It is our generation's mission to resolve the struggle for Palestine. Will we fulfill it? Or betray it?

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

"NO PASARAN!" ANTI-RACIST STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CHALLENGE WHITE SUPREMACY

ARA attended a march and rally in opposition to white nationalist Nick Griffin at Michigan State University over the weekend. Although the event wasn't part of the official "Islamofascism Awareness Week" organized by David Horowitz and his "Freedom Center," it was clearly linked. Both relied on racist caricatures of Arab and Muslim folks, both represent organized rightwing forces gaining legitimacy in the US, and both were vigorously opposed.

About 75 of us gathered at the Rock on MSU's campus before marching to the Vet Med Center to confront Griffin and his racist handlers in Young Americans for Freedom (YAF). There, students and community members exposed Griffin and the British National Party for the hate group they are. After the rally, almost everyone went into the auditorium to confront Griffin. Once inside, audience members again and again challenged Griffin on his racist views. He quickly abandoned his prepared notes and opted to receive questions from the audience. After continued interruptions, those opposed to Griffin called for an "Anti-Racist Walkout" and left the auditorium. Outside, they continued their opposition by chanting anti-racist slogans.

Nick Griffin's main purpose at the event was to whip up anti-Muslim frenzy by claiming that Muslim people in the US seek to impose sharia law on the country. He cited uprisings throughout Europe not as the militant responses to white supremacy that they were, but as examples of Muslim barbarism and the need for an organized "defense of white interests." He explained his opposition to capitalism not as an affront to basic values of democracy and anti-racism, but as a reaction to the forces of globalization which are "reducing human diversity" and reducing humanity to an eventual "mud race" of all ethnicities.

Again and again, he tried to warn of the "threat" Islam posed to "Western values" such as democracy. The irony of the statement was clearly lost on one zealous Nazi, who at one point burst out, "What about self-determination for the West?" Apparently determining itself as well as the affairs of most of the world wasn't enough for this young man. He would prefer if self-described white people in the US and Great Britain also had the right to lynch black folks, Jewish folks, queer folks, and anyone else who tries to pursue such paltry "rights of self-determination" as living where we choose, or loving how we choose.

One glaring absence at the event was Zionists who claim opposition to anti-Semitism. Earlier in the week, they had shown their method of opposition by encouraging people to write letters to the Board of Governors at Michigan State. How ridiculous that the same people that call ARA anti-Semites and protest our events refuse to protest (or do much of anything) when proven anti-Semites speak in the United States, even when their events are organized and MC'ed by known neo-Nazis! These folks then condemn the protest tactics used by people they should be in solidarity with on the basis of a shared opposition to anti-Semitism and all forms of racism. And finally, they have the nerve to label as "fascistic" those anti-racist activists who shout down Nick Griffin and refuse to let him speak! One wonders if it is anti-Semitism they oppose or anti-Zionism. (See third comment)

Don't they know that these are the popular democratic tactics that have been used to defeat fascism in the streets throughout the anti-fascist struggle? Don't they know that Nick Griffin is opportunistically appealing to free speech so that he can speak around the country and advise other white supremacist groups about tactics they should pursue in order to gain power? Don't they feel the need, like other democratic-minded people of good conscience, to oppose fascism in the streets? Don't they know that if they don't oppose it in the streets, they will have a much harder time opposing it when it has state power? Don't they know anything about the genocide whose history they use and abuse over and over again?

They don't. And yet they embarrass themselves by criticizing those at the forefront of the anti-racist struggle. ARA is not surprised. Time and again, we have had to fight against weak-kneed liberals who prefer to avoid confronting fascism directly. These liberal Zionists are no different. Rather than confronting and defeating fascism in the streets, they propose the hypocritical writing cure. Write letters decrying the board of governors for allowing racists to speak at MSU, but have tea parties with the Wayne State board of governors. Write blogs about the threat of Nick Griffin, but let him speak and organize. Make up and publish nonsense about anti-racist activists, but condemn them when they confront fascists who wish to murder Jewish folks, people of color, queer folks, and anyone who disagrees with them. They have no principles.

The next time the Nazis come to town, we know where we will be, and we know where Zionist cowards will be. They will be at home writing strongly worded letters to members of congress and other elected officials who consistently side with white supremacy. ARA will be in the streets, making damn sure the slogan "Never Again!" will never again be necessary.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

SMASH FASCISM! SMASH THE BNP!

***CORRECTION: ARA is leaving for Lansing at 3 p.m. from the Undergraduate Library. Anyone that needs a ride should meet us at 3 p.m.***

Nick Griffin, a hardline Neo-Nazi, Islamophobe, Homophobe, Holocaust denier, anti-Semite and White Supremacist is speaking at Michigan State University on Friday. Griffin is the chairman of the British National Party (BNP), a white nationalist, fascist organization in Great Britain. They are an all white organization that deems non-whites in Britain "non-British" and seeks their deportation. They oppose mixed-race relationships, and have referred to the Holocaust as the "Holohoax." Recently, the BNP has been contesting elections and winning local offices throughout the country. They are not a fringe group; they aspire to gain political power and begin implementing their program.

The BNP is part of a wave of xenophobic and ultra-nationalist groups spreading across both the United States and Europe. In the US, this movement finds expression in "Islamofascism Awareness Week." Islamofascism Awareness Week is an outright racist attack on Muslims taking place on over 100 campuses across the country. It represents a serious threat to Muslim folks in this country. Nick Griffin is here to advise similar groups in the United States about how they can popularize white supremacist ideas and organize to seize power.

In response to this speaker, Anti-Racist Action is calling on all anti-racist and democratic-minded people to join in a carpool Friday, October 26th. We will meet in the Undergraduate Library and depart for Lansing at 3 p.m. In Lansing, we will meet up with other anti-fascist forces for a short rally before proceeding to Griffin's lecture.

RSVP by Friday at 12 noon to STRUGGLE@WSUARA.ORG

Friday, October 12, 2007

WSU Students Say No to racism!

On Monday, October 8th, Wayne State students sent a message to all those who seek to govern in the name of white supremacy and imperialism: We will not stand for it, and we will fight back. In the face of police with real guns and not taser guns, in the face of an administration that would prefer to remain neutral but is forced to take sides, in the face of no less than an advisor to presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, WSU students fought racism, and refused to back down. All students of conscience, all anti-racists, all those who oppose imperialism from Palestine to Afghanistan and back again, can be proud of themselves on this day.

We began our resistance with a brief rally in front of Wayne State's undergraduate library. There, students and faculty made clear that they would not stand for racist speakers at Wayne State. The purpose of the rally was to draw attention to an event that supporters of Israel had organized, and it was a tremendous success. The event was a lecture entitled, "The Threat to Israel's Existence: Why It's Back, What It Means" given by Zionist ideologue, Daniel Pipes. Many students who didn't know the event was happening decided to go when they found out who Pipes was and what he was going to say. After finding out, many decided to ditch class, so important was it to them to confront a racist and show that hate speech is not welcome on our campus.

ARA and others fired up the crowd with speeches describing the event, denouncing one onlooker for wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt, and explaining ARA's goal of one democratic Palestine where Jews, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians are equal citizens. The crowd was captivated. As the speakers spoke, ARA passed out fliers informing people of the event beginning shortly. In these personal conversations, people were stunned that the university would allow a racist on campus. Many were thankful that ARA had helped organize against it, and excited to fight back.

Around 12:45, we made our way into the Bernath auditorium to ensure that we got good seats and be ready to ask questions when the time came. The march of students heading toward the Bernath auditorium was truly an inspiration. At one point, almost 30 students marched determinedly toward the doors together. Some saw friends and relatives and encouraged and cajoled them to attend the event in order to show support for Palestine and make sure Pipes didn't get a free pass. Electricity was in the air, and the crowd was very excited.

At the door, we were forced to endure the humiliation of having our bags subjected to lengthy and extensive searches by uniformed police officers. Fitting, since Pipes himself advocates racial profiling of this sort. It was at this point that we found out that Pipes was actually scheduled to speak at 1:30. On the Stand with Us website, the time is listed as 1 p.m. In order to ensure that Pipes was successfully confronted, ARA took it upon itself to announce to the crowd that the event had been pushed back. We speculated that perhaps Pipes and company were intimidated by the vocal resistance we had already showed, and therefore had decided to start the event at 1:30 after all. ARA encouraged all those in attendance to have a little patience and practice sumud, or "steadfastness." In Palestine, holding onto one's home is itself a form of resistance. We encouraged those in attendance to hold onto their seats just as Palestinians hold onto their homes. Soon, our time would come.

Finally, the time came for Pipes to speak. He was introduced by Tova Schreiber, a vocal member of Students for Israel prone to falsely accusing ARA of everything from the mundane (that ARA tore down fliers for an event we were actively encouraging as many people as possible to attend) to the surreal (that ARA is an anti-American terrorist group, when in fact our resistance to racism and our insistence on self-government for all people is as American as apple pie and Chevrolets). Schreiber made a point to note that Pipes has a Ph.D. and is "an expert in his field." Pipes' standing as a "scholar" and "expert" would come up again and again during his talk, especially when students challenged his interpretations and assertions. At the end of the event, it was clear that his Ph.D. wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, as he supported US imperialism around the world and Israeli apartheid.

Pipes talk was short and to the point. He made two related arguments. First, he argued that since the Oslo peace talks, Israel had abandoned deterrence and begun pursuing appeasement with regard to Palestine. This had caused the threat to Israel's existence to re-emerge. Second, in order to once again ensure Israel's existence, Israel had to "crush the Palestinian will to resist." That is, in its pursuit of deterrence, it had to enact the harshest measures possible in order to make the cost of resistance unbearable to Palestinians. Such openly vicious recommendations are rare from policy makers, so, in a certain sense, Pipes candor was refreshing. However, no amount of forthrightness can excuse the fact that Pipes mercilessly sides with and advises for the barbarism of American empire.

The moment everyone had waited for arrived when Pipes finished up his talk and opened the floor to questions from the audience. The first two came from active members of ARA. The following 20 came from outraged anti-racist students at Wayne State, with the exception of 2 questions from poorly informed supporters of the apartheid state.

The first question provided a short and to the point answer to the topic Pipes had come to address. Why is the threat to Israel re-emerging? Because Israel is an apartheid state, and apartheid is doomed. Further, the ARA member asked why Pipes was siding with colonialism and white supremacy. Since the battle in Palestine/Israel is being fought over whether or not Israel has the right to colonize and occupy Palestine, why is Pipes siding with an idea that has been discredited for over 40 years? Pipes had no answer. When he was challenged, he appealed to his handlers (SFI), "I thought we agreed - no interruptions." When he was again and again challenged, he again and again appealed to the police and the university administration. Finally, Pipes refused to continue speaking until the adamant pro-Palestine advocate was removed. So much for debate! With all those fancy degrees and books to his name, Pipes can't handle one-on-one debate with a humble bookstore clerk! What a joke!

The second question related to a blog entry on Pipes' website where he proudly recommends razing entire villages in response to rocket attacks. This is what deterrence means to Pipes: collective punishment, including mass arrests, evictions, and demolishing entire neighborhoods, sometime with only a moment's notice. When questioned about that in the Q&A session, he cleverly evaded his own words, too ashamed and too cowardly to admit to such a hostile crowd what he proudly boasts of on his website and, indeed, recommends to top policy makers in Washington every day.

As the Q&A session continued, Pipes was attacked again and again with hostile questions. Soon, his cool demeanor and detached academic facade gave way to condescending disdain and outright contempt for WSU students. He called one sister ignorant for referring to the historical details of the Palestine/Israel conflict as "mumbo-jumbo" and yet denied that such copiously-documented "historical details" as the massacre of Deir Yassin ever happened! Clearly Pipes only has time to master the details that support his bigoted agenda, while callously dismissing those that prove the barbarism of the Zionist project.

In addition, he insulted the audience's intelligence by asserting that Muslim folks are less morally repulsed by slavery than Christians or Jews. Pipes acted like slavery was a uniquely Muslim phenomenon, as if the 300-year history of slavery in the United States was not carried out by Christians! And yet Pipes doesn't try to say that all Christians are predisposed to sympathize with slavery. Thus his white supremacy and anti-Muslim fanaticism reveals itself!

Finally, Pipes controversially denied the slaughter of 12-year-old Mohammed al-Dura, shot down by IDF soldiers at the outbreak of the Second Intifada. While the controversy continues to rage over what truly happened, Pipes only further proves how little he cares for Palestinian life by insulting al-Dura's memory. The irrefutable fact remains that Israel is murdering thousands of civilians in the Occupied Territories, and that many of them are children. Whatever the fate of al-Dura, the fact that there have been thousands of al-Dura's since his death is irrefutable. Pipes only highlights his own cruelty by dwelling on and even denying the death of al-Dura.

In short, Daniel Pipes came to Wayne State University on October 8th, 2007, to speak about Israel and Wayne State University brought it to Pipes. At every turn, he was challenged, embarrassed, flustered, made a fool of, and exposed as a shameless defender of American imperialism in the Middle East and Israeli apartheid at any brutal cost. The greatest compliment we could have been paid comes from Pipes himself, who recently posted a "Spotlight" on his website called, "Wayne State Univ. v. Daniel Pipes." Truer words were never spoken: the vast majority of Wayne State students opposed Pipes and were not afraid to show it. Wayne State students can be proud of themselves on this day, because they stood up to white supremacy and empire. They showed that racism is doomed, apartheid is doomed, and freedom, liberty, and justice will one day reign in Palestine/Israel.

FREE PALESTINE!