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MWA Director Aishah Schwartz Commends Congressmen Supporting End of Gaza Embargo

Muslimah Writers Alliance Director, and international activist, Aishah Schwartz, returned from a 4-day siege breaking passage into Gaza from Egypt’s Rafah border crossing more determined than ever to lend her voice to the global outcry, evidenced by the massive convergence of over 1,300 representatives from 43 countries, in Cairo, Egypt for the Dec. 31, 2009 Gaza Freedom March, and cal for an end to the siege and embargo on Gaza.

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WASHINGTON, DC (MWANET) Jan. 26, 2010 – On Jan. 2, 2010, Muslimah Writers Alliance Director, and international activist, Aishah Schwartz, returned from a 4-day siege breaking passage into Gaza from Egypt’s Rafah border crossing more determined than ever to lend her voice to the global outcry, evidenced by the massive convergence of over 1,300 representatives from 43 countries, in Cairo, Egypt for the Dec. 31, 2009 Gaza Freedom March, and cal for an end to the siege and embargo on Gaza. Elated to learn that a positive result of the joined efforts of all who have lent their support to the Palestinian cause was so quickly achieved, Schwartz swiftly moved to alert her community.

On January 21, 2010, less than one month after a Dec. 29, 2009 report affirming that two lone U.S. Congressmen, Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Brian Baird (D-WA), whose year-long struggle in solidarity with more than 1.4 million Palestinians facing an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis, resulting from the Israeli imposed June 2007 siege and embargo of Gaza, followed by its 23-day air assault, ending January 18, 2009, resulting in excess of 1,300 deaths, were able to secure the signatures of an additional 52 representatives endorsing a letter to President Barack Obama, delivered by Ellison and Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA), advocating for implementation of a variety of immediate relief efforts. The letter stipulated, among other things, the following:

·    Movement of people, especially students, the ill, aid workers, journalists, and those with family concerns, into and out of Gaza;

·    Access to clean water, including water infrastructure materials;

·    Access to plentiful and varied food and agricultural materials’

·    Access to medicine and health care products and suppliers;

·    Access to sanitation supplies, including sanitation infrastructure materials;

·    Access to construction materials for repairs and rebuilding;

·    Access to fuel;

·    Access to spare parts;

·    Prompt passage into and out of Gaza for commercial and agricultural goods; and

·    Publication and review of the list of items prohibited to the people of Gaza.

MWA Director, Aishah Schwartz attending candlelight vigil, Dec. 30, 2009, in front of Journalist’s Syndicate of Cairo, Egypt.
“I salute Congressmen Ellison and Baird for taking on the wall of indifference within the U.S. Congress; a wall once comprised of 433 members blocking compromise and progress in providing the critically needed humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people,” Schwartz stated.

Schwartz added, “And to the community at large – you have to know, without your support, the efforts of these Congressional representatives would continue to languish; along with the Palestinian people. Your voice, your persistence, does and can make a difference. Please review the list of names included on the January 21, 2010 letter delivered to President Obama. If you do not see your representative’s name, make a commitment today to encourage them to lend their support, and please also take the time to thank those who have lent their pen, and hopefully their hearts, to the cause.”

Signors in alphabetical order: Brian Baird, Tammy Baldwin, Earl Blumenauer, Bruce D. Braley, Lois Capps, Andre Carson, Yvette D. Clarke, John Conyers, Elijah E. Cummings, Peter A. DeFazio, William D. Delahunt, John D. Dingell, Michael E. Capuano, Donna F. Edwards, Keith Ellison, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Raul M. Grijalva, Jim Himes, Maurice D. Hinchey, Rush D. Holt, Michael M. Honda, Jay Inslee, Marcy Kaptur, Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Mary Jo Kilroy, Barbara Lee, Stephen I. Lynch, Eric L. Massa, Betty McCollum, Jim McDermott, James P. McGovern, George Miller, Gwen Moore, James P. Moran, Glen C. Nye, James L. Oberstar, John W. Olver, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Donald M. Payne, David E. Price, Nick J. Rahall, II, Loretta Sanchez, Joe Sestak, Adam Smith, Jackie Speier, Fortney Pete Stark, John Tierney, Paul Tonko, Diane Watson, Peter Welch, Lynn Woolsey, and John A. Yarmuth.

“It’s time for President Obama to know we are paying attention; and the change he purported to support in his election campaign cannot come fast enough – particularly for the people of Gaza,” concluded Schwartz.

The time to lift the embargo is NOW. Gaza can’t wait.

SEE ALSO:

Copy of Congressional letter to President Obama from the 54 Congressmen http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/files/gaza_support_ellison_baird_plus52.pdf
Egypt’s Iron Wall of Shame, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/egypts_wall_of_shame/
Hedy Epstein, 84 Year Old Holocaust Survivor, Attacked in St. Louis, Bill Ramsey http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/hedy_epstein_84_year_old_holocaust_survivor_attacked_in_st_louis/
Gaza and the Language of Power, Ramzy Baroud http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/gaza_and_the_language_of_power/
The Gaza Freedom March:  An Odyssey for Justice, Ramzy Baroud http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_gaza_freedom_march_an_odyssey_for_justice/
Gaza:  Inaction is a Choice, Sheila Musaji (with interfaith statements and article collection) http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/gaza/
The Goldstone Report, Reconciliation, and Peace, Sheila Musaji (with article collection) http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/goldstone_report/
The Good out of the Misery in Gaza: Love in Action and Global Conscience, Eileen Fleming http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_good_out_of_the_misery_in_gaza_love_in_action_and_global_conscience/
Members of U.S. Congress Ask President Obama to End the Blockade of Gaza, AA-ADC (with list of Congressmen and their phone numbers) http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/members_of_u.s._congress_ask_president_obama_to_end_the_blockade_of_ga/0017877
Muslim Women’s NGO Submits Goldstone Report to International Criminal Court http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim_womens_ngo_submits_goldstone_report_to_international_criminal_court/
The “Three Weeks,” the Gaza Disengagement and Religious Zionism, David Shasha http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_three_weeks_the_gaza_disengagement_and_religious_zionism3/
The Twelve Days Before Christmas and an Open Letter to The House, Eileen Fleming http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_twelve_days_before_christmas_and_an_open_letter_to_the_house/
UN: Gaza in a state of physical, psychological collapse http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/UN—Gaza-Physical-Psychological-Collapse—82614082.html
Elie Wiesel: Go with Us to Gaza!: An Appeal to the Nobel Peace Laureate http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/elie_wiesel_go_with_us_to_gaza_an_appeal_to_the_nobel_peace_laureate/
Type GAZA into the search engine on TAM for hundreds of articles on the Gaza Embargo, Siege, and War
 

REFERENCES FOR SHARING:

International Activist, Aishah Schwartz Commends Action of 54 U.S. Congressmen in Supporting End of Siege and Embargo on Gaza
http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/files/mwa_aishah_schwartz_commends_congressional_action_on_gaza.pdf
TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/y9fonwp

Initial Report of International Activist, Aishah Schwartz on Four-Day Siege Breaking Visit to Gaza
http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/files/initial_report_aishah_schwartz_gaza.pdf
TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/yep7ml7

ARABIC: Aishah Schwartz Visits Al-Amal Institute for Orphans, Gaza – Alwafd (Cairo, Egypt) Jan. 7, 2010
http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/images/gaza/jan_7_2010_alwafd_article_aishah_schwartz.jpg
TINY URL:http://tinyurl.com/ybw2t9d

ARABIC: Aishah Schwartz Featured in Post Journalist’s Syndicate Candle-Light Vigil Article – Alwafd (Cairo, Egypt) Dec. 31, 2009
http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/images/gaza/dec_31_alwafd_article_aishah_schwartz.jpg
TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/yaw6c4w

ARABIC: Aishah Schwartz Joins Gaza Freedom March Delegates in Appeal to President Mubarak at Offices of Cairo’s Alwafd News Journal – Alfwafd (Cairo, Egypt) Dec. 29, 2009
http://muslimahwritersalliance.com/images/gaza/aishah_schwartz_alwafd_dec_29_2009_gaza_freedom_march.jpg
TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/yerdcff

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml    Send an email to your representative thanking them for signing the letter to President Obama to lift the blockade, or asking them why they did not sign.  U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation

 

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