Fwd: GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM - 29TH NOVEMBER 2011

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From: Kishor Jagtap <kishorda_jagtap@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Sun, May 15, 2011 at 12:32 AM
Subject: Fwd: GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM - 29TH NOVEMBER 2011

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From: Feroze Mithiborwala <feroze.moses777@gmail.com>
Date: May 14, 2011 4:13:57 AM GMT+05:30
To: Ismail Patel <iap@aqsa.org.uk>
Cc: Bishruddeen Sharqi <sendbishru@gmail.com>, "dr. Ribhi Halloum" <drhalloum@hotmail.com>,  Bashir Zmaili <bashirzmaili@yahoo.com>, shaheen mohideen <shaheenkm@yahoo.com>, iqbalgauhar@gmail.com,  Ajit Sahi <ajitsahi@gmail.com>, Shahid Pradhan <shahid12@gmail.com>, Misagh <info@misagh.net>,  roohulla rezvi <roohulla@gmail.com>, ali reza <alirezakem@yahoo.com>,  Irman Abdurahman <irman_abdrahman@voiceofpalestine.net>, muzsta <muzsta@yahoo.com>,  imad mokahal <imokahal@live.com>, Nabil Hallak <nabil.hallak@gmail.com>,  citizens international <cizs@streamyx.com>, Mohd Azmi Abdul hamid <azmi58@yahoo.com>,  Muhammad Shamin Bin Mohamed Sidek <muhammadshamin@gmail.com>, huwaida arraf <huwaida.arraf@gmail.com>,  PAUL LARUDEE <larudee@pacbell.net>, oruc44@yahoo.com, Nalan Dal <nalandal@ihh.org.tr>,  izzetsahin@ihh.org.tr, a543 <a543@hotmail.com>, ofy182 <ofy182@yahoo.com>,  azzam@alhiwar.tv, dirasat@dirasat.net, fayyadd2009 <fayyadd2009@gmail.com>,  hikmat1956@hotmail.com, kishor jagtap <kishorda_jagtap@yahoo.co.in>, ashaashram@yahoo.com,  Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign <chair@scottishpsc.org.uk>, Nivin Samir <mis_neva@hotmail.com>,  hosein royvaran <royvaran2005@yahoo.com>, Hameed Naser <abualaa.hameed@gmail.com>,  mohammed shehabi <send91@hotmail.com>, Ali Jassim <alijd@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: GLOBAL MARCH TO JERUSALEM - 29TH NOVEMBER 2011

Dear Ismail Patel,

 

Salamalaikum & Greetings!!

 

It's good to have you on board & it does give us a lot of confidence with all the knowledge, committment & experience that you bring.

 

I will address each of your concerns as we move along. So here goes.

On 14 May 2011 01:36, Ismail Patel <iap@aqsa.org.uk> wrote:

Salaam

Thank you Br Feroze for contacting me and informing me about the initiative to march to Jerusalem. I like most of the colleagues belief in affirmative action and I think if we can co-ordinate this appropriately and organise it pristinely insha'Allah it should pay positive dividends.

 

As I have not been in the preliminary meetings I apologies for repetition and raising concerns that have already been discussed. However it is with the great hope in having the project succeed that I draw your attention to the following.

 

[1]This date is achievable only if all are committed fully. Before this date is made public we need an undertaking from members of the groups. Any delay will project poorly on the initiative and provides the other side with the opportunity with preparing the political and logistic obstacles to undermine the project. Here I speak from Freedom Gaza Flotilla experience.

 

Answer: Here we full well agree. Thus despite the fact that we have started this process in early March, we are still in the process of creating the consensus & a broad International alliance. Yes & we do have to learn from the experiences of the Flotilla & the various convoys & other such processes.

 

We will go public, only after we have established an International Committee & have all the processes in place. We can achieve that by mid or the end of July & no further than that, would be my estimation & our other friends & seniors are requested to share their insights & views as well. After July, we would have 3 months during which we have to build an international campaign that would in turn crerate the necessary momentum, excitement, enthusiasm & awareness across the world. Thus by the end of July we should have sorted out all the major issues & proceed from thereon with confidence & no turning back.

 

 

[2] We must also be aware that Jordan and other neighboring states will be lobbied strongly by Israel/US to stop the march. Therefore the public announcement date of the march will also have to be very close to the march date.

 

Answer: Here we have to confer with our Arab & Palestinian (Yes, Yes Palestinians are Arabs . .) in terms of how these issues are to be sorted out.

 

Option 1) We start talking & discussing the matter with all the governments, or rather those in Egypt, Jordan, Syria & Lebanon & work it out with them, If they do agree, then good enough. If they do not, then we proceed all the same. This is the option that we have discussed in Jordan & they were of the opinion that it will only work if there is sufficient international pressure, that is brought into play here, combined with that of the mass pressure within each of these nations.

We then march to Jerusalem.

 

Option 2) We do as you suggest & take up the matter with the governments much later & hope that the pressure works then. Or I have misunderstood you slightly out here, in terms of strategy? We March to Jerusalem all the same.

 

Option 3) We march to Jerusalem.

 

[3] This means the people on the march will have to be members of our respective organizations or close associates.

 

Answer: Yes the core members, organizations will number in the thousands. But we do wish to mobilise upto a Million or more People on the 4 land borders of Palestine. It needs to be as massive as possible is the agreement. Its a matter of the Millions of the Palestinian citizens, supported by the Millions of Arabs, supported by thousands of us. We have the time & the momentum & now everybody does want to bring the international focus to jerusalem & we all share the same vision & the hope of reaching & praying in Jerusalem.

 

[4] If we have 100 organizations globally each bringing 100 people we will have 10,000 people. The advantage of this is to filter out potential 'trouble makers' that could infiltrate the group. I can see here an opportunity by saboteur to achieve their aims and undermine the whole project. It will only take one person found carrying a weapon to jeopardize the whole project. We need to put controls and checks and this can only be achieved if we restrict the numbers and train the participants in non-violent demonstration. Each organisation can than vet the participants.

 

Answer: This task needs to be undertaken. especially the vetting & the training in non-violent resistance, the path of Satyagraha, as we will all be Satyagrahis.

 

[5] Rather than march from our respective countries; we need to converge in one of the neighbouring states and than together march to Jerusalem. I believe the political impact of 10,000 and 1 million will be the same.

 

Answer: There is a need to be on the road, to take the long & winding way to Jerusalem. The longer we are there on the road, travelling across the various cities & towns, adressing meetings & organizations & political leaders, the more of an impact & awareness do we create. Not everybody needs to do that & not everybody can give those 40 days. There will be many who prefer to fly in directly to Jordan for example & that is good. But march we will from the four corners of the Earth.

 

And the numbers to make a difference, it took a million to get rid of Mubarak, it may take 2 million for Netanyahu & his cohorts. And now the Palestinians & Arabs are on the move, the People of the world afre on the move - if a Million or 2 Million are willing to March then that's perfect. If not, we carry on with the numbers that we have. And then prepare to march back in 2012.

 

[6] By having strict quota and control we are more likely to get political figures and other prominent people joining us. This will carry more weight than numbers.

 

Answer: Its the ordinary people who make the difference on the ground. Let all the important people join as well. it will have to be a combination of both factors. Lets just remember the lesson of Tahrir & the salt Satyagraha - Dandi March, when it was the ordinary activists who marched with gandhiji & made history. So, as we have said, combine the best of both world's.

 

[7] I note that you mention we should  "All they said was that we wanted, was to go pray at the Masjid-i-Aqsa & the Qubattus Sakhra & the Church of the Holy Sepulchre" can we add the Wailing Wall. There are many sincere Jews who wish to see Jerusalem free and we need to be inclusive.

 

Answer: I full well agree, we should add the Wailing Wall. This is intrinsic & integral to our moral & principled positions. This is perfect.

 

Thanks for this one. It will add a new dimension & lend great moral weight to our endeavour, which basically is to unite the Abrhamic faiths & People's & to desist from partaking in this fatricidal civil war underway.

 

[8] I believe we need further further discussion on our aims and objectives than simply "praying in Jerusalem". It is time to call for an end to occupation and FREE JERUSALEM.

 

Yes, I again agree with you here & certain Palestinian friends have raised this point as well. Paul's idea & request is to keep it simple this first time & we take it from here. As I have written out in the report, the liberation of Jerusalem, of Palestine are at the core of all that we have done & will do. The point is that how do we build a movement that compells the governments of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon & Syria to let us in (which is easy) & then let us march across the borders into Palestine, challenging the Israeli army (which is difficult). Thus the idea is to keep the idea simple - We are going to pray at the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre & the Masjid-i-Aqsa & the Qubattus Sakhra. We will not apply for visas or permissions from the Israeli's obviously not, for reasons known to us all. But imagine a situation where we have more than a million people streaming in from four borders & israel fails to stop the human tide. Once we have broken this mental barrier, then its all over. next time we will have 5 million who will be marching in & it will ony grow from there. This is exactly the nightmare situation for Israel. How do you handle a million ordinary non-violent people who want to go back Home? - how do you handle a million non-violent people who just wish to pray in their Masjid in Jerusalem, which is under our Occupation? Thius will undermine the Israeli state, like no other strategy & then it will all begin to unravel & the Zionist edifice which is unraveeling as we speak, will soon fall. Its a matter of time now, as we well know.

 

Please note this are only preliminary thoughts all open to discussions. Lets hope and pray united we can Free Palestine.

 

Answer: I agree again. This is the sort of brain storming that we have to get down to, to clear our ideas & strategies. I really do need to thank you for your detailed set of suggestions & queries. Request the others who have certain constructive suggestions to step forward & share the same with the emerging core as well. So apart from the fact that we are marching to Jerusalem on the assigned date - which is sealed, we are open to all other suggestions & ideas.

Regards

Ismail Patel

Regards

Feroze Intifadawala

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Feroze Mithiborwala

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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/