Palestine Solidarity – devizine.com

Swindon Palestine Solidarity will be hosting a summer fete on Saturday 23rd August, at 12.30pm – 3.30pm. They need volunteers from 11am – 4 pm. at The Broadgreen Community Centre, Salisbury St, Swindon SN1 2AN….

Bring the family to float a boat for Gaza, send a postcard to Gaza, or play ring toss, ball toss, or knock down alley, knocking down injustice one throw at a time! There will be food, Palestinian embroidery, Arabic calligraphy, face painting, and henna. Have a go at tumbling the apartheid wall or on the watermelon shy!

Funds are being raised to send Swindon Palestine Solidarity delegate Liaquth Ali as a volunteer, joining the A thousand Madleens to Gaza flotilla.

In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ongoing illegal siege imposed by Israel, a historical global initiative – The 1000 Flotilla: Call to break the siege – is being launched to mobilise an unprecedented international civil fleet to challenge the maritime blockade and deliver life-saving aid directly to the besieged people of Gaza.

This initiative calls upon civil society, humanitarian organisations, trade unions, faith-based movements, maritime workers and peace loving individuals from every continent to contribute ships, crews, medical supplies, food and solidarity.

The aim is to assemble a thousand vessels, symbolic of the global unity and determination, to peacefully defy the blockade and demand an immediate end to the collective punishment of over two million Palestinians.

Liaquth Ali said, “I’ve decided to join the flotilla because I believe this could be Gaza’s last chance at survival. If we don’t act boldly and urgently, the suffering will only spread, and the West Bank could be next. I can’t sit back while children are bombed and starved, but I’ve also seen hope, our Swindon community and people across the UK rising with courage and solidarity. The world is waking up. Now is the time for action. Every bit of support matters.”

A recent protest by Doctors Against Genocide said, “We are living through a catastrophe unlike any in history. 90% of Gaza’s population has now reached stage 5 malnutrition, the most severe and deadly level. At this stage many cannot be saved.”

Lynn Boylan Member of the European Parliament said “For me, the deep frustration is that the EU has had ample opportunity to do the right thing and they have failed to do that. They have failed to take a single action against Israel. They have a list of actions that they could do, and they are not doing a single one. I hope that they witness, through this flotilla, through the people power, through the mobilisation of people on the streets, that they are on the wrong side of history. They should implement every single item on that list: no trade with Israel, a two way arms embargo, sanctions on the Israeli government, and upholding the ICC arrest warrants.“

To support this cause and help send the Swindon Palestine Solidarity delegate from Swindon, please join Swindon Palestine Solidarity at the fete. If you would like to volunteer on the day, or have any questions, please contact Swindon Palestine Solidarity on Facebook, Insta @swindonpalestinesolidarity or email info@swindonpalestinesolidarity.org

Residents from communities across Swindon are organising another show of solidarity with the people of Palestine…..

They are inviting everyone to join them at 2pm on Saturday 4^th November at Regents Circus. There will be several speakers and a march through the town centre, setting off at 3pm.

Numerous mosques, unions and Swindon Palestine Solidarity have called for a big presence to demand a ceasefire and to let aid through to Gaza.

Abdul Khalique, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Hazrath Shajalal Central Mosque in Swindon said on behalf of the board, ‘This is an Urgent Call for Justice in Palestine. Hazrath Shajalal Central Mosque Swindon issues a heartfelt plea for global solidarity in addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. As homes are demolished, families displaced, and lives disrupted, we stand united against oppression and advocate for the basic human rights of the Palestinian people.”

Hazrath Shajalal Central Mosque urgently calls for:

End the Violence: Cease hostilities immediately, paving the way for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Humanitarian Aid: Facilitate the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the crisis.
Restore Dialogue: Encourage all parties to engage in constructive conversations for a sustainable and just peace.
International Intervention: Call on global leaders and organisations to intervene, ensuring a fair and equitable resolution.

Hazrath Shajalal continued, “This is not just a political issue; it’s a universal concern. We invite individuals, organisations, and governments to join us in this call for justice, as we work towards a world where the rights of every individual are respected.”

Mehmet Guvercin, Chairman of the Wiltshire Turkish Community said, “It is always the innocents that suffer in a conflict. The innocent people in Gaza are completely stuck there and cannot escape. We cannot just watch on our TV’s. Even if we cannot stop this conflict, we have to help the innocent people of Gaza. What is happening in front of our eyes has to be looked at from a humanitarian point of view.”

A spokesperson from Swindon Palestine Solidarity said, “We are organising these events from a framework of supporting the application of international law and principles of human rights. These principles also lead us to stress with utmost vehemence that our grievance is with the actions of the Israeli state and those governments that are complicit with its crimes – we condemn absolutely any attempt to victimise communities in Britain in this context. We act from a sincere wish to see an end to all violence, especially violence against civilians, but we recognise that this will never be achieved unless the root causes of that violence are addressed. We do so from a foundation of our enduring support for the right of the Palestinian people to freedom, self-determination and return.”

“This will be a peaceful event with families and children attending, with people from different religions and none; people of differing races and backgrounds from across our communities. The police and council have been notified of the event. We ask that you invite your friends, family and community to stand with us in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine.”