[van-announce] Support the Tamam Defense Fund!

[Charlotte Kates]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hanna Kawas <hkawas at msn.com>

Dear Friends:

Several months ago, we launched the Tamam Defense Fund and donors have been
very generous so far. However, the family's legal expenses continue to
mount due to the intransigence of the Israeli government regarding the
status of Palestinian Jerusalemites (see links at the bottom of this post
from B'tselem and the Society of St. Yves). So we are asking supporters who
have not yet donated to please consider doing so. Also, please approach any
social justice groups or community organizations you may belong to and
request that they make a donation and publicize the campaign. The story of
Tamam and her family represents every Palestinian - it is the
quintessential Palestinian dilemma of trying to maintain dignity and
justice in the face of dispossession and statelessness. Here is our website
post with details of where to send your donation. Thank you,
Hanna
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canada Palestine Association (CPA)-Vancouver is starting a Defense Fund
<http://www.cpavancouver.org/index.php/2014/12/16/support-the-defense-fund-for-tamam-al-zobaidi-and-her-family/>
for Tamam and Kenza al Zobaidi (mother and daughter), who were denied their
legitimate residency status in Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation
authorities and accordingly their birthright. Also, Tamam has now “become,
essentially, stateless, and risked falling out of ‘legal’ status in Canada,
which would render her unable to work, receive health care or enroll her
child…in school” (Electronic Intifada
<http://electronicintifada.net/content/israel-refuses-renew-travel-documents-jerusalemite-canada/13926>,
Oct. 6, 2014). Sobhi and Tamam al Zobaidi are well-known in the Vancouver
Palestinian and progressive community and their friends are shocked by this
development.

* East Jerusalem is recognized by all countries in the world including
Canada as illegally occupied territory; in spite of this, Israel continues
to act as the rightful owner of Jerusalem against all international
humanitarian laws, UN resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel
continues with its settler colonialist policy and ethnically cleansing
Palestinians from their historic homeland.*

Please donate generously to this fund which will go towards the al
Zobaidi's legal expenses and make your cheques payable to:

*Canada Palestine Association (write in the Memo: Tamam Defense Fund)*
and mail to:
CPA
c/o BC Market
930 12th St., New Westminster,
B. C., V3M 4K6
Cheques can also be dropped at BC Market address
<https://www.google.ca/maps/place/930+12th+St%2c+New+Westminster%2c+BC+V3M+4K6/%4049.2128702%2c-122.937399%2c17z/data=%213m1%214b1%214m2%213m1%211s0x548677d0dd0c4ea7:0x98c48f0afdd6bc2?hl=en>
or at
Tamam Restaurant
<https://www.google.com/maps/place/2616+E+Hastings+St%2c+Vancouver%2c+BC+V5K+1Z6%2c+Canada/%4049.2810098%2c-123.0515044%2c17z/data=%213m1%214b1%214m2%213m1%211s0x5486712191f3932d:0x24af5f444688f7d4>
2616 East Hastings Vancouver, BC V5K 1Z6.

For more information on these racist policies towards the indigenous
Palestinian people of Jerusalem (both Christians and Muslims), see the
report from the *Israeli Human Rights group B’Tselem*:
Revocation of Residency in East Jerusalem
<http://www.btselem.org/jerusalem/revocation_of_residency>
And the report by the *Society of St. Yves, Catholic Center for Human
Rights*, Jerusalem.
The legal status of Palestinians in Jerusalem
<http://saintyves.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51:jr-legal&catid=1:jerusalem-residency&Itemid=11&lang=en>



-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com