Triangle, NC, based People's Power Lab (PPL) has organized media justice workshops titled "Decolonizing Media" to hold the media accountable on biased reporting on Palestine, racism, inequality, and other fronts. Muslims for Social Justice co-sponsored these workshops. Three media workshops were organized in November and December 2023. 120 participants, who mostly participated in Palestine Freedom rallies, attended these workshops. These workshops provided political education on intersectionality of our struggles where Palestine Freedom is deeply interconnected with Black Freedom, workers rights, anti-war, women rights, and other movements. Local organizers from PPL, MSJ, Refund Raleigh, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Jewish Voice for Peace - Triangle NC provided context to political education, and explored media strategies to hold local to national media accountable for biased coverage of the recent Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.
Flyer for Decolonizing Media workshop on December 5, 2023
Check out letters-to-editor submitted by our volunteers in the local and national media.
Laura Gibney, Durham
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Roshni Pattath submitted the following letter-to-the-editor in response to an op-ed in The News and Observer titled "As an NC woman with deep ties to Palestine, I''m haunted by one image from Gaza" (published on December 15, 2023).
"Rose Hamid’s opinion piece gives the perfect response to anyone who seeks to learn beyond the question of “What about the attack on Oct 7th by Hamas?” and why millions of people around the world are demanding a ceasefire. Generations after generations of Palestinians have stories to tell about deep trauma. I don't even know if the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry are developed enough to treat this level of trauma affecting the children and youth living through these violent attacks by Israel and the ongoing violence of an apartheid system."
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Roshni Pattath responded to an opinion titled "Antisemitism on elite campuses
like UPenn threatens America's democratic future" in The News and
Observer published on December 11, 2023. This letter was published in the N&O on December 24, 2023.
"In his Dec. 11 op-ed David Mastio said there are two ways America’s story can be taught, “...as tale of hate and oppression still embodied in the very foundations of our society — or as American patriots see it — a saga of hope and progress..."
"When there is an American history of oppression, slavery and racism and the systems we navigate in the present day have this history embedded in it, I would want my kids to learn about it. If they only learn about the American hope and prosperity with no connection to the systemic oppression in real life, they would have to spend the rest of their life unlearning."
Loz Wanner responded to a news story in the News and Observer titled "Most in new poll support Israel's military action against Hamas" published in The News and Observer on December 11, 2023.
"In the summation of the WSJ poll Lauren Sforza leaves out much context. If skimmed, it implies that a majority of Americans are in support of Israel’s decimation of Gaza and Palestinian people. Although mentioned in the article, the poll only questioned 1500 registered voters, which is less than 1% of the people who are registered to vote. With only 1% of respondents seeing race as an issue in the United States despite Racism having been declared a public health crisis by the CDC in 2021, it is not surprising that respondents may not see an issue with an ongoing ethnic cleansing.
Since the publication of this article, the death toll from October 7, 2023, of over 1200 people, as stated in this article, has been corrected to below 1200 people. Yes every death is one too many, but we must also apply this logic to the deaths of over 20,000 Palestinians. On December 13th, 800 White House staffers, more than half of the number of poll respondents, signed a call for a permanent ceasefire, stating, “The American people and respected institutions like the United Nations are pleading for a ceasefire, but this administration has yet to listen.”
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Laura Gibney responded to a news story titled "Widening Israeli offensive in southern Gaza worsens dire humanitarian conditions" in the News and Observer as published on December 8, 2023 by submitting the following letter to the editor. As edited version of this letter was published on December 17, 2023.
‘Your updated December 8 article, ‘Widening Israeli offensive in southern Gaza worsens dire humanitarian conditions’, noted the high death toll in Gaza and likely targeting of journalists.
Indeed, the death toll of civilians broadly, and of journalists specifically, is staggering. But the targeting goes beyond journalists. Academics/writers, doctors, hospital administrators and other professionals, and their families, also appear to be targeted. One assumes that the purpose of targeting the most educated and skilled is to deprive Palestinians of social and intellectual leaders, those able to tell their stories and history, to plan their future, and to provide vital life-sustaining services.
Israel has also targeted civilian infrastructure (hospitals, schools, housing) and cultural, heritage, religious and archival sites.
We appear to be witnessing the attempted erasure of a society. If we allow this to continue, it will not only have horrific consequences for the Palestinians (and likely Israel) but will badly affect our standing in the world and how history judges our role in this tragedy. We must call for a ceasefire now and stop our ongoing, unconditional provision of bombs and other munitions that make possible this continued devastation.’
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Heather Vann responded to the same story by submitting the following letter to the
editor.
To The Editor:
The article “Widening Israeli offensive in southern Gaza worsens dire humanitarian condition” mentioned U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating to Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs that the civilian casualties are ‘too high’ and Israel must ‘step up its efforts to reduce them’. Firstly, this seems contradictory considering that the US has pledged over $14 billion in military aid. Secondly, the Center of Constitutional Rights has already defined the actions of Israel as genocide and the United Nations Security Council invoked Article 99 after 34 years to call for a ceasefire, so Blinken’s stance sounds inconsequential at best. There is strong support from the American people calling for a ceasefire and yet these leaders continue to disregard the voices of the people they are supposed to represent while minimizing the nature of genocide. Requesting that Israel ‘reduce civilian casualties’ when, according to the UN, Israeli forces have destroyed over 60% of Gaza’s housing, over 330 education facilities, 26 hospitals, and over 50 healthcare facilities, is willful ignorance. It is time for the US leaders to prioritize humanity first and foremost, and call for a ceasefire.
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“Isaac Bailey’s Dec. 7 opinion piece discussed Davidson College students taping names of Palestinian and Israeli victims in the current conflict on school infrastructure. This reminder that victims are individuals, not simply numbers, humanized them. At a recent rally in Raleigh, a Palestinian-American also humanized them by speaking movingly of 22 members of his family killed in the offensive.
Such humanization reached a crescendo this week when a massive howl of despair was heard around the world at Israel’s targeted killing of renowned Palestinian educator/writer, Refaat Alareer. Amidst all victims, his death stood out, in part, due to the achingly heartbreaking poem he wrote shortly before his death (‘If I Must Die’), addressed to children in Gaza who would lose fathers like him in this conflict.
In the final lines of his poem, read at several North Carolina events in recent days, Alareer said ‘If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale’. I say let it also be a call to action to stop the massacre. We must demand that our government stop opposing a ceasefire and cease its ongoing supply of military aid to Israel, including massive bombs, which make the continued massacre possible.”*******************************
"A recent op-ed by Hadia Mubarak ("‘Terrorist’: My son and I experienced Islamophobia in Charlotte”, December 4, 2023) provides context to dramatic increases in anti-Muslim bigotry or Islamophobia as well as anti-Semitism. A similar alarm over the dramatic rise in anti-Muslim attacks is issued by the US-based Council on American Islamic Relations, which has received 1,283 reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry in the last few months. Mubarak is correct in emphasizing the need to move beyond the individual responsibility to violence and address the systemic roots of oppression. The US foreign and domestic policies have played an essential role in demonizing and dehumanizing Muslims over decades. I witnessed anti-Muslim bigotry and hatred in the wake of 9/11 and during the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Similarly, the current Israeli war on Gaza, through US military and diplomatic support, is responsible for the dramatic rise of hatred and violence in the USA. Millions of people of all backgrounds, including Jews, Christians, and Muslims, are organizing at home and abroad to end the Israeli war and end US militarism. We should join this movement to abolish the cycle of violence and promote peaceful coexistence."
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Emails and statements at local seats of power
1) Laura Gibney sent the following email to Durham City Councils on Dec. 26, 2023.
Greetings Council Members,
Thank you so much for considering the request by community members for a ceasefire resolution for Gaza. Like so many I have found it hard to feel cheer this Xmas holiday with the extraordinary slaughter of innocents in Gaza. On Xmas day alone an estimated 250 civilians were killed in Gaza. A huge number of those killed were children. It was, as Pope John Paul decried in his Xmas message, an “appalling harvest” of civilian deaths. Between deaths known and those missing under the rubble, the numbers killed overall in Gaza in the past 80 days may have reached a staggering 30, 000.
This has occurred with U.S. weaponry, funds and diplomatic cover for Israel at the UN. The fact that my taxpayer dollars are funding this carnage is such a source of shame as well as anger at the missed opportunities in our community where those funds could be used for local social betterment.
We request that Durham make us proud (as it did previously in banning military style training between Durham and Israel) by being amongst the communities across this country calling for a ceasefire to stop the genocide. While symbolic, such a gesture would be part of national efforts to influence the Biden administration to take action to stop the carnage. It could certainly do so by ending its steady supply of weaponry to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs.
As you may know, our congressional representative Valerie Foushee has joined the call for a ceasefire. According to a poll earlier this month by Data for Progress, she joins the majority of Americans in wanting a ceasefire (61% of likely US voters, 76% of Democrats, 57% of Independents, and 49% of Republicans).
Thank you kindly for giving serious consideration to our request for a ceasefire resolution. And may I wish you a happy and productive year ahead.
Note: Should it be of interest to you, I have attached two recent letters to the editor that I submitted to the News and Observer, one of which was published in part by them. They are my responses to other pieces published in this newspaper about the conflict and contextualize my desire for an immediate ceasefire.
Sincerely,
Dr. Laura Gibney
Longtime Durham resident
2) Munir Abdul Hakim (James Perry) submitted the following email to Knightdale
Town Council on December 22, 2023.
Subject: Knightdale Town Council Resolution: A Call for Ceasefire in Gaza
Dear Mayor Day and Esteemed Councilors,
In the spirit of justice and humanity, I reach out to you with a request imbued with the urgency of our times and the moral clarity that our shared humanity demands. I urge the Knightdale Town Council to emulate the courageous step taken by the Town of Carrboro by introducing a resolution advocating for a ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza. This resolution should not only call for an immediate cessation of hostilities but also demand prompt humanitarian aid and express opposition to the allocation of our tax dollars to wars and occupations.
The current situation in Gaza, as described by the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights and other organizations, has been alarmingly termed as "genocide". This crisis is not just a distant conflict; it reverberates globally, escalating Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, including here in the United States.
A recent national poll by Data for Progress reveals a telling truth: a majority of voters, including a resounding 80 percent of Democrats, advocate for a ceasefire. This is not merely a political stance but a reflection of a deep-seated yearning for peace and justice.
As leaders entrusted with the welfare of the Knightdale community, you bear a moral responsibility. This is a call to stand in solidarity with the innocent civilians of Palestine, where children constitute over half the population, and to actively seek peace.
By adopting a resolution for a ceasefire, Knightdale will not only extend its support to the people of Gaza and Palestinians.Citizens of Wake County who want to see an end to the violence, including residents of Knightdale. Such a resolution could potentially influence other cities in North Carolina, as well as our congressional representatives, to take decisive action in addressing this humanitarian crisis.
As we approach a season of reflection and familial bonds, I implore you to consider the plight of those enduring unspeakable suffering. It would be my honor to discuss this matter further in person at an upcoming town council meeting.
I thank you sincerely for your time and earnest consideration. May our collective efforts lead us towards a world where peace and justice are not just ideals, but realities.
With hope and determination,
James Perry
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3) Roshni Ibrahim submitted delivered the following speech at Holly Springs City Council on December 20, 2023.
Salaam or peace to respected Town Council members. My name is Roshni and I am a South Asian Muslim woman. Firstly I would like to thank my neighbor and town council member Chris Deshazor for responding to my email and inviting me to give a public comment today. Secondly, I would like to thank Annie Drees for responding to my email and offering to help with my concerns. I have been a resident of Holly Springs since 2016 when it was a relatively smaller town. My kids go to one of the public schools in Holly Spring and my family have been consistent and active participants in services offered by the town like the farmers market, hunt recreation centre, community library, recreational activities and so on. I also lead a Girl's scout troop and a kids’ book club which are attended by kids from this town.
This is usually the favourite time of the year for me personally seeing the town and nearby cities all lit up and in festive mood. Friends and family getting ready to celebrate Christmas and to bring in the New Year.
This year the feeling has not been the same, well it hasn’t been so since the last 70 days since Israel has re-started aggressive and violent attacks on the Gaza strip occupied by 2 million civilians. The US based Center for Constitutional Rights has termed Israeli war on Gaza as genocide because of mass scale attack on civilian population, hospitals, journalists, and restricting relief to the Palestinians living in Gaza. It has been heartbreaking to see more and more dead people each passing day since Oct 7th, 70% of which are women and children. The Israeli defence forces have targeted and killed Palestinian journalists, health care workers, teachers, poets, authors and so on. They have not spared schools and hospitals from bombing. People who are alive are mostly homeless and are having to endure the harsh weather and rapidly spreading diseases with minimal access to food and clean drinking water. How can one be joyous when this is happening in the same world we live in?
Instead this year I feel anger and helpless knowing that all of this violence is sponsored by the US government with the tax money I pay. Palestinians living in Gaza are not numbers of dead people, they are just like us, they're babies, children and families who have names and stories.The anti-Muslim stand taken by the US government has started to reflect locally in the form of attacks on Muslim citizens or residents of this country. Let alone the feeling of joy when one does not feel safe to be out and about with family.
It is the responsibility of elected town council members like you to ensure that the taxpayer money is used for the betterment and safety of the people of your town and not for supporting genocidal wars. Today I request the council to sign a ceasefire resolution against the on-going Israeli attack on Gaza to show that this town does not stand on the side of a Genocide.
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4) Sameer Cheema's speech at Raleigh City Council on December 12, 2023.
“To pursue world-class quality of life by actively collaborating with our community towards a fulfilling and inspired future for all.”
Well, your community has spoken. Those that spoke earlier do not believe in equality for all. You are enabling a the narrative of a false victim. This perpetual silence in the face of repeated human rights violations against Palestinians is disgusting. Men, women and children are dying in droves.
We need to break this chain of silence of our so called leaders that have been elected by us but no longer are willing to represent us. You represent your wallets and special interests no matter what. The Declaration of Independence stated that life liberty and the pursuit of happiness has to be protected. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to Palestinians only to those that line your coffers. Your inaction to call for a ceasefire frankly is disgusting and inhumane."
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5) Manzoor Cheema sent the following email to members of the Raleigh City Council on December 12, 2023.
Greetings Raleigh City Council Members,
I hope you are well and taking care of yourselves. I am a resident of Raleigh, NC, for the last 23 years. I live in Raleigh's City's District B, and Megan Patton is my representative. I organize local social justice movements to advance racial and economic justice, healthcare for all, and ending wars and occupations. I thank the Raleigh City Council for supporting a community-centered Crisis Response Team. Such a measure will significantly advance the safety and security of our people.
I am contacting you to draw attention to a similar safety issue for our people. The current Israeli war in Gaza has been characterized as "genocide" (not to be used lightly) by the US-based Center for Constitutional Rights and other organizations. This war has also led to a dramatic increase in Islamophobia as well as anti-Semitism in the USA. I urge the Raleigh City Council to introduce a resolution for a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza and oppose Raleigh tax money spent on wars and occupations. Raleigh City Council has taken such actions in the past. These symbolic measures represent the will of our people (the majority of Americans support a ceasefire) and put pressure on our congress members. I also urge city council members to introduce a future resolution to end the future partnership between Raleigh Police and the Israeli forces. The City of Durham was the first city in the country to introduce such a measure in 2018 successfully.
Lastly, I am including my letter to the editor responding to a powerful op-ed in the News and Observer on the topic of rising Islamophobia.
A recent op-ed by Hadia Mubarak ("‘Terrorist’: My son and I experienced Islamophobia in Charlotte”, December 4, 2023) provides context to dramatic increases in anti-Muslim bigotry or Islamophobia as well as anti-Semitism. A similar alarm over the dramatic rise in anti-Muslim attacks is issued by the US-based Council on American Islamic Relations, which has received 1,283 reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry in the last few months. Mubarak is correct in emphasizing the need to move beyond the individual responsibility to violence and address the systemic roots of oppression. The US foreign and domestic policies have played an essential role in demonizing and dehumanizing Muslims over decades. I witnessed anti-Muslim bigotry and hatred in the wake of 9/11 and during the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Similarly, the current Israeli war on Gaza, through US military and diplomatic support, is responsible for the dramatic rise of hatred and violence in the USA. Millions of people of all backgrounds, including Jews, Christians, and Muslims, are organizing at home and abroad to end the Israeli war and end US militarism. We should join this movement to abolish the cycle of violence and promote peaceful coexistence.
Best wishes,
Manzoor Cheema
