Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2001, page 93

Waging Peace

Three Women of Jerusalem

“I decided to bring three extraordinary women who did not know each other but lived in or near Jerusalem,” Jerri Bird told audiences in 10 U.S. cities in September. “I decided to have these Palestinian and Israeli women talk about peace, because you know the men have made such a mess of it,” she quipped.

The fourth annual Partners for Peace Tour began Sept. 12, the day after the terror attacks on New York and Washington. For 17 days, at more than 50 appearances, these three women faced audiences intensely interested in the relationship between the peace process and the targeting of America.

The three included Michal Shohat, general secretary of the Meretz Party and the only woman to repeat the tour from earlier years; Jean Zarou, a widely known Quaker leader from Ramallah who speaks around the world on the subject of Palestine; and Rawan Damon, an outstanding graduate of Birzeit University who has published two books on the experiences of the 1948 refugee children. The women were encouraged to say anything they wanted to the American audiences they faced.

Ms. Shohat, accompanied by her teenage daughter, Hedar, was due to land at Kennedy Airport only minutes after the attacks on the World Trade Center. She was diverted to Boston and traveled by train to Washington the next day. Ms. Damon was caught in Chicago and joined the group in North Carolina some days later.

Despite the Sept. 11 disaster, the schedule was adhered to, except for two major cancellations—by NPR’s Diane Rheem Show and public television’s News Hour—caused by the need for up-to-the-minute reporting on the crises.

The women addressed audiences at synagogues, churches, World Affairs Councils and Councils on Foreign Relations, and at universities across the country, from Evanston to Boston, Philadelphia to the Triangle area of North Carolina to Indiana University at Bloomington. They met with newspaper editorial boards in most cities they visited, and local television shows, some an hour long, featured the women during what turned out to be a critical period in U.S.-Mideast relations.

Audiences ranged from 500 at Philadelphia’s Mission Shalom Synagogue to 150 at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations on the North Shore in Evanston, Illinois. Quaker and Methodist sites were visited, as was Tufts University. The city council in Bloomington, Indiana, had a ceremony of special thanks to the three women from Jerusalem.

As a result of media coverage, many thousands saw, heard or read about the “extraordinary women.” At one stop in Chicago a man rose to ask a question. “I am sure that if you three ladies sat down at the negotiating table you could reach an agreement on peace,” he observed, “but what about the reality that the leaders will be doing the negotiations? How do you expect your ideas to be adopted?”

All three women held common as well as diverging views on the triple issues of sharing Jerusalem, return of the refugees, creation of a contiguous Palestinian state and a final peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

“The occupation must end, the settlements outside of Jerusalem must be removed, and Jerusalem must be shared,” Ms. Shohat told audiences, “but on the issue of refugees, we cannot take them back into Israel proper (pre-1967 borders).” She also made it plain that all of this could happen only in the context of a true final settlement, with no further claims possible by either side.

Jean Zaru agreed with the first three points, but told audiences that the refugee question must be solved, and Israel must acknowledge its responsibility. The picture she painted for the audiences of living under an occupation almost drew tears on many occasions.

Rawan Damon spent her 10 minutes at each stop describing the difficulties of getting to Birzeit University each day—if Israeli soldiers allowed students to cross the ditch they had dug to block the road. She also told of Israel’s hours-long attacks on Ramallah by U.S.-made planes and helicopters, and the effects on the city’s children.

All three women left the audiences with a strong sense of the need for a will to make the peace process work. They agreed that problems could only be solved in a context of numerous confidence-building measures aimed at eliminating the occupation and bringing the Jewish colonists back within Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

—Eugene Bird

International ANSWER Rallies Thousands in DC

A significant event occurred on the streets of Washington, DC on Sept. 29—just one year and one day after Ariel Sharon, now Israel’s prime minister, provoked the al-Aqsa intifada by his appearance there accompanied by 1,000 Israeli troops. International ANSWER—Act Now to Stop War and End Racism—kicked off a movement to let the U.S. government and the rest of the world know that many Americans are opposed to a war against Arabs and Muslims already beleaguered by our foreign policy.

This event was particularly significant because the people who spoke and those who protested were not the usual crowd seen at such demonstrations. This was a diverse crowd, perhaps best summed up by one of the rallying chants led by a young man from Detroit:“Black, Latino, Arab, Asian, and White, No racist war, Home or abroad, Defend our civil rights. Say what?”

The chant’s upbeat rhythm was echoed in another led by a young woman: “Your mama, your mama, your mama don’t want no war.”

Other chants and signs, however, like the many short speeches delivered to a serious crowd, were more sober. One chant rang out:“1-2-3-4, We don’t want your racist war. 5-6-7-8, We will not cooperate.”

Signs carried messages calling for the defense of civil rights and civil liberties, for a free Palestine, for an “International court not an international crusade,” and stating that “our grief is not a cry for war.” There were signs quoting Gandhi’s observation that “an eye for an eye will only leave the world blind.”

Those with their eyes open who took their convictions to the streets of the nation’s capital included representatives from a number of movements, all of whom were opposed to more senseless wars, more racist targeting, or more foreign policies that might result in a desperate hatred of the U.S.

The Paper Hand Puppet Intervention group out of North Carolina dressed like cranes to teach peace. Also represented was the Black Panther Party and the Green Party. Labor unions, students (of all ages), and professors participated as well. Dr. Hanna Hanania, founder of the Union of Arab Student Associations, spoke. Seeds of Peace members mingled with Veterans for Peace who rubbed shoulders with the Bread and Puppet Circus, whose gaily painted bus was singled out for police attention, while a clown and a unicyclist looked on. Jugglers juggled and a woman spray painted slogans on shirts and signs. From individuals with guitars and makeshift drums to organized groups such as Korean drummers and a four-piece band, people played and sang peace songs. One older man played his clarinet and a group of children played their drums. The National Lawyers Guild observed and assisted where necessary.

Churches were out in force. The Rev. Lucius Walker of Pastors for Peace told the demonstrators that they were the lights necessary to shed light on the darkness of evil around them. Rev. Graylan Hagler of the Plymouth Congregational Church spoke for the crowd when he stated, “We stand with people around the world, we stand with peace, we stand with justice.” The Archdiocese of Detroit was represented, and Rev. Kiyul Chung, a Korean-American activist added his voice. Buddhist monks prayed.

Palestinians were among the crowd as well. Although there were not many Arabs evident, Palestinian flags and Al-Awda T-shirts calling for the right of return abounded. And almost every speaker mentioned the plight of Palestinians, Iraqis, and Afghanis suffering under U.S. policies. Artist Samia Halaby, whose works have been shown in the Guggenheim Museum and the Chicago Art Institute, and Amer Jubran from Al-Awda spoke, as did a Greek member of the European Union. Filippinos lent their support, holding aloft white paper birds, and a Japanese group sent hand-signed and hand-made posters in solidarity. A representative from the Puerto Rico-based movement to stop the U.S. naval practice bombing in Vieques addressed the crowd, as did the director of the Nicaragua Network. Feminist groups and members of gay, lesbian, and trans-gendered groups spoke out. Doctors and health care activists added their calls for peace and reflection. The president of the Durham, North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, Rev. Curtis Gatewood, came and spoke, despite the fact that he had missed his plane because of a flap over the tweezers in his wife’s purse.

Macrina Alarcon of the Mexico Support Network reminded the protesters that while they “grieved over the deaths of friends in New York and Washington, they must not forget the deaths of those around the world.” One who will never forget the deaths of those in New York is “Ground Zero” medic James Creedon, who lost four friends and fellow workers in the collapse of the twin towers, yet still organized medics to take care of ailing and injured protesters, as well as finding time to speak to them about how terrible it would be if even more died in retaliatory actions.

Craig Newman of the AFSCME labor union pointed out that organizing against further terror is respecting those who lost their lives due to terror. Washington, DC activist Damu Smith observed that white men with crew cuts were not singled out for discrimination after Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah Building, and Richard Becker of ANSWER and the IAC told protesters that they were there to send a signal around the country that Sept. 29 was the first day of the ANSWER movement, but not the last. It may well have been the first day of broader recognition in the U.S. for the rights of Palestinians in their homeland.

—Sara Powell

Mourners Hold Interfaith Prayer Vigil

Muslims, Jews and Christians gathered together Sept. 12 in St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral, to mourn the loss of lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Worshippers from the three Abrahamic faiths tried to put aside politics and focus on their shared beliefs.

Every speaker, with the exception of Minister for Public Affairs from the Embassy of Israel Moshe Fox, agreed that Americans should unite to love their neighbors as themselves and curb the temptation for vengeance and retribution. Each said that if Americans lash out to attack others, we sink to the level of terrorists ourselves—and that, they emphasized, means terrorism has succeeded.

Georgetown University’s Imam Yahya Hendi gave the traditional comforting Muslim call to prayer from the church pulpit.

Rabbi Scott Sperling read words from the Torah that advised worshippers to love their enemies. He urged those present to let these difficult times bring out the best in each person, not the worst.

Before reading from the Qur’an, Imam Hendi said that when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, he felt as if his soul also was hit. He then read the Qur’anic verse that states that Muslims may not take a life, and that killing one person is like killing all of mankind. The destiny of all people in the world, the imam said, is tied up with the destiny and the freedom of America.

Moshe Fox, speaking on behalf of the Israeli Embassy, said that the recent attack was a direct assault on democracy and freedom, and that the terrorists sought to undermine all modern civilization. He argued that the “family of free nations has the inalienable right to unite in an uncompromising fight to eradicate terrorism from the face of the earth.”

On behalf of the Palestinian people and leadership, Palestine National Authority chief representative Hasan Abdel Rahman expressed condolences to the families of the victims, the American government and all its people. He reminded worshippers that this horrendous act was inconsistent with Muslim and Arab beliefs and values. The Palestinian leadership opposes and condemns terrorism, Abdel Rahman said, adding that he’d like to tell those responsible for this horrendous action that “they do not belong to us and they do not serve any cause, regardless of who they are.…We are against them and condemn them.”

Abdel Rahman said Palestinians share America’s grief in this moment of sadness. Palestinian schools would hold a day of mourning the following day, he announced, in solidarity with the American public. Noting that many Palestinians are graduates of American schools, he said that “they share your deep sense of sadness and the hope that this is the last of the atrocities that the American people will suffer.”

He also asked worshippers to remember Palestinians, who have suffered a military occupation for 35 years and spent the last year under siege.

Abdel Rahman urged Americans not to point fingers at Arab- and Muslim-Americans who could be victimized in these uncertain times because of their religion, or the way they look or dress. “I urge you all to be tolerant and not condemn others,” he said.

Various Muslim- and Arab-American speakers echoed those feelings as they lamented that, in the midst of their grief, they also fear harassment. Margaret Zaknoen, director of programs for American Muslims for Jerusalem, said she wondered if American wealth and power is not a blessing, but a test. She suggested recognizing the humanity of others and examining the role U.S. policy has on people around the world.

Another Palestinian American, a survivor of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, said she had to come to the service because she felt shaken and afraid, and as vulnerable as her aunts and sister in Ramallah. “They live through this fear every day,” she said. “As Americans we need to look out for each other and build bridges and friendships throughout the world.”

One audience member summed up the thoughts of everyone in the room when he said, “Yesterday I was changed.” He advised people as they left to love unconditionally and share that love throughout the world. “God bless America,” he concluded, “land that I love.”

Reverend Charles Demere of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington’s Commission on Peace concluded the service by asking for prayers for the victims, their families, the emergency workers, as well as Americans who are living abroad who will surely face fear and uncertainty in the coming days as they serve in the American diplomatic corps, the Peace Corps, and on behalf of various businesses and organizations.

—Delinda Hanley

Peace Corps 40th Anniversary Celebration Includes Peace Vigil

Hundreds of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), staff and their friends held a “Peace Vigil” Sept. 22 on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Thousands of RPCVs were scheduled to gather in Washington, DC for a four-day conference and special events Sept. 20-23 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps and the contributions of the 161,000 volunteers who have served in 135 countries. Because of the logistical difficulties of traveling to Washington, DC in the aftermath of the tragic Sept. 11 attack, many of the events were postponed until next year.

National Peace Corps Association leaders went ahead with plans to build, from start to finish, a playground in Washington, DC’s Anacostia neighborhood on Sept. 22. Later that afternoon RPCVs, carrying the colorful flags from the countries in which they had served, marched up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to listen to speeches by founding Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver, Rep. Sam Farr (Colombia 1964-66), and other special guests.

In moving speeches and readings returned volunteers said they were concerned that the goodwill earned by their years of service in developing countries, including Afghanistan, could be erased if the United States started a bombing campaign. Referring to Muslim-, Arab- and Sikh-bashing in America, another volunteer spoke of the tolerance shown to American volunteers in Muslim lands. He hated the thought, he said, that Americans could be intolerant on their own soil. Another speaker, Father Brennan, concluded that somehow we must bring some good out of the evil of this tragedy.

—Delinda C. Hanley

Wartburg College Grants Bishop Munib Younan Honorary Doctorate

Wartburg College President Jack R. Ohle conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree upon Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) at Opening Convocation Sept. 4 in Waverly, Iowa.

Younan, who was born into a Palestinian refugee family, has played an integral role in ecumenical and interfaith discussions in the Middle East. Still, he was surprised that Wartburg would offer him an honorary degree. When the ELCJ secretary told Younan of the honor, the bishop asked “Are you sure it is for me?”

“[It is] with great honor and a sense of humility I stand before you, overwhelmed by your generous offer,” Younan told the crowd assembled Tuesday on Wartburg’s south campus mall. “I stand before you with great thankfulness. You have awarded me more than I deserve.”

Exactly one week earlier Bishop Younan had received international attention because of his confrontation with the Israeli military which had occupied the Reformation Lutheran Church in Beit Jala, its orphanage, and a guest house (see story p. 67).

“As I receive this award on this celebrative occasion, my Palestinian people are still living under occupation, and the spiral of violence day by day is reaching new heights,” Younan explained. “We live in a situation where violence is the language of the day.

“My people do not want anything more than to live in dignity and freedom,” he said. “We want our children to have the same opportunities as your children here in America. My people want to live in freedom, security and equality with the Israeli people. We are searching for life, and life abundantly as Christ wants it.”

Earlier this year, Younan received the Finnish Peace Prize from the Finnish Christian Peace Movement for his work to promote peace in the Middle East. His wife, Suad, and the youngest of their three children, Martha, accompanied him to Waverly.

Bishop Younan was nominated for the Doctor of Divinity degree last spring. “The nomination is appropriate to Wartburg College because of our focus on global education and long-standing programs in the Middle East,” said Wartburg president Ohle. “Bishop Younan is an individual whose character, conduct and career are in accord with the fundamental principles underlying Wartburg’s educational mission.”

—Fred Strickert

Urgent Appeal for Assistance

The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) requests the support of Washington Report readers for its First Aid and Emergency Response Program. Funds will be used to purchase medical supplies needed by first aid volunteers who are often first on the scene of clashes throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

UPMRC was founded by doctors who spent their days off traveling to Palestinian communities with no access to basic medical services. They soon found themselves responding to emergency health needs. During the first intifada they sent out emergency mobile teams to provide basic medical and primary health care services to residents of the West Bank and Gaza who could not reach medical facilities.

In 1996 the UPMRC developed an extensive First Aid Training program to prepare communities across the occupied territories for mobilization in times of crisis. To date, nearly 17,000 Palestinians have been trained in basic first aid and emergency response. These teams now constitute a grassroots first aid network ready to assist communities in emergencies.