Aqsa News, Issue 52, Ramadhan 2013

QUARTERLY FREE WWW.FOA.ORG.UK ISSUE 52 RAMADHAN 2013

Palestinians call for international soldarity as threats to al-Aqsa increase

Special Feature

Water - For one people only

Page 12

Travel to Palestine Review - 5 Broken Cameras

Page 17

Israel cuts village water supply in Jerusalem

3

Recipes: Harissah (Coconut Cake)

16 Page 18

Inside...

Israeli settlers storm the

al-AqsaSanctuary

UN debates

illegalsettlement building

Stephen Hawking

boycottsIsraelPage 2 Page 5 Page 15

Check the LabelBoycott Israeli Dates

checkthelabel.org.uk • Page 23

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An overwhelming scene captured on camera by Palestinian photographer Hemde Abu Rahma. Non-violent Palestinian protestors attacked with dozens of smoke grenades by Israeli soldiers. See more of Hamde’s photo journey on page 6-7.

Since the beginning of 2013, al-Aqsa Sanctuary has faced relentless and vicious Israeli attacks and trespasses which continue unabated. Each week, a different Israeli group enters the Al-Aqsa Sanc-

tuary performing prayer rituals while Palestinians who have the legal authority to worship in the mosque are denied access.

Access has been restricted to all Palestinian women

and men under age 50. Israeli forces regularly deploy heavy handed tactics to terrorise Palestinians wishing to enter the Sanc-tuary. A snapshot of events from a single week can be found here:

Demolition of Muhammad Al-Fatih MosqueAn Israeli court allowed the demolition of part of the Muhammad Al-Fatih Mosque in Jerusalem. Locat-ed in the Ras al-Amoud neighbourhood in East

Jerusalem, it was forced to expand in 2009 due to a massive increase in worshippers after Israeli authorities began prevent-ing Palestinian worshipers

from accessing the al-Aqsa sanctuary in Jerusalem’s Old City. This expansion is to be demolished despite the clear need for it.

Continued on page 2

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INSIDE PALESTINE

02 AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 52 / RAMADHAN 2013

Israel’s new Defence Minister wanted for war crimes

Notorious Zionist hard-liner Moshe Ya’alon has been appointed as Israel’s new Minister of Defence. He is renown for extremist views. In a 2002 interview, Ya’alon said the “Palestin-ian threat” was “like cancer” and an “existential threat.” He explained that his solu-tion was “applying chemo-therapy.” The “chemothera-py,” was violent assaults on Palestinians seen during the second intifada. During the last years of the uprising, Israeli forces fired over a

million bullets at Palestin-ian demonstrator.

In 2005, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit against Ya’alon, charging him with war crimes for his role in the 1996 attack on a UN com-pound in Qana, Lebanon. 100 Lebanese civilians who had taken shelter there were killed and many more injured.

He encountered trouble in London in 2009 as he was again threatened with arrest for war crimes under

the principles of universal jurisdiction. As a result he cancelled the trip. This time, the charges related to the appalling 2002 Israeli bombing of an apartment block in Gaza, which killed 14 civilians, including 9 children.

Ya’alon is friends with Pamela Geller, who is known for holding virulent racist views, and has inter-viewed Ya’alon for her blog, describing him as “Israel’s best shot for the right lead-ership”.

Amusement park segregates Arab and Jewish schoolchildren

An Israeli amusement park has acknowledged that it has been implementing racist policies by renting out its facilities on separate days for Jewish and Arab school trips.

Superland, in central Israel’s Rishon LeZion, was exposed by a seventh-grade teacher at an Arab school. The teacher posted on his Facebook page that he had been unable to book a par-ticular date using his own name, but that when he called and identified him-self by a Jewish name he was able to secure the date.

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Continued from page 1

A group of around 40 Jewish settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Sanctuary through the Moroccan Gate. The set-tlers toured the compound escorted by Israeli police officers to commemorate the eve of Jerusalem Day, a national holiday in Israel celebrating the occupation of East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces clashed violently with Palestinian

women trying to access the mosque. The soldiers ver-bally insulted the women

and pushed them, resulting in one woman being taken to hospital for treatment.

Israeli settlers storm the al-Aqsa Sanctuary

A provocative proces-sion was held by extremist settlers who marched in Jerusalem chanting “Death to Arabs” and “Jerusalem is ours”. The settlers also at-

tacked dozens of Palestin-ians, Palestinian shops and property, and called for the expulsion of Arabs and Pal-estinians from the city.

A counter-demonstra-

tion by Palestinians was met with violent assaults against protestors and reporters by the Israeli po-lice, with 21 Palestinians being arrested.

Grand Mufti of Jerusalem arrestedIsrael arrested and de-

tained the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muham-mad Hussein. This arrest was a show of power over

and disrespect towards, a figure revered by Pal-estinians as a spiritual leader. Despite the lack of evidence of any criminal

activity, Israeli soldiers stormed his house, arrest-ed him and questioned him for six hours. He was then released without charge.

Knesset members call for al-Aqsa occupation

Extremist settlers go on rampage; Palestinians arrested

We are currently wit-nessing a severe escalation of attacks and trespasses on the blessed Sanctuary. Israeli MPs, illegal settlers and Zionist tourists now trespass into the al-Aqsa Sanctuary on a daily basis, safe in the knowledge that their actions will not be contested and that they will be protected by Israeli forces.

The international com-munity has been silent throughout Israel’s fre-quent violations, which gives Israel confidence that when it proceeds with the destruction of the al-Aqsa Sanctuary, it will have nothing to fear by way of reprisal from the interna-tional community.

“The al-Aqsa needs protection now more than ever. It is time to pressure Israel into allowing UN-ESCO access to the relevant sites so that an independ-ent report can be complet-ed” stated Ismal Patel.

Hard line Knesset members renewed their calls for occupying the al-Aqsa Sanctuary. Naftali Bennett, Israel’s minister of religion and leader of the extremist settler ‘Jewish Home’ party, is seeking to amend the law in order to allow Jews to pray at the

blessed Sanctuary.Speaking to a parlia-

mentary committee, ministry director Elhanan Glat said “We would like to ensure that Jews who want to pray there can do so.” Bennett is being backed by another notorious hard-liner Moshe Feiglin, an MP

from the radical rightwing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, who said “How can we accept the fact that Jews don’t have the right to pray at the place which is most sacred to them?”

Attacks on al-Aqsa

INSIDE PALESTINE

ISSUE 52 / RAMADHAN 2013 | AQSA NEWS 03

Israel cuts off water supply from villages in northwest Jerusalem

Israeli authorities have disconnecting the water supply for Palestin-ian villages in occupied northwest Jerusalem. These villages already suffer from low and poor quality water supply due to discriminatory practices against Palestinians. The decision to completely cut off water supplies has left

Palestinians with limited water for essential aspects of daily life.

The residents now rely on privately owned water tanks but Israeli authori-ties also hamper access to even this source of water.

Since the occupation of East Jerusalem began, Israel holds the moral and legal responsibility of

ensuring that basic rights to food and water for the population are met. By denying access to basic infrastructure, to which all Israeli citizens in Jerusa-lem are guaranteed access, Israel is employing racists and discriminatory poli-cies which are prevalent in many public services.

At a football match played at the Teddy Stadium, home of Beitar

Jerusalem, members of the club’s hard-core supporters walked out when a Muslim

Chechen striker scored his first goal for the team. The racist Beitar fans had spent the game showering the club’s owner and the two new Muslim Chechen play-ers with a torrent of racial and religious abuse.

Since Beitar signed two Chechen Muslims, Zaur Sadayev and Dzhabrail Kadiyev, there have been violent protests carried out by Beitar fans, culminat-ing with the fans carrying out an arson attack on the team’s clubhouse. As a result, the Muslim players have been accompanied by bodyguards since their arrival in Jerusalem.

This is not the first time that racism towards Muslims and Palestinians has reared its ugly head in Israel. On Monday 19 March 2012 a group of Beitar fans raided a shopping mall; stabbing one man and assaulting several others in a racially motivated mass attack on the shopping centre’s Palestinian staff and customers.

Segregated ‘Jews Only’ busesin the West Bank

New racist bus policies have been implemented in the West Bank by Israel, 56 years after the Civil Rights movement in the USA witnessed the ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott’ which ended segregation and white supremacy on buses in the US.

Palestinian labourers from the West Bank will not be permitted to share buses with Jews. The move

in the West Bank shows absolute disregard for the human dignity of Palestin-ian labourers, who are to be provided ‘designated lines’ which will be given lesser priority than the ‘Jewish only’ buses ferrying illegal settlers from the West Bank into Israel.

To justify this racist divi-sion, the Transportation Ministry has stated that the move is intended to ease the

congestion felt on bus lines used by Jews in the same areas. Israeli YNet News states, ‘several bus drivers have said that Palestinians who will choose to travel on the so-called “mixed” lines, will be asked to leave them.’

This discriminatory policy is a clear step back-wards, and is an antith-esis to all civil liberties and anti-apartheid movements witnessed in recent history.

Racist Israeli football fans strike again

Water to drive native Bedouins out of Jordan Valley

Israel is forcing Bedouin families out of the Jordan Valley by draining water springs, and creating a wa-ter shortage for the resident Bedouin natives.

The Mayor of al-Malih, Arif Daraghmeh noted that water pipes belonging to Israel’s national water com-pany Mekorot run through al-Malih to supply Israeli settlers and military bases but Palestinians who own the land “can’t get a cubic meter of water for their children.”

The al-Malih area has already been devastated by Israeli forces destroying dozens of hamlets and vil-lages in 1967. Since then, Palestinian residents have suffered from oppressive Israeli measures includ-ing land confiscation and demolition of homes and structures.

FOA Chair Ismail Pa-tel said ‘This is yet more evidence of Israel’s ruthless expansionist illegal colo-nial enterprise, which can only be described as ethnic cleansing.’

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In a move against the hugely successful boycott Israeli goods campaigns, pro-Israeli organisa-tions have launched the ‘buycott’. Co-ordinated by Stand With Us, the Zionist Federation, the Jewish Board of Deputies and the Fair Play Campaign Group; shoppers are being encouraged to buy Israeli goods and contact retailers to encourage more trade with Israel.

Referring to recent campaigns lobbying Sains-bury’s against selling illegal settlement dates, the Zionist Federation chairman Paul Charney is reported to have said:

“Sainsbury’s has so far resisted the boycotters’ call. We need to do every-thing possible to ensure this boycott attack fails completely.”

The boycott of Israeli goods and companies helping to prop up the illegal occupation have gained momentum in recent years and many see the ‘buycott’ as a desperate stunt by pro-Israeli lobbyists to reverse the flow of public opinion which is critical of Israeli actions in Palestine. Boycott of Israeli goods is growing in response to the rising oppression against Palestinians

Obama visits Israel and Palestine

Barack Obama visited Israel and Palestine, and stated that a sovereign Palestinian state was the “only path for true security” in Israel and that Palestin-ians had “a right to be a free people in their own land”.

The truth in the message was clear; however, many are sceptical and called his words empty and meaning-less rhetoric. Obama’s calls for peace talks and the creation of a Pales-tinian state came without

a demand on Israel to stop engaging in illegal activi-ties which present the true obstacle to peace, including settlement building.

This was displayed in Obama’s meeting with Mahmoud Abbas earlier in Ramallah, where he urged Palestinians to drop their demand for a freeze in illegal Israeli settlement building. This is despite the fact that expansionist Israeli settlement building on occupied Palestinian

lands is recognised as illegal by the international community including the US. Ignoring the very serious obstacle settle-ment building presents, Obama declared “That’s not to say settlements aren’t important, that’s to say if we resolve the (main) problems, then settlements will be resolved”.

The prospect of peace which was already distant before Obama’s trip to Israel and the occupied

Palestinian territories is now firmly at the bottom of the agenda. Obama has effectively given Israel free rein to continue with illegal colonialist enterprises with an emphasis on the continu-ation of illegal settlement building and the waging of war against Iran and Syria. His position has disap-pointed many who hoped for a change in U.S. policy.

Pro-Israel campaigners launch ‘buycott’

ICC prosecutor opens initial probe into deadly

raid on Gaza flotilla

A preliminary probe has been opened by the Interna-tional Criminal Court (ICC) into Israel’s deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010 to see if war crimes or crimes against humanity had been commit-ted.

The illegal attack conducted by Israel left nine Turkish nationals dead and several injured. The Mavi Marmara was part of a six-ship flotilla which was en-route to Gaza to supply essential aid necessary due

to Israel’s siege.Lawyers from the ICC in

their 17-page submission said the attack on the flotilla had “serious international repercussions” and that the ICC was seen as an institu-tion to “provide a remedy for redress”.

They added that the actions of the IDF “were manifestations of a plan or policy to use violence to dissuade the humanitarian flotillas to directly reach a blockaded Gaza”.

Travelling to Palestine? Prepare to show Israeli security your private emails!Anyone experienced

in travelling to Palestine knows that getting past Israeli border controls is a tough and often humiliat-ing experience. But Israel’s Attorney General has allowed Israeli guards to go one step further and demand access to personal email accounts of anyone seeking to visit Palestine.

Those who refuse to give password details are unlike-ly to be allowed to continue the journey to Palestine. Checking of private emails is nothing new, however, being sanctioned by the Attorney General is evidence of the lack of legitimacy to Israel’s ‘democracy’ claims. Attorney Lila Margalit of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel has said that Israel’s policy “constitutes a violation of privacy.”

Margalit also highlight-ed the inconsistencies of

Israeli security policies by pointing out that inside Israel, police can search a person’s computer data only with court approval, even if there is a criminal investigation underway. Thus, those hoping to visit Palestine are being stripped of their rights and treated as criminals from the outset.

It appears that anyone with a history of peace activism is discriminated against, and Israel is using this policy to stop activists entering Palestine and obtaining evidence of Israeli human rights abuses and war crimes.

Despite these potential difficulties, it is still important that individuals should not be intimidated by Israel’s bullying tactics and should continue with plans to visit Palestine in solidarity with the Palestin-ian people.

GLOBAL NEWS

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South Africa demands clear labeling on illegal

settlement goodsSouth Africa is the latest

state to impose regula-tions on produce which means that goods from illegal settlements cannot be marked as ‘Produce of Israel’.

In making such a deci-sion, South Africa joins Britain and the Netherlands as states which have issued directives calling for clear labeling on goods imported from the occupied Palestin-ian territories and the Golan Heights.

Sidwell Medupe, spokes-man for the Department of Trade and Industry said: “We have all agreed that goods must be labeled from where they are coming from, so that consumers can make an informed choice.”

“According to our consumer protection act, we say consumers have the right to know the origins of the goods.”

UN debates illegal settlement buildingA report produced by

a fact finding team from the United Nations Human Rights Council condemn-ing Israeli settlement building was debated at the UN. The report states in no uncertain terms that settlement building must stop immediately and settlers evacuated from occupied territory. It also concludes that Israel could be culpable for building over the pre-1967 lines in proceeding at the Interna-tional Criminal Court, if the Palestinians become party to the Rome Statute.

Arab and Islamic blocs in the United Nations are drafting a resolution to ask the UN Human Rights Council to adopt the conclu-sions of the report. Christine Chanet, Chairperson of the Fact-Finding Mission, said that: “Israel should put an immediate end to this colonisation process, begin

a process of withdrawing settlements, and ensure effective remedy.”

Settlement building was labelled as a “growing, creeping form of annexa-tion” which compromised the Palestinian right to self-determination. “The settlers seem to enjoy all the rights, while they are denied to Palestinians.”

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay further stated that Israel must prosecute settlers who carry out violent acts against Palestin-ians, “perpetrated with impunity.”

“And Israel needs to hold perpetrators accountable. While investigations are not opened into most incidents of settler violence, between 2005 and 2011, only 9 per cent of the investiga-tions opened resulted in an indictment.”

However, despite

the debate at the UN, Israel’s desire to carry out measures that contravene international law contin-ues unabated. New Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel, a Jewish settler and member of the pro-settler

Jewish Home party, said in a television interview that the incoming Israeli government would keep expanding Jewish settle-ments to the same extent as the previous government.

An attempt to legally challenge a British Union’s boycott of Israel has been rejected in a landmark case. Ronnie Fraser claimed institutional anti-semitism existed in the University and College Union (UCU) and that this was exempli-fied by the boycott. The employment tribunal ruled against him.

The judgment of the Tribunal stated that: “we greatly regret that the case was ever brought. At heart it represents an impermis-sible attempt to achieve a political end by litigious means”.

Fraser’s case was argued by Anthony Julius, author of a recent book on anti-semitism. His numerous witnesses included the disgraced former MP Denis MacShane. At the hearing, Fraser had alleged that he was treated unfairly and with hostility during union debates about academic boycott, and about the decision not to use a contentious ‘working definition of anti-semitism’ that conflated anti-semitism with criticism of Israel.

Fraser has long worked for Israel’s cause in Britain. He is the founder and director of the pressure group Academic Friends of Israel and a member of the Board of Deputies (BoD) of British Jews.

Fraser’s claim, made by his lawyer, was that the

‘attachment to Israel’ of many Jews in the UK consti-tutes a ‘protected charac-teristic’ under the Equality Act 2010. If the Tribunal had agreed with him, open discussion of Israeli policies – whether in the unions or in the media - would have become almost impossible.

However, Fraser presented a very weak argument, claiming that though he had been allowed to speak in UCU’s boycott debates, his speeches were not applauded because of anti-semitism on the part of fellow delegates. This claim was shown to be extremely hollow by UCU’s Counsel, Antony White QC, who showed that other Jewish speakers, both for and against the boycott motions, had been applauded. The tribunal also received a letter signed by 58 Jewish members of UCU who said that they held differing views about academic boycott, but all agreed that their union was not anti-semitic.

The ruling on “Fraser vs. UCU” is an important one as it gives added legiti-macy for all UK unions’ right to advocate boycott of Israeli universities and products, and firms that operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It also has important implications for free speech regarding Palestine and Israel on university campuses.

Union defeats legal challenge alleging anti-semitism

Fallen Palestinian journalists removed from memorialFollowing pressure

from the Zionist lobby, the Newseum announced that it will not honour two cameramen killed while working for al-Aqsa TV during Operation Pillar of Cloud in Gaza in November. The museum was intended to commemorate fallen journalists as part of a memorial, however, Hussam Salama and Mahmoud al-Kumi’s deaths have been deemed unworthy of such a

memorial. Both were summarily

targeted and killed by Israel in a deadly airstrike despite the fact that their car was labelled ‘TV’ in neon letters so that it can be viewed from the air.

The Newseum made its’ u-turn despite acknowl-edging earlier that several prominent organisations, including the Commit-tee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders,

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers “all consider these men journalists killed in the line of duty.”

Human Rights Watch in December also questioned Israel’s targeting of the two cameramen. Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said at the time “Just because Israel says a journalist was a fighter or a TV station was a command centre, does not make it so.”

This is yet another reprehensible example of the Zionist lobby working tirelessly to absolve Israel of its excesses which include war crimes. In deciding not to commemorate the loss of two Palestinian journal-ists, the Newseum has disappointingly adopted the stance promoted by the Israelis which is to disregard the loss of a life simply because it is a Palestinian one.

GLOBAL NEWS


Israel bans UNESCO Jerusalem investigationA planned UNESCO

mission to East Jerusalem has been banned by Israel. The investigation was called for by Palestinians

following Israel’s relentless drive to erase Palestin-ian Christian and Muslim heritage in the sacred city. A visit by UNESCO would

have provided an oppor-tunity for an independent investigation to take place. The question now arises of what Israel is trying to hide, as it has repeatedly played down all claims of its drive to Judaise Jerusalem.

The UNESCO mission, the first since 2004, was to investigate and assess the status of heritage and conservation of the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls. Israel initially only agreed to the UNESCO visit after the Palestinians promised to postpone five resolu-tions condemning Israel’s occupation of the West Bank; resolutions which would have focused the emphasis on Israel’s illegal colonialist enterprise.

Despite Palestinians agreeing and keeping to their word, Israel has now backtracked and announced on Monday that it has cancelled a UNESCO

mission due to visit the Old City of Jerusalem. The proposed visit to occupied East Jerusalem would have certainly highlighted Israel’s deliberate policies of Judaisation of Jerusa-lem. This has been evident through the destruction of century’s old Islamic build-ings and architecture; and the renaming of streets from Arabic to Hebrew.

Furthermore, we are witnessing a severe escala-tion of attacks on the al-Aqsa sanctuary. Israeli MPs, illegal settlers and Zionist tourists now violate the sanctity of the al-Aqsa sanctuary on a daily basis, safe in the knowledge that their actions will not be contested and that they will enjoy the security of occupying Israeli forces. Israel also continues to deny Palestinian access to visit the al-Aqsa Sanctuary.


Review Roots Run Deep Life in Occupied Palestine

By Hamde Abu Rahma

Palestinian photographer Hamde Abu Rahma’s new book is a photo journey through occupied Palestine. The visual imagery presents a series of moving stills which capture incredible depths of feeling.

Aqsa News caught up with Hamde to discuss his inspirations, his passion and his life.

What inspires your photography? How does it feel to capture images and what do you hope to achieve with them?

How has the struggle of your people influenced your journey with photography?

BOOK REVIEW


It has become my passion, I gave up my studies in eco-nomics to pursue a career in photography. The killing of my cousin has made me determination to share the stories of life here.

My personal experiences made me realise that there are a lot of things that I have witnessed that the world does not see. For example, once during a night raid in my house, the army treated my sister and beloved mother so badly. It made me determined not to be a silent witness any longer.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to have shared images with the world. Taking photographs during demon-strations is very hard as we work in very dangerous and risky conditions. I have been shot at many times by the Israeli army, faced tear gas, skunk water and bullets. These have become occupational hazards. To capture a realistic image it is vital to be in the right place, which often is in the firing line.

On the other hand I love photographing everyday life in Palestine. I have lived in Europe for a short time and in com-parison Palestine is really beautiful. I want my photographs to show that so that those that have not visited Palestine can see its beauty through my camera lens.

I was inspired to pick up the camera when my cousin brother Bassem was brutally killed in a nonviolent dem-onstration. Before then I was not into photography and, in fact I was not even an activist. This sad event changed my outlook and inspired me to pick up the camera.

I am also inspired by the brave and consistent struggle of the Palestinians who have fought for 65 years for the rights of our people. Those that come peacefully and patiently to demonstrate against the loss of rights and injustices.

On a human level I am inspired by the natural beauty of my surroundings, my culture, wildlife and especially chil-dren. I always keep my camera on me; it is like keeping a journal of events but through images.


BOOK REVIEW


What advice would you give to others aspiring to become photographers?

What difficulties did you face when making the book?

Why did you decide to publish a book?It was my dream to have a photography book with ex-

planation in English that talked about life here. I feel pho-tographs are a powerful yet simple way of telling a story. There are many books written on Palestine but there is a gap in the market for a book of images. A book like this would appeal to a wider audience and more people around the world will have a better understanding of Palestine.

The most difficult part on a personal level was to choose the right photographs, especially as I have a huge catalogue of images. For each image to be the right one to capture what I needed to say within just 35 photos.

Living under occupation brings with it many obstacles to producing a book, there is a risk of losing the true story if publishers get involved as they would control what I would like to say. Having practical resources were difficult such as funding, my friends were very supportive in donating towards the book which has allowed me to self publish my work. Palestinians don’t have a postal service which has meant that my book will not be delivered to me and I am not able to dispatch it to buyers myself. We also don’t have access to bank accounts and PayPal services which has been a hindrance. However, the making of this book has been a learning process as I had never embarked on such a project; I am humbled with the support received from peo-ple all over the world who have shown their support for the Palestinian cause.

To be a photographer you have to have a good understanding of the human spirit to be able to capture the emotion and the story. Having knowledge of photog-raphy is very important but having a natural eye for capturing an image comes from within. It’s about seeing a situation and being able to capture the whole story, this comes naturally it cannot be learnt. Capturing the perfect image gives the viewer an opportunity to see my world through my eyes which is a huge responsibility.

As a photographer the best piece of advice I can give is always carry your camera, you never know when the right opportunities may arise. Also this may be very obvious it’s very important to keep your battery charged and I have on occasion forgotten my memory card at home, it’s very embarrassing.


The spiral of violence in the Middle East has continued unabated and the blessed land of al-Shams has witnessed more carnage and bloodshed than we can imagine. In Palestine, Gaza continues to be attacked by Israel and Syria lies in turmoil.

Amid the ruins, there remains hope. Millions of people around the world who feel despair at what they see and read about on the news are doing whatever they can to ensure that the ordinary people who are the victims of these political conflicts are remembered. The donations in aid for both Syria and Palestine have increased. This provides necessary relief, but I hope that we will all endeavour to do more.

While we can give our money to these causes and hope that they will help bring reprieve, we also need to be aware that to achieve a long-term solution, we need to invest our time and other resources to help bring an end to the conflicts. For Palestine, an end to the political struggle requires hundreds and thousands of us to join the various campaigns

underway to bring about policy change. Israel is a pariah state which falsely claims democracy, while it oppresses its neighbour and treats its minorities as second class citizens. It must be a priority for each and every one of us to lobby our governments for change, to acquire knowledge and spread the information to those whom we know.

If each of us spent a little time each week lobbying a newspaper or broadcaster, such as the BBC, which continues to provide Israel with excuses for its actions; we can bring about change. At a personal level, we need to ensure we are commit-ted to boycotting Israeli goods.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, please remember those who face struggle and despair in conflict zones in your duas, and make the intention to become a campaigner for their freedom. May Allah swt accept our efforts, ameen.

Ismail PatelFollow on Twitter: @Ismailadampatel

“That Allah may reward them according to the best of their

deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah

provides for those whom He will, without measure.”

Become a member - Join today!

For just £10 a year, support the Free Palestine campaign. Send an email to [email protected] and we will send you a direct debit form to set up your membership.

DonateYou can make one-off donations:

1. Online - through Paypal to [email protected] (via our web-site)2. By cheque, made payable to ‘Friends of Al-Aqsa’, to PO BOX 5127, Leicester, LE2 0DT3. By direct bank transfer: Friends of Al-Aqsa, Sort Code 08-92-99, Account No. 65158078, The Cooperative Bank, Southway, WN8 6VT

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The Leicester branch has had a busy few months working on various pub-lications and events. The sponsored walk was a huge success with approximately 300 participants.

A number of lectures and debates took place at universities during Israeli Apartheid Week, and dur-ing one debate, Ismail Patel took part with fellow speak-ers Dr Claudia Prestel and Professor Alan Johnson. Ismail Patel argued that Is-rael’s status as an Apartheid

state was beyond question now, in light of a number of policies, the latest of which was segregated buses.

Professor Johnson at-tempted to portray Israel as a reasonable state whose actions are exaggerated, and even suggested that Palestinians preferred the segregated buses which would prevent delays for them. In reality, the buses have been irregular with priority being given to the bus routes for illegal Israeli settlers.

Film Showing - 5 Broken Cameras

FOA Leicester, in conjunction with the Phoenix Theatre, screened the Oscar nominated Palestinian film 5 Broken Cameras. With the theatre almost full, former MP Phyl-lis Starkey introduced the film by reminding everyone about the daily struggle faced by Palestinians.

The film was incredibly powerful and made an irrevers-ible impression on all those who viewed it.

A full review of the film can be found on page 18.

Message from the chairman


Leicester branch update

Freedom Walk 2013Friends of Al-Aqsa’s annual sponsored walk took place in May 2013. It was a beautiful

day filled with glorious sunshine and approximately 300 walkers gathered at Carsington Waters in Derbyshire for the trek.



I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s walk - the scenery was fantastic, the weather was great, and the sense of comradeship amongst everyone was a real boost. I am a pro-Palestinian activist and seeing so many people together who share the ambition for a free Palestine was amazing.

Another year of organising the walk has paid off; we have had such a fantastic day filled with remembrance of the cause, as well as an enjoyable day out with friends and family. The aim of the walk is to raise funds while giving people the opportunity to have fun and spend time with friends at the same time, and it has, by the grace of Allah (swt) been a real success once again.

The Friends of Al Aqsa walk for Palestine saw many people complete an 8 or 15km walk to raise money for Masjid Al Aqsa in Palestine. The turn out was huge and it was a great way to interact with new people who all had the same final goal, to help the suffering Palestinians. We proceeded in groups walking along the scenic paths, helping one another. At the end of the walk all the people that took part met up and shared a big picnic. It was a brilliant day overall and great to see such a large number of people unified by one common cause.

I have been on all of the sponsored walks for the past five years, and I found this year to be the one in which I learnt the most. There were so many people who were determined to take part despite numerous personal challenges, and it made me realise how easy it was for me to make the trip across and undertake the walk with minimal physical impediments. It is inspiring to see people make such sacrifices for this cause.

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FOA London Branch UpdateThe London branch has

been actively involved in a number of campaigns over the past few months.

Goals for Peace

On May 19, over 100 players took part in the Goals for Peace football tournament in support of the Red Card Israeli Racism campaign. The tournament was co-organised with Salaam Peace who did a brilliant job organising the day. The runners up, FC Palestine were awarded medals by Arif Delawala, London co-ordinator of FOA. The winners, FC Gaza were awarded medals and trophy by Betty Hunter, Hon President of PSC.

Protest at UEFA

On May 24, a protest was held outside the UEFA demanding the suspension of Israel from UEFA. Activists from France and Italy also joined the protest as part of a European campaign to give Israeli racism the red card. The key speaker was Mahmoud Sarsak, a Palestinian footballer who was imprisoned by Israel for three years without any charge or trial. He was on hunger strike for 97 days after which he was released.

Global March to Jerusalem

On June 7, FOA London were joined by a couple of hundred people outside the Israeli embassy as part of the Global March to Jeru-salem. Protests took place simultaneously in over 200 cities across the world, each demanding an end to the occupation of Pales-tine and the Judaisation of Jerusalem. The protest was co-chaired by Ismail Patel.

Check the Label

On June 21, volunteers took part in a massive campaign to distribute ‘boycott Israeli Dates’ flyers in over 40 mosques in London. The large team of volunteers also put posters in shops and mosques to raise awareness about the campaign.

If you would like to get in touch with the London branch please email [email protected]


Abdul

Zubeda

Umeir

Ayesha



FOA Manchester has finally arrived! The newest branch of FOA is due to have its inaugural event in the next few months. Anyone wishing to be a part of the Branch can get in touch by emailing: [email protected]

FOA Manchester

FOA Glasgow update

Dr. Khalid El-Awaisi, a graduate of the pioneering field of Islamic Jerusalem Studies delivered 3 lectures on the topic speaking to lo-cal mosque congregations

and university students on campus.

Dr. Khalid’s main special-ism is in the historical-geog-raphy of Islamic Jerusalem and the geographical inter-

pretations of the Qur’an. Us-ing visual aids, he presented detailed explanations about the centrality of Jerusalem as well as discussing the similarities between Masjid

Al Aqsa and the holy Ka’aba in Makkah shareef.

FOA Glasgow extend their warmest gratitude to Dr Khalid for his time and inspiring presentations.

Islamic Jerusalem past, present and future

Taking to the Hills! Freedom Walk Scotland

The Freedom Walk returned for the second year, and this time the brave Scots climbed Scotland’s second most popular climbing mountain, Ben Ledi to raise funds and awareness. Luckily, moral and enthusiasm was not dampened by the wet Scottish weather.

Campaigns On-going campaigns are being strengthened by the efforts of branch members, including local community projects. With Ramadan fast approaching, to take advantage of the month of spiritual rejuvenation, Dr Asid Khan will be trav-elling to Masjid Al-Aqsa with a group of travellers for the second time to perform Itikhaaf in the blessed sanctuary.

The boycott Israeli dates campaign has been in full swing with leaflet and flyer distribution, advertising at local radio stations, reminders at local study groups and events, and regular contact with suppliers of dates in our community.

FOA Glasgow have taken to the hills to raise awareness and funds!


FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA MERCHANDISE

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ISSUE 52 / RAMADHAN 2013 | AQSA NEWS 11FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@friendsofalaqsa

Stone-throwers of Nabi Saleh celebrated in new play

By Sawsan Khalife

Our Sign is the Stone is based on first-hand accounts collected from the village by writer Decca Muldowney and director Di Trevis. It traces the develop-ment of the protests, as well as depicting the hardship and comic absurdity of living under occupation.

In one scene, a couple of Israeli soldiers force themselves into a family home. They assert their dominance by demanding papers, taking pictures and snooping around.

Though their behavior is intrusive and violent, they are portrayed as pathetic clowns, who mindlessly abuse the chain of power with the sergeant ordering around the private, and the later ordering around the family. Some Nabi Saleh residents watching the play agreed that this is how they perceive Israeli soldiers.

When the soldiers enter the house, an international

activist staying with the family hides. Fidaa Zidan, a member of the cast, said, “Many foreigners support the Palestinian cause, they come here to demonstrate that support and to raise international awareness about the Palestinian tragedy.

“The Israeli authorities are not interested in having the news of their crimes spread around the world, which is why if they come across pro-Palestinian activists they will arrest, deport and ban them from returning to Palestine for seven, sometimes ten years.”

Zidan added, “In the play, the family hides the activist to protect him. In my opinion, that is a demonstra-tion of Arab hospitality and Palestinian values. We are brought up this way. A guest is a responsibility; he must be safe in our care.”

Comic absurdity

Nabi Saleh’s 500 residents have endured decades of dispossession.

Since 1977, they have been gradually losing their land to the Israeli settlement of Halamish (also known as Neveh Tzuf). The grabbing of their resources became especially pronounced in 2008, when settlers seized control of several freshwater springs on which the West Bank village depends.

A new play, The Story of Nabi Saleh: Our Sign is the Stone, is a testament to the determination with which the village’s inhabitants have resisted the Israeli occupa-tion. As its title suggests, one of the main methods used to oppose the presence of Israeli forces in Nabi Saleh is by throwing rocks at them.

Now being performed by Jenin’s Freedom Theatre, the play draws attention to a village where weekly demon-strations began in 2009. Israel’s response to these protests was typically brutal. Within two years, 64 residents of the village — or 13 percent of its popula-tion — had been arrested. Of these, 29 were children or teenagers and four were women.

Two cousins, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, have been killed. At last count, 432 residents have been injured.

The play highlights an issue that has been underexplored: the role of the Palestinian woman in protests. Of the six actors involved, two play female characters. Despite only being one-third of the cast, it is the two women who do most to set the pace of the protest.

Zidan plays Manal Tamimi, an organizer of the protests. (Manal’s name is only mentioned when an Israeli soldier reads it aloud.) “Women all over the West Bank participate in all forms of resistance, but the situation in Nabi Saleh is very unique,” said Zidan. “Unlike in other places in the West Bank where we had to do two gender-separate shows, in Nabi Saleh the audience was mixed.

“It is a step forward. My character says in the play: ‘together we stand women and men together’; I say this to inspire women in the audience to follow the example of Nabi Saleh.”

Fellow actor Hassan Taha said that “the play reflects the reality of the protest in Nabi Saleh, the women of Nabi Saleh stand in front of the heavily-armed soldiers, the armored Humvees and the skunk water hose. They bravely face the tyranny of the occupation army.

“We’ve seen them often throw themselves selflessly between the soldiers and members of their family trying and sometimes succeeding to prevent the arrests of their husbands and their sons. In Nabi Saleh, you get the feeling that the woman is equal to the man not out of charity but merit.”

In the first act, a family is shown discuss-ing what form the protests should take. Both female characters oppose armed resistance, viewing it as counterproductive. They push for peaceful weekly demonstrations afternoon prayers on Fridays.

“Unique”

At this point, an important question has to be addressed. Does stone-throwing make the protest less peaceful? The interna-tional activist played by Ben Rivers seems to believe that it does. The world will see stone-throwing as violent, his character argues.

But the women disagree. They adamantly refuse to march like sheep to the slaughter. When faced with Israel’s automatic weapons, the slingshot and stones of Palestinians are symbolic, they argue.

Of course, this is not the first time that the importance of throwing stones as a means of resist-ance has been underscored. When the first intifada broke out in 1987, youngsters who took part in it became known as “children of the stones.”

Some of the images most widely associated with Palestinian resist-

ance are those of stone-throwers. These range from a photograph of little Ramzi Aburedwan, now a professional musician and founder of the Kamandjati school, throwing stones in the late 1980s to Faris Odeh standing in front of an Israeli tank in 2000. Faris was shot dead by Israeli soldiers just days after his picture was taken.

No matter what Israel and its supporters may claim, a stone is no threat to one of the world’s most powerful armies. Throwing a stone at a soldier carrying lethal weapons is an act of bravery; it betokens a determination to resist against the odds. Our Sign is the Stone reminds us of this important fact.

Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article misspelled the name of director Di Trevis. It has since been corrected.

Symbolic

Sawsan Khalife’ is a political activist and journalist from Shefa Amr in the Galilee region of Palestine.

SPECIAL FEATURE


Water - For One People Only

Al-’Oja Spring, Jordan Valley, with a ‘Mekorot’ pumping station in the background

Israelis use four or five times more water than Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). In the West Bank, the Israeli settler popula-tion, numbering more than 500,000, consumes approximately six times the amount of water used by the 2.6 million Palestinians living there. This discrep-ancy is even worse where agriculture is concerned.

Many people believe that water is scarce in the region but this is not accurate. Three main sources of

natural fresh water can be found in Palestine, and as water does not follow territorial boundaries, the Jordan River, the Mountain Aquifer and the Coastal Aquifer are shared between Israel and Palestine.

Israelis living in Israel and in illegal settlements in Palestine have almost unrestricted access to water from the natural sources. Palestinians suffer from perpetual water shortages as a result of Israel’s discriminatory policies in water management.

Discriminating between Israelis and Palestinians

The water sources in Israel and Palestine are over-exploited which means that more water is drawn out than can be naturally replaced. The growth of the population is also putting more pressure on the water sources, and the quality of the water is deteriorating.

However, the effects

of these factors are being borne by the Palestinians more than by Israelis due to Israeli policies. Palestin-ians have no control over their water sources and Israel dictates the manage-ment and development of all water infrastructure in the region.

Since 1967, Israel has taken a number of

steps to ensure that it keeps control of the water sources, including building illegal settlements around the best water sources. Israel integrated its water system with the Palestinian one and this ensures that Palestinians are only given a limited amount of their own water while Israel uses the rest for its own popula-

tion. This has led many to call Israel’s policies ‘water Apartheid’.

Israeli water company Mekorot routinely reduces Palestinian water supply – sometimes by as much as 50 per cent – during the summer months in order to provide more water to the illegal settlements.

Why is there a water crisis?

The discrimination in water access between

Palestinians and Israelis is well-documented and

in a special report, Palestinian NGO Al-Haq

detail the extent of the ‘Water-Apartheid’.

This article is taken from the Al-Haq Report ‘Water, For One People Only, Discriminatory Access and ‘Water-Apartheid’in the OPT’.

The full report is available at: www.foa.org.uk/publications.


SPECIAL FEATURE


Demolished Polish-funded water cistern in Al-Rihiyya, Hebron governorate

Israel actively prevents the construction and maintenance of water infrastructure in 59 per cent of the West Bank. This is achieved by denying permits for the construc-tion of new facilities or the repair of water infrastruc-ture. Any water structure built without a permit from the Israeli authorities is likely to be demolished.

In contrast, Israeli settlers are not required to obtain a permit and, unlike Palestinian communi-ties, all settlements in the OPT are connected

to a water network. The Israeli army regular-

ly targets water collection systems for confiscation and destruction, including those provided by humani-tarian organisations. They destroy them using the excuse that such systems were constructed without an Israeli permit.

In the Gaza Strip, destruction of water infrastructure frequently occurs during Israeli military operations, such as air strikes and ground incursions. In addition to this, as there is no policy

coordination between Israel and the Gaza Strip relating to the Coastal Aquifer, both authorities are currently over-extracting. This has

resulted in an irrevers-ible disaster for the Coastal Aquifer, Gaza’s main fresh water supply.

Retaining control

Israel occupies the Palestinian territories and so has legal obligations to preserve the sovereign rights of the occupied popu-lation, including the rights to their water sources. It should protect the Pales-tinians from exploitation and should not employ policies which deplete any of their resources. Most significantly, it cannot use the Palestinian resources for its own population. Israel is breaching all of these obli-gations where the supply of water is concerned.

Israel both exploits Pal-estinian water sources for its own population and also destroys Palestinian water infrastructure preventing Palestinians from accessing the same. These policies and practices are aimed at forcibly transferring Palestinian communities from their homes, thereby emptying the most fertile and water-rich areas of the West Bank of its Palestinian inhabitants. The building of illegal settlements around rich water sources is key to this process.

Israel’s legal obligations

Israel’s policies and practices in the OPT have created a situation of occupation in which natural resources are unlawfully exploited and appropriated. Israel’s water policies represent only one element of an irreversible structural process that can only be described as colonial. Israel’s intention to perma-nently change the status of the occupied territory, reveals itself through the establishment and expan-sion of settlements in the

West Bank (currently over 200) and by the creation of a network of roads and flourishing agricul-tural enterprises for their benefit.

The presence of settle-ments aims to permanent-ly deny the Palestinian population the exercise of their right to self-determi-nation by fragmenting the OPT and preventing the Palestinian people from exercising sovereignty over natural resources, in particular land and water.

Colonialism and ‘WaterApartheid’

FOA is hosting a special seminar in Parliament in September, which will bring the water crisis for Palestinians to the attention of MPs.

Water supplied by private vendors, often of dubious quality


FUN AND GAMES


COMPETITIONEnter now for your chance to win a £20

Argos voucher!

Email your answers to us at: [email protected]

Put ‘Competition’ in the subject box, and remember to include your name, address and age and the answer.

Good Luck!

Deadline: 9th August 2013

Question:Which countries in the Middle

East are part of ‘Al-Sham’?

Draw a picture of Masjid al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock

10 – 16 YEAR OLDS

Post your entries to us at: Friends of Al Aqsa, P.O.Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU We will pick one winner. Good Luck!

UNDER 10’s


It’s time for me to go home now, but I need help on my journey! In my path there are names of Prophets, but with letters missing. Can you help me by filling in the missing letters and finding the names of the Prophets?

A _ _ MI _ _ A _ _ M

_ S _ A _ C

Y_ K_ _

_ U S _ F

Y _ N _ _

M _ _ A

D _ _ D

_ U _ _ Y _ _ N

Z _ _ A _ I _ _

Y _ H _ _

_ S _M _ _ A _ _ E _

These two pictures of the Dome of the

Rock look exactly the same, but if you

look closely you will find 10 differences.

Can you help me find them?


In a move that shocked Israel and surprised many around the world, interna-tionally renowned scientist Stephen Hawking decided to boycott the Israeli President’s conference. In a letter explain-ing his decision, he stated that his refusal followed requests from Palestinian academics.

Cambridge University initially claimed that he had withdrawn on health grounds,

but then corrected their state-ment. Stephen Hawking’s position is a spectacular boost for the boycott and divestment movement, and a poll in the Guardian newspaper showed that 66 per cent/ two-thirds of readers supported his deci-sion. It reflects the degree of public anger towards Israeli policies where Palestinians are concerned.

Many other public figures

have previously boycotted Is-rael including best-selling au-thor, Alice Walker. Mr Hawk-ing’s boycott is especially significant as Israel prides itself on its scientific and

technological developments, and he is arguably the great-est scientist of our times. His decision will pressure other scientists and institutions to re-think their ties to Israel.

Cartoon by Carlos Latuff.

You can follow him on Twitter, @CarlosLatuff

Hunger striker Mahmoud Sarsak in Europe tour

Palestinian Footballer Mahmoud Sarsak went on hunger strike for over 90 days when he was imprisoned without charge or trial by Israel. Since being released, he has come to the UK on a speaking tour to raise awareness about the dire situation faced by Palestinian prisoners.

During the tour, he visited numerous UK cities includ-ing London and Newcastle and spoke at public events about the impact of impris-onment on his personal life and his career. Mahmoud was on course for an interna-tional football career and his detention without charge or trial has put an end to his dreams.

He was arrested in 2009, while travelling to his new club ‘Balata Youth’ in the

West Bank. He was accused of being linked to the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, yet no evidence was produced and no official charges were made.

During his visit to Newcastle, Mahmoud met former Newcastle United defender Olivier Bernard who is a representative of anti-racism charity ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, who praised Mahmoud for being an inspiration. He commented: “Sometimes we take everything for granted because we are in a good country.

“It’s good that he [Sarsak] is here so we can understand what went on and what steps need to be taken to go and fight because he needs support and we’re here to give him a lot of support.”

Israel lobbies EU to bar Mahmoud Sarsak

Mahmoud’s trip to Europe was a success on a number of levels. The Israeli Foreign Ministry sent diplo-matic letters to a number of EU countries prior to his trip, urging them to deny him entry. They claimed that he was affiliated with a “terrorist” organization. These were ignored and Mahmoud has thus far visited France, Italy and Britain to name but a few countries.

By coming to Europe despite Israeli efforts to stop him, Mahmoud has exposed Israeli policies against the Palestinian prisoners and spread the knowledge far and wide.

Stephen Hawking boycotts Israel

RECIPE


Harissah (Cocunut Cake) | try this delicious Middle Eastern recipeINGREDIENTS2 cups sugar6 eggs2 cups corn oil1 1/2 cups milk2 tablespoons baking powder1 dash vanilla1 teaspoon lemon juice2 cups flour4 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut (usually found in middle eastern stores)Syrup:2 cups water2 cups sugar1 dash vanilla

METHOD● Start with making the syrup by boiling the water and sugar for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the consistency you would like, but remember it should not

be any thicker than pancake syrup. ● Set the syrup aside and allow to cool.● Start on the Harissah by placing the sugar, eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl and mixing them together until blended. ● Add flour and baking powder to the mixture and blend well. ● Finally, stir the coconut into the batter.● Grease and flour an oblong baking tray.● Add the mixture and bake for about 30 minutes at 350°F or more until it turns a light/medium golden brown.● When the cake is cooked, while still hot, pour 3/4 of the syrup over while in the baking tray.● Let it cool, and then cut in slanted squares. Each piece can then be moved. Garnish with shredded coconut on top for presentation.


A Month By the Sea: Encounters in GazaA Guide Book to Gaza

By Dervla Murphy

Far from being an average guide book, Dervla Murphy, a travel writer in

her 80’s, does not mince her words in this honest and critical exposition of the Gaza Strip. Based on her visit to the tiny strip of land in 2011, this book provides a depth and breadth of coverage which will enable any traveller to truly under-stand the complexities of Gaza society.

From the sun-drenches seas of Gaza which are heavily polluted due to Israeli bombings of Gaza’s

sewage works; to the patri-archal society which has evolved, Murphy talks about it all. Considering Zionism to be an “artificial creation, founded on self-deceit and bolstered by the success of world-deceiving propa-ganda,” Murphy explains the impact of Israeli policies on the people of Gaza.

This book goes far beyond being a travel guide in Murphy’s usual style.

Al-Aqsa Sanctuary Guide bookA pocket size guide book to explain the structures within

al-Aqsa Sanctuary in Jerusalem.

Only £1.50Order online: www.foa.org.uk/shop

TRAVEL TO PALESTINE


Time stands still in the blessed land...

We praise and thank Allah (swt) for enabling us to make the journey to Masjid alAqsa. Towards the end of 2012, we made the trip to the blessed land and stayed for two nights on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Time stands still in the haram, the blessed sanctuary of al-Aqsa. We had read so many verses of the Quran which seemed to unfold before our very eyes while we were there. Despite the great hardship that the Palestinians of Jerusalem face daily and the unfairness of their situa-tions, they were not bitter. We felt such a sense of peace in Jerusalem itself and were full of hope at the city’s potential to bring all humanity together in unity, in wor-ship and to be truly a place of peace as its name implies.

It is an experience that cannot be adequately conveyed with words. Even the actual and psychological walls of segregation and apartheid cannot dampen our optimism and so we pray that peace, justice and freedom will reign and everyone in the world will have the simple human right to visit these blessed places. It is sad to think how many are denied; while some who can go, refrain from doing so.

The narrative below is based on questions we faced before we undertook out trip and since our return. We felt challenged and yet strengthened by these questions. Our responses are simply our opinion on the matters, which some may agree with while others disagree.

Why did you go to Palestine?We went to visit Masjid al-Aqsa. We have been encouraged by none other than the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, peace be upon him who was taken in a miraculous way to the Masjid. Even the land around it is a sanctified place, blessed by Allah and mentioned countless times in the Quran in connection with the earlier messengers of Allah, peace be upon them all too. It is the second house of wor-ship established on earth. It was our first prayer direction, before the commandment to face the Kaba in Makkah. We remembered that this journey was not something new - companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and many scholars throughout the ages visited this blessed land. The promises made by Allah (swt) drew them as they drew us.

By Khadija It’s too expensive to go there! Why don’t you just send money instead and help that way? Charity is certainly needed, however, for Palestinians, it meant far more to see us in person. We were welcomed with open arms and were told by so many that they were touched that we cared enough to come. At differ-ent times throughout our brief visit, I was astonished by how many Palestinians told us the following, with tears in their eyes, “we do not need anything from you but come and visit YOUR masjid. It needs you. Please tell everyone in your country.”

I remember one young man in Jericho who cried openly when speaking about Jerusalem. He told us his family had to leave Jerusalem when he was two years old and now he will never get papers to go and pray in the holy precinct until perhaps he is 50 years of age. But how long will al-Aqsa be open for any us to pray there?

While we were there, we met groups from Turkey, Malay-sia, India and South Africa. Our group was the only one from Britain at the time. We preferred being in a group for mutual support and we encouraged each other to go to the haram for tahajjud while we were there, which remains one of our most treasured memories ever.

Why not just go for Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), to Makka instead? There is greater reward as far as I know. That is true as far as I know too. While Hajj is obligatory, Umrah is sunnah and both no doubt are a priority but this should not exclude the third haram. Makka and Madina are most blessed and we would wish to be there as much as possible, but our motivations for going to al-Aqsa are indeed similar. Is it not surprising that one would wish to visit the place of the first Qibla (prayer direction), the second masjid, and the third haram/sanctuary. Palestine is a land unlike any other.

It is also the burial place of Prophet Ibrahim and so many of his family members, peace be upon them all. There is so much history to witness, learn from and to be inspired by. At the end of every prayer, we ask Allah to send peace and to bless Muhammad and his family in the same way that Ibrahim and his family have been sent peace and blessings!

We feel so safe and comfortable travelling to Makka and Madina these days. Flights are luxurious, meals are provid-ed and every comfort taken care of. The trip to Masjid al-Aqsa was very different. When we set off on our journey, we had a feeling like that of pilgrims in the past; that we were setting off on an unknown journey from which we may not return. When we wondered around the grounds of Masjid al-Aqsa, we saw deep bullet holes in the walls of the mosques, which should have reminded us of the fear we felt when we set off. However, when we were in the sanctuary we realised it is not us who are in danger but the sanctu-ary itself. We are in fact in danger of losing a most blessed place, through our own neglect or total obliviousness.

It’s a little confusing. You have mentioned Masjid al-Aqsa but not the Dome of the Rock? When I have mentioned Masjid al-Aqsa I have used it in the Quranic sense and that covers the entire blessed land which has been chosen by Allah (swt) as a holy sanctuary. Both the masjid buildings called Masjid al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock are located within the sanctuary of Masjid al-Aqsa.

There are many other buildings within al-Aqsa including madrassas, libraries, museums, old wells, fountains, olive trees and even outdoor prayer areas with prayer niches scattered throughout. The prayer sometimes takes place outside in the open air on hot summer days so it feels that every inch of land in the sacred precinct has prayers performed upon it.


ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT


Review 5 Broken Cameras

Oscar NominatedDocumentaryDirected By: Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi

IMDb rating: 7.6

This documentary is a powerful portrayal of life in a Palestinian village, which was split in two by the illegal separation Wall. Bil’in is a small village in the West Bank, which survives on the farmlands surrounding it. The route of the Wall was strategically placed splitting the village from most of its farmlands.

Palestinian film-maker Emad Burnat lives in Bil'in and spent years filming the altercations between the villagers and Israeli soldiers, as well as other simple facets of daily Pales-tinian life. His first camera arrived when his youngest son Jibril was born, and introduces us to his family, friends and village. It shows how the Wall was built through Bil’in and the first protest where the men and the boys all took part in non-violent protest. The first camera is broken by a gas canister fired by an Israeli soldier during a

protest. The camera saves Emad from serious injury by bearing the brunt of the attack.

When it was broken, the camera was replaced, until Emad had 5 broken cameras in total over the years. The footage from these cameras is used to make this striking and emotive documentary which takes the viewers direct to the conflict as first-hand witnesses. For years, the villagers of Bil'in gath-ered each Friday to protest against the path of the Wall. These peaceful yet loud demonstrations were met with increasingly violent

opposition from the Israeli soldiers posted there. Unarmed civilians were targeted with tear gas, live fire and repeated arrests.

Despite repeated provo-cation of the Palestinians by the Israeli police and army, Palestinians are seen to be the voice of reason - "It is our land!" one shouts again and again. As a viewer, transported to the moment, it is difficult not to inter-nally voice the same: 'It is their land!'

With each new camera, Emad captures a depth of feeling, a degree of hope-lessness, and a resolute

will to resist at every level in the village society. At several points in the film, it is impossible not to be filled with anguish at the severity of the injustice - when family homes are raided at night and children kidnapped by soldiers from their beds. With each new year, the actions of the army become more shocking, and eventually culminate in incredible trauma.

In the end the Bil’in inhabitants see the fence being taken down, this is a major victory for them, but one for which they paid a heavy price.


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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT


A Vision of Angels

Available on kindle and paperback

Author:Timothy Jay Smith

Reviewed by:Louise Pyne Jones

Review A Vision of Angels

A Vision of Angels by Timothy Jay Smith is a novel based in Israel/Palestine. It is a predominantly dialogue based novel, making it easy to read. The central char-acters lives are unknow-ingly intertwined; and this gives the novel its appeal. In spite of the portrayal of characters from both sides of the divide, and all the various strata within those two sides, Smith manages to make each character’s life seem separate, while simultaneously being in-extricably linked. This is perhaps a nod to the clar-ity of the writing style, and could be said to represent a true mirror of the broken society. The selection of characters are somehow thrown together in the sto-ry, despite having high walls surrounding keeping them worlds apart, literally and figuratively, as represented in Smith’s prose.

The main characters, ac-cording to the author’s ac-knowledgements, are based on his lifetime of experience with Jewish families and his work with Palestinians dur-ing the peace process. He also acknowledges his time spent travelling around the

Middle East and the vast range of people he met along the way as inspiration for the characters in the novel. The key characters are from each side of the Israel-Palestine divide and include: David Kessler, an American journalist whose work becomes a focal point of the story, Major Levy and his family; his wife Leah, daughter Rachel and most notably his son Mishe; a young Israeli soldier, quick-ly recognised as a hero, an angel, and later a peace activist. Amin Mousa, from a powerful Gazan land-owning family and an ally of Hamas. Issa and his wife Na-dia; a Christian/Muslim Pal-estinian couple. I warmed a great deal to these charac-ters in particular. The name of this character becomes an important but subtle undercurrent, that runs through the novel about the similarities between the 3 monotheistic religions. Oth-er important characters are Captain Sa’ab Al-Rayes, Sen-ior Security Officer in Gaza, Major Levy’s close friend IDF Chief of Staff Ben-Ami, Noam, a Brooklyn-born Jew, immigrated to Israel, and Katya, a single-mother, na-

tive of England.Overall the story uses

the characters well to de-scribe and demonstrate the differences in culture and way of life. The rou-tine inter-mingling of faiths is made clear in symbols. Smith uses the title of Chap-ters as one way in which to demonstrate the impor-tance of the three faiths and the role they play in eve-ryday life in Palestine and Israel, and most notably of course in Jerusalem. On the other hand, I do feel that the most has not been made of an opportunity to develop one of the main families as Muslim Palestinians. This would hence give a more balanced insight into life in the Occupied territories for them. Conversely, the use of a Christian Palestinian fam-ily as protagonists, could go some way in extending the popular generalization of all Palestinians being Mus-lims. Issa’s character plainly states this, ‘For the day he could forget about being part of a Christian minor-ity in an Arab world and a Palestinian minority in an Israeli one.’

Moroccan literary prize awarded to Palestinian novelist

Palestinian novelist Sahar Khalifeh, received a Moroccan literary award for being an innovator of the Arabic novel in Pales-tine and her authorship of many novels which have expressed the Palestinian issues in diverse ways.

An international panel of novelists chose to award Sahar for her work, includ-ing Moroccan, Algerian, Kuwaiti and Egyptian writ-ers. Sahar’s work focusses

on Palestinian identity, women’s place in society, and the Israeli occupation. She has published numer-ous novels and pieces of non-fiction since the 1970s, and also won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal, one of the Arab world’s major literary awards, in 2006.

Amongst Khalifeh’s many novels, a number are available in translation into English, including: The End of Spring (Interlink), The

Inheritance (American Uni-versity in Cairo Press), Of Noble Origins (AUC Press), The Image, the Icon and the Covenant (Interlink) and – perhaps best known – Wild Thorns (Saqi). Excerpts of her earlier work can also be found in Salma Jayyusi’s monumental Anthology of Modern Palestinian Litera-ture (Columbia University Press).

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McDonalds refuses to

open branch in settlement

McDonald’s was asked to open a restaurant in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, but refused to do so. A number of international franchises have also refused to open stores there. Media reports suggest that they are concerned about the potential negative impact to their businesses abroad of opening a shop in an illegal settlement.

McDonald have over 70 branches in Israel.

Jewish Group vow to protect mosque

Following the murder of Lee Rigby, some mosques in Britain have faced attack from right wing extrem-ists. The Jewish group ‘Shomrim’ based in Stamford Hill offered to protect a London mosque which faced threats of violence. Shomrin offered lessons in security management to local Muslims, and also carried out patrols in the area.

Chaim Hochhauser supervises a Shomrim patrol, and he said: “It has been jointly agreed that this meeting and cooperation is just the beginning of a long term partnership between the two communities.”


In history... 1967The Six-Day War

The war began on June 5 with Israel launching a surprise-bombing raid on Egyptian air-fields. During the Six-Day-War, Israel attacked each of its neighbours, as well as its own ally, the USA.

On the fourth day of the war, the intelligence ship USS Liberty was sailing in interna-tional waters 14 miles north of the Sinai Peninsula when Israel launched an attack on it killing 34 US seamen and wounding 171 out of a crew of 297.

No official investigation ever took place and Israel claimed the attack was “a mistake”. The survivors continue to seek justice; however, evidence of a US

government cover-up has since emerged intended to protect not only itself but also Israel from public exposure of the truth about what happened.

During the war, Israel invaded the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as the Egyptian Sinai Dessert and the Syrian Golan Heights. The occupation of the Palestinian Territories began and contin-ues to this day. Israel has spent the last 46 years entrenching the occupation by building a Palestinian society which is dependent on Israel economi-cally and politically. Palestin-ians have little control over basic services such as water and electricity. As a result,

growth and progress of their society has been stifled.

350,000 Palestinians became refugees in the 1967 war, some of whom has already lost their homes once during the 1948 war when Israel was created. On 25 June 1967, Israel announced that it was annexing East Jerusalem to Israel. This was illegal and has not been recognised by most of the global community.

Following the war, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 242 demanding that Israel withdraw from the land it had occupied. It has still failed to comply.

Facts

13,300 Arabs and 779 Israelis dead.

Egyptian front - 338 Israelis and 12,000 Egyptians dead.

Jordanian front - 300 Israelis and 800 Jordanians dead.

Syrian front-141 Israelis and 500 Syrians dead.

Israel took over 6000 prisoners.

Minister Condemns settlement expansion plansAlistair Burt, Minister for

the Middle East condemned plans to expand the illegal Har Homa settlement in the West Bank. Mr Burt said: “The UK’s position on settlements has long been clear - they are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace.

“As I set out during my visit to the region earlier this month, both parties need to show bold and decisive leadership to enable US efforts to succeed in bringing the two parties together to

direct negotiations without preconditions.

“It is vital that the parties avoid any steps that undermine the chances of success. The consequences of the current efforts not succeeding – for both Israelis and Palestinians – would be very severe.”

Despite the strong statements, further requests for authorisation to expand settlements are beign made in Israel.


New fuel restrictions for Gaza

Frequent closures of the only crossing for commer-cial goods between Israel and the Gaza Strip have left Palestinians short of gas for cooking and heating, affecting businesses, agricul-tural production and health services.

Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on 26 June after two days of closure. Israel has closed the crossing five times since the end of February, for a total of 15 working days, in addition to six days of closure due to holidays.

Before this most recent closure, Palestinians in Gaza said they were still recovering from the series of closures in the spring, which they say created a cumulative deficit in gas. At one of Gaza’s major gas distributors, some 40,000 empty cylinders fill the station.

“Some people have been waiting for months to get their cylinders filled,” owner Yusri Daban said. He manages to fill about 1,500 per day, but is flooded with an equal amount of empty arrivals.

Daban’s company used to receive 25 tons of gas per day for distribution. His share decreased to 18 tons due to the shortages, and has not been increased since. He says he needs 35 to 45 tons a day to deal with the backlog.

Maher Tabba’, spokes-person of the Gaza chamber of commerce, said the short-ages have affected production on farms, factories, bakeries and restaurants, and have added to the chronic power cuts by putting an even higher demand on electricity.

Suspected War Criminal Doron Almog forced to cancel another UK trip in July

Retired Israeli Major General Doron Almog was forced to cancel yet another UK trip due to fears that he would be arrested for war crimes. There is an outstand-ing warrant for Almog’s arrest on charges of related to attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Lawyers who represent the victims of Almog’s mili-tary attacks have challenged the UK’s decision to grant his visit the status of a “special mission.” This status in effect put Almog beyond the reach of the law by providing immunity.

Previously in 2005, Almog evaded arrest by not disembarking the plane in the UK and heading straight back to Israel. A British court had issued a warrant for Almog’s arrest in relation to the destruction of 59 houses in Rafah refugee camp on 10 January 2002. , which formed part of a sustained policy of house demolitions in the Gaza Strip. The police stood ready

to arrest Mr. Almog on 11 September 2005 on suspicion of that war crime and three other allegations relating to his period as commander of the Gaza Strip (2000-2004). Mr. Almog escaped arrest after refusing to leave his

aeroplane at Heathrow airport following a tip off, and he was allowed to return to Israel.

Other suspected war criminals such as Tzipi Livni have been welcomed in the UK.


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Mehadrin targeted by protestors in France

More than 500 people joined a demonstration against the Israeli export company Mehadrin outside their French headquarters. Mehadrin is a major export-er of produce from illegal Israeli settlements and has been the target of boycott movements across Europe.

The demonstrators marched for 14 kilometers from Avignon to the small town of Chateurenard where Mehadrin is based. The march ended with a rally, and protestors erected tents outside the warehous-es, each bearing the name of Palestinian villages.

The crimes committed by Mehadrin include oper-ating farms in illegal Israeli settlements, using stolen Palestinian water, and the exploitation of desperate Palestinian workers. Me-hadrin is the supplier of the Jaffa brand of fruits which can be seen in many UK and European supermarkets.

AQSA NEWS 24 | ISSUE 52 / RAMADHAN 2013

FIFA Promises to help Palestinians

Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, has stated that the football world governing body would help Palestin-ians deal with the Israeli restrictions which stop them from participating in sports. He made the comments in Mauritius in early July.

“I can confirm I will help, FIFA will help. It’s a problem of football. We will help you and this will be done. It’s not a promise it’s a will - and where there’s a will there’s way,” he said.

A number of campaigns were launched against UEFA’s decision to allow Israel to host the European

Under-21 Championship, being staged in four Israeli cities in July. Despite the campaigns, UEFA has repeatedly stated that it will not change the host country.

Palestinian sports men and women have been prevented from travel-ling freely to participate in sports, and during military assaults on Palestin-ian areas, sporting grounds have been repeatedly targeted, against interna-tional law. International athletes wanting to visit the West Bank and Gaza to participate in games are also prevented from entering.

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Aqsa News, Issue 52, Ramadhan 2013