In the name of the Palestinians

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Startling—and stomach turning: where Palestinians are involved, memory and sense of proportion fail us. The Jewish conscience, justifiably, has long called upon the world’s powers and upon their citizens to remain vigilant, never to forget -in the name of “the duty of memory”- the atrocities, massacres and genocides of the past. But where the State of Israel is involved, we are expected to set all sense of proportion aside, to leap to conclusions.
Suddenly, it would be assumed that these are two equally powerful belligerents. After a six-month ceasefire, one of the two parties to the conflict (the Palestinians) is said to have broken the truce by unleashing its rockets. The victim of aggression (Israel) is acting solely in self-defense—if we are to believe the version sold to the world by Israel, and relayed by complacent and complicit Western media with the full support of the Bush administration and of many European governments. The bravest among them can barely bring themselves to point out Israel’s “disproportionate” reaction. What courage!

And, most of all, what lies! For decades—long before Hamas came to power—the Palestinians have seen their dignity trodden underfoot, their legitimate rights denied. From the Oslo “peace” accords to a succession of negotiations (more frequently compromises), from the repeated broken promises to media circus withdrawal schemes, the Palestinian representatives have achieved nothing for their people. Israeli governments, whether of the Left or the Right, stall for time, resort to lies, summarily execute their adversaries, and dismiss Palestinian civilian deaths as collateral in the name of Israel’s security while continuing to expand illegal settlements and pursue a policy of “facts on the ground.” Many experts, including Richard Falk, United Nations special rapporteur for Human Rights in Occupied Palestine, have confirmed that Israeli policy fails to respect the Geneva Convention; that it has, by default, made the two-state solution almost impossible.

The Israeli government has fenced in the population of the West Bank (in complete disregard for United Nations General Assembly resolutions and the International Court); it has subjected the population of Gaza to a siege coupled with a blockade that has brought hunger, a shortage of medical supplies and care, and mass unemployment; it has created a state of despair. International humanitarian relief organizations are sharply restricted in their activities; badly needed food supplies are not getting through. The June 19 – December 19 truce was conditional on an end the siege and the blockade of Gaza, and partial opening the Egyptian border crossing. Neither Israel (nor Egypt) has respected these conditions; the Palestinian population has been the victim of inhuman treatment, for weeks, months and years now.
Are we to ignore these realities in order to justify the massacres now unfolding before our eyes? Are the Palestinians responsible for their own misfortune because rockets were launched from Gaza? The failure of memory is compounded by a loss of all sense of proportion: the number of Israeli victims is now multiplied by a factor of one hundred, two hundred, three hundred Palestinian civilians murdered by Israeli government fiat.

Israel flaunts its contempt for the self-styled “international community”, secure in unilateral support of the United States and the silence—in silent complicity—of European governments. An efficient communication strategy and a complacent media establishment (accompanied with the usual dose of predictable disinformation) allows the Israeli government to play for time, to inflict upon a population of one and one-half million human beings an inhuman siege, and now, a full-scale massacre. We have been reduced to spectators and our “neutrality” should have to protect us from our guilty conscience. Cynicism is at its paroxysm when we understand that the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians depend upon the political calculations of Israel’s leaders, eager to demonstrate their strength and determination with a view to the upcoming elections. The Lebanese disarray during summer 2006 should be rectified. Mission accomplished: 80% of Israelis support the murderous operations in Gaza! Frightening!

Can we expect anything better from the “international community” of governments and states as we observe their reactions, both East and West? Theirs is the guilty silence of the accomplice; the hypocrisy; the waiting game; contempt for Palestinian lives—for whom the ideal solution would be Jordan, Lebanon, or some “permanently temporary” refugee camps.
The time has come to create an international, global non-violent resistance movement against the violent, extremist policies of the State of Israel. We must mobilize world opinion by keeping the Palestinian issue in the public eye through ongoing, scrupulously accurate information; by writing articles, organizing conferences and demonstrations in support of the Palestinians, and by improving synergy between the efforts and activities of existing organizations.
We know this much: the Palestinians may bend, but they will not break. We must continue to defend their legitimate rights on the ground. Around the world, we must support their resistance in a determined, peaceful way. Israel, for all its awesome firepower, has not won the conflict; Israeli society faces deepening crises. It is a matter of utmost urgency that the State and the people of Israel realize that, for them, there can be no secure future, and ultimately, no survival, without recognition of the legitimate rights and the dignity of the Palestinians. The strategy of playing for time, of willful blindness, of “shock and awe”, of bloodshed and massacre offers no assurance of victory. On the contrary, it is a formula for defeat.

ARTICLES CONNEXESPLUS DE L'AUTEUR

21 Commentaires

  1. La acción Israelita sobre los Palestinos es sencillamente inaceptable y con ella se descalifican a mis ojos.
    Tambien es una muestra de la cada vez mas despoticas maneras de arreglar problemas haciendo daño a inocentes ciudadanos. ¿Es que los Israelitas ya no tienen memoria?, ¿Y verguenza, Les queda verguenza?.

  2. Thank you for this peice. Inch’Allah everyone reading it will take an action-not only for the sake of the Palestinians, but for the sake of humanity.

    As the Congress of the US is not in session over these end of year holidays, I cannot write to Senators and Representatives until the session re-convenes. However, I have made this contribution to today’s NY Times inserting a link to your « In the Name of the Pelestinians »:

    This is what I wrote to the NY Times in response to an Op-Ed of today and which is now posted on the NYT website:

    (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/31/opinion/31grossman.html « Fight Fire with a Ceasefire by David Grossman):

    http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2008/12/31/opinion/31grossman.html?s=1&pg=7

    Response #151.
    December 31, 2008 10:30 am
    Link

    Such audacity you have, Mr. Grossman!

    To suggest that in Goliath-like fashion your government-with the full support of the Bush administration-, can kill and maim hundreds of innocent humans with impunity using weapons of mass destruction….And then say ‘you’/’we’ will have a 48 hour cease-fire? (At this time we know your government has quashed the ceasefire…) Worse, you complain that in self-defense a Palestinian lobs a rocket the size of a peasshooter against your F-16s in protest and in justifiable anger? Or do the Palestinians who have endured loss of land, property, life, dignity and so much more in the 50 plus years the Isreaili governments have ruled Palestine -with the help of the West- have no right to defend themselves?

    Your government cries foul and demands it be ‘recognized’ as a nation while continuing to commit what anyone with moral courage calls genocide. Do the Palestinians not have the right to be recognized? Do they too not have the right to exist?

    As much as I abhor violence, I hope the Palestinians can find their David to topple Israel’s Goliath!

    That being said, I take this opportunity to remind you, your government and the readers of the New York Times that to destroy a life destroys all of Humanity. conversely, to save a life SAVES all of Humanity!

    I invite all of you to read what is in this link-In the name of the Palestinians:

    https://tariqramadan.com…

    For humanity’s sake, stop this madness! For humanity’s sake, seek peace with your neighbors and put aside the seeds of discord and animosity!

    — GazelleDZ, MD

    Recommend Recommended by 6 Readers

  3. slm alaykoum brother Tariq

    First of all I would like to wish my deepest condolences to all the Palestinians who are victims of the massacres caused by one of the biggest terrorist states on the world! Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un! May Allah bless the souls of the victims! amin!

    Everybody knows that Israel is a terrorist state! Hamas is not her only target. She wants to occupy whole Palestine and kill all the Palestinians! During those 5 days 400 palestinians were killed, 2000 are wounded. The irony of the matter is that when just one Israeli citizen is killed, the US and the whole world comes out to condemn the killing and spare no moment in calling the whole Islamic world as terrorists. Today, when over 400 Palestinians have been killed, no one is raising their voice!Medical reports tells us that childeren, women, old persons and men are victims of these genocide! Homes, mosques, an islamic university, hospitals and the ground organization are destroyed and completely demolished! Boats and trucks with some medical help and food are rejected and even attacked by the Israeli navy!

    Concerning the cease-fire: Israel tells the world a big lie! Israel claims that Hamas broke the truce by unleashing its rockets. That’s a big lie! It was a temporary cease-fire for 6 month! Hamas respected the truce, but Israel didn’t: the Rafah-border was closed, Gaza was blocked and became the biggest prison on earth! there was food and drink shortage! Even electricity and medicines are forbidden for the palestinians! Fishermen and farmers were killed during this cease-fire-period!Israeli colonists continue to build their settelments on palestinian ground! The recent ceasefire in Gaza was deliberately broken by the Israeli army, who – while the world’s attention was focused on the US election – launched a raid into Gaza on November 4th which killed 6 Hamas militants! One or two days before the Israeli attacks on Gaza, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ahmad Sa’adat, was sentenced to 30 years in the Israeli prisons. This is against the Geneva Convention! Those crimes and others were committed by Israeli state during the « cease-fire-period »! War is the only thing that Zionism’s bloody leaders desire.

    I can understand the US when they say: « Hamas is guilty and Israel has the right to defend herself » because we all know that the US is the protector of Israel and can use her Veto-right to justify the massacre caused by the Israeli state. But what I can’t understand is the reaction of the palestinian authority and arab leaders! They accuse Hamas and don’t accuse Israel! The problem is that US and Israel has successfully divided the Palestinian nation into two! Shame on the arab leaders!

    There is an other question: where are the Arab and Western media? Why can’t we see the genocide in Western and Arab media? The only 2 Arab channels who are showing us what’s happening in details in Gaza are Al-Jazeera and Al-Manaar! Why is the media so silent about this issue? Even media can be so racist and horrible about this issue: they choose the Israeli side and spread the false news. There is no objectivity and no honesty!

    I blame the European Union and the international community for doing nothing to condamn and punish Israel for the crimes she commit and for doing nothing to protect the palestinians from those crimes! It’s a crime against humanity! It’s a shame!

    It’s time to do something now for stopping the genocide! Olmert and Livni promises the palestinians for sending more Israeli landforces and airforces as long as Hamas exist! That means of course that Israel will kill more and more palestinians! It’s time to say « stop! » to Israel! It’s time to support the Palestinian resistance! Palestinians has the right to defend themselves without to be indicated as « terrorists »! The real terrorist is the Israeli state!

  4. Our borthers Palestiens will win soon by the will of ALLAH, despite what we are watching on the medias.We should increase our doahs and invocations that this war finish with the victory of Hamas.
    Best salam and happy year for the resistant Palestiens.

    • Assalaamu ‘aleikum dear brother Tariq,

      Thank you very much for writing this article. It reflects so good how we feel and think when watching the suffering and inhumane treatment the Palestinians are going through. The injustice against the people of Palestine, while the world is looking the other way, is not to be accepted. Therefore I support your appeal for a non-violent Global Resistance Movement! For me it’s a way to support their resistance in a peaceful way. I hope many other peoples will support your campaign and sign the Appeal.

      Jazaak Allah gairan for your good work,

      Wassalaam.

  7. Salam elleikom brother and teacher of thruth!!
    before I begin I would ike to say that I am a muslima who lives in Rotterdam. My english isnt that good , so I hoop I dont look like a fool by writing this message, proberly filled with mistakes, so I hope you will understand my message!!!
    I totally agree with what you are staiting in youre article’.

    Whats happening in Gaza is a crime against the world not only against the innocent people in Gaza Its a crime against
    freedom,
    the truth,
    life,
    Its a crime against oure pass, present and future!!
    and we are all responsble!!
    I feel powerless.
    I pray to allah and ask to help oure brothers and sisters in Gaza.
    And to those who are responsible Hasbija ALLAh wa ni3men whakiell!!!

    Not only Israell, but also the West and the Middle east is responsible fore all the dead victoms by not taking a ligitiem statement against the terror in Gaza!!!
    I agrree with you about the facts that everybody has to participate with everything that has to do with the present cause, helping by collecting money for the victims
    helping by attending demonstration
    Helping by praying to Allah.
    Helping by telling the truth exactelly like you are doing and not beeing afraid to tell the truth based on facts, witchs is the responsibilety off all human been.
    Please do tell me iff there is anything else I could do, because even do its not we who are beeing attact by the agressor but it feels letterly like:
    my childrenn are beeing killed,
    my blood is draining down in Gaza
    my hope off having a free live a free Palestine is broken.
    I feel ashaimed to see the so could « muslim » countries, without shame sitting down with all the UN ORE IN THE ARAB LIGE,sitting there without shame!!! Its just like Al Sadiq Al Masdoeq (saw) said: WHen you are without shame , you could do annything' ».
    Shame on you faeqee leaders!!! you without shame, You can see the innocent blood spreading over Gaza ground i to the centre off the world were it will always stay!!but you cannot help them you dont send out youre militery, all you can do is forbidd all the volenterys to enter Gaza who want to help in Gaza!!
    But fore a resolution that forbids any weapons fore gaza, that weakens here and that is udmitt in the Israellen ground you all » Moenaafiqoen » are fyting with each others to bee the first one who is willing to support this resolution . Shame on You!!
    Is there no men between you Yust one,,, ho is sincirre???????
    I can only pray that ALLAH will defend the truth and help the one who are suffering and punnish the Moenafiqoen!! and there will be Al Khilafa AL Rasjida Inchaallah!!
    With tears in my eyes and pain inmy heart I say assalmoualleikom and ALLAH is with you brothers and sisters and incha ALLAH Palestine will be free !!
    Keep the faith.
    And to you brother Tariq Ramadan, thank you fore youre wisdom wich you shaire with us. Youre sister in Faith!! Fatima.

  8. In the name of the Palestinians –

    Salam elleikom brother and teacher of thruth !!
    Before I begin I would like to say that I am a muslima who lives in Rotterdam. My english isnt that good , so I hoop I dont look like a fool by writing this message, proberly filled with mistakes, so I hope you will understand my message !!!

    I totally agree with what you are staiting in youre article.
    Whats happening in Gaza is a crime against the world not only against the innocent people in Gaza. Its a crime against freedom, the truth, life, Its a crime against oure pass, present and future !! and we are all responsble !! I feel powerless. I pray to allah and ask to help oure brothers and sisters in Gaza. And to those who are responsible Hasbija ALLAh wa ni3men whakiell !!!
    Not only Israell, but also the West and the Middle east is responsible fore all the dead victoms by not taking a ligitiem statement against the terror in Gaza !!!
    I agrree with you about the facts that everybody has to participate with everything that has to do with the present cause, helping by collecting money for the victims helping by attending demonstration Helping by praying to Allah. Helping by telling the truth exactelly like you are doing and not beeing afraid to tell the truth based on facts, witchs is the responsibilety off all human been. Please do tell me iff there is anything else I could do, because even do its not we who are beeing attact by the agressor but it feels letterly like : my childrenn are beeing killed, my blood is draining down in Gaza my hope off having a free live a free Palestine is broken. I feel ashaimed to see the so could « muslim » countries, without shame sitting down with all the UN ORE IN THE ARAB LEAGE,sitting there without shame !!! Its just like Al Sadiq Al Masdoeq (saw) said : WHen you are without shame , you could do annything’ ». Shame on you faeqee leaders !!! you without shame, You can see the innocent blood spreading over Gaza ground in to the centre off the world were it will always stay !!But you cannot helpthe victims you dont send out youre militery, all you can do is forbidd all the volenterys to enter Gaza who want to help in Gaza !! But fore a resolution that forbids any weapons fore gaza, that weakens here and that is udmitt in the Israellen ground you all » Moenaafiqoen » are fyting with each others to bee the first one who is willing to support this resolution . Shame on You !! Is there no men between you Yust one,,, ho is sincirre ???????
    I can only pray that ALLAH will defend the truth and help the one who are suffering and punnish the Moenafiqoen !! and there will be Al Khilafa AL Rasjida Inchaallah !! With tears in my eyes and pain in my heart I say assalmoualleikom and ALLAH is with you brothers and sisters and incha ALLAH Palestine will be free !! Keep the faith. And to you brother Tariq Ramadan, thank you fore youre wisdom wich you shaire with us. Youre sister in Faith !! Fatima.

    • If barack obama gets his way… we might as well start changing the prices on the back of our books to match Canada’s pricing on national healthcare in a socialist economy. The banks will be run by the government and all hell just might break loose. Regards
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  13. you would have absolutely no concept of what is actually going on there. And they do quarantine animals in England for over 12 months in order to protect the animal populations there. What a spin. Do you happen to work for the mainstream media?see online :
    توبيكات

  14. Can we expect anything better from the “international community” of governments and states as we observe their reactions, both East and West? Theirs is the guilty silence of the accomplice; the hypocrisy; the waiting game; contempt for Palestinian lives—for whom the ideal solution would be Jordan, Lebanon, or some “permanently temporary” refugee camps. The time has come to create an international, global non-violent resistance movement against the violent, extremist policies of the State of Israel. We must mobilize world opinion by keeping the Palestinian issue in the public eye through ongoing, scrupulously accurate information; by writing articles, organizing conferences and demonstrations in support of the Palestinians, and by improving synergy between the efforts and activities of existing organizations. We know this much: the Palestinians may bend, but they will not break. We must continue to defend their legitimate rights on the ground. Around the world, we must support their resistance in a determined, peaceful way. Israel, for all its awesome firepower, has not won the conflict; Israeli society faces deepening crises. It is a matter of utmost urgency that the State and the people of Israel realize that, for them, there can be no secure future, and ultimately, no survival, without recognition of the legitimate rights and the dignity of the Palestinians. The strategy of playing for time, of willful blindness, of “shock and awe”, of bloodshed and massacre offers no assurance of victory. On the contrary, it is a formula for defeat.توبيكات

  15. The name Palestine refers to a region of the eastern Mediterranean coast from the sea to the Jordan valley and from the southern Negev desert to the Galilee lake region in the north. The word itself derives from « Plesheth », a name that appears frequently in the Bible and has come into English as « Philistine ». Plesheth, (root palash) was a general term meaning rolling or migratory. This referred to the Philistine’s invasion and conquest of the coast from the sea. The Philistines were not Arabs nor even Semites, they were most closely related to the Greeks originating from Asia Minor and Greek localities. They did not speak Arabic. They had no connection, ethnic, linguistic or historical with Arabia or Arabs.
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