How Can I Participate in Pro-Palestine Rallies and Protests?

Hello,

I am a 24 year old American female. I was reading on your site about the protest that will be held against Israel in Georgia on Monday, October 11. I would really love to go, but I live too far and can not. However, I would like to know if there is anyone or organization here in Pittsburgh PA, that holds protests like this.

I want to go to Washington D.C. and hold one myself, but my husband will not allow me. He is from Palestine, he's here; however, his family is still in Palestine. He is afraid if I were to start something like this, I would put his family at risk. However I am allowed to join in on a protest. I have such compassion for the Palestinian people, that I am majoring in Middle Eastern Affairs at school.

Please help me to find something closer to home, for I need to help make a stance and open the American people eyes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I am tired of Americans being "blinded" by the media, and taking sides with the Israelis.

I am more upset that we speak of the 'War on Terror", but we close our eyes to the fact that the Israeli Army is the true terrorists.

Please help, any information would be great.

Thank You

(Name withheld)

Editor: There are several Palestinian activism websites, like Al-Awda, which usually advertise upcoming events. You may look at the Peace Activists section of Al-Jazeerah for links of some of them.

There's an upcoming event soon in D.C., as explained in the following link. You may want also to look at the Announcements section for posting activities.

If there's no a Palestinian support organization in Pittsburg, you may get together with people who share your views and establish one there.

http://www.al-awda.org/ 

GET ON THE BUS for the MILLION WORKER MARCH, OCT. 17, Washington D.C.

Dialog with a Typical American

I appeal to the editor of Al-Jazeerah to establish a regular column where I, as a typical American, can pose questions to people in the Arab world, and they in turn can ask me questions.

Conditions in this world continue to deteriorate. The gap between the Arab world and the Western world continues to grow, and current efforts to bridge this gap are not working. The fact is, there can never be progress toward peace until there is understanding between people. Right now, there is a tremendous lack of understanding on both sides. Typical Americans do not know what Arab and Islamic fighters are trying to achieve. Americans assume, and the U.S. Government assumes, that they simply hate Americans because we have a better quality of life; they will do anything to kill us because we have more wealth than they have.

If the people being recruited into fighting have something to say, they are doing a terrible job. They are performing suicide bombings or dying by the hundreds trying to fight American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is all for naught because no one in America even knows why they are doing it.

Likewise, the people in the Arab world do not understand Americans. The vast majority of Americans are kind and loving people. Our country was founded on principles of freedom and democracy, and we have seen over the last 228 years that this has produced tremendous benefits for our people. Americans genuinely want to share what we have learned with other people. We truly do not understand why anyone would fight against the establishment of freedom and democracy in their country unless they want to control and oppress their own people themselves.

Please take this opportunity to establish a dialog between a typical American and your Arab readers. If we don’t start here, when and where will we ever start?

Thank you.

Steven W. Smith, Dallas, TX, USA

Editor: Your suggestion is worthy. For now, the letters section serves as a forum for such a dialogue. But if more readers are willing to participate, then a new section can be opened.

According to Al-Jazeerah Mission, readers' letters should promote peace as an ultimate goal. Therefore, any letters that contain hostility towards either side will be deleted. Derogatory terms, such as describing Palestinians and Iraqis as terrorists, should not be used.

The Sharon Dogs of war Threaten the Dead and living Peace Makers

President Bush & John Kerry, In Unison Calling out to President Arafat, You have links to Terrorism: Tanks, Helicopters, Armored Personal Carrier, ICBMs, CBR weapons, and Nuclear Weapons. How can you say you are a Nation only looking for peace? Why cant you live peacefully in Occupation Camps, and give your Land and water to Those who have God on there side? "Huh What Ah psst-psst," you got it backwards again Sir --It's a hard Job--. Any way I am doing God's work. "psst-psst Sir" does God choose sides?

We have not forgotten when Elected Prime Minister Rabin and Elected President Arafat were working on the finalization of a willing and United Agreement of peace, Both were called Peace Makers. But after the Zionist Bullet of Hate was fired in to the Back of A Jew looking For Peace by a Zionist Jew looking for More Palestine Land. The blame has now been placed on President Arafat, by the US, "No Genuine Palestinian Partner for Peace" Huh What Ah psst-psst "You got it again wrong, George."

I believe too many are looking at this as just a Hostile Zionist Business Take over, Weaken the other side by tears, blood and rampant destruction, if you then cannot get the deal, call for a weaker leader to give up the Rights as Affirmed of the Palestinian Population to there Lands and Right of Return to them.

Ronald Douglas Kennedy, California USA

Intellectual Prostitutes

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America, as an independent press. The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."~~

John Swinton, Chief of Staff New York Times at New York Press Club, 1953 

Sent by Liz Burbank