During the first Intifada which erupted during the late 1980s, countless numbers of Palestinians found themselves behind bars. Conditions were torturous, sometimes deadly; the cost of resisting the occupation was high. During their time spent in a military prison on the outskirts of Nablus, which now sits abandoned, three Palestinian men from Askar refugee camp came together and plotted. But they were not plotting revenge; they were discussing promising ideas for the future. They refer to their time spent in prison as their “university”.
The three young men, Ahmad, Mohammad, and Khalil thought about their lives growing up in the refugee camp and the opportunities they had had, which weren’t many. What could they do for the next generation? Life in the overpopulated camps is not easy, and the fiercest resistance often erupts from them. In response, the camps are hit the hardest by Israeli raids and excursions which leave no one unpunished and leave no one’s mind at peace. Resisting the occupation in some way, whether violent or not, gives people a sense of purpose, especially when other opportunities or outlets are not readily available.
Because of the severe overcrowding in Askar, it was forced to expand into “New Askar” in 1965. Since refugee camps do not spatially accommodate any natural growth of its residents, problems such as unemployment are even worse than in other areas in Palestine. By the second half of 2010, the unemployment rate of refugees in the West Bank according to UNRWA statistics stood at 27.9%, which is higher than that of the non-refugee population.
Refugees are classified as anyone “whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict”. This includes their descendants, still residing in the camps almost 64 years later.
For New Askar, even this classification doesn’t apply. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) does not recognize the camp as an “official” refugee camp and does not provide services as it does to the others. New Askar Camp falls under Area B, which means joint Israeli and Palestinian control. Israeli military raids that occur under the cover of darkness are a reality.
Back in prison, Ahmad, Mohammad, and Khalil decided they would provide a different outlet for the children in the camps, a different method of resistance. It would come in the form of a place to escape to-- a place to play sports, to create art, to forget the hassles of everyday life. This is how they came to open the Rehabilitation Committee of New Askar Camp in 1992, which originally sought to provide services to injured and disabled youth following the Intifada, but eventually expanded to become much more than that. They also opened the Nablus Association for Social and Community Development and recently a center in the nearby village of An-Nasiriya in order to reach additional populations.
During the summer camps that are held at the center, the kids are taken to the nearby water park or the cultural center in the city to watch plays, when funds allow. The teenagers assume the position of role models and they are there for the children when they need them. They teach them dabkeh, drama, and art as well as sports such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball.
Even though the center is a place for fun, no child lives outside the reality of occupation. During art time, the children sometimes draw tanks and sniper towers. Releasing their feelings through art and other creative outlets, acts as therapy for these kids who have internalized a war zone. Martyrs’ posters line the narrow streets of the camp, and the graves of young children are in the backyard of a kindergarten. When the camp was under siege during the second Intifada, the residents were forced to find places to bury their dead. Reminders of violence are everywhere.
The idea that was born in a prison cell many years ago is still very much alive today. The center has become widely known and internationals visit to form friendships and partnerships, showing the children that they are not forgotten by the rest of the world. Judging by their enthusiasm and excitement during the camps, it is clear that the youth will keep the center running for the next generation. In a place where safety and a sense of security are hard to come by, the center offers a slice of normalcy.
The center and all that it has accomplished is a testament to what a small group of visionaries can do when they refuse to lose hope, even in a dark prison cell where one has every excuse to do otherwise. It is what happens when people refuse to let the occupation dictate their dreams and instead, create something bigger than the political situation in which they live. The reality they have created will continue to instill hope in generations to come.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Globalized Direct Action
This past Monday, July 4, my fellow countrymen marked their independence of 235 years from colonial rule. America, which purports its love of freedom and democracy, has proved in this past year to be more of a bandwagon fan rather than an avid front runner for such ideals. For example, its backing of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak until the bitter end, the relative inaction towards Syria’s President Bashar Assad in the face of mass murder, recent threats to sanction Palestine if it seeks statehood at the UN, not to mention talk of criminalizing US citizens who are taking part in humanitarian missions to the Gaza Strip. These actions do not seem to add up to America’s fundamental values.
In addition to America’s blind support of Israel, the Greek government has joined the club by actively preventing the ships from setting sail to Gaza from their ports in collusion with Israel. Boats from the Freedom Flotilla II were barred both July 1 and July 4 as they attempted to bring aid to the people of Gaza in an act of solidarity. The flotilla works mainly to bring about international attention to the plight of the Palestinians living under siege, as shown by the US boat which was carrying only letters of love and support. On July 1, the US boat “Audacity of Hope” was stopped from sailing and on the 4th, the Canadian boat. The US captain of the former vessel was arrested and imprisoned, which prompted the Canadian passengers, in yet another act of civil disobedience, to one after another proclaim that they were indeed the captain of the ship.
In other news of solidarity, this Friday, July 8, internationals are planning a mass fly-in to Israel’s Ben Gurion airport. This action, in which hundreds of supporters will attempt to transparently visit Palestine, will further show that pressure will not only be applied from the outside— it will come from all angles. If the peaceful activists are denied entry, it will further expose the discriminatory practices of Israel. And if they are granted entry, they will be able to visit their Palestinian friends without having to lie, signaling a shift from the usual policies that force people to do so. Unsurprisingly, however, Israel has already stated its intention to deport everyone taking part.
When governments of the world continue to act outside the realm of international law and norms, it is the obligation of the international community to force compliance through pressure of some sort. These attempts we have been seeing recently add an element of inside, direct action from the international community that cannot be ignored. The usual channels of pressure, such as UN resolutions and government warnings, have been systematically ignored by Israel throughout the years and this is why these recent movements are crucial—they force Israel to make a decision in front of a world audience. Even if the flotilla and the fly-in do not succeed in the way they intended, they will prompt questions from people of conscience around the world who are watching, and they will expose the hypocrisies of Israel and its supporters who profess that they value freedom and democracy.
These actions mark a revolutionary and internationally-minded form of nonviolent resistance. Movements are no longer constrained to specific regions, and as part of our globalized world, it puts more responsibility on regular people to take action, especially those whose governments directly or indirectly support human rights violations. Civil disobedience has the potential of becoming increasingly globalized, and has the potential of making monumental changes.
As most nonviolent movements of the past have shown, change does not often come from the top-down. It comes from below when masses of people realize the need for it. The only difference is that now these people are physically coming on boats and planes to demand change as part of a universal struggle for human rights that connects all people.
It is no surprise that the United States opposes such movements that could change the current status quo and expose the injustices of their greatest ally in the region. When the United States stops allowing Israel to act as a rogue state and the rights of Palestinians are recognized, as they inevitably will be, it will be yet another example of a message that was heard too late—a message only adopted because the people demanded it, not due to a consistent support of democratic values. The acceptance will come as it has in the past: after too many have been lynched, after too many have been hit with white phosphorous, after too many have died for no reason. But, it will come. This is the way in which our world currently functions, but supporters of justice will continue to play the game while developing new strategies such as the flotilla and the fly-in, which will expose the truth more and more, erupting in peoples’ conscience the need for change.
miftah.org
In addition to America’s blind support of Israel, the Greek government has joined the club by actively preventing the ships from setting sail to Gaza from their ports in collusion with Israel. Boats from the Freedom Flotilla II were barred both July 1 and July 4 as they attempted to bring aid to the people of Gaza in an act of solidarity. The flotilla works mainly to bring about international attention to the plight of the Palestinians living under siege, as shown by the US boat which was carrying only letters of love and support. On July 1, the US boat “Audacity of Hope” was stopped from sailing and on the 4th, the Canadian boat. The US captain of the former vessel was arrested and imprisoned, which prompted the Canadian passengers, in yet another act of civil disobedience, to one after another proclaim that they were indeed the captain of the ship.
In other news of solidarity, this Friday, July 8, internationals are planning a mass fly-in to Israel’s Ben Gurion airport. This action, in which hundreds of supporters will attempt to transparently visit Palestine, will further show that pressure will not only be applied from the outside— it will come from all angles. If the peaceful activists are denied entry, it will further expose the discriminatory practices of Israel. And if they are granted entry, they will be able to visit their Palestinian friends without having to lie, signaling a shift from the usual policies that force people to do so. Unsurprisingly, however, Israel has already stated its intention to deport everyone taking part.
When governments of the world continue to act outside the realm of international law and norms, it is the obligation of the international community to force compliance through pressure of some sort. These attempts we have been seeing recently add an element of inside, direct action from the international community that cannot be ignored. The usual channels of pressure, such as UN resolutions and government warnings, have been systematically ignored by Israel throughout the years and this is why these recent movements are crucial—they force Israel to make a decision in front of a world audience. Even if the flotilla and the fly-in do not succeed in the way they intended, they will prompt questions from people of conscience around the world who are watching, and they will expose the hypocrisies of Israel and its supporters who profess that they value freedom and democracy.
These actions mark a revolutionary and internationally-minded form of nonviolent resistance. Movements are no longer constrained to specific regions, and as part of our globalized world, it puts more responsibility on regular people to take action, especially those whose governments directly or indirectly support human rights violations. Civil disobedience has the potential of becoming increasingly globalized, and has the potential of making monumental changes.
As most nonviolent movements of the past have shown, change does not often come from the top-down. It comes from below when masses of people realize the need for it. The only difference is that now these people are physically coming on boats and planes to demand change as part of a universal struggle for human rights that connects all people.
It is no surprise that the United States opposes such movements that could change the current status quo and expose the injustices of their greatest ally in the region. When the United States stops allowing Israel to act as a rogue state and the rights of Palestinians are recognized, as they inevitably will be, it will be yet another example of a message that was heard too late—a message only adopted because the people demanded it, not due to a consistent support of democratic values. The acceptance will come as it has in the past: after too many have been lynched, after too many have been hit with white phosphorous, after too many have died for no reason. But, it will come. This is the way in which our world currently functions, but supporters of justice will continue to play the game while developing new strategies such as the flotilla and the fly-in, which will expose the truth more and more, erupting in peoples’ conscience the need for change.
miftah.org
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