Brazil to Host World’s Biggest Pro-Palestine Event
By Julio
Severo
The “World
Social Forum - Free Palestine” meets in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 28 November
to 1st December 2012, in light of stormy changes known as “the Arab Spring,”
where Muslim governments have been replaced by radical Islamic governments,
with dire consequences for Christian populations in these nations.
Support from Liberal Christians and Jews
WSF Free
Palestine boasts that its event has the official support from “prominent
theological figures and the World Council of Churches”.
Leonardo Boff,
the most prominent liberation theology advocate in Brazil, has showed his
support for the WSF Free Palestine. He said, “It is our duty to be on the side
of the Palestinians.”
Nancy Cardoso, a
Methodist minister from CEBI (Ecumenical Bible Center) in Rio Grande do Sul,
said, “We see the WSF Free Palestine as a key space to give voice to our
Palestinian brothers and sisters.”
Liberal
religious authorities from Israel and other nations have confirmed their
presence, including Jewish theologian professor Marc Ellis, an American author
and liberation theologian activist.
Delegations from
36 countries from all five continents have already registered for the World
Social Forum Free Palestine turning this event into the largest gathering of
solidarity for the Palestine cause. Delegations from the following countries
have confirmed their presence: South Africa, Germany, Argentine, Belgium,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Scotland, Spain, United States,
Philippines, France, Ghana, Guinea, India, England, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Jordan, Lebanon, Norway, Palestine, Pakistan, Paraguay, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Senegal, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Radical Speakers
Among
international speakers are:
Ronnie Kasrils
(born 15 November 1938) is a South African politician. He was a member of the
African National Congress (ANC) as well as a member of the Central Committee of
the South African Communist Party (SACP). He is one of the most eloquent
speakers against Israel and an advocate for a Palestinian state.
Angela Yvonne Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an Afro-American and prominent leader of the
Communist Party USA. She was the director of the Feminist Studies department at
the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her expertise is feminism, African
American studies and Marxism. Her membership in the Communist Party led to
Ronald Reagan’s request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any
university in the State of California. She was one the suspects in the
abduction and murder of Judge Harold Haley in 1970. She is the author of nine
books and has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Europe,
Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.
Aims
In its event in
Brazil, the “World Social Forum - Free Palestine” aims to:
1) Defending the
right of the Palestinian people to fight Israel.
2) Strengthening
and expanding involvement in the global, Palestinian-led campaign of boycott,
divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. This campaign, which encompasses
boycotts of and divestments from Israeli and international companies, has
already been embraced by US mainline Protestant denominations, including
Presbyterian, Lutheran and Anglican.
3) Making the
WSF Free Palestine a platform for building BDS strategies against Israel and in
particular for ending free trade agreements between Israel and other countries
or groups of countries (such as the European Union, Mercosur, etc.).
4) Recognizing
and supporting the struggle of progressive Jews everywhere, particularly those
who support the creation of a Palestinian state.
5) Supporting
Palestinian resistance against Israel.
6) Launching
effective public information campaigns to encourage the media in exposing and
condemning Israel.
Strategic Location
The “World
Social Forum - Free Palestine” chose Brazil for its massive event because of
its politically strategic importance. Two years ago, former socialist Brazilian
President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva officially acknowledged Palestine as a
national state. His successor, Dilma Rousseff, has kept his Palestinian
advocacy.
The forum will
happen in Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where the
ruling Workers’ Party has a stronghold. The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran
Confession in Brazil, with its 700,000 members, has also a stronghold in this
state.
This Brazilian
Lutheran denomination has had a crucial role in the liberation theology
advocacy and a former president, who is a prominent leader in the World Council
of Churches, was implicated in Soviet schemes decades ago, according to an exposé by FrontPageMag.
Yet, more
strategic is the region. Porto Alegre is near the Triple Frontier (Brazil,
Argentina and Paraguay), where terrorist groups like Egypt’s al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah,
and Al Qaeda draw some of their funding.
Portuguese
version of this article: Brasil
vai sediar maior evento pró-Palestina do mundo
Other articles by Julio Severo:
"Ecumenical Bible Center"
ReplyDeleteHer "center" is the epitome of language manipulation itself. Nothing could be further than the truth as describing the Bible as being ecumenical. There is only One Lord and He is that one way to the Father. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. Broad and wide is the road that leads to destruction.