UPDATE X (2/27 9:20 AM): The Atlantic's Robert Wright gives a morning update of Fadi's sitaution: "Fadi Quran ... had his day in court today. It didn't go as well as I had hoped." He received an email from Israeli human rights activist Assaf Sharon, saying: "The hearing was held in the military court in Jerusalem. As usual, the security service presented a secret file to the court, to which Fadi's defense had no access. The judge saw the video but said that it does not prove that Fadi did not attack anyone prior to it (Palestinian = guilty until proven innocent). He will be detained until tomorrow when he'll appear in court again."
IX (2/27 7:34 AM): Great new profile of Fadi here in the Stanford Daily.
VIII (2/27 6:27 AM): According to a family member, Fadi has not been released after appearing before a judge early Monday. He is now being moved to Ofer detention facility, and he will have a second hearing tomorrow.
VII (2/26 6:28 PM): A new website has been created to advocate for Fadi: www.freefadi.org. Check it out. New story about Fadi here.
VI (2/26 1:27 PM): According to his family members, Fadi is being held in Moscowbya prison, not Ofer jail as previously reported.
V (2/26 7:23 EST): According to a family member, "We do not know much about him since his family is not allowed to see him or speak with him. His lawyer barely has access to him. As far as we know, his health is ok."
IV (2/26 6:25 EST): Fadi's trial has been postponed until Monday (2/27). It was originally scheduled for Sunday.
III (7:23 EST): Because of all your support, we've doubled the number of likes on the Free Fadi Quran campaign.
From Fadi's friend in contact with his lawyer: "It would be very helpful if this does not go down quietly. Mobilizing the Stanford community and his friends, maybe a wider letter campaign and mainly just getting the story out can all help connect people to the story whose support we might need later on to help Fadi."
READ and SHARE SHARE SHARE this story. Can we get to 1,000 LIKES by tonight? 10,000?
He does not deserve to sit in prison!
II (6:02 EST): Here's a Change.org petition started by Lila Kalaf which everyone should sign: http://chn.ge/y1aksO
I (11:15 EST): According to Fadi's friend who is in contact with his lawyer: "He is indeed held in Ofer jail, which is the military jail where Palestinians are imprisoned. He should be brought to court on Sunday, charged with battering a soldier. We hope he will be released then. Fadi was pepper sprayed and then took a bit of a beating in the jeep (as is customary), but the lawyer who met with him last night says he is doing well."
Palestinian nonviolent youth activist, PolicyMic pundit, and my close friend Fadi Quran was violently assaulted and arrested in Palestine on Friday. Fadi, a Stanford '10 graduate from the West Bank, was arrested in Hebron for allegedly pushing an Israeli soldier according to activists in Palestine.
Yesterday was his 24th birthday.
A video of the altercation (watch the full video here) shows Fadi visibly upset and gesticulating to Israeli soldiers, before being grabbed by multiple soldiers, pushed toward a police van, and pepper sprayed by Israeli security forces. Fadi's abdomen and head hit the rear bumper of the van, as soldiers attemped to put him inside of it. Quran is shown lying in the street behind the van in agony.
Quran could potentially spend months in prison without having charges filed against him.
I met Fadi on a trip to Ahmedabad, India, where we studied Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and nonviolence with a group of Stanford students on Gandhi's ashram. Fadi participated in the three-week academic seminar in order to learn concrete skills of nonviolent protest to take back to the West Bank.
Since graduating from Stanford with a double major in physics and international relations in 2010, Fadi returned to Palestine to work for an alternative energy company, study law at Birzeit University, and advocate for nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
TIME Magazine profiled Fadi in March 2011 and called him the "face of the new Middle East." In November 2010, he led a nonviolent bus protest (See photos here) modeled after the 1960s U.S. civil rights Freedom Riders to call attention to Israel's occupation and policies restricting Palestinians' freedom of movement. Fadi is an incredible person, a courageous activist, and living proof that Palestinians do, indeed, embrace nonviolence in their struggle against Israel.
As Robert Wright wrote in The Atlantic, "the traditional Israeli narrative -- that the absence of a solution is the fault of the Palestinians, so they'll have to live with it -- is going to run into trouble if people like Fadi Quran have their way."
Fadi visited the PolicyMic headquarters in last summer and inspired us all with his story:
On July 4th, I asked Fadi what our generation's revolutionary moment is. Here's what he responded:
"Our generation’s 1776 revolutionary moment will come when we change the institutional and structural frameworks that govern our everyday lives to reflect the true meaning of justice. The American Revolution was revolutionary because a governmental institution was created to reflect the essence of freedom: that people should have to power to set and change the laws and regulations that govern their day to day lives. Justice, in its essence, means that all people have equal and indefeasible claims to basic liberties, that all people have an equal opportunity to pursue happiness and achieve it, and that the least-advantaged in society are not left behind and ignored. The true essence of justice has yet to be reflected in any existing system of government. Moreover, the current global system of institutions and international relations is unabashedly unjust. Nonetheless, a new dawn of revolutions is rising from the ashes of Tunisia’s Boazizi, and as the old regimes crumble the youth of that region are given an opportunity to create a system of government that epitomizes justice. If they succeed, then that will be our generation’s 1776 moment."
Please help free Fadi Quran and get him home safely. There's currently a Free Fadi Quran Facebook page with more photos and background on his story, LIKE it here. Use the Facebook SHARE button below to spread his story.
Fadi lives by the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Stand up against this injustice.
Photo Credit: Fadi Quran
We do not know much about him since his family is not allowed to see him or speak with him. His lawyer barely has access to him. As far as we know, his health is ok.
The Discussion
Fadi has been released on bail. The struggle is not over yet, though...
Oh, no, Jake! This is heinous! Good on you for keeping us updated. I hope there's jsutice for Fadi and safety for all the peace activists.
Great article Jake! You are to be commended for doing an outstanding job of presenting a wealth information both on a professional and personal level. I'm sure your efforts in attracting attention by bringing awareness to this on-going struggle will serve Fadi Quran well. I hope he will be released soon.
It is tragic that some of mankind still resorts to such violence in its need to control and dominate.
Thank you for sharing Jake. This is truly a sad story. I met Fadi in New Year last year. Such a great young man. Free Fadi!
This is a regrettable circumstance.
If I may, I've found these references to be particularly helpful regarding the Arab-Israeli dilemma:
Fred Khoury's "The Arab-Israeli Dilemma"
Michael Oren's "Six Days of War" and "Power, Faith, and Fantasy"
Steve Posner's "Israel Undercover"
Dennis Ross' "The Missing Peace"
Avi Shlaim's "The Iron Wall"
and, for general background, anything by Karen Armstrong or Edward Said
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South Africa, anyone?
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I didn't realize that pointing was an arrestable offense. The Israeli Defense Force is constantly transgressing on the Human Rights of nonviolent pro-Palestinian supporters. The Israelis further demonstrate their inflated self-superiority when they place an unbalanced value of an Israeli life over Palestinians in a 1,000 to 1 inflation. Their treatment of Fadi Quran DEMANDS [non-violent] outrage from the world's supporters of free speech & press.
I'm glad to see people publicizing this even in the Atlantic. Our USQuagmire discussion list, 440 members, is available for any updates on him.
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This is just further example of the Israeli Defense Force from offensively transgressing upon the Human Rights of innocent activists. Fadi Quran is a brave individual for putting himself on the front lines of the Humanitarian battle field. I applaud his efforts to bring peace through awareness of the events going on in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. I cannot wait until I am in Jordan this summer, so I can follow in Fadi's foot steps too.
Tragic story. I hope that in his non-violent protest he works to convince his friends of Israel's right to exist and that nations who were supposed to provide territories for the creation of a Palestinian state will do so. I do hope for his release.
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Thanks for sharing this Jake. Fadi sounds like a wise and amazing guy, hope that he makes it out of this ok. Please keep us posted.
What the Palestinians should have been doing all along -- non-violent resistance. It beat the British, it beat Bull Connor. If you conditions are truly unconscionable, protest non-violently for change. That is what the Likudniks fear more than anything . . . not some suicide bombers.
@Yisrael Medad my brother does not help halt the rock throwing. He opts for another type of resistance aimed at the ISRAELI OCCUPATION. Get your facts straight. stones are not the equivalent of the tear gas, skunk, sound bombs, rubber and live bullets and illegally used pepper spray the IOF use
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I hope he will have success in halting Muslim rock-throwing incidents aimed at Jews and Christians on the Temple Mount (even on a Friday when Jews are not permitted to enter) or on Jews praying down below at the Western Wall.
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Awesome. Great profile.
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I am so sorry to hear this and will circulate widely. In the meantime, reach out to 972 Magazine for a guest post -- they cover similar issues frequently and will be happy to be of help. Also, tweet at @Elizrael @nvconflict @wagingnv to ask for support. Fadi sounds like an incredible human being and I will keep him in my thoughts. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
A courageous thing! I'll share his story with friends.
I do worry about his definition of justice, however: "Justice, in its essence, means that all people have equal and indefeasible claims to basic liberties, that all people have an equal opportunity to pursue happiness and achieve it, and that the least-advantaged in society are not left behind and ignored."
The great accomplishment of the American founding was the separation of governmental justice and private justice - a recognition that government alone does not share the burden of justice. The Founders argued that such an approach would always end in tyranny. The 19th and 20th centuries seem to stand behind them on that.
Regardless, he should be commended for all of his work.
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Thank you so much Jake for bringining this to our attention. Fadi is lucky to have a friend like you.
I actually recently read about the Palestinian Freedom Rides (a friend of mine actually participated in them) and I think it is absolutely amazing the work he has done. We need more nonviolent youth activists like Fadi Quran in Palestine and all over the world.