Friends,
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Mark Johnson, FOR Executive Director, and Leila Zand, FOR Iran Program Coordinator, are in Egypt today as part of the Interfaith Gaza Satyagraha with the Gaza Freedom March, bringing FOR's message of peace and reconciliation from your city and around the country to Palestine.
The restriction on the movement of the march into Gaza by the Egyptian government continues, as Mark writes:
Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, one of the Gaza Freedom March organizers; Waldon Bello, a parlimentarian from the Philippines; and retired U.S. Col. Ann Wright negotiated with the U.N. staff and with Egyptian police and army officers through the afternoon [yesterday]. It became increasingly clear that the U.N. presence in Egypt has no influence beyond their willingness to convey requests and concerns for a change on the part of the Egyptian government.
The Gaza Freedom March, however, is not deterred.
The young Egyptian soldiers who arrive by buses to whatever site where we convene, bear no guns or batons and are quick to smile, though their superiors try to keep them somber and reserved. Passing out yellow pens labeled in English and Arabic with the logo of the Gaza Freedom March, and greeting them with the traditional greeting, Salaam Aleikum, they whisper their names, ask where we are from, and even signal sympathies for our efforts.
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As Egypt continues to block passage of these activists into Gaza, we ask for your help in pressuring the news media to cover this important story -- coverage that until now has been sorely lacking. Please take a moment and contact editors at press, television and radio news outlets and ask them to inform their audience about this important event.
Leila Zand wrote about the wide range of participation in the Gaza Freedom March:
There are many different faces and accents, there are groups from Japan, Italy, Spain, the Philippines, Mali, Turkey, England, France, and many others: all together almost 1,400 people from 42 different countries, to show their solidarity with our brothers and sister in Gaza.
In addition, we have dozens of letters from FOR members there in spirit, in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Remember that it's still not too late to sign up to attend a Gaza solidarity event in your area tomorrow. Local events will be a key part of bringing the stories of the people of Gaza to communities across the United States, and FOR encourages all members to consider participating in or organizing a solidarity event.
Continuing updates from Mark and Leila will be posted on the FORPeace blog. For more accounts, see author and activist Starhawk, Pace e Bene leader Fr. Louie Vitale, Just Foreign Policy national coordinator Robert Naiman, Voices for Creative Nonviolence leader Joshua Brollier; and many more updates, Tweets, videos, and links on the Gaza Freedom March website.
As part of their appeal to the Egyptian government, members of the Interfaith Gaza Satyagraha wrote,
We seek to fulfill our scriptural obligations by coming together, walking in peaceful pilgrimage, and providing hope to those who seek peace for their families. As people of faith we believe that we are called to witness for the sake of the well-being of all people, for we are one humanity.
This is, in a very real sense, the Fellowship of Reconciliation's mission in action.
Help support our continuing work in interfaith reconciliation with your contribution today.
All donations made by Dec. 31 will be fully tax-deductible for this year. We can't do it without your help!