The Rachel Corrie Story
The MV Rachel Corrie Cargo Boat sails 3,000 miles from Ireland to Gaza coastline.
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I doubt if anyone can look at the suffering of the children of Gaza
and not, in conscience, do something to help. Children
should be protected, and by this I don’t mean only our own children,
but all children, wherever they live. Children are so beautiful,
So vulnerable, they need the adults to take care of them. No child should be subjected to ‘siege’ and ‘occupation’ and feel fear of violence, want, and war. Such conditions,
caused by Israeli Gov. policies, funded and supported by the American Government policies, has lead to suffering and traumatisation of many Palestinian children.
It was for this purpose I agreed when asked by the Free Gaza Movement
To sail on the’Rachel Corrie Cargo Boat’ to help break the siege of Gaza and
bring humanitarian aid to the children and people of Gaza.
19 of us sailed (activists and crew) towards Gaza but on 5th June,2010 we were illegally boarded in International waters by 35 armed Israeli Commandoes.
Our boat was commandeered and we were kidnapped and forced at gunpoint
To sail in our boat to Ashdod, an Israeli Port. Here we were detained, and held incommunicardo in an Israeli Detention Centre, for two days, before being repatriated back home.
We were more fortunate that the 9 people who were massacred by Israeli commandoes, on board the Turkish Boat, Mavi Marmara on 3lst May, 2010 as they tried also to sail to Gaza. We will remember them as courageous and compassionate members of the human family, who looked at the suffering of the children of Gaza and in conscious, did something to help. Those who were massacred on the Mavi Marmara were unarmed civilians, people who like those of us on the Rachel Corrie and Free Gaza Flotilla choose peace, and choose nonviolent action to help the children.
We can all act to support the Palestinian people in their
Inspirational and courageous nonviolent struggle. (They have called for action such as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.)
So the next Freegaza Flotilla’s will have many more people who will keep going to Gaza until the siege is lifted, and the nightmare of Israel’s occupation and oppression is ended for Palestinian children.
Mairead Maguire
Nobel Peace laureate
2l.7.2010
Mairead Maguire was awarded the l976 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Her writings,
The Vision of Peace, (edited by John Dear) are available
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