The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 12, 1989 - Page 3
Sociologist explains roots of
Intifada-Palestinian uprising
BY MICAH SCHMIT
Burning the Palestinian shanty on the Diag, criti-
cizing the Daily's progressive stance on the Pales-
tinian uprising, and spray painting racist remarks on
the wall of the Student Publications Building are dis-
couraging incidents because they stifle debate, said
Steve Ghannam, member of the General Union of
Palestinian Students (GUPS), before introducing
Samih Farsoun.
The answer to the Palestinian Question is very
simple: end occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
strip, and allow Palestinian self-determination, said
Farsoun, Chair of the Sociology Department at Amer-
ican University in Washington, D.C.
The Palestinian uprising, also known as the In-
tifada, is significant both locally - within the West
Bank and Gaza strip - and regionally, said Farsoun
who spoke last night in the Law School's Hutchins
Hall on The Social Roots of the Palestinian Uprising.
Regionally, Israel has exhibited division within its
own political infrastructure similar to that seen in
France during the Algerian civil war and in the United
States during the Vietnam war, Farsoun said.
Moreover, he continued, the large overseas Jewish
community, particularly in the U.S. and Great Britain,
no longer stands solidly behind each decision Israel
makes.
The roots of the Intifada lie in Israel's colonization
of the occupied territories, Farsoun said. For the past
20 years Israel has attempted to prevent any Pales-
tinian political assembly or activism in the West Bank
and Gaza strip.
In addition to collective punishments, such as de-
molitions, current "Iron Fist" policies by Israel toward
the Palestinians include acts of humiliation such as
making people "crawl on all fours and bark like a dog"
or "kiss the rump of an ass," he said.
He estimates 400,000 Palestinians out of a total
population of only 1.4 million have been incarcerated
in Israeli jails during the past 20 years for political ac-
tivism - "this would include almost everyone of pro-
ductive age during their lifetime."
Furthermore, Farsoun said, the Palestinians in the
occupied territories are being economically and cultur-
ally "squeezed."
For example, water usage per capita in Israel is 20
times that in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Cultural repression, he said, even extends to control
over the books taught in Palestinian schools. Artists
may not use the four colors of the Palestinian flag -
black, white, red and green - together.
Even if the uprising were to end now, Farsoun said,
the momentum of social injustice against the Pales-
tinians would be irreversible. "It can never go back to
the way it was before."
Foes of
ash bill
Ise
Capitala
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Crit-
ics of a bill to ease regulation of:
toxic ash produced by municipal
trash-burners descended on the state
Capital yesterday, arguing the mea-
sure would produce a new pollution
threat in Michigan.
The opponents rallied with shouts
and signs at the Capitol building,
then packed a Senate committee
hearing where many continued their
criticism of the House-passed mea-
The Natural Resources and Envi-
ronmental Affairs Committee de-
layed any action on the bill.
The measure would permit incin-
erator ash, which has been shown to
contain toxic chemicals, to be buried
in specially constructed units in
solid waste landfills.
Otherwise, the ash would have to
be buried in more protective and
more expensive hazardous waste
I andfil Is.
The problem of how to dispose of
the ash has shut down at least two
municipal incinerators, in Jackson
and in Macomb County's Clinton
Township.
Meanwhile, Detroit's $438 mil-
lion incinerator was scheduled to
open this spring, and Grand Rapids
also planned a trash-burner.
"We in Jackson started out seven
years ago to get away from landfill-
ing," said state Rep. Michael Grif-
fin, (D-Jackson), and sponsor of the
bill.
JESSICA GREENE/Daily
Samih Farsoun, Chair of the Sociology department at American
University, spoke on the social roots of the Palestinian uprising last
night. He cited mass, unilateral oppression as its principle catalyst.
Men's Glee Club to tour Far East this spring
BY STEPHEN SCHWEIGER
The University's oldest student
organization, the Men's Glee Club,
will be touring the Far East this
spring.
Their program will consist of
music from various cultural back-
grounds, ranging from opera to
Asian folk music to the Michigan
fight song.
Glee Club president Hamilton
Chang said "we are carrying on the
Michigan tradition. This is the only
chance that many of the students
will have to see the culture of the
Orient. This might also be the only
chance for the people of the Orient
to meet U of M students."
The May 1989 "Orient Tour" will
mark the Glee Club's first visit to
the Far East since the organization's
1969 World tour. Every fourth year
the club travels abroad for concerts.
Four years ago the club toured Eu-
rope. The club also takes smaller
continental tours during the three
year interim between major tours.
Last year, the club toured the North-
eastern United States, visiting
Boston, Hartford, New York,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh.
The club's trip to Asia will in-
clude joint concerts with Taipai
Municipal Teachers College, Na-
tional Sun Yat-sen University, the
University of Kyoto, Kwansei
Gakuin University and Ewha
Women's University. They will also
be performing for U-M Alumni
Clubs in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan
and Korea.
"The alumni support is extremely
strong around the world. We will be
housed and fed by alumni on our trip
to the Orient," said Chang.
The club's alumni strength was
exemplified on their visit to Traverse
City Michigan earlier this year. The
money that alumni raised from the
concert was donated to a scholarship
fund to help financially needy stu-
dents attend the University.
The travel costs of the trip have
been covered by the money raised at
two Hill Auditorium performances
this year, in addition to fees paid by
the members of the Glee Club.
The club has been acclaimed as
one of the best male choruses in the
world.
Michigan auto thefts on the downswing
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michigan has tumbled from first to sixth, and
that's good news for state police fighting car
theft.
Tougher laws, more money and new technol-
ogy have contributed to lowering the number of
car thefts in the state to 68,415 in 1987, the lat-
est year available for the national figures. In
1984, Michigan topped the national list with
78,006 cars reported stolen.
In each year since then, the number of cars
stolen has decreased, dropping to 67,211 last
year.
"Auto theft was always considered a non-vio-
lent crime, an insurance problem," said Val Vi-
tols, executive director of the Automobile Theft
Prevention Authority, a branch of the state po-
lice.
It didn't take long for that insurance problem
to become a financial problem for policy holders
as companies increased premiums to cover their
losses.
The problem increased in the early 1980s be-
cause of the value of spare parts and lack of po-
lice attention cause partly by skinny budgets.
Five years ago, the state Legislature began pass-
ing laws to deal with the problem.
In 1986, a law went on the books cling on
every policyholder to contribute $1 a year to a
fund to help local policies agencies deal with au-
tomobile thefts.
Study: Americans fear defense spending
Do Supren
nely On Your Finals!!
SUPREME COURSE
TRANSCRIPTS
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) -
The spread of nuclear weapons, the
environment and the federal deficit
are the most serious threats to the
national security, according to a 12-
region study of national attitudes re-
leased Tuesday.
The Roosevelt Center for Ameri-
can Policy Studies in Washington,
D.C., surveyed 907 people nation-
wide, including about 80 in the
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area, and
found that sentiment toward defense
spending and national security has
shifted dramatically from attitudes of
the 1950s and '60s.
Results of the study, which will both local and national respondents, choice, Third World poverty and op-
be forwarded to the Bush administra- as was the second perceived threat, pression. On a national scale, do-
tion, showed that the attitudes of environmental issues such as global mestic social concerns were listed as
Michigan residents closely matches warming and toxic wastes. the nation's third most serious threat
those of the rest of the nation. to security. "Communist
The Reagan and Bush administra- Local residents differed form na- aggression" was listed as the least
tion's increase in defense spending. tional respondents in their third most serious threat.
was rejected by a large majority of
respondents, with 93 percent of local
residents preferring plans either to CLASSIFIED ADS! Call 764-0557
adjust military spending only for in-
flation or putting the Defense
Department on a three-year diet.
The proliferation of nuclear and:.. .
chemical weapons was listed as the s:::.::.:::.:::.;....
biggest threat to national security by E E0-Eu a / 4 I
. .. . . . I
LS&A Lecture Notes For the Entire Semester
Call for Available Classes
I
AVAILABLE AT:
*lpIliiphiu,!
715 N. University " 663-6816
Upstairs from Jacques and Mrs. Peabody's
Between Moe's and Comerica
CORRECTION:
Chris Jones will be president of the Black Student Union through April 19.
The Daily misstated this in an article yesterday.
IHealth & Fitness- 4JI
JOSTENS
GOLD RING SALE
IS COMING!
THE
LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Speakers
"Mayan Indians, Religion, and
Ritual" - Prof. Watanabe, 2412
Mason Hall, 7 pm. Discussion fol-
lows.
"The US and Israel: New
Administrations and New Negotia-
tions" - Israel Consul General Uri
Bar-Ner, Hillel, 7:30 pm.
"Z/Z Borges' 'Emma Zunz',
Midrash and Ecriture Feminine"
- Bernard McGuirk, W. Confer-
ence, Rackham, 7 pm.
Meetings
International Student Affairs
Committee - MSA Office, Michi-
gan Union, 7:30 pm.
Indian & Pakistani-American
Students' Council - Michigan
Rm., Michigan.Union, 6:30 pm.
Ann Arbor Coalition Against Rape
- Community Access, 7-8:30 pm.
U of M Archery Club - Coliseum,
8-10 pm.
U of M Shorin-Ryu Karate - 2275
Furthermore
English Peer Counseling - 4000A
Michigan Union, 7-9 pm. Help with
papers and other English related
questions.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
- Mon-Fri, 11 am-5 pm. Fourth
floor lobby, Michigan Union. Free
tax help.
Peer Writing Tutors -611 Church
St. Computing Center, 7-11 pm.
ECB trained.
Northwalk - Sun-Thur, 9 pm-1
am. Call 763-WALK or stop by
3224 Bursley.
Safewalk - Sun-Thur, 8 pm-1:30
am; Fri-Sat, 8-11:30 pm. Call 936-
1000 or stop by 102 UGLi.
Performances
Big Box of Nines/Ragnar Kvaran
- At the Beat, doors open at 9:30
pm.
Residence Hall Repetory Theatre's
"On Your Mark, Get Set, Go...But
Where?".- Alice Llovd . 1ue Car-
Order your college ring NOW.
Stop by and see a Jostens representative,
Monday, April 10-thru Friday, April 14,
11- nn m- #n n- %
! IN V v VlA MAi!IL r1' 1r.Ji~ I