Several of the US held political prisoners have recently sent out statements in support of the Palestinan people's struggle. Some of these are reprinted below from the new issue (#7) of 4 Struggle Mag, the 'zine written by US held political prisoners and edited by our comrade Jaan Laaman www.4strugglemag.org. The complete issue is worth checking out and free on their website. We join with the political prisoners held by the US in saying:  Free Palestine! 



For more info on Palestinian political prisoners see: 

http://www.leftturn.org/Articles/Viewer.aspx?id=553&type=W 

http://sumoud.tao.ca 



Following are statements from US held political prisoners in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. They were read at a May 2006 event in Montreal as part of Sumoud's annual speaking tour. 



From Russell “Maroon” Shoats: 



From a Black political prisoner in the United States of America, to my comrades – the Palestinian political prisoners – our struggles are long and filled with pain, but we will be free! 



From Rene Gonzalez Sehwerert (of the Cuban 5) 



Dear friends: 



From within the walls of our cells, scattered throughout the geography of the empire that punishes us for fighting terrorism, the five of us, proud and unrepentant Cuban revolutionaries, extend our embrace of support and solidarity to our Palestinian brothers. 



The unspeakable crime being committed against the Palestinian people, in the name of greed and Capitalism, is a shame imposed on humanity as a whole by an establishment for which any colonial adventure, no matter how brutal and criminal, has always been deserving of support and complicity. 



Among the oppressed brothers from Palestine, the political prisoners carry a heavy burden. Out of the world scrutiny, ignored by an accomplice, corporate media, which presents the Holocaust now being repeated in the Middle East as a civilizing enterprise; the Palestinian prisoners have to face the most infamous abuses on their own, resorting only to the strength of their courage and the historical righteousness of their cause. 



If it wasn't enough, Palestinian children are special targets for repression. Terrorizing the future seems to be a rational thing to do for those who, by the arbitrary abuse of their power, don't seem to notice that they are denying, to all of humanity, even the possibility of a future. Reduced to the dehumanizing notion of "collateral damages" or hidden from us on the Zionist dungeons, the Palestinian children are a living indictment against the world's silence and indifference. 



Let us not be part of such indifference. The Palestinian people deserve to develop in peace and justice. The Palestinian prisoners deserve our support and solidarity. The Palestinian children deserve to be nurtured, loved and care for in a peaceful, sovereign homeland. 



We don't have the right to rest until the Palestinian people, their political prisoners and their children, have achieved their right share of peace and justice! 



From Janet, Debbie and Janine Africa (of the MOVE 9): 



Salute and solidarity to all our strong, loyal, committed revolutionary sisters and brothers in Palestine. 



The committed example that you continue to set in your country is being felt by all of us here in the USA too. The MOVE Organization is generating a united, revolutionary vibration to you and all political prisoners around the world through our unending fight for freedom and justice. We are linked together as one to confront and expose the demon intimidation tactics the oppressor uses to beat down and kill off the fighting spirit in all freedom fighters. We must keep fighting back, no matter what or how things may seem. We are obligated to show others the urgent need for change and guide them, in the direction of revolution. We must never let ourselves be divided despite any so-call differences, because finally, we have the most important thing in common our fight against the enemy, the oppressor, the enslaver, this system, and any difference among us is secondary to that. What this system fears most is unity because they know unity is power. Power of the people is the key to bring this system to its knees. 



We have committed our lives to revolution. Our men, women, children, our infants have lost their lives, they were murdered by this system. We know all of you have lost family, loved ones and comrades too. The MOVE 9 have been unjustly imprisoned for almost 30 years, we are innocent. Put despite our innocence, We've been beat jailed, and had family members murdered, not because we are guilty of any crime but because we stand up against this rotten, corrupt government and fight for what is right and because we expose these government officials, Judges and police for the diabolical monsters they are. We know all of you have suffered injustices there, the stories we've heard affect us personally and pushes us to fight harder, cause while we are located in different parts of the globe we understand and can relate to what you are going through, and we bond with you in this fight. Stay strong my brothers and sisters and Know that we will not let the lives of our family, your family, any freedom fighter be in vain. We will never stop fighting this system. The seed for this revolution is planted, and though we may not cross paths in our life time, our roots will be planted in the same soil. LONG LIVE ALL FREEDOM FIGHTERS LONG LIVE REVOLUTION! 



From Ramon Labañino Salazar (of the Cuban 5): 



"Indoblesables" 



Vienen a pedirme que me rinda 

Que traicione mi nación y mis ideales 

Hasta joyas y bellezas se me brinda 

Y riqueza y dinero tendré a caudales. 



Vienen a decirme que traicione 

Que no hay razón para que batalle 

Que cavente de amor y de emociones 

Son los principios cual infertile valle 

Tercos, insolentes, infames 

No conocen la fidelidad a los ideales 

Que prefiero morir combatiéndoles 

Que rico vivir entre infames. 



Yo viviré y lucharé entre los nuestros 

Y la traición se la deso a los cobardes. 



"Invincibles" 



They come to ask me to surrender 

to betray my motherland and my ideals 

They promise jewels, beauties 

and money I will have a lot. 



They come to ask me to betray 

They say there is no reason for me to battle 

that principles are like an infertile valley 

without love and emotions to share. 

STUBBORN, INSOLENT, INFAMOUS! 

They don't know about loyalty to ideals 

that I prefer to die fighting all my years 

than living among infamous. 



I WILL LIVE AND FIGHT AMONG MY PEOPLE

AND LET TREASON TO BE USED BY THE COWARDS. 



I dedicate this poem to the Palestinian People, because your struggle is our struggle, and to all political prisoners all over the world, on behalf of the Cuban Five. 



The struggle continues! We shall overcome! 



From Jalil Abdul Muntaqim: 



As Salaam Alaikum: 

Inshallah, this statement will find all of you in the best of Allah (SWT) health and mercy. I wish to extend my solidarity and support for the political prisoners and detainees in the West Bank, Gaza and throughout the occupied territory of Palestine. 



I am a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army who has been in prison since August 28, 1971, when I was first captured at the age of nineteen. I was accused and convicted of engaging in underground activities against the then President Richard Nixon government, opposing racism and imperialism. I have always stood in support of the Palestinian people to be self-governed and to establish an independent sovereign nation. As the founder of the Jericho Amnesty Movement, I have always equated Zionism as a racist apartheid system supported by U.S. imperialism. Therefore, the task for those of us who understand the extent of U.S. support of Zionism is to provide our support to those who suffers under such racist oppression. 



However, the greatest solidarity we can extend is to build and strengthen the struggle here opposing white supremacy and U.S. imperialism. The best support I can provide Palestine is to continue to contribute to the struggle opposing national oppression in this country. The parallels between our peoples' struggle are numerous, just as opposition to a sovereign Palestine is the same opposition to a free and independent Black nation. 



Inshallah, this message of solidarity will be accepted in the spirit of a Muslim and political prisoner, who after 34 years of imprisonment, continues to seek the means to contribute to the overall struggle opposing U.S. imperialism and its Zionist cohorts. 



Mas Salaam.