Day 59 of Palestinian Khader Adnan's Hunger Strike

I don't know how to make you care about a dying Palestinian prisoner in his 59th day of hunger strike...

Khader Adnan

(FREIBURG, Germany) - I haven't been posting about Khader Adnan, a Palestinian political prisoner who entered his 59th! day of hunger strike today, because, to my shame, I felt overwhelmed, and I had no idea how to stir any reaction in you, how to make you understand that a man is dying, how outrageous this is.

It felt so insufficient to just keep writing some emails that you'll probably not read, although i receive emails and posts about him several times a day. how do we make the reality of the immense abuse, murder, massacres etc of people in our area in any way clear to so many who have been told for too long that this has nothing to do with them, that this is "unfortunate", that "these things happen".

If they happened to your brother, you would scream in outrage. but somehow, there is this wrong feeling that these things won't happen to "us" - a feeling that is based on a very shitty perception of all the victims of these crimes as somehow "others" - they are not us. we can't identify.

And i can't help but write that any such feeling of "this has nothing to do with us" - together with the reality that if it did happen to any of "us", you WOULD feel outrage - is possible because there is somewhere the notion that your rights don't apply to "them", or maybe, they are less than, less human, or maybe they have done SOMEthing to deserve it? Because how can these things happen?

I am sorry that I am attacking you, my friends and family, in this condescending and presumptuous way. I am despairing, I don't know how to make you react - forget react, for one moment, how to make you REALIZE, ACKNOWLEDGE, FEEL - any more.

But here I am trying again, though in this pretty cynical way:

Khader Adnan is entering his 59th day of hunger strike to protest his "administrative detention" (meaning they imprison him without even charging him with anything, without the prospect of a trial and the possibility to defend himself, without letting even his lawyer know WHY they are holding him, etc.) and the outrageous treatment he received at the hands of the Israeli military/security/police etc forces (torture, denial of rights, humiliation, etc.).

If you don't know what 59 days of hunger strike mean - I am afraid every day to read he has finally died. He is in hospital, chained to his bed, still denied all kinds of rights.

And yesterday, an Israeli court - after having POSTPONED the hearing of his lawyer's appeal to a decision that he will stay in administrative detention until May 8 - decided that in spite of his condition, HE WILL REMAIN IMPRISONED UNTIL MAY 8.

THIS IS A DEATH SENTENCE. Since day 45 of his hunger strike, Adnan could die any moment.

The judge furthermore argued that it is ADNAN WHO IS TO BLAME FOR HIS SITUATION.

Here is the report of Physicians for Human Rights. http://phr.org.il/default.asp?PageID=116&ItemID=1376

Here is the report of Addameer, a Prisoner Support and Human Rights Organisation for Palestinian political prisoners (this one explains his case a bit more). http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=438

And here a post by a friend about the widespread protests that activists have been staging, while establishment and mainstream media continues to do nothing. The blood of another man will be on our hands. http://972mag.com/khader-adnans-life-at-risk-as-hunger-strike-enters-58th-day/35297/

Read also:

Khader Adnan’s life at risk as hunger strike enters 58th day; solidarity protests spread

Hunger strike highlights forgotten tragedy of Palestinian prisoners

Palestinian on 48th day of hunger strike chained to hospital bed

Israel shackles Palestinian hunger striker [the Guardian]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/12/palestinian-hunger-striker-shackled