Rachel Corrie Play Opens in Haifa
An Arabic-language production of My Name is Rachel Corrie, a play based on the writings of a young American woman killed by an Israeli bulldozer, premiered in Haifa, Israel on Sunday.
Corrie’s parents attended the performance, which took place on the fifth anniversary of her death.
“I can’t think of any more appropriate place to be… than with all of you. Even when we are back in the United States, our hearts are always very much here,” Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother, told the audience.
Her 23-year-old daughter, originally from Olympia, Washington, was killed in Rafah, Gaza, in March 2003 while trying to prevent a house demolition during a period of heightened violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Eyewitnesses report that she was crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer, but a government investigation later cleared the army, which said it was operating in a security zone close to the Egyptian border.
According to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 2,370 houses were destroyed by the Israeli army in Gaza between September 2000 - the start of the second intifada - and September 2004.
Rachel in Arabic
Last night’s production, by Haifa’s al-Midan theatre company, was an adaptation of the British original, a one-woman play based on the evocative emails and diary entries kept by Corrie before and during her time in Gaza.
“It is a blessing to have the opportunity to act such a beautiful mind, spirit, soul and heart,” said Lana Zreik, the Arab-Israeli actor who received a standing ovation for her portrayal of Corrie.
Several audience members, including Corrie’s mother, said it was “especially resonant” to hear her daughter’s words spoken by a Palestinian woman.
Al-Midan’s Arabic-production contained slight variations of the original. “Our audiences know what happened in Gaza, they know about the things that Rachel describes,” said Riad Masarwi, who directed and translated the play with Zreik.
“Because of that, my direction was to find out what was in the head of Rachel, the heart of Rachel… to look at the question, what makes a 23-year-old woman leave Olympia, America and come to Palestine. Why?”
Fiery reception
The play has already appeared in several countries, including the US, Canada, Peru, Sweden and Greece, and sparked all kinds of reactions.
When it premiered in London in 2005, one critic described it as “a stunning account of one woman’s passionate response to a particular situation,” while another observed that some scenes contained elements of “unvarnished propaganda”.
Last night’s audience was almost entirely Arab-Israeli - the majority of Jewish Israelis do not know Arabic and the Hebrew-language media did not comment on the event.
Some hope that Hebrew subtitles will be featured as the play tours mixed-population cities like Jerusalem and Jaffa later this month, before it stages in the West Bank.
“We don’t live in Gaza, but we see all these difficult things about it on the news,” said Ferial Khaschiboun, from Haifa, who attended the play’s Arabic-language premiere.
“Now we saw a foreign woman talking about our country in this way, with this emotion. It was fantastic -and it broke my heart.”
Mohammad Zeidan, an audience member from the Arab village of Arara in northern Israel, said, “I have seen Rachel alive tonight, that’s how it felt.”
“If a Palestinian were to tell the same story it might be routine, but Rachel’s thoughts and words convey something different, something very moving.”
That, said Rachel’s mother, is precisely the purpose of the play.
“It is so easy for people to detach from Gaza, from the horror of it, completely,” she said. “I feel like that’s what Rachel left me to do, to keep people coming back to what is happening there.”
The Nasrallah family in Rafah, Gaza, whose home Corrie had been trying to protect when she was killed, wanted to attend the performance in Haifa but were refused permits to enter Israel.
Rachel’s father, Craig Corrie, implored the audience to rally for change.
“We need to work together to make those walls come down, the walls around our hearts and the prison that kept our friends from coming here tonight.”
© 2008 Al Jazeera
Rachel Corrie is an honor to the American people far more than the United States has ever honored her, indeed, contrary to the British Government, the United States government has never pressed for a fair and serious investigation of her murder by an Israeli bulldozer.
And the American media has once again failed to make serious calls for such an investigation or attempt to find out all the facts.
It is at least heartwarming to see the Palestinians commemorate her memory while her own country seems to ignore her making the ultimate sacrifice.
Explain why a silly young girl who thought it would be fun to play chicken with a bulldozer is a hero? Seems a foolish waste of a life to me.
Ah, well. Consider it evolution in action.
Rachel Corrie was deliberately targeted for murder by the Israeli state because of her stirring words and deeds. The criminal state of Israel has a long history of silencing the poets of Palestine and Rachel Corrie has joined their noble ranks. The desperate acts of Israel and its supporters in censoring the very mention of Rachel Corrie and threatening theaters who might try to present this play - are merely demonstrating the utter futility of the Zionist project. We are all Rachel Corrie.
I very much doubt the bulldozer driver either knew or cared about her stirring words and deeds. I suspect, far from deliberate targeting, she was killed because she was directly between where the buldozer was and where its driver wanted to go.
Eidos: “Explain why a silly young girl who thought it would be fun to play chicken with a bulldozer is a hero? Seems a foolish waste of a life to me.”
Eidos, you are a pathetic creature and a disgrace to humanity. It’s a shame that you are still here and that Rachel is gone.
Thanks, Forex. I appreciate your wishing I was dead, but I’ll forgo returning the sentiment upon you, if you don’t mind. I know a good man would return a compliment received, but I fear I am not quite up to your moral standards.
Eidos - the reason Rachel Corrie is seen as a heroine by millions of people is quite simple. She courageously tried to stop a gross injustice and crime. She was not ‘playing chicken’. In the best tradition of civil disobedience and non-violence she was trying to prevent a bulldozer from demolishing yet another home of innocent people. There have been many lies told about what happened that day. My own Congresswoman, Ellen Tauscher, repeated some of these lies to me in a letter once. One lie is that Rachel was protecting terrorists. Another lie is that there was a tunnel under the house. Another lie is that the driver did not know she was there. All of these items have been well documented and the facts are there for anyone interested. The lies have been promoted by AIPAC and others who routinely lie or ‘disinform’ to protect apartheid Israel. But the truth eventually comes out. And it is wonderful to see Rachel being recognized and honored by some wonderful Ara ob and Jewish Israelis in Haifa.
Eidos - the reason Rachel Corrie is seen as a heroine by millions of people is quite simple. She courageously tried to stop a gross injustice and crime. She was not ‘playing chicken’. In the best tradition of civil disobedience and non-violence she was trying to prevent a bulldozer from demolishing yet another home of innocent people. There have been many lies told about what happened that day. My own Congresswoman, Ellen Tauscher, repeated some of these lies to me in a letter once. One lie is that Rachel was protecting terrorists. Another lie is that there was a tunnel under the house. Another lie is that the driver did not know she was there. All of these items have been well documented and the facts are there for anyone interested. The lies have been promoted by AIPAC and others who routinely lie or ‘disinform’ to protect apartheid Israel. But the truth eventually comes out. And it is wonderful to see Rachel being recognized and honored by some wonderful Arab and Jewish Israelis in Haifa.
Eidos: “Explain why a silly young girl who thought it would be fun to play chicken with a bulldozer is a hero? Seems a foolish waste of a life to me.”
Perhaps you aren’t aware that the IDF has little if any restraint in letting bullets fly when it is Palestinians who raise their heads, but do exercise some restraint when the targets are Nationals of their western backers.
The exercise she was engaged in, placing a non-Palestinian person between the bulldozer and the home they hoped to bulldoze, had been practiced successfully many times before this incident.
What she did was no different than what the Chinese student did in Tiannemon Square (sp?) standing before the column of tanks, preventing them from entering the square. Far from a giddy game of chicken, it is a courageous act. An act worthy of admiration and emulation.
Eidos
The action of an individual like Rachael Corrie is one of standing not just before a bulldozer and a political force, but before another human being who chose and/or was ordered to action. It is very much a matter between one human being and another and what causes the supression of human empathy. What has become of the driver is an important question in the equation. Does anyone know?
Edios, someone like you cannot be expected to understand, don’t even try.
How strange. Americans salute the Chinese man who stood in front of the Army tanks advancing over Tienanmen Square, but the majority despise and hate “traitorous” or at best “silly” Rachel Corrie, for standing in front of an IDF bulldozer. Double standards at work, obviously. Is their contempt because she was a girl? Or because she was standing on behalf of Palestinians being persecuted by the US ally Israel? If an American ally does the repression and killing, then clearly all Americans should look the other way. It’s the patriotic (and Christian) thing to do.
Gandhi’s grand son did wonder why Palestinians were not sitting with her. I think that point is valid.
Except perhaps–it is known that if palestinians were sitting with her, the driver wouldnt have hesitated to run them over.
With her being there–they felt Israel wouldnt be so barbaric.
Israel doesnt care about non israelis.
American soldiers on the Liberty, Israeli spies laughing at the 9 11 attacks…
I keep a picture of Rachel to remind myself of her caring a true Hero .
Standing alone for the weak and abandoned.
Reminds me of others who have forgotten this, once was their plight while others stood by Alone .
How come Rachael gets all the press, but the countless Palistinians who have been similarly crushed by the same bulldozers, some in wheelchairs unable to escape, get zero press?
BTW, Eidio is a facist zionist pig. Ignore him
I’m surprised the Israelis didn’t bulldoze the theater. (sarcasm intended)
A couple of years ago, on the anniversary of her death, there were hundreds of readings around the world of excerpts of MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE. The church in Portland, Oregon received bomb threats after a right wing talk show host went on a rant before the production.
After calling police, and hiring security guards, it was decided the event would go on. Thankfully the threats never materialzed into actions, and the audience was honored to be introduced to a very special young woman.
Rachel Corrie’s life is much more than the story of a “silly” girl who was crushed by a bulldozer.
At a very young age Rachel demonstrated considerable compassion and a sincere dedication to making the world a better place. MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE introduces the audience a girl and young woman who was far from perfect, but had a depth of character that is very rare in these shallow times. The tragedy of her death is that she could have done so much more at a time when the world is in desperate need of Rachel Corries.
If you get a chance to see MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE go because this play gives continue her work, and might just help to implement the change she died for.
May each step we take lead the way to peace in our every day lives.
No one but us; never if not now.
” Ragdoll March 18th, 2008 12:56 pm
Rachel Corrie is an honor to the American people far more than the United States has ever honored her, …”
DEFINITELY TRUE of the US govt, but I’m NOT nationalist in kind; patriotic in the holistic sense, sure, but not nationalistic. So I do not see her as an “honour to the American people”, who’ve been very dishonourable and while many remain so today; f.e., 77% having supported war on Iraq when it was strongly or totally obvious that this could never be justified; that the Bush administration was not elected, but appointed, in 2000; that Bush was long known to be of ‘blood cult’ kind as governor of Texas, etcetera, etcetera; that voters are plenty behind McCain and Billary today; etcetera; etcetera; etcetera.
NOPE, ALL of the credit goes to Rachel and her family; [ALL OF IT]. It’d be childish of me to think that she’s an honour to me, even if I wholly and immediately opposed the wars on Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, …; regardless of my fully siding with the Palestinian side of the Israel-Palestine “in-equation”; ETCETERA. My views and choices are MY OWN and NO ONE else’s. If we agree in terms of values and perspective, then great, but neither is credit to the other; not unless we actually help each other to learn and grow to become more fully humane and therefore sane, of course.
The credit or honour(ability) is hers and to her family, and perhaps, I guess, to the Gazans Rachel died trying to help. After all, they tried to attend this play and were again denied their human rights and dignity by the hellbent Israeli govt, of course backed by the US govt, of which the political officials are elected by NONE OTHER than “Americans”. Ooops, well, except when elections are false and what really happens is [appointments], of course.
“It is at least heartwarming to see the Palestinians commemorate her memory …”
HUMANIZING is another way of putting it, like in helping me to feel [human] again, even if only momentarily; instead of feeling like I’m sort of zombie lost in this damn time warp situation that has me stuck in this horrorific world, here, and calling on Scotty to beam me up outta here, but while he’s been inattentive, not at the controls. USA has a way of making me feel like I’m of the “living dead”, and one that doesn’t appreciate this situation. Stopped calling on Scotty to wake up a few years ago though; obviously busy with other things, he is, I think.
” Eidos March 18th, 2008 1:09 pm
Explain why a silly young girl who thought it would be fun to play chicken with a bulldozer is a hero? Seems a foolish waste of a life to me.
Ah, well. Consider it evolution in action.”
BETTER IS FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN why she should have thought that the driver of the bulldozer and who could clearly see her would drive over her! It’s not something we’d normally expect, and not even something we’ve heard or read of happening more than once, maybe twice, there. We’ve certainly been able to learn of other and many horrific crimes committed by Israel, but a bulldozer being driven over an unarmed activist who’s not of Palestine, or even if the person was of Palestine? Her story is the sole example I know of.
She was FULLY VISIBLE and had a bright orange jacket, whatever it’s called. on; and it was full daylight on a sunny day. He could not have not seen her BEFORE driving over her; BEFORE, I repeat.
NO, she honours me not, but maybe it’s okay to say that it is an honour for me to have learned of her and her family’s story, as well as the story of the family Rachel was trying to protect. I’m not sure if it’s quite right to employ ‘honour’ in this sense, but it’s certainly unfitting to think that she honours “Americans”. She didn’t do what she did because of being “American”; or surely nowhere as much as due to being HUMAN(E), sane, full of love and compassion, passion for JUSTICE, etc.
Credit and honour is theirs, while I was fortunate to have learned of this story as of the week, if not day, it happened; and to have been able to read of follow-up events over the past few years, all events in her and her family’s honour, to honour their great contribution to HUMANITY and justice.
We can think of it in a very customary way, which is that when the anniversary date of her death happens, then we can commemorate; we could memorialise the event in not our, but her and her family’s honour, as well as in honour of the Palestinians she was generously trying to help. They will surely be made part of Palestinian history and quite officially, I have no doubt; and we could do our part to honour what her and her family have paid and graciously, generously so they have. It’s excellently reflected in the words of her parents quoted in this article.
We celebrate or commemorate MLK Jr every year, and we could do the same for Rachel. It’d be strongly fitting, given the extremely criminal backing, and more, of the hellish Israeli govt by the U.S. govt and MANY U.S. media and citizens.
Blessed be Rachel and her family!
That is, Blessed be [and] are Rachel and her family, or parents; not just ‘be’. For these are [real] saints.
I would have loved to have attended the reading in Portland where I lived before moving to Hong Kong.
There is a heartfelt poem about Rachel Corrie, “Your Name is Rachel Corrie”, by Egyptian poet Fatima Naoot which I had the honor of reading at the book launch in Hong Kong.
http://arabicnadwah.com/arabicprosepoetry/poems_by_fatima_naoot.htm
The poem is a bit less than halfway down the page which also contains other of Fatima’s poems. Well worth reading if you like poetry.
Rachel Corrie was an enemy of the State. The Wehrmacht was defending the Fatherland.
Why was she in an IZRAELI DEATH FORCE concentration camp in the first place?
KHIAM. And to Eidos; may you experience that which you defend. Sounds reasonable, huh? Khiam; Where ISRAEL TORTURED CHILDREN.
Rachel Corrie was-and is-a true hero. She embodied the very best in all of us. She died trying to make the world a better place. I grieve.
“Eidos” (a fan of Lara Croft, apparently) has given us a fascinating, if repellent, insight into Zionist thinking. After all, it’s much easier to murder your neighbors and steal their property if you regard them as less than human (or less “evolved,” to use his language).
It is quite obvious that Eidos is terrified of Rachel Corrie’s power, and this requires him to denigrate her in the crudest way he can.
In other words, “Never again… unless we’re the ones doing it.”
It never ceases to amaze me how much time you people seem to have on your hands, and yet you know nothing — nothing — of what is really going on in most of the places you condemn and sanctimoniously pontificate about. Not the least of which is, of course, Israel. The literally stupidly self-righteous, lecturing, ridiculously fawning comments about this disturbed girl, and then the psychopathically angry comments in response to those who point out what you’re really doing, epitomizes everything I’m saying and is so very worn out. You really are tiresome, you know. This play is a piece of propagandist tripe that only perpetuates misinformation, the oldest and ugliest hatred — of Jewish people and Israel, and is a tool of hateful people for hateful purposes. I confidently bet my entire life’s savings that none of you, not a one, has ever lived in Israel, let alone visted, spoken with an Israeli citizen, actually read or studied about the true ancient history of the Jewish homeland, Israel, or even know that “Palestine” is an invention of Roman conquerers who forcibly destroyed the Jewish kingdom of Israel, and yet Jewish people have *always* lived in Israel, and that “Palestinian Arabs” were migrant workers from places like Jordan….Also, Israeli Arabs enjoy rights that are not afforded them anywhere else in the Arab Muslim world — READ THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE ONCE MORE — not the least of whom are women! Israel has offered peaceful co-existence repeatedly and have literally been blown up and terrorized for their trouble. Targeted counter measures like bulldozing homes of those who harbor, support &/or are terrorists is a reasonable response in the face of monstrous irrationality and violence with genocidal intention. This very distrubed girl, like the majority of you who subscribe to this publication and this type of outlook, was in serious need of a dose of reality, as well as the need to be humbled. You actually know nothing, and if you are to spout off and meddle in the complex affairs of others, check yourself and your real intentions or motivations.