… Expresses discontent over UK’s plan to mark Israel’s illegal 75th anniversary
……Commends UN for commemorating first An-Nakba
The Muslim Awareness International (MAI) has condemned the attacks on Muslim worshippers by the Israeli government in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan and called for urgent action to end the age-long persecution and injustice against Palestinians.
The Director of MAI, Alhaji Abdul Waheed Atoyebi disclosed this over the weekend, saying that the persecution of the Palestinians in the hands of the Israelis is the highest level of injustice on earth.
MAI, one of Nigeria’s leading human rights organisations participated in the International Quds Day held on the last Friday of Ramadan, where it joined the rest of the world in condemning the atrocities being perpetrated by the Israeli government in Palestine and Masjid Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third holiest mosque.
Atoyebi said, “International Quds Day means a lot to us. It shows the interest of the whole world in the suffering and humiliation in Palestine. We in Nigeria support the cause and we encourage Muslims across the world to join such advocacy. Let us voice our support for peace and stability in the region. We should also join hands to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated by the Israeli government.”
He added, “No country can take this. No country in the world has been continuously persecuted like Palestine. It has been going on for over 70 years. It is uncalled for and unfair.”
Atoyebi noted that Muslim communities have only been paying lip service to the Palestinian cause contrary to what was obtained under past leaders who made sincere efforts to curtail the Israeli aggression.
He also carpeted some world powers for their support for the criminal occupation of Palestine by Israel.
“Unfortunately, the world powers, the United Nations have been silent. Those countries that have raised their voices, their voices are not being heard because of the interest of some world powers supporting Israel. It is the highest level of inhumanity.
“The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Muslim bodies have just been paying lip service to the cause of the Palestinians. No concerted and pragmatic effort has been made to curtail the excesses of Israel.
“At the beginning of this crisis when the Arab-Israeli war happened, the leaders of that time made sincere efforts to curb the Israeli aggression. Quite unfortunately, after the loss of that war, all the recent leaders have only been paying lip service to the cause. Unfortunately, some of the Muslim countries are promoting economic relationship with Israel.”
MAI also voiced their discontent over a plan by the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to visit Israel to mark the country’s 75th anniversary, describing it as an “illegal celebration that reminds the world of An-Nakba, or ‘catastrophe’, when nearly 800,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homes by the then Zionist extremists in May 1948, for the bloody creation of Israel.”
According to him, “Israel has begun plans to mark its illegal 75th anniversary of bloody creation on Palestinian land. It isn’t surprising that UK PM Rishi Sunak is planning to mark the anniversary during his scheduled visit next month. It is an anniversary of aggression. An anniversary of oppression; an illegal anniversary.
“As far as we are concerned, nothing calls for celebration if we look at it from the point of justice. We do not recognise the anniversary celebration of Israel because it is illegal. The International Court has pronounced their stay as an illegal occupation. We, therefore, do not recognise their anniversary.
“Rather than celebrating the 75th anniversary, we would remember the Palestinian tragedy – An-Nakba, the lives of Muslims taken and those driven out of their lands (homes) for the state of Israel to exist in 1948. That’s why we are appreciating the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People’s [CEIRPP]’s gesture to also commemorate for the first time, Nakba this year.
“Therefore, it will be a victory for the Palestinians. Palestine will continue to exist as a state alone or side by side with Israel if the two-state solution agreement is still realistic. Palestine will take back its rightful position. We believe this though it may take time,” the Director said.
