GLNAWI's Namaste in Jerusalem

GLNAWI member Sayrah Namaste is currently in Jerusalem representing Michigan Peace Team at the 12th Annual Coalition of Women for Peace International Conference in Jerusalem.

As one of our most informed, articulate and active members, Sayrah's presence at this conference is an honor for all of us. It is a wonderful opportunity to have a resource in our own community linked to those on the front line of a struggle for a just peace that we have chosen to support.

The following is her first email update from Jerusalem, sent yesterday:


Hello Friends,

I have a few minutes at an internet cafe to send you a note. This is my second day at the women's peace conference in Jerusalem, and it's been very intense. Thank you for all the support you've given me so that I could be here.

We 700 women from more than 30 countries gather each day outside under a tent on the Mount of Olives. Women from each country to stood up as their country was called: Cambodia, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Italy,Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, UK, Spain and the Basque, Balkans, Russia, Chechnya, Phillipines, Japan, Australia, India, Canada, US, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Nigeria, South Africa, Burundi, Palestine and Israel. There are 5 Nobel Peace Prize nominees and women who are ministers in the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Parliament. I was moved to tears to just see each of the groups of women stand when their country was called out, and a story shared--about the women's struggle against sexual violence in the Balkans or assasinations in Colombia, etc.

Two women from Spain, one from Finland, one from the Congo, one from Kenya, and one from Rwanda were prevented from joining us. Ten of us were detained--I was interrogated for about 2 hours by 3 soldiers and strip searched, but still allowed in.

"My sisters!" said Gila Svirsky, Israeli activist and the conference organizer, "this is the revolution! We are everywhere, despite the politics and the profits keeping us apart."

I will write more on the content of the workshops, but I wanted to share this brief story:

I and six others walked to and from the conference and my hotel--a beautiful walk, about 40 minutes. On the way back, we came across a 'flying checkpoint'. In other words, it was not there in the morning. Almost fifty soldiers armed with M-16s were there. I approached them and said Lion's Gate (the entrance to the city) and they nodded their heads and let us in.
But a few meters up the hill, I saw a Palestinian mother and her 3 year old daughter. When they saw the checkpoint, the mother froze. The child began to cling to her mother, who did not speak but just stared. I could see she was contemplating what to do. I decided to stop and sit down on the sidewalk to watch and see if my presence could be of any help. She called her brother on her cell phone, then hung up and stood waiting, conflicted.

I approached her and we began to talk. Her name is Claire, she is a strong woman, very direct. She told me she was worried about getting back home with the checkpoint there--would they let her back in? Should she cancel her plans? She wouldn't be back until 10pm and her brother was going to escort her. But his ID doesn't let him into this side of the city when there is a checkpoint. I offered to accompany her and she gratefully accepted. My heart went out to her, and her daughter so close in age to my own. Claire grabbed my arm and linked it in hers, and held her tiny daughter's hand, and down the hill we went into the midst of these soldiers.

When we got to the checkpoint, the little girl was right up against the butt of their guns. It pained me to see her having to be a child in this. The woman, Claire, tried to negotiate with the soldiers to allow her back in tonight and her brother. They were noncommittal. After a while, she gave up and walked out, her arm still linked in mine. We talked for a while. Her hope was her brother will be able to escort her back in at 10pm, but I worry tonight about if that happened.

You see, tonight and tomorrow, 200,000 settlers and their supporters are coming to Jersualem. The Palestinian family that runs the hotel I am in say they are here to show that although they are not in Gaza, they will show that they "own Jerusalem". The threats of terrible violence tonight and tomorrow are great. The Women in Black organizers actually warned us that we could be killed if we went anywhere near the demonstration tonight. The city is in lockdown, with the military everywhere. It feels everyone is holding their breath, gathered around their TVs watching the settlers.

I don't know if you are getting the news there about this? Please know that I am safe and fine, and glad to be with 700 feminist peacemakers at this time.

Will write more later,
Sayrah

Glad you made it to Jerusalem safely, Sayrah. It's so ironic to me that a town named, in English, "city of peace" could be anything but a peaceful place. I can't wait for your safe return and the work waiting for you back home. Enjoy your trip, and watch your six.

Posted at Sunday, August 14, 2005
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