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Craig and Cindy Corrie, whose daughter, Rachel, was run over by an Israeli army bulldozer in 2003, spoke at the University of Northern Iowa Wednesday about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
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Parents of slain activist carry on their daughter's work
By AMIE STEFFEN, Courier Staff Writer
CEDAR FALLS --- Khalad Nasrallah and his family live in a bullet-ridden house in Rafah, a city located in Gaza. When this Palestinian family hears the Israeli tanks rumbling down the street, they must run to the other side of the house because the tanks can shoot through three walls.
"My neighbor took a bullet in her head while she (was) drinking her tea," Khalad said.
They are also worry about the Israeli army demolishing Palestinian homes in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.
"They (the Israeli army) will not ask you to leave, just demolish," his wife, Samah, said through an Arabic translator. "You can lose your life in just a second."
Craig and Cindy Corrie learned that lesson much too late. Their daughter Rachel, 23, was crushed to death in March of 2003 by an Israeli Caterpillar bulldozer as she was trying to prevent the demolition of the Nasrallah family home, where she was staying at the time.
Rachel's parents, along with the Nasrallah family, visited UNI's campus Wednesday as part of a nationwide tour with the Rebuilding Alliance, an organization that rebuilds demolished Palestinian homes. Iowans for a Free Palestine sponsored the event, which was open to the public.
Craig Corrie said the Rebuilding Alliance does more than raise money for housing.
"We also want to raise awareness of what's going on in people's lives in Palestine," he said.
In Gaza, for example, Craig said there are 1.3 million Palestinians, 80 percent of whom are refugees from other parts of Israel and beyond. Rafah is one of the most volatile cities in the region.
"You cannot imagine being (there) with the tanks and the bombing," Cindy said. "It's unimaginable."
But her daughter, Rachel, was there. In January of 2003, Rachel went to the West Bank and trained with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement. From there she went to stay with the Nasrallahs in nearby Gaza, where the conflict was at its most heated.
The goal of ISM is to resist the Israeli occupation of what Palestinians believe is their rightful land.
After Rachel's death, Craig and Cindy traveled to Rafah to meet the Nasrallahs and try to understand why Rachel was there. What they saw has stayed with them.
"In Rafah, there were piles and piles of rubble," Cindy said. "But there were also children in perfectly pressed clothes."
Cindy spoke of a boy she met in Rafah who had known Rachel. He told Cindy he didn't like Rachel at first because she was American, a common frame of mind among Palestinians. But when he saw her playing soccer with the other children, his perception changed. It's paradigm shifts like that, Cindy says, that reinforce her belief that Rachel's death was not in vain, and that she did make an impact in the community.
So the Corries and the Nasrallahs have been going around the country trying to continue Rachel's vision -- to raise awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Khalad says it is the least he can do for the woman who gave everything to save his family.
"She (Rachel) is American and Christian, and we are Palestinian and Muslim, but she stands between our home and the bulldozer to protect us," Khalad said. "So we feel we must continue her message."
Samah also speaks on behalf of her children.
"I hope my daughters live a better life, a (more) peaceful life, than what I went through," she said.
The Corries hope the same thing.
"The strength, the determination, the courage of the people...I feel like I have to help," Craig said. "There's nothing I can do about Rachel, but there's something I can do for (the Nasrallah) children."
Contact Amie Steffen at (319) 291-1482 or at amie@uni.edu.
"My neighbor took a bullet in her head while she (was) drinking her tea," Khalad said.
They are also worry about the Israeli army demolishing Palestinian homes in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem.
"They (the Israeli army) will not ask you to leave, just demolish," his wife, Samah, said through an Arabic translator. "You can lose your life in just a second."
Craig and Cindy Corrie learned that lesson much too late. Their daughter Rachel, 23, was crushed to death in March of 2003 by an Israeli Caterpillar bulldozer as she was trying to prevent the demolition of the Nasrallah family home, where she was staying at the time.
Rachel's parents, along with the Nasrallah family, visited UNI's campus Wednesday as part of a nationwide tour with the Rebuilding Alliance, an organization that rebuilds demolished Palestinian homes. Iowans for a Free Palestine sponsored the event, which was open to the public.
Craig Corrie said the Rebuilding Alliance does more than raise money for housing.
"We also want to raise awareness of what's going on in people's lives in Palestine," he said.
In Gaza, for example, Craig said there are 1.3 million Palestinians, 80 percent of whom are refugees from other parts of Israel and beyond. Rafah is one of the most volatile cities in the region.
"You cannot imagine being (there) with the tanks and the bombing," Cindy said. "It's unimaginable."
But her daughter, Rachel, was there. In January of 2003, Rachel went to the West Bank and trained with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement. From there she went to stay with the Nasrallahs in nearby Gaza, where the conflict was at its most heated.
The goal of ISM is to resist the Israeli occupation of what Palestinians believe is their rightful land.
After Rachel's death, Craig and Cindy traveled to Rafah to meet the Nasrallahs and try to understand why Rachel was there. What they saw has stayed with them.
"In Rafah, there were piles and piles of rubble," Cindy said. "But there were also children in perfectly pressed clothes."
Cindy spoke of a boy she met in Rafah who had known Rachel. He told Cindy he didn't like Rachel at first because she was American, a common frame of mind among Palestinians. But when he saw her playing soccer with the other children, his perception changed. It's paradigm shifts like that, Cindy says, that reinforce her belief that Rachel's death was not in vain, and that she did make an impact in the community.
So the Corries and the Nasrallahs have been going around the country trying to continue Rachel's vision -- to raise awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Khalad says it is the least he can do for the woman who gave everything to save his family.
"She (Rachel) is American and Christian, and we are Palestinian and Muslim, but she stands between our home and the bulldozer to protect us," Khalad said. "So we feel we must continue her message."
Samah also speaks on behalf of her children.
"I hope my daughters live a better life, a (more) peaceful life, than what I went through," she said.
The Corries hope the same thing.
"The strength, the determination, the courage of the people...I feel like I have to help," Craig said. "There's nothing I can do about Rachel, but there's something I can do for (the Nasrallah) children."
Contact Amie Steffen at (319) 291-1482 or at amie@uni.edu.
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