July 1989, Page 48

Arabs and Islam

By Catherine M. Willford

Palestinian Women Seek Congressional Inquiry

Members of more than 30 North American chapters of the Union of Palestinian Women's Associations (UPWA) met for their fourth annual convention in Washington, DC, May 26-28. Participants heard reflections on the impact of the intifada from participants from the Israeli-occupied territories and refugee camps in Lebanon.

Delegates worked on plans to strengthen (UPWA) Family Sponsorship Program, through which US families provide the basic material needs of Palestinian families under occupation. UPWA representative Camilia Odeh called the program, "The solidarity of the exiles to the steadfast." Participants also passed a resolution calling for congressional hearings to investigate Israeli human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza, specifying the cases of four convention participants who gave testimony at a May 26 press conference (see page 15). Jane Powers, a Washington, DC, educator who traveled to the occupied territories in February 1988, described seeing "our tax dollars at work in US-manufactured gas grenades, riot gear and settlers with assault rifles." Ms. Sahar Abroad described how she was tortured while in Israeli military custody in Haifa. A nursing mother at the time, she said she was beaten on her breasts, bound and hung by her hands and feet from the ceiling, deprived of food for five days and threatened with rape. At the time of her arrest, Ms. Ahmad was living in Lod, Israel, with her husband, an Israeli citizen, who was also detained.

At the Saturday night banquet, Arab American Institute (AAI) Executive Director Dr. James Zogby delivered a message of solidarity from Reverend and Mrs. Jesse Jackson. Zogby stated that rather than being victims, the women and children of the intifada "have seized their lives into their hands and transformed their society, themselves and all of us."

Umm Jihad Accepts NAAA Award

The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) designated Umm Jihad, a founding member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and widow of PLO leader Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), to accept a posthumous award to her husband for distinguished service to the Arab cause. Abu Jihad was assassinated by an Israeli hit squad at his home in Ibnis last year. Panels at NAAA's 17th annual conference June 18-20 in Washington, DC, focused on a peaceful and just resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a new agenda for reconciliation and reunification in Lebanon, and improved security and US trade relations with the Gulf states.

ADC Publications

The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has made two additions to its growing list of publications. "The Arab Image in American Film and Television" originally appeared as a supplement to Vol. 17 #1 of Cineaste magazine. Produced as a joint project of Cineaste and ADC, the 24-page booklet contains articles by Laurence Michalek, Jack Shaheen and Casey Kasem, interviews with Oscar-winning Syrian-American actor F Murray Abraham and Omar Sharif, a brief overview of the Arab world, a bibliography and a filmography. Free copies are available from ADC.

ADC has also published a 46-page activity report for 1986-88 describing the early history of ADC, its involvement with defamation issues, civil rights, political work and the Palestinian uprising. The report also details ADC's media and public relations activities, legal services, cultural and humanitarian programs, and coalition, outreach and grassroots organizing. Copies of the activity report are $5.00. For either publication contact ADC at 4210 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20008 or call 202-244-2990.

Catherine Willford, the circulation director for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, is a free-lance journalist.