| ANNIVERSARY OF THE THEFT OF PALESTINE |
By Dr. Fredrick Töben
The International Union of NGOs for Supporting Palestinian Rights, the Voice of Palestine and the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, University of Indonesia, held an international conference that drew over 24 speakers from occupied Palestine, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, Senegal, United States, Australia, England, Norway and from Switzerland.
A countless number of students also ensured that guests were splendidly hosted before, during and after sessions, serving tea, coffee or water, guiding guests to morning and afternoon tea breaks, to lunch, or whisking individuals off to the media interview room.
Visitors stayed at the Hotel Kaisar and from there were driven per convoy through heavy Jakarta peakhour traffic to the University of Indonesia's Makara Hotel during the May 14-25 sessions. About 500 individuals attended the six sessions that were design around the conference theme: History of Conflict:Why should we look deeply into the past for understanding
the present better?
Dr. Salim Nazzal explained how the Zionist project of Israel was a corrupted copy of European colonialism that was marked by the colonial power exterminating indigenous populations. The Zionists' aim was to totally ethnically cleanse Palestine so that a pure Jewish state could be created. And yet, the Palestinian anti-Zionist campaign is not to be equated with an anti-Jewish campaign.
Dr. Rev. Stephen Sizer explained how Christian Zionists regard any Zionist action in Israel to be an action blessed by God and thus must be unconditionally supported by the Christian Zionists.
Dr Rev. Alex Awad, a Christian who lives in Jerusalem and works at his Bethlehem Bible College, said that he supports the one state solution. Rabbi Yisroel Weiss strengthened this argument claiming that Zionists are not Jewish and thus Israel cannot be equated with the Jewish religion. For over 60 years, he says, this sickness has been about and doctors have prescribed their remedies without success. It is time to re-think the situation. Otherwise the Holy Land will die. Every day he prays for the speedy peaceful dismantling of the Zionist state of Israel. Egyptian member of Parliament and Islamic Brotherhood, Dr Ahmed Diab, celebrated the valiant Palestinians who have for so many decades fought the Zionist enemy. He stated that all Palestinians have a right of return and that a clear program to enable such a return be must implemented.
Dr. Daud Absullah stated the Palestinians have a right of return and that they have a right to claim their lost property or that they should be compensated for any loss they have suffered as a result of having become refuge.
Rania Madi, who currently lives in Switzerland, passionately presented her personal quest to "go home" to Palestine. She did not share the view that the holocaust-"shoah" was significant to Palestinians, with which a Norwegian, Dr Ali Trond Linstad, agreed.
The appearance of Rabbi Ahron Cohen as a speaker who supported the one-state solution was warmly welcomed by all, and his explanation that those who claim to be Jewish and who support the Zionist state are, in fact, not Jewish because they have strayed from the original religious teachings that stress Jews must not have a physical country for themselves, this being a
command given by God to the Jewish people, i.e. not until God commands it; hence the irreligious-secular Zionists have broken God's command.
All speakers agreed that the Palestinian cause can be helped through boycotting Israel and by collecting money for the Palestinians. Maulana Ikhsan Hindrix stressed in no uncertain terms that the last referendum was 60 years ago, which had been cruel and oppressive and that there is no need for another referendum. He mentioned what happened during apartheid South Africa where he was not free and lived in fear of apartheid. But there was a significant difference in that, during apartheid, no mosques were ever destroyed as the Zionists are destroying Palestinian buildings and mosques, and the apartheid regime accepted the right to land. The Zionists have never acknowledged the Palestinian right to land.
Dr Masoud Sadjareh claimed that the world stopped Nazism and apartheid and now it had to stop Zionism.
Dr. Luthfi Zuhdi referred to the disastrous 1993 Oslo Agreement involving Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Bill Clinton where the PLO agreed to UN Resolution 2242 that reduced Palestine to Gaza and West Bank, something Hamas refused to accept. He clearly stated that Israel mis-uses the holocaust for sympathy purposes, something the Islamic Republic of Iran stresses in its
attempt to resolve the Palestinian "nakba."
Speakers stressed the importance of Islam as a unifying factor for helping the Palestinians gain statehood, something that does not mean Jews cannot live within a Palestinian state. It is written in the Qur'an, said Imam Ibrahim Gabriel, that it is every Muslim's duty and responsibility to help Palestinians gain independence and freedom from Zionist oppression. The international community must support the fight against the racist Zionist state of Israel. Unfortunately, so stated Imam Muhammed al-Asi, the UN appears to be powerless against the might of the U.S. and against the nucleararmed Zionist state of Israel.
Dr. Ousmane Shankhare pointed out the value of Islam as a guiding force for the Palestinian cause; and, united, he said, the Muslim world will defeat Zionism.
Fredrick Töben stressed that it is legitimate to equate the Palestinian plight with that of the Germans who let themselves be oppressed by holocaust-"shoah" lies.
Not all conference attendees wished to think about the common denominator that exists between the oppressed Palestinians and Germans. Israel uses the holocaust-"shoah" as a shield and sword, and so the revisionists' arguments would demolish any reason for the existence of the Zionist state, thereby liberating Palestine from Zionist oppression.
All speakers agreed that the Palestinians are at war with the Zionist state and not with the Jewish people. It was stressed by Abdillah Toha, a member of the Indonesian Parliament, that owing to Indonesia's small military and economic resources, it could not really do much to help the Palestinians. He emphasized that the UN had become controlled by American and Zionist interests, pointing out that over 60 Security Council resolutions called upon the world to sanction Israel but the U.S. vetoed each one. As Indonesia has a good working relationship with both the major Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, it can play a significant mediation role in the internal Palestinian conflict.
At the conclusion, the conference organizer, Dr. Mujtahid Hashem, co-coordinator of the Voice of Palestine, presented the points of the resolution agreed upon: Israel should be subjected to an economic and diplomatic boycott. The international community should take Israel to the world court for its behavior toward the Palestinians. All Palestinians should be granted a right-of-return based on UN Resolution 194.
There is to be a one-state solution, a Palestinian state that embraces all three religions and various ethnic groups. Indonesia, being the largest Muslim nation in the world, should participate in any peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Last, an international network of organizations that supports the Palestinian people's right to an independent state free of Zionist-Israel occupation must be created and supported.
__,_._,___
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment