Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Say it to Last-Word Tony and Elf
Knuckles informs us that Socialist Unity has reopened closed comments in order to permit Tony Greenstein to speak his piece, along with some others who agree with him. When others entered into discussion, they were deleted, and their interventions were considered to be "libel". Not taking into account that his own intervention was offensive and libelous to dozens of people, myself included.
Whatever happened to discussion, dialectic, etc, etc? Hey, if we want to hear those who sound just like us, all we need to do is go to a cave and shout some. But, that's not the point. Tony is like those really annoying people everyone runs into now and then, they MUST have the last word, even if they are repeating what they've already said.
Well, we at PePa think that since Elf and SU (can't think of any other platform they have) feel that they must implement their last-word tactic, no matter WHAT anyone says, we are offering a new service. "Say it to Last-Word Tony and Elf" (and Joe and whoever it is who feels they can insult you and put you down and that you won't have a right to respond in any way or even comment). You can say what you want here, just direct it to the right gatekeeper or their fan who doesn't get on the round robin mailing, and be sure they will see it!
It will of course be in the comments section (moderated, as usual, against the porn spammer Israelite), except for this first intervention, which was left in my inbox by a friend of mine who asked me to forward it to Tony or post it on the list Tony reads the most (I don't know that that would be, so I am posting it here).
Marhaba Mary !
You must to turn on your phone more. Have tried for two days to call, and starting to worry that you are ill, then I saw more on your Blog, so I am happy to know you are fine, but you must to be busy so much and Hadi reminded me that Miriam is ten now and she keeps you busy too ! Rachid and Mona are ten, and it is an age they need so much of attention. So, I write instead. Remi, Bassem and I did look through your Blog last week and you can say we did finally "catch up" on the big noise that Tony makes and we don't understand why he does such things. All the time he is at this and why he does it we don't understand it. We saw also other Blog and 2 Sites that carry the noise, and specially the comments, and it is making us sick ! I want to tell you we are very tired of the way they act and so we tried to make comments on both the places Tony writes such long attacks to you and to Gilad, and no luck in that at all. Comment time is over or our comments are not printed. Mary, can you send this letter to the list Tony reads the most ? I want for him to read it, but I want for other people he does his complaining about to know we are tired of it and we have for him some questions. If he replies, please tell me. I don't think he will. None of those people ever do. They think they know everything. He does not really care about Palestine people and their thoughts to judge by things he said himself. It is sad someone like that distracts everyone from real efforts. I think they do it because they have problems and they avoid them by pretending they are busy with our cause. We would be happy if you could to send this to the list he uses. I wrote it, but the others agree too, they just had to go to work now, so they are not here to send this to you, but send greetings via this email. I paste it down in now.
Salamat,
Abdullah and Maryam
To Tony,
I read your articles, and I admit it. I am university educated, I work in a scholarly environment every day, and it is hard for me to understand what your point is. It is not for lack of words. I think you need to cut them down by at least half, for you repeat and repeat, making it painful to read you through. I tried it, and so did others and after we asked to ourselves what "the point" was, we end up with some questions instead.
Do you know Mary or Gilad ? If you did, you would never in your life say some of what you say. I read not only the article you write, where you call them racists but then say they are bad for Palestinian people, but in your commenting on People's Voice where you are spending much time bragging about all the good things you do and you say that Mary and Gilad don't do a thing, or what they do, hurts us Palestinians.
How do you know what hurts us ? How do you know what is good for us, and why is it you assume that we are grateful to anything you are doing, if these attacks against two people many of us know and love is all we see ? When it is easy to see from the quotes Mary put on her Blog of the things you write, some of them are just Islamophobic such as that if Hamas actually exercises the power the people entrusted to it, they would oppress Jews. This is the talk that they say the Zionists ! If you are not being paid for it, you are missing out on a big opportunity. But, they have you for free, and that means you are worse. What attachment do you have to Palestinian people ? Could you please have them write an apologia for you, since you claim you are their best friend ? I couldn't find a Palestinian anywhere on any of the sites you are on. Mary told me you move in Jewish circles and sometimes in Union ones, but I don't know what authority this gives you of speaking for what we feel ! Especially for things you know nothing about.
I know Mary for years. She is a sister and she knows and keeps alive our spirit when a lot of us are too distracted to do it, or we forget that there is a struggle, because we struggle with daily living and its hardships. If all you know from her is PeacePalestine, well, you should know she loves our people with her entire heart. But, if you know her for real, you would know one of the most gentle and generous people ever who always finds time for us, and I don't only mean Palestinians, because she does other voluntary work too, and she does not stand on a box and shout it out. She doesn't act like that. She makes herself subordinate to our cause, and she always tries her hardest to help and to moderate when there are some disputes, and there are some here in Italy between immigrants and refugees. She is a fair woman and listens. We all are very grateful to her, and to have her friendship is a blessing. You call her right wing. You know nothing, Tony. I will tell you, the far left party in Italy Partito dei Comunisti Italiani, asked her to speak at an event. They were impressed and they asked her to join the party and they wanted to make her develop in their rank and file into a candidate. Then she told them that all she cared about was their program on the Middle East, and in the end, they told her her ideas were too far left ! In other areas too, she is very much the opposite of right, so what do you mean ? Do you need to learn what those words mean ?
You say her blog is right wing because people on the right send in comments ? Is this the way to judge a site ? By the comments that are left on it ? I think you would be the kind of person who burn the whole building because a thief is inside. You have no criterion, and this is sad and I think you need to think over this.
I don't know Gilad in person, but my friends and I read him and like what he does, but he too is a friend and he is in our hearts. He quit "Israel" because he has a conscience. I know, he could have left it and gotten on with his living, but he chooses instead to tell people what things are like, and you insult him, you call him a Zionist, racist and you just don't understand what he is about.
Do you really talk seriously when you say that they are hurting Palestinians by their activities ? Where is your evidence of this charge ? Can you compile a list of the hurt Palestinians or of the things that are worse for Palestine because Mary and Gilad expose Israeli crimes, Zionist cover up of it and the way people like you spend all your time to get them blocked off of public speaking ? Do you really think you can make charges like this and get away with it ?
I tell you what I know about you. You put in your biography that you were brought up in an Orthodox Jewish family. Why is this important to put in a biography ? It must be because you want readers to think differently about you, that you are different and brave. Do you know that most people in the world are brought up in the religions of their families ? We usually don't put this in our biographies. It is not relevant, because it is a natural fact. Do you want to show that you broke with your family ? Or that you are still Jewish and it is important for us to know so that we think of you with reverence ?
Your main theme is always Anti-Semitism. I am glad you are worried about racism, so am I. But, I am more worried about rampant Islamophobia that is causing no end of hell to Arabs and Muslims all over, whether in their own countries or not. This should be your main priority, if you are fighting racism. You should fight any kind of stereotype that says what Muslims do when they have power, since you think it is bad. Apparently, Tony, you don't like that Muslims have power. You want them dependent. This is something that really is a problem for Palestinian people, not the Anti-Semitism which is a figment of your imagination more than a problem in the world.
I would address this too to others who are fighting Mary and Gilad, but you are the author of those repetitive articles, and since you were afraid to reply to Mary, maybe you will reply to me. I don't wait for it. I don't expect it, but I asked Mary to let you read this, so you know that you don't speak for Palestinians, you speak for yourself, and I don't like what I hear. I think you should stay out of our affairs.
Regards,
Abdullah Husain
Labels: friends, gatekeeping
