Tuesday, January 23, 2001
name: Fadia Rafeedie
country: USA
comments: I commend Marcel khalife for the honorable stance he has taken to withdraw his participation from the Womadelaide Festival. While I am sure that the Australian audience would have benefited from hearing his lovely music, the grander point that he makes against normalization with Zionists is much more important. At a time when our relentless enemy tries (and fails) to humanize itself on an international scale, the least we can do is reject their ploys and stand alongside our people. If only our so-called political leadership had Khalife's integrity.
I listen to his music every day for inspiration and political sustenance, and I am glad to know that his personal character and actions are consistent with the lyrics that he has so beautifully shared with me since I was a young child.
With all respect,
Fadia Rafeedie
Yale Law School

Wednesday, January 24, 2001
name: Lina Fullerton
country: U K
comments: I think Mr Khalife's refusal to share the same stand with Israeli artist, backed by her country's government, the same government that orders its troops to shoot Palestinian children, to shell civilians in their homes and denies Palestinians their basic civil rights and dignity, is the only reaction any human being could have. What else could he have done?

Thursday, January 25, 2001
name: Fayez Husseini
country: Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine
comments: Dear Mr. Khalife;
Again we, the Palestinians, are honored by your stance and support for our cause. Your songs have always been the fuel of our struggle. They drove momentum and were instrumental in the intfadas of 1987 & 2000. These songs are also the ties to which all Palestinians unit around because they relate to all Palestinians in all walks of life. Your position in Australia was honorable but allow me to make one comment; I believe that you should have performed for two reasons:
1- You should use any platform available to express your protest and sing. We should never allow the Israelis to be present alone on such platforms. The Australian people do not know better and should told in a positive way.
2- You should not deprive the Arabs of Australia and the locals of the magic and beauty of your work. The Arabs in the diaspora need a dose of their culture and the Australians and the rest of the world need to know that we have a culture and intellectual people like yourself.
I bid farewell and hope that our dream comes true and inshallah you will perform a concert in Palestine soon.
Respectfully Yours;
Fayez Husseini

Thursday, January 25, 2001
name: Roueida Issa
country: Canada
comments: Dear Marcel
As usually you didn't surprise us of your reaction, because you are and you will always be the most honest voice in our countries.
We were so young when we heard your songs, we didn't know anything about our identity, and you told us who and what we are when our parents were scared to tell us. You and your songs will be the place where we can find the truth.
As you always stand up for us we will be for you.
I know it is hopeless, but I still have a hope that our actors will follow you, and will reflect the real image of us and of our countries.
One of your friends,
Roueida Issa

Thursday, January 25, 2001
name: kamelia al zein
country: jordan
comments: It wasn't strange from Marcel Khalife this firmness & standing beside the homeland & the human. He is a part of our childhood. He is still leaving his prints on our personality.
The unbearable idea that Israeli think that nothing or no one can stop repression & terrorism, but there is always a child writing on the wall, writing some poems and some stones.
Peace Be With You

Thursday, January 25, 2001
name: Bruce Hill
country: Australia
comments: I am shocked and digusted beyond words to discover that Marcel Khalife, an artist who I had until now strongly respected and supported for his courageous stand, has allied himself with the forces of racism and reaction.
I and many others in the Jewish community had previously admired him for standing up to the dark forces within the Arab world he now appears to be embracing, apparently out of some sort of racist hatred.
He clearly knows absolutely nothing about Chava Alberstein. He is falling into the trap of labelling people merely as an object, a category, which dehumanizes them and makes them a thing rather than a person.
If this is the response of an Arab progressive, then there is clearly no hope for peace, and I as a Jew will simply have to shut my heart and conscience away and descend to the level or tribal barbarism simply in order to survive.
For if, as Marchel Khalife seems to suggest, we are not humans but merely members of waring groups, biology is destinty and there is no scope for the human spirit.
I had genuinely expected much better from Marcel Khalife. For no good reason, he has appointed himself my enemy. Must I now fight him simply because of what I am?
What sort of a world is he creating?
Has he understood that the effct of his actions is simply to confirm the world view of those who say "Esau hates Jacob, this is the way of things" and believe we are fated to be hated and killed by the world unless we withdraw into ourselves?
Madness!

Thursday, January 25, 2001
name: Elias.d
country: france
comments: bonjour, à chacun son opinion vous avez choisi le votre, mais nous à l'etranger on pose parfois la question qui est notre ennemi est ce israel ou bien pays qui nous entourent ou bien ceux qui nous gouvernent. c'est malheureux mais c'est la réalité.

Friday, January 26, 2001
name: Motasim El Hassan
country: California, USA
comments: I am pleased beyond limits by hearing about Mr. Khalife's stance. But I should add that such stance is what I expect from a fighter like him. I am not sure who this "Bruce Hill" represents, but I am fascinated by the way he is spinning and twisting the facts. Mr. Khalife has made it clear that the support of the Israeli government to the Israeli singer is the main factor behind his position, I am wondering if the systematic killing that Israel is administrating against our people in Palestine is under the fight again "racism and reaction", It is so typical for Israel to just write off all the innocent souls its slaughter. How dare this "Bruce Hill" expects progressive Arab to just turn the other cheek, how could they see their people in a daily uneven killing field and just ignore it. I had a good laugh when this "Bruce Hill" prefaced his message by how he use to admire Mr. Khalife, a well-known low tactic. The bottom line is progressive Arab are open to discuss and! accept a truly democratic Arab-Jewish state, however that will never stop them from resisting the current Israeli aggression. Finally, I was amazed how this "Bruce Hill" completely ignored the current killing of Palestinian under the occupation, how do you expect a true national singer to sing along with another singer sponsored by the killer of his/her people, I think there is a word for that kind of singers, Mr. Khalife is way above that.

Friday, January 26, 2001
name: nadya
country: australia
comments: congratulations Mr. Kahlife on taking such a courageous stand. I am appalled by what the festival organisers seemed to have inferred in their letter to you. australia's unquestioning support of Israel since its creation has blinded its people to the atrocities it commits. Blind too it seems are the organisers of a festival celebrating ' world culture'. But on whose terms I ask? Obviously not the oppressed.
I hope this brings about some process of questioning... there's been a long, myopic denial of history in this country.
solidarity,
nadya

Friday, January 26, 2001
name: Youssef Fares
country: Canada
comments: Dear Marcel,
I just wanted to let you know that the Lebanese youths, regardless of where we are, be it in the middle east or anywhere else in the world, are proud of you and your music. You speak for all of us through your songs. Your contributions are invaluable.
Youssef Fares

Friday, January 26, 2001
name: Paul Maroun
country: Australia
comments: I declare my support for Marcel's withdrawal from the Womad Festival 2001 in protest against the Festival's decision the invite the Israeli singer Chava Alberstein supported by the Israeli embassy in Australia and the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs (the home of the Mossad and Shin Bet) as I see it an act of covering up for the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people also the Lebanese people who are still suffering under the israeli occupation. This goes against the Festival's spirit of advocating peace and justice through the noble medium of Music.

Friday, January 26, 2001
name: Firas Naji
country: Australia
comments: There is no humane way of dealing with fascism. The fact of reality is that Israel is playing fascism by the killing, abuse and conducting state terrorism against the Palestinian people. Do we expect from the Jews to sing along an artist sponsored by Hitler's Germany?°we definitely don't.
Marcel Khalife spent his life singing against fascism under any label, Arabic, Israeli, European or American° his stand is timely and super-humane at a time where Palestinians are slaughtered as objects based on their identity. Even olive trees were not saved of this hatred. To "Bruce Hill", madness is what Israel is doing in Palestine without an outcry, a decent human voice protesting against this tribal barbarism of the Israeli Government. Madness would have been for Marcel not to act as he did.
Finally, I'd like to express my disappointment at the un-Australian way that the womadelaide management have dealt with this issue and taking sides regarding this sensitive issue.

Saturday, January 27, 2001
name: Maher Mughrabi
country: UK
comments: I can only join those saluting you, ya akhi, for once again showing all your fellow Arab artists and intellectuals (not to mention our unmentionable leadership) what it is to be a man of principle.
To the organisers of Womadelaide and Mr Hill I would say: imagine that during South Africa's apartheid era the apartheid regime had sent a singer to perform at such a world music event. Given the global cultural and sporting boycott in existence at that time, I doubt the singer would even have been allowed a visa. The festival organisers would have sent him or her packing, perhaps pointing out that the South African government's very nature was the antithesis of the global harmony such an event seeks to inspire. Had the organisers been so misguided as to allow this singer to perform, and the singer had refused to condemn his/her government's stance, who would have blamed every black African performer at the festival for walking out?
Can someone explain to me the difference between that scenario and the current situation at Womadelaide?
Bravo aleik ya Marcel.

Saturday, January 27, 2001
name: Naser
country: Australia
comments: I support and salute Marcel Khalife for his withdrawal from Womadelaide 2001. Marcel's logic is clear and based upon his conscious and the conscious of millions of people. Marcel couldn't preform in a place where the Israeli government logo is present (at this time), because his Art represent the culture, the feeling and above all the dream of all deprived people in the middle east. The fact is people still in jail, people still being shot, and land still occupied by Israel and the right of return still not fulfilled.
As for Womadelaide 2001 management writing in their correspondence that "Marcel Khalife" refuses to be in the same place as an Israeli Artist, is a lie, misleading and utter misrepresentation to the facts. I find Womadelaide management to be unable to understand that Australia never allowed South Africa in the era of Apartheid to be presented or to sponsor anything.
As for Mr Bruce Hill, he want to understand what his mind allows him to understand, and I doubt that he has an analytical functioning brain.
Thank you Marcel for giving us once again " Arabs at home and abroad" inspiration to do and keep doing the right thing. For you and us we have a dream of happiness to fulfil, for them, they have a conscious to live with.
Naser

Saturday, January 27, 2001
name: rasha s
country: lebanon
comments: all the lebanese people love and respect MARCEL, and with his withdraw our love and respect to him increase because he is right

Saturday, January 27, 2001
name: katia kassem
country: Canada_ Ottawa
comments: Thanks
To our national figure Marcel,
I want to express my appreciation to you!!!! wishing you all the success, and we hope to see you in Ottawa city soon. We would like to know if you're planning to have any concerts in North America within the coming months.....

Saturday, January 27, 2001
name: salah wahab
country: sweden
comments: thanks
we all the lebanese and the arab people in sweden thanking you for your last.

Sunday, January 28, 2001
name: samya shafi
country: usa
comments: I commend Marcel Khalife on his decision. Mr Khalife is a well respected person in the middle east. He is a patriot, not a racist. He has witnessed the suffering of both the Palestinian and the lebanese people and his decision is a reflection of his commitment to the real issues in his country. Wish we had more people like him.