A Story about Injustice

The Strange Case of Berlanty Assam
BY: Elizabeth S. Mayfield
Published: The Tribune, Ames, Iowa, December 31, 2009


Berlanty Assam, a fourth year undergrad from Gaza at Bethlehem
University in the little town of Christmas song, was awakened from
sleep on October 26th, blindfolded, handcuffed, thrown in the back of
a van and transported back to her parent's home in Gaza. The Israeli
government, issuers of a 2005 permit allowing her to study and live in
Bethlehem, changed their minds three months shy of her graduation. A
trial ensued. No, Berlanty was not a security threat. Old documents
including those Berlanty held were confiscated and promptly lost.
Missing, too, all Israeli administrative records. No evidence; no
college degree for Berlanty. In early December, Israeli courts denied
Berlanty and her university's plea to allow her to finish.

This injustice affects fewer than the Christmas 2008 murderous attack
leaving more than 1,000 Palestinians dead, but it still matters.
Imagine how you would feel if Berlanty were your child attending an
American University and our "democracy" just yanked her out and sent
her home. Is this a deed worthy of our support? There is a "family"
of Washington leaders who encourage Congress to issue declarations of
support for Israel whenever this colonizer country feels unjustly
criticized. Always our Representatives give a thumbs-up to Israel, no
matter what the rest of the world says. Evidently, these men consider
themselves "chosen" by God to lead the rest of us. Since they, like
Israel, are "chosen," they believe that if they support outrageous
acts like this one or the murders of a year ago, it's O.K. because
they're chosen by God and God knows best.

What about you? Please think about Berlanty and how injustice done
to her might be brought to an end. Think letters; think about Obama's
"just war" application. Think about how you could help give Berlanty
a gift of a future and end your year with a uniquely personal gift
representing justice and love.
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P.S. The Ames Tribune ran this letter on the last day of the year, Dec. 31, 2009. I had written it as a Christmas letter asking people to remember the Bethlehem of today when they celebrated the Christian holiday on Dec. 24th and 25th. I rewrote the letter so that I would get it in as my monthly contribution in December. The paper chose not to run this letter in their electronic mail follow up.

Today, another letter surfaced from one of the friends of Israel in our area who regularly rebuts letter I send in. We'll see if they publish that one on-line. This is how people in the United States are silenced by the friends of Israel.

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