Copyright © 2003-2011, Aishah Schwartz. Permission granted to circulate among private individuals, groups, or in not-for-profit publications in full text and subject title. All other rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington DC. Show all posts

August 03, 2014

Reflections on Gaza and the DC Rally


By Aishah Schwartz
[Note: This post was updated after it was suggested to me in a comment that I had done nothing to contribute, and to clarify that the efforts of anyone supporting the wrongly oppressed Palestinian community is not in any way intended to be disparaged.]

By all accounts from the photos circulating throughout the internet on Saturday, August 2, it appeared that thousands turned out in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., to protest the 2014 Israeli massacre on the Gaza Strip. While the event played out live on social media, I cross-published numerous items shared via Twitter to my Facebook profile and page.

As the afternoon's event drew to a close, however, I made a few observations, one being that I wished the event organizers had been united with the rest of the world in using the hashtag #GazaUnderAttack - this was the primary (other than just #Gaza), hashtag used through-out the now 27-day massacre. For D.C. organizers to have singled themselves out, or in effect, excluded themselves by not following the lead of the rest of the world in using the #GazaUnderAttack hashtag, it was as if to say they were simply having their own better-late-than-never party; why should the world be united? #HeadDesk

Israel shrinks inhabitable territory by 40%
Failing to incorporate the #GazaUnderAttack hashtag essentially minimized the event's punch, so-to-speak, as far social media goes - and it should be well enough known by now that social media is not only the primary source of news in this day and age, but the fastest way to spread news, particularly via Twitter. Incidentally, for those unaware, Facebook also this past year, incorporated use of the hashtag as a search option.

Another observation about the August 2 event in D.C. is that, it struck me as somehow anti-climatic coming so far behind the rest of the world; even the rest of the nation!

Washington, D.C., home of the White House, didn't join the rest of the world in supporting the Palestinian people against the Israeli massacre until the same day that the Israeli's began to announce they were finally on the verge of pulling out; having fulfilled their stated mission to destroy the Hamas tunnel system, while extending the buffer zone by another three kilometers - virtually shrinking the inhabitable land mass of the Gaza Strip by 40%?!

How D.C. fell so far behind in the race against time is, sadly, unfathomable.

London had an absolutely smashing protest on July 19 (one of many), that demonstrated not only effectiveness in numbers, but, masha'Allah, gobsmacked the world with its photos highlighting (circa D.C. 2006 pictured below), the effectiveness of posters and signs. Not only did Londoners appear as a sea of people, they were a wall-to-wall mass of collective voice through the signs that almost each and every protester carried. London rocked the poster in 2014!

I scoured the net for photos out of D.C. on August 2 that even began to match what happened in London, praying for anything that could effectively wipe the egg off our faces in D.C. Finally, I found a slideshow of photos at POLITICO with a single shot by a fantastic photographer that saved the day. In fact, I created an image file depicting the D.C. and London demos together, merely to set out for the record, that D.C. had done its best to give them a run for their money; despite coming out of the gate in nearly last place!

It is clear that Londoner's stepped up to the plate to finance their protest, as evidenced by the sea of posters and signs that would otherwise not have materialized.

The economy isn't great anywhere in the world, and I don't think Londoners are faring much better than U.S. citizens financially, but, with a month's worth of incursion to prepare, and bus loads of protesters traveling across state borders to arrive for the August 2 demonstration, what went wrong in D.C. where posters were concerned? #ScratchesHead

National March on Washington 2006
To be clear; I am not disparaging the efforts of a single person who participated in the August 2 D.C. Rally. And kudos to the ever present A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, whose voice is visible from demonstration to demonstration across the nation whenever they converge for a worthy cause, but the last time I checked, A.N.S.W.E.R. is not representative of the Muslim voice. Where in the D.C. photos for the August 2 Rally do you see the Muslim voice? The "answer", no pun intended, is that it hasn't been visible since the National March on Washington in 2006; and for the record, I personally designed the posters used in that campaign.

National March on Washington 2006
So for anyone who wants to say it's 'easy to complain' when you didn't lift a finger of support, know this: I have been standing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause from 2006 through 2014, not only spending five years supporting it through my work in Washington, D.C., but also in front of the Israeli Embassy in Egypt, at the Rafah border, as a member of a convoy in 2009 (Arabic media), where I participated in a march with Palestinians in Gaza to the Erez border crossing in honor of the martyrs of Cast Iron Lead, and, further, returning again in 2012 to deliver supplies and medical equipment through the Rafah border, that we had no idea would be needed the very next day as the Israeli's launched Pillar of Cloud.

On a personal level, I was asked a few times why I had not published anything this past month regarding the 2014 massacre on Gaza, being that I am known as a writer in addition to being an activist.

Well, I decided to do something different, being that from 2006 through 2014 boots-on-the-ground activism has yet to achieve an end to the siege and embargo on Gaza, or change in U.S. foreign policy, among other things.

So while some may refer to it as "arm-chair activism", while keeping up with the pace of events via social media, sharing what I could in order to raise awareness, I would have spent whatever second of the day or night required of me, throughout Ramadan and Eid, making myself available to my valiantly brave sister and friend, Hanaa, in Gaza City, her family and a handful of others that I met along the way.

No, I didn't write any articles about the events of this past month, I chose, instead, to make a difference in the best way I felt was humanly possible - from the other side of the Rafah border here in Egypt - to offer whatever hope I could to the Palestinians in Gaza with whom I hold a personal relationship. In the end, I may not have written anything other than this post for public consumption, but between myself and Hanaa, there may very well be a book.

And I would not have changed a minute of the time spent with any of my friends in Gaza for anything other than - peace and reconciliation.

With Hanaa in Gaza November 2012
I, with countless others, spent all of Ramadan praying for the safety of my friends in Gaza - all Palestinians in Gaza - and, of course, the safety of oppressed people the world-over. By the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, despite the fact that homes of my friends were in direct jeopardy not once, but twice when word arrived that nearby buildings had been targeted for destruction, Allah Akbar, they were spared. Not one from them had fallen in harm's way - unless, of course, you count the undeniable psychological trauma of fearing every waking minute for a solid month - for your life.

Reading from Hanaa, and other friends in Gaza, about how much my steadfast presence in their mobiles via SMS, Viber, WhatsApp and Facebook meant to them, touched my heart like nothing you could imagine - outside of being able to somehow lift them from their homes to sure safety.

In the early morning hours of August 3, Day 27, my friends in Gaza reported that it had been a somewhat quieter night than the seemingly endless nights previous; but before I could post this and finally sleep myself, I learned that the quiet had been broken and Gazans were awakening to the tragically familiar sound of rocket fire and booms.

There is still so much work ahead, and as of the time of this post, with 1,730 martyred and 9,100 injured; suffering that nothing but their steadfast faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will ease.

Once the final flashes of light in the night sky from rocket fire cease, insha'Allah the Palestinians will do what they've always done; rise again.

The future is still uncertain for the Gaza Strip and its inhabitants, so our continued duas and collective support remain essential.

I will close with an excerpt from one of my favorite hadith from Sahih Bukhari, Book 76, Number 509: "Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks."
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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS (click on any image to view larger size):
National March on Washington 2006
National March on Washington 2006
Wall at Erez Border Crossing, Gaza - Dec. 2009
Gaza Freedom March, Erez Border, Gaza Dec. 2009-Jan.10
Israeli Embassy, Cairo, Egypt April 2011
Rafah May 2011 - 63rd Nakba
63rd Nakba May 11, 2011 - Rafah Border, Egypt
Medical Convoy Team Member-Gaza Beach Nov. 2012
Medical Convoy Team Member-Gaza Beach Nov. 2012
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POSTSCRIPT:
One of the other things I did with Hanaa during Ramadan, was take her along with me on a journey through photography. Hanna wasn't able to leave her home in Ramadan to visit friends, share iftars, attend taraweeh prayers, nothing. Her world was no longer merely an open-air prison, her prison had become the family's home. They spent the days struggling to endure not only the endless booms from outside the windows of their home, the trembling floors and ceilings, but living on a schedule of sporadic blackout periods that sometimes lasted 12-hours or more. Water and groceries, scratch cards for mobiles and fuel for the family's generator to keep batteries charged and electricity running for short periods, became the routine of their days. Whereas, on an ordinary day there would be things like, water for a shower, jobs to go to, markets to visit, friends to see, and - being able to sleep through the night.

So, as a diversion, throughout July, I shared with Hanaa and her family, photo albums of Aishah's Journey through Ramadan and Eid 2014. 
Happy Eid from Hanaa's Mom! <3

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Ramadan 2014 Hurghada's Masjid El Zard - Egypt

Ramadan Taraweeh Prayers at Masjid El Gouna - Egypt

Ramadan 2014: Masjid Shekh Abd Elmanem Riad - Hurghada, Egypt

Photojournalist Dedicates Taraweeh Prayers to Gaza at Masjid El Qatari - Hurghada, Egypt

Ramadan 2014: Al Noor Masjid, Hurghada - Egypt 

Traditional Ramadan Fanoos: alive and well in Hurghada - Egypt

Ramadan Suhoor at Costa Coffee - Hurghada, Egypt

Women's prayer spaces: El-Mina Masjid, Hurghada - Egypt

Hurghada Gears up for Ramadan 2014 - Egypt
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February 15, 2011

Biography: Aishah Schwartz (2010-11)

Updated to cover 2002-2017 here.

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Aishah Schwartz (bibliography), an American Muslim revert to Islam since April 2002, is founder and director of the 2006 established Washington, D.C.-based Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) and a retired career litigation legal secretary. She is also a published freelance non-fiction writer/journalist and internationally renowned human rights activist with a focus on the rights of Muslim women and the plight of the Palestinian people affected by the Israeli imposed illegal embargo on Gaza.

Ms. Schwartz's writing, primarily autobiographical, generally focuses on countering misconceptions about Islam and her own life as a Muslim. Relating her experiences as an American Muslim woman traveling in the Middle East, her stories gained world-wide notoriety via the internet.

She eventually also became a featured writer for Naseeb Vibes, one of the world's largest online Muslim e-zines and social communities. Ms. Schwartz's articles are also regularly published at The American Muslim (TAM) and various other outlets.

Shortly after becoming Muslim, while volunteering at the 2003 ISNA Convention she was interviewed for Nile TV and later that year participated in a voter registration campaign at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, which led to her first "quote" in a CBS News story.

As a writing activist Ms. Schwartz focuses on civil and human rights issues within the Muslim community at-large, particularly those adversely affecting Muslim women.

She addressed President Jacques Chirac, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, in front of the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. as hundreds gathered on January 17, 2004 in protest of an impending law prohibiting Muslim women from wearing hijab.

In 2004 Ms. Schwartz also participated in the live filming of the hour-long premiere episode of the WETA-TV series "Senso Reports" - Target Washington (2004); appearing twice in cameo.

In 2005 she lead a national campaign in association with America's Second Harvest, organized to rally the Muslim community in support of National Hunger Awareness Day and developed a Hunger Awareness guide for participants in the Muslim community that was distributed to masjids across the United States.

Robert Forney, President and CEO of America's Second Harvest stated, "We are honored to be aided in our National Hunger Awareness Day 2005 efforts by members of so many diverse faiths, including Ms. Schwartz." In 2006 she continued the Hunger Awareness campaign as Founder and Director of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA).

Through MWA her activism received international recognition in 2006 after a successful campaign to avert removal of a prayer space in view of the Kabba designated for women in the courtyard of Makkah's Grand Mosque. The impact the campaign website, online petition, poster declaring "We Have A Right to Pray in This Space!", and press release, all directed to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. was reported on by Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly. "Aishah Schwartz, founder-director of the Muslimah Writers Alliance in Washington, set up the Grand Mosque Equal Access for Women Project that circulated a petition protesting the restrictions [on women]. Very quickly over a thousand signatures were collected."

Women inside Saudi Arabia and around the world, meanwhile, carried on protesting in the media. "It was the most striking example to date of concerted Islamic feminist global protest and one that authorities could not ignore," stated Margot Badran, Senior Fellow, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

On September 11, 2006, the proposal was overturned based in part on pressure from international media outlets and response to the online petition endorsed by Muslims worldwide.

In July of 2007, in her capacity as Director of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA), and in conjunction with a program titled, "Islam in America; a project for Russia", Ms. Schwartz hosted a leadership delegation from Russia at the Islalmic Center in Washington, D.C. The program was part of the Delphi International Program of World Learning International Visitor Leadership Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

In 2008, Human Rights Watch (HRW) recognized Ms. Schwartz's work in support of equal rights for women in the Grand Mosque Equal Access campaign in its report titled, "Perpetual Minors".

Ms. Schwartz was also recognized for her work in tackling equality within the masjid in the 2007 paperback release of Donna Gherke-White's 'Face Behind the Veil', a widely read collection of stories shedding additional light on issues facing American Muslim women.

Launching another Saudi Arabia-based campaign in 2007, again directed to the Saudi King, Ms. Schwartz tackled the need for reforms in the Kingdom's laws regarding guardianship of women with the "Say 'No' to Forced Divorce, 'Yes' to Reforms" campaign, which combined the cause for reuniting Fatima and Mansour Al-Timani, a couple forcefully divorced due to alleged 'tribal' differences.

Mansour Al-Timani and his wife, Fatima were finally reunited nearly 5-years from their divorce, however, the Say 'No' to Forced Divorce, 'Yes' to Reforms petition, signed by people from 40 Countries, 56 Foreign Cities, 21 U.S. States, and 45 U.S. Cities, continues in support of reform.

Ms. Schwartz also had the opportunity discuss the issue as a guest panelist on the D.C.-based television program, "Islamic Perspectives".

An unexpected surprise came to Ms. Schwartz in September of 2009 when her blog, "Sister Aishah's Islamic Journey" was recognized by The Daily Reviewer as one of the top 100 Muslim blogs. The Daily Reviewer selects only the world's top blogs (and RSS feeds), sifting through thousands of blogs daily to present the world's best writers. Blogs selected for inclusion are authoritative on their respective niche topics and are widely read. To be included in The Daily Reviewer is a mark of excellence.

In 2010 Ms. Schwartz hit the ground running.

Beginning with the December 2008 illegal Israeli massacre on Gaza, Ms. Schwartz, already actively involved in campaigning to end the embargo on Gaza through extensive writing and in marching against it in Washington, D.C., became more personally involved, petitioning members of the U.S. Congress and President Obama through various projects (see MWA Press Room); work that led to her eventual personal siege breaking journey to Gaza in December 2009. (Video) (Enter GAZA in search box mid-right of this page to learn more.)

On returning from Gaza in January 2010, she was compelled to do more. In support of the reported 700+ students in need of exit visas for pursuit of studies abroad, Ms. Schwartz launched the 'No Gaza Student Left Behind' campaign in June 2010 with a press release, open letter to President Obama, online petition drive and posters.

In June 2010 the woman's rights movement in Saudi Arabia resurfaced as guardianship reform, in conjunction with the rights of foreign nationals, once again came to the forefront as King Abdullah of prepared for a June 29 visit to the White House. Ms. Schwartz again lent MWA's support, to demonstrations that took place in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., and in front of the White House, in association with the Comit'e de Soutien 'a Nathalie Morin,' of Canada, Muslims for Progressive Values and Responsible for Equality, and Liberty (R.E.A.L.), based in Washington, D.C.

"The women of Saudi Arabia continue in pursuit of much needed reform in the Kingdom's existing guardianship laws," stated Ms. Schwartz.

"Many people confuse 'reform' with 'abolish'; the movement is not to dissolve guardianship, it is merely to improve the conditions of women suffering from uneven-handedness and to provide alternative recourse for those not benefiting from the protections that the law is intended to provide," Ms. Schwartz added.

The new year was also marked by participation in International Hijab Awareness Day, an event organized in support of bringing awareness to physical abuse within Muslim communities - commemorated in conjunction with the one-year anniversary marking the tragic beheading of Aasyia Zubair Hassan (1972-2009).

Taking her activism away from the keyboard in the summer of 2010, Ms. Schwartz participated in the the film production of a sequel to the Bridges Foundation project, "The Fog is Lifting", titled "Jihad Against Terrorism", also featuring Imam Suhaib Webb and others. The DVD is scheduled for January 2011 release and should be available online at the Bridges Foundation website, insha'Allah. NEW! View DVD cover here!

To round out the year, Ms. Schwartz was given the opportunity to showcase her organization, Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA), through a mini-documentary titled, زمام المبادرة - عائشة شوارتز/Lead the Way - Aishah Schwartz. Produced by iFilms of Cairo, Egypt for Al-Jazeera Arabic TV, the documentary premiered December 1, 2010 (repeated on Wednesday's throughout the month) and is now available on YouTube. The short-film also features MWA member and new author, Rania Marwan, who recently published her first book in a series on Islamic manners for children, "Laila and Pesto the Fly".

When the Egyptian Revolution broke out on 25 January 2011, Ms. Schwartz reported from her home in Egypt and visited Tahrir Square on 8 Feb. 2011 (photos). Cairo's Al-Wafd News Journal covered her visit.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT
THE 2010 MWA PRESS ROOM
and/or the Pre-2010 Press Room


2010-11 ARABIC PRESS
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AISHAH SCHWARTZ ON GAZA

AISHAH SCHWARTZ ON SAUDI ARABIA
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June 29, 2010

CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF GUARDIANSHIP REFORM IN SAUDI ARABIA CONTINUES JUNE 29 IN WASHINGTON, DC

This campaign is about REFORM NOT ABOLISHMENT
to accommodate extenuating circumstances.
If a woman/sister that YOU cared about
was in trouble, would YOU help?
We gathered in front of the Saudi Embassy
on Saturday
NOW JOIN US AS THE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TUESDAY, JUNE 29 - 12 NOON to 3PM
 LAFAYETTE PARK, IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
MORE ABOUT EVENT (INCLUDING MAP) 





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May 12, 2006

1-2-3-There's No Place Like Home...

Washington, D.C. - Friday morning, 8:15 AM - May 12, 2006.

It was the first day in nearly a week that I had ventured to step outside of the apartment where I had taken leave for some much needed jet lag recuperation; having just returned from an 8 month stay in Egypt.

Stepping off the train and onto Farragut North metro station's platform, the first thing I heard was the strum of a guitar accompanied by the voice of its owner - a surprisingly melodious tune triggering memories of so many other mornings when I had taken the same route to work in the not so distant past.

Beautifully clear sunlight filled my eyes as the escalator carried me closer to street level.

Ever so slightly, the crisp morning air flipped a corner of the scarf covering my hair and dashed a splash of color across my cheeks. I felt a rush of adrenelin surge through my veins. Everything was just as I had left it; from the musician at the top of the sidewalk, to the hustle of commuters heading toward offices where they would spend the day working.

To my right was a woman selling boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts, $5.oo each, for some worthy charitable cause; a dedicated activist stood nearby handing out flyers imploring readers to support a pressing political issue on Capitol Hill.

The familiar flower vendor was parked in the same place as always, offering an array of colorful blossoms sure to brighten the desk of many a commuterr, and for a surprisingly reasonable cost. Just above the musician's head, from where he had positioned himself at the top of the escalator, I spotted the familar green and white circular sign affixed to the wall of my favorite morning stop; pulling the door open, the aroma of freshly brewing coffee rushed to my brain...decisions, decisions...it's been sooooo long. Chai Tea Latte.

I turn the corner, heading to the office - treasure in hand. Stepping through the gleaming, heavy glass doors and into the lobby, a familiar face greets me. Big smiles. Exchanged greetings. The elevator doors open. I step inside. Instant brain freeze. For a moment I forget which button to push on the elevator's control panel. Latte still in cup; not doing me any good there! Ahhh! Six...whew!

Dual recognition as I step out of the elevator to meet the smiling face of a favorite receptionist. Subhan'Allah...she is still there. I approach the counter; she rises. We lean in for a quick hug. "Where's George?" "He's off today." "Awwwww..." "Anyone here yet?" "No." "Ut, oh!" *lol* And so the day began.

Copyright © 2006 - Aishah Schwartz Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on Internet sites and to publish in full text and subject title in not-for-profit publications. Contact author for all other rights, which are reserved.
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