Gaza commemoration campaign kicks off

(CHICAGO 01/16/2012) -- Gaza Teaches Life, the American Muslims for Palestine’s national commemoration campaign, began Sunday night before an enthusiastic crowd at Al Aqsa school in Bridgeview, IL.

Spoken word artist Remi Kanazi, AMP’s featured speaker throughout the campaign, gave an evocative and at times gut-wrenching performance of poems from his newest book, “Poetic Injustice,” which he said was dedicated to all four of his grandparents, who were dispossessed and forced from Palestine in 1948.

The purpose of AMP’s campaign is to commemorate Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s 3-week assault on Gaza in the winter of 2008-’09 that killed more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza – including 355 children – and wounded 5,300. But it also aims to celebrate the inspiration shown by Palestinians’ resistance to decades of occupation.

“We patterned our campaign on the amazing poem by spoken word artist Rafeef Ziadeh, with her permission, of course,” said Awad Hamdan, AMP national programs director. “We need to make sure that Operation Cast Lead is never forgotten. We also wanted to honor the victims by celebrating those who, despite the draconian siege imposed by Israeli occupation authorities, go on living with dignity, grace and hope.”

Other speakers included Thaer Ahmed, a medical student who has visited Gaza twice; Dr. Mohammda Al Natour is a local activist and former MF board member; and Kristin Szremksi, AMP director of media and communications. Joanna Beituni moderated.

Other events are scheduled for Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Sacramento and elsewhere.

View a complete list of events