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~Truth~
~Justice~
~Peace~
TJP
Nov-01-2011 17:52
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'Heal Us, Don't Leave Us... Juliano!'
Dr. Frank Romano Salem-News.comFlashback to a terrible day when the headlines read: “Mer-Khamis, 52, was shot five times by masked militants.”
 Frank Romano and Juliano Mer-Khamis |
(PARIS) - It was shocking and strangely symbolic that after about two hours into the writing of a chapter in my book: Love & Terror in the Middle East about Juliano Mer-Khamis, I took a break and then accessed the news on my computer. A news release flashed across the screen announcing the murder of a peace activist in Jenin. I held my breath as I clicked on it. My searing scream echoed off the walls of my isolated room in the outskirts of Paris, as I read the shocking and depressing blurb about my friend:
- Attempt of Israeli Authorities to destroy FREEDOM THEATRE JENIN - YOUR ACTION NEEDED - Salem-News.com
- Crime and Punishment - Jacob Gough Special to Salem-News.com
- Filmmaker Juliano Mer-Khamis was Murdered Today in Jenin - Gilad Atzmon Salem-News.com
- Losing Juliano - Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh Salem-News.com
- London Concert: Tahrir Square to Jerusalem - Salem-News.com
- Was Israel's Shin Bet Behind Vittorio Arrigoni's Brutal Murder? - Tim King Salem-News.com
“Mer-Khamis, 52, was shot five times by masked militants.”
He was murdered near the place I had interviewed4 him about five years ago, in 2006, in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the same year he, along with Zakaria Zubeidi, the former leader of Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades in that West Bank city, had established the “Freedom Theater”. From the beginning some members of the community were against the project and threatened to destroy the theater. In spite of the appointment of Zubeidi as co-theater director, an attempt to temper the threats, the theater was torched two times as threats persisted even after Zubeidi’s official appointment.5 The threats were inspired, in part, by the co-ed activities engaged in by the theater company which was prohibited under the Islamic moral code.
A friend originally took me to the Freedom Theater to meet Juliano. I was searching for assistance, in particular, suggestions on how to plan and carry out my envisaged interfaith marches and dialogues. Juliano welcomed me into his office at the theater where we worked on strategy concerning how I was to lead the dialogue/marches for freedom in Israel and the West Bank.
Here’s how our first meeting went as chronicled in my book, “Love & Terror in the Middle East”6:
Walking around it, he sat in the wooden chair, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I mean, my vision started about 30 years ago, and I’ve been faithful to it all these years. Finally I’m…”
“What do you mean. . .vision?”
Watch 'Arna's Children' - full movie |
I continued where I left off: “I’m carrying it out now, that is, a vision I had in Paris about being a part of the interfaith peace process, like organizing dialogues and peace marches.”
“There is no effective model, nothing I can spoon feed you; you have to make it yourself.”
I surmised that he was a bit jaded by beautiful people using beautiful words of intentions, but with no follow up, no acts to back them up, nothing. . .he seemed a bit frustrated at the indifference of visitors and their unfulfilled promises.
“I’m aware of that…”
“And the idea of peace without freedom is meaningless—so many have died. Two actors of our theatre group were killed in this place by Israeli bullets in 2002. Look at the refugee camp; almost all the buildings around us were destroyed.” He continued, looking at me fiercely, trying to detect something in my eyes, maybe weakness, lack of sincerity, or maybe that I was a spy. . .he examined me closely, watching my every move.
“Peace marches have come and gone; everyone wants to do one and then just take off and consider it done. Waste of time! But you, you look serious. . . so I’ve decided to help you. First, you should call them ‘Freedom Marches’ and not the clichéd ‘Peace March’ as there can be no peace without freedom!”
“Thanks! That sounds right. I’ll call them from now on ‘Freedom Marches.’”7
 End Israel's Unwarranted Murder of Kids |
_______________________
Juliano was a peace activist, a known actor and director of the “Freedom Theater,” a children’s theatre in the middle of the refugee camp. It was a continuation and an enhancement of his and his mother’s dreams.
The idea originated in the 1980’s with his mother: Arna Mer-Khamis’ project was called “Care and Learning,” implemented for children in the Jenin Refugee Camp, during the First Intifada in 1987. Her goal was to provide a theatre through which children could express their fears, depression and traumas during that violent occupation. It was a way for the children to sublimate their hate and aggression, give them a chance to express themselves, live the childhood that the constant battles had robbed from them and give them a reason to live other than for revenge, for killing, for becoming suicide bombers. It was a place where children could seek refuge from the fierce fighting and loss of life around them. As a part of that original project, the Stone Theater was built, but was destroyed by Israeli soldiers during the invasion of the camp in 2002. 8
Juliano directed and produced a film called “Arna’s Children-Children of Palestine,” about his mother’s incredible work and about the lives of the actors; most of them died during the battle for Jenin.
One actor, Yousef, was always the joker and made everyone laugh. During the Intifada, an Israeli tank fired a shell into a school. Everyone ran, including the teachers and Yousef was the only one who went inside. He found a little girl who was bleeding on the floor and carried her to the hospital. On the way, she died in his arms. He was apparently seriously traumatized by that experience and couldn’t stop talking about her. According to friends, he became hardened and no longer laughed or made jokes.9 He, with a friend, subsequently carried out a suicide attack in Israel and was killed.10
Several months after Juliano’s murder, I returned to the Jenin Refugee Camp. I owed it to my friend to continue organizing interfaith freedom/peace marches in spite of the danger and to find out who killed him. To deal with my own closure with respect to his passing, I desperately needed to understand why anyone would want to kill this dedicated peace activist, who with a Jewish mother and Arab father, was the epitome of interfaith peace and would be a key to a durable peace in this epicenter of world peace and conflict.
I was a guest of the “Freedom Theater” and slept there a few nights, only about a block away from where Juliano was murdered. No one in the Refugee camp had an idea who would want to kill our friend; some were still in bereavement over his death and refused to talk about it.
During my stay, I re-connected with potential participants in my next interfaith activities and marches scheduled for the Spring, 2013 in Israel and the West Bank. I shared the bereavement for this great leader with the people deep in the heart of the refugee camp. I also learned from the Freedom Theater’s employees that he was so fearless that he refused to place security cameras around the building or to hire a body guard even after the attempts to torch the theater and the wave of threats persisted against him.
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The beauty of this man was summed up by Kadura Musa, governor of Jenin, who said: "He was a Palestinian citizen of Israeli origin. An actor and an artist but most of all a true human being. We don't know why this happened, but all the people of the camp condemn the death of this son of ours whose mother also did so much for the people of Jenin."11
His legacy will survive and his work will continue to play a vital role in helping the people strive for peace, understanding and compassion in the Middle East.
Here is my final tribute to my friend Juliano:
Even though I still can’t get over your death, sleep bro, sleep in the arms of the cosmic light, my friend. We’ll keep it going...
[1] Some parts of this article were taken from chapters 45-47 of “Love and Terror in the Middle East” by Frank Romano. [2] Frank Romano earned a PhD at University of Paris I, Panthéon Sorbonne. He is a Maître de conférences (assistant tenured professor) at the University of Paris Oueste in the Anglo-American Literature and Civilization Department and a member of the California and Marseille Bars. At present, he teaches law, literature, history and philosophy of law at the University of Paris Oueste and practices law in France and in the United States. The author actively organizes and participates in interfaith events involving Jews, Moslems and Christians in Israel and Palestine. Dr. Romano has also authored a book entitled Storm Over Morocco, Globalization of Antitrust Policies (Mondialisation des politiques de concurrence), Love and Terror in the Middle East and a book of poems entitled Crossing Over. He can be reached at: frankfro@aol.com. [3] Haaretz.com, Sun, October 30, 2011, http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-actor-juliano-mer-khamis-shot-dead-in-jenin-1.354044 [4] There must be a reason why Juliano’s murder happened at the exact moment I was writing about him in this memoir. But what? Perhaps it means I should write more about him, about the “Freedom Theater” and about his—our—struggle. May you rest in peace, Juliano, and be assured that YOUR SPIRIT is still with us and your beautiful works will never be forgotten!
[5] Haaretz.com, Sun, October 30, 2011, supra.
[6] Chapter 45, p. 256.
[7] From that moment on, I called all interfaith activity, i.e., dialogues and marches, “Freedom Marches.” All the fliers were changed from “Interfaith Peace March” to “Interfaith Freedom March.” After viewing the film Juliano produced, “Arna’s Children-Children of Palestine,” I learned that the words, “There cannot be peace without freedom...” were originally the exact words of his mother; Arna Mer-Khamis. Her legacy lives on. . .in Juliano and now in...me.
[8] Israeli peace activist Juliano Mer-Khamis shot dead in Jenin, Conal Urquhart,guardian.co.uk, supra
[9] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVDqrhJD4ck&feature=related
[10] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho7EqLdIJss&NR=1
[11] Israeli peace activist Juliano Mer-Khamis shot dead in Jenin, Conal Urquhart,guardian.co.uk, 4 April 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011 /apr/04/israeli-peace-activist-shot-dead.
Past Salem-News.com reports on Juliano Mer-Khamis
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Hufsaa April 7, 2013 8:08 am (Pacific time)
I knew Juliano. I worked on a low bgedut movie he was in that was shot in Toronto a number of years ago. He was a very nice person and we had some funny conversations.His politics were very pro-Palestinian and he identified more with that side of his background. Juliano tried to make change in Palestinian society by carrying on the theatre group in Jenin that his mother started, trying to provide the youth there with another form of expression beside violence. This is a tragic reminder of a part of the world where anyone who is brave enough to take a stand for peace, be it Sadat, Rabin and many others, risks their lives when they do it.If the Palestinains aew looking for martyrs for their cause, it's not some monster who straps a bomb to themselves to murder innocent children, it's people like Juliano whose message was a society's culture isn't built on death, but on ideas.
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