It is NOT war. It is NOT a conflict. It is NOT self-defence

Some words shared at the end of one of our demo’s by Jeff Bee;

Friends

There are two phrases that have echoed throughout Palestine for generations, for centuries, for thousands of years even.

I can speak neither Arabic nor Hebrew so these two phrases, to my uneducated ears, sound indistinguishable. If you will pardon my bad pronunciation.

AlSalaam alaikum

Shalom malaikum

These words would have been heard regularly and would have served as both a greeting and a farewell throughout Palestine, as people met and went about their daily business with friends, neighbours and even strangers.

Words shared by people who had grown up on the land of their ancestors, people who had a direct link to the earth they inhabited.

Palestine, or Canaan as it was originally called is considered the birthplace of modern civilisation; the earliest prehistoric records of living in community groups can be found in Palestine. Every type of wheat farmed today anywhere in the world can be traced back to the grasses that grew on the banks of the Euphrates.

We ALL come from Palestine!

For over 1300 years, Palestine has been populated by believers in Islam (in all it’s forms), by believers in Judaism (in all it’s forms), by believers in Christianity (in all it’s various doctrines) and by those of other religious beliefs and, no doubt, by atheist too and for the most part they lived peacefully and in harmony.

These people shared the land they lived on and shared the bounty it provided as well as the hardships it often served up. They were, and still are, the indigenous occupants of Palestine with a long and proud history rooted into the land of their ancestors.

Do not listen to the lies we are being fed about this being a conflict between different cultures, different religions or different beliefs, Palestine is divided now ONLY by the displacement and destruction of the people to whom the land rightfully belongs.

We can trace this division back to a declaration that was issued today (November 2nd ) in 1917, a document written by the then British Foreign Secretary who, as far as I can tell, had never visited Palestine prior to the letter being written. A letter that sealed a deal between friends and contradicted two other agreements between Britain and France and Britain and the Arabs – corrupt politicians looking after their friends isn’t anything new…

None of these plans for Palestine asked for or included the wishes of the Palestinian people who lived there, not Arabs, nor Jews nor Christians – the peace that had existed for generations was ripped up and disregarded and has been eroded, almost beyond repair, ever since, by the actions of the illegal, illegitimate state that was created.

I choose the words illegal and illegitimate carefully and mean them but the details of history, of religion, or of politics don’t really matter.

What is important is that we continue to expose the horrific truths and broadcast a message to those who think that what is happening in Palestine (and now in Lebanon) doesn’t concern them or that their voice doesn’t count – it matters and it counts because,

in whatever language, shooting and killing children is wrong

in whatever religion, murdering the paramedics trying to save them is a sin

in whatever culture, setting fire to tented hospitals and burning people alive is evil

Whilst we call for peace and MUST do everything we can to bring an end to the slaughter of our sisters and brothers we MUST NOT be afraid to raise our voices in anger or use words that are provocative.

it is NOT war

it is NOT a conflict

It is NOT self-defence

It is kids with stones versus men in tanks

IT IS COLONISATION

IT IS ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

IT IS APARTHEID

IT IS ETHNIC CLEANSING

IT IS MURDER AND

IT IS GENOCIDE

Whilst we call for peace we must NOT be intimidated or afraid to stand up against this brutal inhumanity that is there for all the world to see.

In language and religion there always has been more that UNITES us than there is that divides us…

AlSalaam alaikum

Shalom malaikum

Peace Be Upon You

Please join me

CEASEFIRE NOW