[Peace-discussion] [Fwd: [outagainstwar] Al-Fatiha Open Letter Concerning WorldPride Jerusalem]

[michelle]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:     [outagainstwar] Al-Fatiha Open Letter Concerning WorldPride 
Jerusalem
Date:     Tue, 08 Aug 2006 04:34:55 -0000
From:     lavenderblock <lavenderblock@yahoo.com>
Reply-To:     outagainstwar@yahoogroups.com
To:     outagainstwar@yahoogroups.com


Al-Fatiha Open Letter Concerning WorldPride Jerusalem
Posted by: "Al-Fatiha - LGBTIQ Muslims" gaymuslims@yahoo.com
gaymuslims
Sun Aug 6, 2006 5:04 pm (PST)
Open Letter to the LGBTIQ Community and WorldPride Participants

As LGBTIQ Muslims and allies, the Al-Fatiha Foundation is torn, but
united in our boycott of WorldPride in Jerusalem. As a religious
organization, Al-Fatiha embraces the great symbolism that WorldPride
in Jerusalem represents: the bringing together of LGBTIQ people in a
city regarded as holy by Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Yet, this
WorldPride will not be a bringing together of people; Palestinians
and the vast majority of Muslims will continue to be denied access
to the city of Jerusalem. Al-Fatiha cannot, in good faith, support
participation in WorldPride held in a segregated Jerusalem, under an
Israeli apartheid system.

There is no pride in a system of apartheid institutionalized by the
Israeli government and enforced by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
against Palestinian civilians. Palestinians living in the West Bank
and Gaza are routinely denied freedom of movement and unrestricted
access to Jerusalem. Palestinians must carry identity cards to go
anywhere, and if granted, special permits to enter or exit
Jerusalem. Every day, Palestinians must endure numerous checkpoints
which restrict and often prohibit their travel for work, for
education, and for healthcare. The escalating violence targeting
civilians in Palestine/Israel precludes freedom of movement for
everyone, regardless of sexuality, religion or ethnicity.

There is no pride in collective punishment of millions of people, in
wholesale denial of food, water, adequate shelter, right to
property, freedom of movement, access to health care and hospitals,
access to education, right to earn a living, right to integrity and
liberty. These are basic human rights. And, these are human rights
that are systematically violated by policies and practices of the
Israeli government and the IDF on a daily basis throughout
Palestine.

The recent Israeli bombing of a water treatment plant and the sole
power plant that supplies electricity to sixty-five percent of Gaza
Strip's 1.4 million inhabitants is just one example of collective
punishment experienced by all Palestinians--regardless of religion,
political or ideological persuasion, sexual _expression or identity.
To date, thousands of Palestinians are still without access to clean
water and electricity during the hottest summer months.

In addition, the recent systematic violence by Israel targeting
civilian lives in Lebanon and the deliberate annihilation of
Lebanese infrastructure of water and electric power plants,
airports, seaports, highways, schools and hospitals further widens
the scope of collective punishment of millions of innocent civilians.

As an organization, and as a community that spans all continents of
the globe, Al-Fatiha stands for justice, peace and self-
determination for all people. We believe that all people have the
inherent right to liberty, and to freedom of sexual and religious
_expression. We equally believe that all people have inviolable
human rights, regardless of ethnicity, culture, or nationality.

The Al-Fatiha Foundation stands in solidarity with the many
individuals and organizations, such as ASWAT and Helem, which are
actively working for nonviolent, peaceful solutions to the
violations of human rights in Palestine/Israel, and now Lebanon. We
envision a time when all people, regardless of faith, sexuality,
gender, ethnicity, culture, or nationality, may celebrate a true
WorldPride in a united Jerusalem.

In Struggle and Solidarity,

Al-Fatiha Board of Directors
http://www.al-fatiha.org/