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To Read is to Resist
Aref Assaf, 11-27-07
The United Holy Land Fund (UHLF)
held its 39th Annual dinner last Sunday evening at the grand ballroom of the
Teanack Marriott
hotel. The venue welcomed about 400 local dignitaries and friends of the UHLF. The UHLF is a venerable and
well-respected organization with a noble mission and a proud
history of helping the Palestinian people. Since its founding in
1967, the UHLF has tirelessly raised funds to support
Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. For the
last 10 years, it has raised thousands of dollars to aid
college-bound students to stay and study in Palestine. By the
time Sheikh M. Qatanani was finished with his fundraising
segment, the eager crowd donated over $120,000. All the proceeds
will go to the needy students in the ten universities in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Keynote speaker was
Dr.
Mustafa Barghouthi, a prominent Palestinian activist, member
of Palestinian Parliament and a strong advocate of a systematic
nonviolent response to the Israel military occupation. His
speech, delayed for an hour by unknown technical
difficulties, was a poignant testament to his deep
understanding of the pressing issues facing our people in
Palestine. After surveying the horrendous conditions imposed by
the Israeli military occupation on the daily lives of every
Palestinian, he called
for a unified front comprising all the different factions within
the Palestinian movement and argued that without such a united
stand, our collective dreams of nationhood will not be
achievable. I will comment on his message later but my focus for
now is another topic of immense significance: aiding
Palestinian students.
As the keynote speaker so eloquently
proclaimed,
the very act of going to school in Palestine is a formidable act
of resistance to the Israeli occupation. It is also a dignified
act of nonviolence affirming to the world that the Palestinians will
never forfeit their lands - regardless of the systematic
humiliation and unbearable obstacles they must face at the hands of their Israeli
oppressors.
I was so moved by the generous response of
the attendees that I saw my own personal story unfolding, for I,
as a son to a poor refugee family living life one
day at a time, can recall so minutely the indescribable
gratitude I felt for one group and one individual who extended
their hands to me to further my studies in the United States.
That organization was
Arab Student Aid International, ASAI, and its founder and
president until last year, my dear friend Joseph Qutub. Without
the financial aid ASAI provided me, I would have never been
afforded the opportunity to complete my academic studies in the
U.S. My arrival in the U.S. was a first for my extended family
and it would be only a few more years before others followed
suit.
I have long since repaid my student loan
to ASAI, but that was only part of the deal. For I failed to
live up to ASAI's expectations that I would return to
Palestine and work there. But it was not a decision of my own
choosing. Israel refused to issue to me what is known as TASREEH:
a reentry permit into the West Bank. All my plans for returning
to Palestine were shattered, but my determination never wavered.
Thank God, America adopted me and so many people have helped
ease the pain of such a violent reversal of fortune. While I
always dreamt of returning to Palestine to serve my people in
any capacity, Palestine has never left my heart. It is the
current that pulsates in my every waking moment. I know that
every Diaspora Palestinian has that very special place in his
heart for his Bride, Palestine.
I share this personal (and very brief)
story with you to urge you to consider helping a Palestinian
student become a productive member of our larger family. The
annual tuition cost is $1000.00. If you can only give S50 or a
$100, rest assured that your donation will nurture a future
Palestinian leader who will carry the torch of the homeland. The
joy of giving is not measured by the amount you can give, but in
the very act of giving what you can afford. Seeing these young
men and women express thanks for such selfless donations and
working intently on completing their studies is perhaps the most
satisfying expression of gratitude of all.
The UHLF is a tax-exempt, nonprofit,
U.S.-based organization and it is an approved Arab and Islamic
charity by the Department of State. I hope you will do your part
to keep Palestine alive, for our enemies only wish we could just
wither away.
Contact the UHLF
Mohammed A. Aburmishan , Executive
Director
Website
6000 W. 79th street suite 200
Burbank, IL, 60459
USA
708-430-9731
708-430-9936
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