Moe Rock & Rebecca Vilkomerson

Moe Rock – Pop Musician

Rebecca Vilkomerson – Director/Jewish Voice For Peace

Host: Basima Farhat

Previously Aired On: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 – Listen to the Show!
 

MOE ROCK – Persian American Pop musician whose song Ah-low has been downloaded over 1/2 million times by Iranians who have used it as an anthem of protest.

REBECCA VILKOMERSON – New Director of Jewish Voice for Peace speaks about her organization and personal philosophy and politics regarding Israel/Palestine.

At 15 years old in Iowa, Moe Rock was very impressed by the visit of Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi to his school. Shirin Ebadi was the first Iranian and Woman ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s something he never forgot. In fact, meeting Shirin Ebadi is something that affected Moe deeply and still does.

Perhaps it is quite appropriate then, 4 years later, that Moe’s song “Ah-Low” has been downloaded over half a million times directly from Iran and has become an anthem of protest.

Moe has had mentors along the way like Rich Cronin (LFO and recently the reality tv show on VH1 ‘Mission: Man Band’). He also looked to Immortal Technique and (add to this list if you wish)

Humility, patience, and persistence are the traits that define new R&B artist Moe Rock. At the tender, young age of 19, Moe possesses impressive maturity with a new and unique writing style. “I’ve had offers on the table that most musicians dream of, but I wasn’t gona sign away my soul or sell out. I’d rather go hungry than be a millionaire who has to fake his music.” Indeed, Moe Rock has turned down record deals to maintain total creative control over his upcoming album. He believes that singers should write their own songs from the heart, and he will never compromise his principles.

The first generation son of immigrants who escaped the deadly streets of Iran during the war, Moe began writing music for himself and other artists four years ago at the age of 15. He is now one of southern California’s fastest spreading and most talked about young artists. Because Moe understands his humble beginings, 10% of his sales go to help orphans who lost their parents to war in the Middle East.

REBECCA VILKOMERSON – Director Jewish Voice For Peace

I have been visiting Israel my whole life. My aunt “made aliyah” as a young adult, and my grandparents soon followed her. My parents also lived in Israel for a year before I was born. I have layer upon layer of memories of being in Israel with my family throughout my life.

My Israeli family are religious kibbutzniks. When I was twelve, my favorite cousin’s fiance died in a car bombing in Lebanon during his last two weeks of army service. She had known him since they were both thirteen, and it took her years to recover. The ripples of grief this one death caused brought home to me, in some small way, the impact of Israel?s wars.

My connection to Israel was reinforced when Nasser,the Jordanian manager of my neighborhood cafe here in San Francisco,decided to introduce me to one of his best customers–Yoni, an Israeli.When we married, I gained a whole other Israeli family.

Shortly after I met Yoni, the second intifada brokeout. The combination of these two events forced me to sharpen my knowledge of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I had enough vague ideasa bout the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza to debate with my fathera bout Israeli policies, but I realized I needed to know more.

In my professional life, I am an organizer and advocate, specifically around welfare, homelessness, and other issues that affect low-income people in the United States. In my work I have seen enough of the negative impact of American capitalism and racism to question the prevailing myths of American opportunity and American history. The history and politics we are taught in school often do not reflect reality–whether in the United States or around the world.

Like many people, because of my emotional attachment to Israel, I had been reluctant to examine the “story” of Israel-making the desert bloom, the heroic wars Israel fought as the underdog, the duplicitousness of the “Arabs” (never Palestinians). But then I began to educate myself. I read books like “The Iron Wall” by Avi Shlaim and”Drinking the Sea at Gaza” by Amira Haas. I became a regular reader of the Electronic Intifada and JewishPeace News. As my own position became clearer to me, I knew I needed to become active in the movement for justice for Palestinian people.

The more I learned, the more I had to question not just the occupation, but the premise of a state for one religious group. I had to look at my own politics and ask myself if giving rights to some people and not others is consistent with my values. For example, do I believe that immigration laws should be based on ethnic identity? Would I define a country as democratic if only Christians had full rights? The answer, of course, is no. But in Israel, this is the reality.

I don’t currently belong to a synagogue, so JVPhas become my Jewish community. It is a pleasure to struggle with otherJews to live the ethics that I associate with Judaism in the fight forjustice in Israel and Palestine.

Rebecca is the new director of Jewish Voice For Peace, whose mission statement is to work together for peace, social justice, equality, human rights, respect for international law, and a U.S. foreign policy based on these ideals. JVP opposes anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab bigotry and oppression. JVP seeks an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem; security and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians; a just solution for Palestinian refugees based on principles established in international law; an end to violence against civilians; and peace and justice for all peoples of the Middle East.

Jewish Voice For Peace seeks:

-A U.S. foreign policy based on promoting peace, democracy, human rights, and respect
for international law

-An end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem

-A resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem consistent with international law and equity

-An end to all violence against civilians

-Peace among the peoples of the Middle East

Please Visit:

http://www.JewishVoiceForPeace.org

December 1st, 2009 --Previous Guests--, Moe Rock, Rebecca Vilkomerson | one comment