[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo: Israel Cleansing Palestinian Culture, Life

[Al Kagan]

>Delivered-To: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>From: "PMC" <pmc at p-i-s.com>
>To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo: Israel Cleansing Palestinian 
>Culture, Life
>Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 03:02:46 +0200
>X-Priority: 3
>Status:  
>
>Mr. Yasser Abed Rabbo, the Ministr of Culture and Information called 
>on the international community to put an end to Israel's cultural 
>cleansing efforts against the Palestinian People. In a letter he 
>addressed to Consuls and representatives to the Palestine National 
>Authority, Mr. Abed Rabbo detailed Israel's systematic assault on 
>the very fabric of Palestinian society.
>
>Below is a transcript of his letter:
>
>
>14 April 2002
>Your Excellency,
>
>The past fifteen days have been perhaps Palestine's most 
>traumatizing in decades for they have wrought unspeakable death, 
>destruction, sorrow, and helplessness to the Palestinian People. 
>Needless to say, Palestinian civilians have suffered the brunt of 
>Israel's on-going war on the very fabric of Palestinian life, in its 
>physical and metaphorical aspects.
>
>It will take our nation years to overcome the pain and loss that the 
>massacres, which the Israeli occupation army, has left us to mourn. 
>Hundreds of our children, women, and young men have been killed with 
>utmost savagery and their story remains obscured because of Israel's 
>persistent efforts to literally bury the proof of its unspeakable 
>crimes.
>
>Adding to this devastation is a loss that the Palestinian society, 
>with all its sectors, will be rebuilding for years to come. Ariel 
>Sharon is now crowing the aggression, which has already caused 
>hundreds of innocent lives, with what can only be described as an 
>attempt to obliterate any Palestinian presence in the land, whether 
>physically or culturally. It is "cultural cleansing" in its ugliest 
>forms.
>
>The Israeli occupation army has invaded, ransacked, and destroyed 
>every Palestinian Ministry and official building. Today alone, they 
>raided the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs, and Supplies, and 
>the Standards Institution. They also raided and destroyed the Khalil 
>Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah, one of Palestine's most 
>important cultural centers.
>
>During these attacks, Israeli soldiers detonated explosives to enter 
>through the gates, exploded safes, and destroyed the buildings. 
>However, what is far more important than this physical aggression is 
>their systematic assault on official records, archives, historical 
>art crafts, and other important possessions.
>
>For example, the Ministry of Health's entire records on births, 
>deaths, and immunizations was either looted or destroyed. The 
>Ministry's crucially important medicine warehouses was also looted 
>and destroyed. In the Standards Institution, Israeli soldiers 
>exploded each safe in the office in charge of gold authentication 
>and imprinting. These safes housed the country's goldsmiths' life 
>earnings in gold, awaiting certificates that would permit their 
>products entry into the market.
>
>The Ministry of Education, the Central Bureau of Statistics, the 
>Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of 
>Industry, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the General Personnel 
>Council have also been earlier victims of this rampage.
>
>Now, the files and archives pertaining to 1 million Palestinian 
>students no longer exist, which threatens with great confusion. 
>Additionally, Ramallah's Municipality has also been looted and 
>destroyed; Israeli occupation soldiers destroyed the Municipality's 
>lands claim and registration files, thus exposing the entire society 
>to unthinkable and possibly dangerous problems. This also applies to 
>the Chamber of Commerce and the General Personnel Council, which has 
>been completely destroyed. Money, gold, computers, and archives have 
>all been either smashed to bits or hauled away.
>
>We believe that this is a systematic process aimed at spreading 
>chaos in the Palestinian society for this destruction is not limited 
>to Ramallah but is rather evident in every reoccupied Palestinian 
>town, village, and city.
>
>It is apparent that the Israeli government intends to make of us a 
>society without a history or memory; but we assure you it will not 
>succeed. This is Ariel Sharon's true intention behind this vicious 
>war, which is effectively cleansing us physically and culturally.
>
>While the Palestinian People's memory is live and thriving, we 
>appeal to you to put an end to this barbaric assault. Attacking the 
>Palestinian society's very fabric of life and the essential 
>components of a modern, orderly, and dignified society will only 
>lead to absolute chaos and confusion. This assault, which has 
>equally targeted our society's thriving non-governmental 
>organizations, will have devastating effects on the entire region.
>
>It is incumbent upon the international community to take decisive 
>actions that would save what little is left. This cultural cleansing 
>must be brought to an immediate halt. We trust that your help and 
>commitment to international law and relevant Covenants will ensure a 
>quick and decisive international action.
>
>Destroying a society's cultural heritage and history is a shameful 
>crime against human heritage. We appeal to you to ensure that Israel 
>brings it to an immediate end.
>
>Respectfully,
>
>Yasser Abed Rabbo
>Minister of Culture and Information
>Palestine National Authority
>Ramallah, Palestine

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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