August 25, 2004
FOR WIDE DISTRIBUTION
***image2***The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) joins the Arab American and the international community in expressing support for the striking Palestinian prisoners, and encourages all to join the call for a 48-hour solidarity fast on August 28-30, 2004, issued by Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition.
With over 3000 women, men and children prisoners participating in the hunger strike announced on August 15, 2004, the struggle in Palestine calls on people of conscience to stand in solidarity with those struggling in the name of freedom. Support for Palestinian prisoners is inseparable from the worldwide movement against hegemony, racism and war. As the prisoners sacrifice their lives, they do so in unison with all those who have struggled to create social justice in this world.
From Israeli jail-cells to the Israeli Apartheid Wall, Palestinians remain prisoners in their own land and isolated from one another as their families, communities and loved ones disappear in Israeli prisons, their homes, towns and villages are destroyed by the Israeli Apartheid Wall and 5.5 million refugees remain exiled from their homeland. With US unwavering support of Israel and its continued attacks on Iraqi towns, we call on all people to join in support of this fast as a demonstration of opposition to current US foreign policy in the Arab World and its policies of war and racism on all fronts.
In conjunction with the series of events that will be taking place on a national scale in support of those protesting the Republican National Convention in New York, the solidarity fast will take place on the weekend of August 28-29th. Let us challenge injustice collectively as we join the hunger strike in protest against RNC and in support of Palestinians struggling for justice in Israeli prisons.
Join the call for solidarity:
– Observe the 48-hour fast from Saturday, August 28 at 7 am until 7 am Monday, August 30th.
– Send letters of support to the thousands of prisoners that have been fasting since August 15th by email at: palprisoner@yahoo.com or by fax to: (928)-752-8355. Letters will be sent to the prisoners and their families.
– Organize and participate in the local events in support of the protests in NY in opposition to the Republican National Convention.
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