Blogs
Justin Podur's Blog
Web Address:
http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/justinpodur
Bio:
Justin Podur is a writer and editor for ZNet (www.zmag.org), part of Z Communications, an alternative media organization dedicated to political analysis and support for movements for social change....
(More)
All Podur Blogs
Recent Podur Content
ZNet Articles
ZMag Articles
ZCommentaries
ZAudios
ZVideos
Blog Posts
ZStores
Two events on Friday
On Friday morning I went to an event called "Prominent Canadians speak out against the bombing of Lebanon". It was at a banquet room of a five-star hotel in downtown Toronto. The hotel is actually right next to the Israeli consulate, where many a rally and vigil has occurred over the past decades.
Given my background and work with activist groups, I felt some discomfort at the title, the self-identification of the speakers as "prominent Canadians", and the setting at a major hotel. I understood the logic though. Our society is a hierarchical one. The "prominent" have authority to speak, the non-prominent do not. Press conferences are held at hotels. When activist groups hold press conferences in outdoor, public spaces, like the OCAP press conferences I've been to, often the press doesn't bother to show up. So, perhaps by setting up this panel in a hotel, and identifying the speakers as prominent, the press would show up, despite the press's truly stark, and ever-increasing, racism on this topic. Right?
Evidently not. I saw a CityTV video camera there, and heard that some CanWest outfit was in attendance as well as the Toronto Sun. I haven't yet checked if they covered it at all. In addition, there was a scattering of members of the public. I'd say twenty in all.
I cannot say anything bad about the panel, though.
Michael Mandel, a law professor, spoke about the violations of international law committed by Israel. Anton Kuerti, a concert pianist, talked of the humanitarian situation based on his following the press. Judith Weisman, from Jewish Women's Committee to end the Occupation, read from Jennifer Loewenstein's recent piece, which I had been so moved by two days before when the piece had come out that I had to write Jennifer right away (reading Jennifer's article was as cathartic as watching George Galloway's interview on Sky News). Weisman also told some personal stories of the constant humiliation of Palestinians that she had witnessed, evidence that we have completely lost our moral compass. Atif Kubursi, a UN consultant and professor of economics, emphasized the humanitarian situation based on his recent work in Lebanon. He also very skillfully explained various aspects of the political situation in Lebanon, support for Hizbullah, etc. David Orchard, who organized the event, spoke about Canada's trajectory away from international law and towards support for war crimes, under Harper. A young Lebanese-Canadian scientist spoke about the effects on the victims and what she'd been hearing from her family in Lebanon.
While Weisman raised the issue of Palestine and the important connection between the events in Lebanon and Palestine, I do worry that even in "progressive" circles this connection is fading. Of course, the UN resolution that was just ratified gives nothing to the Palestinians, instead rewarding Israel for its destruction and slaughter. And Hizbullah, whether or not they undertook their July 12 operation to try to relieve Gaza, has been, since the Israeli invasion and for some time to come will be, too occupied to be able to think about helping the Palestinians. But leftists who are trying to mobilize solidarity from positions of relative safety should never forget the connection, for two reasons. First, there is the ethical obligation. Our societies are actively participating in the re-destruction of Lebanon, yes, but our societies have been participating in the destruction of Palestine for decades, and that means we owe something to the victims. Second, there is no way to even begin to understand what is happening, Israel's motives and decisions, as well as those who are resisting Israel, without understanding Palestine and what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.
----
The second event I went to was a Sumoud fundraiser. Sumoud is a Toronto-based group that tries to educate and organize for Palestinian political prisoners. The prisoner issue is of course central to events in Palestine and Lebanon. Israel has thousands of Palestinians locked up in its prisons: 9,000 adult male prisoners, 300 children, 100 women - those were the numbers at the start of this current crisis. Israel has since kidnapped probably 600 more Palestinians.
The Sumoud event was a cultural event at a union hall, and it was very well attended, and I think successful as a fundraiser for relief in Lebanon and prisoner organizations in Palestine (the split will be 50-50 I believe). There was plenty of Arabic music and dancing, with much of the crowd singing and dancing along. The first act was a pair of poets who did spoken word, a style of rap where the rapper provides the music by singing/rapping the words of the poem. I've seen a lot of spoken word, now, some of it political. I've seen it in the US where I suspect the genre started, and here in Canada. It is a beautiful form, a good way to deliver surprises and wit, as well as convey powerful messages and emotions. On all of those counts, the performers last night were spectacular. The two who performed last night are my first and second favourite of the spoken word poets I've heard.
None of the news papers
By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 13, 2006 15:19 PM
Reply this comment
Letter to President Bush
By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 12, 2006 22:21 PM
From: The desk of Courtenay Francis Raymond Barnett
To: President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington D.C.
U.S.A.
11th August, 2006
Dear George,
Re: Terrorism
This is a personal appeal for you to decide. I know that you are “the decider” who will make sensible decisions once you read this letter. The topic is terrorism.
The noun “terrorism” is on a lot of peoples' minds.
The Oxford English dictionary informs me that the word means, “use of violence and intimidation especially for political purposes.”
I recall Nelson Mandela resorting to violence when peaceful requests failed to achieve his political ends of justice and representation for all South Africans. The Palestinians seem likewise to have been radicalised over time after their legitimate political grievances for justice, representation and statehood were ignored.
Keeping occupied land, not respecting the dictates of UN Resolution 242 while not withdrawing to the 1967 borders, imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians, building Apartheid walls around the Palestinians, of course are the types of minor irritants that could never in the minds of fair and just people ever constitute any form of violence or intimidation for political purposes –never! It is the Palestinian terrorists that we need to fight George for they are the core of the problem.
Your attitude does seem to be that we must fight Arabs ( unless they become compliant partners such as our friends in the House of Saud), Moslems, immigrants, communists like Hugo Chavez and the majority that democratically support him in Venezuela, poor people at home and abroad, minorities, liberals and working people everywhere – to mention a few of the human vermin we must oppose to defend democracy. Surely, it is not hard to accept that it is all the above people most likely to use terrorist bombs, but the ones who build and supply the bombs even from the US can never be termed terrorists.
Your policies are truly just because you fight the Islamic terrorists. Best to supply bigger and better bombs to Israel George, to kill all the terrorists.
It really was necessary to permit this war in Lebanon to escalate because you genuinely want a just and lasting peace and we do need to find and kill all the terrorists, every last one. As the world can see, your decision to let the war in Lebanon continue has produced admirable results. Terrorist bridges have been destroyed, terrorist babies have been killed, terrorist highways have been bombed, terrorist apartment buildings have been razed to the ground, substantial terrorist infrastructure has been reduced to rubble, terrorist highways are left impassable, entire terrorist families driving along with their few personal belongings have been annihilated, and even a fair number of terrorist octogenarians have been removed from their life of terrorism. We appreciate that this occurred because it was necessary and you had to decide wisely and humanely to let the cycle of hatred and slaughters continue so as to kill the terrorists.
It is widely appreciated that your policies are ever increasingly promoting social cohesion and global peace being the compassionate conservative humanitarian that you are.
The policy prescriptions relied on to find and kill all terrorists, has let the majority of sensible people in the world glean that terrorists are born and are not bred by their circumstances and perceptions. It thus remains constructive for you to continue pursuing
every terrorist baby and get to them with more pre-emptive invasions to those countries in which the terrorists are born.
It would, of course, be unjust at this stage, to suggest for a moment, that the idea of occupying others' countries, ousting foreign leaders, or worse yet inviting their assassination is anything other than the use of violence or intimidation for political purposes. However, we can rest assured that legitimate force deployed by your good self as Commander in Chief is quite distinct from the savage terrorism that truly dangerous people employ in the world.
George, with your brilliant mind, clear-headed grasp of the dynamics of world affairs, and even deeper knowledge of history these attributes leave us in no doubt that you will continue with the great job that you are doing. Your distinguished military career is an ever supporting great asset which gives us even more confidence in the personal sacrifices you are willing to make to protect our freedoms with the demonstrated bravery you have at heart.
More time is needed George, we do understand. Your handling of the Palestine problem assures us of a lasting peace based on your decisions as we continue to rout out the terrorists. When we consider Israel, I, along with many more millions in the world, take solace that you are a faith-based leader and decider. Israel, you have decided, is totally correct and there was no need for an immediate ceasefire in the Lebanon war. Let the disproportionate bombing continue, the deaths and hatreds spread and the cycle of violence roam the Middle East and escape into the wider world. The world remains extremely appreciative of these charitable decisions – and we know that charity does begin at home from the White House.
The sensible, decent, freedom and peace loving majority of the world are with you and your policies George.
Believe me George, that I speak for literally millions of people around the world who see events in the way I have described. Despite the genie of hatred having been let out free to roam the Middle East – we are confident that you know how to and will catch and put him permanently back in his bottle with your policies. We also know that your polices are assured of winning your unending “ war on terror”. Obdurate as the “war on terror” is, you have a wonderful grasp of events and the laws of cause and effect that will ensure that you win this unending war that you have declared on the world.
As we struggle for justice in this world of your design and desire, we ( some of us in graves) rest assured that so too do you struggle for your own special brand of justice and global peace.
Compassionately yours as well.
Yours faithfully,
Courtenay
P.S. Remember that you are a respected and great student of history George who will recall these words: "This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Courtenay Barnett is a graduate of London University. His areas of study were economics, political science and international law. He has been a practising lawyer for over twenty years, has been arrested for defending his views, and has argued public interest and human rights cases. His web site: www.globaljusticeonline.com where this letter appears on the blog.
Reply this comment
re : Are you saying that leftists
By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 12, 2006 20:23 PM
Reply this comment
Connections
By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 12, 2006 18:33 PM
Reply this comment
Are you saying that leftists
By Kissenger, Clark at Aug 12, 2006 14:17 PM
Reply this comment