October 4, 2007

Background Concerning Salvation Army Cancellation

Almost six months ago representatives of Al-Awda San Diego, the presenter of the October 14, 2007 Marcel Khalife concert in this city, met with Ms. Cathie Hyatt, manager for the Salvation Army Joan B. Kroc Theater (Friday February 16, 2007) to discuss the rental of their venue for the concert. After apprising Ms Hyatt of the nature of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, and the internationally renowned artistry of Khalife, Ms. Hyatt expressed clear excitement to have a famous musician perform on their stage. She proceeded to provide us with the information on how to go about obtaining the rental, including a package of theater specs and instructions to renters. We completed a rental use questionnaire, and provided the required organizational check for $500.00 as deposit. The check was signed by our organization's treasurer with the remainder to be paid no later than two weeks before the performance date. The check was cashed by the Salvation Army a few days later. Faxed proof of insurance was to be sent several weeks prior to the concert. At no time in this meeting or anywhere in the instructions to renters that Ms. Hyatt provided was there any mention of any other application to be completed. There was also no mention of an additional review process.

In late July 2007, after securing a contract with the artist's agent, phone and email communications were exchanged with Ms. Hyatt and the Salvation Army Joan B. Kroc Theater technical production manager Mr. Chris Judd. In these communications, we arranged for Ms. Hyatt to receive our proof of insurance for the event by fax from the insurance broker, directed her to our website to see the announcement we put up to advertise the concert, and made an appointment to meet with her on August 17, 2007. During these communications, Ms. Hyatt, aware of our concert advertising efforts, did not mention anything about an application nor comment that we are not yet granted the venue rental until an application is filled and reviewed. In fact, she referred us to the theater technical production manager Mr. Chris Judd so that the technical arrangements for the production could be developed and finalized.

On July 31, 2007, an email was sent to Ms. Hyatt requesting the theater seating chart, confirming to her that publicity for the concert had begun. Ms. Hyatt responded by emailing back the seating chart PLUS a rental application form requesting that we fill it in order to formalize a  rental contract. That was the first time an application was mentioned to us.

We filled out the form with the help of Mr. Chris Judd, the Salvation Army Joan B. Kroc Theater technical production manager and Marcel Khalife's technical team, and faxed the completed form to Ms. Hyatt on August 1,  2007. On that day, we also confirmed our scheduled meeting with her on August 17th.

On August 13th, Ms. Hyatt sent us an email declining our application without explanation. She suggested we call Salvation Army Captain Mr. John Van Cleef for questions regarding this decision. Our treasurer immediately phoned Mr. Van Cleef and asked for an explanation. Van Cleef replied that our event was inconsistent with the Salvation Army mission. When asked to explain, he argued that the event was "unbalanced" and "divisive". He explicitly stated that the event would be balanced if it included an Israeli performer along with Khalife. He also objected to our organization's advocacy for Palestinian refugee rights, specifically the right to return to their
Land and homes of origin. He claimed that such advocacy, albeit based on universal values, may upset the Jewish community in San Diego!

In response, we asserted that Al-Awda's advocacy for the natural, inalienable and fundamental right of Palestinian refugees to return to their land and homes of origin was based on universal values. We pointed out that the right to return to one's home is indeed enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Law, and that, for Palestinian refugees, this right has been affirmed more than 130 times by the United Nations since General Assembly resolution 194 of 1948. We also emphasized that the cultural event our chapter is hosting by Marcel Khalife, a UNESCO artist for peace, is consistent with Al-Awda's advocacy.

During the phone conversation with Mr. Van Cleef, we learned that the decision to deny the venue involved the Salvation Army headquarters in Long Beach. A former Salvation Army board member with whom we communicated  later was shocked and dismayed at this decision.

After this phone conversation with Mr. Van Cleef, our treasurer called Ms. Hayatt. All we learned from that conversation was that the decision to deny the venue was an administrative one. When we expressed frustration after all the work that had been done in relation to the venue up to that point, Ms. Hayatt directed us to a link which provides a listing of other possible venues in San Diego.

No written and formal explanation addressed to Al-Awda-San Diego was ever provided by Ms. Cathy Hayatt, Captain John Van Cleef or any other representative of the Salvation Army.

Al-Awda San Diego considers the venue denial by the Salvation Army, its late timing in the process of organizing for the concert, and the manner in which it was conveyed as politically inspired and a form of cultural discrimination to our community, our organization and Marcel Khalife the artist. The Salvation Army it seems insists on viewing a cultural event through a political lens because our organization, the presenter of the concert, advocates for the rights of Palestinian refugees. Such a political act is racist and we do not tolerate it.

For what you can do, please see this action alert.

Al-Awda San Diego
The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
Email: [email protected]
WEB: http://al-awdasandiego.org