Jamia Marches in Protest Against Israeli Aggression in Gaza

After a week-long of murder and mayhem by Israel, it agreed to a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza on Wednesday Nov. 21. However, in that week-long of attacks on Gaza, Israel attacked and killed 162 Palestinians, including 42 children, 11 women and 18 elderly people. In all 1,222 have so far been listed as injured, more than half of them women and children. On the other hand, rockets fired from Gaza have killed five Israelis.

In response to Israel’s assault on the innocent people of Gaza, the Outreach Programme, JMI, and the India Arab Culture Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia organized a campus-wide ‘Protest March’ against Israel’s War on Gaza and in solidarity with the people of Palestine, on Friday Nov. 23 .

Hundreds of students along with faculty and staff members of Jamia turned up for the protest.

The protest was led by the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Najeeb Jung; the Palestinian ambassador to India, Mr. Adli Sadiq; Director of  India-Arab Cultural Center, JMI and former Indian ambassador to Palestine, Mr. Zikrur Rahman; and Co-ordinator of Jamia’s Outreach Programme, Dr. Simi Malhotra.

After a march on the campus main boulevard, the procession gathered at the Ansari Auditorium where Mr. Rahman and Ambassador Sadiq addressed the gathering.

In his address Sadiq condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza. He accused them of waging a war on Gaza and not wanting peace. He said, when Hamas wanted to make a long term truce with Israel, Israel killed the main negotiator working for peace, thus implying that Israel was never interested in peace — all they want is war, he said.

He also accused Israel of killing their own prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, because he was working towards peace. They also killed Yasser Arafat for the same reason, he alleged.

Sadiq expressed his appreciation of the people who came out to protest in solidarity with Palestine and said: “This protest demonstration today represents the spirit of the people of all India. People who are full of tolerance and peace.”

Following Sadiq, Rahman read out loud Jamia’s resolution on Israeli assault of Gaza, which he said was going to be sent to the United Nations. Following is an excerpt of that resolution:

We, the academic community of the Jamia Millia Islamia are deeply concerned over the recent Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. The aggression, although it came to an end with the ceasefire brokered by the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Jamia Community sees the Israeli aggression as a blatant violation of the international law. We believe that the current development amounts to unjust war against innocent powerless people. […] We unanimously inculcate our gesture of solidarity and substantial support to the Palestine people in Gaza in their struggle for freedom, state-hood, dignity and sovereignty and the right to return to their homeland from the refugee status and oppression. [Link to the complete resolution document.]

Scenes from the Event:

1. Video

Watch a five-minute video of the protest march here:

2. Picture Gallery

*click on a picture to enlarge