This is not about me, but, for once only, may I request your time to explain why I have invited you to to read and ask for your support. Modern media, with its reliance on advertising revenue from clicks (clickbait) – moving readers to the next story as quickly as possible – simplifies to the extent that important stories become superficial and meaningless, or, even worse, misleading. As you would expect, the situation in Palestine is not simple, but I have tried to explain as simply as I can how I understand things. Please bear with me until the end. Validate what I write from other sources, and then make-up your own mind whether to support #christmasinaminorkey
Welcome to #christmasinaminorkey. Angry beyond words, ashamed, betrayed. Governments continue to support genocide in Palestine by selling weapons. As if that is not bad enough in itself, by undermining International Law and the bodies which uphold it, we risk leaving the world without rules governing war – which is a terrifying prospect when so many unscrupulous, ambitious and ruthless leaders currently dominate the news headlines.
Over the past 14 months, I have often lain awake thinking about how, in years to come, I would respond, if my future grandchildren were to ask me “what did you do to stop genocide?” I want to have an answer that will make them feel proud of me.
Around the world, as in my home country, UK, people are preparing to celebrate Christmas. Musicians, schools, drama groups are practicing for Christmas shows. Christmas music plays in shops, restaurants, etc. Throughout history artists and musicians have been voices of moral conscience and protest. But, currently, it appears to me that too many people are choosing to stay silent because they don’t want to be considered “political“.
Is Genocide political? Imagine trying to justify your inaction to a Palestinian child who has lost her parents and siblings, faces lifelong disfigurement, pain and disabilities, and as you speak with her, is suffering life-affecting malnutrition which will stunt her growth and brain development because food and medicine is deliberately being blocked from reaching her and hundreds of thousands of children like her. This isn’t just bad luck – being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time – Israel is using attrition as a deliberate and calculated weapon of war, and, by beseiging Gaza and blocking all but a very minimum amount of basic aid, was using attrition for the 17 years prior to the October 7th attacks which signalled the start of the current offensive. Throughout documented history, attrition has been used to ‘soften-up’ an enemy to weaken them before launching an attack. Claiming neutrality for fear of appearing “too political” would seem cowardly in the face of this child’s suffering and urgency. This crisis is far too grave and urgent for silence or indifference.
According to the International Court of justice, there is plausible evidence that, even as you read this, genocide is happening in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, China and Ethiopia as well as in Palestine. So why, among numerous other atrocities, is the case of Palestine so particularly important?
Unjustifiable cruelty persists in other ongoing conflicts, with western governments arguably playing a role in their continuation. However, in Palestine, western governments stand out by actively supporting the perpetrator of what many allege to be genocide, including through the provision of weapons. The International Court of Justice has found these allegations are plausible based on its preliminary review of evidence. So, continuing support to a perpetrator of serious substantiated war crimes blatantly undermines the authority of international bodies established to uphold global law and order, such as the International Court of Justice and the UN Security Council. Ironically, the very western governments backing Israel’s actions, widely understood, with evidence, as pre-meditated genocide, are the primary custodians (or ‘Penholders’) of these institutions. Moreover, International Humanitarian Law and the institutions which uphold and enforce it, were created by the Allied nations (primarily UK and US) as a direct consequence of World War II because lack of laws governing the conduct of war and treatment of people affected by war had permitted to Hitler to commit genocide and the entire world to quickly descend into obscene violence.
By selectively ignoring the international laws they are tasked with enforcing, these governments erode the credibility and legitimacy of the global legal framework, which is the only and last resort we currently have to avert and to stop anarchy and carnage at an international level. Such actions set a dangerous precedent; threatening the integrity and potential collapse of international law itself. A world with no effective rules for the conduct of war, with increasingly belligerent, ambitious and ruthless leaders holding nuclear weapons is a terrifying prospect.
Whether or not you believe the Christmas story literally is irrelevant here. The Christmas festival; our annual time off work and party season, only happens because folklore says that a baby (almost certainly who had a dark-coloured skin) was born to poor, immigrant parents. This innocent baby was then hunted down because he was considered a threat. Baby boys in Bethelehem under two years of age were murdered in Herod’s obsession with killing just one person. Jesus’ trial (for blasphemy) 32 years later, was marked by irreguliarites. Jewish authorities disregarded several of the laws relating to trials and eventually executed him. Jesus’ execution was illegal under both Jewish and the occupying Romans’ laws. More recently, Hitler murdered 6 million Jews and other minority races; because they were “different”. The holocaust was illegal under existent German and Humanitarian Law of the time. (Hitler changed Germany’s laws to give himself “authority” to persecute Jews and others). These two historical cases, alone, illustrate that governments disregarding laws can have very serious consequences.
Israel, with support from our governments, is now murdering tens of thousands of innocent people, and displacing and injuring millions more. This is ostensibly to eradicate Hamas – which, at the start of the current offensive, was believed to comprise approximately 30,000 troops, many of whom would have been unwilling conscripts because, under Israel’s seige, there were few other options to earn an income. It is rarely mentioned that most Palestinians detest Hamas, blaming them for the suffering they have endured under Israel’s 17 year long seige and for provoking the current offensive. This seige was illegal under International Law. Yet the entire population of Palestine and beyond has been targetted by Israel’s offensive to (ostensibly) eradicate a group of extremist terrorists comprising less than 1.2% of the population. Under International Humanitarian Law, this is called ‘Collective Punishment’; it is illegal and considered a war crime. Our government is supplying the weapons being used to commit this crime. In so doing, Israel and the governments supporting their actions are disregarding relevant laws.
We are allowing history to repeat, despite having the benefits of hindsight, instantaneous communications and democratically-elected governments. We (collectively), through inaction, are not only allowing genocide to happen again, but we are staying silent as our governments disregard the system of international law which they initiated and are responsible for upholding. If they break International Laws, what confidence is there that they won’t also break national laws? There is compelling historical evidence to show that a government deliberately flouting laws has the potential to escalate into a downward spiral of lawlessness at national and international levels.
While governments (paid with your taxes and, supposedly, representing you) permit, even encourage, arms to be sold to genocidaires, and, in so doing, flout the system of international law, we are all complicit. In democratic countries, we have the right and responsibility to hold our governments to account when they are acting against our values and wishes (and breaking laws). Ultimately, there are mechanisms to depose governments if there is sufficient popular support. In words often attributed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu “Choosing to remain silent is taking the side of the oppressor“.
There is too much violence and law-breaking already. Everything we do to protest must be peaceful and lawful, but convey an unambigious and urgent message.
Christmasinaminorkey costs nothing, is peaceful and gives you an easy opportunity to “do something”. Your simple gesture will raise awareness, invite dialogue, encourage others to unequivocally tell governments that it is not acceptable to support genocide or to disregard international law. In these unprecedented circumstances, what is your reason for staying silent?
If we were to just slightly alter familiar Christmas tunes to sound more sombre, (e.g. transposing them to a minor key) we will draw-on and respect the traditions and history of Christmas – notably Peace and Goodwill to All, but we will clearly express dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. When we play an occasional tune in a minor key, we will invite others to ask “why did you do that?”, which gives us an entry point to explain. I don’t suggest spoiling every christmas tune or dampening the Christmas spirit, but just enough to make our point clearly. (even just a couple of bars at the end of your gig).
Christianity is just one of many religions, and there are those who have no faith at all. There are many secular tunes traditionally played in the Christmas season. – for example, ‘Don’t they know it’s Christmas’ has been re-released for Christmas. Your own culture or religion will have its own traditional and familiar tunes. – if you consider it appropriate, feel free to play them in a different key or mode too.
So, whether you sing, play or listen to other people’s music, are you willing to become part of a movement to show your strongest disapproval of arming the genocide and flouting the systems of international law?
Please start by using the hashtag #christmasinaminorkey, invite your friends and then start making music in a minor key.
Chris Cattaway
