Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Protes Senyap dan Emergency General Meeting

Salam.

Macam-macam yang berlaku di sini - UK umumnya, Manchester khasnya. Tempias kemelut di Palestina terasa dalam rupa pertentangan pelbagai skala di merata-rata. Simpatisan dan pejuang baris hadapan menghulurkan sumbangan dan pengorbanan dalam pelbagai cara. Protes harian di hadapan BBC Oxford Road Manchester, demonstrasi kebangsaan mingguan di London, usaha melobi dan rayuan menggunakan media, peranan selebriti untuk meningkatkan kesedaran, semuanya digerakkan oleh manusia dan menuntut masa, tenaga, serta wang ringgit sebagai harga. Ah, apalah semua itu kan, nun di Palestina mereka menyerahkan darah dan nyawa!

Kerja-kerja berkempen bukan senang. Ambil contoh mengedarkan risalah, flyering. Perlu tebal muka menyuakan risalah dan brosur kepada entah siapa-siapa yang mungkin menerima atau tidak mengendahkan, berdiri di tepi jalan (atau di tengah Market Street) dalam cuaca sejuk berangin malah bersalji, setidak-tidaknya lebih setengah jam. Saya masih teringat bagaimana Tanzeel Chowdhury mengagihkan risalah di hadapan Student Union senja semalam, sambil menggigil dalam salji yang turun lebat dan angin kuat. Perlu lembut lidah dan keras hati berbicara tentang perjuangan kepada entah siapa-siapa yang entah mendengar penuh minat, entah sambalewa, entah mendengar kerana kasihan, entah mengajak berdebat, entah pula mengesampingkan sahaja malas mengambil tahu (orang Malaysia pun banyak macam ni, mentang-mentanglah duit penaja banyak dan sibuk belajar kan, mesti jaga disiplin dan tak boleh mengganggu ketenteraman awam dengan demonstrasi dan sebagainya, takut kena tangkap, takut sejuk, takut demam, jadi buat apalah nak ambil tahu soal negara entah siapa-siapa macam Palestin tu, KANN? erm, come to think of it, negara sendiri pun kalian malas ambil tahu. so tak heran la.).

Di sana-sini, prihatin dipamerkan dengan cara stereotaip, aman, mahupun radikal. Pelajar-pelajar London ada yang 'menawan' (occupy) kampus, tidak mahu berganjak, sehingga tuntutan mereka ditunaikan universiti - tidak silap saya, memberikan biasiswa kepada pelajar-pelajar Palestin dan menghalang tentera daripada memasuki kampus. Usaha yang hampir sama cuba dilakukan di Manchester, tetapi tidak berjaya seperti tindakan di London.

Pertentangan antara pro-Palestin dan pro-Israel, terutamanya di kalangan aktivis dan simpatisan pelajar di Manchester semakin sengit. Sesungguhnya saya tidak faham apakah yang memotivasikan penyokong Israel ini melainkan hasad, tamak, taksub dan prasangka. Dengan bersungguh-sungguh mereka mencanangkan penghujahan mereka, memegang sepanduk dan papan tanda, berdemonstrasi, merancang pelbagai komplot untuk mematahkan usaha penggerak kempen untuk membela Palestina. Maaf, persetankan "there are multiple ways to view a situation" ala-ala Theory of Knowledge di sini. Siapa yang tidak nampak bahawa Palestin sedang ditindas dengan kejam oleh Zionis Israel adalah buta, bodoh, dan berperut tanpa hati.

Petang ini (3 Februari), berlangsung persidangan Student Council - barisan pimpinan pelajar universiti untuk memutuskan sama ada mengutuk Israel itu halal atau haram. Saya memetik emel seorang sahabat ke milis warga Manchester,

hope this finds everyone in the best eeman and health.
Today there will a a council meeting(ni majlis MPP manchester uni lah ni).They are trying to pass the eumc definition of antisemitism which include criticism of isreal. With jewish group being the majority in the council no doubt that it can easily be passed.And the emergency general meeting is very very very important so that we can overturn them.Tomorrrow and wednesday Action Palestine will be flyering from 10 more or less al day.So please anyone who is free please give your hands.!! COME to the student union or contact me if you cant find anyone!
please spread the message and bring your friends along.just to pass the message from AP,they are also gonna do a silent protest at 530 bfr the council starts with ppl stood on the steps of the union wearing gags to symbolise infringements on freedom of speech.(just come to support, we dont hve to necessarily wear the gags!)....

EUMC adalah European Monitoring Centre of Racism and Xenophobia.

Saya ke sana sebentar tadi. Demonstrasi senyap berlangsung di atas anak-anak tangga Student Union sementara mesyuarat berlangsung di tingkat atas. Apa yang kami tuntut adalah kebebasan bersuara - tidak sepatutnya kritikan ke atas tindakan keji tanpa perikemanusiaan sebuah negara diharamkan hanya kerana kononnya bersifat perkauman dan mengancam ketenteraman golongan 'Semitik'. Kami juga ingin menarik perhatian ramai untuk menghadiri Emergency General Meeting esok hari (4 Februari) yang memerlukan kuorum lebih ramai daripada biasa iaitu 500.

Anan, orang kuat Action Palestine berkata, seingat saya, "...they feel threatened by a bunch of anti-Semitics who are holding protests outside."

Ye la tu, ganas sangat la kami ni, begitu menakutkan sekali. Kami hanya berdiri sekitar setengah jam dengan senyap, memegang sepanduk, dan menutup mulut dengan kain putih sebagai simbol kepada kebebasan bersuara yang diancam.

















Sekitar jam enam, kami masuk ke dalam bangunan Union untuk membincangkan strategi terakhir sebelum Emergency General Meeting esok hari. Mesyuarat umum kecemasan ini diadakan bertujuan untuk memaktubkan polisi baru dalam Union yang tentunya pro-Palestina. Antara usaha kami adalah mengunjungi kediaman-kediaman universiti untuk berkempen kepada pelajar, dari pintu ke pintu. Saya dan seorang sahabat baru - pelajar PhD Education Technology berbangsa Arab, Maryam - ditugaskan untuk berkempen dari bilik ke bilik di sebuah kediaman pelajar, yang kami lakukan terhendap-hendap seperti pencuri kerana strategi terpaksa diubah akibat sebab-sebab tertentu.

Kawan-kawan, pelajar-pelajar University of Manchester, esok akan ada Emergency General Meeting, yang seperti kata Anan, lebih kurang begini... "This is the most political motion we have proposed so far, and will have the greatest impact towards our contribution to Palestine."

(P/S: Siapa2 yang tak rasa politik itu mustahak, anda juga dialu-alukan untuk datang - anggaplah ini perjuangan anda untuk Islam dan kemanusiaan seperti yang sentiasa anda war-warkan.)

Di bawah adalah resolusi yang dicadangkan (dan semoga menang.)

This Union Resolves

1. To support a day of fundraising for humanitarian relief for Gaza, with all proceeds to be given to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

2. To pressure the university to send surplus academic supplies to the students of Gaza on the February 14th Viva Palestina convoy, and to organise through the Union to provide logistical support for the collection of this aid.
3. To join the global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by divesting from Israel and boycotting all companies that support or benefit from the Israeli occupation and lobbying the University to adopt a similar BDS policy towards Israel, and to build links with student unions and other trade unions who adopt a BDS policy.

4. To condemn the university for it's lack of progress in divesting from arms companies and ending all research in weapons manufacturing. And to adopt a stronger approach with the university on this issue.

5. To send a letter to the BBC condemning their refusal to air the DEC appeal for Gaza, and to place the appeal advert in Student Direct, and on the home page of the UMSU website, until the appeal is closed.

6. To send a message of support to occupations around the country that have shown solidarity with the people of Gaza, condemned the Israeli attacks and opposed the siege of Gaza. To materially support non violent occupations undertaken by university of Manchester students.

7. To send a public message of solidarity to the Islamic University in Gaza, whose campus has been virtually destroyed, and publish it in student direct.

8. To pressure the university to give full scholarships to Palestinian students as resolved at the March 2007 general meeting, as well as providing full scholarships for Israelis who have refused to serve in the IDF. As part of this the Union will furthermore forge concrete links with Israeli students, activist groups and military conscientious objectors that oppose the Israeli occupation and its recent attacks on Gaza. And to adopt a stronger approach with the university on this issue.



Kuorum sebanyak 500 orang diperlukan sebelum motion ini boleh dipertandingkan. Kalau tidak cukup maka pulanglah semuanya, batallah semuanya, sia-sialah semuanya (pada zahirnya). Justeru datanglah, datanglah, datanglah, bawalah teman-teman, berusahalah, dan berdoalah.

Wednesday 4th February
1pm
UMSU Academy 1
Emergency General Meeting - 'Gaza Crisis'

Allahuakbar.

6 comments:

Zulhimi said...

Haish.........apsal laa islamic student union kat Ireland tak power macam Manchester? Semoga Allah memberkati usaha anda.

Anonymous said...

SERIOUSLY AM IMPRESSED WITH EFFORTS DONE IN UK ESPECIALLY BY ACTION PALESTINE. AND TO THINK THAT I HAVE ONLY KNOWN ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY….IS MIND BLOWING!!

FOR GAZA DRIVE IRELAND LOOK SET TO WORK UNDER ACTION PALESTINE INSYAALLAH…

TO ZULHILMI, I DO NOT MEAN ANY PROVOCATION BROTHER, BUT AS A STUDENT IN IRELAND, AS A PART OF ITS UNION (I ASSUME), IT’S PRETTY IRONIC TO ONLY ASK WHY ‘THEY’ ARE NOT AS GEMPAK, AS ETC3…WHEN APPARENTLY WE ARE A PART OF THEM AND WE CAN DO SOMETHING ACTUALLY…BY FINDING THE RIGHT CHANNEL.

ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN ONE DAY, BUT IT EVENTUALLY GETS DONE.

WALLAHUALAM

iman said...

Bagus.Alhamdulillah...
May Allah bless u guys' effort.iAllah

Zulhimi said...

To Mun,

No provocation taken, but seriously we're not as bold as them. I mean occupying a building just to get things done for Gaza, that's a real serious action and having the police out on full force. And yeah, I do acknowledge your efforts on the frontlines of FOSIS. For me, the steps which I've taken for Gaza are best kept between me and Allah with a also a few souls close to me involved =). Keep fighting no matter how you do it.

Anonymous said...

salam.

kak dibah!! lama dah lah tak update. rindu nak baca.

keep writing, i love your pieces :D

Anonymous said...

I like this phrase :)