🚀 go-pugleaf

## Nachricht <6ghedOLDg2B@forum.nadeshda.gun.de> vom 28.10.97 23:11 weitergeleitet
## Ursprung : /A R C H I V  1
## Ersteller: i.musa@NADESHDA.gun.de (Izzeddin Musa)

## Nachricht <53f21343&199710252007.WAA13960@mail.netvision.net.il> vom 25.10.97 13:43 weitergeleitet
## Ursprung : /APC/MIDEAST/LEVANT
## Ersteller: freedom@netvision.net.il


Al-Fanar - Palestinian Feminist Organization
email: alfanar@baraka.org


					October 20, 1997

FLAMING RACISM

On the night of October 13, 1997, fire was set to the door of an apartment
rented by three Palestinian women students - Israeli citizens - living in
the Musrara neighborhood of Jerusalem. This act of arson followed a series
of threats, harassments, spray-paintings of swastikas and abusive slogans
outside the door, and acts of incitement against the students by Haredi
Jews. The inciters even demanded that other residents of the building try
to expel the Arab students from the neighborhood. In the Musrara
neighborhood, where most residents face oppression, economic and social
hardship, some elements are trying to control this population through
religious and racist incitement.

The situation of Arab women students who study in Jerusalem is extremely
difficult. Most have trouble living in Arab neighborhoods because of the
oppressive control of conservative social traditions, and find it no easier
in Jewish neighborhoods, where racism abounds. The widespread indifference
to their predicament also points to a social sickness. When the students
earlier complained of harassment to the police, they were answered with
contempt and disregard. One week after the arson attempt which endangered
their lives, no police personnel have been dispensed to guard the area.
This betrays the primary role of the police force: to prevent crime.

Yet the racist fish stinks from the head down: the audacity of racists and
indifference of the police are nursed by the policy of Jerusalem s
politicians, with the mayor at their head. Months ago, Mayor Ehud Olmert
declared in a Jerusalem press conference:  I do not like the growth of the
non-Jewish population in Jerusalem| (Ma ariv daily, May 27, 1997). This
anti-semitic declaration received no appropriate response, nor did anyone
propose to remove the mayor from his post because of it. Such remarks and
political policies reveal encouragement and support of racism, and border
on incitement of terrorism.

We note with regret that the site of the arson has not been visited in
solidarity by any public figure: not members of Parliament, not community
leaders, not members of the Arab Follow-up Committee (the national
Palestinian leadership in Israel), not rabbis and not intellectuals. Not
one of them is concerned with the fate of Arab women who refuse to
capitulate to the policy of apartheid and live in areas designated for
certain religious and ethnic groups only.

We, members of the Palestinian feminist organization Al-Fanar, call upon
every democrat in this country to show solidarity with the students who
have been attacked. At a solidarity march of the Left which took place at
the apartment last week, we called for the formation of a civil guard to
ensure the security of these women who are persecuted by racists with
religious, national or other motivations.

Every night during the past week Arab and Jewish volunteers have been
holding civil guard watches at the site.

Volunteers who wish to join, please call telephone number (02) 563-1782.

Al-Fanar, Palestinian Feminist Organization
P.O. Box 44477
Haifa