We just finished a 10-day tour in Italy where I gave six talks. I am now in Jordan where I will give a talk Friday (6 PM, Al-Balad Theater, near First Circle, Jabal Amman). Here I am hosted by my generous Zoologist friend Prof. Zuhair Amr and we take time out to relax and watch nature shows for a while. On one show there is this little buffalo that is taken down by 6 lions at the water's edge and as they struggle to kill it, a 600 pound crocodile attacks the young buffalo and a tug of war ensues. At one point four lions are pulling in one direction and the crocodile on the other. Finally the lions win and you think the little buffalo is done for. Then, the unexpected happens as the buffalo herd comes back united and battles the bride of lions; in one case flipping one lion some 8 feet into the air. The little buffalo finally stands on its feet and pulls away from the clutches of the last lion and all the lions are chased away. We think there is a political message there. Even wild animals do not abandon those in distress and power can and does change.Everytime I travel to give talks, I get confirmation that there are in each country on earth three groups of people (a) people who care about others, (b) people who exploit others, and (c) the vast majority who are just trying to live their lives and are afraid to take a stand. Group B people try to exploit and cause suffering to groups A & C and group A tries to challenge them and help group C. Occasionally there are defections from one group to another. The relative proportionof one or another group and the intensity of their efforts can define the character of a country. It can be a country like a bananarepublic with dictators and mafiosa running the show, or a country that is more rational and altruistic, or a country that is an anarchy of poor people.
We think it is interesting to look at the motivations of individuals. Afterall, history is made and unmade by groups of individuals. What makes an Egyptian official participate in the suffocation of 1.5 million Palestinian citizens of Gaza? What makes an Israeli official order the arrest of civil rights activists in the West Bank simply for speaking out against injustice? What makes young Israeli soldiers obey manifestly illegal orders of an army of colonization and occupation engaged in war crimes and crimes against humanity? (see videotapes, pictures etc at http://www.awalls.org/state_opression_and_army_violence_intensify_as_popular_struggle_increases_all_across_the_west_bank )
I believe we as human beings are not guided by higher faculties as much as by emotions: fear, need for love, need for food and shelter, worry about an uncertain future and so on. This is true for a billionaire who is looking for his next billion even when it hurts other as it is for a Mother Teresa. The only difference is how the individuals prioritize and mix these emotions(themselves guided by our background and upbringing). While this is true it cannot justify the actions that hurt others. That those who espouse Zionism had relatives who perished in WWII and are fearful of their future does not justify committing ethnic cleansing and creating a racist state that clearly has two sets of laws one for Jews and one for those few Palestinians who remained after the ethnic cleansing.
I say this because I see all the time people who have willingly decided to remove themselves from the oppressor class to join in the struggle against oppression (and yes also people who do the reverse). So I sometimes wonder if the switching is influenced by perceptions of trends in history. I say this because those who abandon human rights activism or who leave the life in the middle to join the class of oppressors sometimes argue that it is because "there is no hope" in challenging oppressors. The world is unfair and so we might as well just watch for "me"/"number one". But then again, I am not sure if this is simply a cop-out explanation. I sometimes wonder if it is because those individuals are simply not facing the reality that they can make a difference. They maybe simply lacking self confidence or have lost that self confidence after a few setbacks. By contrast I wonder if those who switch from a mind of indifference (or even class of oppressors) to positions of working for peace and justice have had an experience that showed them the power of human solidarity that they could participate in.
I also wonder if we adults sometime simply do not get it or we have lost our idealism of the youth and then reclaim it. A few years ago when I lived in the US and we had brought the Children from the Aida Refugee Camp for performances (theater, dance etc), I had an interesting and revealing experience. As we drive the Children from Connecticut to Vermont, the two of us adults in the front were talking about how the politics is so messed up, how it is so difficult to deal with things when there are many challenges. A girl behind tapped me on the shoulder and said "don't worry uncle Mazin, Palestine will be free!" Later, my adult co-passenger explained to me in private that the Israeli army had killed this girl's mother! I always think of this whenever I get negative vibes from within or without. And I will now always think of the little buffalo and the little girl.. Don't worry...
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home
http://qumsiyeh.org
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