This is a call for action on behalf of our friend, Dr Mazin B. Qumsiyeh

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Written by AUPHR AUPHR
Published: 08 March 2010 08 March 2010
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This is a call for action on behalf of our friend, Dr Mazin B. Qumsiyeh, whom we know as a tireless advocate for human rights and justice.

Mazin is a Palestinian American citizen who lived in the US for 29 years before returning to Palestine nearly two years ago. He received his higher education in the US and served as a faculty member in schools of medicine at the Universities of Tennessee, Duke and Yale. He has also written several books, the most recent of which is Hope and Empowerment: A History of Popular Resistance in Palestine.

While working in the US as an academic, clinician and researcher, Mazin gave hundreds of talks, participated in many vigils and protests, and spoke out for human rights, justice and equality in Israel/Palestine.  Moving to Palestine, he continued the same activities (though under the more difficult conditions of military occupation) while teaching at two universities (Bethlehem and Birzeit) and helping to establish a masters program in biotechnology.

His home town, Beit Sahour (the Sheperds Field) is in the district of Bethelhem and is well known for its history of nonviolent resistance.  The 70% Christian and 30% Muslim town has a highly educated middle class (over 300 PhD holders in a population of 12,000) and very limited resources.

The Bethlehem district is surrounded by Israeli settlements and military installations on three sides. The 130,000 Bethlehem residents now have access to only 20% of the original land of the district. And more than half those residents are refugees (from 1948) or displaced people (from post-1967 settlement activities).

Now the settlers, protected by the Israeli military, want to build a settlement in the only remaining area of Bethlehem (to the east) and the people of Beit Sahour are increasing their nonviolent resistance. Their first prayer vigil was attacked while the Lutheran priest was leading them in prayer (see video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4he1vayLrfo).
 
Being a member of the committee that organized that vigil and another peaceful event a week later, Mazin was targeted. An Israeli officer warned him not to participate and threatened him saying he knew Mazin was leaving to the US for a lecture tour.

On March 2nd, the day after Mazin left for the US, the Israeli military invaded his neighborhood at 1:30 AM and demanded to see him, terrorizing his mother, sister and wife. They told the military he was already out of the country but would be happy to go talk to them when he returned, if need be. But the military left a paper that demanding he appear at their offices on Monday, March 8th.
 
His travel plans and commitments are such that it is impossible to change this schedule and return earlier than March 11.  He fears he will be arrested on trumped up charges or held in “administrative detention” for up to 6 months without charge, especially since the crackdown on peaceful protests in Palestine has recently escalated.
 
Israel receives billions of our tax money, and carries out its targeting of nonviolent peace activists, like Mazin, with the tacit complicity of the US government.  Please join us in writing to Israelis officials (that we are aware of Mazin's situation and concerned for his safety) and US officials (asking that they use their influence on Mazin's behalf).  Below are the addresses, and thanks for any attention you can bring to his case.
Palestine Action Group,
Corvallis, OR
 
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Israeli Embassy in US:

Ambassador Michael Oren

Embassy of Israel

3514 International Drive, NW, Washington DC 20008

Telephone: (202) 364-5500    Fax: (202) 364-5423
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Consulate General of Israel

to the Pacific Northwest

456 Montgomery St, Suite 2100

San Francisco, CA 94104

Telephone: 415-844-7500    Fax: 415-844-7555

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton   

 http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

·  U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

·  Main Switchboard: 202-647-4000 / Comment Line:  202-647-6575 or 202-647-5291

 

 US Embassy in Israel:

Ambassador James B. Cunningham   

 U.S. Embassy, Israel
71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv

ISRAEL

 

Israeli minister of justice:

Min. of Justice Yaakov NEEMAN 

Salah -a - Din 29   

P.O.Box 49029   

Jerusalem 91490     

ISRAEL

 



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