Illness becomes Wellness

Quote of the day: “When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘we’ even illness becomes wellness” Malcolm X

Palestine Museum of Natural History Progress in the last week:

- You are invited today (Wednesday July 22) at 2 PM for a talk by Hodgkin the author of "A History of Mathematics From Mesopotamia to Modernity" and retired math professor from King's College in London. His lecture is titled "Mathematics and justice: what is mathematics doing to us, and what could it do for us?" Earlier, we took a trip with Prof. Hodgkin to Artas because he is the grandchild of Mrs. Crowford (she and Louise Baldensperger were partners in the 1920s/1930s in studying Palestinian plants and folklore in that town)
-Got 7 international visiting delegations and 8 local Palestinian delegations including the mayor of Bethlehem to discuss cooperation and joint action -Submitted two grant proposals

-Completed a manuscript on some Palestinian butterflies (55 species in six families)

-Work on the botanical garden/local ecosystem progressing quickly as is work on the parking lot and driveway (new pavement and building stone hedges)

-Finished writing a chapter for an upcoming book on Palestinian resistance and international solidarity

In this week’s more global news, setbacks, and progress:

- Syrian and Iraqi historical treasures are being either destroyed or sold to unscrupulous archeological dealers (mostly Israeli and American) by “Islamic state” militants.

-Opening of US and Cuban embassies in each country. Dany Glover and Medea Benjamin among notable attendees. It is encouraging to see normalization of relations with Cuba and Iran without the requisite “saying uncle” to the power of the elites.

-Deal between Iran and all great powers (Russia, EU, US, UN) is being challenged by the Israel lobby (and its lackeys in the media and some hired politicians) even knowing that it is a done deal and supported by >170 countries. The reason they do that is to extort even more money and weapons from US taxpayers.

-Several reports out from human rights organizations explain how Israel committed war crimes and cries against humanity. All are opposed by the insistence of the “Jewish state” that its murders are justified.

-Explosion in Suruq, Turkey kills 31 and injures scores of idealistic Kurdish socialists working for humanitarian relief. The “Islamic State” takes responsibility and justifies the murders

- Israeli colonial settlers continue their onslaught on Palestinian villagers, stealing land, burning crops, disrupting life of children etc. The “Jewish state” claims they are not European but people r”returning” to claim their land after 2000 years of “exile”

-Explosions in Iraq and other gulf states targeting Shia Muslims even the mosques and claiming the “Islamic state” fighters are justified in killing infidels

-A feud results in killing a doctor and the village people of the man killed go on a rampage burning buildings in several parts of Bethlehem. A woman from my village of Beit Sahour trying to escape the inferno jumps to her death. Dozens of other injuries reported. During the month of Ramadan 974 family feuds in the PA areas happened (under the pressure cooker of the occupation). The Palestinian authority spends 43% of its budget on “security” but their efficiency seem to be focused only on capturing Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists.

-Mr. Khadr Adnan who led the longest hunger strike in Israeli jails under “administrative detention” (no trials) was released in 2012, kidnapped from his home again in 2015 and again led a hunger strike. He was again released but his health condition is very bad and his digestive system seems to be deteriorating. But Israeli forces continue to arbitrarily detain scores of citizens every week and hundreds languish in Israeli Gulags without trials

-Scientists predict acceleration of melting of polar ice and the rise in sea levels. Governments are not rising to the challenge

-Israeli forces plan to demolish the Palestinian village of Susya in the South Hebron hills even against he (feeble) protestation of world governments including the European Union.

Here is an article I shared with the email list 10 years ago and is still relevant today “Optimism and the good struggle”http://qumsiyeh.org/optimismandthegoodstruggle/

Human Right Watch: Israeli forces abuse children https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/19/israel-security-forces-abuse-palestinian-children

Mazin Qumsiyeh
Professor and Director
Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH)
Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS)
Bethlehem University
Sustainability, Youth Education and Empowerment
http://www.palestinenature.org
info@palestinenature.org
Tel 970-22773553

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