(Mainz, 20.08.2008) Während vierzig Internationale mit dem Boot von Zypern nach Gaza fahren, um ein Zeichen zu setzen (siehe www.freegaza.org), spielt im Hintergrund ein Lied: der Free Gaza Song. Wer ihn spielt und einsendet, kann beim Free Gaza Song Contest gewinnen. Alle Details stehen unter www.anis-online.de/office/events/FreeGazaSong.htm. Hintergrund: Der Gazastreifen am östlichen Mittelmeer wird von Europa als besetztes Gebiet eingeschätzt, während Israel sagt, seine Truppen seien abgezogen und damit die Verantwortung für die Zustände ablehnt. Die 1,5 Millionen Bewohner des dicht bevölkerten kleinen Küstenstreifens werden durch eine strenge Blockade kollektiv für Aggressionen von Einzelnen und von Gruppen bestraft, die wiederum ihre Ursachen oft in der Enteignung der Palästinenser und des 60-jährigen Unrechts haben. Die Wasserqualität im Gazastreifen ist katastrophal und es sind mehr als 200 Menschen wegen mangelnder medizinischer Versorgung gestorben. Die Wirtschaft ist so gut wie zum Erliegen gekommen, die Arbeitslosenquote ist derzeit die höchste der Welt und die programmierten Streitigkeiten zwischen der gewählten Hamas und der von vielen mächtigen Staaten unterstützten Fatah erschweren die Lage für die Zivilbevölkerung weiter. Jeder, der zufällig in Gaza lebt, ist diesem Schicksal ausgesetzt, das den Menschenrechten klar widerspricht.

Die „Free Gaza“ und die „Liberty“ segeln auf Einladung aus Gaza von Zypern los, ohne israelische Gewässer zu befahren oder israelische Häfen anzulaufen. Sie bringen 200 Hörgeräte mit, die dort benötigt werden, lassen Ballons als Zeichen für Freiheit steigen und möchten den Weg für weitere Boote öffnen. Aus Israel hört man widersprüchliche Reaktionen: Einerseits hat das israelische Außenministerium kürzlich offiziell den humanitären Charakter der gewaltlosen Aktion anerkannt, andererseits titeln die Zeitungen Haaretz und Jerusalem Post zum Teil bedrohlich Klingendes. Der maritimen Free-Gaza-Gruppe ist dies einerlei: Sie fährt nach Gaza. Mehr als 200 internationale Organisationen und Persönlichkeiten unterstützen sie dabei und Millionen sind mit ihnen.

Und wie kommt es zum Song Contest? Zum Webteam der FreeGaza.org-Homepage gehört seit einem Jahr der Songwriter Anis aus Deutschland. Er hat einige der Teilnehmer persönlich kennen gelernt und ihm fiel am 1. August während eines Federballspiels der Free Gaza Song ein. Es handelt sich um eine eingängige Melodie, die leicht zu singen und zu spielen ist und die genug Raum für individuelle Interpretationen lässt. So entstand gleichzeitig der Free GazaSong Contest, denn Anis sagt in seiner Videobotschaft: „Vielleicht habt ihr eine Band oder eine andere Sprache oder etwas anderes.“

Zu gewinnen gibt es unter anderem mehrere 12-teilige Sets „Before their Diaspora“-Bilder (DIN A3, siehe www.anis-online.de/bilder/stadtansichten/before_their_diaspora.htm) sowie Postkarten-Sets derselben Serie, eine DVD „The Sons of Eilaboun“ von Hisham Zreiq und eine DVD des Filmemachers Osama Qashoo, der mit an Bord nach Gaza ist. Zu den ersten Reaktionen auf den Song Contest gehören eine Videoantwort von Free-Gaza-Mitgliedern, aufgenommen in Zypern(http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=2mjwuvWHHG4), eine Einspielung der Musiker Angelika Wagener (Cello) und Ofer Golany (aus Jerusalem) sowie eine punkige Rock'n'Roll-Version von Lars RO aus Kopenhagen.

Anis schrieb zwei weitere Lieder für Free Gaza, die inzwischen alle als Studioaufnahmen vorliegen. Zum Vers „You say it's all about a security risk / and you don't read no Chomsky, you don't read no Fisk / and I got Gaza on my mind and you tell me why.“ schrieb Professor Noam Chomsky in einer Email: „Sehr froh, den Song zu sehen, und sehr erfreut, mit Fisk verknüpft zu werden, besonders bei einem Unternehmen, das so mutig und notwendig ist wie dieses.“

(Mainz, August 20, 2008) While forty internationals sail with a boat from Cyprus to Gaza to take a stand (see www.freegaza.org), there is a song playing in the background: the Free Gaza Song. Whoever plays and submits this song can win in the Free Gaza Song Contest.

Background: The Gaza Strip borders the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and is regarded by Europe as an occupied territory, whereas Israel says that its troops have withdrawn, thus denying responsibility for the situation. The 1.5 million inhabitants of this densely populated coastal strip are being collectively punished for aggressions of individuals and of groups by means of a strict siege. Most of those aggressions, in turn, often have their origins in the dispossession of the Palestinians and in sixty years of injustice. The water quality in the Gaza Strip is catastrophical, and more than 200 people have died due to the lack of medical supplies. The economy has collapsed, the unemployment rate currently is the highest in the world, and the programmed disputes between the elected Hamas and Fatah, which is supported by many powerful countries in the world, further aggravate the situation for the civil population. Everybody, who happens to live in Gaza, is exposed to this fate that is far away from the Human Rights.

The "Free Gaza" and the "Liberty" sail on Gazan invitation from Cyprus without entering Israeli waters or Israeli ports. They bring with them 200 hearing-aids that are needed there, they release balloons as a sign for freedom and want to open the way for more boats. The reactions from Israel are contradictory: on the one hand, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently officially acknowledged the humanitarian character of this nonviolent action. On the other hand, the newspapers Haaretz and Jerusalem Post publish headlines that in part are rather threatening. It is all the same for the maritime Free Gaza group: they go to Gaza. More than 200 international organizations and personalities support them and millions are with them. And where does the song contest come in? There is a guy who joined the web team of FreeGaza.org a year ago, namely songwriter Anis from Germany. He knows some of the boat participants personally, and on August 1, the Free Gaza Song occurred to him during a badminton game. The melody of the song is catchy and easy to sing and play, leaving enough space for individual interpretations. Thus the Free Gaza Song Contest came into being at the same time, for Anis says in his video message: "Maybe you have a band or another language or something else."

Prizes are, among other things, several sets of 12 "Before their Diaspora" pictures (29,5 cm x 42 cm), see www.anis-online.de/bilder/stadtansichten/before_their_diaspora.htm, as well as sets of postcards of the same series, one DVD "The Sons of Eilaboun" by Hisham Zreiq and a DVD by filmmaker Osama Qashoo who is one of the boat participants. There were some first reactions on the song contest, among them a video response by members of the Free Gaza Movement, recorded in Cyprus (http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=2mjwuvWHHG4), a version of the musicians Angelika Wagener (Cello) and Ofer Golany (from Jerusalem), and a rock'n'roll punk version by Lars RO from Kopenhagen.

Anis wrote two more songs for Free Gaza and meanwhile all three songs are recorded in a studio for good quality listening. On the verse: "You say it's all about a security risk / and you don't read no Chomsky, you don't read no Fisk / and I got Gaza on my mind and you tell me why.", professor Noam Chomsky wrote in an email: "Very glad to see the song, and very pleased to be linked with Fisk, particularly in an endeavor as courageous and necessary as this one."

(14.09.2008) Several people have submitted song lyrics for the Free Gaza Song Contest. Some of them might become musicalized later. Here they are:

Content: A Small Song For Raghda (Clara Legêne, Netherlands)

A Nation is Dying (Mariko Sakurai, Japan) The Living Voice Of The Dead ... (Maya Terro, Lebanon)

While We Were Sailing To Gaza (Deborah Maccoby, UK) I Saw Two Ships Come Sailing In (Deborah Maccoby, UK)

They've Arrived! (Hilda Meers, Scotland) Free Gaza Song (Add. verses) (Chris Edwards, UK)

A Small Song For Raghda Clara Legêne, Netherlands while you learn to write ‘I go to school’ the grown-ups force each other to do lines sleep, Raghda, sleep while you take out your copybook a nice new copybook intending to keep it clean the grown-ups accuse each other sleep, Raghda, sleep while you write apple is tufahaa to play is bal’ab the grown-ups accuse you right through your head dream, Raghda, dream while you write blood is damm a child is walad a rose is ward a bus is bas ‘I like my apple’ the grown-ups never give up while you write in blood in your new copybook the grown-ups give up on you A Nation is Dying Mariko Sakurai, Tokyo, Japan A nation is dying in front of our eyes You can close your eyes and choose not to see it You can walk away and forget about it But this nation closes its eyes to die when we close our eyes not to see it The world's largest prison with innocent people dying The world's largest prison with children starving A nation is dying in front of our eyes You can close your eyes and choose not to see it You can click and go to other videos But this nation cannot even to shout when we drive the last nail to the coffin of Gaza The world's largest prison with innocent people dying The world's largest prison with children starving (inspired by Noam's talks)

The Living Voice Of The Dead ... By Maya Terro, Lebanon For every tear That you weep For every promise They could not keep For every child with a broken dream For you I sing For you I sing For every soul That you've ever lost For every bullet Their guns have shot For every child with a broken heart For you I sing For you I sing Funny how all we ever did Was sit and stare Funny how we never dared To raise a finger To raise a voice To try and give these innocent children A second choice A one in a life time chance To make them able to chose Their own destiny To make them able to lose All connection to violence and brutality To make them for once able to cut lose From death and animosity For every meal They made you miss everyday For every little word They forbid you to say For every child with a hushed scream For you I sing For you I sing For every year Lost in vain For every child's smile Erased by pain For every child with a shattered past For you I sing And for you I shout Do not fall, for you will not fail Do not falter, for justice will eventually prevail And only then will you rise From under the wreck and disguise From beneath the oceans of their lies With a heart of steel and a held up head You will rise; the profit once said To show the whole world that it's not over yet For YOU ARE the living voice of the dead!

original words: klein liedje voor raghda terwijl jij leert schrijven 'I go to school' geven de grote mensen elkaar strafwerk slaap, raghda, slaap terwijl jij je schrift pakt een lekker nieuw schrift dit schrift blijft netjes geven de grote mensen elkaar de schuld slaap, raghda, slaap terwijl jij schrijft apple is appel to play is spelen geven de grote mensen door jouw hoofd heen jou de schuld droom, raghda, droom terwijl jij schrijft blood is bloed a child is een kind a rose is een roos a bus is een bus my apple is lekker geven de grote mensen het nooit op terwijl jij met bloed schrijft in jouw nieuwe schrift geven de grote mensen jou op While We Were Sailing To Gaza To be sung to the tune of "While we were marching through Georgia", submitted by Deborah Maccoby, member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians and on the Executive Board of ICAHD UK Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing another song. Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along, Sing it as we used to sing it, 50 people strong, While we were sailing to Gaza. Hurrah! Hurrah! We bring the jubilee! Hurrah! Hurrah! The flag that makes you free! So we sang the chorus, leaving Cyprus for the sea, While we were sailing to Gaza. "Halper and his pirate crew will never make the coast", So said Israel's government, and 'twas a handsome boast, Had they not forgot the power of the peoples' Host, While we were sailing to Gaza. Hurrah! Hurrah! We bring the jubilee! Hurrah! Hurrah! The flag that makes you free! So we sang the chorus, leaving Cyprus for the sea, While we were sailing to Gaza. So we made a thoroughfare for freedom and her train, Thirty and two hundred miles across the stormy main; Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain, While we were sailing to Gaza. Hurrah! Hurrah! We bring the jubilee! Hurrah! Hurrah! The flag that makes you free! So we sang the chorus, leaving Cyprus for the sea, While we were sailing to Gaza!