DEATH OF RACHEL CORRIE
On 16 March 2003, 23-year-old Rachel Corrie was crushed to death under an armoured Caterpillar D-9R bulldozer as she knelt on both knees in front of a Palestinian home in Rafah. Her gallant act was carried out in an effort to prevent the home from being demolished. Five years after her death, her family collected together and published her thoughts, email correspondence, and journal entries. While these were written more than 20 years ago, they give us insights into the woman behind the martyr and are still relevant in terms of the occupation of Palestine and the importance of having compassion and empathy for those both near and far.
PARENTAL PRIDE
Reading this work was an extremely difficult and emotional process. Understanding the work Corrie undertook for the Palestinian Liberation Movement whilst knowing how she died was poignant; at times, it was necessary to put the book down to digest the paragraphs within it. The book is a beautiful collection of her thoughts and writing, and her parents’ pride for their activist daughter comes across very clearly through its pages. Her parents allow readers to understand who she was—encapsulated in one clear sentence: “I'm here because I care.”
The book starts with a few words from Corrie’s parents who recollect the fateful day of her death, which they watched on the news, and reminisce about her as a child. They describe her as being a child who always cared a little bit too much—a child who saw the grim state of the world just a tad bit too young. She was always a writer and a poet first; then she became an activist.
POLITICAL AWAKENING
Corrie’s writing and poetry make clear that she was full of compassion and empathy for everyone around her. She grew up being aware of the world around her, since she was exposed to different cultures; the trip that changed her life was her visit to Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. She opposed the Gulf War and the US’ involvement in the Middle East after 9/11. The post-9/11 climate in the US made her an advocate for the Palestinian cause. The true passion that she had for this cause is something to which all human rights advocates aspire.
The book’s most important section covers her account of all the work she undertook in Palestine. Corrie was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which assists the Palestinian cause through non-violent methods. In her writing, Corrie mentions that you cannot know what is happening in Palestine unless you see it for yourself. The fear she felt in joining the people of Rafah clearly comes across in her writing, although her belief in the strength of uniting her home city with Rafah as sister cities (and so creating a branch of solidarity between anti-Zionist Americans and Palestinians) is also apparent. This solidarity has proven to be possible and critical time and again.
Despite her fears—both existential and in terms of her own life—she always put people first:
I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anaesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again—a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here.
As is clear from her writing, Corrie longed for and worked towards the end of the genocide in Palestine, the end of settler colonialism, and the end of the development of the apartheid state.
EMPATHY AND ADVOCACY
Corrie’s feeling of guilt as an American comes across throughout, as she struggles with her government’s support for the colonisation of Palestine. However, her faith in people and their ability to be good is also clear: “We should be inspired by people... who show that human beings can be kind, brave, generous, beautiful, strong - even in the most difficult circumstances.”
This collection of Corrie’s written work is not full of answers about how to become a better advocate for human rights. Rather, it allows readers to reflect on their own behaviour and how they might keep the fight for human rights going. Although direct contributions from Palestinian voices are missing in the book, it is a special look at human rights activism and a must-read for anyone who is looking to tune into their empathy as a starting point for truly being an advocate.
Tamyra is a Year 2 International Relations with Spanish student who is passionate about human rights, marxism and anti-imperialism. She aspires to be a political journalist who seeks to connect with the people through stories told by them.