Friday, December 19, 2014

Vigil for all the Palestinians killed this year. 
Thursday 18th December.
Thanks to all of you who came out to support our vigil for all the Palestinians killed this year, and also those who came to sing our alternative carols for Palestine.
At the 2 events we raised £96 (and 7 Rand) for Medical Aid for Palestinians, which when added to the collection at the Women in Black vigil means that we will have over £170 to send from Oxford.
We hope there may be something in the Oxford Mail tomorrow about the vigil so do look out for that.
The vigil was made really special by having a contribution from Hassan Alhallaq which was read by Shaima Whaidi (this year's Gaza scholar at Brookes).  So you can all share his words, they are written in full below.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Let me first thank you for giving me the chance to be with you today in this vigil with my words. I am writing to you from Gaza, the land of continuous suffering and the land of dignity and struggle. Today’s date reminds me when I spent the Christmas holiday with my little family back in 2012 in Gaza. That time, I was a master’s student at Oxford Brookes University. It was not among my plans to leave Oxford and spend the holiday season in Gaza because of the recurrent closure of Rafah crossing, the only available crossing for the people of Gaza to travel through Egypt. However, because of the eight-day war that took place in November of that year I had to go back and take the risk to spend some time beside my traumatized children Kenan and Sajy and my wife Samar . The children were very excited to see me again after witnessing the first war without their dad beside them. In summer 2013, I was lucky to bring my family to Oxford to spend the summer vacation with me, it was the best vacation we’ve ever had. They enjoyed the life in UK, they were given the chance to see how the whole world is living the normal life with all the meaning of the word. It never came to my mind, even in my worst nightmares, that this would then be the last vacation for me with them. Today, I am recalling these days alone, only the memories are left. On the 20th of July, during the last fifty-day war, I lost my family after the Israeli occupation forces struck the apartment we were taking as a shelter with three air missiles. Seven members of my family were killed, including my mother, my sister, my children Kenan and Sajy and my heavily pregnant wife Samar. Their dreams for a better life were also killed with them. Their only guilt is that they live in Gaza, the place they belong to, with all the hope that they will at some time enjoy the natural human rights guaranteed by the international laws. However, the whole world was standing still and witnessing the massacres committed on a daily basis against the innocent civilians of Gaza. The Israeli occupation forces practiced an organized state terror against the people of Gaza by committing hundreds of war crimes against humanity and neglecting any obligations to the international law. My story is just a sample of tens of tragic stories of families that were totally erased from the civil registry. Hundreds of other families are left homeless after the destruction of their houses and in some cases their whole neighborhoods. Thousands are left with permanent disabilities that changed the way they live. My message to you in this vigil is to keep these activities to support the cause of the Palestinian people and their right to establish their own state and spread the word to uncover the terrorist policies practiced by the occupation state against the innocent civilians seeking peaceful living on their own land.
 
Thank you for listening.
Hassan Alhallaq
Gaza, 15/12/2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014


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Thursday 18th December:

Carfax, Cornmarket, Central Oxford

6-6.30pm Vigil for all Palestinians killed this year.

Please join us for this event so that before the year ends we have once more remembered all the Palestinians killed this year including over 2,000 in Israel’s attack on Gaza in the summer. We will stand silently in tribute to them for the half hour, and will end the vigil with words from Hassan Al-Hallaq whose family were killed in Gaza this summer. Bring candles, placards and photos/tributes for those you want to be remembered.

We will also collect for Medical Aid for Palestinians

This event will be preceded by Alternative Carols for Palestine from 5-6pm


 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Saturday December 13th
at 12:30pm - 4:30pm
3 days from now
 
Please join us for our annual festive bazaar in aid of the Palestinian History Tapestry project. Once again we will be offering a fantastic selection of festive gifts from Palestine. Perfect for the holiday season. We look forward to seeing you there.
 
Friends Meeting House, St Giles, Oxford
 

Sunday, December 07, 2014


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      We are now continuing to run a regular stall on Cornmarket twice a week:
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   Every Saturday 11.30-1.30pm: OXFORD PSC STALL in Cornmarket by St Michael at Northgate church. The OPSC Saturday street stall on Cornmarket Street is one of the main ways we use for raising the issue of Palestine with the public at large. It is an important activity

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      for offering information leaflets to the public, inviting them to join PSC or leave their email for Oxford PSC updates. Generally we are there 11:30 to 13:30. Always a minimum of two people on shift. Please consider volunteering for a shift: it’s an opportunity to meet other PSC members, those wanting information and occasionally those wishing to challenge our views, even volunteering for one shift a year would help. Please email Ali at OPSCstall@gmail.com if you're able to help. And :  others will be doing a stand every Wednesday between 12.30- 2.30 pm, please let us know if you can help, especially setting up and clearing, we hope to get as many of you as possible, please pass the word around and drop by after your Wednesday market shopping.
       
       
      Year end meeting of Oxford PSC Tuesday December 9th, 7.30, Oxford Town Hall.
      Join us for our monthly meeting to plan events for 2015 and enjoy some seasonal fare.
       
      Saturday December 13th: 11.15 am for 11.30-12.30
      Bonn Square, Queen Street, Central Oxford
      Women in Black Vigil for Bethlehem and Palestine.
      Please join us to stand with Oxford’s Women in Black or to help hand out leaflets and talk to the public about Palestine.
       
      Monday 15th December: 5.45pm
      The Phoenix Picture House, Walton Street, Oxford
      Open Bethlehem (Director Laila Sansour) with Q&A
      "One of the most remarkable and moving documentaries I have seen, about this unreported story. The tragedy of the Palestinians encapsulated in the life of one town - Bethlehem. See the film, then go to Bethlehem and see for yourself." Jon Snow
       
      Thursday 18th December: 5-6pm
      Carfax, Cornmarket, Central Oxford
      5-6pm Alternative Carols for Palestine
      Please join us to sing amended words to familiar carols to raise awareness about the reality of life today in the “Little Town”.
      6-6.30pm Vigil for all Palestinians killed this year.
      We will stand silently to remember all the Palestinians killed this year including over 2,000  in Israel’s attack on Gaza in the summer.  Bring candles and tributes for those you want to be remembered.  At both events we will hand out leaflets and collect for Medical Aid for Palestinians
       
        
       
       
      PSC FACTSHEETS can be downloaded and printed off here: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/information/factsheets/
       
      From Palestine with love – click here to follow the series http://frompalestinewithlove.com/
       
       
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2014/49/olive-wars  Jeremy Bowen’s report on the centrality of the Olive harvest to the conflict which threatens all.
      Well done to all at Iffley church last night for the enjoyable dinner dance and all the money raised for planting Olive trees: