{personal, not organizational, post}
Dear Community Members,
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST!
An important controversy has erupted at United
Teachers Los Angeles around the activities of the
Human Rights Committee. As a charter member of the
union, now retired, I continue to be interested in the
developments of this wonderful union.
On October 14, 2006, the Human Rights Committee is
hosting, as it has done for many community groups, a
meeting of SDS/MDS to discuss the issue of divestiture
and boycott of Israel for human rights abuses.
It should be clarified that this is not a sponsored
event of the Human Rights Committee. The Committee is
simply providing a room so that the group can meet.
The Human Rights Committee has taken on many
controversial issues over the years and needs our
support.
Currently the president of UTLA; A.J. Duffy is only
hearing from Zionist groups such as the American
Jewish Congress and Stand With Us, as well as from
community members and teachers, who have launched a
massive phone campaign, complaining about the upcoming
meeting and demanding that the meeting be canceled and
accusing the Human Rights Committee of being
anti-Semitic, supporting terrorism and being
unbalanced.
It is the intent of groups like the American Jewish
Congress and Stand With Us, while insisting that the
Human Rights Committee be balanced in their
presentation, that no dialogue on this issue be
permitted at all.
President Duffy has issued the following letter in
response to these complaints. (See below) and to
date, much to his credit, has not canceled the
meeting, though immense pressure is being brought to
bear on the Committee to do so. He has cut the link
from the UTLA website to the Human Rights Committee
web site http://home.earthlink.net/~utlahrc/ and has
instructed them not to link to ANY outside groups.
(Which could greatly impair their ability to
collaborate with many of the members and organizations
of our community.)
President Duffy, in response to complaints he has
received, has indicated in his letter that Jewish
organizations should contact the Human Rights
Committee and voice their concerns. It is important
that the Human Rights Committee and President Duffy
hear from the entire human rights community as well,
including the numerous Jewish activists and
organizations who stand in solidarity with our
Palestinian brothers and sisters.
Key talking points:
1. Support the courageous work of the UTLA Human
Rights Committee in addressing the issue of
Palestinian human rights and encourage the Committee
and UTLA not to back down due to pressure from people
who do not want these important issues addressed.
2. The Human Rights Committee is well recognized for
its work towards universal human rights and social
justice for all, even when a specific population is
unpopular within a segment of the American public;
that supporting Palestinian rights is no different
than supporting the rights of any other population,
and that to do so does not diminish any other group or
their rights, nor does the
3. Condemn anti-Jewish racism, but assert that holding
Israel up to the Geneva Convention, and the United
Nations Declaration of Human Rights is not
anti-Semitic, but consistent with the other issues
addressed by the Human Rights Committee. That within
the scope of the issues addressed by this committee,
to NOT address the issue of Palestinian human rights
would single out Israel for lack of scrutiny.
4. Maintain that supporting the rights of Palestinians
to organize labor unions, go to school and work, buy
and build homes, move freely, have access to safe
water, to live with their families and to due legal
process and to defend their rights is not the same as
supporting terrorism. Many Palestinian labor unions
are joining in this call.
5. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have
both condemned Israel for gross human rights
violations and crimes against humanity. Bishop
Desmond Tutu has compared Israeli apartheid with South
African Apartheid and has called for boycotts and
divestiture.
6. If you or your organization is Jewish, please
emphasize your concern as a Jewish activist or
organization for universal human rights, that
organizations such as the American Jewish Congress
(which holds Caterpillar stock) and Stand With Us, do
not speak for all Jews and are not monolithic
representatives of the breadth of Jewish thought.
To reach the Human Rights Committee, please write to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] To contact President Duffy,
call: 213-368-6245
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In Struggle.
Don White, Charter Member, UTLA, retired
UTLA President Duffys Letter:
I have recently become aware of certain activities of
concern related to the Human Rights Committee website.
Please note that the activities of the Human Rights
and other UTLA Committees, while part of UTLA, are not
necessarily representative of UTLA policy nor are they
sponsored by UTLA.
Therefore, I have decided to eliminate any links from
UTLA Committee pages to outside websites. I apologize
for any confusion this has created.
I will not interject my personal feelings into this
matter and will simply remind you that this is a
democratic union in a democratic nation and I will not
sponsor censorship. As incensed as you or I might be,
I would hope you would be ten times as incensed if I
started to determine who can and who cannot speak on
issues in our committees. The UTLA Human Rights
Committee is one of 33 UTLA standing committees.
I encourage Jewish organizations to contact the Human
Rights Committee to express their concerns and arrange
for a presentation of their views.
Contact Stephen Seal, Human Rights Committee Chair at
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sincerely,
A.J. Duffy
UTLA president
CISPES
Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador
8124 West 3rd Street L.A. Ca. 90048
323-852-0721
Founded: 1980 - 25 Years of Solidarity
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