[Wikimania-l] CD

[KIZU Naoko]

Shalom / Assalam from Jerusalem,

On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Harel Cain <harel.cain at gmail.com> wrote:
> We at Wikimedia Israel are not ignoring the stories told on this thread,
> actually we're taking them very much to heart.
>
> We are now considering a strong letter of complaint to various government
> agencies and a demand for formal written apology. Details will follow once
> we have decided on our course of action.

It's very much thoughtful and kind of you. I hope also the other still
around may not have such troubles mentioned.

>
>
> Harel Cain
> Secretary, Wikimedia Israel
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 11:07, James Hare <messedrocker at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Aug 11, 2011, at 9:49 AM, "church.of.emacs.ml"
>> <church.of.emacs.ml at googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > On 08/10/2011 06:05 PM, Sumana Harihareswara wrote:
>> >>
>> >> […]
>> >>
>> >> In both cases I was traveling alone.  And in both cases I was myself, a
>> >> US citizen whose parents and name and skin color came from South Asia.
>> >> I can't pass as anything else.
>> >
>> > This is simply racism and harassment. There can be no excuse for that
>> > kind of treatment.
>> > If this is the way even a citizen of the western world is treated, I can
>> > understand very well why there were (almost?) no members of the Arab
>> > world in Israel.
>> >
>> > I find it regrettable that next Wikimania is going to be in Washington
>> > D.C. Airport harassment might not be as severe as in Israel, but perhaps
>> > severe enough so that Arab Wikimedians are prevented or discouraged from
>> > attending.
>> >
>> > Don't get me wrong, Wikimania in Israel was fantastic and D.C. will
>> > probably be, too, but we have to focus more on accessibility for *all*
>> > Wikimedians.
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Tobias
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Wikimania-l mailing list
>> > Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>
>> While no one has the power to exempt anyone from security checks (in fact,
>> whenever former Secretary of State Colin Powell travels, he gets the full
>> check to show that everyone has to follow the rules), we can coordinate with
>> TSA, tell them about our conference (including how tech-oriented some of the
>> attendees are), and ask them for advice to make the security check process
>> as simple as possible. My impression, though, is that while Israeli security
>> focuses on you as a person, TSA mostly focuses on your stuff. Follow all
>> their rules (take out laptop for separate x-ray scan, only small bottles of
>> liquid, etc.) and I think you will be fine, but unfortunately I only have
>> the perspective of a white US citizen.
>>
>> I actually think the bigger obstacle will be obtaining a visa, for those
>> who don't live in visa exempt countries. As mentioned earlier, we will do
>> everything in our power to make the process easier; we will even be looking
>> into visa scholarships. It helps that the US State Department knows what
>> Wikipedia is and that they have sent people to two Wikimanias, 2006 and
>> 2011.
>>
>> James
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
>
>
> --
> Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
>
> _______________________________________________
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> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
>



-- 
KIZU Naoko / 木津尚子
member of Wikimedians in Kansai  / 関西ウィキメディアユーザ会 http://kansai.wikimedia.jp