Sunday 25 January 2009

Testimonials: "Occupying in the Early Hours" - By: Anonymous

Its quarter past three as I type this and most of the occupiers are now snoozing, unlikely to get enough sleep before the alleged 8am rising time. The security guards are upstairs conversing with each other.

Today has been busy: we had some independent Israelis come and present themselves to us, all being the standard Two Staters who blame Hamas for everything. This requires some badly synced renditions of the order of affairs (with Israel not breaking the ceasefire) and their refusal to address the fact that it was Salafist groups and other even-more-extremists like Islamic Jihad firing rockets during the ceasefire was rather grating, especially after it was pointed out. All the same, it was brave of them to come along (I'm not sure I'd have done the same if a group of pro-Israelis occupied a faculty) and if we aren't engaging with our opponents we will never get a proper opportunity to turn them into our allies.

After this there was a film from an Israeli left group named Anarchists Against the Wall, which covered the first time the IDF gunned down an Israeli, and we also had to endure the arduous necessity of a few lengthy meetings; but that's democracy for you.

Most memorably Cambridge institution Unheard Of was hosted, for the first and most probably only time hosted in the Law Faculty ground floor foyer. The standard of performances was superb, which was especially striking given that it also ran for far longer than usual.

A piece which I should have performed but didn't have the balls to was written by Shelina Janmohamed, who blogs at the award-winning Spirit 21 and also writes for Comment is Free. Since I shamefully failed to muster the courage, the best I can do is post it up here. Strangely enough this poem was written on December 30th, the same day as the identically topicked poem performed by Decca, Unheard Of's chief organiser. Without further ado:

Black Heart, Red Hands, Clear Smile
You ask for it, you are a tease,
I know your wish
For me to crack your jaw
To slap your face
To scratch your skin
To leave my mark.

You're pushing me,
Unlocking your wrists
"You have no right,"
Your words are hissed
Through broken teeth
"You have no right."

You make me laugh,
Cheap homeless witch
With talk of 'rights'.
Our friends know me,
My sovereign strength,
They know I'm right.

Who'd hear your words,
Pathetic semite
Our friends know what to say:
"Stop pushing, girl,
It's not his fault,
But sovereign defence."

Sit quietly in your corner,
I've closed the walls,
The Pharaohs are my friends.
The sea is sealed
You have no rights, no worth,
Admit you long for me.

You look at me with children's eyes,
You ask for it
You bare your mother's breast to me,
Still asking for it
Your hands of tormented youth push me away,
You drive me to it.

Can't you see, it's not my fault,
You invoke my suffering on you.
Can't you see, it's not my fault,
You attack, I defend.
Can't you see, it's not my fault,
You make me do it, you make me do it.

2 comments:

  1. You didn't perhaps think that other people might hold differing views on this matter and that they have an equal right to be heard?

    What you are doing is tantamount to bullying - especially as you are denying the use of the facility to other students, many of whom have invested a great deal of their own money to study at Cambridge. Who will repay them? You? Your Parents?

    Selfish, stupid people. Grow up.

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