Elmhurst Pastor Prevails In Dispute With Vallone

Geist’s "statement of conscience" resulted in a 12-day hunger strike that ended last week when City Council Speaker Peter Vallone agreed to hold a public hearing on the Sudan issue. Geist had charged that Vallone refused to answer his telephone calls on numerous occasions and had failed to hold meetings he previously promised to conduct.
"Praise the Lord," Geist said. "My 12-day hunger strike is over and God bless the Speaker for keeping his word."
Geist said the hearing will air charges that two million people have been killed in the Sudan, an estimated 30,000 people have been enslaved and 21.,5 million Southern Sudanese are on the verge of starvation.
Geist has cited a comment from former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger who said that "One of the arguments for the intervention in Kosovo is because it is in Europe…but in the back of my head I have to ask whether some of it isn’t racist. And that part of it is the reason we have not intervened in Africa."
Geist, founder of the Interfaith Alliance for Christian Human Rights, wants to focus attention on the city’s business dealing with Sudan despite the nation’s support of genocide and slavery of thousands of Africans.
"I want to see sanctions imposed on the Sudan," Geist said.
Bernice Spitzer, a spokesperson for the City Council, said "we are looking forward to our Oct. 4 hearing on this important subject."
Earlier Geist accused Vallone of broken promises and inaction. In response, the Elmhurst Pastor started a hunger strike surviving on water and juice for 12 days. He ended it after Vallone agreed to the hearing.
"I went on a hunger strike," Geist said, " to show solidarity with my Sudanese Christian brothers and sisters who are starving to death or enslaved."
Geist sought to organize key City leaders for his campaign.
"I tried recruiting Rev. Al Sharpton," he said. "But after two letters and 10 telephone calls, he has given up hope. It’s a sad day when most African American leaders do not care about modern day slavery. It is ironic, and the worst form of betrayal."
But Geist did succeed in getting City Comptroller Alan Hevesi to write a letter to Clinton reminding him of his December 1998 promise on Human Rights Day, where he said his administration would focus more on child labor and areas around the world that support slavery and conduct genocide.
Geist ended his fast last week with a small helping of soup and fruit.
"I’ve been told I should have liquids," he said, estimating he lost 12 pounds during the hunger strike.