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#HandsOffJerusalem, chants Cape Town protestors

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Hands off Jerusalem!

These fervent words echoed through the Cape Town CBD today as thousands of demonstrators rallied against US president Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The voices of Capetonians, many of them dressed in Palestinian colours and flying the Palestinian national flag, were clear in their condemnation of Trump, with some calling his move a provocation for the Muslim world. Rallies have been held in different part of the world and in Cape Town, protesters marched to Parliament.

Faith based leaders led from the front, in a united show of force against US foreign policy and illegal Zionist occupation. The protest was supported by a huge spectrum of civil society organisations such as the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, National Coalition for a Free Palestine, BDS South Africa and others. Despite the drizzle, Capetonians were determined to make their voices heard. Police estimate that more than 1000 people participated in the protest.

Shaykh Ebrahim Gabriels made a call on all peace-loving people to stand on the right side of history

“We as Muslims, we do not hate Jews, Christians or anyone. But we hate oppression and injustice. We beseech oh Allah to free Palestine, Ameen!”

Posted by Muslim Judicial Council – SA on Wednesday, 13 December 2017

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Terry Crawford Browne said the fight for Jerusalem was a human rights issue that transcended that of religion.

“Jerusalem/Al Quds is the capital of Palestine but is also the capital of all three Abrahamic faiths:  Islam, Christianity and Judaism.  That reality has been internationally recognized for centuries — long before the blight of Zionism or the British Empire’s perfidious land grab of the 1917 Balfour Declaration.”

He said the “Zionist myth” of Jerusalem being the Jewish capital for over 3 000 years has been thoroughly discredited by Israeli historians.

“Israeli archeological destruction of Silwan adjacent to the Old City has proved unsuccessful in its quest to prove Jerusalem as the ‘city of King David.’  Likewise, there is no evidence of the Jewish community being exiled after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. They subsequently converted to Christianity and later to Islam,” he continued.

“The Jewish people co-existed peacefully for centuries with Palestinian Arabs as well as other Arab communities across Asia and North Africa.  The Israeli ruling class of European (white) colonists imported after the Balfour Declaration is made up of Ashkenazi Jews, whose ancestors converted to Judaism in the 16th century and who therefore have no genetic links to Palestine.”

Posted by Muslim Judicial Council – SA on Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Pro-Palestinian supporters have issued a vociferous call on the South African government to downgrade the SA embassy in Tel Aviv.

MJC deputy president Maulana Abdul Khaliq addressed protesters outside parliament.

“The ANC elective conference must make a decision to close the SA embassy in Israel,” he said to cheers from the crowd.

ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Faiz Jacobs affirmed the purpose of the march to parliament today, saying he feels the ANC overwhelmingly agrees that the South African embassy in Israel should be downgraded. He hopes this will be the outcome at the National Elective Conference this coming weekend.

“The impunity with which Trump and Israel have behaved, ignoring international law and precedent in this latest move, one which will likely lead to much bloodshed and conflict, make our solidarity more urgent than ever,” he said.

“The ANC is firm and unapologetic in our support for the Palestinian people who continue to suffer under Israel’s ever increasing hostility.”

Jeremy Phillips,a jewish activist from UCT’s Palestine Solidarity Forum said students condemn the institutionalised efforts that Israel has been deploying at tertiary institutions to normalise the Zionist occupation.  VOC

 

 


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1 comment

  1. bravo aaaall people organisations ulema et al for this brave stand…..
    now could our ulema and ulema bodies such as the mjc be consistent and tell us why they dont speak out against saudi egyptian gulf states murderous 3 year killing of the yemenis?
    could you tell us who you showed no surprise when the saudis and zionists admitted to secret footsy footsying for decades?
    could you tell us why you dont speak out against the saudis for declaring.. like the usa and zionists have.. hamas a terrorist organisation?
    how come you no longer quote zarqawi? is it because the saudis have now branded him persona non grata?
    could you tell us how you manage to voice support for the palestinian cause as well as support the saudis and their bosom friends usa/zioinists? …
    during the apartheid years you let us down telling us islam has got nothing to do with politics and that we shouldnt bring politics to the masajid… now you folk are master politicians..
    youve had 23 years in our new democratic dispensation to make redress of your errors of the past…. sadly you still fall faaar short of true leadership….
    the populace who used to hang onto eeevery word you uttered no longer have the same faith in you…..
    take stock dear ulema… shed your sectarianism….. and move WITH the people…

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