Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Israeli Arab Muslim Woman Speaks Out

http://www.shoebat.com/salma.php
Born in Israel, to Palestinian parents, she attended a Catholic school 
and grew up in a vibrant mixed cultural and religious neighborhood 
populated by Christians, Muslims and Jews - all Israelis. In this mixed 
community of immigrants hailing from many countries of both Europe and 
the Middle East, Salma learned basic values, humanitarian lessons and 
survival skills.
Some of her closest confidants were, on the one hand, Jewish Holocaust 
survivors, and on the other hand, Arabs who originated in Jordan and 
Egypt. In this dynamic human cauldron, growing up as a Palestinian Arab 
in the cultural melting pot of Israel, Salma learned the complexities of 
interpersonal relations and coming to terms with being a bi-racial 
product of the Middle East.
Living in two cultures, as a young person she gained vital lessons on 
how to face life realistically and courageously. Welcomed in Jewish 
homes, she was also cared for and protected by Jews. From this early 
experience she concluded that co-existence was not only possible but 
desirable, if a diverse Middle East is to work. "This takes compromise 
and sacrifice - but it will be worth it in the end, " said Salma. "We 
have much to learn from each other."
According to Salma, "democracy is possible in the Middle East, but this 
will require much experimentation and considerable time to adapt it to 
the Arab experience and mind-set. It is something that I believe in 
strongly and feel that it can work. I saw how Israeli's created a 
vibrant democracy, even though hardly any of them had come from 
countries where democracy was known or practiced."
Some 25 years ago Salma's family relocated to the U.S.. she studied 
Spanish and also psychology, because she wanted to gain a better insight 
into people's mentality as well as get closer to the community in which 
she lived. "I went to college with the daughter of the PLO ambassador to 
the UN at the time. He was a very nice and objective man, and I never 
heard him or his family condone violence. I also never heard them 
condemn it."
As a proud Muslim woman, Salma believes that coming to terms with 
realities is of utmost importance today. She councils her Muslim 
community to accept the existence of the State of Israel and see the 
positive values that derive from its being a part of the Middle East. 
She also encourages Muslims to take responsibility for mistakes made in 
the past and not to blame others, like Jews, Israelis, Americans and so 
forth. And finally she advises them to deal with the problems within 
their communities and to take responsibility for improving their own 
culture, education and community life.
Salma takes this message of empowerment to mosques, churches and 
synagogues, as well as to high schools and college campuses, and to many 
diverse organizations and public forums. She brings her hope for peace 
and coexistence, and her belief in the future, to TV and radio 
audiences, and is often interviewed in leading newspaper and 
publications. She is a person who lives with faith in a better future 
for all.
What Salma says about Israel and the Conflict:
     * "We are very happy being Israeli Arabs"
     * "Israel has so much freedom of speech even more so than even in 
America"
     * "Islam the way it is being taught in the Middle East is wrapped 
in arrogance and is medieval"
     * " When Islam is all you have and the way it is taught, it becomes 
easy to hate when you have no pride in your own life"
     * "The [Arab Leaders] made all this money because of the 
Palestinian issue which they created"
     * "The Arabs asked us to leave Israel/Palestine in 1948 and 
promised our retun in 15 days so they could destroy the Jews"
     * " Who are we kidding ourselves, we never had a Palestine nation 
or a country"
     * "Israeli Arabs are the only Arabs that have any rights anywhere 
in the Middle East"

 
http://www.shoebat.com/salma.php
Here is her story in her own words:
It never really occurred to me that my life was special in any way. In 
fact, for most of my younger years I felt pretty ordinary. I was born 
and raised in Haifa, Israel. As a young girl I lived in a diverse 
neighborhood. My next door neighbor was a Holocaust survivor. Two doors 
down lived the Rabbi of the Elyahu Hanavi Temple and his wife, while on 
the other side lived an elder Christian Arab woman and her three sons. 
All the children played together and the girls were always in charge. We 
simply out numbered the boys and that was a logical enough reason for us 
to be the leaders.
Golda Meir was a role model for many young girls and I was no exception 
I was fortunate to meet her as a 9 years old when she was Prime 
Minister. She was as strong as she was as gentle. She perfected the art 
of being powerful while maintaining her womanhood and being a mother 
figure for us all. Not too many women can achieve this while ruling a 
nation.
Although young Arab girls are always told that they must behave in a 
certain way, Israeli society around me did not dictate it. We knew when 
to be proper and when we had the freedom to be ourselves because gender 
equality was a way of life in Israel. Freedom of expression, a 
consummate democratic ideal was also part of our daily lives. I remember 
protesters chanting in Arabic and complaining about the economic 
conditions in Israel. Many Arabs would sit at the dinner table and 
discuss issues such as the West Bank problem, the 1948 war and what lead 
up to it and the way they felt about the government. Some opinions were 
favorable and some were not.
After moving to the US and meeting Arabs from a different world than 
mine, I realized how privileged I was. Unfortunately, the Arab women I 
met didn't have the strength of an Israeli woman's will. We have strong 
opinions and the stubbornness to pursue it. Israeli women, especially 
those from Haifa, are very focused on their goals. We know what we want 
and we know how to achieve it. No, it is not the Mediterranean Sea water 
that influenced our perseverance, it was the freedom of choice that 
living in Israel provided.
In meeting Arabs in the US, I was appalled at the lack of independent 
thinking. The women were not without opinions but were completely 
content to have someone dictate to them how to think. I knew that I 
would have a hard time accepting that attitude.
I looked for more Arab girls like me. But my search was to no avail. 
They stared at me as if I had six heads, every time I brought up the 
subject of a woman who can think outside the box.
I also discovered Arabs do not like to discuss Politics outside the box 
either. It is unheard of to stray away from the herd. Independent 
thinking is frowned upon. I started doubting myself. Is something wrong 
with me? What makes me the way I am? For example, why do I not hate 
Jews? Why, despite issues that need to be addressed to create more 
equality for Israeli Arabs, do I insist on speaking favorable of my 
Jewish neighbors as well as Israel? My opinions were too radical for 
Arab political thought, and most certainly for Arab women. For me to 
express these thoughts as a woman is almost blasphemy. I was told over 
and over again that I must not have such strong opinions and should 
never voice them.
So what made me so objective? I guess I never really thought about it 
until people started asking me this question. “What allows me to speak 
so freely of the good and the bad on both sides of the 
Israeli/Palestinian conflict.” Palestinians from all over the world have 
contacted me and told me that they wanted to say the same things but 
didn't really have the courage to speak out. They thanked me for being 
an inspiration to them. I was surprised that I received such a positive 
response to something that was largely denied by other Arabs. What I 
said was … The Palestinian refugee problem and the escalation of the 
Palestinian situation is largely the fault of the Arab world and not Israel.
I am asked repeatedly by Palestinians where do I get the courage and the 
strength to make statements like this. I had to think deeply about this 
question. Is in genetic? Maybe? After much self examination and 
comparing myself with other Arabs, I came to a stunning conclusion. I am 
not an ordinary Arab woman. I am an Israeli Arab woman. I am one of only 
1,000,000 privileged Arabs who have the opportunity to live in a 
democracy in the Middle East. Can things be better and is there room for 
change? Of course!!! But in a democracy change is possible! That is why 
I am who I am today. I have opinions and the convictions to voice them. 
And I have will and the knowledge to use it! After all, I had an 
extraordinary life and extraordinary experiences that formed and 
informed me.
Salma Abdallah