When Saying "Free Palestine" is a Crime
It seems like humanity is descending into a dystopian world where war is portrayed as a sport, with opposing "teams" bombing hospitals. Expressing support for people suffering under occupation for decades is considered as support for terrorism, and a country's right to self-defense is a carte blanche for obliterating women and children with impunity. The cry for "We must protect civilians" implies that killing a few thousand civilians is acceptable.
In an example of how the world seems to be turning upside down, a video featuring a London tube driver leading passengers in chants of "Free Palestine" has sparked outrage.
This incident, a simple act of expressing support for Palestinian self-determination, has led to accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments. The response to this video underscores the nature of showing even the most basic support for Palestinian rights can not be tolerated by Israel and its Western allies.
In the video, as the train travels toward a pro-Palestinian rally, the driver leads a chant, "Free, free,” and the passengers respond, “Palestine."
In an interview, Lee Harpin, Editor of Jewish News in the UK, contended that the phrase "Free Palestine" implies the annihilation of the Jewish state. This begs the question: to feel secure, does Mr. Harpin need to annihilate the people of Palestine?
The demonization of legitimate expressions of support for Palestinian rights makes it more difficult to distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitic sentiments.
In addition to the indiscriminate killing of civilians and keeping Palestinians under brutal occupation, such tactics will further make the path to a peaceful resolution elusive.
Following the video's circulation, the Tube driver was suspended from his job.
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Saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: If you see a wrong, you should try to stop it. If you can't stop it physically, then you should speak out against it. If you can't do that either, at least dislike it in your heart.. Riyad as-Salihin
Topics: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Palestine
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