Emergency Gaza Rally - A Jewish Perspective

An emergency rally for the people of Gaza was held in Edmonton on November 17. Organized by the Edmonton Coalition Against War & Racism (ECAWAR) and the Palestine Solidarity Network, the rally joined others that have been taking place around the world over the past few days in light of Israeli aggression against Gaza. What else can the world expect - there is an election coming up in Israel, and Netanyahu has to play the big man now, responding with force far times greater than the rockets being fired into Israel. While I certainly don't agree with aggression on either side of this conflict, it is hard for me to understand the concept of Israel's argument of self-defense. When a people who are under an illegal and inhumane blockade rise up in arms against those who put them in that situation, the argument that Israel is defending itself it almost ridiculous.

I was asked to speak on behalf of Independent Jewish Voices as well as sing. Unfortunately, the temperatures were a bit cold to play the guitar outside, so I recited the lyrics to one of my songs about the Middle East conflict called "The Side of Peace." Below is my speech and poem. For a full set of photos from the event, click here. For videos, click here.

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Independent Jewish Voices has chapters in eight cities across the country and consists of Canadian Jews from diverse backgrounds who share a strong commitment to social justice and universal human rights, to reclaim the tradition of Jewish support for universal freedoms, human rights, and social justice. In fact, we believe that the broad spectrum of opinion amongst the Jewish population of this country is not reflected by institutions that claim to represent Jewish communities as a whole. We believe that individuals and groups should feel free to express their views on any issue of public concern without incurring accusations of disloyalty and we are compelled to speak out because of the lessons we have learned from our own history.

As such, Independent Jewish Voices condemns Israel’s latest attack on the Palestinians trapped in Gaza by Israel’s illegal blockade. Israel has euphemistically dubbed the operation “Pillar of Defense” (alternately Pillar of Cloud).

However, as one IJV Steering Committee member, Dylan Penner, has pointed out, “Israel’s latest attack on Gaza is not a ‘Pillar of Defense.’ It’s a Pillar of War Crimes, which we have a moral obligation to oppose.” He also goes on to say that, “This latest atrocity is compounded by the fact that, thanks to Israel’s illegal and inhumane blockade, for the people who live in Gaza there is no escape.”

Just look at recent history - four years ago, Israel launched its “Operation Cast Lead” on the Gaza Strip. Over 1400 Palestinians were killed — over a third of whom were innocent women and children. Israel claimed moral righteousness while committing this massacre, but the United Nations later found that Israel committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity and that “the assault was designed to humiliate and terrorize a civilian population.” Amnesty International concluded that Israel’s aggression amounted to “22 days of death and destruction.”

I am a Canadian-born Jewish woman who believes strongly in the Jewish value of tikkun olam, which means healing or repairing the world. When I see the devastating and inhumane and illegal treatment of the Palestinian people by a government and military supposedly representing my religion and culture, it is with a deeply broken heart.

The actions of the Israeli government and military is antithetical to the true values of Judaism which include compassion, reason, and social justice. It is for these reasons that I cannot support such actions. I find it horribly offensive for any of the brutality in Palestine to be attributed to being in my name – it is not in my name. It tarnishes my religion and culture.

I encourage other Jewish people to really look at the situation objectively and not through the idealized notions of Israel with which many of us were raised. To blindly support a nation and its government because of misplaced nationalistic fervour or perceived ownership based on selective Biblical interpretation is illogical.

Zionism and Judaism are not the same thing. Historically Zionism was opposed by almost all organized branches of Judaism. Even today, not all Jews are Zionists. Actually, Zionism’s strongest cheerleaders today are Christians. So, accusations that anti-Zionism equals anti-Semitism are very much unfounded and merely a way of stirring up trouble towards those people who are critics of Israel.

In fact, there are many Jewish voices from within Israel and around the world who are opposed to the Israeli colonial settlement policy in the Occupied Territories and those voices are getting stronger. Thank you.

The Side of Peace I’ve marched in Gaza rallies
And sung for Arab crowds
Though some of my relations
Think I should not be allowed.
I’m asked why do I do it?
Or if I’m scared at the very least;
The only answer that I have,
Is I’m on the side of Peace.

I always say I’m Jewish,
It’s part of who I am.
So is speaking out
For human rights as best I can.
This conflict is immoral
I want it all to cease
And that is why I take a stand
On the side of Peace.

When innocent civilians
Are killed day after day
By military massacres
I have the right to say
Collective punishment is wrong
As the death tolls increase.
The only way to save lives
Is on the side of Peace.

Unlike so many others
I can’t support a nation
When it’s so horrific towards
Part of the population
Yes, the leaders are not innocent
But the children are, indeed
So are all the others who
Are on the side of Peace.

It’s easy to be silent
Or toe the party line
Complicity is for cowards
Who are part of the crime.
I will never be accused
Of groveling on my knees
I stand with my conscience
On the side of Peace.

© 2009 Paula E. Kirman

Torture Does not Fight Terrorism: Rally to Close Guantanamo & Bring Omar Khadr Home

Close Guantanamo & Bring Omar Khadr Home, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

On January 7, a group of students from the local branch of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) organized a peaceful protest outside of the Alberta Legislature, calling for Canada to support closing Guantanamo and bringing child soldier Omar Khadr home.

I took part in a similar rally around two years ago, at Churchill Square.

Like many of the causes with which I am involved, this seems to be one that is very divisive. I am going to list the arguments that I have been encountering, and explain the rationale behind the perspective that Guantanamo should be closed and Omar Khadr should be be brought back to Canada for a fair trial.

Omar Khadr is a terrorist.
When someone is on our side, that person is a war hero; when they are on the other side, that person is a terrorist. One nation's terrorist is another nation's freedom fighter. Omar Khadr was a child soldier in a war (an illegal and unjust war, at that), and in a war, people get killed (which is one reason me and my cohorts protest against it). If Khadr's actions were criminal, he should be tried, then possibly convicted and sentenced. Instead, he has been languishing in a prison for ten years, without a trial.

Excuse me - he pleaded guilty.
What choice did he have? Since his own country, Canada, would not take him back to try him here, it was probably the only way Khadr and his lawyers felt he would ever see the light of day.

His whole family is a bunch of terrorists.
See my original point. Assuming this is true, it only supports the need for Khadr to be tried in Canada as a Canadian. Likely, at his young age he was under the influence of his family for whatever actions he committed.

He was old enough to know what he was doing.
He was a young teenager. Young teens can be open to influence and easily manipulated. A fourteen year old in Canada who commits murder is usually tried as a child (yes, a murder charge can be bumped up to adult court, but even still, he would not have been imprisoned indefinitely and subject to torture).

Do you think the majority of Canadians agree with your view?
I honestly don't know - I have never conducted a poll. However, that is irrelevant. How the nation conducts itself in this situation is the difference between a government that has a foreign policy that simply follows the lead of the US, or one that holds up values of international law and justice. You see, the use of torture against prisoners of war is illegal. It is also ineffective. A person will say anything to make the torture stop. So, a confession acquired through the use of torture is invalid, as far as I am concerned.

As well, Canada is the only country who has not taken back a citizen from Guantanamo. All of the other countries have taken back their nationals and dealt with them on their home turfs. I see no compelling reason why Canada should act any differently.

I know these are controversial issues and I don't expect everyone to agree with me. Nor am I saying that Khadr is innocent of any wrong-doing. What I and my cohorts are saying is that the way the Canadian government has done one of its citizens a disservice and by doing so, has tarnished Canada's image to the world.

Here is my full set of photos from the event.

A video of highlights from most of the speakers:


The short march around the Legislature pool:

Around the City: Burma Rally; Hip Hop in the Park; Ben Calf Robe Pow Wow; The Office Show; Fort Edmonton

I've had a busy few days taking in a lot of events here in Edmonton. Festival season has not yet officially kicked off, but there were still a number of things going on this past weekend.

On Saturday, I swung by the Legislature to witness a small protest by the local Burmese community (as well as members of the local chapter of Amnesty International) for the Burmese junta to free their leaders Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was elected Prime Minister of the country, only to be forced into house arrest by the Burmese junta. Here are some photos and a short video.

From there, it was off to Hip Hop in the Park. Held for the second year, the event took place in Louise McKinney Park and was a celebration of hip hop culture including rappers, beat boxers, graffiti artists, and dancers. I wore a hip hop cap I bought recently, and was told that it was (and I quote) "phat" and "dope." That was the first time those two terms were applied to me in a positive way. I could not stay as long as I wanted, but managed to take some photos and shoot a video.

I rode my bike through the river valley, over the LRT bridge and to the university campus to the Butterdome, where the Ben Calf Robe Pow Wow was being held. I normally put my bike on one of the ETS bus routes to get to the south side, and after going up and down some major hills (walking part of the way) I remembered why I have not taken that route in years. Sweating and panting, I made it to the Butterdome in one tired piece, and took some photos and videos of the dancers and drumming groups. This is a composite video of different dancers. Some of the drumming groups in attendance included River Cree, Young Cree, Eagle River, and I also filmed a couple of groups whose names I did not manage to catch such as this one and this one. The Ben Calf Robe Society is an educational organization that works with Aboriginal children, in conjunction with the Catholic school board.

Sunday brought me to the High Street area to shop for bicycle parts, have coffee, and enjoy some local music in the MEC Second Cup. A singer-songwriter named Eric Miller was playing. On my way between shops, I passed by a local art exhibit called The Office Show. Part installation and part video, The Office Show examined how we view and use our work spaces. Some of the display was creepy, like the upside-down maps and clock with no hands, some was scary, like the cubicle where someone had obviously been killed or committed suicide, and some of it was familiar - sticky notes and personal photos, piles of shredded paper, home offices as opposed to blue collar sites. Take a look.

My time at home during the weekend was spent working on the final proofs of the two newspapers I edit, The SPURR and Boyle McCauley News. By Monday, things were winding down and I had enough free time during the day to head to Fort Edmonton Park with a couple of friends. Fort Edmonton is my favourite of all of Edmonton's attractions, and I am amazed how even now I can always find something I have never seen before. We dined in the Selkirk Hotel - a first for me. I renewed my yearly pass and hope to go again a few times this season. Here is my soon-to-be growing photo collection.

Those Right-Wing Christians Done Good

I have some friends in the activist world who constantly complain about the actions and beliefs of those "right-wind Christians." Well, yesterday evening some of those Christians from King's College organized a rally in Churchill Square calling for the immediate release of Omar Khadr, a fifteen year old soldier, from Guantanamo Bay. After the rally, most of the crowd headed into the Winspear Centre to hear Khadr's pro-bono lawyer (who is from Edmonton) speak. A number of my activist friends were there, and I made a point of saying that this event was organized by Christians. Way to go, King's College students! Here are some photos I took in the square.