"HAMAS/GAZA"
Sunday, June 14, 2009, 2-4 P.M.
Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, NC
Doors open at 1:30 for refreshments/socializing
Who is Hamas?
How did they ascend to power?
Are they the legitimate political voice of the Palestinians?
Should Israel negotiate with them?
What is the history of Gaza?
What is the condition of Gaza now?
How has the blockade affected Gaza?
Is the Gaza Strip viable?
Event co-sponsored by:
Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MAPAC)
Muslim American Society(MAS) of Raleigh
Salaam-Shalom Support Group--Church of Reconciliation Chapel Hill
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Triangle Branch
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD-USA)
December 27, 2008 through January 18, 2009 saw the State of Israel launch a massive military offensive inside one of the most densely populated civilian areas on earth, the Gaza Strip.
Television and print news coverage was extensive throughout the assault, but did little to help understand either what was going on or why it was going on, and even less to help understand the full context of the struggle within the Gaza Strip.
This presentation will attempt to fill in those gaps, and place the assent of Hamas and subsequent Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip within the broader context of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination.
The often paradoxical nature of the Hamas organization will be explored as will the history, organization and viability of the Gaza Strip as a commercial, cultural, and governable entity.
Explore--Engage--Act!
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009
Time: 2-4 PM (Refreshments/socializing at 1:30)
Place: Church of Reconciliation
Address: 110 N. Elliott Rd. Chapel Hill, 27514
Contact: (919) 490-5546 or (919) 967-7284
Showing posts with label Palestine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palestine. Show all posts
6/12/2009
6/08/2009
1/10/2009
1/09/2009
2/07/2008
Snowball Fight
[from a friend of a blog reader]
"I woke up the morning of January 31, 2008 to see six inches of snow on the ground, the first snow to accumulate in ten years in the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. A little before 7:30, I saw some neighbor boys and the snowball fight began. I had been threatening them for the past several days, since snow had been predicted.
"That snowball fight continued for four hours, involving most of the one hundred fifty villagers. I threw a snowball at a seventy five year old man who returned the fire. One husband and wife had an intense battle. I made sure to hit every one of the small children a number of times and let them hit me.
"I went to about every home in the village to start a fight. I didn’t want to leave anyone out. I didn’t see anyone as I approached one house. I waited a bit and when I saw one person, I threw a snowball at him. Almost immediately, like hitting hornets’ nest, at least fifteen people came out of the house, all of them attacking me. It was great. Later the head of the household thanked me and said the little battle meant a lot to his children. Later in the morning much of the battle centered in one area. There were snowballs coming from every direction, and you never knew who was an ally or a threat.
"It was an amazing day. It is a commonly held value in the village that people do not throw things at other people and hit them. That standard was pushed aside and everyone was throwing snowballs at everyone. Age, cultural, and gender barriers broke down. Adults acted like little children. A lot of aggression was expressed, all in a good way. There seems to be a cultural need to at times throw away our rules, and let loose. We sure did that today, and at the same time did nothing immoral.
"I asked a number of people if it had also snowed in the Israeli settlements around At-Tuwani. They all said it had snowed there also. So maybe there is one God who makes it snow on everyone, not just on his favorite people, be they Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. The question is whether we respond to God’s gifts with joy and whether we allow those gifts to bring us together. To make exclusive claims on God is to deny the oneness of God. There was nothing exclusive about that snowstorm."
"I woke up the morning of January 31, 2008 to see six inches of snow on the ground, the first snow to accumulate in ten years in the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. A little before 7:30, I saw some neighbor boys and the snowball fight began. I had been threatening them for the past several days, since snow had been predicted.
"That snowball fight continued for four hours, involving most of the one hundred fifty villagers. I threw a snowball at a seventy five year old man who returned the fire. One husband and wife had an intense battle. I made sure to hit every one of the small children a number of times and let them hit me.
"I went to about every home in the village to start a fight. I didn’t want to leave anyone out. I didn’t see anyone as I approached one house. I waited a bit and when I saw one person, I threw a snowball at him. Almost immediately, like hitting hornets’ nest, at least fifteen people came out of the house, all of them attacking me. It was great. Later the head of the household thanked me and said the little battle meant a lot to his children. Later in the morning much of the battle centered in one area. There were snowballs coming from every direction, and you never knew who was an ally or a threat.
"It was an amazing day. It is a commonly held value in the village that people do not throw things at other people and hit them. That standard was pushed aside and everyone was throwing snowballs at everyone. Age, cultural, and gender barriers broke down. Adults acted like little children. A lot of aggression was expressed, all in a good way. There seems to be a cultural need to at times throw away our rules, and let loose. We sure did that today, and at the same time did nothing immoral.
"I asked a number of people if it had also snowed in the Israeli settlements around At-Tuwani. They all said it had snowed there also. So maybe there is one God who makes it snow on everyone, not just on his favorite people, be they Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. The question is whether we respond to God’s gifts with joy and whether we allow those gifts to bring us together. To make exclusive claims on God is to deny the oneness of God. There was nothing exclusive about that snowstorm."
3/29/2007
In The Gulf
Pentagon Launches Gulf Exercise
The developments come as the US military launched a new exercise in the Gulf. It was the first time the Pentagon used a second aircraft carrier in a Gulf exercise since the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Iran Threatens Iraq Meeting Boycott
Meanwhile Iran is warning it may boycott a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice next month unless six Iranians detained by U.S. forces in Iraq are released. The meeting on Iraq’s future follows a lower-level summit earlier this month in Baghdad.
Saudi King: U.S. Occupation of Iraq “Illegitimate”
One of the Bush administration’s closest allies in the Middle East has issued his harshest words to date on the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Speaking at a meeting of Arab leaders in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia’s King Abdullah called the occupation “illegitimate.” Abdullah also called for an end to the U.S.-led boycott of the Palestinian government.
Saudi King Abdullah: “[Fatah and Hamas] succeeded in putting an end to their disputes and agreeing on a national unity government. In light of this positive develop, it is important to end this crippling blockade which has been imposed on the Palestinian people."
Abdullah’s comments come amid news he also turned down a state dinner at the White House for next month.
The developments come as the US military launched a new exercise in the Gulf. It was the first time the Pentagon used a second aircraft carrier in a Gulf exercise since the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Iran Threatens Iraq Meeting Boycott
Meanwhile Iran is warning it may boycott a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice next month unless six Iranians detained by U.S. forces in Iraq are released. The meeting on Iraq’s future follows a lower-level summit earlier this month in Baghdad.
Saudi King: U.S. Occupation of Iraq “Illegitimate”
One of the Bush administration’s closest allies in the Middle East has issued his harshest words to date on the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Speaking at a meeting of Arab leaders in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia’s King Abdullah called the occupation “illegitimate.” Abdullah also called for an end to the U.S.-led boycott of the Palestinian government.
Saudi King Abdullah: “[Fatah and Hamas] succeeded in putting an end to their disputes and agreeing on a national unity government. In light of this positive develop, it is important to end this crippling blockade which has been imposed on the Palestinian people."
Abdullah’s comments come amid news he also turned down a state dinner at the White House for next month.
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