From: shaista husain <
[email protected]>
Sent time: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 8:38:59 AM
To:
[email protected]Subject: Re: [september17discuss] Zionist speaker at OWS outreach training
Christopher Columbus was the first ZIONIST ===don't you guys get it?
The same colonial narrative--genocide.
We must endorse the Declaration of First Nation Peoples, in
solidarity, for the plight of all people of color.
Cesar and Bahareh, i agree-- this is most urgent.
On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 10:36 AM, gail zawacki <
[email protected]> wrote:
> I don't see the cross-purposes. US needs a secure base in the middle of oil
> country. My larger point, however, is that it is wholly insufficient to
> attack the economic system without understanding that, whatever the economic
> system, unsustainable growth based on burning fuel is doomed to catastrophe.
>
> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Martin Kaminer <
[email protected]>
> wrote:
>>
>> I'm not clear on the connection between unquenchable thirst for oil and
>> unshakable support for Israel -- those would seem to work at cross-purposes,
>> no?
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 8:43 AM, gail zawacki <
[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Any acknowledgment of US military oppression and the "war on terror" as
>>> well as the stranglehold that corporations have on politics and the economy
>>> should include the primary motivation, the largest - by far most profitable
>>> - industry in the world, which is the extraction of fossil fuels.
>>> Dependence on oil (enforced by multi-national corporate interests) is the
>>> most perniciously destructive aspect of modern society. We've already taken
>>> all the easily available oil and now have turned to more exotic, desperate
>>> and dangerous methods of obtaining non-renewable, dirty energy, including
>>> deep water drilling (Gulf oil spill?), nuclear (Fukushima anyone?), and
>>> destroying entire regional ecosystems through mountaintop removal for coal,
>>> "natural" gas fracking, and tar sands.
>>> The 99% are going to have no economy to recover if we continue to poison
>>> the planet. The entire Mideast is going to become literally uninhabitable
>>> as the climate heats up, and all this squabbling over the scraps will have
>>> been a waste of time.
>>> Focus on the real enemy. Exxon, BP, the Koch brothers, Massey
>>> Energy...the list is long.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Matthew Presto
>>> <
[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> A couple hundred representatives from Students for Justice in Palestine
>>>> are coming to New York this weekend. There's talk of them coming to the
>>>> occupation on Sunday afternoon.
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 7:35 AM, Amin Husain <
[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Andy and Layan - What do you think is needed to make things better?
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 12, 2011, at 7:32 AM, shaista husain <
[email protected]>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> > Can we have a teach in in front of UN? The NYU speak out was
>>>>> > successful. Perhaps a UN speak out will also be just as successful to
>>>>> > bring attention to the failed policies.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 7:06 AM, Amin Husain <
[email protected]>
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>> >> I am happy to help with a teach-in.
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> On Oct 12, 2011, at 3:49 AM, Layan Fuleihan <
[email protected]>
>>>>> >> wrote:
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> I agree wholeheartedly. As an arab-american with Palestinian roots,
>>>>> >> I've
>>>>> >> been encouraged by the amount of support and inclusion so far in the
>>>>> >> square.
>>>>> >> This is definitely not something I'm used to seeing, and it is
>>>>> >> really
>>>>> >> heartwarming and encouraging. There are of course differences of
>>>>> >> opinion,
>>>>> >> and while I personally do not see any reason at all to support a
>>>>> >> zionist
>>>>> >> political agenda, I will respect the right of anyone involved with
>>>>> >> OWS to
>>>>> >> have their own opinions regarding this issue.
>>>>> >> However, there is a difference between having personal opinions and
>>>>> >> being
>>>>> >> afraid to hear all sides. What it sounds like happened (and I
>>>>> >> wasn't there,
>>>>> >> so I apologize if this is inaccurate) is, with the downward finger
>>>>> >> signs and
>>>>> >> general disapproval, and unwillingness to face an uncomfortable
>>>>> >> truth. If
>>>>> >> this isn't then time, then when?
>>>>> >> OWS is not about being comfortable. Isn't this supposed to be a
>>>>> >> place where
>>>>> >> voices that are usually oppressed to finally be heard? If anyone
>>>>> >> has any
>>>>> >> critique about anything that goes on in the square, it must be
>>>>> >> fairly
>>>>> >> considered. The specific context of the J-14 protests is
>>>>> >> specifically
>>>>> >> concerning: yes, the J-14 protests might have been similar to ours
>>>>> >> in form
>>>>> >> and style and subject, but the real housing crisis in Israel
>>>>> >> happened half a
>>>>> >> century ago with the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes
>>>>> >> and
>>>>> >> continues today with settlement expansion and an institutionalized
>>>>> >> policy of
>>>>> >> racism and apartheid. These are facts that are, at this point,
>>>>> >> impossible
>>>>> >> to ignore and undeniable, there is more than enough human and
>>>>> >> material
>>>>> >> evidence so that this becomes larger than politics, it is an issue
>>>>> >> of basic
>>>>> >> human rights. To speak of the J14 protests without at least
>>>>> >> acknowledging
>>>>> >> this reality goes against what I understand is one of the main
>>>>> >> central
>>>>> >> productive abilities of OWS that gives it such credibility: a drive
>>>>> >> to
>>>>> >> unmask the forms of oppression the national and global system
>>>>> >> currently
>>>>> >> creates. Further, it is our responsibility to face these facts: the
>>>>> >> disproportionately large U.S. financial and political support of
>>>>> >> Israel
>>>>> >> makes this issue urgently relevant to our protests.
>>>>> >> I second Andy's suggestion for a teach in and discussion between
>>>>> >> different
>>>>> >> groups to start coming to an understanding on this topic. I truly
>>>>> >> believe
>>>>> >> that OWS is the space for this sort of productive discussion to
>>>>> >> happen, I've
>>>>> >> seen it happen, and I'm very optimistic that it can occur again.
>>>>> >> Thanks,
>>>>> >> Layan
>>>>> >>
>>>>> >> On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 9:41 PM,
[email protected]>>>>> >> <
[email protected]>
>>>>> >> wrote:
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>> Tonight (Tuesday) was the first Occupy Wall Street outreach
>>>>> >>> training. I
>>>>> >>> was shocked to hear that the first speaker after the introduction
>>>>> >>> would be
>>>>> >>> an activist from the Israeli "tent protests," the racist movement
>>>>> >>> which was
>>>>> >>> fighting for cheaper rents and mortgages for stolen homes on stolen
>>>>> >>> land.
>>>>> >>> OWS has responded to criticisms of
>>>>> >>> inadequate leadership and participation and addressing of issues by
>>>>> >>> and
>>>>> >>> regarding people of color by fostering discussion and
>>>>> >>> restructuring. The
>>>>> >>> racist "tent protest" movement responded to equivalent challenges
>>>>> >>> from
>>>>> >>> Palestinians by telling them, "shut
>>>>> >>> up, leave us alone, don't divide the movement."
>>>>> >>> I waited to hear what the speaker (Ezra something) had to say, and
>>>>> >>> it was
>>>>> >>> as bad as I feared. It was all about the technical issues of
>>>>> >>> outreach and
>>>>> >>> democracy, and not one word about outreach to Palestinians or
>>>>> >>> inclusion of
>>>>> >>> their issues.
>>>>> >>> When he finished I got the floor (even though there hadn't been
>>>>> >>> discussion
>>>>> >>> time planned for that agenda point) and made some of the above
>>>>> >>> points.
>>>>> >>> Almost as soon as I began speaking murmurs of disagreement and
>>>>> >>> calls of
>>>>> >>> "this isn't the time" and downward "twinkling" hand motions began.
>>>>> >>> One of
>>>>> >>> the facilitators asked the
>>>>> >>> speaker to respond, and he said "it's a question of outreach. I did
>>>>> >>> outreach to Palestinians in Israel who were leery of joining the
>>>>> >>> movement.
>>>>> >>> You'll have to do the same in the Bronx. The issue of Palestinians
>>>>> >>> in the
>>>>> >>> movement won't be settled here."
>>>>> >>> Well, yes, Mr. Zionist, it will be settled here. There is a huge
>>>>> >>> Palestinian exile community in the US, with that in NY being one of
>>>>> >>> the
>>>>> >>> biggest components. They want their land back, they want their
>>>>> >>> homes back,
>>>>> >>> and they want the right to return. They have no
>>>>> >>> interest in a movement which haggles over the rent paid by Jews to
>>>>> >>> Jews
>>>>> >>> for stolen property. They can't even return to visit because of
>>>>> >>> exclusionary
>>>>> >>> laws passed by your racist state.
>>>>> >>> I have been having a hell of a great time building OWS, especially
>>>>> >>> its
>>>>> >>> labor component, and encouraging Palestinians and other Arabs to
>>>>> >>> join in.
>>>>> >>> That will cease until there is some clarification of exactly where
>>>>> >>> OWS
>>>>> >>> stands on these issues.
>>>>> >>> I can't continue to encourage Palestinians to come to OWS events
>>>>> >>> for fear
>>>>> >>> that they might be surprised, as I was tonight, by the promotion of
>>>>> >>> a racist
>>>>> >>> Zionist speaker. When 30,000 Bedouins are being driven out of their
>>>>> >>> homes,
>>>>> >>> when settlers are escalating murderous attacks and destroying
>>>>> >>> thousands of
>>>>> >>> olive trees, how can I recruit people to a movement which promotes
>>>>> >>> a speaker
>>>>> >>> who thinks this is all irrelevant?
>>>>> >>> I don't presume to know what the opinions of the rest of the
>>>>> >>> leadership of
>>>>> >>> OWS is on this question, and I would be happy to help organize a
>>>>> >>> discussion
>>>>> >>> -- preferably with Palestinian activists, the OWS People of Color
>>>>> >>> committee,
>>>>> >>> and a representative group from
>>>>> >>> the OWS leadership -- to resolve this.
>>>>> >>> How can OWS promote the great revolutionary speech by Mohammed
>>>>> >>> Ezzeldin on
>>>>> >>> Saturday and then promote this racist tonight?
>>>>> >>> The REAL movement OWS can learn from in the region is that of the
>>>>> >>> refugees
>>>>> >>> in May and June who tried to reoccupy their homes in historic
>>>>> >>> Palestine by
>>>>> >>> crossing the borders, some of whom were mercilessly gunned down.
>>>>> >>> Photos have begun to surface in stories about the current
>>>>> >>> Palestinian
>>>>> >>> hunger strike in which at solidarity demonstrations for the
>>>>> >>> prisoners,
>>>>> >>> Palestinians are holding up signs reading "Occupy Wall Street, Not
>>>>> >>> Palestine!" How can we let them down?
>>>>> >>> Until such time I will be devoting my organizing efforts to where
>>>>> >>> they
>>>>> >>> were overwhelmingly before OWS erupted: the Palestine solidarity
>>>>> >>> movement.
>>>>> >>> In solidarity (I hope),
>>>>> >>> Andy Pollack
>>>>> >>> Al-Awda NY: the Palestine Right to Return Coalition
>>>>> >>> For background and context:
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
http://electronicintifada.net/blog/jalal-abukhater/what-tent-protest-really-about>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
http://electronicintifada.net/content/tel-aviv-arab-spring-ignores-arabs/10374>>>>> >>>
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/ajl160811.html>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
>>>>> >>>
http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/08/the-exclusive-revolution-israeli-social-justice-and-the-s>>>>> >>> eparation-principle/#more-2195
http://owsmail.dc406.com/OWSMailList_3246.html
Topic: Christopher Columbus was the first Zionist according to wall St. garbage (Read 620 times)