Sahar Baison, direct from Palestine! Room Number Four

ROOM NUMBER 4: Israeli Arrests of Palestinian children - Silwan, East Jerusalem

Sahar Abbasi Baidon is Deputy Director of Madaa Silwan Creative Center in Silwan, East Jerusalem, where she works with children who have been arrested by the Israeli army. She also runs the women's program and is the mother of four.
Room Number 4 is the name of the Israeli interrogation room at the Russian Compound Detention Center in Jerusalem.

Sahar will speak and show a stunning photo exhibit about the violations of Palestinian children's rights, accompanied by the children's written testimonies:

"They left me in the room for 5 hours with my hands tied behind my back and legs tied to each other. When I refused to confess, they slapped me and tightened my hand ties even more." - 15-year-old prisoner

Children and families in Silwan face constant violence-both physical and psychological. Armed settlers are taking over Palestinian homes and land; these settlers often harass and viciously attack Palestinians on the street. Meanwhile bulldozers carry out "administrative demolitions" which leave many homeless and threaten thousands more. And hundreds of people each year-including children as young as six and many, many teenagers-are arrested, beaten, and tortured by Israeli police.

Benefit for the Madaa Silwan Creative Center, to raise funds for a staff psychologist to support the children and their families after the trauma of arrests, home demolitions and violence.

This event is a collaboration between Middle East Children's Alliance & Art Forces
Cosponsored by Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Friends of Sabeel North America, and Jewish Voice for Peace/Bay Area.

For info: http://www.mecaforpeace.org, 510-548-0542.