[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [SRRTAC-L:8222] Fwd: [lefty-jews] Bir Zeit University

[Alfred Kagan]

FYI

>
>  >From: "Naomi Braine"
>  >Reply-To: lefty-jews at yahoogroups.com
>  >To:
>  >Subject: [lefty-jews] Bir Zeit University
>  >Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 10:15:56 -0400
>  >
>  >This came to me in a somewhat circuitous fashion, so it is already 
>out of date as of last week. my understanding is that Bir Zeit 
>closed again alst week. but it is useful and interesting.
>  >naomi
>  >
>  > >Press Release from Birzeit University, Palestine (June 2, 2002)
>  > >
>  > >Education Denied
>  > >
>  > >On May 29, 2002 the Israeli Occupation Forces once again implemented the
>  > >illegal policy of closure on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road 
>prohibiting thousands
>  > >of students, faculty and staff from reaching Birzeit University. 
>Since March
>  > >of 2001, the Israeli occupation forces have systematically attempted to
>  > >totally disrupt the educational process at Birzeit University by 
>digging up
>  > >trenches, erecting dirt hills, and placing military checkpoints that have
>  > >partially or totally blocked pedestrian and vehicular traffic on 
>the Ramallah-
>  > >Birzeit Road. Israeli soldiers at the "Surda Military 
>Checkpoint" on the Road
>  > >have contravened all forms of human rights by arbitrarily
>  > >shooting tear gas, sound bombs, rubber bullets and live ammunition at
>  > >University community members and the inhabitants of the 35 
>villages and towns
>  > >surrounding Birzeit, including children, the elderly and the disabled,
>  > >attempting to cross the checkpoint.
>  > >
>  > >The Ramallah-Birzeit Road connects between the Palestinian city 
>of Ramallah
>  > >and its surrounding Palestinian villages and towns. As such, the 
>closure of
>  > >this Road does not serve any "security" purpose as is claimed by 
>the Israeli
>  > >government. The only purpose for the checkpoint and closure of 
>this road is to
>  > >deny access to the University, destroy the economic and social 
>infrastructure
>  > >of Palestinian society, humiliate the Palestinian civilian 
>population, deny
>  > >them access to humanitarian relief, and impede
>  > >their ability to survive.
>  > >
>  > >By closing the road to Birzeit University the Israeli government 
>is attempting
>  > >to incapacitate Palestinian society by halting the educational and
>  > >developmental process. Birzeit University is facing major delays 
>in completing
>  > >the second semester, entailing the inability of hundreds of students to
>  > >graduate. Furthermore, as a direct result of the Israeli 
>closures and ongoing
>  > >Israeli occupation the University is facing major financial 
>difficulties and
>  > >is being isolated from the local, regional and international 
>academic world.
>  > >
>  > >Israel's arbitrary and extreme use of violence against the Palestinian
>  > >civilian population, the denial of access to food, social and 
>health services,
>  > >work and schools, the deliberate attempts to disrupt the 
>Palestinian cultural,
>  > >educational, and social institutions and organizations, including the
>  > >continuous forced closure of Birzeit University, are all violations of
>  > >international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention. These violations
>  > >show a total disregard for Palestinian rights and for the 
>legitimacy of the
>  > >international ommunity and international law, declarations and 
>resolutions.
>  > >
>  > >The University demands an immediate end to the repressive 
>illegal policy of
>  > >closure. We call on the international community to express, in 
>the strongest
>  > >terms, their condemnation of the massive Israeli human rights violations
>  > >against the Palestinian predominantly civilian population and to support
>  > >Palestinians' rights to education, development, and life.
>  > >
>  > >Fact Sheet:
>  > >
>  > >Effects of Occupation and Israeli violent aggression on Birzeit University
>  > >
>  > >September 2001 - May 2, 2002
>  > >
>  > >September 30 - October 8, 2001
>  > >Classes suspended due to outbreak of violence.
>  > >
>  > >Classes reconvened on October 9. October 12, 2001 Bombing of the 
>Palestinian
>  > >Police station in Ramallah in the middle of the day creates 
>chaos on campus as
>  > >thousands of students, staff and faculty are stranded in Birzeit 
>for several
>  > >hours. Classes suspended until October 28. March 7, 2001 Israel Occupation
>  > >Army digs up two trenches on the Ramallah- Birzeit road. Birzeit 
>University
>  > >and 33 other villages with a population of about 65,000 are 
>completely cut off
>  > >from the outside world. In addition to the trenches, the Israeli 
>army broke
>  > >water pipes and cut off the telephone lines, prohibiting any kind of
>  > >communication between the residents and with the outside world.
>  > >
>  > >March 10, 2001
>  > >Birzeit University decided to suspend its operations Saturday, 
>to protest the
>  > >siege that has been imposed on the University and its neighboring villages
>  > >since March 7.
>  > >
>  > >March 12, 2001
>  > >Over 1000 people, amongst them politicians, officials, 
>academics, staff and
>  > >students of Birzeit University hold a peaceful march on the 
>Ramallah- Birzeit
>  > >road and fill in the trenches that were dug up. Israeli soldiers fire tear
>  > >gas, sound bombs and shoot at the marchers to try to disperse 
>them. One man
>  > >was killed and scores were injured and transported to hospitals. 
>Israeli army
>  > >sent in bulldozers to reopen the trenches. March 19, 2001 After a month's
>  > >delay, the second semester starts. However, major congestion on the Surda
>  > >checkpoint (erected on the Ramallah- Birzeit road) and travel restrictions
>  > >greatly affects students and staff access to the University.
>  > >
>  > >April, May and June 2001.
>  > >
>  > >Continued travel restrictions greatly impede the progress of the 
>semester with
>  > >the road being partially or totally closed off at various times. 
>Many study
>  > >days are lost. At times, the BZU Community and residents of the 
>surrounding
>  > >villages are forced to walk through the valley, at other times 
>individuals are
>  > >stranded on one side or the other, either unable to get home or 
>to get to work
>  > >or school. On May 19, June 5, June 6 classes were suspended due to total
>  > >closures of the road. June 9, 2001 A peaceful
>  > >demonstration is held to open the Ramallah- Birzeit road. The Israeli
>  > >occupation forces fire tear-gas canisters and rubber coated 
>steel bullets at
>  > >over one thousand unarmed Palestinian students, faculty, staff 
>and supporters
>  > >of Birzeit University. A young female protestor was shot in the 
>leg. Also, in
>  > >response to the peaceful march Israel soldiers erect two 
>additonal checkpoints
>  > >on the road. Bashar Hijjeh, a senior student and former head of 
>the student
>  > >council at Birzeit University is arrested in his house in Burqa 
>near Nablus.
>  > >
>  > >June 12, 2001 Classes are resumed.
>  > >
>  > >June 13, 2001 Hundreds of Birzeit University students and staff 
>stranded in
>  > >Birzeit with no means of returning to their homes as a result of 
>the Israeli
>  > >occupation forces closing off the Ramallah-Birzeit Road to pedestrian
>  > >crossing. Those who attempt to
>  > >cross on foot, are shot at by the Israeli forces using rubber-coated steel
>  > >bullets, sound bombs and tear-gas canisters and are forced to traverse the
>  > >rocky valley, randomly being shot at by the occupation forces.
>  > >
>  > >June 28, 2001
>  > >Three Birzeit University students are arrested at the checkpoint on the
>  > >Ramallah-Birzeit Road, making 11 the number of students arrested since the
>  > >beginning of the Intifada on September 28, 2000. 8 August 2001 The Israeli
>  > >occupation forces have in recent days driven up to the Birzeit University
>  > >campus harassing and intimidating the staff and students.
>  > >
>  > >September 17, 2001
>  > >Birzeit University students, staff and faculty, alongside hundreds of
>  > >commuters coming from Ramallah to Birzeit are stranded at the Israeli
>  > >occupation checkpoint on the Ramallah-Birzeit road. Only after 
>the University
>  > >administration persuaded the Israeli army to allow the people to 
>pass did the
>  > >Israelis open the roadblock, and then only for individuals 
>holding a BZU ID.
>  > >
>  > >September 18, 2001
>  > >An Israeli soldier released a sound bomb at close range at staff 
>members of
>  > >Birzeit University. The bomb hit and broke the leg of the 
>University's Senior
>  > >Information Officer, Dalia Habash, who was forced to wear a full 
>leg cast for
>  > >over three months.
>  > >October 2, 2001 Around 2000 students, staff and faculty from Birzeit
>  > >University along with other officials from various Palestine Authority
>  > >Ministries and non-governmental organization and inhabitants from the
>  > >surrounding villages, hold a peaceful march toward the Israeli 
>checkpoint on
>  > >the Ramallah-Birzeit Road demanding the removal of the checkpoint and the
>  > >opening of the road leading to
>  > >the University and the 35 surrounding villages. 16 October 2001 
>For the first
>  > >time in over five months, Birzeit university staff, faculty and 
>students are
>  > >able to travel between Ramallah and Birzeit without being 
>stopped, humiliated,
>  > >or harassed by Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint that was 
>erected along
>  > >the road last May.
>  > >
>  > >17 October 2001
>  > >Less than 48 hours after evacuating the Surda checkpoint on the Ramallah-
>  > >Birzeit Road, the Israeli occupation forces re-instated the 
>checkpoint. The
>  > >checkpoint remained totally closed for over three weeks during which the
>  > >Israeli army had occupied part of Ramallah.
>  > >
>  > >November 8, 2001
>  > >The Israeli occupation forces withdraw from Ramallah on November 7, thus
>  > >ending the three-week siege that prohibited all access to the University.
>  > >Birzeit University resumes classes. January 11, 2002 Birzeit University
>  > >student seriously assaulted by three Israeli soldiers at the 
>Surda Checkpoint
>  > >outside Ramallah.
>  > >
>  > >January 19, 2002
>  > >American Professor at Birzeit Faces threat of deportation after 
>being detained
>  > >in Ben Gurion Airport
>  > >
>  > >February 19, 2002
>  > >Two Birzeit University students are arrested on their way from 
>the University
>  > >to Ramallah. The students are handcuffed, blindfolded, beaten 
>and stamped on
>  > >by the Israeli occupation forces, and then put in the military 
>vehicles to be
>  > >transported.
>  > >
>  > >February 21, 2002
>  > >Again, the Israeli occupation forces dig up the road at the 
>Surda checkpoint
>  > >on the Ramallah-Birzeit Road, creating a trench across the road 
>half a meter
>  > >deep and a meter wide, and making vehicular traffic completely impossible.
>  > >
>  > >March 5, 2002
>  > >BZU Starts Spring Semester Despite Road Difficulties
>  > >
>  > >March 13, 2002
>  > >Birzeit University closed due to latest Israeli incursion of Ramallah
>  > >
>  > >March 18, 2002
>  > >Birzeit University Resumes Operations
>  > >
>  > >March 29 - April 21, 2002
>  > >Total Occupation of Ramallah entails a curfew on all Ramallah residents,
>  > >massive destruction of Ramallah roads, buildings and utilities, 
>mass arrests,
>  > >killing and beating of Palestinians. Effects on Birzeit University
>  > >include:
>  > >
>  > >1. Scores of students and staff arrested. Some were detained only
>  > >temporarily. Others are still being held.
>  > >
>  > >2. University dormitories and building raided.
>  > >
>  > >3. Beating of University personnel and using one staff member as a human
>  > >shield.
>  > >
>  > >4. Electronic Forms of communication disabled
>  > >
>  > >5. Students stranded without food or money in the town of Birzeit.
>  > >
>  > >6. The occupation by the Israeli army of staff and faculty members'
>  > >houses.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >April 23, 2001
>  > >The University resumes operations. Only a handful of staff and 
>faculty reach
>  > >the University.
>  > >
>  > >May 7, 2002
>  > >We hope to resume classes. For most universities around the 
>world, the spring
>  > >semester is coming to an end. We are only getting started.
>  >
>
>
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-- 


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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