Tag: Munther Amira

My friend, Munther Amira, is sitting in an Israeli prison cell.  His only crime: protesting to defend the rights of Palestinian children held in Israel’s military prisons.

Military courts, judges and prisons are the only options available to Palestinians in the West Bank because they live under military law and have no civil rights.

Modern Israel is a racist state, imposing a form of apartheid over the Palestinian people. The vast majority of Israelis do not care about the Palestinian children who are ripped from their families for the crime of throwing rocks at armored vehicles. Nor do they care when these children are crammed into over-crowded prison cells, having no idea when they might be allowed to return home.

But Munther cares.  So do I. And so should the church of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Take a moment to watch this youtube video  from the independent journalist, Abby Martin, as Munther gives her a tour of his neighborhood in the Aida refugee camp.

Munther was arrested by Israeli soldiers on December 27^th for the “crime” of walking down a Bethlehem street with a sign in his hands. He was marching peacefully with others who were protesting Israel’s habit of jailing Palestinian children such as Ahed Tamimi.

Hear Ahed describe her life under military occupation.  As a 16 year old advocate for Palestinian rights, Ahed had the audacity to slap the Israeli soldier who, just the day before, shot her cousin in the head.  She is now in prison, facing years of imprisonment.

Israel’s Minister of Education believes that the teenager  should receive a life-sentence.  A prominent Israeli journalist has advocated vigilante justice, saying, “In the case of girls, we should exact a price at some other opportunity, in the dark without witnesses or cameras.”

That’s the state of Israel for you.

My friend, Munther was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 5 years probation, for the “crime” of peacefully defending the rights of Palestinian children such as Ahed – while holding a sign with her picture on it, no less! – to be treated humanely and, most of all, justly.

I cannot think of a more noble cause. Yet, it is a cause that the United States and American evangelicalism/fundamentalism largely ignores.

At his sentencing hearing, Munther told the judge:

“[It] is my right to express and defend my people; I exercise this right in the territories of the Palestinian National Authority, and you are not responsible for me; I will not ask you to authorize me to express my point of view … I will not ask you for a permit.”

You can see why I like this man so much.  I am proud to call Munther my friend.

Munther’s cause is being supported by Amnesty International (USA), Amnesty International (UK), the International Federation of Social Workers – Human Rights Commission, the British Association of Social Workers and a number of other human rights organizations as well.

Munther’s daughter, a recent law school graduate, has written an article describing her father’s commitment to both non-violence and the continuing struggle for Palestinian equality.

Please sign the several petitions available through the links in this post demanding Munther’s immediate release.

Call your elected officials, telling them that American’s blind support for Israel’s human rights abuses must end.

Explain to anyone who will listen that Israel is a racist state that does not deserve American support, especially not the support of American Christians.