None Of Us Should Be Unsafe
Working in Newton for Justice and Peace
“Sawa” means “Together”
We are Sawa, the group that organized the wonderful event last May, “Palestinian-Israeli Friendship: A Path Forward.”
“Sawa” means “together” in Arabic, and that’s our spirit and our practice. Driven by a vision of collective liberation, our diverse peace alliance advocates for equality and justice for Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, and inclusion for all.
If you’re receiving this newsletter, it’s because you indicated that you’d like to hear from us again. Here we are!
Summer Updates from Sawa Newton-Area Peace Alliance
It’s been a tough summer for Sawa families and anyone concerned about racism and violence around the world, in Palestine and here in Massachusetts - and ending with a horrifying example of gun violence in our own city! None of us should be unsafe because of who we are or what we believe. Sawa members continue to work – together - for better understanding and for justice, and peace – in Palestine, and here at home. We’ll tell you about some of our work in this newsletter — the first of what we hope will become a regular update.
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Gaza is on our minds around the clock. Despite our absolute belief that an end to the war would benefit Palestinians and Israelis alike, many of our efforts to call for ceasefire have been met with resistance. And yet we trudge on, attracting more members of all backgrounds who, like us, believe that if we work together (sawa), we can create a society where everybody can be safe and thrive. We are delighted you’re here and want to hear from you!
What have we been up to? Here are a few things that we have been involved in and hope you’ll join us in the future!
Activities of Sawa Members
Met with local and state officials and candidates for office about bias against Muslim, Arab, and Jewish students
Organized groups of professionals to get involved in advocacy
Coordinated activities with other local groups interested in a ceasefire
Spoke at and took part in many webinars, seminars, vigils, and protests
Made hundreds of calls, wrote letters, and signed petitions
Previewed many films about Israel/Palestine and had deep discussions about different ways to promote understanding of the issues
Held an internal training on antisemitism both to educate ourselves and evaluate resources for incorporating antisemitism into our public work
Supported one another through the trauma of losing loved ones and being targeted by racism
Fortunately, no Sawa members were present when the shooting on September 12 took place. But Sawa has had multiple prior encounters with the alleged shooter, and with that same group of protestors. Since the shooting, we have arranged for a number of our members to share our experience with reporters and help them understand the background to that terrifying evening.
You may also be interested in the video of our May 23rd event, and the resources we developed, originally, for distribution at the May 9th Newton Library photo exhibit reception about the Nakba.
National Updates
In line with the majority of Biden voters who oppose US weapons being used to attack Gaza, the Not Another Bomb campaign brought that message through the national Uncommitted campaign in the primary elections. Following the lead of Michigan activists, over 60,000 Massachusetts voters cast a "No Preference" vote in the March presidential primary to protest the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza. As a result, Massachusetts was one of several states to send over 30 uncommitted delegates to the DNC. The delegates had 4 demands, among them hosting a panel on Palestinian Human Rights (you can hear them speak in this video). The Harris campaign however refused the demand to allow a Palestinian-American delegate and elected official to speak on the DNC floor. You can listen here to the speech that Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman (D) would have given on the floor, and hear the statement that the delegates issued after being denied the opportunity to present a Palestinian voice.
We urge Massachusetts voters to continue your advocacy with our elected officials to secure a just, permanent ceasefire, the safe return of Israelis and Palestinians to their families, and to build a future based on principles of human rights, security, and dignity for all.
Upcoming Events that Sawa Members Will Be Attending
September 19th at 7 pm: Temple Shalom and Congregation Dorshei Tzedek have invited members of the Newton community for a viewing and facilitated discussion of the award-winning film, “The Very Narrow Bridge.” According to the organizers, “the film follows four courageous individuals, Israelis and Palestinians, active with the Bereaved Family Forum, in their journey from personal trauma to peace activism.”
September 28th from 11:00 am-1:30 pm: The Islamic Center of Boston (ICB Wayland) will hold an Islamophobia Awareness Day. Information will be posted on the ICB website. Registration is here.
What we are Reading, Watching, and Discussing
Because of polarization and algorithms, we don’t all see the same media coverage. Here are a few pieces we’ve come across that sparked our thinking and action.
“As a former IDF soldier and historian of genocide, I was deeply disturbed by my recent visit to Israel” by Omer Bartov in The Guardian.
“Antisemitism provisions in new state budget spark pushback” by Adam Reilly for WGBH
“Unburdened by Palestine: Shedding Black liberalism for anti-imperialism” by Too Black in Mondoweiss.
We also find the short videos made by Academics4Peace worthwhile - find them on Tiktok, Instagram, or Facebook.
What’s Next? School Has Started!
School has started, and we are mindful of our students' well-being, whether they are Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Israeli, Palestinian or another vulnerable identity. All our students deserve welcoming schools, yet at times, right wing groups are using divisive and false allegations of antisemitism. These allegations are sadly targeting students, educators, and school communities when Palestinian voices and experiences are expressed.
Action or speech protesting Israeli policy against Palestinians is not antisemitic. When pro-Israel advocates conflate opposition to Israel with hostility toward Judaism, they erase Jews who are not Zionists and give cover to Zionists who are not Jewish, even those who are clearly antisemitic, like Trump). When they conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism, they target Palestinians as antisemites just for talking about their own life experiences. Non-Palestinians who support Palestinian human rights also get slandered as antisemitic, even if they are Jewish and especially if they belong to BIPOC communities.
As we work to stop bullying on a national level, we hope that our extended Sawa community can keep these issues in mind:
All students who are racialized, marginalized or othered for any reason share an interest in equality and collective liberation. Efforts to privilege some groups at the expense of others creates an unsafe learning environment for all students.
Being uncomfortable is not the same as being unsafe. Living in a diverse society is frequently uncomfortable. Learning (and unlearning) is frequently uncomfortable. That said, it is certainly important in a democracy to protect the actual safety of all, no matter what their background or political beliefs.
Free speech is important, and schools should be places that encourage engagement with a diversity of views, not places that sanction and silence certain views and identity.
We also note that every single day is another day of trauma for Palestinians as we pass (at time of publication) 345 days of slaughter with no end in sight. Our schools must develop the internal capacity to deal with these challenges, including for the benefit of students who are themselves displaced, victims of violence, facing systematic discrimination. We support our schools to lead consistently with social justice principles and ask them to resist pressure from divisive political interest groups. We invite families who are Palestinian, Muslim, or Arab and allies to reach out for support should you or your children encounter difficulties..
We are tracking the bias incidents that happen in our community so that we can hold public officials accountable for keeping all community members safe.
October 7th
We note that 9/11 (just past as we go to press) is an anniversary on which Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians are frequently targeted. October 7th will also be fraught with emotion, both for those connected to Palestine and/or Israel. The events of Thursday, 9/12, if nothing else, show how terrifyingly intense those feelings can become. We hope that all concerned people can respect others’ right to mourn, and we hope that mourning is inclusive and not politicized.
Getting Involved
“Sawa” means “together” in Arabic, and that’s our spirit and our practice. Driven by a vision of collective liberation, our diverse peace alliance advocates for equality and justice for Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, and inclusion for all. We are expanding our membership and would love to have you join us! We meet as a full group twice a month, and we run several working groups on issues that concern us, including schools, local and state advocacy, community building, and more. Will you join in the momentum? Please email us at info@sawanewton.org. If you have friends who should know about Sawa, please share this post. If you are receiving a post forwarded by someone else, please sign up. (See “Subscribe” and “Share” buttons, below.)