Students condemn violence in Gaza

By Katie Powers

In the 20 days of attacks on Gaza by the Israeli military, more than 1,000 people have been killed. People all over the world -- including Santa Clara -- are condemning the violence.

Outside the library, a sign in Arabic, translated to English, reads "No war on Gaza. Stop the violence." Small orange flags line the walkway to represent those killed in Gaza. Each flag represents five deaths, and the flags are updated daily to reflect death toll increases, said Nader Kawadri, co-chair of the Arab Cultural Society.

These flags are one part of Gaza Awareness Week, which is put together by ACS, the Muslim Student Association, the Iranian Student Association and the Multicultural Center.

These groups want to educate the Santa Clara community about the horrors that have been inflicted on the people of Gaza.

Five thousand Palestinians have been injured in this recent flare-up of violence, many of them civilians, and nearly a third of them are reported to be children.

Thirteen Israelis have been killed in the past twenty days.

Kawadri said placing the flags on the lawn was a unique experience.

"It's like burying the lives out there. It's very surreal," Kawadri said.

Thanna Rajapakse, a member of MSA, said she hopes students will be compelled to learn about the conflict.

"Innocent people are being killed, and we should vouch for stopping that," she said.

Professor Fayeq Oweis, though not officially part of the planning for the Gaza Awareness Week, opened his lecture about Gaza in his Arabic culture and identity class to the public on Wednesday.

Oweis said the media doesn't present everything to the American public.

"The main university was destroyed in Gaza. We are here in an academic institution, and we don't know about it," Oweis said.

Mariam Mostamandy, a representative for ACS, agreed with Oweis. "It's something that isn't always covered in American media. We want the students at Santa Clara to know."

Originally from the West Bank in Israel, Oweis said he has not been able to talk to his friends in Gaza in the last 20 days.

"All communication is cut off," Oweis said. "I'm at home glued to the TV. I put on Al Jazeera here."

The groups planning Gaza Awareness Week very carefully chose how to present what was happening, Kawadri said.

They took a humanitarian approach to covering the conflict, he said.

"The people of Gaza consider it the largest prison in the world," said Oweis. "The civilians themselves have nowhere to go. They are trapped."

Oweis's lecture discussed the history and culture of the Gaza region, dating back from 3500 B.C. all the way to the conflict today. The Gaza region, which is about 40 miles long and five miles wide (about the same distance as Santa Clara to San Francisco), has been occupied by varying forces for thousands of years.From the Persian empire, to Alexander the Great, to Napoleon, the land has seen centuries of unrest.

Before 1948, Gaza had about 50,000 residents, said Oweis. In 1949, 200,000 Palestinians became refugees in Gaza after the end of the war between the newly-created Israel and the Arab states.

"1.5 million people in a small place. 20,000 people per square kilometer," Oweis said. "Those people are descendents of refugees. That is the root of the problem."

The recent fighting marks the end of a cease-fire that had been brokered between Hamas, Gaza's ruling party, and Israel in June 2008. Hamas began firing rockets into southern Israel in November 2008. They claimed it was revenge for the deaths of 11 militants, as well as Israeli closings of Gaza border crossings.

Each side claims the other broke the cease-fire, according to The New York Times.

Israel began air strikes on the territory on Dec. 27 in response to rocket attacks from Hamas. They began a ground offensive in the densely-populated area on Jan. 3.

The United States, Israel and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Hamas doesn't recognize the state of Israel.

Oweis said of the Palestinians, "These people have originally lost their homes and land, so they think there's nothing else more to lose. That's how they look at it," Oweis said.

Members of the international community has been working toward brokering a peace agreement since the start of the fighting.

Tonight at 8 p.m. there will be a candlelight vigil starting at the free speech zone to honor those lost in the war. Friday beginning at 1 p.m. speakers will be discussing the conflict outside of Shapell Lounge.

After coming back from break in Dubai, Kawadri felt students weren't well enough educated about the conflict in Gaza.

"I just feel like even off-campus people take it more seriously. And now the inauguration, I know it's a speech and it's important, but it's getting way more attention than what's happening."

The groups are selling baked goods, t-shirts and Arabic scarves -- which have sold out -- in Benson. The proceeds will go toward a humanitarian organization providing relief in Gaza. Kawadri said he was very happy with the results and student turnout this far.

Contact Katie Powers at (408) 554-4546 or krpowers@scu.edu.