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Archbishop Tutu Stands For Justice Against Apartheid Israel
The Inhuman Injustices Being Endured by Palestinians Require Us All to Act in the Name of Humanity
by Sonja Karkar
With all the calls on Archbishop Tutu’s time and counsel, it seemed just too much to hope that he would bother himself with a small but valiant struggle against Apartheid Israel in Marrickville, Australia. But Archbishop Tutu knows better than most how an apartheid regime can blind others to the suffering it institutes against another people and the vitrol its apologists mete out to those who support them.
His most welcome letter of solidarity with the ethical stance taken by the Marrickville Mayor Fiona Byrne and the Councillors who want to hold Israel to account for the long history of injustices it has visited on the Palestinian people, should have Australians thinking long and hard.
After all, it was not that long ago that Australians were asked to support the mass struggle for freedom from an Apartheid regime in South Africa. Even then politicians, the media and many interest groups wanting to maintain their relations with the apartheid regime, railed against the call for boycotts.
They did not prevail because ordinary people everywhere were prepared to take extraordinary measures in support of human rights and the humanity that binds us together.
Who would have thought we would face such a moment in history again? But, the purveyors of exclusivism and racism lurk in every generation and it is only our indifference that allows their malignant ideology to enter the mainstream and be seen as normal and acceptable.
When the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) saw the nasty campaign being waged against the Marrickville councillors and others, it knew that support from Archbishop Tutu would give them succour in those long days of public vilification. And, it comes just at a time when Greens senator-elect Lee Rhiannon is facing the same barrage of attacks as she prepares to take her seat in Australia’s senate.
Shamefully, some of those attacks have come from political colleagues in our parliament who all seem so hell-bent on lauding Israel right or wrong.
Archbishop Tutu’s letter might give them pause to remember there is nothing honourable about being on the wrong side of history. The inhuman injustices being endured by the Palestinians require us all to act in the name of humanity.
Sonja Karkar, Editor –Australians for Palestine
Also see:
BRISBANE: Australia’s first Flash Mob 3Jun11
Brisbane BDS Campaign activists surprise shoppers by performing “we will boycott Israel” to the tune of a popular music anthem in the Myer centre food court below the Seacret Dead Sea Cosmetics stall. Activists have been calling on shoppers and Myer Centre management to respect the call to boycott products made in Israel until it respects human rights and complies with International Law.
The action was part of the global BDS movement to Boycott Israeli goods.
The Boycott Divestment Sanctions Campaign initiated by Palestinian trade unions and civil society in 2005 has the aim of * Ending Israel’s occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall * Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and * Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194
Boycott Divestment Sanctions Campaign Flash Mob Brisbane Australia June 3 2011
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=112005
Posted by Veterans Today on Jun 8 2011, With 0 Reads, Filed under Editors Picks, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Now thats a REAL Christian who knows Christian theology/principles/teachings awa right from wrong. These damn zio nutjobs with their armageddon agenda should not be allowed to call themselves Christians.
It’s quite clear that the Australians need hate speech legislation, they need more copyright laws which prevent them from being able to express themselves and they need to shut down the internet and have more wars to enrich the oligarchs.
Otherwise, the criminals might be offended!
We certainly wouldn’t want that.
Bishop Richard Williamson and Bp DeMallarais are also fighting the Pharisees…www.sspx.org http://www.dinoscopus.com
Tutu was cool when the USA was on the side of justice during the South African Apartheid days…he was a media darling! But in the USA, don’t go against the Zionists or you won’t get face time on the main stream media. He’s conveniently MIA on USA TV. Justice when convenient in the USA is just NOT cool.
The call to boycott Israel is not because Israel has a Jewish population but because the state practices discrimination and apartheid policies. Archbishop Tutu knows that very well and is better placed than most to comment. Saying that he is anti-Semitic for criticising Israel assumes that all Jews follow one agenda lumping all Jews in the world into one category and making them responsible for Israel’s actions. That is the epitome of racism, stereo-typing and anti-Semitism. The boycotts against South Africa were never put in place to demonise white people but to bring change to a racist regime.
Well said. You are doing a terrific job seeking justice. Keep up the great work.
@ Paul: You ashkenaz are anti-Semites of the worst kind imaginable genociding/oppressing the Semite Palestinians. I think you alternate universe dwelling NON semites need an education on the real meanings of the Emglish language.
Dr. Alan Sabrosky a frequent contributor to Veterans Today and My Catbird Seat, who is partly Jewish himself and former Director of Studies at the U.S. Army War College, a true blue critic of Israel’s policies, went further describing Israel as a fascist state in response to the post below…
http://mycatbirdseat.com/2011/06/archbishop-desmond-tutu-calls-on-jews-and-israelis-to-oppose-the-occupation-of-palestine/
Alan Sabrosky on the 08. Jun, 2011 remarked
“I would differ with Birch in two ways. One, Israel is not moving towards fascism, it is in fact a fascist state – “democratic (for the ‘in group’) fascism” being an entirely plausible scenario for the early 20th century fascist theoreticians).
Two, it is unfair to equate the old South African apartheid with Israeli apartheid. Having seen both on the ground, it is abundantly clear that the Israeli version is far, far worse in every respect. What is mainstream Israeli apartheid was at worst only a fringe movement in the old South African version — there were (e.g.) black combat battalions in the apartheid-era South African armed forces that have no Arab/Palestinian parallel in Israel today.”
Ignore Paul or Saul the zionist shill and he will go away.
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