Mobilize for Cincinnati this fall and stand with Rasmea Odeh at her appeal

We are calling on you to join the Week of Justice for Rasmea Odeh between Tuesday, September 8 and Monday, September 14, 2015. We need you to organize support for this 68-year-old Palestinian women, a victim of Israeli torture and U.S. government injustice.

When Rasmea Odeh is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!

The outrageous arrest, trial, and sentencing of Rasmea Odeh is a political attack on Arab Americans and Palestinians, on Muslims, and on anti-war and international solidarity activists. While the charges being appealed deal with minor problems on her immigration application, the truth is this is a political trial about U.S. Empire. The U.S. government is acting viciously, spending millions of tax dollars targeting a victim of Israeli military torture.

Despite the unfairness, with you we can continue to beat back this political attack, and prevent an icon of the Palestinian freedom struggle from going to prison or being deported.

Living in Chicago for 20 years now, Rasmea Odeh is surrounded by friends, family and community. For her work serving Arab American women and their families in need, she won many awards and public recognition. The U.S. government began targeting Rasmea Odeh after the FBI raids and grand jury investigation on the Antiwar 23!

Angela Davis, who recently spoke to 500 people at a Chicago rally, said in her solidarity statement, “As a person with first-hand knowledge of the devastation wrought by politically motivated prosecutions — during the era of COINTELPRO, I was falsely charged with three capital offenses — I see Rasmea Odeh’s case as a continuation of the embarrassing history of decades of suppression of social justice activists in the U.S.”

Solidarity! Solidarity! Solidarity!

Rasmea Odeh’s fight is not a one sided battle with predetermined outcomes. Solidarity makes a big difference! It was solidarity that forced Judge Borman, with financial, political and family ties to Israel, to step down from the case last year. It was solidarity that made reporters show up to cover the 200 people protests in front of the Detroit courts. It was solidarity that found out Rasmea Odeh was being held in solitary confinement and got her out again.

If you care about peace and justice, if you oppose political repression, then you need to act. If you support Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions that target the U.S. government and corporations propping up Israel Apartheid, then this is for you! You can join the Week of Justice for Rasmea and help overturn this judicial travesty by the U.S. government.

What: Week of Justice for Rasmea Odeh
When: September 8 thru September 14, 2015, pick your day and time
Where: Around your city, on your campus, at your holy place, in your community
Who: People of good will with great determination, in other words you and your friends

Activities you can plan for where you live:

  • Postering and leafleting campaign amongst anti-war and community groups, with students on campus, and in progressive places: Here’s a link to the poster.
  • Speak out rallies on campus with a banner, a bullhorn, and the Rasmea Odeh leaflet
  • Forums or education events, using the Rasmea Odeh and defense attorney Michael Deutsch video update at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW7YOGSiPeU&feature=youtu.be
  • Rasmea Odeh fundraisers in the form of dinners, parties, or get-togethers with speakers.
  • Banner drops in student centers or public places with leafleting.
  • Art showings or an exhibition on political movements and torture.
  • Group prayers for Rasmea Odeh and her victory
  • Street corner outreach at busy intersections, at events, or where politicians are speaking
  • Social media promotion of the Rasmea Odeh week of action activities on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

 

Mobilize to Cincinnati, Ohio in the Fall for the Rasmea Odeh Appeal

The September 8 week of activity will build and help mobilize us for Rasmea Odeh’s court appeal in Cincinnati, Ohio in the fall. We are making travel and hotel plans now for a weekday in the fall when the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in session. We need to gather activists willing to drive or fly to Cincinnati, and to wake early for a morning rally and witnessing of the appeals arguments.
Rallying location:
Court of Appeals
(540 Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse)
100 East Fifth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

For more info on the appeal, check out this article.

Or go to: http://justice4rasmea.org/