Friday, February 2, 2001
name: John Kameel Farah
comments: Please pass along my sincere thanks to Mr. Khalife for his moral and
artistic integrity, which the people of Palestine deeply appreciate and
cherish.
I have long been an admirer of his ideas and music, as a composer and
pianist of Palestinian descent.
Thanks,
John Kameel Farah
http://webhome.idirect.com/~ffarah
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Carlo Sansour
comments: Dear friends,
to be honest neither I believe in this kind of protest nor I understand the
mentality behind it.
It would be more helpful if he would go there and declare his solidarity in
front of thousands of people attending the festival instead of simply leaving
the stage to others.
Regards
Carlo Sansour
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Khalil I. Semaan
country: USA
comments: Like me, you and everyone else's, Marcel Khalifa's actions, artistic and otherwise, are his own choice; so are our motivations. And once an action has been taken it becomes public property subject to the likes and dislikes of others. Thus, those who think that Maestro Marcel's act of refusing to share the stage with a Zionist singer acting under the auspices of a Zionist State and society seen hourly on television murdering children, women and men, destroying homes, buldozing olive groves, I think, is commendable from the point of view of all those who believe in human decency. Those who criticize the maestro have short memories: they forgot how Jews (and I am sure including Zionists) have and some continue to refuse to listen to the great Wagner... and, shsmefully, they are among those in the West who have swollowed Zionist propaganda in toto, ignoring the atrocitiesand theft that commited by the Zionists and continue to be commited by them for a very long time. !
Last and not least, I wonder if those men and women who deify the Zionist state of Israel have raised a voice when their sacred cow went as for as clossing colleges such as Beer Zeit University and destroying schools simply because they are open to Palestinians. And what do they say when they learn that Zionist Universities.
Personally, I applaud Maestro Marcel and say "This is what honest women and men expect from their counterparts."
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Jenn Fortunelli
country: NY - USA
comments: I support him. Obviously financial supporters often make sure to get a lot of recognition at these festivals/events.
Almost always they do it for the recognition and to reap the benefits of being associated with and publicly supporting "intercultural" events which are said to "inspire community and respect for all cutlures".
The common rule even in the entertainment marketing world. "Be sure to only be associated with brands that work with your property." Don't form "packages" or deals with "companies" that don't support your property...your cause. The public picks up on the mismatch... even if they do so only subconciously. Who needs it?
It is a shame that people will not hear his music this time around. My opinion....is that his decision not to participate is more inspiring and thought-provoking in and of itself. Don't let the press twist the message. Meantime, people will learn from the personal encounters they have everyday. Learning is deeper that way.
MK can do it, but so do all who take the time to share with the people they meet everyday...no matter where the ancestoral roots of those people have been!
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Malek Saad
country: USA
comments: Thanks Marcel. We all appreciate your love for your country (our country too) and this is one of the many things we learned from you.
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: rana
country: lebanon
comments: well first I want to say that I'm one of people adoring this man.. and I of course respect him a lot..I wrote before saying that my dream is to meet this person..or at least talk to him..I love everything in him....
but..and don't be surprised I totaly disagree him..I disagree my masaly l'a3la..I think that before refusing this just because the singer is israelian he must have known a little bit more about her..let me be more clear..I am a lebanese..and my religion is druze..I don't believe in my religion..or maybe in others..but the point is that I didn't choose..I've been like that with no reason..
the same could apply to anyone else..all the israelian may not necesserly agreee with what their goverment is doing..maybe this singer was just born israelian..she didn't chooose and people should not juge others for smthg they didn't choose..
that's all..I wanted to be as honest as possible..if there's anything someone wants to answer me I'll be pleased to recieve any objections..maybe u'll be able to convince me..I know it's a lot but one more thing if Mrs marcel will read this I wish from the bottom of my heart to recieve a word from his side.. my mail is rano7@hotmail.com...tx again..with love..rana
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Nawal Raad
country: Paris
comments: Mr Ian Scobie,
I would like to inform you,that no peace has been established yet in our area, and when we say peace, we mean a real peace for all and not Israel's peace only.
Have you forgotten those massacres committed in Lebanon by israeli troops? They could not even spare orange and olive groves. Human beeings and nature had been slaughtered.
We do not forget....
Have you forgotten Cana's massacre committed by Israeli air raid in UN's compound against civil refugies who were there just to escape from death?
We do not forget....
Have you forgotten those children whose bodies had been tored and pulled to pieces in south Lebanon, when picking up explosive toys that Israeli soldiers have put there as traps?
We do not forget....
Marcel Khalifé sings for all those who died, he even sings for those beheaded trees.He sings this pain , this terror, and the mourning that many mothers went and still go into it.He can not betray himself , his own convictions and can not betray his people and the people of the entire world.
Can you imagine a french artist who would have participated to an artistic event on the same stage with a german artist during the second war?
Your reaction, Mr Ian to Marcel Khalifé's lettre is not tactful, and misses delicacy and subtlety.
I find your response absurd.
One would say that you are very far from this suffering, and that you do not keep yourself up-to-date on politics and military stakes in our region.
It is true that music has no frontier,and Marcel Khalifé has sent his voice and music beyond it. But,I would like to remimd you that injustice has its limit.
Please, be careful not to keep your distance from the reality.
I offer my apologies on behalf of you to Marcel Khalifé and pay tribute to him.
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: nawal Raad
country: Paris
comments: Monsieur Ian Scobie,
Je m'adresse à vous directement et à votre équipe pour vous rappeler que la paix n'est pas encore établie dans notre région, et que pour que paix soit véritable, il faut une paix pour tous et non pas la paix d'Israël seulement.
Avez-vous oublié les massacres commis au Liban par les troupes israéliennes? Même les orangers et les oliviers ont subi ce massacre. Les êtres humains et la nature ont subi le même sort.
Nous,nous n'avons pas oublié....
Avez-vous oublié le massacre de Cana commis par les raids israéliens dans l'enceinte de l'ONU contre des civils, réfugiés là pour échaper à la mort?
Nous,nous n'avons pas oublié....
Avez-vous oublié les enfants morts déchiquetés au Liban Sud en ramassant des jouets explosifs que les soldats israéliens avaient posés comme piège?
Nous,nous n'avons pas oublié....
Marcel Khalifé chante pour tous ces morts. Il chante même pour ces arbres décapités.Il chante cette douleur, cette terreur et le deuil que toute maman a porté et le porte encore en elle.
Marcel khalifé appelle à la paix et n'aspire qu'à cela.IL ne peut pas trahir sa propre personne, ses convictions et trahir son peuple et le peuple du monde entier.
Croyez-vous qu'un artiste français aurait participé côte à côte avec un artiste allemand avant que la paix n'ait été établie entre les deux pays?
Votre réaction , monsieur Scobie , à la lettre de Marcel Khalifé manque de tact, de délicatesse et de finesse. Je la trouve absurde. On dirait que vou êtes loin et pas du tout au courant des enjeux politiques et même militaires dans notre région. Là, vous confirmez que vous êtes à l'autre bout du monde. S'il vous plaît, ne gardez pas vos distances, pour ne pas être loin de la réalité.
Je présente, de votre part, toutes mes excuses à Marcel Khalifé, et lui présente mes hommages.
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Hiba Farra
country: Australia
comments: Dear Marcel
i salute you ...i always have and never expected less then what you always do and make us respect the fighter who was our story teller when we were kids...the only story teller who told us our story and never lied.
you made palestine live in our hearts no matter what,
palestine will always live in our hearts and so will your songs.
but on the other hand i would like as a palestenian girl who lives in Australia to ask you to find a way that tells the people of australia our story , our side of the story , i don't know how but i am sure that you will find it one day ...
with all my respect.
hiba
Friday, February 2, 2001
name: Mitch
country: USA
comments: I have respected Marcel Khalife's innovative music and committment to speaking truth to power for many years. I have heard his songs, most movingly "Asphur/Sparrow" recorded by Israeli Arab artist Amal Murkus, and consider this art of the highest level. I attempted to rally support here in California among my friends and fellow progressive activists when he was brought up on blasphemy charges by the Lebanese government and thrown in jail for adapting Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's poem which paraphrases a sura of the holy Qur'an.
Now I feel terribly disappointed not only in Mr. Khalife, but in the many otherwise intelligent Arab voices here discussing his rightful withdrawal from the WOMADALAIDE World Music Festival. First of all, the Palestinians are not the only dispossessed and oppressed people in MENA: Middle East-North Africa. Yet, there is no solidarity forthcoming from Mr. Khalife or the Arab voices on this list for the Amazigh-Berbers who cannot even speak, publish or record their language of Tamazight, the native language of North Africa prior to the Arab invasion and French colonization. A Tamazight-Berber artist of Mr. Khalife's stature and dare I say more consistent principles was shot dead in Algeria in 1998 when he (Lounes Matoub) attempted to return from exile with his new CD "Algeriassic Park" in the Tamazight language. The "courageous Islamic mujahedeen" shot dead this Muslim artist for not speaking or singing or composing in Arabic, and also shot his wife and sister-in-law. Where is the solidarity for this oppressed victim of Arabization of the land the Arabs call El Maghreb, but was and is called by its original inhabitants Tamazgha? Mr. Khalife performed in 1999 in Morocco. Did he express solidarity with the Amazigh-Berbers who are the majority of Morocco's population, but who under the Arabization laws of the King and his son the heir to the throne refuses to register Amazigh-Berber names in the official Moroccan registry, so that newborn Amazigh-Berber children have to take Arabic names. What if Israel forced Palestinian newborns to be named Chaim or Chava? And what if, like in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia, the Israelis would not allow translation in their legal courts? (Actually Arabic may be spoken by witnesses in Israeli courts but Tamazight may not be spoken in north African courts forcing many Amazigh-Berbers to lose their family lands to Arabs brought in to their villages for resettlement).
Again, no solidarity, and Mr. Khalife performed without making any public statement about the victimization of non-Arab citizens in their own land by an Arab government. This is hypocrisy. Moreover, while I see American Jews joining Arab American activists protesting Israeli and U.S. policies, as they should, I have never seen Arab Americans joining or organizing any protests against the Arabization laws that affect more than 40 million non-Arabs in their native lands. Nor do Arab Americans protest the Syrian government, which according to Human Rights Watch reports and Amnesty International has disappeared and imprisoned more Phalestinians than Israel has. So, if the Syrian government sends Sabah Fakhri to Las Vegas again to repeat his marvelous performance with Wadi El-Safi and Simon Shaheen, should we all boycott the performance and the magnificent current Two Tenors & Qantara CD (which I reviewed for Amazon) because of what Fakhri's government does in the Tadmor and Mezze prisons to its own people? Where are the songs lamenting the Assad attack in 1982 on the Syrian city of Hama when 15,000 mostly Sunni Muslims were killed when Assad's brother Rifaat led the Saraya Al Difa'a in the attack that crushed this center of Syrian intellectuals?
Good thing Israel exists, or the Arab World would have to invent such a scapegoat in order to avoid dealing with its own injustices and oppressiveness. But next time you invent a scapegoat, give them more land than you gave the Jews in Israel, and perhaps add oil and uranium like in Algeria, where the Arabizers have stolen the mineral rights from the Amazigh. Give them more water, like the Nubian Egyptians who Gamel Abdel Nasser flooded out of north Egypt destroying hundreds of villages (listen to exiled oud player and songwriter Hamza El Din sing of this) of native non-Arabic Nubians. Maybe some day Mr. Khalife will come to see the humanity beyond his narrow vision, and the Arab World will realize that they are not heard in international circles championing human rights because they do not practice what they preach, or even have artists brave enough to deal with their community's self-denial the way the Jews have so many artists who criticize the Jewish community and Israeli policies, just like this Chava Alberstein who so repelled Mr. Khalife he would not stand on a stage next to her.
