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Hope
floats! and in terms of simple physics is more
buoyant than any or all combined negative energies
required to repress or oppress the human spirit.
One
such triumph of hope and spirit is Mordechai Vanunu, who celebrates the will power that survived almost
eighteen years of confinement in an Israeli prison. Eleven
and a half of those years were spent in solitary confinement under
the "secret" security measures of Shin Bet "secret"
police who directly and indirectly supervised his
prison conditions.
Last
April, in compliance of his time sentenced and served
to the State of Israel, Mordechai Vanunu left Ashkelon
prison a free man. He presently is forced
to live in a contradiction of what determines a
man to be free.
Since
April he has been exiled from the Free World
and held in further captivity by the
State of Israel, as represented and motivated by Zionist
paranoia of free speech and "loose" interpretation
of the moral and ethical codes of Justice.
Presently
trapped inside the country that he rejects as
much as it rejects him, he wishes to leave
and is joined in such sentiment by a majority
of citizens in Israel, including blood relatives
who think he should be allowed to leave. Since his
release in April, he has been threatened by radical
right wing extremists who follow him everywhere and exemplify to
the Israeli public and world at large, an image
of bullying with intent to cause harm. They have
been purposefully incited by various newspapers polls.
They are part of the reason which makes it necessary
for him to stay safe in the sanctuary of St George, an Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem.
Mordechai
Vanunu is being restricted by a justice
system that seems to reek of the prejudice of
an 18 year old vendetta that extends far beyond
the principles of law and which may have grave complicity
in a pending law suit that involves a journalist
who allegedly received information from the prison
authority that outrageously linked Mordechai to
helping the Hamas prepare explosives and which
was published in a popular Israeli news media
while he was still in prison.
The
Nobel nominated Mordechai Vanunu has petitioned the
courts to lift all of his restrictions in order for
him to leave Israel and begin his new life with
all the rights of a free man. The state
presented a case against Mordechai that not only denied
his lawyers the right to access important
documentation of how and why a 50 year
old brain with memories from 18 years
ago could possibly be a threatening
mentality with potential harm Israel. One
can only wonder why the State of Israel wishes
to be represented to the FREE WORLD as a place
that would repress a person's thoughts
in some future mentality.
Keeping
this bizarre and contradictory theory in mind while
"remembering" what any student of the amygdala
and hippocamus already knows: that no two memories
are ever the same, the State of Israel seems
determined to grasp at some pre determined
guilt yet to be enacted or perhaps, even thought
of by Mordechai Vanunu. This is a new level
for the Israeli Justice system, suppostition
based upon the assumption of what secrets one
"might" have and what crime one might commit via an
18 year old memory.
His other
restrictions include no online chatting, which
sounds a bit like the punishment one would dole
out to one's teen age child for infractions
of curfew. He may not maintain contact foreigners and
in particular, foreigners who are journalists.
One
must wonder if such restrictions have ever been
imposed on other Israeli citizens who commit crimes
of a nature grievous to the security of government?
When
the imfamous Israeli hacker, Ehud Tenenbaum, The
Analyzer, was tried and convicted and eventually
punished (with no jail time) for hacking into USA
computer systems, including USA defense systems
and NASA, Boaz Guttman, the former lead Israeli
investigator in the case, said, "He caused huge
damage in the U.S., and tomorrow this criminal will
be in the local papers as a hero." http://www.securityfocus.com/news/217
Were
any of his "memories" or "intelligence" ever
considered to be a future threat because of
previous computer knowledge? and accessability?
Since then, he has sucessfully marketed a "protection"
business that consists of hacking into other
people's computers in order to show you your
vulnerablitites.
Vanunu
would clearly and without secret, like Israel to
be held responsible for its nuclear weapons' manufacturing.
And
it sadly appears that it is still not a secret that
Israel can not bear any closer scrutiny and accountability into
nuclear manufacturing or whether it is entirely
safe to live around such plants. Only recently, the
people living near Dimona, the 40 year old nuclear
plant that many Israeli scientists have called to
shut down, were given iodine tablets. http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040627142211.vpovd9sj.html
Bearing
in mind, some of the more recent political scandals
involving lies and political corruptions over money, should Israeli citizens naively believe their best
interests are served via a few iodine tabs?
It
appears that the only democracy in the Middle East
can not reconcile itself to any threat of criticism.
This is sadly reflected in this USA country where
any criticsm is always deemed comprable to anti-semitism.
And if you are a Jew who criticizes, you will
likely be labeled a self loathing Jew. I
take great exception to the term "self loathing
Jew". And I personally know of no Jews who are self
hating in their dissent. For that matter, they
are fiercely proud of their Jewishness and how it
is most undemocratically is represented by a majority
in Israel who have remained silent over human rights
issues.
This
strange and very undemocratic phenomena appears to
be presently nurtured in the United States by
funding and ignorance of Israeli politics and
political parties. And rather than make
an American public aware of the different factions
at work within Israel, US representatives usually
either can not or will not do their homework in
order to have a better perspective and awareness of
the issues.
In
his very first public appearance, Mordechai Vanunu
was overt and completely honest. He greeted loyal
supporters who waitied outside of his prison with
their gags over their mouths, symbolizing the injustice
of the restrictions he would experience upon
his release.
"I
am proud of what I did"
He
continued by expressing what we all suspected, that
he was cruelly and inhumanely treated in
prison for his conversion to Christianity and finally, the man of conscience called out to Israel, all Israelis
and the world in general to investigate the dangers
to be found operating and maintaining nuclear facilities, in particular the one he previously worked in 18 years
ago.
This
final irony of the man who tells the truth
about weapons of mass destruction and is being further
punished for his conscience about it is that his story
and timing MUST be compared to those who have
told lies about such weapons of mass destruction and
are still either perpetuating those lies or are
now blaming others.
Hope floats!
for Vanunu. No state can repress his spirit
and will. Hope floats for the international
honors he will receive while restricted against his
will behind Israel's borders. Hope floats for
the example his conscience brings each and every
young man and woman who questions acting out an
unjustifiable violence while serving as Israeli
soldiers. Hope floats above the plans to harm
him. Hope floats in the hearts of those who continue
to love and support him.
The
Jewish state is sometimes confused over religious
issues and even whether or not to have them, or to
what degree to allow their application.
And
what once seemed to unite all Jews is now being questioned
in order to keep the politically "right" kind of Jew
inside and the "other" politically incorrect Jew out.
An even darker trend with a deeply disturbing message
seems to discriminate against non violent Jewish peace
activists while ignoring the violent right wing Jewish
extremists. It is alarming to follow which group
is being repressed, tear gassed, and shot and which
group is becoming more visible, more prevalent in
Israeli society.
Above
that low and base perception floats a
woman's group, IWPS, the Internationinal
Woman's Peace Service. IWP is comprised of 16
women who support Palestinian and Israeli anti-occupation
groups in non violent resistance to end
a brutal and illegal occupation.
For
three years now this team of women have documented
human rights abuses, and non violently intervened
on behalf of the men, women and children being abused
in occupied villages of the West Bank. Hope
floats! with the angels of check points, in fields
and demonstrations and Hope floats! for the opressed
people who have been ethnically cleansed from living
on their holy land.
Most
recently Hope floats a little higher for this
creative art project. Hope floats for the San
Francisco based Break the Silence Mural project (http://www.breakthesilencearts.org)
comprised of Americans, American Jews and Palestinian
Youths.
Recently
IWPS and BTS got together and organized an art project
for the children in the Aamer household because of
the great distress that has been imposed on
their daily living conditions. Their house is cut
off from the rest of their village by the Separation
Fence. Two gates signal the Israeli Army and more
recently the army constructed a 24 foot high concrete
wall that is 44 feet long which is directly in front
of the house.
At
first the army would allow no visitors. Now, because
of the publicity, the army allows for approved
visitors.
Recently
on July 18th, mural artists appeared and were
eventually allowed to enter the Aamer's home.
What followed was six hours of painting by 20 children
and 5 adults.
For
the children it was a way in which to transform
and even re create part of the horrible
existence that is imposed upon them.
Hope
floats! on
part of an ugly wall.
Hope
floats! and is the Float itself! Or rather is, The
Fotillas of Hope: May
15, 2004 in Sydney Harbour, the good ship Eureka,
had an Oz style send off celebrating
the first of the Flotilla boats to set sail up the
coast of Australia in order to bring attention
and awareness to the various detention centers set
up and run by the Australian government
as part of their infamous "Pacific Solution"
towards housing "illegal humans". The inhabitants
of these prison like camps include families with
small children who continue to live imprisoned for
no crime other than seeking a better life. Up
along the coast of Australia, good people rallied
against to one government's xenophobia
that keeps asylum seekers, mostly from Indonesia
and the Middle East, off the shores of mainland
Australia. But in many ways at the core of
this amazing adventure is the love and compassion
that can be found among the people who
are members of Hope Caravan (www.HopeCaravan.com)
Founder, Stavros Georgopoulos puts it
like this: "The word HOPE says it all. HOPE
for global justice, HOPE for peace and HOPE for
freedom and liberation of all peoples".
Stavros, who feels that every person, near or far, has a special talent
or creative contribution to bring to Hope Caravan, does not act alone. HOPE floats and in doing so
attracts these others to float along, float higher
by example. Although most of Hope Caravaners
are Australian, there is international participation
and camaraderie. The international diversity of
the group members also includes a broad sense of
spirituality in maintaining aspects of positive
actions. Individual talents seem to merge
when and where they are most required and are
generously afforded to one another.
Because of the creativity and computer smarts of one man, Matt Hamon..Hope
Caravan and Flottillas of Hope websites have undergone
a metamorphisis in appearance and accessibility. And
for those who did not directly participate in the
great sailing adventure, Matt was the mercurial Master
of Communications, administraor and graphic designer.. that
kept all avenues, including satelite messages running
between the sailors and land crew.
Journalists, like Mary
Dagmar Davies made a huge effort to regularly
translate Australian politick and reactions about
the inhumanity of the Pacific Solution to readers
in Australia and abroad.
And, in case there be any doubt about sailing and sailors, it was a
female skipper, Ruth Boydell, who helped give Stavros
his first sailing lessons and (eventually) his worthy
sea legs. It is difficult to mention one member
and not another and so there must be a little mystery
and intrigue to discover further the individuals involved
in the Flotillas of Hope project and Hope Caravan
and the flow of their special energies and talents
into this grass roots group. I can only tell you that
even terminal illness did not dim the bright and positive
goodness of eternal HOPE.
To discover more and why there are at least two potential adventure/blockbuster
stories involved with Hope Caravan's interests
and adventures, please visit any of the enclosed websites
sites.
While it is devastatingly sad to say that the government of Nauru (recently
replaced and presently "reviewing" the situation)
did not respond in a favorable way to landing
on its shores with gifts for the refugees and the
children, response did come from one who is interned
on Nauru, but who is able to project outside of his
own personal strife and bring recognition to all refugees!
"Greeting
to you and peace in heart, I am grateful to you
for your humanitarian activities and sympathetic
concerns with those who have been fettered in trap
for such a long and indefinite time in the hell
of Nauru. Yesterday was international refugee day
all over the world; there are 25 million human beings
homeless in deplorable circumstances without food, shelter and lack of basic facilities on the globe.
They have been fled from persecution and brutality
and tyranny regime and they have been displaced
by long run conflict and war in their regions, most
of them lost every things they were owned except
rescued own body. According to our experiences the
world capitalist's leaders and their puppets seem
very cruel and callous about those who have nothing
to eat who have nothing to wear, and who have no
home and shelter to live, but the world leaders
and especially feudal people are heedless and reckless
about their miserable situation."
"Nodaway
human beings are hungry for equal rights, peace, and solidarity and co-operation on the world but
the world leaders spread more violence, diversity
and animosity among people on the world. They are
trying to divide nation from nation, ethnic from
ethnic, rich from poor they use different instrument
to demoralize people under their rule. We all have
been witness of their crimes they committed against
humanity, they scarified hundred of thousands of
innocent people for their own economic benefits
and their own political advantage. We Nauru refugees
were hopeful that humanist people of Australia who
decided to come on Nauru would be given permission
to land to Nauru. We expected they would come to
our prison and meet Iraqi asylum seekers started
a hunger strike about ten days ago and their protests
still continues their situation are very bad and
intolerable, unfortunately their protest and demands
have been ignored by Dimia officials, they have
not been told anything yet. I fully appreciated
and complimented your great activities you are doing
for refugees and asylum seekers."
Posted
June 25, 2004 http://www.flotilla2004.com/news07.php
One
particular highlight during the trip that
was tantamount in causing a great display
of online and f2f emoting of joy and happiness and
is proof indeed that HOPE floats! was the release
of aslyum seeker and refugee Aladdin Sisalem
. www.dissidentvoice.org/Mar04/LaRosa0314.htm
Since
December 21 2002, Alladdin had been detained by the
Australian government. Because of his "particular"
illegal status, having been born in Kuwait to an Egyptian
mother and Palestinian national father, Aladdin was
left behind in solitary confinement . After almost a
year fighting the darkest depression of his 25 years, this young man was finallly brought to mainland
Australia where he was met in Melbourne by another
young man, his Brother of the Heart, Australian Matt
Hamon and eventually after more determined advocacy, re united with the cat, Honey..who was the only
living creature that gave him any direct comfort on
Manus Island, where the figures supplied by the Department
of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs set the cost
of this one man's solitary confinement at the detention
center at Papua New Guinea at $216, 666 per month
for Australian tax payers to consider.
All
of Aladdin's story evolved via constant effort, constant creative planning, designing, adaptation and
brainstorming by individual members and team
supporters. One simple but brilliant Mary Dagmar
Davies idea involved school children wearing heart
stickers on their sleeves, thus "wearing their hearts
on their sleeves" for the detained children who were
not presently able to become their classmates.
One might
begin to project, with curiosity and anticipation, what Papa Stavros will conceive and nurture for
next year's human rights effort. One can
almost imagine a Human Rights Fleet hitting all
the major ports.
The
work continues at Hope Caravan along with the poignant
reminder what anyone involved in any form of activism
understands to be frustration and sadness, especially
for any of those who can never be helped by any effort, no matter how great..but for their memory, the energies
are flowing stronger and Hope floats! eternally
light above these darker times. Hope floats! and
gives cause to celebrate the small and large gestures
we make individually and together towards one another, on behalf of one another.
Hope
Floats! and gathers momentum, purpose and solidarity.
Hope Floats and carries the human spirit higher as
the work continues...
Poem
to the Israeli Government: "I Have No More
Secrets To Tell"
Justice
justice must you pursue
love him or hate him here still is vanunu
to put a legal system to simple test
does state serve justice best?
or does justice serve state less by law
and more by prejudiced intelligence
fabricated half truths and mistakes
that decide and seal the fate
of a Christian man doomed in a Jewish state
How poignant is this Jewish non Jew
Mordechai Vanunu
and what is exactly a Jewish state?
Is it the determined majority or the plurality
of convenience?
Is it ultra exclusive or moderately inclusive?
If a state makes welcome the Jewish French but not
the Jewish dissidents, could dissidence make one less Jewish?
or just less desireable?
We must remember our history about un desireables:
not only Jews but gypsies and homosexuals
the legion of unwanted immigrants and refugees
the darkness of skin deciding fates
the female sex of a child born into unworthiness.
Justice justice must you pursue
and that must mean justice
even for vanunu
especially for vanunu
and for eighteen years of conscience
to stop the proliferation of nuclear hell
The real secret of the Ashkelon cell:
a bible, defiance, endurance, dreams.
Mary
La Rosa is a librarian and artist who lives 20 miles
away from the site of the next GOP Convention
in a city that lacks proper healthcare for all.
The
US Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu
www.nonviolence.org/vanunu/
The
International Womens Peace Service www.womenspeacepalestine.org/
Break
the Silence Mural Project http://www.breakthesilencearts.org/
Hope
Caravan www.HopeCaravan.com
Fatima's
Wish http://fatimaswish.hopecaravan.com
Sievxmemorial
http://sievxmemorial.org
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