SAVE breaks through the barriers of nationalism, religion, and ethnicity to create a global network of women dedicated to creating a united front against violent extremism
Two fifteen year old girls were arrested on Monday in Jerusalem, bringing to seven the number of Jewish teenagers arrested in connection with the brutal hate attack on young Palestinians last week, which left one of them critically injured.
"Two 15-year-old girls were arrested today, in addition to the five youngsters already arrested… One of the girls incited the teenagers to attack the young Arabs by saying that she had been attacked by Arabs in the past" police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP.
The Israeli government has expressed condemnation of the attack, which took place in Jerusalem's crowded Zion Square. According to witnesses, there were hundreds of onlookers who failed to intervene and stop the violence.
The assault on several Palestinian youths raises concerns that
the poisoned political divide is affecting some Israeli youths.
Interaction between Israelis and Palestinians sharply declined since the second intifada and the erection of the wall along and within the West Bank. Ten years ago, many Israelis spoke Arabic while Palestinians also learned Hebrew, but today this is no longer the case as the two communities are growing increasingly isolated from one another.
According to Robi Damelin, SAVE’s Chapter Leader in Israel, many Palestinian youths have never made an Israeli friend in their lives, and a great number of Israeli youngsters have never even met a Palestinian outside of army service: “We speak to more than 25,000 students every year, these kids have never met a Palestinian in their lives. They have no idea who is on the other side and this is one of the biggest problems that we have as two nations." According to Robi, this isolation often leads to the development of stereotypes that hinder acceptance and tolerance among the young generations on each side of the conflict.
Robi, who lost her son while he was serving in the Israeli Army, joined efforts with Siham Abu Awwad, SAVE’s Chapter leader in Palestine who also lost a brother during the first intifada. Together, both mothers advocate for a human solution to the ongoing conflict.
SAVE strongly condemns the attacks in Jerusalem; it is truly troubling and saddening to see youngsters carrying so much hate when they are meant to be the future peacemakers of our world. SAVE encourages women and mothers in particular to follow in the footsteps of Robi and Siham and surround their families and communities with the crucial values of tolerance and non-violence.
For more information on the attacks read Isabel Kershner's article in the NYT.
Listen to Siham Abu Awwad and Robi Damelin’s message of peace and forgiveness:
A view of the wall dividing Israel and the Palestinian Territories
We, the Women without Borders/SAVE team, have spent the last five days speaking to Palestinian women across the Occupied Territories. The vast majority live in villages or refugee camps, many of them in close proximity to settlements where they experience with hostile interactions on a daily basis. Most women are housewives, often with 8-10 children, and their education is basic. What they all have in common: one of their sons is usually in prison, often as young as 14 or 15. Their family members do not know how long they will stay in prison.
All the mothers we have spoken with are highly concerned about the impact of the ongoing conflict and everyday encounters with Israeli soldiers.
Additionally, everyone we have spoken to says the situation is now much worse than it was a few years ago-movement has been severely restricted, Israelis and Palestinians now almost never meet, and many have no idea whatsoever as to what life is like on the other side of the wall. All Palestinians over the age of 45 speak Hebrew, as there used to be far more exchange between the countries. The young generation is now cut off in terms of language, movement, and economic access.
The decorated Palestinian side of the wall
Today, all mothers insist that education is the only way their children can have a better life. One of the mothers summed it up quite succinctly: "there was a time when it was important to throw a stone so the world knew where Palestine was. But this is behind us. Our children now need to be educated so that the world knows where Palestine is." Another said "education is our resistance, not violence."
It is quite clear that a collective shift in attitude is taking place, sadly in a period of time where the windows of opportunity seem to be shutting again.
Our direct conversations with the women challenge the international stereotype of Palestinian mothers who proudly send their sons off to become martyrs and cluck to celebrate their "fait accompli." The mothers say that they want to see a better life for their children, and that they shouldn't have to face the same hardships as their parents. There are many examples, such as Nadwa's narrative: she recalls her two and a half-year-old son twirling and singing "the soldiers will get my brother Ali." She was horrified that even her youngest son was aware of what was happening. She asks herself what this will do to his psyche, if such events calibrate his childhood memory.
Bustling daily life for women on the streets of Ramallah
We met several of the women in a refugee camp community center. Our SAVE partner invited them to speak with us, and many walked away from our conversations expressing hope that our trip will lead to workshops that will address their concerns and help them to be better prepared to tackle the most delicate issues of violence and conflict with their children.
Our trip will continue in the coming week with stories from Israeli settlements and the capital city of Tel Aviv. Follow our live tweets at SAVEalerts.
Yesterday, three bombs exploded in Mumbai, India, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100, in the fourth terrorist attacks on India’s financial capital since 2003. Two and a half years ago, on 26 November 2008, 164 people lost their lives as terrorists invaded the city in a series of coordinated bombing and shooting attacks. For SAVE, Mumbai has a special significance, because it was on that day in 2008 that we held our first international conference, bringing 33 women from around the world together to strategize on new ways to counter violent extremism.
Yesterday’s attacks are a reminder of the importance of the SAVE mission. Mumbai unfortunately seems to be just as vulnerable today as during the fateful days of 26/11. We must recognize the need for smart security that does not rely solely on military or police responses. Prevention of terrorism begins at the community level, where frustrations, anger and disillusion take root. Women can be key allies in educating the next generation to take the non-violent response and to bridge divides rather than exacerbate them. SAVE is currently running the Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer training workshop in Mumbai with women whose relatives were on duty as police officers during the 26/11 terror attacks. The workshop is an integrated confidence-building, peace education and income-generation program. The program allows women to bring something to the table, therefore increasing their decision-making power in the home, while also teaching them mediation techniques and encouraging them to intervene when youth show signs of radicalization. This pilot program is a first step in the step-by-step process of changing attitudes.
SAVE Sisters and women leaders around the world raise their voices against violent extremism and the latest attacks in Mumbai.
Archana Kapoor, SAVE India
Archana Kapoor, SAVE India
Archana Kapoor was in Mumbai yesterday coordinating the SAVE Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer Training workshop.
I or any of the women I work with could have been a victim of the 13/7 terror attack in Mumbai. I am so glad that my trainees, trainers and I are safe. But what about those 18 casualties and their families? The 150 injured? On July 12, the day before the attacks, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to commemorate the anniversary of 26/11. A lot of people I talked to were not convinced about doing another event. It seemed that many more people were losing their lives in accidents. But this attack on a normal day, on an otherwise peaceful day, has made us all sit up and think again. Acts of terror and extremism confront us every day, and we cannot just sit back and thank God for keeping us and our close ones safe. SAVE India works towards empowering women to say NO to extremism. It is in this spirit that SAVE started the Mothers for Change! Confidence and Computer Training. The resilience of the women of Mumbai is apparent through the 100% attendance in all three of our classes today.
Dr. Kanchana Mahadevan, Reader, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai
These blasts are reminders of how our lives are fragile and deeply interconnected. Like the previous instances, yesterday's violent acts too are perhaps skewed ways of settling scores for not getting justice in courts of law. The people who have died and who have been hurt are suffering for the wrongs that have been perpetuated by others. Our responses have to be empathetic and balanced. Besides helping the victims, what we also need are efforts to build confidence amidst diverse communities, so that such violence is abandoned. For this we need the courts of law to deliver justice, we need jobs, we need cultures that cut across communal lines. Mumbai has risen to such confidence-building in the past - it did so yesterday, it will continue to do so in the future. Citizens- women in particular- have taken the lead in constructing such multiple spaces. All of us have to continue with these measures, and keep our resilience and compassion alive.
Seema Mustafa, Journalist and Television Presenter, Delhi
The government has to be commended for not making wild guesses, as politicians usually do, as to who is behind the attack. But one can say with almost total certainty that once the wails of the victims and their relatives subside, the planted stories aimed at dividing society will start appearing in the media. It is important now for the Opposition to be responsible and not make statements that polarize sentiment along communal lines. Who did it is of course an important question, more so as no organization has claimed responsibility. But given the fact that the Indian investigating agencies have chased shadows for years before realizing entirely different organizations for responsible for attacks such as the Mecca Masjid blasts, the Samjhauta train blasts, it is important for the authorities to establish facts before addressing the media. Scores of innocent persons were arrested, tortured and maimed in custody for crimes they had not committed. This creates tensions that cut into the secular fabric of the country, and this must be avoided. The aftermath of a terror attack, if badly handled, can have long term repercussions as devastating for a wounded country as the blast itself. Professor Anuradha M. Chenoy, Professor of International Relations at Jawharlal University and Author of Militarism and Women in South Asia, Delhi
The bomb blasts in Mumbai, last evening, have traumatized the city and India once again. The purpose of the terrorists remains the same: To create public fear in communities against each other, so that people retreat from secular public spaces into primary identity groups that extract their loyalty and obedience. Fundamentalists use terror for mind control. Controlling the autonomy of women, liberal ideas and peace activists is a critical part of their agenda. It should come as no surprise that India-Pakistan foreign secretary peace talks are to be held next week. Fundamentalist are scared of peace, because it decreases their power and role. State responses should not be the only counter to non-state terrorist groups, because binaries exclude other voices. Rakshanda Jalil, Author, Delhi
This mindlessness has to stop. We have to pluck ourselves off the downward spiral that leads to violence and more violence.
Pamela Philipose, Senior Journalist and Director of Women’s Feature Service (WFS), Delhi
Every time the residents of Mumbai emerge from the trauma of multiple attacks, they are laid low yet again in a pattern that has now become horribly familiar. The attempt now, as always, is to terrorize and demoralize people, pit community against community, create a general climate of fear and undermine the well-being of millions of women and men who want nothing but to carry on with their lives in their chosen city. Such moments demand the coming together of all those committed to human security. They need to speak out against such heinous attacks and condemn terrorism of all kinds, whether by individuals, criminal groups, political outfits or state actors. The region needs to hear their voices as they continue in their efforts to build peace – not in the abstract but as a force that can transform ordinary lives and defeat projects based on spreading fear and hatred.
Shobhaa De, Author of the Column “Politically Incorrect” in The Times of India, Bestselling Novelist and Journalist, Mumbai
I am convinced there is something seriously wrong with us, the people of Mumbai. We are the ‘most attacked’ city on earth… and we accept this dubious ‘honor’ passively, like it is a part of our collective destiny to be frequently bombed. This is not stoicism, it is not resignation, and it most certainly isn’t resilience. So what is it? We think we are being heroic when we react like this when, in fact, we are being foolish. We do nothing about this sorry state of affairs and carry on like blasts are ‘normal’. And they are going to keep bombing us. You know why? Because they can. We refuse to hold anybody responsible. We refuse to make anybody answerable. We refuse to protest. What do we do instead? We show off! We get back to business as usual within hours of an attack and boast about it to the world. As if it’s something to be deliriously proud of. The facts are slightly different. Mumbai is attacked over and over again for the simple reason that it is POSSIBLE!
Mossarat Qadeem, SAVE Pakistan
Mossarat Qadeem, SAVE
Pakistan
We in Pakistan share our solidarity and sympathy with those who lost loved ones yesterday. Pakistan is affected by terrorism daily, and we do not want anyone to suffer the way we suffer. Women are the most affected by conflict and violence, and it is time for the women of India and Pakistan to come together and make a pledge to address violent extremism. Women must start working on their home ground through advocacy, education and creation of awareness for peaceful resolutions. We must build trust between our countries. The international community should come forward and pressure the governments of South Asia to deal with these incidents with maturity. India and Pakistan must join hands and understand the roots of the problem to try to resolve it together, rather than blaming one another. Maureen Fox, SAVE Northern Ireland
Maureen Fox, SAVE Northern Ireland
Fellow Survivors, I am disgusted and appalled by the blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday 13 July 2011, happening in a week that already marks the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai Train Blasts. I send my love and thoughts to ALL who have been affected by this tragedy; the mothers who have lost their sons or husbands, the daughters who have lost their father or brother or sister. You are not alone! I am sad - I am sad because I am neither shocked or surprised. Is this what we have become? Is this our 'normal' existence? This language of bombs, hurt and death is a 'disease' in our world. Who is next? Is it you? or your family? What choices can we make to change this violence, this mindset, this way of life?
This, my sisters is OUR world, when our child is sick we want to cure them, when our family is hungry we want to feed them, when our friends are in need we want to help them, and we can! Let's help our world to rid itself of this global disease. Use our voices and lead by example. When we educate our children, we educate our family, when we educate our family, we educate a community. Educate a community and you can educate a nation. Educate a nation? Well, that's where we go global! Together we WILL be heard.
Anne Carr, Dialogue Practioner, SAVE Northern Ireland
My heart goes out to the wonderful people of Mumbai in the aftermath of another senseless, brutal attack on their people. I was so privileged to spend a very special week with women and children who had been bereaved and injured in the previous attacks on Mumbai, helping them to share their stories and learn with, care with, understand with one another whatever their background, whatever their faith, women so brave and so violated through violence. I stand close to you all today and to those families again having to come to terms with this latest vicious attack on humanity. Women of the world will continue to work together tirelessly and with absolute resolve to build a global community with a special place for everyone, where there is ease with difference and where our children can grow up free from the disastrous realities of violence in all its forms.
Shaimaa Abdel Fattah, SAVE Egypt
Shaimaa Abdel Fattah, SAVE Egypt
Such attacks are only the result of ignorance and ruthlessness. There is no justification whatsoever for murdering innocent citizens. None of the religious sects support violence per se. It's our role now, to fight terrorism in all its forms and condemn those guilty of it. I take this chance to extend my condolences to the crisis-stricken families and promise to be a part of making this world a better place for us to live in. Shahira Amin, Journalist, Egypt
I was deeply shocked to hear about the blasts in Mumbai. We have seen the power of peaceful protests, so no one can condone this kind of violence. I am sure that it won’t realize the goals of whatever these terrorists were trying to achieve. Violence only breeds more violence. It’s really regrettable that some people are still resorting to violence, for the killing of innocent civilians will never succeed in achieving any goals. I feel very strongly about this because we have seen the power of peaceful protests.
Dina Sadek, Journalist, Egypt
Those people [who carried out the attacks] are programmed to believe that what they are doing is the right thing, and that is the real problem here. They justify their terrorism attacks as “for the sake of God”, but God himself said in the Quran “God never changes the condition of a people until they change within themselves”. Nothing will change unless those people understand religion the way it is supposed to be, rather than their messy interpretation of it. Hibaaq Osman, SAVE Board Member, Egypt
There is absolutely no justification for killing innocent people. Everyone should make a strong statement against such acts. Acts of terrorism do not only occur in India or Afghanistan, they could happen anywhere. No one is safe. This was not an act of justice; it was an act of murder. We need to call it what it is.
Robi Damelin, SAVE Israel
How many more people must die, how many more bombs must explode, how many more bereaved families need to be created before we all recognize that the nonviolent way is the only way to achieve a goal? It is time for women from every corner of the world to say enough. We all must say enough.
From June 6-8, 13 inspirational women came together in Vienna to share their experiences as activists and mothers in countering violent extremism. The Mothers MOVE conference gave participants from Yemen, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Israel and Palestine the opportunity to hear from women from different cultural contexts, with the aim of learning from each other’s experiences, sharing best practices and comparing the similarities and differences of mothers’ role in the security arena between cultures.
Our good friends at the US-European Media Hub in Brussels captured these women's voices in a short film that captures the essence of the discussions over the three day conference. This video is dedicated to the memory of Werner Ertel, the cameraman who filmed the conference and many other Women without Borders events. Werner was truly a brother to our cause, and he will be deeply missed.
Consultant Mehru Jaffer and film-maker Ali Hasnain also filmed the event, capturing the activists' statements about how women as mothers can combat violent extremism.
Robi Damelin, representative of SAVE Israel, reflects on the current situation in Israel and Palestine, highlighting the importance of people-to-people contact between the two sides. Teaching the young generation through presenting real life stories is key to initiating a sustainable reconciliation process. Incorporating reconciliation in any future peace agreement is also essential. Original article published by Common Ground News Service.
Tel Aviv - The recent violence in Israel and Gaza is threatening to spiral into yet another cycle of reprisals and counter-reprisals in this long and intractable conflict. This ceaseless reality of violence, which has engulfed Israelis and Palestinians for decades, has already caused terrible damage severely affecting the social and cultural fabric of both societies and substantially degrading the relationships between them.
I lost my beloved son David in this bloody conflict. He was pursuing a Master's degree in the Philosophy of Education. He was part of the peace movement and did not want to serve in the Occupied Territories when he was called in for reserve duty.
For me, dialoguing with students in schools about reconciliation has become the most meaningful way of commemorating his name.
I belong to a unique grassroots organisation called the Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF), comprised of Israelis and Palestinians who have lost immediate family members to the conflict. We come from all walks of life, with one thing in common: we share the same pain, and recognise that if we – Palestinians and Israelis who have paid the ultimate price – can understand the need for a non-violent solution to this conflict, then surely this belief can serve as an example for others.
Our long-term goal is to create a framework for a reconciliation process that would be incorporated into any future political peace agreement. Our power stems from the collaborative work of our members – now more than 600 families – half of which are Palestinian and the other half Israelis.
Our most important ongoing work on the ground is conducting dialogue meetings in schools. They allow us to reach more than 25,000 students every year. We speak to 16- and 17-year-old Palestinian and Israeli students who, for the most part, have not met anyone from the "other side". Coming into a classroom of Jewish-Israeli students with a Palestinian partner who tells his or her personal story and journey to reconciliation opens their eyes to the humanity and narrative of the other side.
For Jewish Israeli students, this may be the first opportunity to hear what the daily life of a Palestinian living under occupation is all about. For the Palestinians this may also be their first encounter with an Israeli not in an army uniform or who is not a settler.
Anyone attending a meeting with members of the Parents Circle cannot be immune to the deep sense of trust between us. They listen to Nasra from Nablus who lost two sons, together with Roni from Tel Aviv, who has also lost two sons in the conflict. Together they stand in front of hundreds, sharing their determination to prevent others from experiencing this loss. This joint, heartfelt plea must be an example to all.
One of the most important elements we feel is missing in the Arab-Israeli discourse is real human stories. For this reason we have recently introduced a programme that uses personal narratives to build trust, empathy and mutual understanding between Palestinians and Israelis, through a parallel narrative experience. The programme offers an opportunity for hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis to tell their stories, sharing the most difficult consequences of the conflict.
Our latest efforts focus on social media as a means to cross the forbidden border and create conversation between people on both sides of the conflict. Called "A crack in the wall”, this initiative allows Israelis and Palestinians to engage, tell their stories and get to know one another directly. One Palestinian speaks and 100,000 Israelis will listen; one Israeli speaks and 100,000 Palestinians will listen.
Our personal experiences have led us to a strong belief that any peace agreement achieved between the Israelis and Palestinians cannot be sustained without a substantial reconciliation process between the two peoples.
We have all watched politicians signing peace agreements on the lawn of the White House, but this has led only to a ceasefire. We understand that we must create the possibility for people to understand the needs of the “other”. We have studied many other countries and realised that without a people-to-people peace process and a framework for reconciliation that will suit the cultural needs of the two peoples, this conflict will go on forever.
In this period of uncertainty and change, we cannot afford to give up hope and wait for new leaders. We who best understand the consequences of violence will continue to work for the human dignity and freedom for all.
First published in the Guardian, 16 September, 2010, and written by Rachel Shabi. This article gives an insight into the grassroots initiatives that women in Israel and Palestine are creating based on compassion and empathy, and the knowledge that to effectively resolve conflict, the willingness to achieve reconciliation must pervade society - it cannot be imposed from above.
Women sit on a Tel Aviv beach. Palestinians need a permit to enter Israel. Photograph: Esti Tsal
The day starts early, at a petrol station alongside a roaring Jerusalem road. The mood among the 15 Israeli women is a little tense, but it's hardly surprising – they're about to break the law and with it one of the country's taboos. They plan to drive into the occupied West Bank, pick up Palestinian women and children and take them on a day trip to Tel Aviv.
Today's is the second such trip – another group of women went public with a similar action last month. It is hoped that these will become regular outings, designed to create awareness of the laws that govern movement for Palestinians, and to challenge the fears that Israelis have about travelling into the West Bank.
Riki is a 63-year-old from Tel Aviv who, like the other women did not want to give her surname. She said it took her time to sign up to the trips. "I was resistant to breaking the law. But then I realised that civil action is the only way to go forward, that breaking an illegal law becomes legal."
The women take off in a convoy of cars, through an Israeli checkpoint used by settlers and into several villages around Hebron. There are dozens of Palestinian women waiting for them and each Israeli driver is allocated passengers.
As two young Palestinian women climb into the car, they remove hijabs, scarves and floor-length coats to reveal skinny jeans and long hair – a look that ensures they pass through the Israeli settler-only checkpoint without scrutiny. "I am afraid of the soldiers," said 21-year-old Sara, nervously. But she and 19-year-old Sahar, visibly relax as the car breezes past the checkpoint.
They pull CDs out of bags and are soon listening to loud Arabic dabke music as the car heads along a road that joins the main highway to Tel Aviv. "It's like we are using the tools of the occupation," said Irit, one of the drivers. "It just wouldn't occur to the soldiers at the checkpoints that Israeli women would want to do this."
As Tel Aviv nears, the Palestinian passengers silently survey the tall buildings and outdoor cafes and seem especially taken with the ubiquitous motorcycles and mopeds that speed around the city. "I would like to ride on one, like that," said Sara, pointing to a woman in shorts perched on the back of a bike. But all the Palestinian women have just one request: to go to the sea. For most, it's their first trip to the seaside, even though it is a short drive from home.
The passengers join another carload and head to the promenade in Jaffa, the mixed Arab-Israeli city stuck to the tail-end of Tel Aviv, where the Palestinian women race to greet the waves crashing against the bright rocks. "It is so much more beautiful than I thought," said Nawal, watching her gleeful seven-year-old daughter skipping backwards to avoid being sprayed by the waves. "It is more beautiful than on TV, the colour is amazing."
Fatima, 24, gazes out at the horizon. "I didn't know that the sound of the sea is so relaxing," she said. Sara asks for a sheet of paper, speedily folds it into a paper boat and writes her name on it, intending to set it out to sea. "So that it will remember me," she said.
The group convenes at a Jaffa restaurant – about 45 of them in total, including seven children. They are a cheerful party stretched across two long tables. From afar they seem just like any other restaurant party, as the women chat about children, weight gain and health.
But the excursion is far from ordinary. All Palestinians need permits to enter Israel and the penalties for not doing so can involve imprisonment. It is also against the law for Israelis to "smuggle" Palestinians without a permit across the Green Line.
A few months ago Ilana Hammerman, an Israeli journalist, wrote an account of her day trip to Tel Aviv with West Bank Palestinians in Haaretz newspaper. That prompted a criminal investigation against her, for violating Israel's law of entry. But it also inspired a group of women to take the same trip and then take an advertisement in the newspaper to publicise the fact. Since then, there have been hundreds of signatories to a petition of support and many women, on both sides, ready to defy the law.
That's one of the purposes of the action, said Esti, who has been on both trips. "We want more Israelis to realise that there is nothing to be scared of. We want more people to refuse to accept the ideology that keeps us apart – and to just refuse to be enemies."
Restrictions
Before 1991, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza could move freely and restrictions on travel into Israel were the exception.
Then Israel began a permit regime, whereby Palestinians cannot travel without a permit issued by Israel's civil administration, set up by military decree to operate in the West Bank.
The permit system wasn't seriously imposed until the mid-90s, as response to a wave of terrorist attacks inside Israel. Since then, Israel has introduced increasingly restrictive criteria for obtaining a permit and constructed physical barriers – such as the separation wall – that have made enforcement of the system more effective.
West Bank Palestinians granted permits include a quota of workers, who must be over 35 and married; medical patients; students, although under restrictive circumstances; and older persons for religious reasons, such as to pray or to visit family during religious holidays. Some traders and VIPs are also given permits to travel into Israel.
Gisha, the legal centre for freedom of movement, estimates that around 1% of Palestinians are given permits to enter Israel. Some 24,000 Palestinian workers are permitted to enter Israel from the West Bank.
From Gaza, entry for Palestinians to Israel is exceptional and mostly for medical or humanitarian cases.
It is not easy for a Palestinian woman to say that she wants to work against violent extremism in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To begin with, as a woman, it is harder to voice criticism while still remaining a legitimate political voice. Moreover, being in a place of national and political conflict where life is continuously stressful, one can find different definitions of the term “extremism”. For example, the Palestinians called the first and second “intifadas” (“uprisings”) patriotic acts against injustice. The same intifadas were labelled acts of violence by the Israeli side. Meanwhile, the recent war in Gaza was seen as a necessary security measure by Israel, while the Palestinians see it as an attack against civilians.
Notions of extremism and violence are shaped by the context in which they occur. As a Palestinian woman who has witnessed the two intifadas, I have been deeply affected—psychologically and politically—by the killing, the shelling, the curfews, roadblocks and the separation barrier. The violence that I have lived through has to a great degree shaped who I am. Moreover, I have been raised to love my homeland, strongly believing in my nation’s right to live in dignity on its land. I find it too difficult to say let us stop demanding our rights just for the sake of peace. That would be something a patriot would never do.
Yet despite being surrounded by violence, I believe in the essential goodness of humanity and do not think that members of modern nations should pay with their lives for myths and historical conflicts. The path of violence does not serve our legitimate struggle for independence.
The fact that violence has been ongoing for more than six generations makes me seriously concerned not only about the possibility of a peaceful resolution, but also about the effects of violence on the daily life of people living in the region. Violence equally affects the perpetrator and the person who suffers from violence. The child who witnessed killing in Gaza cannot be expected to treat others in as calm and gentle a way as a child who grew up far away from killing and shelling.
Living in an environment that adopts violence as a strategy to deal with the Other exacerbates further the negative attitudes and beliefs regarding the Other. Moreover, as we know, violence only begets violence. Eventually, acts of violence directed at an outsider turn inward towards the self. This can lead to internal chaos and divert the nation from its goal of independence. Leaders and non-leaders alike need to study the reasons why the conflict has become so violent and its impact on our societies so that they can work to reduce it.
Palestinian women as Palestinian citizens have much to say in this context. They are the ones who raise men. Partly because they are mothers, women are the real partners in building the future state. In addition, women—who are arguably naturally more predisposed to non-violence—could exercise significant pressure to stop internal violence first and then to form a common vision towards the future state.
As a Palestinian woman and patriot, I cannot cease struggling to attain the rights of my people in a Palestinian state. However, my values dictate that I conduct my quest for rights in a non-violent fashion. Practically speaking, pragmatism itself also dictates a non-violent approach.
I am calling for peace with dignity. This means adopting a new comprehensive strategy that identifies a way to obtain our rights as Palestinians, even if it takes a long time. A non-violent struggle could be the answer that would also lead other nations to support our cause.
Many of my international friends ask me why there is still no resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At this point I realise that people do not know much about the cause and its complexities. The achievement of peace needs brave leaders who believe in humanity and the rights of nations to live in dignity and peace.
Living in peace does not mean Palestinians and Israelis have to be friends with one another; it does not mean selling out the Palestinians’ rights. Peace, as I view it, is finding the best realistic way to live in dignity without war.
These last few days I have been thinking of what words I will be contributing to the debates within SAVE about the tragedy of humanity in the Gaza waters. As a normal common human being, regardless of the religious background, one must have been terrorized to see what has happened on the flotilla ships and on the increased sufferings of the Palestinians in Gaza. How sad to see human values have been tragically destroyed.
In Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population, the reaction to this bitterness is manifested in various ways. I have been taught that reactions to injustices can be expressed at different levels. We, as civil society members, have entrusted our governments who have political authorities (such as the Indonesian government) to undertake political lobbies and diplomacy. The Indonesian government has committed to a grand vision for the MiddleEast, where the State of Palestine exists as a sovereign state. We as citizens have entrusted our government in pursuing this grand vision. In addition to the above, we Indonesians have expressed our solidarity through moral movements on the street in big cities in Indonesia and deployed humanitarian aids and 12 peace volunteers in the aids flotilla.
Since joining SAVE three years ago, I have a big hope that women worldwide will have a more significant role as peace makers and peace movers. My dream is that humanitarian and peace values will spread globally especially in supporting our sisters in Palestine and Israel as peace mediators for the Gaza. It is my hope that SAVE Global can give bigger supports to Asma and Robi to enlist other Palestinian and Israeli women in our Mothers for Change movement so that they can voice out their concerns and make changes from within their countries.
SAVE Global can and needs to give more empowerment and support to our sisters here. This is a concrete action that we can do as SAVE for sisterhood and solidarity with Palestine and Israeli people. I realize it is a big challenge but it is not impossible. In Maria Worth we were exposed with the success story of sisters in Ireland, in a different context, to bring peace and reconciliation.
I realize that this will need a very “long and deep breath,” to borrow the words in the headline of Indonesia’s largest newspaper, Kompas on June 7, 2010 on the issue of Palestine and Israel. But I believe that women have been blessed with strengths, endurance and resilience to stand up against injustices. To Asma and Robi, my heart is with you and those who are struggling for freedom and dignity.
With love from sunny Jakarta, Lily
Let's go down the path of being right and not succeeding. Have you any idea how many times in a week I am tempted to throw in the towel and let someone else continue with this impossible task of trying to stop the occupation, trying to stop the blockade, trying to create a path to dialogue which if we are lucky will lead to reconciliation?
The lesson I learned from all of this tragedy is that the media feeds us with so much hatred and is so much part of the conflict. I heard and read reports from all of you---you did not even stop to take a breath before you were so sure that the Israeli soldiers were out to destroy the world. Of course it was idiotic to board the Marmara and our remarkable leaders could do with a large injection of wisdom. However, even the Turkish press has now printed pictures and concedes that many on this particular boat were not seeking peace. There are still a number of soldiers in hospital. The rest of the boats used non-violence and no one was hurt, and an incredible point of the stupidity and cruelty of the Gaza Blockade was made.
SAVE has created wonderful experiences and opportunities for female activists in the security realm, and Edit and her devoted team have developed a platform for a new and powerful voice. So few people in the world are prepared to take a stand and make a difference, and how sad it would be to lose your voices. Please be part of a solution which we all pray for.
It is a little odd for you to get such a message from an Israeli mother, but it comes from the most honest part of me.
Understandably, developments in the highly polarized Middle East arouses strong, emotional responses from people not only in the region, but from around the world.
It serves no one’s cause to feed into the anger, sense of injustice and pain that pervades the region. Especially when feelings run high, rather than fall prey to divisions and antagonisms, it becomes even more important for us, as caring, responsible women, to strengthen bonds and rally humane forces to pursue what we believe to be the greater common good.
This pain and anger embroils SAVE now. Important questions, fears and doubts have been raised and these need to be addressed. Calmly and unitedly.
As I understand, SAVE is not a political platform but a forum to bring together disparate voices that share universal values and seek a common goal: to find ways and means to end violent extremism. Topical emotional issues that surface should not tear SAVE apart. Rather it reinforces the need to bridge differences, suspicions and animosities through dialogue.
If SAVE members behaved in any other way, there would then be little to distinguish them from the political parties and extremist groups that indulge constantly and compulsively in divisive polemics and tactics that has only succeeded in pushing the Middle East further into the vortex of violence. Distress at the turn of events is natural and yet the challenge before us is how to overcome it in a way that also helps us to break out of this vicious cycle. We must, becaue if we didn’t, we are punishing the ordinary people of the region who are the ones to continue suffering the consequences.
This is an opportunity for SAVE to show the way, become a genuine trailblazer as the voice of reason and reconciliation. Turning against each other is a self-goal. We need more allies, not alienate the few allies and friends we have.
As the deportees from the Gaza flotilla engagement begin returning home, we wish to express our support for the line taken by HM Government. We welcome the Prime Minister’s statement and commend the call of the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague, for an end to the blockade in the best interests of all the people of the region.
This is a conflict that has far reaching consequences for communities in many places. At this difficult time, we would like to reach out to those on both sides to help ensure the good of British communities. Therefore, we invite all organisations from different faiths and backgrounds to work together with NMWAG to help achieve this.
Please contact NMWAG member Hadiya Masieh for information: h.masieh@googlemail.com
As my heart goes out to those who have lost their dear ones I am reminded of how we must continue to work tirelessly toward creating reconciliation and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians. I believe that this means nothing less than ending the Occupation, providing a just solution for Palestinian refugees, and providing security for Israelis. And most immediately this means ending the blockade of Gaza. It is my fervent hope that the shock of Monday's tragic and senseless killings will lead to a re-evaluation of Gaza's closure and the recognition that opening Gaza will be an important step toward freeing the Palestinians from their suffering, and doing so is in Israel's vital interest.
Best, Bev
----- Beverly Crawford, Professor of Political Science and Political Economy, University of california Berkeley
Co-Director of the EU Center of Excellence, UC Berkeley
We are heart-sick and outraged about the brutal attack launched by the Israeli Military on the Free Gaza Movement's flotilla of boats in the early morning hours (Eastern Mediterranean time), Monday, May 31. The boats were carrying civilian passengers and humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, and were clearly in international waters when this illegal attack occurred, in violation of international law.
The number of dead and injured are still unconfirmed, but lowest figures reported are 9 killed and 34 injured. The Israeli Government has still not released their names. Over 700 citizens from nearly forty countries were on board the flotilla vessels.
We grieve for those who have been killed and pray for the recovery of those who have been injured. We salute them for their sacrifice in solidarity with Gazans suffering under a prolonged and immoral siege, which is itself a despicable and illegal act of collective punishment upon a civilian population. People on board the flotilla boats included human rights activists, journalists, public servants, and Palestinians hoping to reunite with family members. Some of those on board, we know personally. We continue to marvel at the courage, dedication, and moral clarity of all these activists. Like our daughter Rachel Corrie, they were coming to the aid of the people of Gaza because governments of the world have failed to act. Our hearts, go out,as well, to the families and friends of all those on board the flotilla vessels, many of whom may still not know the fate of their loved ones.
We call on the U.S. Government and governments of the world to act now. First, the well-being of all the flotilla passengers still in Israel must be secured, and the identities of those killed and injured must be released immediately. Second, governments around the world must demand an independent investigation into the attack upon the flotilla and the killings that occurred. An Israeli-led investigation into an international incident of this magnitude is unacceptable. Our family's own experience has made it all too painfully clear that the Israeli military is unable or unwilling to adequately investigate itself. Third, the U.S. and other governments can and must insist that other boats from the flotilla, including the MV Rachel Corrie, named for our daughter, be permitted to sail through international waters to Gaza unobstructed. Finally, we demand that the governments of the world act as courageously as did the activists on the Free Gaza flotilla and, themselves, break the illegal and immoral siege of Gaza.
Today I listened with horror to Northern Ireland politicians, lining up to take sides in the aftermath of the horrific death and violence which took place on the flotilla of ships bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
Unionist politicians supporting the actions of the Israeli army and pointing the finger of blame at Hammas, citing the continuing hail of bombings into Israel and Republican politicians lambasting the Israeli army for perpetrating this murderous assault on people supporting the Palestinians forced to live in unacceptable conditions with restricted movement, check points, shortages of basic foods and medicines and devoid of opportunities for work and education.
I learned from my friends in the Parent's Circles Families Forum, an organisation of Palestinian and Israeli people, all of whom have lost loved ones to this most destructive conflict, that to take sides like this does absolutely nothing in helping to bring this conflict to an end, rather it fuels the fire of despair and bolsters the hate mongers.
All of this madness is wrong. All of the families who live every day with the consequences of this war, day in, day out - the fear, the pain, the helplessness, the injustice, the hunger, the thirst, the hopelessness - know only too well what suffering is.
I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt sympathy to all of the families caught up in this recent disaster, the peace loving volunteers, the crew, the young soldiers sent in by armchair generals.
They today are left to pick up the pieces of their lives, to ask all the “why?” questions, to bury their children, dads, brothers.
As far as I am concerned, it is time for the whole world to wise up! Everyone knows that a two state solution, a viable and free Palestine and a viable free Israel is the only way forward. How many peace processes are required for the blatantly obvious to sink in. Neither the Palestinian people nor the Israeli people are going to disappear in a puff of smoke and the basic human dignity of both peoples needs to be respected in the creation of their own homelands, at peace with one another and at peace with the world.
We in Northern Ireland are coming to terms with one another, slowly. We have come a long way since the devastating bloody three decades of violent death and our peace process is slowly taking root. We still have a long way to go and in many respects our ability to understand one another and create a truly shared society is a slow and difficult process yet step by step we must journey on.
Our children deserve no less - and the children of Israel and Palestine deserve to live and grow and laugh and play - free and safe - and it is not some distant alien preventing this - its ordinary human being like me and you - especially when we align ourselves to one side or the other instead of standing in solidarity together and saying in one strong voice -END THIS MADNESS NOW!
We, as active supporters of the SAVE declaration, are encouraging mothers everywhere to stand in solidarity together against violent extremism and today I want to feel the power of that message permeating the corridors of power all over the world. I want the decision makers everywhere to get serious about developing viable peace agreements and the crucial implementation processes which follow.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Unfortunately, so often, vested interest, power imbalances and resentment stand as huge obstacles to progress - and peace processes wallow in stagnation and indecision.
The focus of the world's media is today on the hostages being deported from Israel and the anger of both the Palestinian government and the Israeli government over what has happened.
The families of the dead and injured will watch this and wonder - how many more fellow human beings will have to suffer before the inevitable resolution is found.
We as a nation condemn the attacks. We have already been to demonstrations against these attacks. What we need is tolerance of each other and respect for each others' religions. My deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
Falaknaz Asfandyar, SAVE Pakistan
Activist for Internally Displaced Persons in the Swat Valley
The Israeli heinous disproportionate attack on the peace ships that were heading for the needy people in the siege Gaza has wrecked the hopes of peace!
Such an arrogant act is not just challenging for SAVE mission but it is challenging for international law and the international community as a whole.
Yemenis like other Arabs, Muslims, and people around the globe reacted in demonstrations that rocked the capital, Sana'a, and other cities early morning yesterday to strongly condemn the Israeli attack on the peace and aid convey. There are three Yemeni MPs on the flotilla.
Anger and resentment was obviously seen on the raged faces of the protesters most of which were young people from schools and universities. Looking at those angry young crowds who were calling for jihad and taking revenge from the Israeli criminals made me realize how difficult our work as SAVE would be! The same scenes were observed in all Muslim and Arab countries. At the moment, there are a number of events taking place here and there in Yemen to show solidarity with the ship of peace convey.
Without a doubt, these senseless activities and proactive actions plus the absence of international justice always invoke rage and give justification for any terrorist activity to take place which in turn pose a big challenge to achieve peace and reconciliation.
Our humanity mission of SAVE is being challenged again. Like millions of other Indonesians, I am extending my empathy and supports to you and to other Palestinians and Israelis who love peace. May God give you strengths and blessings.
Lots of love and peace, Lily -------- Lily Munir, SAVE Indonesia,
Founder and Chair of the Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CePDeS=
It is with great distress that SAVE sisters from Pakistan received the news that the Israeli naval forces stormed a Gaza-bound vessel carrying humanitarian aid in international waters before dawn on Monday, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring many more. “Very few times in history has a flotilla delivering humanitarian goods been welcomed by military war ships.”
We condemn the assault and killing of innocent people who were attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, who have been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007. We further condemn the flagrant violation of international law by Israel in attacking and boarding a humanitarian convoy in international waters. We pray for all those who are affected by the attack, especially the bereaved families.
We urge the government of Israel to repatriate those detained by the Israeli army. We call for an immediate release of the impounded ships, and an end to the economic blockade of Gaza. It is our considered opinion that the legitimate humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza be met in accordance with international humanitarian law. We further call the UN Security Council to mandate a full investigation into the assault unlike that of December 2008.
The deplorable events which occurred on Monday off the coast of Gaza remind us yet again of the pressing need for an end to the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories. SAVE Sisters from Pakistan reiterates its commitment to work for just and lasting peace in the world along with other SAVE sisters.
Check out this site, find the Israeli embassy nearest you and let them know how you feel.
May our voices for Peace get strengthened with every passing day.
Mossarat Qadeem and SAVE Sisters from Pakistan
----- Mossarat Qadeem, SAVE Pakistan Executive Director of the Paiman Trust, Ashoka Fellow
Students of International Relations and world politics are often told to separate emotions from real politics. Crises are dealt with calculative policies and public outbursts are often ignored on the basis of being two emotional. Having said that, I believe I will have to for a brief period, leave being a political analyst and university faculty to express my views as a human being. Israeli insane action recently has not only disappointed the Muslim world but the peace activists in Israel are equally appalled by Israeli attack on humanitarian aid flotilla.
We in Pakistan are concerned because there were Muslims in the flotilla but also because of the fact that there were three Pakistanis from the media were part of this humanitarian effort.
If we look at the issue politically, it has united the people in the Muslim world like never before, but this does not mean that the regimes in the Muslim world are equally hurt by Israeli actions. The 126 people who are now freed by Israel were from 13 different countries. It is for sure that Israeli administration has emerged as the biggest abuser of the basic human rights in this age of globalization and “peace initiatives."
Israel is encouraged not only by unconditional US support but the inactive, indifferent attitude of the Muslim regimes as well. Israel will think twice if there is no US support available for its unfair actions towards the Palestinians but also that a strong Muslim reaction would be forthcoming wherever there is any injustice done by the Israeli administration. It is so disappointing that many a times despite strong public resentment and agitation in Muslim states against Israeli administration; the Muslim regimes do not appear to comprise their short term interests and do not come up collectively against wrong actions by Israel.
The actions taken by Turkey and Iran were little drops in the ocean but they did manage to get the attention of the world and particularly the UN and US. Jordan and the US managed to get the prisoners released by the Israeli government.
We have to wait and see if Israel continues with its highhandedness against Palestinian or reevaluates its unfair, unjust policies in the region.
Arshi Saleem Hashmi, SAVE Pakistan Research Analyst, Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad AdjunctAssistant Professor, National Defense University, Islamabad
I am deeply regrets the loss of life and the injuries suffered in Gaza. This is humanitarian crisis, and crimes against humanity, I strongly stand against this act, and I hope the EU and international community take action against the killing. This is human rights Violation and it should be handled by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Qoran Noor
Independent Gender and Human Rights Consultant
