Campaigns

As the San Francisco Chief of Police George Gascon rushes from one community group to another offering "apologies and clarifications" of "misunderstandings" for the second week in the diverse city of San Francisco, members of The Arab American Union Members Council continue to be appalled by San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon's March 24 remarks. Gascon spoke, allegedly in favor of an earthquake-retrofitting bill, alleging that the Hall of Justice is susceptible to "members of the city's Middle Eastern community parking a van in front of it and blowing it up." (San Francisco Chronicle, March 26, 2010) Gascon later attempted to "clarify" his comments by claiming his remarks did not apply to the entire Arab, Muslim and broader Middle Eastern community, but instead to the Yemeni and Afghan communities in San Francisco - blatantly singling out these communities for further targeting, discrimination and injustice.

As we witness the continuous massacres against the people of Gaza , who are fighting for their survival as a society, we also share with them the sorrow of losing a beloved leader, Dr. Ahmad Maslamani who died suddenly as a result of a blood clot in his brain. He was fifty years old, and leaves behind him a wife two sons and a daughter. Dr. Maslamani devoted his life to the struggle for liberation for the Palestinian people. He was truly a people's leader and will be missed very much. We would like to express our condolences to Dr. Ahmad Maslamani's family, his comrades and his colleagues from Union of Health Workers Committees and Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign.

Israel has recently released a few hundred people from its prisons. Over 650,000 Palestinian men have been locked up in Israeli prisons at some point in their lives (Gideon Levy in Haaretz) - over 40% of the male population in the occupied/colonized territories. Israel stripped the native Palestinians of most of their land leaving 5 million people as refugees or displaced. Israel impoverishes the remaining Palestinians and squeezes them into large concentration camps behind high separation walls including the true leaders of all rank and file working people. Israel persecutes Palestinian leaders, labor and political activists to undermine the Palestinian people's political activities.