Commemorate the Nakba by becoming actively involved in Palestinian cause

ACTION ALERT

(CHICAGO 05/08/2011) –  May 15 marks 63 years of al Nakba, the date that symbolizes the beginning of the systematic and institutionalized dispossession of the Palestinian people. But the Nakba is not just one isolated incident that coincides with the May 15, 1948, birth of the state of Israel; it is actually an ongoing event that began with the United Nations partition of Palestine in 1947 and continues until today.

ACTION ALERT

(CHICAGO 05/08/2011) –  May 15 marks 63 years of al Nakba, the date that symbolizes the beginning of the systematic and institutionalized dispossession of the Palestinian people. But the Nakba is not just one isolated incident that coincides with the May 15, 1948, birth of the state of Israel; it is actually an ongoing event that began with the United Nations partition of Palestine in 1947 and continues until today.

Between Nov. 29, 1947, and Jan. 1, 1949, Zionist militants depopulated and destroyed more than 530 Palestinian villages and towns. They killed 13,000 Palestinians and forced 750,000 – about half the population - into exile and permanent refugee status. Numbering between 7.5  million and 9 million, depending upon the source, Palestinians today make up the world’s largest and longest-standing refugee group; 40 percent of all refugees are Palestinian. A full 74 percent of the total Palestinian population is refugees.

Since the early 1900s, Zionist leaders have openly stated their plans to transfer Palestinians out of Palestine, and this is still being carried out today by Israel’s illegal and racist policies that have created an apartheid state and that are consistently denying Palestinians of their basic human and civil rights.

In the past 10 and a half years, Israeli military and settlers have killed 1,335 Palestinian children, according to the United Nations. Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Occupation Force’s assault on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, was the deadliest massacre on Palestinian soil since the Nakba. Even so, the killing continues. The IOF has killed more than 140 Palestinians in Gaza since Jan. 19, 2009.

Since 1967, Israeli Occupation Forces have demolished more than 24,000 Palestinian homes, while more than 500,000 Jews currently are colonizing the West Bank and Jerusalem. Also since 1967, the Israeli military has detained more than 700,000 Palestinians – 20 percent of the population - according First International Conference on the Rights of Palestinian Prisoners and Detainees held in Geneva in March 2011. About 5,700 currently are being detained in prisons within Israel, a direct violation of international law. In addition, the siege on Gaza and the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank and Jerusalem have severely restricted or denied Palestinians’ freedom of movement.

With the winds of democratic change blowing through the Middle East – including the recent unification of all Palestinian factions -  there is real hope that liberation and self-determination may soon come to Palestine. That’s why our work to raise awareness is more vital now than ever.

Take Action

The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) encourages you to become involved in the work being done in the United States to raise awareness about the occupation and the Israeli apartheid state. Take these few simple steps to become part of the solution:

• Learn about Palestine by attending one of AMP’s many Al Nakba commemoration events being held throughout the country.
• Join AMP’s email list to receive notifications about news, events and activities.
• Invite AMP to speak at your school, club or place of worship.
• Donate to AMP.
• Download a copy of AMP’s book, “Al Nakba: Preserving our Narrative.”  You can also request a hard copy by sending $5 for shipping and handling to AMP, 10101 S. Roberts Road, Palos Hills, IL 60465.
• Download AMP’s PowerPoint presentation, “Al Nakba” and present it to your family, friends and groups.
• Purchase the AMP Al-Nakba commemoration t-shirt.