Creative Resistance to the Occupation and the Occupiers

Thanks to Kimmy Meinecke, an American accompanier in Bethlehem through EAPPI [www.eappi-us.org], for this inspiring post. You can read more of Kimmy's reflections at her blog, "Peace, Salaam, Shalom" - http://peacesalaamshalom.blogspot.com/

Creative Resistance to the Occupation and the Occupiers
http://peacesalaamshalom.blogspot.com/2010/05/creative-resistance-to-occupation-and.html

Near Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem (and therefore, near the Wall), the Sumud story house, run by Pax Christi International, gathers together Palestinian women and children for stories, conversation, encouragement, spiritual growth and laughter. Ranja, the manager and host of the house, welcomes you into the main room which is decorated as though it were the inside of a traditional bedouin tent.

Lining the tent room are sign boards with stories of creative resistance to the occupation of Palestine and to the occupiers from Israel. Here is one of those stories:

As happened more than once during the time of the (first) Intifada, Israeli soldiers were beating up a man in a crowded street. From all sides people rushed to the scene. Suddenly a woman with a baby came forward to the man and shouted: “Why is it always you who makes problems and goes to demonstrations! I am fed up! Take this baby of yours! I don’t want to see you ever again.” She laid the baby in the hands of the man, and ran away. The soldiers left the scene in confusion. When quiet came, the man returned the baby to the woman. They had never seen each other before. Described by Mounir Fasheh (1998).

You are invited to follow this link to read other stories from Sumud story house: http://www.aeicenter.org/sumud/stories_from_Palestine/Moral_stories.htm

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I like this story from the same site:

Tax Revolt in Beit Sahour

During the Intifada the inhabitants of Beit Sahour refused to pay taxes to the occupation authorities. They did not want to help the occupation financially while not receiving adequate services. “No taxation without representation” was their slogan. In many cases the army entered the houses to take away the belongings of those who refused to pay. One woman saw all her furniture and household equipments carried away. At last she stood alone in the house. When the room was almost empty and the soldiers on the verge of leaving, she called them back: “Please don’t go away. You forgot something. Take my curtains too!”

See: Mitri Raheb, I Am a Palestinian Christian , Augsburg Fortress Publishers 1995 - http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.jsp?isbn=9780800626631

For more about the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, a project of the World Council of Churches, see this link: http://www.eappi.org/

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