2008 Woodie Awards
Palestine on campus
Carla Mancebo
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
Michael Aurukin, a freshman majoring in engineering, said military check points and barriers are necessary to protect lives and prevent the entrance of unauthorized arms from Egypt and Syria.
"It is an unfortunate reality but one has to go through this inconvenience so that 20 truly innocent people can stay alive," Aurukin said.
Contributor Miles Murray, who is working toward a teaching credential, sat blindfolded on the benches beneath the palm trees in the plaza and later said the debate among the Palestinian supporters, Aurukin and others was a spar of emotions.
"They both have their own points and they grew up differently so it is hard for one to agree with the other," said Kristina Aristo, a freshman majoring in criminal justice.
Aristo was curious about the protest, which included a girl lying on the ground beneath a barrage of screaming actors threatening to shoot her if she tried to cross the imaginary border. She said the demonstration made her want to learn more about the Israel and Palestinian conflict.
"If they weren't here I wouldn't know that this goes on in Palestine," Aristo said.
Khalid Jakoush also participated in the protest by acting detained by Israeli soldiers. Jakoush, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, lived in Egypt and said he saw inhumane treatment from Israelis soldiers to Palestinians who wanted to cross borders.
"If you are claiming your country is peaceful like Israel does, then you don't have the right to occupy countries and claim it is yours," Jakoush said about the Israeli occupancy of Sinai, Egypt in 1967.
Billal Asghar, a junior majoring in health science and global studies, said everyone wants peace. He said there are Israelis who are against the work of their government but the few in power are working against co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Our goal here is not to educate the students, but to create a situation where they can go home and do some research on their own," Asghar said.
Karimah Al-Helew, a freshman majoring in sociology, said she hopes the event will get students to step outside of what is happening here and realize the world around them.
"We want people to question Israeli policies and why the U.S. is funding it," Al-Helew said.
Alumnus Haneen Hammad has family living in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordon and said the living conditions are unbelievable. She said stairs to get into the camp are miles long. Houses the sizes of closets are stacked on top of each other with no access to clean water.
"We take our freedom for granted here," Hammad said. "We don't see the guns. The fear they live with each day you can't imagine."
Hanny Zaki led the demonstration until its end with his robust voice and passion for the cause.
"Maybe this can be the spark of some intellectual debate on campus," Zaki said. "Detrimental to peace are those people that are not trying to work together with both sides."
"It is an unfortunate reality but one has to go through this inconvenience so that 20 truly innocent people can stay alive," Aurukin said.
Contributor Miles Murray, who is working toward a teaching credential, sat blindfolded on the benches beneath the palm trees in the plaza and later said the debate among the Palestinian supporters, Aurukin and others was a spar of emotions.
"They both have their own points and they grew up differently so it is hard for one to agree with the other," said Kristina Aristo, a freshman majoring in criminal justice.
Aristo was curious about the protest, which included a girl lying on the ground beneath a barrage of screaming actors threatening to shoot her if she tried to cross the imaginary border. She said the demonstration made her want to learn more about the Israel and Palestinian conflict.
"If they weren't here I wouldn't know that this goes on in Palestine," Aristo said.
Khalid Jakoush also participated in the protest by acting detained by Israeli soldiers. Jakoush, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, lived in Egypt and said he saw inhumane treatment from Israelis soldiers to Palestinians who wanted to cross borders.
"If you are claiming your country is peaceful like Israel does, then you don't have the right to occupy countries and claim it is yours," Jakoush said about the Israeli occupancy of Sinai, Egypt in 1967.
Billal Asghar, a junior majoring in health science and global studies, said everyone wants peace. He said there are Israelis who are against the work of their government but the few in power are working against co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Our goal here is not to educate the students, but to create a situation where they can go home and do some research on their own," Asghar said.
Karimah Al-Helew, a freshman majoring in sociology, said she hopes the event will get students to step outside of what is happening here and realize the world around them.
"We want people to question Israeli policies and why the U.S. is funding it," Al-Helew said.
Alumnus Haneen Hammad has family living in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordon and said the living conditions are unbelievable. She said stairs to get into the camp are miles long. Houses the sizes of closets are stacked on top of each other with no access to clean water.
"We take our freedom for granted here," Hammad said. "We don't see the guns. The fear they live with each day you can't imagine."
Hanny Zaki led the demonstration until its end with his robust voice and passion for the cause.
"Maybe this can be the spark of some intellectual debate on campus," Zaki said. "Detrimental to peace are those people that are not trying to work together with both sides."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 22
Ted Rudow III,MA
posted 4/26/07 @ 7:03 AM PST
Pray for the poor Palestinians who are suffering so greatly. Pray for the innocent Israelis who die or are wounded in terrorist bombings. Pray for the other Arabs, that they'll stand up for their Palestinian brethren for a change. (Continued…)
Hanh
posted 4/26/07 @ 8:54 AM PST
This is insanse... If the Palestine people want to change, they need to do it...in their home and by themselves. What can we do over here as student, should we join you and fight for your freedom?. (Continued…)
James Desmond
posted 4/26/07 @ 1:45 PM PST
"Apartheid Wall"?
Are the editors of the Spartan Daily aware that this description of the separation barrier appeared in the story outside of quotation?
Are we now to assume the Spartan Daily now a satellite division of Al-Jazeera?
Leila Forouhi
posted 4/26/07 @ 5:38 PM PST
Thank-you Spartan Daily for supporting this student activity. Muslim students need to unite with other students on campus no matter what religion or race - I would like to see a dialogue between the Jewish and Muslim student groups. (Continued…)
khalid and raed
posted 4/27/07 @ 1:55 AM PST
Great article, GOOD Job
Mark
posted 4/27/07 @ 5:10 PM PST
Great. Now the Spartan Daily is sounding like Al-Jazerra West.
Robert Haim
posted 4/27/07 @ 5:31 PM PST
I guess it would be very difficult to do a mock performance of the palestinian terrorists who bomb restaurants in Israel:-)
Or when they shoot rockets to civilian areas in Israel. (Continued…)
Julia Martisius
posted 4/27/07 @ 10:07 PM PST
Dear Editor,
I am appalled and offended by the display put on by Students for Change, and even more by the irresponsible journalism that took place after. (Continued…)
Max Grossman
posted 4/28/07 @ 12:03 PM PST
Dear Sirs and Madams,
This is a follow-up to my face-to-face conversation on April 28 with managing editor Sara Spivey, who, together with executive editor Kris Anderson, is responsible for permitting Carla Mancebo to publish this hateful and unprofessional article. (Continued…)
Merlin Dorfman
posted 4/28/07 @ 3:20 PM PST
"In Palestine there are kids who just want to go to school but are unable to because of walls and checkpoints," says Hanny Zaki. In Israel there are kids who are dead because of suicide bombers and rockets coming from the Palestinian territories. (Continued…)
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