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Activists offer fresh perspective
 Media Credit: Stefanie Beniek Aida Wazwaz is a peace activist who spoke Jan. 29 in the Atwood Theater as part of the Women on Wednesday series. Wazwaz works with Al-Aqsa Foundation to help educate people about the conflict in the Middle East.
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"Women and Activism: Changing the World Piece by Peace" is spring semester's theme that the Women's Center will present through its weekly noon-hour lecture series, Women on Wednesday.
For 12 years, Women on Wednesday has been discussing gender, sexism and feminist issues with SCSU students through presentations, seminars and lectures.
"Working for Peace" was the theme of the Jan. 29 Women on Wednesday presentation in Atwood Theater, it featured two women who do just that.
Aida Wazwaz has been an activist for the Palestinian cause since 1990. Today she works with the Al-Aqsa Foundation, a Twin Cities group focused on educating the public about conflicts in the Middle East.
Wazwaz's main goal for the Women on Wednesday lecture was to provide a linkage between the crises in Iraq and Palestine. She pointed out that the crises in the Middle East are not about religion, but about racism. Historical background was provided to explain how the conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Israel, came about.
History
In the early 20th century, the Zionist movement prompted Jews to flee to a designated homeland in order to escape the rising persecution in Europe. Wazwaz commented that these Zionists suffered from the "Promise Land Myth," meaning they believed they were God's chosen people and were the rightful owners to any land in the Middle East.
After WWII, when sympathy for Jewish people was at its peak, the United Nations, under extreme pressure from the U.S., made a resolution to the Jews, granting them land in Palestine even though Arabs had already been inhabiting the area for thousands of years.
Israel is still in the process of taking over historical Palestine. The U.S. is aiding Israel by sending $3 billion to the Israeli government every year. This aid is where much hatred for the U.S. stems from.
However, Wazwaz made it clear that it is not the people of the U.S. that Middle Easterners disagree with; they have a problem with the U.S. government, the body controlling the corruption of the world.
Connected conflicts
Wazwaz was then able to tie in the Israeli conflict to the war in Iraq.
She commented that the Israelis are pushing for America to attack Iraq, not only because they want to keep receiving funds, but because they will be able to benefit from the war as well.
If America launches its attack, the whole world will have its eye on Iraq. During this time, the Israelis believe they will have no one standing in their way for taking over Palestine for good.
Amid everything Wazwaz was speaking about, she also made it clear that not all Jews are for the war in Iraq or the war on Palestine.
"Not all Germans were Nazis so not all Jews are supporting the Israeli empire," she said.
Regardless, the blame cannot be placed on the Middle East's shoulders alone.
"(In many of the countries there are victims of) one symptom, one disease: Israel and America's desire to conquer nations in order to obtain oil and profit," Wazwaz believes. "The U.S. will control the world if they can control Middle East oil reserves."
Because of this, she fears the war with Iraq and the U.S. government's handling of foreign policy.
Manipulating media
Rose Thelen was the next woman to speak. She is from the Gender Violence Institute, and her talk focused on opposing war as well, but also on why people, specifically women in America, do not know what is going on in today's world.
Thelen shared with the audience that she is on a "media diet," she is only allowing herself so much time to watch what the news claims as fact. For this reason she elected to skip President Bush's speech on Tuesday for watching Joe Millionaire on Monday. She felt that the program on Fox depicted what goes on for women in our present society.
"Women are trained to be idiots," Thelen said. "Fifteen women are put in a room and being lied to and people are hoping they will love him anyway."
Thelen went on to speak about today's media being slanted and manipulated in ways the American people do not even know about. In our country everything is geared toward making the U.S. out to be every country's mother and savior, she said, when most of the time, America has some invested interest in the cause they are claiming to help.
Wazwaz agreed on this point.
"Watch Fox news to stay dumb," she said.
Thelen said no other country is as hyped up about war with Iraq more than America. Because of what America's young men are being taught about brute strength and violence, Thelen believes this will only encourage terrorism and war.
"You can't eliminate terrorism with brute force; that's why we have terrorism," she said, adding that it is a problem that exists only in the U.S. and not many other countries.
"They are not going for Canada or Italy; they're coming for us," Thelen said.
Another reason Thelen opposes the war is because of the way the U.S. deals with money. Funds for battered women's and domestic violence programs are instead going toward homeland security, the military and the $3 billion given to Israel each year.
'Get out, get informed'
Thelen encourages people to get out and get informed. She knows that college students are busy with many activities, but instead of indulging in reality shows that fail to depict what is real in the first place, people should instead dig for facts and take time to stand up for the important issues in our society.
Melissa Peterson, a senior, enjoyed the presentation.
"I like how they stressed alternative media," she said. "It's critical to learning the truth, and it's important to get the other side."
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