------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Nov. 1, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
THREE PROMINENT BLACK WOMEN SPEAK OUT AGAINST U.S POLICIES By Monica Moorehead Three prominent Black women--two of them African American and the other African Canadian--have been outspoken against U.S. foreign policy as the Pentagon continues to bomb Afghanistan with impunity. They have gone against the tide in the middle of an unprecedented pro-war, anti-dissent campaign on the part of the big business media. Two of the women, Cynthia McKinney and Barbara Lee, are members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, was the only member of Congress to oppose a resolution giving President George W. Bush unlimited authority to use military force after the attacks on Sept. 11. Although Lee received thousands of letters and phone calls of support, she also received numerous death threats for express ing a position that was politically mild. On Oct. 21, 3,000 people rallied in downtown Oakland to support her. Actor Danny Glover and writer Alice Walker were among those who came to speak of her courage. Cynthia McKinney, a Georgia Democrat, wrote an open letter to Prince Alwaleed bin Talal from Saudi Arabia on Oct. 12. McKinney thanked him for offering a $10 million check to those who were direct ly affected by the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had rejected the check because the prince made political statements about U.S. policies abroad, especially regarding the situation of the Palestinians. Much of McKinney's letter focused on linking the state of Black America with U.S. international policy. McKinney compared the infant mortality rate in Harlem with that of Bangladesh in South Asia. She spoke out against the racist use of the death penalty along with the attacks on the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action. McKinney also raised the genocidal war on the Palestinians at the hand of Zionist Israelis and the horrendous situation facing the Iraqi people after 10 years of U.S.-led economic sanctions. Sunera Thobani is a Tanzanian-born professor of women's studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She is an anti-imperialist feminist and former head of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. On Oct. 1, she addressed the "Women's Resistance: From Victimization to Criminalization" conference in Ottawa. She lambasted U.S. and Canadian international policies in her speech. Her major theme was "U.S. foreign policy is soaked in blood." She asked the audience to think about the fact that millions of people are being asked to identify with the victims of Sept. 11. But who, she asked, is feeling the pain of those in Iraq and Palestine, Chile, El Salvador and Nicaragua, who have suffered and died at the hand of U.S. imperialism? Thobani also spoke about how people of color have historically and traditionally been characterized as "uncivilized, forces of darkness, evil doers ... this language is rooted in the colonial legacy. It was used to justify our colonization by Europe." Thobani also spoke about the hypocrisy on the part of the West--especially the U.S.--in claiming this war will "save Afghani women." She countered that U.S. foreign policy was greatly responsible for maintaining the Taliban government's power in Afghanistan. As a result of her very militant speech, which received several standing ovations, Thobani has come under severe political attack by various sectors of the Canadian government. The Royal Canadian Mount ed Police is investigating her for a potential violation of Section 319 of the Canada Criminal Code: "inciting hatred against an identifiable group." The RCMP is also calling for her dismissal from the UBC faculty. An online petition in support of Thobani's right to free speech can be found at www.rabble.ca, along with the entire text of her speech. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
