today is international women’s day. this used to be a day off in palestine. a day that people did not work. apparently, this is no longer the case. tomorrow is a day off because it is the prophet mohammed’s birthday (a holiday that is relatively recent, and it would seem, a holiday mimicking christians in their celebration of christmas with respect to the celebration of a prophet’s birthday, not the hyper-consumption aspect). if this were still a holiday that the palestinian authority honored we might be able to do things like honor palestinian women political prisoners:
“The world marks this day to salute the women and their important role, struggle and achievements”, Farawna said, “but it forgot that there are thousands of Palestinian women suffering under Israeli occupation, imprisoned and abused”.
He added that the world must understand that the detained Palestinian women are facing harsh treatment in Israeli prisons and are deprived from their basic rights.
“They face torture, physical and psychological”, Farawna said, “Some of them were even sexually harassed during interrogation”.
He also said that dozens of women are still imprisoned by Israel; some of them gave birth in prison, others left children behind, while a number of them are below the age of 18.
Detainee Amal Jom’a has cancer and is not receiving proper medical attention and her condition is deteriorating. She was kidnapped 5 years ago and was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment.
Farawna also said that there are a number of female detainees who were sentenced to multiple life terms such as Ahlam Tamimi, sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms, Qahera Al Sa’ady, sentenced to three life terms and addition thirty years, in addition to Amena Mona, Sana’ Shihada, Dua’ Al Jayyousi and several other detainees who are sentenced to at least one life-term.
The Israeli army kidnapped more than 10,000 Palestinian women since 1967. 800 of them were kidnapped during the Al Aqsa Intifada. There are currently 85 female detainees still imprisoned by Israel.
Furthermore, Farwana said that Israel is still holding the bodies of some Palestinian women who died in attack against Israeli targets. Some of them are buried in what is known as the “numbers graveyards”.
or we could salute the young palestinian refugee girls, like these amazing young girls (in red) from deheishe refugee camp whose basketball game i attended friday night. they lost (32-28), but they played really well. it was so fantastic to watch them play this private school in beit lahem (whose colors are, astonishingly, blue and white: can someone please ban this color combination from palestine? don’t we see enough of this on every bit of land that is being confiscated and at every checkpoint every day?).
and while i’m on the subject of holidays that seem to be no more in palestine: what is up with the cancellation of yom al ard (land day)? please some one explain the rationale for this one! if this is not evidence for a palestinian authority that cares not for the liberation of all of palestine, i don’t know what is. (note to zalfa and tamara: this goes to the top of the 7aram list!).
body on the line 
There is some useful info on human rights posted by the Independent Commission on Human Rights at http://www.ichr.ps
yeah number 2 on the haram list! (haram 1 is zionism)