about 4 days of journey in and out of the Gaza Strip to take part in the Gaza
Freedom March, intending to keep watch over the anniversary of the 23 day
bombings, airstrikes and siege that has followed at the hands of the Israeli
government, military, with little intervention or notice from the international
community.
"On the anniversary of the "Cast Lead" massacre, 1362 international delegates
from more than 40 countries intended to break the siege of Gaza in a nonviolent
march against the ongoing blockade, which forces the already oppressed 1.5
million inhabitants into abject misery at the mercy of their inexorable neighbor
states – one of them, the primary responsible state of Israel. The other is
Egypt; the designated departure point for the marchers through the Rafah border
crossing."~Poya Pakzad, fellow marcher
We arrived in Cairo to find out that our meeting permits had been revoked and
that no permits to enter Gaza would be given by the Egyptian authorities.
Another kind of siege ensued.
More than ever before, my practice of community building and non-violence was embodied in me (by grace!) as i faced down military police in Cairo (grabbing my camera and my arm,
trying to force me into a pen of people at the UN demonstration and at the US Embassy). Finally, after the wife of President Mubarek made a special offering for 100 marchers to be allowed in to Gaza (which had the effect of temporarily dividing the marchers as to who should go and for what purpose), on December 30, I parted ways with the larger group to be a part of (in the end) a self-selected sub-group, privileged to go to Gaza while others stayed behind, camping out at embassies and carrying on demonstrations. (for more about the bus decision to go or not to go to Gaza, see Nitin's blog at http://nitingaza.blogspot.
At last in Gaza, meeting young people, artists, children, all resilient and
eager for contact with the outside world, the comparisons to a prison, all too
easy to see. I've returned home now and have not been able to enter San Quentin
for my class for all the usual various reasons, this time because of a quarantine, though mainly that there are some in power who want to keep us out (out of fear, greed, or just plain power trip!)
As I realize that I am forever changed by this experience, the pendulum in my
heart swinging from the humanitarian side ever more to the activist, I feel some
despair that people tend to be "voluntary North Koreans"... "there is a real
effort in the US to undermine public opinion on these very crucial issues.
People are atomized, depoliticized and don't care too much as a result of it."
from my Iranian Danish friend, Poya Pakzad.
Can a humanitarian be an activist? Is this an either/or, or both/and question? We must grow the spectrum from both sides and not let fear divide us, and fear of what? Social disgrace, perhaps, and some may lose their jobs, but in the US, shouldn't we be free to express and put our ideas orward to make change, how is that un-American? so this is my rant.. and because
words are not enough, my photos are here:
http://www.flickr.com/phot
and a movie/slideshow: http://gallery.me.com/ange
I recommend the "tiny" video, so you can watch the whole way through without stopping!
http://gallery.me.com/ange
The threads of many individual stories are here in the images, as I saw them
while bearing witness and in solidarity with the people of Gaza. "Hallelujah" by
Leonard Cohen, sung by Jeff Buckley. Collectively, we move forward. Peace. Namaste. Shalom. Salaam. Inshallah.
and love,
Angela
P.S. Thanks and love to ALL whom I met in Cairo and in Gaza, we ARE united by a common purpose and I feel your hearts with mine in reflection and continuing onward in connection.
