At Durban II: Jewish students in solidarity with Darfurian refugees

Yesterday morning began with the troubling news that we, the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), lost our United Nations accreditation. What did we do to deserve this punishment? We were not the clowns.

As we listened to our group leader explaining why the UN revoked our badges, he was interrupted by an urgent announcement: we could not leave our (heavily guarded) regular meeting area because of possible security threats. Rumors circulated that the United Nations revoked our accreditation because of related security concerns but they turned out to be untrue. After an hour of waiting indoors, we found out that thanks to behind-the-scenes diplomacy, our badges were returned and that we received "clearance" to return to the United Nations' conference. However, no sufficient explanation for the revocation was granted.

Let a lesson be learned on this day: When the Jewish nation speaks up, in a rare and too-often-unseen act of defiance, they are harshly (and unjustly) reprimanded. If only such efficiency and swiftness were characteristic of the United Nations, the ongoing (six years and more than 500,000 lives later!) Darfurian genocide would have never occurred.

Leaving our meeting area, I entered one of the many conference rooms to hear a panel discussion called, "Racism - The Road to Genocide," where speakers detailed various racially motivated genocides of the past century. One speaker in particular, Dr. Charles Small, director of The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism, called for a standing moment of silence in remembrance of the Holocaust. An elderly man from the Neuteri Karta and his compatriots of an Iranian NGO remained seated, in flagrant disregard for the universal sanctity of human life (Dr. Small notably reprimanded them for their indecency before he continued with his address).
 
After the lecture, we entered the hallway, only to find that it was abuzz with commotion. And then I saw it: the infamous clown wig, floating above a sea of people.
 
A group of students had strategically placed themselves throughout various NGO events. One-by-one, they arose from hiding and declared, "Masquerade! Masquerade!" And one-by-one, they were escorted out of the conference by officers to the applause of their friends, and the boos of their enemies. Whether you agree or disagree with their tactics, they must be commended for taking (peaceful) action and embracing the consequences. For this reason, their message was successfully conveyed.
 
After the chants of the clowns were no more, we made our way to the Place des Nations, where we organized a rally for Darfur with a large group of Darfurian refugees. United by our humanness, the EUJS delegation stood together with Muslim refugees of Darfur, at the entrance of the United Nations, proclaiming: "Stop Genocide in Darfur! Shame, Shame, al-Bashir! It's not too late, to save Darfur!"

The Darfurian refugees all had tears in their eyes as their heartrending calls for help ascended from their hearts and departed from their lips, hoping that someone, somewhere was listening. We moved the rally closer to the street, now facing the entryway of the United Nations, and our calls of 'Save Darfur' grew louder. As cars drove by and honked in solidarity, our calls grew still louder. Watching the Darfurian refugees march up and down the street, disregarding the oncoming traffic, and dancing in a trance-like state, I knew that their message (our message!), would be heard, somewhere.

As he hoisted the sign above his head, the Darfurian refugees who have for too long been ignored by the likes of this lone Iranian man, rushed over to him and flooded his disingenuous message with their own. Immediately, a group of United Nations police rushed over to the hullabaloo, grabbed the Iranian man, handcuffed him, and dragged him away to revel in his mockery.

Whatever the charge, justice was served. May it be this way for anyone who maliciously attempts to silence the real victims of this world.