Support Minnesota Break the Bonds

Habib Ali Al Jifri, a world renowned Yemenite Scholar in Islam said in a beautiful program titled "Unity for Global Peace" that falsehood spreads with money, whereas truth spreads with sacrifice.

I thought those words were not only insightful but if one reflects on them, they might gain an understanding of how to elevate the truth or where to find it.

Let us look at terrorism for example. Terrorism does not just destroy lives and create anarchy, but it's also embraced in the spirit of seeking power. Those who support terrorism do not have empathy for the other and if you listen to them, they recycle negative voices of the other to validate and recruit a movement that will in essence put them in power. Those recruited are just means for exploitation. On the other hand, many people who condemn terrorism do so in a dishonest manner. The dishonesty is evident in their resistance and indifference to voices and faces across the international community that seeks to fight oppression and injustice through education, awareness and non violence means.

Such people while condemning terrorism - aid policies and governments that torture, rob, and exploit those who are weak and overpowered in the land, caught between corrupt leaders and occupiers making deals that leave the weak without protection, shelter, resources for survival and coping mechanisms.

But there are people who condemn terrorism and condemn occupation, wars and apartheid. Such people condemn terrorism for ethical reasons as they believe that ALL lives are sacrosanct and not just the lives of the empowered or those living under democratic societies. Yet, they further believe humans are innately good and if given a chance to understand and become aware they will rise up overtime and stand for truth and justice. Terrorism is not only wrong and unethical but it also lacks faith, faith in God and faith in fellow human beings to understand and support those who are weak and oppressed in time.

The latter group does not just issue self righteous condemnations of terrorism that do nothing other than say we are morally good and they are morally evil, but rather they lead the way to help those trampled upon fight for their rights ethically and within the bounds of law and order preventing the spill of anarchy and further violence.

One such means is the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) which has been successfully used against apartheid South Africa. The international community will now use this campaign to fight Israeli apartheid and end the illegal military occupation of Palestinian land.

Below is a video of the Freeze Flash Mob in a supermarket in Holland to promote boycott of Israeli products. "We will not do business as usual with Israel as long as it commits war crimes and doesn't comply with international law."

And here is a video by the movement in Carleton Divestment Campaign in Ottawa, Ontario.

In Minnesota, a group of people came together to form the Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign. This campaign aims to request that the State of Minnesota divest from all Israeli Bonds investments. Divestment is an ethical way to pressure Israel, or any nation in violation of human rights to comply with International Law.

Minnesota Break the Bonds team invites fellow Minnesotans to support the campaign tonight. To find where your precinct caucuses are, go to the Minnesota Secretary of State website, and look up where your political party of choice is meeting in your area. Then, go to the party's website to find a form for presenting a resolution, and fill it in with what is below:

The Resolution