Solidarity has become a favouite word in today’s protest scene. I should know, I use it all the time, even wrote a song with the word in it. The essence of it however demands commitment. You cannot say you are in solidarity on an issue impacting one oppressed group, and not another. You cannot pick and choose which victims deserve the CNN/BBC spotlight, and which should be pitched to 60Minutes. Well, okay, actually you can. If you have the corporate power and resources at your disposal, you can play God. You can decide whose suffering is worth publicising and whose should be silenced. And you can literally alleviate their suffering and orchestrate a campaign so people will actually thank you for sponsoring the ‘truth’. It can even be fun, cultural and oh, celebratory.
This is exactly what happened last weekend. People from across the political spectrum rallied in Wellington against the deemed Isareli cultural ambassadors Batshevia theatre group, while in Auckland a group of predominantly white queer-identified activists disrupted the Pride parade during the Israeli Pride float. I’ll be talking about the Auckland event since Minto did a pretty good one on what happened in Wellington already.
Basically on Ferbuary 22nd 2014, Auckland got pinkwashed. “Pinkwashing [is] a deliberate strategy to conceal the violations of Palestinian human rights behind an image of modernity signified by Israeli gay life” states Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (Aotearoa). “[It] aims to isolate queer from other identities and make its record on gay rights trump its continued occupation and brutalisation of Palestinian people”.
There was a cacophany of extremely emotional responses: “This is a celebration, oi!”, “You don’t belong here”, “Go back home!”, “Queers just want to feel safe!”, “This is not the right place for this!” Police came to rescue the day of course, this time to protect the rights of the vulnerable gaystream. Several of the protestors got the usual police-inflicted bruises which ACC won’t cover for. One or maybe two people from the crowd had the balls and vagina to join the protest. It was a rather spectacular New Zealand affair – kinda like when someone decides to go streaking, half-time at a rugby match…
Oh shit. Has protesting become a sport?
In seeing the fractured natue of solidarity where one oppressed group (Israeli queers) feels it legitimate to trump another (Palestinian struggle), I imagine scoreboards flashing its ten second countdown. However unlike in the movies, where everyone cheers for the underdog team, noone cares about the underdog in this game. The Palestinian struggle for self-determination, rights to their own land and indigenous sovereignty is wrought with temporary memory wipe-outs of patriarchal violence that does exist within and across Arab and many other Muslim societies. Whether these are effects of Israeli occupation as to the trauma effects of colonisation, are for the academics to argue about. The picket line is Pink, with strong hues of White, in the absence of Arab Muslim people who should really be in the frontlines for Arab Muslim struggle, rainbow or otherwise.
My brothers didn’t stand with us, and for that I am hurt. In a way you guys not being there (and you guys are always there almost every month without fail picketing in Aotea Square) helps them legitimise their claim of Palestinians and (gasp!) Muslim people, as violent, patriarchal, and homophobic!
I want to thank the people who put their bodies on the line on Saturday for their efforts. As an Asian Muslim feminist, I hate to have to refer to white and non-Muslim allies for numbers in support behind such an important cause. I look forward to a day when I have a ‘Muslims against Homophobia posse’ to do this for ourselves and you guys (including you Israelis against Apartheid, come on! I know you exist!) can march behind us in solidarity. Now that would seriously be fun and worth celebrating.
Shasha Ali, activist and vocalist of defunct all-Asian punk band Melting Pot Massacre writes on the price of challenging racism, homophobia and transphobia in New Zealand, and the non-existent benefits of such contributions.
I am in total agreeance with you. It seems ironic that a group that was for so long supressed (gays) would support another group that is actively carrying out GENOCIDE day after cruel day in PALESTINE (I will NEVER call it israel). Shame on the gay community and Wellington council o(or whoever ok’d it), it seems that the NZ sense of what is right and wrong is dying. I hope that is pessimism on my part. Please fellow kiwis don’t forget ZIONISM IS A RACIST MOVEMENT CARRYING OUT THEIR OWN HOLOCAUST ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. PLEASE HAVE A HEART.
Seems ironic that the ethnic group (Euro-Americans or Jewish-semitic origin) carrying out the holocaust against indigenous and regional populations of the middle east, is the same group so horrifically oppressed during WWII. Too often, the victim becomes the violator.
Did it not occur to you that by your boorish behavior at a celebratory event, you have probably harmed your cause far more than helped it? Yes, the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government is shameful but in Israel (and New Zealand) not everyone supports their government. Do you not think that maybe, there were Israelis on the float that were sympathetic to your cause? It may have been more constructive to have your own float, join the celebration of gay rights and maybe engage Israeli participants as fellow human beings and find out their stories. Start a dialogue and change minds by talking, listening and understanding. It takes more courage and time than turning up for a half hour of yelling but it will work. Tarring people with a racial stereotype and haranguing them is a sure way for them to dislike you.
Wasn’t the car from the Israeli embassy? It seems a little unlikely that they would send out representatives of their government who would be interested in standing with Palestinians.
Thanks for your post, Shasha. Kia kaha.
Why don’t you ask them? Making assumptions that everyone from the embassy or on the float are totally against any contact with Palestinians is a prime example of racial stereotyping. Sure, there are Israelis who currently think all Palestinians are radical islamists who want to remove all Jews from the world, just as there are Palestinians who think all Israelis want to murder anyone who is not Jewish. These extremist views are what continues the conflict and conflict reinforces the prejudices. Reaching out and communicating with individuals to gain mutual respect will hopefully, eventually, solve this mess. Shouting at people from the sidelines won’t.
I don’t see how you can claim the Palestinians are an indigenous people. The Arabs invaded the Levant and North Africa in the 7th Century C.E.
”Solidarity has become a favouite word in today’s protest scene. I should know, I use it all the time, even wrote a song with the word in it. The essence of it however demands commitment. You cannot say you are in solidarity on an issue impacting one oppressed group, and not another. ”
Does this mean Shasha will be out protesting against ”the brothers” for oppressing gays next time they are out protesting against the Zoinists? Would be good for a laugh
”My brothers didn’t stand with us, and for that I am hurt. In a way you guys not being there (and you guys are always there almost every month without fail picketing in Aotea Square) helps them legitimise their claim of Palestinians and (gasp!) Muslim people, as violent, patriarchal, and homophobic! ”
What’s hilarious about this is that , instead of condemning the blatant homophobia of ”the brothers” for not showing up , Shasha tells them that their ( homophobic ) actions tend to legitimise the impression of outsiders that ”the brothers” are homophobic.
Well, duh!
Yeah, hilarious. You remind me of that South African kid on Brotown. Hilarious.
Oh well, I guess that proves I’m wrong then. Oh, wait a minute… no it doesn’t.
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