Pink Playgrounds & A Letter from Hamas

CODEPINK: Women For Peace, June 5, 2009

As President Obama delivered his much-anticipated speech to the Arab and Muslim world in Cairo yesterday, millions worldwide watched from home, journalists analyzed word for word, and thousands crowded around Cairo University. But only one group was present outside the university--CODEPINK was there with a giant pink banner reading "Obama Stop Funding Israeli War Crimes" (in English and Arabic), ready to deliver a letter from Hamas to Obama and 10,000 signatures calling on Obama to visit Gaza.

Members of CODEPINK's extraordinary delegations of 175 people were delivering a ground-breaking letter from Hamas to Obama (read the letter here) via the U.S. Embassy in Cairo urging Obama to visit Gaza and calling for talks with all parties based on mutual respect and international law. As delegate Philip Weiss writes in his blog,

"But such is the stranglehold of the Israel lobby on our politics... Everyone else is feckless, and so a group of pink-swathed feminists who joke with the Hamas security about their scary beards have become players."

CODEPINK was able to deliver the petition and the letter to the US Embassy in Egypt. The current peace delegations--entering Gaza through Israel and Egypt--have been busy building three pink playgrounds, delivering toys and aid to the children of Gaza.

See the photos of the playground and letter delivery!

Read more press coverage about the Gaza delegations here and the Hamas letter delivery here.

Follow us on Twitter and get up-to-the-minute delegation action updates!

Read blogs from our delegates here!

Thank you for supporting this much needed work in Gaza. You can continue to fund these projects. Click here to find out how.

In peace,
Allison, Audrey, Blaine, Dana, Desiree, Farida, Gael, Gayle, Janna, Janet, Jean, Jodie, Liz, Lori, Lydia, Medea, Nancy, Pam, Paris, Rae and Tighe