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Departments International Issues Statement from Veterans For Peace regarding current events in Northern Africa Events unfolding in Tunisia and Egypt hold much hope for the people of that region and indeed the entire world. What do those events show us? · The demonstrations are succeeding because in the main people are relying on the power of nonviolence. People are demonstrating nonviolently and young troops are refusing to violently stop them. · Two weeks ago, few people thought the events in Tunisia and Egypt could ever happen, but they are happening. In northern Africa, the words of Victor Hugo have come to life. “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is an idea whose time has come.” There is absolutely no reason Victor Hugo’s words can’t come to life in our own country. · A clear majority of U.S. troops and U.S. residents oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq but few believe we can bring the killing to a swift conclusion. · If a small percentage of U.S. troops refused to fight and an even smaller percentage of U.S. residents halted business as usual by simply staying home from work and school, the killing in Afghanistan and Iraq would end. Anyone who thinks Hugo’s words are only a dream today in Egypt or America, should be aware of what has already come to pass in Egypt, as in so many other places since then. In Egypt, grassroots organizing during World War I led to a demand, only two days after the November 11 armistice in 1918, for a meeting to discuss independence with the head of the British forces that had occupied Egypt for 36 years. The British refused, but the growing movement refused to back down. When four of its leaders were arrested in March, 1919 trying to represent Egypt at the Versailles Treaty talks, people began a general uprising. All social classes participated. Organizers adopted as their symbol the “Crescent and the Cross,” uniting majority Muslims and minority Coptic Christians. Within a week Egypt was economically paralyzed by strikes of every sort. The protests were mainly nonviolent in the cities but when the British tried to suppress the demonstrations violently, 800 Egyptians and nearly 30 British soldiers were killed by that summer. Years later, Egyptian women chose March 16 as Women’s Day because on that day in 1919, 300 women demonstrators led by Hoda Sha'arawi denounced British occupation and Hameida Khalil became the first woman to give her life for independence. This mostly nonviolent revolution forced the British to recognize limited Egyptian independence in 1922. The following year, Egyptians adopted a new constitution. Since the 1978 Camp David “Peace Accords,” the U.S. has given Egypt over $50 billion in military aid, plus forgiving $7 billion in military debt for Egypt’s support in the 1990 Persian Gulf War. The U.S. has a huge responsibility to see that Egypt does not use the weapons we gave it to crush a democratic movement. “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is an idea whose time has come.” |
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Recent International Issues Articles Palestine: Those who inspired us in 2011 Burma frees a comedian to travel to America Masked in Gaza: The untold history of Palestinian 'militancy' Thailand's fugitive ex-Prime Minister fails to get pardon Shaman slaughter in Peru Before the beginning: Raven, that Lying Little Bastard Struggling to survive Bangkok's worsening floods "Completely and Utterly Fail in an Earthquake" : The Fukushima story you didn't hear on CNN Chapter Ten of Greg Palast's Vultures' Picnic Murder and a million amphetamines on the Mekong River Floods dissolve Thailand's superficial can-do image Bangkok becomes a medieval-style fortress against deadly floods A New War for Barack Obama? Worsening floods in Thailand kill and destroy Floods ravage Southeast Asia C.I.A. torture chamber at Bangkok's International Airport? Israel’s Window to Bomb Iran Ex-massage parlor tycoon rubs away Thailand's police chief Five years after U.S. embassy wrongly predicted no coup Bird-Dogging Torturers in NYC For the love of Israel: Congresswoman’s misguided war on the UN Israel's 'Nice Little War': Gaza, Egypt in the range of fire Islamist guerrillas want southern Thailand Yingluck America US-Arab disconnect: Revolutions restate region's priorities Red Shirts sidelined by Thailand's new government Thailand's female Prime Minister faces hostile U.S.-trained military Gaza, Somalia: Humanity lives on Spain's 'Indignados' at the vanguard of a global nonviolent revolt Competing narratives in Syria: Between tired slogans and a looming dawn Blaming the Muslims If Bush or Giuliani had been Stoltenberg Ground your warplanes, save the horn of Africa Human Rights Watch demands U.S. waterboarding in Thailand be investigated Female detective A July Fourth shame on the founders Thailand's first female Premier reverses 2006 coup Thailand election may result in trials against politicians & military Economy alone fails to explain Turkey’s success Gaza and American ‘Security’ Spain's "Indignant Ones" ‘Permanent’ despair: Did Egypt really open Rafah Crossing? A woman may win Thailand's "Clone" versus "Puppet" election Enlightening the president and press -- Cuba: Facts and realities Ignorant certainty Cleaning up city squares in democratic Spain Strauss-Kahn screws Africa Thailand prepares for election while both sides demand trials Of humans and rights What Osama bin Laden, Troy Davis, and you have in common The unholy grail Exploited workers of Southeast Asia unable to unite Thailand and Cambodia battle on border to dominate temple ruins Counterfeit U.S. & foreign ID cards on sale for $25 Military Tribunal May Hide 9/11 Motives CIA suicide after a life of God and guns Erawan Shrine Dancers One more war and another collective silence Civil society and Palestine: The growing power of the ordinary Surrogate mothers offered everyone an "efficient embryo" The Tunisia effect Discovering fire No thought for food When “good” dictators go bad Like Pinochet, Bush can't hide: Forced to cancel speech in Switzerland for fear of arrest At stake in Egypt: Reading Gaza mom Banquet guests and street protests Statement from Veterans For Peace regarding current events in Northern Africa Decline and fall (Maybe) Jan 31 - Egypt and the false dilemma The context of Cuba's crisis Declaring Palestine: Revisiting hope and failure One more year of inhumanity coming to a close. What happens next? Hope in 2011: peoples, civil society stand tall Read International Issues Articles by Year: |
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