Dignity

Updates from Occupied Palestine about continual peaceful resistance.

Courtesy: australiansforpalestine.net

(BETHLEHEM) - *"We did not go into the battle [the hunger strike] because we love to be hungry or in pain, but for our dignity and the dignity of our nation,"* Thaer Halahlef, 33 years old from Hebron, 73 days on Hunger strike

Dignity is such a word that makes us shudder. We Palestinians want our leaders and political leaders around the world to show a fraction of the dignity shown by Thaer and his comrades. Dignity. Self respect. Honor.

Independence that begins with freeing our minds from mental occupation. Dignity is what we 11.2 million Palestinians seek on the eve of the Nakba. 5.6 million Palestinians live in historic Palestine; 1.4 million of whom are within the 1948 occupied areas and 4.2 million in the 1967 occupied areas. Thousands of political prisoners still in jail and nearly 800,000 Palestinians experienced Israeli prisons. Prisoners want their rights not to be held without trials and not to be held in isolation and to receive visitors (some have not seen relatives since 2007).

*Friday will be a day full of events around the world in solidarity with the hunger strikers and in memorizing the Nakba. * Look in your area fora nearby event. Here in the Bethlehem district, we will gather in Al Walajeh Friday 11 May 2012 at 12:00 (by the mosque at the entrance of the village).

This Week in Palestine Nakba issue includes a series of brilliant and unexpected articles: You can download PDF here
http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com.

They also included my book on Popular Resistance in Palestine as book of the month http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=3714
And from Dr. AbedAlfattah Abusrour a great article on Beautiful Resistance http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=3706 Abed is in the US now on a speaking tour: http://www.alrowwad-acts.ps/etemplate.php?id=160

For the first time since 1948 the children and grandchildren of the refugees can see their homeland from which their fathers were expelled. When they tried to return in 1948, they were shot dead as 'infiltrators'.

Now the father and his children can see Palestine as it was in 1948. They can fly over it, but only in preparation for the day when they will actually walk over its soil and recover their patrimony.

Click this link: http://www.plands.org/maps/flightpaths.html. International Red Cross: Lives of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in danger http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/israel-palestine-news-2012-05-08.htm Palestinian Prisoners near Death http://www.alhaq.org/documentation/weekly-focuses/569-palestinian-prisoners-near-death

Jewish Rabbis tour and make prayers in Sidon Synagogue (Lebanon) now housing a Palestinian refugee family http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Apr-03/168975-sidon-synagogue-opens-for-rare-prayers.ashx#ixzz1r2y05fX3.

South African student leader, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on Palestine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNbZjTlpM6w and http://mondoweiss.net/2012/05/united-methodist-church-to-debate-and-vote-on-divestment-today.html

Stay human

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD A Bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. He is author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle” and just published “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment.” Visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.