Islam community calls for unity

10 Jun, 2018 - 00:06 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Supreme Council of the Islamic community in Zimbabwe has petitioned the United Nations and United States of America embassy over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Islamic community together with Friends of Palestine Solidarity Movement in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Labour Centre in collaboration with churches form various denominations say Israel occupation of Palestine is illegal.

Israelis and Arabs have been fighting over Gaza for decades.

However, new global protests over the conflict were ignited last month when Israeli forces killed 52 and wounded 2 400 people in Gaza.

The Palestinians were protesting against the opening of a US embassy in Jerusalem.

Speaking during a solidarity march in Harare last week, Islamic community chair Sheikh Ishmail Duwa said the world should unite to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Israel has been doing wrong for the past 70 years despite countless UN Resolutions and negotiated peace settlements which are frustrated by Israel and the United States.

“We are deeply concerned about the continued human rights violations for millions of Palestinians living under siege in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem,” he said.

In part the petition reads, “Considering the fact that over 4 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under occupation, segregated by infamous apartheid wall, constitutes a serious violation of international law.

“The ongoing 2007 blockade of Gaza continues to prevent Palestinians from rebuilding their homes and crucial infrastructure destroyed by unilateral Israeli air-strikes.

“Noting again that the arrival of Israelis to live in the settlements established by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories is a violation of Article 49 of the 4th Geneva Conventions.”

Article 49 of the Geneva Conventions states that, “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

Israel’s building of the settlements, is also a breach and violation the UN Resolution 242.

The resolution says, “The policy and the practices of Israel in establishing settlements in Palestine . . . territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

The resolution also demands the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories.

“We refuse to recognise Israeli as a state on any inch of the occupied Palestinian territories as defined by the United Nations, until that occupation is resolved in accordance with the relevant UN Resolutions.

“We refuse to support the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people through buying from, selling to or consuming goods or services from or investing in company(ies), nation(s) or entity(ies) operating in or with traceable links to the Israeli occupation of the State and people of Palestine;

“Our friend(s), partner(s) or allies should not cooperate with such.”

Israel and Palestine disputes date back to 1917 when Thomas Balfour, a former British Foreign Minister made a Balfour Declaration which became the founding charter of the Zionist State of Israel in Palestine.

The declaration led to massive immigration of Jewish people from Europe to settle in Palestine.

Inhabitants of the land of Palestine were evicted, sparking long running fights between the two nemeses.

 

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds