Alkhawaja "Update"

Well, not really.  It's another link.

I found this blog frankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.co.uk .  It's written by this woman, Frankie Dolan.  Here's her brief bio: I am the founder of MedWorm. Living in the UK. Web developer, mother of two and doctor's wife. Internet activist fighting for human rights, the environment and social justice. Recently drawn to the plight of the medics and the rest of the oppressed people in Bahrain.
Anyway.  She had this great post about the letters she wrote urging Alkhawaja to hang on and to not give up.  Her letter touched me, as she explained how much she loves him and believes in him. 

Ms. Dolan was inspired to write her letters to Alkhawaja after seeing what his daughter, Zainab al-Khawaja (@angryarabia), tweeted out on April 20th, 2012.

Urgent: My father called now, he asked us to try and get him an urgent visit by his lawyer to write his will

He said, if they won't allow the lawyer to see him, he has three things he would like everyone to know

1st: he is completely convinced in what he is doing, and that he has chosen this path & wud choose it again if time goes back

2nd: he asks that nobody attempts to go on a similar strike til death

Finally my father said "if I die, in the next 24 hrs, I ask the ppl to continue on path of peaceful resistance...

My father continued "... I don't want anybody to be hurt in my name"

My father has stopped drinking even water since yesterday

As my father finished saying his will to us, the line was cut. He did not say goodbye.

Here's the link to her specific blog post: http://frankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/abdulhadi-alkhawaja-hero-i-love-fight.html
So right now, I want to take a quick look at the other side of Alkhawaja's hunger strike.  I want to look at the lives he's touched.  Yes, this woman is an internet activist, but the point is that his hunger strike has reached people in Europe, in the US, not just people who live in Bahrain.  I don't want to sound preachy or fake, but Alkhawaja has touched my life as well.  I pray for him every night.  I tweet about him to try and spread his story to others.  I don't mean to sound more like a high school student than I already do but this is like my thing now.  I mean, not my main "thing", but I am invested in Alkhawaja's story.  I don't want him to die.

Abdulhadi Alkhawaja has been injustly prisoned for his part in activism, and he is dying.  He's touched the lives of people that have never even met him.  Just like Ms. Dolan's blog post has spoken to me about his life more than my own research has, I hope that her posts and my posts and Alkhawaja's story reaches out to everyone and alerts people to the fighting and protests going on in Bahrain right now.

Now, for a slightly different tone.

Abdulhadi Alkhawaja's wife called his hospital room and found out that her husband is no longer in his room.  No one seems to know where he is.  There are rumors that he's receiving medical care and that's why he's not in his room, but no one can talk to him, no one knows where he is.  These are just rumors.  We can't confirm or deny them.

But until we get solid evidence that Alkhawaja's alright (remember he's been on hunger strike for 77 days!!), we need to do everything we can for him.  Writing letters, informing others, ANYTHING.

We need to be there for Bahrain, and for Alkhawaja.  We will not give up.  We will stand behind him. 

Leslie, signing off...for now.
@see_you_sLATER
Also, Ms. Dolan's twitter is @frankiedolan.  Follow her.

Mas Reflection Time

I have some more reflection on what I've been blogging about, learning about in class, etc.  Get pumped!

Well, despite living in the US and having the internet, books, newspapers, basically all these ways to get information on the hunger strikers, it's been kinda surprising at how hard it is to get information on Hana Shalabi, Khader Adnan, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, Hamza Kashgari, etc.  Like, one of the main websites that I use to at least start finding information is Twitter. And even then, it's hard to find accurate sources and unbiased ones.

I guess this reflection is more about how I was surprised that even though I live in the US it was hard to find sources.  Maybe it was harder for me to find info on my hunger strikers BECAUSE I live in the US.  Now I'm just speculating here, but maybe since the hunger strikers are from Bahrain and Palestine, the US doesn't care (not care, but isn't paying enough attention to) the goings on in the Middle East.

I feel like the US only focuses on the Middle East if it really concerns them.  Like, if I was researching nuclear weapons in the Middle East, I'm sure that I'd be able to find more articles about the topic.  I can't tell if it's popularity of the subject, or just the fact that this is a situation that everyone seems to know about.  The hunger strikers seem to be more important to the people from the Middle East who either knew them or who understand their plight.

I don't feel as frustrated thinking about the lack of information on Hana Shalabi, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, or Hamza Kashgari (although he's not a hunger striker, our little social media rebel!) as I should.  I understand that their stories aren't ones that the American reporters wouldn't want to write about all the time.  They're interesting (i can't stop reading about them), but what's happening to them isn't necessarily affecting my life over here, like a bomb threat could.  I get that what's happening in the Middle East effects the Middle East, and other countries won't care as much unless it directly affects them.

That sounds selfish.  But I understand the opinion.  Sort of.  Like, in my house, no one will lift a finger to help anyone clean unless it's that person's mess.  And that's what I'm seeing translated into this situation with the hunger strikers.  The only people who are really willing to help are other people from Bahrain, Palestinians, etc.  When we think like that, helping others is tough.

Now, I don't want to turn this into a "everyone must love one another and dance in rainbows with SMILES" post, but we should still make an effort (a really big effort) to get these people freed.  They're in jail for practicing their beliefs.  I know if I was arrested for being Catholic, or speaking out about the death penalty, I'd be pretty pissed. 

I guess I'm just trying to put myself in their shoes.  I really just want people to understand what's going on over there.  Well.  Sorta lost the Middle East bit in here.  Whoops.

Leslie, signing off!
@see_you_sLATER
Also, if anyone wants to get a dialogue or something going on about this, or wants to share some info they may have learned while looking up the hunger strikers, that'd be awesome.  Just saying.

Link!

Not a real update, just a link to an arabic newspaper updating us on Alkhawaja.  It's entirely in Arabic so I apologize for those of you (myself included) who will have to use google translate to stay informed.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/777866

Leslie out!
@see_you_sLATER
Another reflection post is coming up soon!

URGENT

HANA SHALABI HAS BEEN "RELEASED" FROM ISRAEL!

Sorry for all the caps lock, but this is some pretty big news!! She spent more than 40 days on hunger strike (i'm getting stomach pains just thinking about it) and is now being released from prison.  Unfortunately, she's not able to return home right now.  Instead, Hana's being kept in exile in Gaza until a deal can be made with Israeli authorities.

Hana was released on Sunday.  She's the second Palestinian - after Khader Adnan - to challenge the terms of her "administrative detention."

Although Hana's been released, she's not homeward bound yet.  She's gonna be confined to Gaza for three years. 

And while Hana put her life on the line for her freedom, her battle hasn't done anything to warrant a change in Israeli policy.  Quoting the article here:

"Mr Adnan was said to have been a leader of Islamic Jihad, an extremist organisation that has carried out suicide bombings and fired rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.
Ms Shalabi is also said to belong to Islamic Jihad. When she entered Gaza on Sunday, supporters and leaders of the movement were waiting for her.
Islamic Jihad did not welcome the deal made with the Israeli authorities but said it respected her decision."

I'm not condoning suicide bombings, but the fact that she's at least being semi released from prison is still awesome.  It's irrelevant whether or not she is a member of the Islamic Jihad; she never should've been arrested like that and not told why she was in jail in the first place.  As far as I can see, starving herself was the only option to gain her freedom, and even now, Hana still isn't totally free.


If anyone has any opinions on the circumstances surrounding Hana's arrest, hunger strike, and subsequent released, please let me know!

Leslie, out for now! With more articles and reflections coming at you!
@see_you_sLATER
Comment and share with your friends!

Article used:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/palestinian-prisoner-released-after-hunger-strike-protest-20120402-1w8p3.html#ixzz1qzhJaDv2