The Gaza March

Tuesday, December 29, 2009, 11:50 PM

Unless the majority of Jews and Muslims speak up, the evil men continue to do what works for their best interests. To be evil is to kill, or justify killing of another human. Neither Torah nor Qur’aan supports what Hamas or Israeli governments are doing, yet the inaction of Jews and Muslims is apalling. Both the books say, "to save a life is to save the whole humanity or to kill a life is like killing the whole humanity."

Mike Ghouse

Approximately 1,000 men and women from 42 different countries, including the drivers of the move, the CODE PINK organization are daring to cross the Rafah Border going into Gaza as we speak now at midnight US Central time. This includes four of our heroes, whom I know- Aishah Schwartz (on facebook), Col Ann Wright, Roger Kallenberg and Diane Baker from Dallas Peace center. I salute them. It reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March, where thousands of men and women dared bullets and marched on, got beaten, but didn't get beat. http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2009/12/gaza-march.html

these events have moved me;
when Nelson Mandela was released,
when Berlin wall came down,
when Obama was inaugurated,
and now with thousand of brave souls daring to cross the Rafah border,
I salute them.

If we do not stand up for the injustices done to people, any people, our lives ain't worth the xhit.

I am proud of you Roger and Diane for taking the stand and I salute you. In another strand, Aishah Schwartz was told by the Egyptians to remove the black/white checkered scarf, what a shame, she is going to wear it and March on.God, please help the cruel men and women around the world to have a heart, to respect the life of a stranger, to honor otherness of other, help them understand the value of life, and find solutions for all of us to co-exist. Amen!

I am short of crying
I love you all.
Mike Ghouse

A few comments on the facebook, some are critical,

Please feel free to write another perspective on this issue:

Aishah Schwartz - Sorry to have to bring this sad update to you my dear friend; only 100 are being allowed to go...and even in this very minute organizers are trying to convince us not to go...it is a very trying moment in time...subhan'Allah...

Mike Ghouse Aishah, you are standing up for the right thing, don't give up, Justice is with you, the good Jews are with you, the good Muslims are with you and God is with you- with any one who seeks justice for humanity. We love you guys out there

Suzanna L Brown Thank you for posting this Mike .... May there be - eyes and hearts wide open... with compassion ..... Live Simply, that Others May Simply Live ~ Blessed Are the Peacemakers ... bless them all!

Paul Goldstein I always admire your fairness of approach, Mike. It's a special quality that you have, one that's seldom encountered in the writings of others.

Mike Ghouse Suzanna, Paul and others who are yet to voice their opinoins, each one of us bears the responsibility to contribute towards peace and security for every humans, at least our share of iti. Thanks for speaking up.

Louay Safi Thank you Mike for sharing your thoughts on this!
It is deeply troubling after a long march toward a world governed by universal principles to see increasing numbers of privileging religious identity over the rules of fairness and justice. It is indeed saddening to see the world move, on our watch, backward. I'm grateful that people of fairness and courage are still around to remind all of us of our moral obligations.

Brijmohan Sharma This problems needs resolution. At least now. Which problem needs resolution : Killing of human being in that area. And for this A letter signed by all of us need to be sent to all heads of state of all countries that killing of people should be stopped.. the problem otherwise needs a resolution through peaceful means. A good causse Mike, the brother and friend, you are leading. regards. drbmsharma.

Myrna Weinreich Mike, you're truly all love as always ? . Here is the latest about 100 people being let through.. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/12/egypt-hundred-activists-depart-to-gaza-1300-others-denied-trip.html

Mike Ghouse Myrna, thanks for joining the hearts of kindness, who value life, life of every one. By the way Col Ann Wright who is leading the march, was a major figure in Am-bush Army, who resigned in protest of the wrong doing. We are very proud of all who have the guts to stand up against wrong doing.

Myrna Weinreich Mike, what exactly are the goals of the gaza march..to stand up for justice and compassion for all peoples? Is there anything specific that they're marching for? It's confusing because its all so complicated. There's so much to worry about around the globe, all the suffering. But we are taught that worrying is useless, just being proactive is a good start. Haven't these wars and strifes been going on for centuries?

Mike Ghouse The Children and women in Gaza need access to medicine, food and water. The Phosphorous bombing is destroying the people out there, it needs to be handled.

I cannot forget the scene from Holocaust where the men and women were marched to chambers and the GD world did not do a thing about it. The helplessness on their faces has been painfully ingrained in my heart, and I don't want to be another good for nothing human, who cannot see the helplessness of another people enduring the suffering. There is absolutely no justification for this. The Gazans are marching and we need to give them a moral boost that the world is with them, that is the lease we can do.

I am glad you understand the pain and suffering of humans under seize. The world would be a better place, if we look to people as people. Let's do our share. The Marchers are doing their share of Good.

Myrna Weinreich Well said Mike!

Dallas Observer Blogs has this: http://fwix.com/dallas/article/fee5dcd814/local_activists_response_to_egypts_ban_on_gaza_march_were_going_anyway

My response to some interesting comments in the above blog, and I am responding to some of the comments from the readers from here and other places:- Neither the merciless bombing of Gaza is reflective of Jewish ethos nor do the Hamas rockets reflect Islamic values. The acts of Bush gang did not reflect the values of America and Americans either. It is wrong to label or punish the civilians for the acts of the gangsters. It is time we laser focus on the wrong doer and find solutions instead of keep pointing fingers endlessly.-

Hamas charter calls for wiping out Israel, where as Major Israeli leaders have been calling the Palestinians all kinds of names and talked about exterminating them like roaches much before Hamas came into being. Neither of them meant it and it is dumb to keep pointing at each other without pointing fingers at oneself.

It is a shame that the silent majority of Jews or Muslims do not speak up for the fear of retribution by the extremists among them. I am proud of these few Jews who have the guts to speak up despite the criticism they may get from the “few” bullies among the community. There are thousands of Rogers out there, it is good to see them standing for Jewish values of justice and being just.

I was at the Parliament of worlds Religions and there were a few Rabbis who were sticking their necks by standing up for Justice. Justice to them means Justice to humans and not taking care of one side. That is being Jewish and the same debate goes on among Muslims.

The problem is neither Jewish nor Muslim, it is the greed of the extremist who are scaring the devil out of the commoners and benefiting some where. It is the extremists who are causing the pain and ensuring insecurity to Jews and hopelessness to the Palestinians. Shame on those Jews or Muslims who justify Gaza Killings or Hamas rockets killing innocent Children. Our hearts and minds should not justify killings, we need to rise above that.

Unless the majority of Jews and Muslims speak up, the evil men continue to do what works for their best interests. To be Evil is to kill, support or justify killing of another human. Neither Torah nor Qur’aan supports what Hamas or Israelis are doing, yet the inaction of Jews and Muslims is shameful. Both the books say, "to save a life is to save the whole humanity or to kill a life is like killing the whole humanity.

"The real question for the majority is to ask themselves – Sustainable security with Justice to both the Palestinians or Israelis, or the powerful decides on a painful agonizing insecurity to be endured for generations to come.

Mike Ghouse~~~~~~~

Local Activists' Response to Egypt's Ban on Gaza March: We're Going Anyway
By Megan Feldman in News You Can Actually Use, Actually
Wed., Dec. 23 2009 @ 12:15PM

Roger Kallenberg and Diane Baker of the Dallas Peace Center
On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry warned activists planning to march across its border into Gaza to mark the anniversary of last year's conflict that they'll be "dealt with by the law." But that isn't stopping Roger Kallenberg and five other North Texans from making the trip.

The hardship facing Gazan civilians because of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade is "a human rights crisis," says Kallenberg, a retired teacher and Dallas Peace Center board member who plans to record his visit to Gaza and show the footage upon his return. "My goal is to have the world and particularly the Israeli government see the impact of last year's war. We need to know what's happening and how the arms makers of North Texas are contributing to that."

The activists -- approximately 1,000 from 42 different countries -- plan to fly into Cairo and march to the border (the only one not controlled by Israel) to join tens of thousands of demonstrating Palestinians, hoping the Egyptian government will reverse course. One of the event organizers said in a press release that she told the Egyptians that they're aware of the dangers but are committed to going forward.

"We responded that we do not feel threatened, and that if there are any risks, they are risks we are willing to take," retired U.S. Army Col. Ann Wright said in the statement. "We also said that it was too late for over 1,300 delegates coming from over 42 countries to change their plans now. We both agreed to continue our exchanges." She also said that no delegation that entered Gaza in the past 12 months has received permission before arriving at the Rafah border, and that in many cases the Egyptian government changed its position.

Kallenberg plans to leave Dallas tomorrow and arrive in Cairo on the 27th, he says, and the group will set out the next day for the border. As the sole Jewish member of the North Texas group opposing the blockade and the conflict last year that killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, he claims he's been criticized by members of the local Jewish community.

"It's hard for them to even say Gaza. They say, 'So you're going to Israel?'" he says. "It's something they don't want to see, even though it's in front of them."

One reason he's making the trip is to "help the Dallas Jewish community understand what collective punishment looks like," he says, arguing that Israel's bombing was a disproportionately brutal response to Palestinian militants firing rockets into Israel. "How does dropping bombs and bulldozing houses reflect Jewish values?"

Diane Baker, a hospice chaplain and Dallas Peace Center board member who's also making the trip, steered clear of condemning Israel, saying she has held a lifelong hope that the two countries could create a lasting peace. "I hope to come back with stories of love and hope," she says.

Lon Burnam, a state representative and director of the Dallas Peace Center, emphasizes that during the holiday season, Palestinian children in Gaza are struggling to eat, and that he aims to hold local events in the coming weeks to raise awareness. "People are more concerned about what's stuffing their own stockings than about what's happening in the Holy Land," he says.

Summary
Roger Kallenberg and Diane Baker of the Dallas Peace Center On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry warned activists planning to march across its border into Gaza to mark the anniversary of last year's conflict that they'll be dealt with by the law. But that isn't stopping Roger Kallenberg and five other North Texans from making... Read more
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http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2009/12/local_activists_response_to_eg.php


http://iplextra.indiatimes.com/article/06aUghCcHhcOS?q=United+Nations
Why I want to march in Gaza
Pam Rasmussen, The Electronic Intifada, 23 December 2009 On 29 December, I will attempt to cross into the Gaza Strip along with 1,300 other peace and justice activists from 43 countries.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10963.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/12/egypt-activists-barred-from-showing-solidarity-with-gaza.html

EGYPT: Activists barred from Gaza 'freedom march'

Local Activists' Response to Egypt's Ban on Gaza March: We're Going Anyway ...Roger Kallenberg and Diane Baker of the Dallas Peace Center The hardship ...

http://www.exploreli.com/cmlink/newsday/2.1028/2.1084?Topic=Egypt&showAll=webstory
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