Dear T., thank-you so very much, you and the good women I met at The Hague are a light on the horizon.
The beginning of 8th and 9th of MAY, Day of Commemoration of the end World War II and the Liberation from Fascism brought more light to this doomed capital of Germany:
The beginning of 8th and 9th of MAY, Day of Commemoration of the end World War II and the Liberation from Fascism brought more light to this doomed capital of Germany:
People streaming in from various countries added yesterday a very bright light of hope: Thousands if not decennies of thousands of people paid tribute yesterday and the day before yesterday to the Soviet War Memorial in the Park of Treptow (see pictures)http://www.omaha.
in the heart of Berlin, were 7 000 Soviet soldiers are buried. They died during the 3 days of conquering Berlin, they fought for our freedom. tiny press coverage:
in the heart of Berlin, were 7 000 Soviet soldiers are buried. They died during the 3 days of conquering Berlin, they fought for our freedom. tiny press coverage:
The huge memorial field in Treptow, even the hill, was covered with the most beautiful flowers that every body had brought in spontaneously. It was a real international people's gathering. Of course most of the folks were Russians or had Russian ties. I spoke with many interesting men and women, e.g. a Russian woman, married to an American whose grown up son has three maternal languages: Russian. German, English.
You should have been there, it was a real folk festival. Folk groups played music, women sang traditional Russian folk songs, others danced in their home costumes under a welcoming sunny sky . People laid out there sandwiches and salads and shared food. Many beautiful things happened, only cheerfull ones, of course always under the watchful eyes of German policemen clad in black..
They watched as children were writing in Cyrillic script the names of those buried soldiers on paper that had been identified and than put their names up on long line alongside the gates...
They watched people celebrating and commemorating, reminding us of the sincere friendlyness of the Russian people. They watched Ukrainians too, and White-Russians, young men whose grandfathers had bravely fought against Hitler..
They saw the many beautiful reliefs leading towards the enormous 'grave hill' carrying Stalin's quotes. Its golden letters have been finally redone, so that every literate person could read the original words, friendly words! No word of hate or aggression.
On the Russian News Channel Russia Today (RT) they reported life from the festivities in Moscow. It must have been overwhelming.
I could not help crying in Treptow yesterday: We are not truly prepared to wage another war against Russia, are we? The Russians, who many times over from Frederic II , Napoleon, the Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler were the aggressed not the aggressor. A peace-loving and very sympathetic people, whom we owe so much. We really must insist: RUSSIA IS BY NO MEANS THE AGRESSOR. We should have instisted on that phrase in the HAGUE. Not doing so was a sort of premature capitulation. But we will continue to say it anyway. We will say it louder and we will deliver footage. The words of the ma-linformed young staff women from Syria(!) should not have gone uncommented. Without footage she said that Russian weapons make up 90 % of the weapons in the Middle East. Such accussations want evidence and we must insists on factual information.
Big hug from Berlin in peace and solidarity Irene
P.S. I feel profoundly ashamed for my people, for WILPF, for what they call here the "German peace movement", and especially today, May 8th/9th when we should all sincerely commemorate the end end of WWII and the liberation from FASCISM. Our part of the world is responsible for what has been done to the RUSSIAN/SOVIET people, to the JEWS and what has been done for decades to the PALESTINIAN PEOPLE , a brave people with whom we should side if we meant our words about Human Rights and Democracy sincerely.
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