Surprise Attack! Revolution carried through by small conscious minorities
Kabul in the Republican Revolution of 1973
Monday, September 30, 2002
Monday, September 23, 2002
Anti-war rally gathers on Soldiers’ ‘ Sailors’ lawn (Pitt News)
https://pittnews.com/article/39547/archives/anti-war-rally-gathers-on-soldiers-sailors-lawn/
SEPTEMBER 23, 2002
As talks of a possible attack on Iraq continue, an anti-war movement is in full swing right… As talks of a possible attack on Iraq continue, an anti-war movement is in full swing right here at Pitt.
The Thomas Merton Center held an anti-war rally on the lawn of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Saturday afternoon. Nearly 100 community leaders, activists, students and concerned citizens attended the event.
Sayed Saleh Waziruddin, board member of the Thomas Merton Center, led a small march from Carnegie Mellon University to the scene of the rally. The marchers carried signs and chanted, “What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now. Bush says regime change. We say he’s deranged.”
As the rally commenced, participants held signs, some made with care and some quickly written with marker on fliers. Some sayings were: “Each life is good,” and “I love America. I hate its actions.”
The Reverend Todd Davis, a participant in the rally, said, “I am here because I believe Bush is going to get the U.S. in great trouble. He is alienating the U.S. from all the nations of the world by acting unilaterally.”
Concerned citizen, poet, and Thomas Merton Center volunteer Cecilia Wheeler expressed her reasons for participating.
“We are united here to stop a war on Iraq. We don’t think there’s been enough evidence to start a war,” she said. “We want sanctions against Iraq down. There’s been too much suffering for the people in Iraq since ’91.”
The protest consisted of rallying speeches given by guest speakers, such as a medical expert, a journalist, a teen-age activist, professors and religious leaders. There was also satirical music, created by Anne Feeney and Chris Chandler, often met with random outbursts of supportive chanting.
Ginny Hildebrand and Waziruddin quieted the protesters and introduced the speakers. Throughout the speeches, the protesters would show support for a point and after each speech, the crowd would applaud.
Iskander Langalibalele spoke for Azania Heritage International and Unite ‘N Resist. He voiced his reasons for believing war in Iraq is wrong.
“We have a president not democratically elected,” he said. “Why [is the Bush administration] attacking human beings?”
Langalibalele had a charge for the group.
“We have to change the whole system and the whole society. We need to bring about a change,” he said. “Where is the courage? We need to build this into a mass movement.”
Brother Yusef Ali from the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh voiced his beliefs about the protest.
“Americans have to create a climate so that people can be able to think and express themselves without being considered unpatriotic,” he said.
He continued, speaking about compassion. His final words became a chant, “Let’s make war no more.”
As a change of pace, Feeney, playing the guitar, and Chandler, vocalist with a megaphone, performed a song that related the administration to a hypothetical carnival. The song, which evoked a great deal of laughter, had a harsh undertone and made points regarding the economy and hypocrisy.
The Reverend Renee Waun, from the East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church, said that she called the President and insisted that concerned citizens do the same.
“I am downright embarrassed and ashamed at what our president is doing,” she said. “This is our last opportunity to show moral leadership to the world.”
She expressed her ultimate fears as to what might happen as a result of an attack on Iraq.
“It’s going to be the beginning of a really awful time in history, and we’re going to be blamed for it,” she said.
In summation, Waun articulated the decision America has to make.
“We have a choice,” she said, “to seize the high moral moment or to be lost in the despair of immoral mayhem.”
Molly Rush, host and founder of the Thomas Merton Center, rallied more support.
“There is a strong movement against war in Iraq,” she said. “We are going to need to depend on each other. I am thinking about civil disobedience again.”
The rally ended after about an hour. As the participants dispersed, they picked up fliers with the phone numbers and addresses for congressmen and the White House.
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Professors for Peace and Justice question, debate politics (The Pitt News)
https://pittnews.com/article/39699/archives/professors-for-peace-and-justice-question-debate-politics/
Professors for Peace and Justice question, debate politics
SEPTEMBER 18, 2002
Pittsburgh Professors for Peace and Justice are making efforts to reform political… Pittsburgh Professors for Peace and Justice are making efforts to reform political consciousness.
PPJ held an open forum on Sept. 13 in Posvar Hall to discuss the situation in Iraq and the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly 200 people, including professors, students, and local activists, attended the event.
PPJ was founded last year in response to the American treatment of Sept. 11, with the mission of researching events and sharing that research to further inform the public, according to members Mark Ginsburg and Clark Henderson. Its members include faculty from colleges in Pittsburgh, such as Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University and Carlow College, who meet to discuss issues pertaining to the war on terror.
According to Ginsburg and Henderson, recent meetings have been focused on the possible attack on Iraq. Ginsburg added that, typically, 15 to 20 faculty members attend the meetings and someone leads the topic of conversation, which requires that they share research.
Ken Boas and Kelly Happe led the first discussion, raising questions about the situation in the Middle East.
Boas and Happe addressed American favoritism of the Israelis and said they wondered if Americans could find sympathy for the oppressed Palestinians.
“To prevent catastrophe in the Middle East, isn’t it our responsibility to tell the stories that affirm the Palestinian people?” Boas asked.
To finalize the discussion, Boas said, “Why do we buy into the idea that war in the Middle East makes the world safer? Osama made his grievances to clear to the world: stop oppressing and destroying the Palestinians.”
In the second segment, speaker Carol Stabile discussed the media and patriotism and their effects in the war on terror, emphasizing the importance for the American public to seek education and alternative news sources.
In an interview, Stabile elaborated about the media, saying that “in the university, we have the responsibility to educate people about this; we have the knowledge. I have studied the media, and I have all this information. As researchers, we put together separate accounts.” She continued, saying, “Only one viewpoint is being offered and that’s the current administration’s. We must ask ourselves, why don’t we see alternative accounts?”
Stabile said she was impressed with the turnout of the forum and wondered if there were people all over the nation with the same concerns. She concluded, saying, “Things are changing as we speak.”
Following Stabile, Carrie Rentschler addressed the media’s handling of the anniversary. Rentschler re-emphasized the responsibility Americans have to be educated and outspoken.
After the debate, Rentschler spoke in regards to the way in which the anniversary of Sept. 11 was handled. “To focus on remembrance and mourning, didn’t provide space for dissent. People should talk about the war on terror.” She continued rather adamantly, “People within the White House have said that Sept. 11 is very important as an emotional basis for going to war with Iraq.”
Sayed Saleh Waziruddin, Muslim co-founder of the local activist group Zi and founder of the Free Getu Coalition, led the third segment. He spoke about the tension and life adjustments of American-Muslim population since Sept. 11.
Waziruddin felt that after Sept. 11, the calls for unity excluded the Muslim population, which he believed was suddenly seen as suspicious simply for looking different.
Waziruddin concluded with a charge for the group.
“There is hope since we are here today. Let’s spread the ideas,” he said.
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