ACTION ALERT
For Immediate Release
January 27, 2008
Al-Awda Mourns the Passing of Dr. George Habash
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, mourns the passing of
Dr. George Habash. We also celebrate his life and resistance as one of the
most influential and principled leaders of the Arab struggle for liberation,
unity, and equality. Dr. Habash never wavered from the path that we,
as Palestinians, have the right and duty to return and reclaim our homeland,
stolen from us in 1948 by the combined forces of European Zionism and
Western imperialism. Dr. Habash's political work found expression in the
creation of the Arab Nationalist Movement followed by The Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). He never wavered from his belief in the
popular (people's) struggle, and that it was the people themselves who
determined their destiny.
Dr. Habash was an outspoken opponent of the Oslo accords and of all the
capitulation schemes for accommodating the occupier. After the formation of
the Palestinian Authority he stated "Ramallah and Gaza are parts of my
beloved Palestine and they are so dear to me, but I want to go back to LYD,
my city". He also made it clear that he would never return to any part of
Palestine while his city was under occupation. Dr. Habash believed his
return was non-negotiable: "You can negotiate as you want but my right to
return is not for any president to discuss."
Dr. Habash was always confident that the future belongs to our Arab nation.
When asked in 1998 of the message that he wanted to pass to future
generations, his response was: "human history moves in a progressive
direction. I say that confidently and hopefully. But hopes, wishes, and
dreams alone will not achieve our objectives. One cannot roll back the wheel
of history, but we can make sure that the lessons of the past are not
dissipated. History is a register open to whoever has the determination and
ability to merit an entry therein. I am full of hope that the generations of
our children and grandchildren will have a future that is brighter than our
present."
The prelude to that brighter future became manifest last week in Gaza. As
Dr. Habash was enduring his final illness, the people of Gaza
broke down the wall at the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The Palestinian
Arab people, welcomed by their Arab Egyptian brothers and sisters, broke
through a barrier that was used to maintain the months' long siege of murder
and starvation by the occupiers of our land. This defiance and brave
resistance to 60 years of dispossession and occupation has uplifted our
struggle and brought us closer to our return. They are a fitting tribute to
the work and life of Dr. Habash. May he rest in peace.
Until return,
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return
Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return
Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists
and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are
a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3)
organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines,
your donations to PRRC
are tax-deductible.
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Save the Date!
Sixth Annual International Al-Awda Convention
On The 60th Year of Al Nakba
Anaheim, California
May 16-18, 2008
http://www.al-awda.org/convention6
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