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<font size=3><br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2>**Please Post Widely**Please Post
Widely**Please Post Widely**<br><br>
</font><font face="arial" size=3><b>Join the Anti-Apartheid Wall
Taskforce and National Days of Action<br>
</b></font><font face="arial" size=2>To join or endorse, please write to:
<a href="mailto:taskforce@arab-american.net">taskforce@arab-american.net</a><br><br>
<b>In this Urgent Call to Action:<br>
</b>- Why the Anti-Apartheid Wall Taskforce<br>
- What we stand for<br>
- How to join<br>
- What you can do<br>
- Contact information<br>
- Taskforce current organizational members (in formation)<br><br>
<b>WHY THE ANTI-APARTHEID WALL TASKFORCE:<br>
</b>In response to the international consensus in opposition to the<br>
construction and presence of the Israeli Apartheid Wall, reflected in
the<br>
precedent-setting ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at
The<br>
Hague, an open Anti-Apartheid Wall Taskforce (the "Taskforce")
for the<br>
United States and Canada has been established.<br><br>
* In forming this open Taskforce, we encourage all organizations sharing
the<br>
vision of justice to join and participate.<br><br>
While the ICJ ruling reflected the international consensus in its<br>
determination that the Israeli Apartheid Wall violates the rights of
the<br>
Palestinian people, the US administration and the majority of
Congress<br>
nonetheless continue to support Israel and its construction of the
Wall.<br>
Only days ago, the House of Representatives of the United States voted
for<br>
Resolution 713, deploring the ICJ ruling and supporting the Wall.
The<br>
overwhelming 361 members who voted "yes" spanned the twin
parties, with 45<br>
nays, 13 presents, and 14 not voting. At the same time, the
Democratic<br>
Party finalized its proposed platform on the Middle East by
staunchly<br>
supporting Israel's illegal policies and practices. The proposed
platform<br>
includes rejection of the right to return, support for the expansion of
the<br>
1967 borders, and support for the Apartheid Wall, among other
extreme<br>
positions. And as is the case annually, Israel is once again
getting the lion's<br>
share of the US Foreign Aid budget.<br><br>
We recognize that the upcoming period provides an important window
to<br>
address US policy. As such, Arab-American and Palestinian community<br>
organizations established this open Taskforce to coordinate all
efforts<br>
pertaining to the proposed protest actions and Solidarity Fasts to
be<br>
carried out in various cities in the United States and Canada. The
actions<br>
are to be carried out on the following days:<br><br>
- July 24 and 25, 2004 - days leading up to the Democratic National<br>
Convention<br>
- August 28 and 29, 2004 - days leading up to the Republican
National<br>
Convention<br>
- January 19 and 20, 2005 - the day before and day of the
presidential<br>
inauguration<br><br>
<b>WHAT WE STAND FOR:<br>
</b>On these 6 days, we will fast and/or take action to:<br><br>
- Demand the Apartheid Wall be dismantled.<br>
- Demand the full implementation of the right of the Palestinian people
to<br>
return to their homes and homeland after 56 years of exile and<br>
dispossession.<br>
- Demand an end to the colonial occupation of Palestine.<br>
- Demand an end to the colonial occupation of Iraq.<br>
- Stand in defense of civil rights and liberties and oppose the USA
Patriot<br>
Act.<br>
- Stand in solidarity with all who are struggling against poverty,
racism,<br>
and war - in the United States and across the world, from Haiti to<br>
Afghanistan and beyond.<br>
- Stand in honor of people' solidarity with each other, as we
collectively<br>
reject segregation and Apartheid.<br>
- Stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle
against<br>
colonial occupation and exile.<br><br>
From Boston, to New York to Washington DC, from coast to coast and
through<br>
the heartland of the United States, we extend our hand to all those<br>
struggling for justice, and ask that we join together in 6 days of<br>
teach-ins, solidarity, and mutual understanding in every neighborhood
and<br>
town.<br><br>
We envision joint and unified coordinated actions. We envision Tents
of<br>
Justice and Peace to be pitched in parks and other public areas during
these<br>
days as homes for all those participating and/or supporting the
Solidarity<br>
Fast.<br><br>
As we have collectively transformed the Shanties of South Africa to
symbols<br>
of resistance in the struggle against South African Apartheid, our
Tents<br>
will be erected to symbolize the fight against the remaining Apartheid
-<br>
this time manifested most recently in concrete walls 25 feet high.<br>
Together we will defeat racism, and ensure that the colonial occupation
of<br>
Palestine comes to an end!<br><br>
As we stand together in one collective will, let these Tents be our homes
as<br>
we reject being pitted against each other - peoples and
communities.<br><br>
For many years, Apartheid imprisoned Mandela and others in the
notorious<br>
Robben Island prison. We cannot allow the Israeli Apartheid Wall
to<br>
transform all Palestinian towns into disjointed and segregated
Robben<br>
Islands.<br><br>
<b>HOW TO JOIN:<br>
</b>We ask all organizations working for justice to join as members of
the<br>
Taskforce. By joining the Taskforce you will be part of a national
effort<br>
to coordinate actions on the listed 6 days in full collaboration
and<br>
coordination with existing activities, leading up to joining the<br>
counter-inauguration mobilization called for by the ANSWER Coalition
in<br>
Washington DC on January 20, 2005.<br>
<br>
If you agree with the campaign, but cannot join, please consider
endorsing.<br>
We consider all actions dedicated to the various struggles for justice
that<br>
your organization may want to undertake locally or nationally on these
days<br>
as a stand against racism everywhere. By also dedicating your work
to<br>
bringing down the Wall, we believe that a significant step of
international<br>
solidarity will be taken.<br>
You can endorse by writing to:
<a href="mailto:taskforce@arab-american.net">taskforce@arab-american.net</a><br>
Please include the name of your organization and contact
person.<br><br>
Join us now as we pledge together an over-arching stance for justice and
a<br>
solid opposition to war, racism, poverty and all forms of
occupation.<br><br>
<b>WHAT YOU CAN DO:<br>
</b>We have received a multitude of actions so far in various
cities,<br>
including:<br><br>
- Setting up tents in parks or public locations to hold solidarity
fasts<br>
- Holding a people's teach-ins in open space<br>
- Holding rallies, pickets, demonstrations, and speak outs<br>
- Showing movies, organizing forums and panels<br>
- Making your opinion known to your respective officials<br><br>
In some cities, local authorities may not grant overnight stay
permits.<br>
Open rallies, discussions, sit-ins, and pickets at busy intersections
are<br>
great alternatives. These and all similar actions in dedication to
all<br>
issues of justice can be also dedicated to bringing down the wall
and<br>
supporting the rights of the Palestinian people to return.<br><br>
<b>CONTACT INFORMATION:<br>
</b>Since the initial call was issued, many activists contacted us to
coordinate<br>
events or to request information. We suggest that all
questions,<br>
endorsements, reports and suggestions be directed to the Taskforce
national<br>
office. The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) is providing
its<br>
national office in California as a clearinghouse and a coordination
center<br>
for this campaign. You can reach Lara Kiswani or Husam Abusneineh
of the<br>
NCA, Monday through Friday, 9-5 PM (PST), at:<br><br>
The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA)<br>
1260 Lake Blvd., Suite 208<br>
Davis, California 95616 - USA<br>
(530) 756-5548<br>
(310) 709-7506<br><br>
Or, you can write the Taskforce at:
<a href="mailto:taskforce@arab-american.net">taskforce@arab-american.net<br><br>
</a>Additionally, we are providing the following selected list of
contacts<br>
throughout the country of activists working on this campaign.
Please note<br>
that the national office will be able to provide contacts or information
in<br>
your specific area. If you would like to be added as a contact,
please let<br>
us know at
<a href="mailto:taskforce@arab-american.net">taskforce@arab-american.net</a>.
Subsequent updates will be sent out<br>
periodically up to January 20, 2005, and will include additional
information.<br><br>
We ask that you inform the Taskforce national office of any events<br>
that you plan in order for us to provide a national summary for all
people<br>
to join.<br><br>
> National Contacts:<br>
Lara Kiswani: (530) 756-5548;
<a href="mailto:lara@riseup.net">lara@riseup.net<br>
</a>Husam Abusneineh: 310-977-7080;
<a href="mailto:ahusam@netzero.net">ahusam@netzero.net<br><br>
</a>> Southern California:<br>
Los Angeles area - Muna Coobtee: 310-365-0017;
<a href="mailto:munacoob@yahoo.com">munacoob@yahoo.com<br>
</a>Los Angeles area - Mamdouh Aldimassi: 310-709-7506;
<a href="mailto:mtndew2000@yahoo.com">mtndew2000@yahoo.com<br>
</a>San Diego Area - Zahi Damuni:
<a href="mailto:zahi@al-awda.org">zahi@al-awda.org<br><br>
</a>> Northern California:<br>
San Francisco - Jess Ghannam;
<a href="mailto:ghannam@itsa.ucsf.edu">ghannam@itsa.ucsf.edu<br>
</a>Sacramento/Davis - John Batarseh;
<a href="mailto:info@arab-american.net">info@arab-american.net<br><br>
</a>> US Midwest:<br>
Nebraska - Musa Al-Hindi:
<a href="mailto:malhindi@netzero.net">malhindi@netzero.net<br>
</a>Illinois and Kentucky - Mahmud Ahmad:
<a href="mailto:mahmudahmad@Bellsouth.Net">mahmudahmad@Bellsouth.Net<br>
</a>Illinois - Lutuf Ghantous:
<a href="mailto:lnghantous@msn.com">lnghantous@msn.com<br><br>
</a>> US East Coast:<br>
Boston - Rima Anabtawi:
<a href="mailto:rimaanabtawi@yahoo.com">rimaanabtawi@yahoo.com<br>
</a>Washington, DC - Samia Saleh:
<a href="mailto:ssaleh03@hotmail.com">ssaleh03@hotmail.com</a><br>
Washington, DC - Hussein Agrama:
<a href="mailto:info@arab-american.net">info@arab-american.net</a><br><br>
> Canada:<br>
Khaled Barakat:
<a href="mailto:givara72@yahoo.com">givara72@yahoo.com<br><br>
</a><b>THE ANTI-APARTHEID WALL TASKFORCE<br>
</b>(List in formation, please join or endorse):<br><br>
- The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA)<br>
- The Free Palestine Alliance, USA<br>
- Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition<br>
- The Palestine Right of Return Congress - USA<br>
- Al-Qalam Institute<br>
- The Palestine Arab Center, Vancouver, Canada<br>
- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Los Angeles/Orange
County<br>
- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco<br>
- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Sacramento<br>
- Justice in Palestine Coalition, San Francisco Bay Area<br>
- Students for Justice in Palestine - University of California,
Davis<br>
- Students for Justice in Palestine - California State University,<br>
Sacramento<br>
- Students for Justice in Palestine - University of California,
Berkeley<br>
- Students for Justice in Palestine - University of California, Los
Angeles<br>
- Muslim Students Association - California State University, Long
Beach<br><br>
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