Israeli Elections Come and Go, But Israel Remains an Outlaw State
A Palestinian family reacts after Israeli bulldozers demolished their home in the Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, Feb. 5, 2013. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Two Views: Israel’s Parliamentary Elections
Newly elected Israeli Knesset member Yair Lapid (l), leader of the Yesh Atid party, speaks to Naftali Bennett, head of the hard-line national religious party the Jewish Home, during a Feb. 5 reception in Jerusalem marking the opening of the 19th Knesset. (URIEL SINAI/GETTY IMAGES)
Richard H. Curtiss (1927-2013) Devoted His Life to Telling People Stories
Richard Curtiss at work in his Washington Report office. (STAFF PHOTO D. HANLEY)
Israeli License to Cheney-Linked Energy Firm on Golan Heights Raises Eyebrows
Then-Vice President Dick Cheney (l) and Likud chairman Benyamin Netanyahu, out of office at the time and serving as the official Israeli opposition leader, at a March 23, 2008 breakfast meeting at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Peace at Last in the Southern Philippines?
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III (r) shares candies with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim during a Feb. 11 visit to the rebels’ stronghold in Sultan Kudarat on the island of Mindanao. (KARLOS MANLUPIG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Two Palestinian, Israeli Documentaries Depict Evils of Military Occupation
Emad Burnat views his five broken cameras in his documentary of the same name. (PHOTO COURTESY KINO LORBER)
January/February 2012, Pages 46-47
Human Rights
Iqraa' Runs for Palestinian Education
Kirk Campbell (l) with Iqraa’ runners. (Photo Courtesy UPA)
Iqraa', a D.C. running club, participated in the Oct. 15 Baltimore marathon and in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC Oct. 30 to raise money for Palestinian education. Iqraa' means "read" in Arabic and is an appropriate name for the running group, as it was founded in 2008 to raise funds for educational projects in Gaza and the West Bank.
Each runner found sponsors to contribute to the United Palestinian Appeal (UPA), a DC-based NGO founded in 1978 to help improve Palestinian lives amid occupation and economic stagnation.
According to UPA, this year Iqraa' raised $10,500, with additional funds still to come in from those who volunteered to cheer the runners and help at the marathons. It is estimated that the final total will be about $12,000.
Half of the funds will go toward scholarships for Palestinian students to attend Gaza universities, including the University of Palestine, the Islamic University of Gaza, the University College of Applied Sciences, and Al-Azhar University; the other half will support after-school tutoring for special education students at the Spafford Children's Hospital in East Jerusalem's Old City.
Iqraa' is part of the Marathon Charity Cooperation, a group of 14 charities that operate for varying causes, including the Burma Humanitarian Mission, the Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking, and the Association for India's Development.
The runners begin training in the spring of each year. Those interested in donating money, volunteering at this coming year's marathons, or joining the Iqraa' team are invited to contact club organizer Kirk Campbell at < This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. >, or to visit UPA's Web site at <www.helpupa.org/iqraa>.
—Deena Zaru
