The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), the Pan-African Palestine Solidarity Network (PAPSN), and South Africa’s Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine have jointly called on the Nigerian government and the African Union to intensify diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in support of the Palestinian people.
The coalition made the demand during a media engagement held in Lagos on Saturday, December 20, aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The press conference featured a South African delegation and other civil rights groups from across the continent, led by human rights activist and crew member of the Global Sumud Flotilla, Dr. Fatima Hendricks, who was recently honoured by Muslim News Nigeria as the Global Advocate for Peace and Justice of the Year 2024/2025.
Reclaiming Justice in the Palestinian Narrative
Tagged “Reclaiming Justice in the Palestinian Narrative”, the Executive Chairman of MPAC, Mallam Disu Kamor stated that the press conference was necessary because “truth, when persistently misrepresented, must be deliberately restated.”
According to him, the Palestinian struggle has not lacked evidence, but rather has suffered from “systematic erasure.”
He lamented that the narrative has been reframed, reduced, and stripped of its legal and moral context where occupation is rebranded as “conflict,” collective punishment disguised as “self-defence,” and genocide downplayed as “complexity.”
“But injustice does not become lawful because it is prolonged or because it has powerful backers. Crimes do not disappear because they are repeated. And moral clarity is not suspended because power is uneven,” he said.
The Executive Chairman of the organisation noted that reclaiming justice in the Palestinian narrative means insisting on “accuracy over convenience, law over propaganda, and humanity over geopolitics.”
Demand urgent action to protect Palestinian healthcare system
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Mallam Kamor condemned Israel persistent targeting and attacks of hospitals, clinics, and educational institutions, describing it as war crimes and a deliberate attempt to cripple Palestine’s healthcare system.
Muslim News gathered that Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that took effect over two months ago, resulting in the killing of more than 400 people and injuring over 1,060 others; bringing the number of casualties since October 2023 to over 70,000 deaths.
According to him, the destruction of medical training institutions threatens the future of Palestinian healthcare by halting the reproduction of medical professionals.
He cited the torture and killing of Dr. Adnan Bursh, an orthopedic surgeon at Al-Shifa Hospital, whose body is still withheld from his family. They also denounced the incarceration of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and the destruction of a fertility clinic in Gaza, which led to the loss of thousands of embryos.
Why Nigeria must speak up on Gaza
The Executive Chairman of MPAC emphasised that Nigeria must not see Gaza as a distant tragedy, but rather as a stark and familiar warning.
According to him, “Nigeria understands the anatomy of prolonged violence. We know what happens when insecurity meets fragile institutions, mass displacement, and broken healthcare systems. We’ve seen how normalized violence continues to claim lives long after the bombs stop, through overwhelmed hospitals, traumatised children, and fractured communities.”
Drawing from Nigeria’s experience, Mallam Kamor said the country’s voice is vital in global conversations on justice and human rights.
He noted that healthcare system collapse kills quietly, trauma is passed across generations, and silence from those in power only deepens the injustice faced by victims.
The Executive Chairman of MPAC argued that a country like Nigeria, which has endured the devastating consequences of insecurity, cannot remain indifferent while another people are systematically denied their right to life and dignity.
Mallam Kamor therefore called on the Nigerian government and the African Union to take meaningful steps.
According to him, “These include strengthening diplomatic engagement with Palestine, supporting relevant United Nations resolutions, applying pressure on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, and delivering humanitarian aid to affected Palestinian communities.”
He also encouraged African leaders to actively support global movements that advocate for justice and freedom for Palestine.
“We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and call on African leaders to act decisively for a just and lasting peace that guarantees freedom, independence, and human rights for all Palestinians,” Mallam Kamor added.
Israel violating international humanitarian law: Dr Hendricks
Also speaking, Dr Hendricks strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of critical healthcare infrastructure in Gaza by the Israeli regime, describing it as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
She further condemned the destruction of medical training institutions, which she described as a strategic effort to dismantle the future of Palestinian healthcare by halting the education and development of the next generation of health professionals.
“This is not only a war on Gaza’s present but an attempt to destroy its future,” she said.
“As healthcare workers, we are trained to recognise patterns of harm and the pattern unfolding in Gaza is neither accidental nor defensible,” she said.
The South African activist highlighted that hospitals have been repeatedly bombed, ambulances destroyed, and healthcare workers systematically targeted and killed. Read more HERE
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