Drag Against the Occupation

From Haaretz (in Israel)

Drag against the occupation
By Tamara Traubman

A full dance floor in a South Tel Aviv nightclub, replete with its share of drag queens. Ostensibly another Friday night of gay men having a good time. But this is not an ordinary party of this sort. Palestinians and Jews are dancing together, the music is Arabic, several of the drag performances have a political content, and even the time of night - from the early evening until before midnight - is designed so the celebrants can get home at a reasonable hour without being asked too many questions.

The party is taking place as part of the activities of a new association, Al-Qaws [The Rainbow] for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society. The dance parties, which take place once every two months, characterize the organization's nature: Political activism can be more than just demonstrations and serious slogans. You can surely dance while fighting for civil rights.

The association's members, who come from all over the country, began operating in 2000 in the context of the Open House gay organization in Jerusalem. But lately they realized they had to take another step to meet the special needs of the Arab gay and lesbian community in Israel, and to preserve their uniqueness and political character. Al-Qaws registered as an independent association, and on March 1 will celebrate the launch of its operations.

The association's director, 29-year-old Haneen Maikey from Jerusalem, says the parties are only one aspect of the group's activities, which include local support groups. "We also provide a personal response to people who come for advice, information and a sympathetic ear, and we organize events as well," she says.

'Badge of shame'

Al-Qaws is the first Palestinian-Israeli organization to cater to the entire gay and lesbian Palestinian population. About five years ago the organization Aswat (Voices) was founded for lesbian, bisexual and transsexual Palestinian women. The organization's members are involved in a variety of feminist and political activities. Last year, when they wanted to hold a large convention in Haifa, the Islamic Movement published a condemnation of the convention and called it a "a badge of shame."

An Arab gay man or lesbian in Israel is doubly excluded: In Arab society they suffer from oppression and discrimination because of their sexual orientation, while in Jewish society they suffer from discrimination for nationalist reasons. Maikey says the Arab gay or lesbian in Israel "remains a stranger even in an accepting environment." Usually their relationships are conducted in Hebrew in an environment different from their original cultural milieu. "So even if it's an accepting environment, you remain a stranger, a kind of 'guest of the culture,' and you have to behave according to rules determined by the other," she says.

According to Maikey, "At the parties many people say that it's important to them that there is finally a framework where you can speak Arabic without fear." At the parties there is a sense of freedom and liberation, one reason being the variety that is celebrated. "There's everything here, and everything is accepted," says one of the female participants. "Arabs, Jews, men, women, lesbians, gays, trans, straights." Another reason for the feeling of liberation is that the parties are a meeting place for many identities, mainly gender and national identities.

"I see the parties as both a path and a goal," says Samira, an activist at Al-Qaws and Aswat. "As far as I'm concerned the parties are part of a way to build a community. It's a social meeting place and the beginning of creating a community. It's also a place where you don't apologize for anything about your identity. In the nightclubs and at other parties we are asked to leave the Palestinian aspect outside the club before we enter. Here it's a place that doesn't ask for that. On the contrary, it nurtures our identity."

Songs of love, and struggle

On the stage the performances are beginning. A drag queen sings a love song by the singer Fairuz, another begins a belly dance. A black drag queen with a dark blond wig, wearing a tunic sewn from a keffiyeh, gets onstage. "I don't care what they say," she sings to her beloved. "Every day I'll be what I want to be."

Later the installation artist R. appears. He is active in the Al-Qaws Tel Aviv-Jaffa branch and organizes exhibitions, but he prefers not to be identified by name. R.'s installations are political and very moving. One can often see people in the audience crying. To the strains of songs of struggle, for the most part by classic singers such as Fairuz or Majida al Romi, he appears as a character he created: "Arus Falastin," The Bride of Palestine. "It reminds people of who they really are," he says.

The conflict and distress supposedly subside at the party, mitigated by drag. R. says that "in recent years, all the drag queens I have encountered came to entertain, to make people laugh, to amuse. Although all drag is political in itself, when it is only amusing it becomes boring in a certain sense. Ordinary people - that doesn't excite anyone any longer."

At the last party R. appeared as a "drag king" in a new character he created: Ahmed Basha. His face adorned with bristles, a keffiyeh on his shoulders, he wears a black shirt with the inscription "Free Palestine."

The song he sings, by Lebanese musician Marcel Khalifa, was written during the first Lebanon war. It tells about a little boy who is playing in the yard, looking for string to fly a kite. Suddenly he sees a plane in the sky, "a kite that doesn't need string," he calls to his friends. The plane then bombs the house and turns everything into fire.

Can we expect a Palestinian gay pride march as well? Is coming out of the closet one of the goals of the association?

Samira says that coming out of the closet is not a sacred goal. She was born and grew up in the North and currently lives with her Jewish partner in Tel Aviv. Her immediate family knows about her sexual identity, but the extended family doesn't know (which is why she prefers to be interviewed without her last name). "For me the issue of visibility is important," she says. But she and Maikey stress that visibility does not necessarily require a gay pride march, but can be achieved by "creating a discourse in society."

Israeli MK Says "Gay 'Plague' Could Destroy Israel"

MK Zeev: Gay 'plague' could destroy Israel

Posters reading 'in this house lives an MK who is trying to outlaw citizens' right to march in Jerusalem,' hung on MKs Gabbay, Zeev's homes. Zeev: Gays a plague that could destroy Israel.

Full article from YNetnew.com - January 29, 2008

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Israel's Racism and Xenophobia

Dear friends,

If there is any doubt left in people's minds about Israel's racist policies, read the following articles published in the last few days.

As Israel prepares for "peace" with its "Arab neighbors," it is hardening its policies towards Israeli Arabs, an unwelcome 1/5 of the population.

Any talk of Israel being a democratic, pluralistic state is absolute nonsense.  It is extremely sad that queer people in the US have fallen victim to the propaganda perpetuated by Israeli lobbying groups - this "Jewish" state is founded on the principals of xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

For Israel's Arab Citizens, Isolation and Exclusion
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902681.html

Only 4% of Development Budget Allocated for Arab Sector
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3483728,00.html

Poverty Among Arab Population Growing
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3483377,00.html

Arabs are to Blame (for Israeli Policies) - by a former education minister
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3481095,00.html

Racism in Israel on the Rise
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/5-0&fp=476a0953bfcc2f13&ei=ALlqR5eXJ4_OywS55-XYCg&url=http%3A//www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3480345%2C00.html&cid=0

Noted Arab Citizens Call on Israel to Lose its Jewish Identity
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/08/africa/web.0208israel.php

3 things that we can ALL do if we are concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people and American government support of Israel:

Oppose US Aid to Israel
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/uscampaign/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12265

Sign the Call to Action to End Israeli Occupation
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=45

Speak Out About Israel's Abuse and Oppression
to friends, family, community members.

This is not about anti-Jewish sentiment or even anti-semitism.  This is about justice and equality and standing up to the hypocritical claims made by the US and Israel declaring Israel to be the "only democratic" country in the Middle East.

This is also not about denying human rights violations against marginalized communities in the Arab and Muslim world.  Human rights do not discriminate based on color, creed or race.  As we stand up and speak out against human rights abuses within the Arab and Muslim world, we must equally be as forceful in calling for the US support and complicity in the oppression of Israeli Arabs and the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories.

Thank you.

Faisal Alam






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Faisal Alam
alam.faisal@gmail.com

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."
  — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Israeli-Palestinian Romance Captured in 'Bubble"

YOUSEF “JOE” SWEID (LEFT, ASHRAF) AND OHAD KNOLLER (NOAM)

Full article....

Columbia University Student Groups Issue Statements on Ahmadinejad's Visit

MSA - Muslim Student Association

Having also experienced direct attacks upon our community and faith beliefs post 9/11, the MSA empathizes with the student groups who are offended and outraged by the presence of the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Columbia's campus. As an organization, we will continue to strengthen our relationship with as many of Columbia's religious, cultural, and political organizations so that Islam can be fairly represented on this campus and so that the MSA can maintain its role as a vital organization for Columbia student life.



LUCHA - Latino Student Group

Lucha believes that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presence at Columbia University is a chance to engage in conversation with one of the world's most important political leaders. As the occupation of Iraq continues to destroy lives, generals and politicians blame the escalating violence on Iranian interference. As in Iraq, we fear that the American people will be misled into an unjust war with Iran. We see Ahmadinejad's presence as a crucial opportunity to open dialogue, leading to diplomacy with Iran instead of invasion.

Lucha is concerned with the hypocrisy much of the media and Columbia Administration has displayed in discussing Ahmadinejad's invitation to speak at Columbia. A self serving description of "freedom of speech" was used to condemn the non-violent protesters who unfurled banners onstage while Jim Gilchrist of the Minutemen Project was speaking on October 4th, 2006. The same ideologues who denounced Columbia when Minutemen supporters shut down their own event by attacking the student protesters, now criticize Columbia for opening a dialogue with one of the most important world leaders and for attempting to promote an exchange of ideas and diplomacy at a time when war with Iran seems ever more imminent. The Columbia Administration has shown incredible inconsistency. They have successfully created an environment in which Ahmadinejad's positions will be forcefully critiqued, while the University did nothing to acknowledge how deeply offensive and threatening Gilchrist's views and actions are to Latinos and people of color. We appreciate the University's efforts in bringing Ahmadinejad to Columbia amid considerable controversy and providing a forum for his views to be challenged, but feel it necessary to highlight their inconsistency.

We believe that Jim Gilchrist and Ahmadinejad are incomparable. For the Minutemen Project, speaking at Columbia represented a chance to bring tactics and ideology pioneered by the Ku Klux Klan into mainstream American politics. The consequences of Ahmadinejad speaking on the other hand, are entirely different. We believe it necessary to prevent an invasion of Iran, and Ahmadinejad speaking can only lead to further understanding and dialogue. We stand with the people of Iran in their struggle against anti-Semitism, patriarchy, sexism, homophobia, but we fear that these issues have been exploited by those who wish to promote a Zionist and imperialist American invasion of Iran.


PRO-Israel PROgressives
Within our group, there are varying opinions on whether Columbia University should have extended an invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Given he will be on campus tomorrow afternoon, we support the efforts of student groups who voice their opposition to Ahmadinejad's opinions. As well as being appalled by Ahmadinejad's statements concerning Israel, PRO-Israel PROgressives is also deeply opposed to Ahmadinejad's support of international terrorism, his denial of the Holocaust, his suppression of political dissidence, and his oppression of minority groups.

Although we clearly disagree with the repugnant views of Ahmadinejad, we hope his presence will begin a constructive conversation on campus, one that is in stark contrast to his own views. We hope future discussions on the Middle East are respectful and inclusive, reflective of a progressive vision, and focused on peace.