Sydney (Tribune International, 15 May 2021): Thousands of Australian Muslims gathered today in the heart of Sydney (Town Hall) and demonstrated their condemnation against Israeli aggression, attacks, torture, and killing of Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Since the ongoing forceful removal of Palestinians from their homes by Israeli forces and attack on worshippers at Al-Aqsa mosque during the final few days of the holy month of Ramadan, at least 137 Palestinians, including 36 children, have been killed and 920 have been wounded.
The demonstration against Israeli attacks on Palestinians was organized by many Arab Australians, Australian-based Palestinian organisations, and human rights activists in Sydney. The speakers loudly condemned Israel for continuously attacking the innocent civilians especially children in Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces are brutally attacking Palestinians residential areas killing children, women, young and senior citizens. They condemned the world powers who are silently watching the brutality and human rights crimes of Israel. Ms Tamika, an indigenous Australian woman with Palestinian heritage in her speech said ‘we call on the Australian government to not remain silent’ Mr Fawad, a survivor of Nakba, forced to flee at the age of 9 recalled the painful memories in his speech, ‘Israeli camps came to invade my village, with a gun in one hand while my father had a shovel, my father had no option but flee, my father was not a terrorist, he was farmer, a father, a Palestinian’. Thousands of protesters chanting in the crowd ‘free, free Palestine’, ‘Gaza Gaza don’t you cry, Palestine will never die!’. Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, Grand Mufti of Australia, and representing Australian Fatwa Council, in his speech supported the protest, thanked the free and honourable people of Australia and the world for
remembering the oppressed, who think about humanity and the people, and the people of Palestine even though the governments and media had forgotten. Dr Ibrahim condemned the attacks of Israel ‘It’s a shame that the 21st century world stands by, watches unjust aggression and witnesses the violence against innocent people’. A young female Palestinian activist, read out her poem, with lines…’the world remembers September 11 but how about the Palestinian people for them its 24/7 (24 hrs and 7 days a week), and mentioned in her verses that they fear children throwing rocks while they stand behind their artillery, armoury, weapons and tanks. Another young female young activist at the rally emotionally read in her speech’ Rahaf, a young girl went to buy her Eid clothes and she returned with a dead body and white shroud, and for Rahaf we will not surrender, free, free Palestine’ The first female Muslim senator in NSW parliament Greens Senator Mrs Mehreen Farooqui, said that ‘instead of political parties in Australia sending Eid Mubarak messages and letters they should be advocating the issue of the people of Palestine and killing of innocent civilians’. Sarah Salaf, an Australian human rights activist said ‘you could be anywhere today, and you chose to come here, thanking the crowd, she said in her speech ‘amidst the dying, and the dying, dying and amidst the destruction, the devastation of our homeland, between the fear and frustration and trauma, that we are feeling, let me reassure you of a few things, let me assure the Palestinian spirit is unbreakable’. The speakers urged the Australian government to treat the Israel-Palestine conflict fairly and condemn the Israeli attacks on civilians breaching international human safety laws.
