Anyway. here is an email I sent MECA...
Dear MECA,
I just learned of the Oakland Museum'decision not to put on your show. I am a retired mechanic who started off in painting and got my MA at UCB in 1969. I've lived in Berkeley since 1966 student days and I still can`t keep up with all the local politics.
I could never support an art career so I turned to working trades. My sympathies and glad to hear of your work. I've enjoyed following the rising tide of people's art in the Middle East. I certainly agree art can`t break your chains, but it can help your heart and soul. I am not sure it heals, but at least it sustains.
I've got a suggestion for MECA. Write a brief official protest letter to AJE, Editor of Art Publication, Hrag Vartanian. He follows various aspects of politics and arts. Then follow with as many letters as possible from members and supporters of MECA. Art, music and dance teachers in Oakland public schools, if there are any left, would also help.
AJE occasionally does productions on the popular arts in the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. AJE seems to have an irregular production schedule so I never know when I can watch these programs. But I have on occasion watched a few.
The program is called Artsworld. They did a review of The Freedom Theatre in Jenni in 2008. The informal music and dance director, was Zakariya Zubeidi.
There is a formal director, but I didn't catch his name. Zubeidi holds theater and dance classes for kids. He grew up in a refugee camp. Zubeidi was no angel after getting shot and then thrown in jail at thirteen. My guess probably for throwing rocks at the IDF. When he got out of jail he joined the armed resistance. Then he gave up the guns, bombs and suicide bombers. Here is the AJE piece 09/08:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/artsworld/2009/05/200952212926734574.html
And the wiki background:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakaria_Zubeidi
And the theatre webpage:
http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/news.php?id=201
And MECA's webpage:
(Sorry for repetition of what you already know. I am forwarding this to others.)
There is also some group here trying to organize to shut down MECA, by pressing to remove its 501 non-profit tax status. At a guess, the tactic is probably by advocating a `terrorist' organization declaration by DHLS.
The Oakland Museum relies heavily on donors because the city is broke most of the time. My guess, it wasn't so much pro-Israeli groups political pressure, but their ability to influence a few rich donors. That's how you threaten a public museum and its board of directors. After all a few pro-Israel protests clashing with pro-Palestinians and causing traffic jams would probably benefit the show's attendance.
Another venue for getting the word out, might be Democracy Now. Pro-Israeli groups here are very active and are in near constant war with various Palestinian student groups. On UCB campus they use freedom of speech as the issue, their right to be heard and only their right to be heard, nobody else.
This twisted logic was coming from David Horowitz a few years ago. That was my last protest...pretty pathetic, chanting in the dark on the lawn above the Life Sciences building as Horowitz walked by for his speech.Our group had a few go down and try to get into the public auditorium, but of course were turned away. No freedom of speech for us. Security was the excuse.
So the point is freedom of speech which is another avenue. To cancel a planned children's art show is a violation of freedom of speech by a public institution.
Good luck and carry on.
Yours,
Chuck Grimes