Re: The War in Gaza

[Atalia Omer]

Dear Mark and Darryl:

Thank you for thinking of me. I will be honored to be a part of this conversation. We did a teach-in at the Kroc Institute a few days after Oct 7th and we managed to create a respectful and meaningful atmosphere for a conversation. Personally, I realized my most important role these days is as a teacher. I will be teaching my Palestine/Israel "conflict" again in the spring through film. 

I am also delighted to collaborate again with you, Mark. It meant the world that you agreed to co-sponsor Israelism. You may know that after Oct 7th it generated intense attacks in other colleges. This points to the absurdities of the situation where a film done by Jewish directors and conveys the story of American Jews and their process of asking questions challenging the narrative they were socialized into is somehow rendered antisemitic. WHatever discussion we can facilitate that actually allows us to teach without talking points will be so meaningful. Sorry for using so many words to say, yes!!! 

Please count me in. Thanks for thinking to include me.

In solidarity,

Atalia

~

Atalia Omer, PhD

Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies

Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies/Sociology

Co-Director, ContendingModernities

Keough School of Global Affairs 

The University of Notre Dame

Check out my new book: 

Decolonizing Religion and Peacebuilding (Oxford University Press, 2023)

or my faculty page here: http://keough.nd.edu/profile/atalia-omer/ 

On Thu, Dec 7, 2023 at 11:48 AM Mark Sanders <msan...@nd.edu> wrote:

Dear Atalia and Darryl,

I hope you both are doing well.

I write to introduce you in the hopes that you might collaborate on a critical public discussion Darryl would like to organize addressing the war in Gaza and Palistinian-Israeli relations more broadly.

Atalia, Darryl is the Director of the Civil Rights Heritage Center and a professor of History and Gender Studies at IUSB. He is a community organizer, and through IRR, he and I have worked together on several events over the plast few years addressing race and social justice. 

Recently Darryl contacted me about organizing a teach-in about the war in Gaza, and I immediately thought of you. I told him about your work and the very brave and probing discussion you conducted after the screening of Isrealism. 

Darryl is interested in a discussion that breaks through the current polarization to address the complexities of Zionism, the history of Hamas and Fatah, a discussion that is able to condemn the atrocities of October 7 and explain conditions in Gaza and the West Bank that drive people to desperation.

IRR will support this discussion by co-sponsoring it. But you have the expertise that so many of us lack. So I'm hoping that you will be able to help Darryl think through how to have a productive public discussion, in particular how to reach out to the Jewish community in South Bend, whom to talk to and how.

I truly hope that you two will be able to talk soon. If there's more that I can do to help, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Mark Sanders 

[Heller, Darryl M]

Dear Atalia,

 

Thank you for being a thoughtful and respectful voice in these troubled times. As I told Mark, I am increasingly distressed by what is unfolding in Gaza and feel that continuing to remain silent is unacceptable.

 

As Mark so eloquently noted, I am trying to bring people together in a discussion that breaks through the current polarization to address the complexities of Zionism, the history of Hamas and Fatah, a discussion that is able to condemn the atrocities of October 7 and explain conditions in Gaza and the West Bank that drive people to desperation. For this, I want to be clear that I stand with all who condemn Hamas for their brutal attack and the 1200 Israelis who were killed, as well as the taking of hostages. However, one atrocity does not justify another, and what Israel is doing in response is reprehensible and demands that we speak out.

 

I am open to having the Civil Rights Heritage Center host an event for the South Bend community and have been in touch with the Imam at the Islamic Society, who is keen on participating. I have also reached out to one of the Rabbi’s in town, but felt less openness to a dialogue that addresses the broader contours of what brought us to this moment. I would like to reach out to the Jewish Federation and am wondering if you have a sense of the best way to approach their participation. And, of course, I am thrilled that you are willing to be a part of this conversation. As a historian, I do believe that learning and understanding the history that shapes our present is a critical component of finding solutions to contemporary crises.

 

Let me know if you would like to talk further about this. Ideally, the sooner we can pull something together, the better, but I also want to ensure that it is as thoughtful and deliberate as possible so that it serves to bring light rather than create more turmoil.

 

I look forward to meeting you and advancing a pathway towards more peace and dignity for everyone.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Darryl M. Heller, PhD

Director, Civil Rights Heritage Center (https://clas.iusb.edu/centers/civil-rights/)

Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies (https://clas.iusb.edu/women-studies/)

Wiekamp 2261

Indiana University South Bend

(574) 520-4243

dahe...@iusb.edu

 

From: Atalia Omer <Atalia...@nd.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 7, 2023 12:05 PM
To: Mark Sanders <msan...@nd.edu>; YLND Explore Michiana Interest Group <ylndexplorem...@nd.edu>
Cc: Heller, Darryl M <dahe...@iusb.edu>
Subject: [External] Re: The War in Gaza

 

This message was sent from a non-IU address. Please exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments from external sources.

[Atalia Omer]

Hi Darryl:

I understand your position. Unfortunately, the Jewish Federation is a highly problematic infrastructure that is characterized by a selective ethical outrage, Islamophobia and the weaponzarion of antisemitism. Bringing them in will amount to talking points and then I’ll not be interested to partake . They created many stages for themselves including a deeply problematic panel last week at the law school. Perhaps we should talk by phone or in person? 

Best,

Atalia 

Sent from Gmail Mobile

[Amy Lehman]

I’m sorry to interject, but this seems like a very sensitive email and I don’t believe you added the right person. I think someone mistakenly added our “YLND Explore Michiana” list by mistake. 

Amy Lehman

On Dec 7, 2023, at 1:06 PM, Atalia Omer <Atalia...@nd.edu> wrote:



--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YLND Explore Michiana Interest Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ylndexploremichian...@nd.edu.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/nd.edu/d/msgid/ylndexploremichiana-list/CABtZvmn9znH32L9ayR31PWcXbCwei04n7G0d%3DzxeMeVeYmMWgw%40mail.gmail.com.

[ahmed hamed]

⚜️ I'am Not Beggar ! 💻 Software Engineer
💼 Owner/CEO Lord Group Tech.

Dear Friend,

I only ask for a minute of your time—please, read my story. I never imagined I’d write these words, but the war has left me with no choice.

My name is Nabil, a father of three from Gaza, and a computer engineer who was once the proud owner of a software company called "Lord Group." But war has stripped away everything I’ve worked for—my home, my livelihood, and the safety of my family. We are now refugees, struggling to survive amidst the horrors of war.

My daughter "Rima" Born during the Gaza War on 10/13/2023, has never known a home. For 10 months, she's lived in a tent, never tasting healthy food and only knowing fear, terror, and dread. 

I am humbly asking for your help to save my family from hunger, fear, and despair.

Please Donate or Share .

Your support could be the difference between life and death for my children.

Donate: gofund.me/72b45848

PayPal: paypal.me/nabilzaqout

My Social: linktr.ee/nabilzaq

With heartfelt gratitude,

Nabil