In October of 2023, organizations across America and around the world rallied in support of families on the Gaza Strip and a free Palestine. In Olympia, Palestine Action of South Sound (PASS) has been collaborating with the Rachel Corrie foundation and working diligently to help Palestinians as much as they can.
History
PASS was started in late October 2023, the leader of the club Mohamed EL-Sokkary said it was “just a few people that we met, and we said, can we organize something so the community can be a part of it? because I know a lot of people are wondering: What can I do, right? Because things are happening, but what can I do?” From so far away, many people don’t think that there’s anything that they can do to help people on the other side of the world. EL-Sokkary believes the best thing that people can do and a huge part of their club is educating the public. “So how do we create awareness? We we invite speakers, and we invite those who are in our community”
What PASS does
Teaching the public of the Olympia area is a huge goal of PASS. They hold “teach-ins”, invite speakers and hold peaceful protests in hopes of educating more people about what has been going on with Palestine and Gaza, and what people can do. They work with the evergreen community closely as well as they have many connections through the club EL-Sokkary says “I don’t know if we’re the cause of the ceasefire, but that’s what they’ve been calling for.”
PASS has the overall goal of peace and freedom for Palestine but because of the inhumane violence happening in Gaza, one of the most important things people can do is donate to help the people stuck in the middle of the brutality. One of the actions PASS has organized was “goals for Gaza” last year in September, young kids and adults all got together to play soccer in Seattle in support of the families in Gaza. EL-Sokkary talked about organizing something like that again but including a meal at the mosque after as many of the players would be participating during Ramadan.
The Rachel Corrie foundation
Closely aligned with PASS, the Rachel Corrie foundation has been collaborating with organizations such as PASS, working hard at getting the people of Palestine free and safe. Rachel Corrie was a 23 year old pro-Palestine activist. She was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer in Rafah on March 16th 2003. As she and her family were from Olympia, it was a huge shock for the community and got a lot of people involved in the cause she was fighting for. EL-Sokkary said “it was just really shocking because there’s a lot of history and it created a movement. And you know, human rights, justice and everything, that’s their legacy.”
Conclusion
People all over the world and Olympia have come together in support of Palestine and Gaza. PASS is one of the most inspirational examples of these organizations. EL-Sokkary and all the members work tirelessly to educate the public and to bring all the support to Gaza that they can, through donations and communication. PASS is doing their part to make the world a safer place for all people.