[Peace-discuss] Story on Last Night's Talk

[David Green]

This story and comment has been posted the the IMC
website:

On November 1st, U of I student Farah Abi-Akar
addressed over 60 people in the Transportation
Building about her experiences this past summer in
Lebanon, both before and during Israel’s attack. Her
talk was sponsored by the Arab Student Association.
She used photos and descriptions of her extended
family members and their beautiful country to transmit
the love and spirit that brought her to her ancestral
home. She fought back tears as she described the
senseless and sadistic Israeli bombing that once again
wantonly destroyed Lebanon, which she correctly
described as “economic warfare” (although it is more
than that). She sincerely communicated the suffering
of the Lebanese people as “neighbors” of brutal serial
invaders and occupiers who are funded and supported by
us, U.S. taxpayers.

Farah’s talk was preceded by two speakers (one Jewish)
who cogently provided historical and political context
for Lebanon’s suffering, relating it to both U.S.
hegemony and the occupation of Palestine. I noticed
that several Jewish students left before Farah
described the results of the war itself. Perhaps they
had enough of a sense of shame or respect to
understand that their customary plan to interject
banal Zionist talking points into events such as these
would only make them sound cruel and heartless, as
well as stupid. Or perhaps they could not bear to see
the human consequences of an aggressive "Jewish
state."

This event was in stark contrast to that sponsored
last week by AWARE, at which two Jewish U of I
professors spoke of Israel’s “right” to invade Lebanon
in emotionally and morally dispassionate, callous
terms. It occurred to me after last night that
knee-jerk support for Zionist depravity in the name of
“Jewish state interests” has brought a kind of moral
nihilism to the core of Jewish institutional life,
including on this campus. To assume a leadership role
in Jewish institutions requires a kind of trained
heartlessness that kills the human spirit of
compassion--in stark contrast to someone like Farah.

I would also note that the Daily Illini on Monday
covered the recent appearance of two Israeli
hack-propagandist journalists (including a photo of
the Israeli flag on the front page), while providing
no critical context whatsoever. There has as yet been
no coverage of Farah’s poignant and perceptive talk.
In any event, her story deserves a wide and receptive
audience.

David Green




 
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