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Jeremy
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Letter in solidarity with the Zapatista Struggle
From the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition of New York City, USA.
July, 2005
Zapatista sisters and brothers,
From the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition of New York City, USA, we write to you as men, women, students, workers, activists, family and friends who express our absolute and unwavering loving solidarity to you, our indigenous Zapatista sisters and brothers in the struggle for human dignity, democracy and justice. We feel a strong need to express this solidarity with you, particularly now in this heightened state of alert and anxiety you are currently in. This solidarity, as you know, was not born when the recent red alert was issued, nor was our decision to express it. Our solidarity with you is not new, and we pledge to continue to honor it because you are simple people like we, yearning to live simple lives in a rather complicated world. As Zapatista sisters and brothers, your hearts seek justice and as Comandante Che would say, they naturally and proudly “tremble indignation at every injustice.” Your movement is such an intelligent, skilled, educated and principled resistance which speaks from a humble and unified voice, that will let no bomb, bullet, government, system, intimidation tactic or obstacle of any sort hinder. We not only are touched and influenced by your humble word, your incentive, your communities, your caracoles, your communiqués, your advanced culture, the children, the women, the elders, your resistance, and all of what is your righteous identity, but we are inspired and express our ultimate solidarity with you. And not only do we express this, for the reasons given above, the reasons that appear below and the many reasons that may not even be mentioned in this letter, but for your naturally uncompromising support and defense of our brother, and brother to all struggling people everywhere, Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Despite the repressive dangers you are well aware of (which frighten many potentially supportive people and organizations), you have acted in the most extraordinary, respectful and bravest of ways in defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Your voice has always been powerful and indignant yet humble and humane with concern for Mumia, and this has done great good in our struggle. The beautiful letter written by Subcomandante Marcos for Mumia’s 45th birthday is a treasured piece of history in our movement, not to mention international movements of which this letter has attracted the attention. We have watched from afar as Mumia’s name has been integrated into Zapatista culture and language, and how his struggle has become present in your general resistance. Here in the United States, Zapatista supporters are found among the crowd at rallies and protests that we host in defense of Mumia and all political prisoners. As Mumia is forgotten in far too many cities and by far too many politicians, he is certainly not by Zapatistas. In fact he is so remembered that in Marcos’s most recent letter to Don Massimo Moratti of Milan International A.C., he announced that if the Zapatista soccer team is to travel to the United States, the dream team will carry a banner which will read, “Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier.”
Your participation in our movement is so significant and precious that we even struggle in our explanation of it. We respect your courage to such a high degree that it cannot be measured, and the great work you have done and continue to do is so important that it, too, is immeasurable because of its infinite greatness. We take our inspiration and leadership from Mumia himself, who has said about you, in his commentaries and conversations, many great things. What you are doing is helping to keep Mumia alive and also to fulfill one of our goals, which is to live in a world where it is impossible for people to be victimized, like Mumia and every Zapatista has been, for being human and living out dignified lives as proud human beings with a culture and an identity.
And to live in such a world it is necessary to follow your example of never wavering, compromising, nor closing our hearts to our partners and their valuable efforts, whether they are local, national, international or intergalactic. While we have learned very much, there is much more learning to do. While we have fought, there is much more fighting to do. While we have progressed, there are many more ways in which we can still progress and though we have built, there is much more building to do. This is also why we share our voice with you, our Zapatista sisters and brothers in the struggle against oppression. Let us say that our struggle is yours, and that yours is ours. Let us continue to learn from each other’s intelligence, on separate fronts and battlefields, against the same enemy.
As it has done to you, the enemy has attacked with a vicious series of offensives. As you know, it first attacked with its blood-stained fists, feet and bullets in the attempted murder of Mumia on December 9, 1981. It then attacked, as you know, using its racist and corrupt lawyers, prosecutors, judges and laws in “Mumia’s” trials and court appearances that followed. Now the enemy continues to attack through its process of extermination with a long and tiring paperwork offensive of legal documents forbidding inclusion in the record, time after time, of any evidence which proves prosecutorial misconduct, judicial misconduct or Mumia’s innocence. And as it has done to your supporters, it has consistently attacked us as Mumia’s supporters. Certainly not as intensely and fundamentally as you are, but we, too, are constantly harassed, intimidated, infiltrated and even physically assaulted by police officers, politicians and their thug supporters who are incapable of being brought to justice, due to their political positions of high office and status. In this sense, we are also Zapatistas and again send our solidarity to you, because we, too, are forced too often to live in fear of attack.
As we are sure you are well aware, the system that framed Mumia is a perverted system, whose foundation is one of robbery, conquest, racism and slavery and whose actions have been forever consistent with this foundation. It is the same system that committed genocide on the Natives who first walked the land that this system has gobbled up. It is the same system that titled these dignified indigenous peoples as “merciless savages” in its own declaration of independence. It is the same system that tried to scientifically prove all races inferior to the white race through pseudo-scientific theories. It is the same system that became rich from a racist transatlantic slave trade. It is the system that entertained its citizens by lynching these African captives at public gatherings and continues to entertain its citizens by displaying the descendents of these slaves on television as gangsters and thugs who kill each other in music videos. It is the system that polluted the water and cut down the trees and in their place put industrial factories made out of ugly steel, city halls, court houses, churches and prisons, which are all more powerful and destructive than ever. It is the system that covers truth with lies, labels freedom as terror and the fight to obtain it, terrorism. We do not forget when on August 8, 1978, this system tried to eliminate the MOVE organization by ordering the Philadelphia police to flood the basement of their humble house, fire thousands of rounds of bullets at it and imprison, for the rest of their lives, all of those who crawled out of the rubble in order to survive the assault. And we certainly do not forget when on May 13, 1985, the same system of exploitation dropped a bomb on the MOVE house in Philadelphia, killing 11 men, woman and children and their beloved animals.
We feel strongly that the system that oppresses you as Zapatistas is the same system that oppresses Mumia (and his supporters). And we recognize that not only has it tried to eliminate oppressed people in the U.S.A., but it has and continues to try to eliminate the Indigenous of the Mexican Southeast as well, and not to mention, struggling people wherever they may exist. You and we know that the system is not limited to one continent or one people but is exploitative of all nations, all lands and all people of good will from all corners of the earth.
As Zapatistas you are seekers for justice, and as Mumia supporters we are also. Those denying both the Zapatistas and Mumia fundamental human rights are implementing the same system of exploitation. So together let us dance in the same dance and march together in the same march as we watch this system fall to ashes and crumble to the ground. We welcome you to travel to the United States to meet with us and to be included in a meeting, convention, rally, march or whatever it may be. If you are interested, arrangements can be made to the best of our capability according to your needs. We would love to host a delegation of Zapatista supporters. We have read the Sixth Declaration from the Lacondona Jungle, and as your arms are open for support, ours are for you anytime. In the meantime, the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition of New York City, USA, presents you with a token of our love, some “Free Mumia Abu-Jamal and All Political Prisoner” T-shirts.
Forgive the length of this solidarity message. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of one of our comrades possibly meeting you directly. We therefore spoke from our hearts and extended our love and solidarity in the personal way we feel it.
As you say it, we do as well…
Democracy, Liberty and Justice!
Free Mumia and All Political Prisoners!
ON A MOVE!
-THE FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION OF NEW YORK CITY, USA
Website: www.freemumia.com
E-mail: info at freemumia.com
Telephone: 1-212-330-8029
P.S. We also congratulate you on the second anniversary of the formation of the Caracoles! This democratic example is something we could surely use in the United States!