A coalition of human rights organizations and Islamic bodies in Nigeria have called on the United Nations and United States of America to immediately halt the killings of Palestinians by Israel as well as its continued occupation of Gaza.
The organisations under the auspices of International Muslim Women Union led by Dr Khadijah Olaniyan during a press conference held recently in Ikeja, Lagos, also called for a total boycott of all Israeli products and its allies, just as it vowed to continue to sensitize the world on all social platforms on the war crimes committed by Israel and its allies.
Olaniyan urged the United Nations to go beyond condemnations and take all the necessary steps to stop Israel from its continued illegal occupation and forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes.
“Palestine predates Israel but the latter is really out to wipe out Palestine. The powers that be have watched Israel maim, kill, and commit war crimes on innocent civilians in Palestine. In the just concluded Gaza onslaught, Israel killed over two hundred civilians, including sixty five (65) children, during the pogrom that lasted eleven (11) days before allies of Israel could make it call a unilateral ceasefire. Eleven days of horror and wanton waste of innocent lives and properties.
“We condemn this in the strongest terms and call on the United Nations (UN) to stop Israel from future evictions, occupation of Palestinian homes and lands, and provocations which may lead to escalation of violence and the accompanying killings.
“We align with the conditions of the ceasefire given by the Palestinians. Israel must desist from further occupations of East Jerusalem, illegal settlement building on Palestinian land, Al-Aqsa Mosque hostilities and continued siege and invasions of Gaza.
“Historically, Muslims, Christians and even Jews had been living peacefully in Palestine until after the First World War when the allies won and they felt Palestine should become the exclusive preserve of the Jews scattered all over the world. They thereby gave a phantom, non-existent right of return to the Jews in 1948, while Palestinians expelled in 1948, almost a million of them, were not given equivalent rights of return since then. Palestine has known no peace ever since. Israeli settlers thus sent Arabs and others away from their houses and lands and became the ‘owners’.
“The terrorist State of Israel has since expanded and taken over 80% of the Palestinian lands. Gaza is presently 45km by 12km, housing over 2 Million people, thus becoming the world’s largest open air prison. With the full support of the western world and docility and disunity among the Arab states, their brethren live in appalling conditions while the apartheid Zionist state, Israel enjoys the stolen land and its resources.
“On a daily basis, children who go to school are not sure to return to the same home still standing, or meeting their parents and siblings alive. On a near-daily basis since 1948, Palestinians have known no peace.
“Our concern is both religious and human. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is our 3rd holiest mosque as Muslims, coming after the Haramain in Makkah and Madinah. It was our first Qiblah. So, we are, as Muslims, actually bereaved with the onslaught.
“These have gone on for too long. The United Nations (UN) Security Council allows Israel to have all weapons including lethal ones for use on our brethren in Palestine, but holds the victim back from having anything near such weapons. To make matters worse, Gaza remains under a stiff, debilitating blockade, coordinated by Israel and Egypt. When media says ‘fight’ or ‘uprising’ between Israel and Palestine, note that it is nothing but wanton killings and daylight robbery of ancestral properties by Israel.
“As a result of the above, International Muslim Women Union (IMWU) in collaboration with all our sister organizations in Nigeria have no option than to call on all humans and especially our brethren the world over to among other penalties:-boycott the products of the friends and allies of Israel; create awareness in your locality and on social media on the war crimes Israel and its allies are perpetrating on the stolen Palestinian lands and people; continue to call on your government to be stern on Israel and review its policy on Israel; continue to call on the UN to facilitate giving Palestine a full member status; continue to call for the prosecution of Israel for war crimes and raise funds to rebuild infrastructure destroyed in Palestine and provide financial support for the basic human needs of Palestinians,” Olaniyan stated.
