Dr. Mads Gilbert: "Eyes in Gaza" *16* campuses across North America!
"The boy with the destroyed brain did not need anaesthetic; he could no
longer feel anything. The other lay in an artificial coma with
intravenous anaesthetic agents to soften the pain and allow the
ventilator to work without resistance from the boy's own breathing.
A large bandage covered both his eyes. He could not see anyway. He was
already blind.
"Where could I cry out the despair and rage I felt for all this terrible
fate we saw at such close quarters? Would the heavens hear? Will the
world hear? They know that this is happening, after all. The numbers
tick into the West every single afternoon, to the news agencies, to the
intelligence services and to the diplomatic missions of the world's
most powerful nations, who do not even make an attempt to pull in the
reins and control the wildness of the Israeli war machine.""
From Dr. Mads Gilbert & Dr. Erik Fosse' new book – "Eyes in
Gaza"
Images of horror and destruction from the massacre that ensued last
winter found its way to the media. Videos, photos, and eyewitness
accounts made it to the mainstream media despite the fact that the Gaza
Strip was completely blocked off from any incoming or outgoing traffic-
no matter what kind of journalist, aid worker, or person you were.
Despite this, two doctors from NORWAC (Norweigan Aid Committee) were
able to enter the Gaza Strip- the only two foreign doctors allowed into
the region throughout the entire operation. These two doctors are none
other than Dr. Mads Gilbert & Dr. Erik Fosse who have recently
co-authored a book "Eyes in Gaza" – soon to be published in
English.
Being the only two foreign doctors in the region, the two became common
faces on the media worldwide. Seen on Al-Jazeera, BBC, CBS, Fox,
Democracy Now, and CNN- these doctors served not only as a lifeline for
hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians in the overcrowded Al-Shifaa
Hospital, but they also served as a Palestinian voice in a time where
they are silenced and the ears of those outside the Gaza Strip are
deafened. Accused of faking a hospital scene on CNN by an ardent and
clearly desperate Zionist Lobby- even the likes of CNN had to rush to
defend the internationally acclaimed doctor. Further, from the ground,
before the likes of the Goldstone Report and other such human rights
reports, Dr. Gilbert had made his position clear: over 90% of those he
saw in the hospital killed were innocent civilians and there was no
doubt that chemical weapons had been used- the likes of which he had
never seen before.
Dr. Gilbert also said that this was the most horrific and traumatizing
experience he had gone through. This wouldn't be surprising if he
was just a regular doctor seeing warfare for the first time- but
he's not. Not only is he an internationally acclaimed doctor and
recipient of dozens of awards, he has also volunteered in war zones-
including Beirut in 1982 and has seen some of the worst man-made
conflicts over the past few decades. One might think that this much
blood would dehumanize or at least desensitize him, but that's not
the case for Dr. Gilbert. It was Gaza that gave him nightmares.
I remember reading about Dr. Gilbert on PULSE, Mondoweiss, and kabobfest
from his US campus lecture tours early last year- and I was particularly
inspired. Its people like Dr. Gilbert that give me hope that people do
exist who are not selfish and self-centered, who have the spirit of
self-sacrifice and who are prepared to speak out against injustice no
matter what the cost. True dedication with a self-sacrificing nature is
indeed rare to find.
Dr. Mads Gilbert has things to say that are worth hearing. Few
eyewitnesses from Gaza have been able to leave as the region remains
under a full blockade- enforced both by Isreal and it's Egyptian
counterpart. When reading the synopsis of the campus lectures posted- I
was inspired. Not just by him, but to make sure that his voice (and thus
the voices of the Palestinains under seige) was heard- and so, I
embarked on a virtual journey of my own: getting in contact with Dr.
Gilbert and organizing a new nation-wide (Canadian) tour in the upcoming
year on the one year anniversary of the massacre that left 1400
Palestinians dead with thousands more heavily injured.
It was remarkably easy to get in touch with Dr. Gilbert, and one of the
most pleasant experiences I have had to deal with. Through my
correspondence with him over the past 6 months, I honestly feel
overwhelmed and amazed. Not only did he agree to take three weeks off of
his job on Norway- he refuses to take a penny in honorariums for
himself- saying that any money given to him would go to solidarity work
for Palestine. He agreed easily and was eager to make this tour a
reality. It was also remarkably easy to see his humble nature, as he
told me that he hates "bragging exposees" when I showed him our
advertising call-out.
Once organizing the tour kicked off- it was hard to curb interest, and
the tour just kept growing and growing and growing. I wasn't
expecting to organize a tour of more than 8 campuses- but the tour
currently stands at 15 campuses- reaching all of the major cities in
Canada and 4 venues in the USA. I know that Dr. Gilbert's
presentations are going to be heartfelt and truthful and will portray a
side of the conflict often shunned or dismissed, the personal stories of
the Palestinians in Gaza who were traumatized and left abandoned by the
international community- and I hope that all of the readers reading this
will help make this tour a success- and thus give a voice to the
voiceless Palestinians who continue to suffer a life under siege and
occupation.
Dr. Mads Gilbert will be touring across North America beginning on
January 18th, 2010. For more information on each of the venues listed
below, please visit www.sphr.org Entrance is by donation (suggested
$10), unless specified that tickets will be sold for $10.
Fatemah Meghji is a student at the University of British Columbia, and
National Chapter Co-ordinator of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights
National. She can be reached at fmeghji@interchange.ubc.ca.
Monday January 18th :
University of Ottawa, Fauteux Hall, Room 147B, 7pm
Tuesday January 19th:
Sudbury: Laurentian University, Room A-226 of Laurentian Arts Building,
6:30pm
Wednesday January 20th:
Toronto, Ryerson University, SCC 115 Ryerson Student Centre, 7pm
Thursday January 21st:
Kingston, Queen's University, Stirling Hall Auditorium A, 64 Queens
Crescent, 7pm
Friday January 22nd:
Hamilton, McMaster University, Togo Salmon Hall Room B106, 1200 Main
Street West, 5:30pm
Monday January 25th:
Waterloo University, Room TBA, 7pm
Tuesday January 26th:
Calgary, University of Calgary, Room TBA, 7pm (Tickets: $10)
Wednesday January 27th:
Edmonton, University of Alberta ETLC Room 1007, 6:30pm
Thursday January 28th:
Victoria, University of Victoria, Room TBA, 7pm
Friday January 29th:
Vancouver, University of British Columbia, WOOD 2, 6:30pm (Tickets: $10)
Monday February 1st:
Chicago (Benedictine University, Krasa A, B, 7pm
Tuesday February 2nd:
Chicago, DePaul University, Room TBA, 7pm
Wednesday February 3rd:
New York, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, NY, NY 10027, Room
1501 in the International Affairs Building (IAB), 7pm
Thursday February 4th:
New Jersey (Princeton University, Room TBA, 4:30pm
Friday February 5th:
Montreal, McGill University, Room TBA, 7pm (Tickets: $10)
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment