Sunday Open Thread – 01/31/10 – Remembering Gaza | Calling out Israel

Alhamdulilah this past week Amir “MR” posted his inaugural contribution to MuslimMatters, staying true to the style of his previous blog in the process.  In a humble reminder of the Gaza massacre one year ago, the clip he linked to was from an upcoming documentary on Norman Finkelstein, one of the most outspoken critics of Israeli brutality and tyranny.

Dr. Finkelstein’s scholarship and flair for oration spotlight a growing trend among intellectuals, practitioners of law and non-profits.  Last year’s Gaza assault seems to have been a real watershed moment in the way Israel is perceived around the globe.  To this end, check out Judge Goldstone’s continuing defense of his report and an Israeli NGO’s confirmation of one of the report’s main assertions.

What’s more, there seems to be a growing movement among corporations willing to divest from Israel in actions reminiscent of those taken against apartheid South Africa:

Africa Israel Investments and Elbit Systems have been added to Danske Bank’s list of companies that fail to adhere to its Socially Responsible Investment policy…The two companies have been added to the list, which contains 24 companies, based on their activities in the settlement areas of the Palestinian territories.

Source

Sadly, it’s still business as usual for the American government as evidenced by their non-binding resolution back in November against the Goldstone Report and Obama’s more recent fumbling over a question about Israeli human rights abuses:

So if you’re in New York, show your support for Dr. Finkelstein and his efforts by checking out the US theatrical release of his film at Anthology Film Archives beginning February 11.

Finally, and this can’t be said enough no matter how many times it’s said, please support your brothers and sisters in Gaza through donating to Islamic Relief, but also certainly (and more importantly) through remembering them in your duas.