Rehearsed Reading of THERE IS A FIELD in Derry on 10th Anniversary of Asel’s killing.
The Bloody Sunday March Committee is honoured to be opening this year’s programme of events with a panel discussion that connects Palestine, Ireland and Black Lives Matter. It will do this through the lens of two stories of egregious state injustice:
Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 and
October 2000 within Palestinian lands under Israeli control since 1948.
Although separated by thousands of miles, there are multiple connections but key amongst them for the families caught up in the stories, how both states, through their mechanisms of ‘accountability’ are literally getting away with mass murder. This despite protracted campaigns for justice in each case.
Murdered In October 2000
To tune attendees into the Palestinian connection we are providing access to the film There Is A Field for 48 hours in advance of the event (From Saturday 23rd at 7.30pm)
LINK TO WATCH THE FILM Passcode: Bloody Sunday
This is a film by Jen Marlowe and focuses on the dramatic telling by Black Lives Matter activists of Asel Aslih’s story, a young Palestinian who was murdered by Israeli forces. This is a one-minute trailer to There Is A Field.
Asel Asleh was shot in the back at point blank range on 2 October 2000 at the onset of demonstrations that erupted within territory controlled by Israel since 1948, alongside the Second Intifada in the West Bank and Gaza. Asel was one of 13 Palestinians inside ’48 shot dead over three days by Israel security forces. Musleh abu Jarad was 19 years old and from Gaza. He had a permit to work within the green line. The other 12 including Asel were Palestinians with Israeli citizenship (those not driven out when Israel was created). He was 17 at the time of his murder.
To tune attendees into the Derry connection and to give some insight into Bloody Sunday itself, see this link to SUNDAY, which tells the story through the community that that suffered it. It was written by Jimmy McGovern for Channel 4 Television and first broadcast in 2002 to some 2 million people across the the UK and Ireland.
But it is the new film, that will be integral to the discussion. As well as telling Asel’s story it explores the power of intersectionality, what can be gained from getting outside our own struggles, seeing connections and coming to a wider understanding. It documents the process of Black Lives Matter activists in the USA performing Asel’s story.
On the panel will be Hassan and Jamilla Aslih, Asel’s parents together with his sister Siwar.
Jamilla Aslih was in Derry back in 2007 when as part of the Bloody Sunday programme of events that year we screened the Irish Premier of October’s Cry The film powerfully documents Asel’s story and his family’s fight for justice. Jamilla then took part in the 2007 Bloody Sunday March.
So this event continues an important bond that has been forged in struggle and to some degree fulfils a promise that some of us made that we would some day bring Asel’s father Hassan to Derry too (all be it only virtually at this time).
On the panel from Derry will be Kate Nash, Linda Nash and Liam Wray.
Liam’s brother Jim Wray was shot in almost identical circumstances to Asel’s during Bloody Sunday. He was shot in the back at point blank range as he lay already wounded in Glenfada Park. He was 22 at the time of his murder. Soldier F has been charged with his killing, the only British Soldier to be charged for his actions on the day.
William Nash was shot dead at a rubble barricade adjacent to Glanfada Park that ran across Rossville Street and marked the edge of the Free Derry Area. His father Alex Nash was shot and wounded going out to come to his aid. He was 19 at the time of his murder.
We are honoured to announce that Jen Marlowe who made the film will also be on the panel. We staged her play There Is A Field which is depicted in the film, in 2010 in Pilot’s Row Community Centre. This was in response to Jen’s call for communities across the world to perform a rehearsed reading of the play on the 10th anniversary of the killings. Jen is a beautiful example of artists putting their art at the service of justice.
Kate and Linda Nash took part in the rehearsed reading along with Liam Wray. Kate played Asel’s mother Jamilla and Liam played his father Hassan. Linda took the role of an Israeli shopkeeper.
The discussion will be facilitated by Jim Keys.
The difficulty of being Palestinian in the UK