Axis of Justice Newsletter
September 2006 Middle East Round-Up

While ancient and recent conflicts continue to make misery in South and Central Asia, we do have a tiny bit of good news, in the form of the Israel-Lebanon cease-fire. In mid-July, following the kidnap of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah, Israel launched a massive assault on the country of Lebanon, causing amazing damage to the infrastructure, countryside and everyday people. This destruction was particularly tragic because Lebanon had only recently built itself back up after decades of civil war and occupation. This 2006 war lasted almost exactly one month, and many civilians were killed in both Lebanon and Israel. Neither side even has much to show for their sacrifice.

The UN Security Council successfully negotiated a cease-fire between the two nations in mid-August, with Israel planning to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon as soon as a multi-national UN force comes in to keep the peace. While there have been many violations of this uneasy truce, the conflict has not flared up into widescale combat again. UN troops are on the way, and perhaps the two countries can negotiate a more stable peace in the future. Let's hope, anyway.

However the situation in Iraq continues to crumble. The worst sign is a statement by revered Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. For years, al-Sistani has been a voice of restraint and moderation among Iraq's Shia population, urging them towards peaceful demonstrations when many were howling for the blood of their enemies. His influence also helped pressure the US into holding genuine elections for government instead of continuing to have appointed interim regimes. But now, al-Sistani is saying that the Shia in Iraq increasingly ignore his calls for peace, and are much more interested in vengeance against their Sunni rivals. Al-Sistani has actually said that he will no longer offer advice about politics, and will retreat into solely religious questions. People can argue about whether or not the high level of Shia-Sunni conflict really means that the nation is having a "civil war", but the reality is that this sectarian is at a frightening level, and that each side is essentially trying to "ethnically cleanse" the other.

What can the US do to calm the violence? I really don't know. It truly seems that the US has no capability to establish peace and democracy in Iraq, and that our options are to withdraw or babysit someone else’s civil war.

In August of 2005, Cindy Sheehan camped outside George W. Bush's vacation home in Crawford, Texas, waiting for the president to explain his reasons for the Iraq war. She had particularly deep feelings about the war, as her son Casey had been killed while serving in Iraq. Her vigil turned into a media event, with thousands of activists gathering at "Camp Casey," and garnering weeks and weeks of media spotlight. In August 2006, Sheehan and a contingent of anti-war activists returned to Crawford to protest the Iraq war. And now, they’re taking it to the next level.

The same folks who brought you Camp Casey in Crawford now bring you Camp Democracy in Washington DC, from September 5 to September 21, 2006. This gathering will expand from the issues of the Iraq war into other social and political concerns, like immigrants’ rights, workers’ rights, climate change, sexism, and more. Go to their website for more info, calendars of events, and other logistics.

Some of you may be in high school, or know people who are, so we need to give you this bulletin: your schools are giving students' personal information out to military recruiters.  It's part of a provision hidden within Bush's "No Child Left Behind Act"; if the school's don't give out the students' info, they might lose funding.  However, that same provision says that students can "opt out" and prevent their school from giving out their info if they fill out the proper form every year and turn it into their principal.  But you have to do this every school year to keep your private info private.

You can download and print out the form here. Make copies for your friends. Hell, make copies for strangers. In addition, our pals Anti-Flag have formed an organization called Military Free Zone dedicated to getting the entire provision removed from the law.  If you want to learn more, or help spread the word, visit that site for details.

Axis of Justice has long supported the efforts of the South Central Farmers to get legal control of the land they have cultivated for so long. But after eviction and several disappointing legal decisions, the farmers needed to take some time to regroup and plan new strategy. In late August, the group announced that they were "back in action."  Check their website for details.

In addition, several of the Farm supporters who were arrested by police while protesting the eviction could use some help. The Youth Justice Coalition and Cop Watch LA are working to support these arrestees, and if you want to get involved, you can contact them at freelanow@yahoo.com and copwatchla@riseup.net.

I’m typing this on Labor Day, but these are not good times to be a workin' man or woman in the USA. Big corporations get bigger, workers' rights laws get beat down, and unions are on the decline. We work longer hours, produce more, and get paid less, while the cost of health insurances rises farther and farther out of reach.

One of the unions that continues to fight and win is UNITE HERE, a combination of garment workers, hotel workers, and restaurant workers. Their latest campaign focuses on hotels nationwide, and is called the Hotel Workers Rising. The campaign is about these hardworking folks, mostly women and immigrants, "rising" up out of poverty, about trying to get them a living wage.

The campaign is launching a major event in Los Angeles on September 28th, a march followed by acts of non-violent civil disobedience to draw attention to the low pay and poor working conditions of hotel workers along the Century Corridor, near the Los Angeles International Airport. We'd invite you to come along (you don’t have to be involved in the civil disobedience if you don't want).

If you don’t live in southern California, you've still got plenty of opportunities to support this movement, with campaigns in many major cities across the US and Canada. Get more information here.

Axis of Justice L.A. will be holding a benefit concert for political prisoner Leonard Peltier September 12, 2006. The show will feature our pal The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello), Aztlan
Un-Earthed (acoustic Aztlan Underground), Mujeres de Son, Spaceylisa, and more. For information about Leonard Peltier, go to leonardpeltier.net.

Free Peltier Benefit Concert
September 12, 2006
8pm
On the Rox (upstairs from The Roxy)
9009 W. Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA
$8 to get in, money goes to the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund

While we love music and the people who make it, the music industry is often a shady, soul-crushing entity.  But we recently heard about a new indie music company that seems to have its priorities in the right place.

Circle Back Music is a new record label/tour support company that is worker-friendly, eco-friendly, and activist-friendly. Instead of many labels, which screw their musicians over and controlling them, the company is focusing on respecting their musicians and their creativity. Their CDs will come in recycled paper packaging and non-toxic ink, their clothing will be made of organic cotton, their tour buses will run on biodiesel. And for every purchase you make from Circle Back,10% of your money goes to the affiliated activist group of your choice (like Sweatshop Watch… or Axis of Justice).

Circle Back Music is just launching itself publicly this week, so it might take em a little bit to be fully operational, but they're definitely worth checking out.

Important news and commentary you may have missed.

• One in Eight Americans Live in Poverty
• NSA Eavesdropping Program Ruled Unconstitutional
• Students vs. Sweatshops, Round III
• What Does an Anti-War Movement Look Like Today?
• We Can Build a Healthy Global Society
• GI Resistance Grows
  

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