If
I was Yasser Arafat ...
By
Asem Judeh
On
17 November 1998, late Professor Edward Said held a
special meeting with students, the future of any nation, at
Birzeit University.
In
a wide-ranging discussion, topics ranged from the current
political situation in Palestine to the changing nature of
society globally.
On
that special meeting, late Professor Said made an important and
accurate observation about Palestinian way of thinking. He said
that:
"We
should never ignore Israeli society but unfortunately it is
virtually unknown to Arab society especially the Palestinian. I
know for a fact that there is no single institution in Palestine
that is dedicated to studying Israeli society. On the
other hand, consider how many institutions there are in Israel
devoted to studying the Arab society and Palestinian society. You
will notice then the difference between us and them. We are a
torn apart, divided and regressive society in comparison with the
Israeli society, which is a modern, dynamic and complex society."
(The
full text can be found at http://www.birzeit.edu/ourvoice/society/nov/said1198.html)
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will ensure that Palestinian
Authority (PA) first priority to build, support and finance
a Palestinian institution to study/research the Israeli
society manipulated by Zionism.
Since
1995 Oslo agreement until 28 September 2000, Israeli/Zionist
major propaganda war was about Palestinian leadership
mismanagement and corruption. Once the Palestinian Intifada
started, 28 September 2000, Israeli/Zionist propaganda war was
Palestinian violence.
After
September 11, 2000, Israeli/Zionist main propaganda war was
Palestinian terrorism.
Zionist
State of Israel aiming from these propaganda war to lead to civil
war between Palestinians.
The
seeds of civil war doesn't exists within Palestinian society, it
exists within Israeli Zionist manipulated society.
Sharon
public relation plan to relocate all "problematic"
settlements in Gaza Strip angered Settlers' groups and senior
politicians who came out immediately against the plan, which
would affect about 7,500 Jews in 17 Gaza settlements.
Didn't
extreme settlers killed former Israeli PM Rabin because he said
that he will exchange land for peace with Palestinians!
An
Israeli Zionist settler, who educated and manipulated by Zionism
about the 'promised land' said that:
"IF
the Golan is turned over to Syria and 1 am forced to abandon my
home in Kibbutz Ortal, I will survive as a person, but
my belief in Zionism and the State of Israel will die,"
says Yael Gal, a member of the settlement almost since its
foundation 20 years ago." (Source Australian Jewish News 'If
the Golan goes' 26 November 1999)
I
am sure that you still remember Self-Hating and/or Israel-Threatening
List by extremist Zionist http://masada2000.org/abc-list.html.
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will build Palestinian civil
society based on democratic institutions and rule of law.
I
will open public debate about Palestinian military struggle, stop
suicide bombers and limit Palestinian military struggle within
the Palestinian occupied territories.
One
of the main reasons that Zionist State want to end the
Intifada is to protect Israel's image around the world and most
importantly amongst the world Jewry.
After
September 11, Palestinians organizations needs to think seriously
about the any military operation inside Israel or that targeting
Israeli civilians.
Simply
because September 11 events changed the world. United States will
not be able to invade and occupy Iraq if there is no September 11.
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will build memorial for late Alijah
Gordon who had spent the best part of her life not only
campaigning for the Palestinian cause but building real
INSTITUTIONS that supports most forgotten people on the earth,
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Gordon,
an American by birth, was trustee of a Malaysia-led Palestinian
trust fund set up in 1988 to improve the lives of Palestinians,
in particular children.
She
later headed the Malaysian Sociological Research Institute (MSRI)
.
Born
Shirley Doris Gordon, she was a scholar, historian and socio-political
activist who was never far from controversy because of her strong
opinions against social injustice.
[Image
- Late Alijah Gordon.jpg]
A file
photo of Dr Alijah with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in June 2001
at the launch of The
Propagation of Islam in the Indonesian-Malay
Archipelago, a book
published by MSRI, which she had edited
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will build and name Palestinian
institutions in the name of those who devoted their life working
and campaigning for Palestinian long history of suffering like
late Alijah Gordon.
To
remind Palestinians who forgotten their own people in the camps.
To
encourage Palestinian Diaspora to donate from their time and
money and campaign for their own people.
To
remind Muslim and Arab world that they didn't do enough for
Palestinians.
To
remind Christian world that the Holocaust is not their crime, but
their shocking silence and if they don't speak the truth now, it’s
a crime.
To
encourage Jews around the world to speak out the truth against
Israel's crime in their name and "Stop talking about
the Holocaust. Stop talking about what people owe us. Stop all
that rhetoric about Jews being special. I challenge my own
community. If we want helicopter gunships to define us as a
people, say it, but don’t pretend that helicopter gunships
are not defining us."
(American-Jewish
Professor Marc Ellis at Religion Report ABC Radio National 1/8/2000).
God
knows how many people like late Alijah Gordon.
I
personally, knew many of them.
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will appoint person like Hanan
Ashrawi to manage a Palestinian institution related to
Palestinian Diaspora.
To empower the Palestinian Diaspora
communities and strong ties with Palestine. This will help
Palestinian under occupation and Diaspora around the world to
build an international public relation campaign.
Then
Palestinians when they die they will die with peace and not say
what late Edward Said said before his death.
Late
Edward Said said his daughter, Najla, few days before his
death:
"In
his last days my father wept openly for Palestine and his loss
of articulacy and energy to write and write and write.
He
encouraged me, from his bed, to "continue the struggle,
continue...get over your petty personal
differences with your colleagues and write and perform and
continue, continue unceasingly. Its in your hands"
this was meant for our entire generation and it is important
for me to convey this to you because I certainly can’t
shoulder the burden myself. I am amazed that this is coming
out so articulately, as I am weeping as I write.
much
loveloveloved Najla said" (Najla Said email message
25 September 2003)
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will appoint a Jewish person, anti-Zionist, to
manage and run a Jewish-Palestinian institution to fight
Zionism racism. And communicate with the world Jewry.
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... I will strongly support institutions
like Deir Yassin Remembered www.deiryassin.org and help in building
memorials for DYR in Palestine and around the world.
“Fifty
years after the liberation of the death camps - in fact
highlighted at this time - in memorials, museums, restitution,
apologies, and confessions are still being made for and to the
Jewish people. Could it be that on the fiftieth anniversary of
Deir Yassin, similar memorials, museums, restitution, apologies,
and confessions will likewise be made at Deir Yassin and in
Jerusalem by Jews, including leaders of the Israeli state, to a
Palestinian people en route to their belated and necessary
empowerment? Memorialization without justice is, of course, an
empty symbol that may compound the injury.
Justice
gives a hearing and meaning to the victims and the possibility of
a future that remembers the pain of the past as a difficult road
to a place from which a shared life may emerge from what is
already a shared tragedy.” (Marc Ellis source DYR
book Remembering Deir Yassin: The Future of Israel and
Palestine. Edited by Dan McGowan and Marc Ellis)
These
memorials and museums will encourage every Palestinian to
write their own history of long suffering and persecution and
publish there testimonies in books.
Late
Alijah Gordon edited book about Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
titled 'Palestinians Speak: I Painted the Snow Black ...
because we're afraid of the days'. How many books or
testimonies in English collected/written/edited by Palestinian
writers or institutions other than the work done by BADIL www.badil.org?
That will help and encourage the
free nations to speak out the truth and most importantly put an
end to pro-Israel intimidation and deliberate continuous attack
on freedom of speech. Then people will not be intimidated like Professor
Stuart Rees, who said that "I've never given way to
bullying. Public life is too much characterized by cowardice. If
we give way I'd be so ashamed I couldn't face myself. The image
of the Peace Foundation would be shameful. Our reputation would
count for nothing"
(Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/24/1066974313719.html)
If
I was Yasser Arafat ... and did that that will
accelerate the defeat of Zionism ideology. Then people in
Israel/Palestine (Jews, Christians and Muslims) will share the
land forever. That will lead to a One State Solution for all and
free of any racism. That will lead to a better understanding
between all religions.
In
peace,
Asem
Judeh
Melbourne,
Australia
mobile:
0415 802 780
P.S.
The writer strongly supports Yasser Arafat leadership and he
never criticized his leadership and talked about corruption,
mismanagement and human rights violations because he was
monitoring and researching Israel Zionist State and Zionism
before late Edward Said made his strong and accurate observation
that "that there is no single institution in Palestine
that is dedicated to studying Israeli society." The
writer strongly believe that the Israeli barbaric Military
occupation is the main reason for the so-called Palestinian
corruption and human rights violations and most importantly
occupation = terrorism. The writer has made various
public submissions about Israel, Zionism, Israel-Palestine issue,
and freedom of speech. The writer known late Alijah Gordon very
well since 2001. Since then Late Gordon gave the writer moral
support for most of the issues he raised.
©
Asem Judeh, Melbourne-Australia 2004
Supporting
documents:
1.
your ABC and the so-called Palestinian corruption: ABC
PM report 'Australian-funded Palestine project under
scrutiny',
3 May 2000, (http://www.abc.net.au/pm/s123445.htm)
2.
SBS documentary film 'Arafat's Authority political chaos,
corruption and human rights violations inside Palestinian
Authority, 1999'
3. More
about late Alijah Gordon: http://www.bahethcenter.org/english/index/Ind13.htm
4.
First supportive email and letter from late Alijah Gordon. She
will be remembered by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon for ever.
31
March 2001
Asem
Judeh
Chairperson
Palestinian
Refugee Exile Awareness (PREA)
P.O.
Box 2080
Templestowe
Heights 3107
Dear
Friend,
MSRI/Medical
Aid for Palestinians
MSRI/Sponsorship
of Palestinian Children
We
received a copy of your e-mail addressed to Peter Nugent, MP,
Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee, Parliament House,
Canberra. Please urgently give us the details on Mohammed Dawood
and we will appeal/protest via the Australian High Commission
here. We need to know his age, from where he has come and why he
attempted to enter Australia, apparently ‘illegally’.
Of course, all Palestinians suffer, but unless he’s a
survivor of torture or other clear abuse, I wouldn’t have
much hope. At least half or more of the Palestinians in Lebanon
are registered with UNRWA, but that does not constitute grounds
for fleeing to another country.
We
were also appalled to learn that Australia has offered 200 places
to Lebanese "Lahad" families, if indeed they were
linked with the South Lebanese Army. Are they coming direct from
Lebanon or from Israel? We will also raise this point with the
Australians.
Kindly
give our salaams to Brother Ali Kazak. If his publication still
exists, we would welcome receiving copies.
Wassalaam,
Dr/Ms
Alijah Gordon
TRUSTEE
MALAYSIAN
SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
49
JALAN U THANT (JKR 2825) 55000 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
TEL:
6-03-4252-8699/4257 8649; FAX: 6-03-4252 8709
--------------------------------------------------------
Copy
of letter to the High Commissioner of Australia in KL, 05 April
2001
05
April 2001
Fax:
241 5773
Confirmation
copy by
Poslaju:
ED 605331765 MY
(3
Sheets)
H.E.
Mr. Peter Varghese
The
High Commissioner
Australian
High Commission
No.
6 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450
Kuala Lumpur
Your
Excellency,
Concern
over Mr. Philip Ruddock’s decision to bring 200 South
Lebanese Army (SLA) families to Australia
Should
Mr. Ruddock not be aware of the atrocities that occurred in Khiam
Prison, run by the SLA in South Lebanon, I would recommend that
he read a chapter in our recently released book — Palestinians
Speak: I Painted the Snow Black … because we’re afraid
of the days — being a testimony from one of the women
who was abused in that infamous prison.
When
the Israelis unilaterally withdrew from the area they had
illegally occupied since the early 1980s, those SLA families that
fled with them to Israel were in fear of retribution from the
Lebanese masses. If their hands had been clean, they needn’t
have feared; there has been no retribution taken against such
persons by the Lebanese villagers or even by Hizbullah. However,
there is a legal process being carried out by the Lebanese
Government to prosecute war criminals and collaborators. Might
that not be the reason they fled? We’re appalled that
Australia would offer a haven to those families; properly, they
should remain in Israel, the country to which they gave their
loyalty rather than to their own country, Lebanon.
At
the same time that this decision has been taken by your
government (see The Age of Wednesday, 04 April) Mohammed
Dawood, a Palestinian refugee registered with UNRWA, has been
detained in a room with no window at Maribyrnong, one of your
detention centres, for the past six months. Apparently, in
desperation, he had attempted suicide. In response, according to
a letter from one of your citizens published in The Age,
he had his hands and feet bound for 48 hours, and his legs still
bore the scars four days later.
What
could it possibly benefit Australia to willingly harbour Human
Rights abusers and on the other hand, refuse entry to a
registered Palestinian refugee? In our era of the multimedia, one
cannot hide one’s deeds. We would pray for a reversal of Mr.
Ruddock’s decisions.
Respectfully,
Dr/Ms
Alijah Gordon
CHAIRMAN
ac.
Hanan Masri, Beit Atfal as-Samoud
E-mail:
NISCVT@socilacare.org
Mohideen
Abdul Kader, Co-ordinator Asean Network for Palestine
E-mail:
bpo32@hotmail.com
Josef
Roy Benedict, Co-ordinator Amnesty Malaysia
E-mail:
amnesty@tm.net.my
Ahmad
Kamal Ali, CENPEACE
E-mail:
cenpeace@tm.net.my
Ahmad
Azam Abdul Rahman, Chairman ABIM
E-mail: abim@po.jaring.my
