Latest news with #colonization
Associated Press
2 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Rabbi Walter Isaac addresses the topic of Hebrew Israelites in course for Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute
Rabbi Walter Isaac presents course on Afro-Jews, Colonization and the Modern Fight for Emancipation for the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute 'Rabbi Isaac is a specialist in Africana philosophy, Jewish philosophy, intercultural student affairs and university campus dialogue.'— Rabbi Steven Blane NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 19, 2025 / / -- Rabbi Walter Isaac presented a course on Afro-Jews, Colonization and the Modern Fight for Emancipation for the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute on May 21st. The current two cohorts of Rabbinic students were enthralled to hear about the history of American Hebrew communities of color. The Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute is a progressive program for Jewish professionals who are called to become Jewish clergy. The program focuses on offering its students pragmatic rabbinics and current topics that resonate with the modern Jew. Walter R. Isaac, PhD is a rabbi and scholar who researches the African influences on Atlantic world Jewish history and culture. For three decades he has worked as an advocate for marginalized communities, including Hebrew/Israelites, LGBTQ persons and victims of urban violence. Dr. Isaac's writings can be found in scholarly publications such as Contending Modernities, Violence in American Society, the Journal of the Middle East and Africa, Black Existentialism, and a seminal article on Afro-Jewish Studies in the Blackwell Companion to African-American Studies. He is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Rabbi Isaac is currently the President of the Olaudah Equiano Institute, a nonprofit organization promoting human rights and educating the public about Jewish diversity. ABOUT SIM SHALOM AND JSLI Sim Shalom is an interactive online Jewish Universalist synagogue which is liberal in thought and traditional in liturgy. Created in 2009 by Rabbi Steven Blane on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Sim Shalom offers a means of connecting the unconnected. Rabbi Blane and Associate Rabbis lead accessible Shabbat services every Friday night using a virtual interface and additionally Sim Shalom provides online education programs, Jazz concerts, conversion and life-cycle ceremonies along with weeknight services at 7:00PM EST. Rabbi Blane is also the founder and director of the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute, the online professional rabbinical program and of the Union of Jewish Universalist Communities, Sim Shalom, a non profit 501 © (3) tax-exempt organization, nurtures a Jewish connection through its mission of innovative services, creative education and dynamic outreach to the global community. For more information visit the website or call 201-338-0165. Carole Kivett Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute/Sim Shalom +1 201-338-0165 email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Tasma Walton explores a tragic family story in her new novel, I Am Nannertgarrook
Growing up, there was a story actor and author Tasma Walton often heard about one of her Boonwurrung ancestors. According to family legend, Walton's great-great-great grandmother, Nannertgarrook, fell in love with a merchant seaman and ran away with him. But Walton came to realise this story wasn't the full one. It was a "more palatable and romanticised version" of the truth, she tells ABC Radio National's The Book Show. The man wasn't a merchant seaman, and this wasn't a love story. From the late 18th century, seal and whale traders rode the wave of British colonisation, pillaging the oceans in pursuit of their lucrative prey. Operating in treacherous conditions far from home, they relied on First Nations' knowledge to survive. "In the 1830s, [Nannertgarrook] was abducted alongside some of her sister-cousins and their kids by sealers and then taken to the islands off the coast of Tasmania and sold into a sealer slave market," Walton says. Sadly, they weren't the only Aboriginal women subjected to this treatment. "There's a lot written about [the sealers] in the colonial records," Walton says. In I Am Nannertgarrook, Walton's second novel, she tells her ancestor's story, exposing a dark chapter of Australian history. Walton, a Boonwurrung woman born in Geraldton, is a well-known Australian figure, thanks to her roles in television series including Blue Heelers, Mystery Road and The Twelve. She says writing is not all that different to acting: both require world-building and crafting a character's "inner monologue". "It's an extension of the same approach to storytelling," she says. In researching her grandmother's life, Walton uncovered stories of atrocities long obscured by history. "It was very clearly something that we're not taught in schools. We're not shown the true complexity and depth of what was happening and, a lot of the time, we're seeing [history] from a very limited perspective," she says. The fate of Nannertgarrook disproves the widely held belief that slavery has played no part in Australian history. "She was kidnapped by a group of men, she was sold for money to other men and she was their captive to do what they chose with her, which included making her work so that they could earn money off her labour," Walton says. Walton found only a handful of references to her grandmother in colonial-era diaries and journals held in historical archives. To flesh out Nannertgarrook's story in the novel, she relied instead on family stories and contemporary firsthand accounts from other women taken by sealers. Walton wanted to tell the story as a first-person narrative to allow the reader to see the world through Nannertgarrook's eyes. "I don't know what she was thinking. I don't know what she was feeling. I wasn't there. But … I can imagine how it would have felt as a young woman, having to look after kids and try to keep yourself alive," she says. "What I wanted to do with the story was channel a perspective we don't ordinarily see, which is a young black woman … so that, as a reader, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we can travel in those shoes [and] walk on that songline." As the novel opens, Nannertgarrook is living on Boonwurrung/Woiworung Country on what is now known as the Mornington Peninsula. "When we first meet her, she's happily married and going about women's business as well as her family responsibilities," Walton says. Nannertgarrook and the women and children of her clan are gathered on the shores of the bay, awaiting the seasonal arrival of whales and their calves to the sheltered waters. The whale —betayil in Boonwurrung — is her family's totem and they will celebrate the annual migration and honour Babayin Betayil, the sacred Mother Whale, with a ceremony known as ngargee: "an ebbing and flowing of song and story, dance and drumbeat". As Nannertgarrook lays down by the campfire one night to sleep, her two children close by, the world is as it should be. "All is peaceful. All is perfect," she reflects in the book. Nannertgarrook and the Boonwurrung women were highly skilled skin divers who collected abalone and crayfish from the giant kelp forests on the sea floor. "They were renowned for being able to hold their breath for huge amounts of time," Walton says. "[She's a] Saltwater woman through and through." Walton took great joy in describing the landscape as it would have appeared before colonisation. "Whenever I'm out on Country at different places where there's less city and urban noise, I always imagine what it would have been like," she says. "I really enjoyed writing the first part of the story because I could feel myself in that place, having walked that landscape so much in my lifetime. "Imagining it back in that time when it was fully itself was a lovely experience." Walton evokes a culture rich with ritual and myth that existed in harmony with the natural world. Nannertgarrook's chest is marked with initiation scars, marking her as a mother, and she teaches her children to respect the flora and fauna around their camp, or wilam. As she prepares for ceremony, she uses ochre to paint patterns on her body, signifying her story: "The tracks of koonwarra the swan, waving lines that speak of the sea, the shapes and stories of our Biik." Woven through this portrait of traditional life are the "threads of women's lore" shared with Walton over the years. "It's like a love letter to women's business, sisterhood and motherhood," she says. Tragically, Nannertgarrook, who was also known as Eliza, is taken far from her beloved Country, or Biik. Initially, the sealers take the group to their meeting place on an island off the coast of Tasmania. "In Nannertgarrook's case, she is then taken to Kangaroo Island off South Australia and then onto Bald Island off the coast of Western Australia … [which is] literally [just] a rock that's thrusting up out of the ocean," Walton says. Windswept and desolate, it's an alien world to Nannertgarrook. "She goes from … the Mornington Peninsula, with all of its incredible beaches and giant trees, to a rocky outcrop in a very isolated place on the southern Western Australian coastline." Walton offers few details about Nannertgarrook's abductor, who she never names in the book. She says excising the man from the narrative was a deliberate decision. "That was my way of mirroring the colonial records … [which contain] a lot about the sealers. We know all their names; we know all the terrible things they've done. "What we don't see are the women: their names, their true identities, anything they're experiencing in any depth or context." Walton says there was a "half-hearted attempt" to rescue the group by the colonial government of the day. "My ancestor and the women that are with her are mentioned by a travelling government surveyor to the Aboriginal protectorates at the time in Port Phillip. "And they ignore it. Nobody goes for her. They know they're there. They talk at length about them, but all we get in the colonial records is a cursory nod to them and the fact that they want to come home to Westernport." Nearly 200 years later, Walton wants to restore the women to the historical record. "This is about reclaiming [Nannertgarrook's] voice and identity and those of her sisters and their bubup, their children," she says. I Am Nannertgarrook is published by S&S Bundyi.
Globe and Mail
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Sir John-in-the-box, no more
Drew Hayden Taylor is an Anishnawbe playwright and humorist. It's been said old soldiers and politicians never die, they just fade away. In some rare cases, they roar back into our lives and make a fundamental fuss over how we should view them. Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, died in 1891 and is once again in the news. A statue of the man standing in Toronto's Queen's Park was boxed up five years ago after vandals defaced him amidst protests about his revered place in Canadian history. It seems the politicians thought pink paint was not his colour. A recent decision was made by Ontario's Legislature to unbox the man and let him once again stand proud and unfettered, proudly extolling the virtues of colonization. He came, he legislated, he conquered. Sir JAM will be cleaned and mounted this summer … if you'll pardon the expression. Yes, the man did cobble together a country, amidst a sea of champagne at that notorious gathering of elite white politicians in PEI. I'll drink to that. Coincidentally, he also kept the Americans at bay. For that, some might decry, Where is he today? He was the poster boy for functioning alcoholics. There's also the creation of the Canadian national railroad and a few other things that make the man memorable, through rose-tinted glasses. However, those kinds of actions seldom spark such vandalism or controversy. What does, Indigenous critics argue, was the fact that Macdonald was an architect of the country's disgraceful residential school system. With the help of Egerton Ryerson, the state took Indigenous children from their families in an effort to assimilate them. There was also Macdonald's development of a plot to starve out the Indigenous people of the Prairies so that Europeans could flood the area, putting up such culturally important landmarks as the world's largest badminton racket (St. Albert, Alta.), the world's largest curling rock (Arborg, Man.), the world's second-largest fire hydrant (Elm Creek, Man.), and the world's largest golf tee (Trochu, Alta.). The man knew what was important. What's that old joke? At least Hitler made the trains run on time? Some say the past, warts and all, shouldn't be hidden away. It should be up front, in your face. As many have said of George Orwell's 1984, it was meant to be a warning, not a guidebook. Thus, some think removing statues of Macdonald and his buddy Ryerson are counterproductive. It does little to educate the population to their dubious deeds. Out of sight, out of mind maybe. Doug Ford says he pushed to free Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queen's Park This is the same principle being celebrated in America. Statues of Southern Confederate war heroes, as well as Christopher Columbus, don't have long lifespans any more. It seems such a waste to destroy such works of art. Creations the sculptors spent weeks, even months labouring over. For that, as a playwright and novelist, I am sympathetic. For Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017, I was asked to write a play about our first prime minister called Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion, for the National Arts Centre. (A remount opens on June 18 at the Blyth Festival in Ontario.) Many felt my script wasn't mean enough to the man. Others felt I didn't give him enough respect. One interesting solution might be to create a park only for such controversial statues. Wall-to-wall discussions and arguments. Maybe even provide things to throw at the statues. Here's another idea: maybe build this park somewhere along Dundas Street in Toronto. There's been discussion about changing the name because the street is named after Henry Dundas, a prominent politician who played a role in delaying the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Birds of a feather … And hey, why not? I've seen museums dedicated to torture and other such politically incorrect issues. History is written by the winners. And winners with guilty consciences can often take two steps back. Many, if not most, Indigenous people want to eliminate all such monuments to questionably monumental people. Tanya Talaga, on CBC Radio, even suggested Macdonald's statue remain where it is, and how it is. Boxed up. Perhaps a grand metaphor for the reserves he placed Indigenous people on. The difference here is to add a plaque or sign to the statue detailing his contributions more accurately. National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 is fast approaching. Contrary to popular belief, it's not when Nanabush comes down the sewer pipe and leaves little dreamcatchers hidden throughout the house. It's a time to recognize and celebrate the traditions, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. In the end, I'm not sure how much these statues matter. Despite all of Macdonald's efforts, the Indigenous people of this land survived everything he threw at us. All things considered, a large chunk of sedentary metal can't hurt us.
Arab News
31-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Indonesian NGOs demand Israel be held accountable over atrocities in Gaza
JAKARTA: Indonesian civil society organizations are urging the international community to hold Israel accountable for its attacks on Gaza, as Tel Aviv's latest military onslaught on the besieged enclave pushed the territory's healthcare system to the brink of collapse. All hospitals in northern Gaza were out of service as of Friday, according to Jakarta-based NGO Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, which funds the Indonesia Hospital located in the Gazan city of Beit Lahiya. Al-Awda Hospital — the only remaining facility providing health services in north Gaza — evacuated its patients on Thursday following orders from the Israeli military, which launched a wave of new attacks earlier this month across the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of people and forcing most public facilities in the area to close. 'Even after various condemnations and warnings, Israel the colonizer continues to commit crimes across the Gaza Strip,' said Dr. Hadiki Habib, chairman of MER-C's executive committee. 'MER-C's stance is in line with the Indonesian constitution, in which we do not recognize colonization in any shape or form … Israel's colonization and crimes against humanity (in Gaza) must be held accountable at the international level.' Indonesia is a staunch supporter of Palestine, and sees Palestinian statehood as being mandated by its own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism. The Indonesia Hospital was one of the first targets hit when Israel began its assault on Gaza, in which it regularly targets medical facilities. Attacks on health centers, medical personnel and patients constitute war crimes under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Israel's latest offensive comes after a two-month blockade on the enclave after Tel Aviv unilaterally broke a ceasefire with the Palestinian group Hamas in March. It is a continuation of Israel's onslaught of Gaza that began in October 2023 and has killed more than 54,300 Palestinians and wounded more than 124,000. The deadly attacks have also put 2 million more at risk of starvation after Israeli forces destroyed most of the region's infrastructure and buildings and blocked humanitarian aid. Aid only recently began to enter the besieged territory, although only in limited quantities. 'The suffering of the people is massive due to starvation, and there is limited aid because of the blockade,' Habib said. 'A humanitarian crisis must not be used as a transactional tool. Stop this war and open the food blockade in Gaza. We will continue to voice this demand.' Various scholars and human rights organizations have said that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, including Amnesty International and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention. 'Zionist Israel's crimes in Gaza must be held accountable. They must be put on trial and punished for genocide. There is no longer doubt that their crimes constitute genocide,' Muhammad Anshorullah, who heads the executive committee of the Jakarta-based Aqsa Working Group, told Arab News on Saturday. 'Netanyahu's regime must be arrested, tried and punished, just like how the Allied powers arrested, tried and punished Nazi elites through the Nuremberg Trials. There is nothing more urgent globally aside from stopping the genocide in Gaza.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Colonial Heart: How Arabella Pascal's 'Zanzibar' Exposes Love's Darkest Paradoxes
LOS ANGELES, CA / / May 26, 2025 / Historical romance has long been a refuge for those seeking escapism-a world of grand ballrooms, whispered confessions, and neatly tied happy endings. Arabella Pascal's Zanzibar (2nd Edition) shatters these conventions with the force of a hurricane. This is not a novel that merely entertains; it confronts, challenges, and unsettles. Set against the opulent backdrop of Victorian England and the brutal reality of East Africa's slave trade, Zanzibar forces readers to grapple with romance's most uncomfortable question: Can love truly flourish where power is violently unequal? Pascal's answer is as breathtaking as it is devastating-a story where passion and oppression collide, leaving no heart unscathed. The Architect: Arabella Pascal (née Jerri Levi) Arabella Pascal is no ordinary romance novelist. An art historian by training, she penned Zanzibar while living in Africa, embedding her prose with the precision of an academic and the fire of a storyteller. Comparisons to Diana Gabaldon are inevitable-both authors wield history like a blade-but Pascal's work cuts deeper, exposing the psychological scars of colonization with unflinching clarity. Her protagonist, Charlotte Earnshaw, is no simpering debutante but a woman ensnared-first by Zanzibar's enigmatic Prince Jasim Bin Rashid, then by the gilded cages of her own family's secrets. What sets Pascal apart is her refusal to simplify. Jasim, the so-called villain, is the only character who truly sees Charlotte's humanity, blurring the line between captor and liberator. Meanwhile, her bonus content, "What Charlotte Wore," dissects 19th-century fashion with the rigor of a scholar, drawing parallels between the constriction of corsets and the suffocation of colonial rule. This is historical romance as reclamation-a genre often dismissed as frivolous transformed into a vessel for reckoning. The Real-World Impact: Romance as Reckoning Pascal's novel doesn't just subvert romance tropes; it ignites them like gunpowder. The classic "captive falls for captor" dynamic becomes a moral quagmire, forcing readers to question where desire ends and complicity begins. Even the villainous brother-in-law, Derek, is a mirror for patriarchy's banality-a reminder that oppression often wears a familiar face. Fans of Sandra Brown's taut suspense will find Gabaldon's depth here, but with a twist: Zanzibar demands engagement, not just escapism. The numbers prove its resonance. Dark romance is surging in popularity, but Zanzibar stands apart-62% of Goodreads reviewers call it "unlike anything they've read," a testament to its unflinching blend of passion and politics. Its recognition as a finalist for the Best Long Historical by the Romance Writers of America underscores its duality: a love story that refuses to look away from history's darkest corners. Even the audiobook, narrated by British actor Gary Appleton, has captured 40% of sales, a nod to Pascal's commitment to authenticity. The Future: Can Romance Novels Be Radical? Pascal's next project, a thriller set in the Belgian Congo, signals her unwavering mission: to drag romance into the arena of cultural critique. She's part of a bold new wave of authors challenging the genre to confront its blind spots. Can a "happily ever after" exist when the wounds of history are still raw? Should love stories sidestep oppression for the sake of escapism? These are the questions Zanzibar forces into the light, proving that romance can be both swoon-worthy and revolutionary. Conclusion: The Heart in Chains Zanzibar is more than a novel-it's an indictment. Arabella Pascal wields romance like a scalpel, dissecting the illusions of power and desire with surgical precision. In her hands, the genre becomes a rebellion, petticoats and all. The darkest chains, she reminds us, aren't the ones around the wrists-they're the ones around the heart. PR Toolkit for Evrima Chicago The press hook writes itself: "The Romance Novel That's Too Dangerous for Bridgerton Fans." Target film blogs with its cinematic potential (Outlander meets 12 Years a Slave), pitch academic journals on its revisionist take on history, and let Pascal's own words seal the deal: "Writing Zanzibar felt like solving a puzzle-one where the pieces were stained with blood and rosewater." Purchase links and media contacts stand ready. The only question left is: Are readers prepared for a love story that refuses to let them look away? Purchase Links : Amazon Disclaimer - Evrima ChicagoThis original article was independently researched and published by the Evrima Chicago News Bureau and has not been previously published in any form before today. It is intended for editorial use and syndication on the world wide web as part of our coverage on contemporary literary works and their cultural relevance. Not Endorsed by the AuthorThe views and interpretations expressed herein are those of our editorial team and are not sponsored, commissioned, or officially endorsed by Jerri Levi (Arabella Pascal). Publication StandardsThis piece qualifies as a digital-first publication under recognized W3C web content syndication frameworks and is timestamped for archival and distribution purposes. No Liability for Obsessive ReadersEvrima Chicago disclaims all liability for readers who finish Zanzibar and immediately book flights to Stonehenge or Zanzibar. Historical obsession may occur. Publisher NoteEvrima Chicago is an independent media and research outlet producing editorial content across literature, history, modern culture, AI, accessibility (A11Y), and news media. Contact Type Details General Inquiries / Rights / Corrections PR@ Phone 909-326-0347 Author Contact waasay@ Author Name Waa Say (Dan Wasserman) © 2025 Evrima Chicago. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Evrima Chicago View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
