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Hey there! You're reading the Tuesday Telegrams, a bimonthly newsletter from author Naseem Jamnia. Every other Tuesday, I send out a Telegram that's either writing related or a personal essay. You're currently reading a personal Telegram, which involves a rumination on something that's happened in my life—often related to being a queer, trans, person of color and member of a diaspora.

Want to receive my writing Telegrams? Go to the footer of this email and click "update your profile" to choose which Telegrams to receive.

In other circumstances, this would be a personal Telegram. However, in honor of the Global Strike for Palestine (Jan 21 - Jan 28) called by Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, I'm using this space to ask you to participate or support however you can (and sending it to all my newsletter subscribers).

Here is a handy graphic detailing how you can participate. Not everyone can abstain from work or not shop for necessities, so the graphic shares ways you can still support.

Ways to help this week per organizers:

• Donate to:
  • ​Care For Gaza​
  • ​Palestine Children’s Relief Fund​
  • ​Adalah Justice Project​
  • ​Palestine Writes Literature Festival (for the future of Palestinian literature)
  • ​Crips for eSIMS for Gaza—Israel has blocked telecommunications, so Palestinians in Gaza need eSIMS to communicate with the outside world
• Don't use social media except to support the strike, amplify Palestinian voices, and share what's happening to Palestinians.
• Buy books through the Books for Palestine Bookshop and boycott the marketing of any St. Martin's Press imprints for their silence on their employee's Islamophobic, pro-genocidal rhetoric.
• Contact your elected representatives to demand a ceasefire. You can call Congress, email Congress, or use apps like ResistBot or 5Calls to make it easy.
• Join the We Charge Genocide International Day of Action on Friday, Jan. 26, which is when Palestinians are taking Biden to court. You can watch the hearing here or plan action here. You can also join a local protest. Make sure to stay safe by going with a friend (or making a buddy at the protest), deescalating conflict with counter-protestors (don't engage; chant louder; ignore), and NEVER SPEAKING TO THE COPS. ("Am I free to go?" and "Am I being detained?" are your go-to questions.)
• Use boycott, divestment, and sanction tactics to put economic pressure on pro-Israeli groups.

​Also, The Bruising of Qilwa audiobook is 70% off ($3.90) until the end of January. Out of respect for the strike, I'd ask you to wait until after January 28 to order a copy. If you send me a receipt that you bought it or a screenshot asking your local library to buy it, I'll donate $26 (double the audio base price) to a Palestinian organization of your choice. (Also the narrator, Fajer Al-Kaisi, has narrated several books on Palestine. He's absolutely incredible, and I'm excited to listen to these narrations.)

Genocide is not unusual. Genocide is the foundation of colonial (both former and current) world powers. Genocide has been exacted on Black and brown bodies for generations. But this genocide is being widely televised and actively supported by the US (and other) government(s). Don't let them get away with it.

In solidarity,

Naseem

I also wanted to remind any Reno-area folks about the panel I'm doing at the Radical Cat tomorrow from 5-7pm on the importance of inclusive kidlit, which I bring up because of the attacks on public libraries happening all across the country (including in Washoe County). While this panel is not hosted by the library, we're doing it in direct support of the librarians fighting to keep inclusive kidlit on their shelves.

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