, this time he made the journey to freedom, he is free to decide if he needs the light on or off in his nights.
POWER OFF is no more an obstacle in his nights, Israel can’t manage his movements any longer, he is owner of his life for first time in his life, he decide if he wants a peaceful night, free from the memories of the aircraft bombing “invisible targets” in Gaza.
For first time he knows that his life is not IN VAIN, he has a purpose and a live to live.
Congratulations to Shadi Nassar, you broke the siege Dear.. But even in strange lands he took his home land in his heart, and he will keep fighting to free Palestine. Because the sons of the Land never forget their roots. The Beloved Land we know as Palestine is his most dear dream. To See her free of Occupation. Free once and for All.

• 

THE NEW PRESS: THE FREE PRESS

The Free Press: The New Press

by Marivel Guzman on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 12:41am

By Marivel Guzman

The Virtual World It is the New World Order, where the citizens of the world, are taking the world back.

We do not need to receive the  "News" any more, we are making the Real News. Every second  someone, somewhere write a new Article, Upload a new picture, shot a new video, write a new story, and everything done in the virtual world by the ordinary citizens is as real as the people that do it, for passion for the writen word, and  for honesty to the truth.

You might not agree with us, sometimes you could not even relate to the story, but something for sure, everything done is not dictated by the hand of corporate money, is not edited by a highly paid corporate editor, and is not done with the purpose to mislead the public. No we don't need to mislead ourselves, we are doing for our own good, for the change of a new society, where we all can share the wealth of the world.

We are doing it for the opportunity to involve all the citizens of the world in their own affairs, to make them feel welcome in their own world,  is not purposly done for our benefit, we all benefit from the wealth of information that we have for years ignored. Information that we can use for our own cause. The cause of peace and justice for all.

Don't we all deserve to enjoy a peaceful life, working for our childrens, working our land?
Shouldn't all the people know that wars are invented with the only purpose of mantain a regimen of fear and profit for the War Complex Machine?

We all can make a difference in our life, if we all know that religions and economical clases should not be used against our humanity, against our well being.

We the people are taking our world back, be part of the evolution process that is taking place all over the the universe, because we are constanly moving, constanly evolving. Being social changes, spiritual changes or just mind changes, all the changes are good for the soul, we must take advantage of our ability to decide, our ability to think and feel.

We are the new Opinion Makers of the World, we don't need Editors. Because the truth is Raw and should be given as it is without dressing up the words with intellectuality that few understand,  or beautify by photoshops.
This has been the obligated behavior of the traditional Corporate media.

For year they  used they unlimited corporate sponsor money to twist the truth to the advertiser convinience,  the simple mind of the people was manipulated to the extreme.

Why we never execise our critical thinking to ignore all the lies that we were feed of?.

We couldn't distinguised the elegant arguments given to us by Larry King from the highly convencing soft spoken Charlie Rose Interviews,
CNN was the news of choice for many years, I myself always thought that some presenters were more honest that others, was difficult to decide who was more right from MSBN or more wrong from Fox. They all seemed to offer the right arguments. How naive, all was Advertisment best money could buy.

Corporate Money and Media partners in crime

Never we doubt their profesionalism, how could they lie to us? The people never questioned their integrity why we should have?

Even the history books now show some kind of obsoletness, and uncredibily, the storis don't match the peoples memories. All the events of the past are taking a different shape. We finally are getting to the point of demanding a revision  of the school books.

If the corporate media was controling the truth, who says that history was not blemished by money as well. We need to think about history as a monopoly of truth.

Even science could need a facelift.  Universities have acted as prostitutes for long time, they have been taking the money to find "important data", and "paid research". If pharmaceuticals are feed by the research of Universities, and medical journals then we must
doubt anything that was "paid" to be.

The science text books that are based in Universities research, should be all cautiously investigated. We have new science that was hiden from us, we have many scentist that were never included in science books, Nicolas Tesla comes to my mind, with more than 350 patents just in the US and his name is not even in history books, lest in science books. You own to him many inventions that are so normal in your daily life that you should know that was Tesla who made possible for you. Radio Remote Control, Amplify current, electrical car, wireless electricity and many more.

The Genius that was 100 years ahead of his time.

Why we wer negated the truth for so long? Whos interest serve the manipulation of information? Wonder and find the truth.

Be happy, the good news are here. Welcome to the New World Order of life, where the world is coming together in a credo of brotherhood, raising together our voices for a better life for everyone. Raising our complains to the leaders that "We Appointed" to represent us and work for us.

The Virtual world welcome you, we are closer than ever, the walls are down, the old school of Media is obsolete, now we are the New Press, the Free Press, we are photographers, video technicians, writers, poets, opinion makers.
Where the Truth is the News, and we are the Opinion Makers.

We all are the Free Press: The New Press, act upon your right to freely speak your mind.
This is your world take it back. Make your own decisions based upon your best interest.
Take your destiny back in your hands. Do not allow money to decide in your behalf.

Independent Online Newspaper Feed by the Truth, not by money
http://www.opinion-maker.org

Arab Clowns with Crowns

Royal Clowns with Crowns

by Marivel Guzman on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 5:26pm

The Arabs countries in their rolel of subservient of the Royal Power in England, they have not forgotten the pen, that institutionalized and officialized their existence.

Since their separation from the Real Arabs Lands and Rich antique civilizations they have become little islands of Royal Power.

They have never done anything worth it for the Palestinians in the 62 of official struggles and death.If the 6 days war of 1967 can be even taken in consideration as an attempt to take back the stolen lands.

For the contrary they have been the worse employers, the worse refugee hosts, and if this was not enough they have treated their Palestinians brothers worse than their worse enemies.

They have denied every human rights that every human being deserve just for being in this earth.

They have denied any rights as residents and they go to the extent to deny the right to buy any property. Anybody else ca buy land in their territories except "the Palestinians Refugees".

The excuse have been that if they absorb the Palestinian population and grant them citizenship, Israel will deny the right of return in any future peace agreement.

What a pathetic and convenient excuse, it's more than a convenient position, to use Palestinians as a cheap labor and to use them as flag for their political agenda.

Arabs Clowns with Crowns
 

Where the kings live the people starve.
There is no richer country that that one that share equally the resources of the land.
When the king wear silk sheet beds, the people struggle for a loaf of bread.
When the king posses palaces, the people posses shacks.
"Long Live the King"

Long Live the King
The original phrase was translated from the French Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi!, which was first declared upon the coronation of Charles VII following the death of his father Charles VI in 1422.

In France, the declaration was traditionally made by the Duc d'Uzès, a senior Peer of France, as soon as the coffin containing the remains of the previous king descended into the vault of Saint Denis Basilica.

The phrase arose from the law of le mort saisit le vif—that the transfer of sovereignty occurs instantaneously upon the moment of death of the previous monarch.

"The King is dead" is the announcement of a monarch who has just died.
"Long live the King!" refers to the heir who immediately succeeds to a throne upon the death of the preceding monarch.

We are in a new era,
we do not need Kings: to take the riches of the land to accumulate them in their Palaces.
to subjugate the people. to wear a Gold Crowns and wear Gold Rings...
to make secret deals on behalf of their family interest, to Parade on red carpets.
to Silence and kill the thinker crowd, to speak in God's name.

We need Leaders:
that Lead by example, that  seek the welfare of the population,
that gives their support to their people, that have loyalty to their people and not to the Foreing Powers,
that works incessantly for their people and not for their money.