The Fifth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) – launched at University of Toronto (Canada) in 2005 – is scheduled to take place across the globe from March 1-8, 2009. Over forty Muslim, Jewish, University Student Union and Labour Union groups are sponsoring this event in Canada this year. The speakers will include Laith Marouf, Soha Bechara, Ronnie Kasril (Jewish member of ANC, South Africa), Omar Barghouti, and Laila El-Haddad. The event is expected to be held at University and College Campuses in 27 cities internationally – quite a jump from 2007 when IAW was held only in five cities.
Interestingly, the president of McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) knows the definition of ‘free speech’ when it affects the Jewish Lobby. He has banned all Campus use of term “Israeli Apartheid” as hate speech.
The pro-Israel organizations, as usual, are using the familiar tactics of repression, stifling of dissent and bureaucratic harassment against Israeli Apartheid Week events.
Historically, calling Israel ‘an apartheid state’ is fact amount to hidding its true nature – Which is the worst colonial entity since the European colonialists occupied Americana in the 15th century. A Jew historian, John Kaminski, put this truth in these words: “When you read the history of Israel from objective sources, you discover that it is an outlaw state, created by the powers that be by stealing the land from its original inhabitants, and systematically exterminating them ever since.”
The ‘Muslim Mandela, Achmad Cassiem, an ANC member who was arrested at the age of 17 – and spent many years in Jail at Devil’s Island with Nelson Mandela, said: “At the moment people are trying to buy into this idea that Israel is an apartheid state. I think we must stop saying that because I know what the intention is, if we accept that idea then it means that Israel – the Zionists and the Palestinians can resolve their differences like the differences were in South Africa were resolved – through talks and reconcilliation. We have been short-changed in South Africa because the revolution was aborted. I would advise the Palestinian people, please understand, if you make maximum sacrifices – make maximum demands.”
Rehmat's World 