Saydoon Nisa Sayed, the co-founder of KZN Palestine Solidarity Forum and the SA Palestine Movement
Image: Chumani Mazwi
LOCAL activists gathered in a peaceful protest outside the offices of the US Consulate in Durban, to protest against the ongoing violence in the Middle East, calling for solidarity, justice and an end to the killings.
The protest came following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the massacre of 165 schoolgirls (aged between 7 and 12) and their teachers at a school in Iran during an airstrike on Saturday.
Members of the South African Palestine Movement, the KZN Palestine Solidarity Forum, the Congolese Solidarity Campaign, and the Imam Husain Mosque in Ottawa joined the protest outside US Consulate offices in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street in the CBD.
Nasiha Soomar, from the South African Palestine Movement, said: “We take it as our duty to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to be their voices, and to spread awareness about the dehumanising crimes against humanity funded by the US and carried out by Israel.”
Zainub Tayob said she too would not be complicit and quiet.
“I want to create awareness so that people will start looking into reasons behind why there are bombings and war. The violence is unacceptable. We should not be watching this in a world so educated, advanced and evolved.
“Why are we resorting to these ways? Where is diplomacy? Nobody wants to sit around the table and talk anymore. Where is the morality of human beings at this point in time?” Tayob asked.
KZN Palestine Solidarity Forum member, Lubna Nadvi, said they wanted to send a strong message that America was breaking international law.
“We oppose the breaking and violation of international law, and as a civil society, we are standing up against it. It is important that we show support for not just the people of Iran, but all people of middle east who are being oppressed.
“Innocent people of different countries are having to face the consequences of their governments actions and civilians getting caught up in the military attacks carried out.
Nadvi said they were calling on South Africans to boycott American and Israeli products.
“We need to stop buying the products that fund the governments of America and Israel, such as Mc Donalds, KFC, and Nestle. We need to educate ourselves about all the brands and stop buying them.
“We must buy South African products and shop locally to stop supporting imperialism and occupation,” she added.
Raphael Bahebwa, a member of the Congolese Solidarity Campaign and a refugee from Congo living in Durban for 25 years, said he joined the protest to create awareness about the genocide in Congo, and to show solidarity with the people of Iran.
He said he attended a similar protest on Friday at the US Consulates offices in Pretoria and called for all citizens globally to show solidarity to end the genocide.
“In Congo there is a genocide where America has trained people from Rwanda and Uganda to kill us in masses and overtake our minerals. This started in 1996 and it is ongoing for 30 years. There is not enough media coverage on the violence in Congo, and the genocide had led many of us to flee and seek refuge in South Africa.
“We stayed in South Africa because nothing improved for us to go back home. Our people are being slaughtered so that another country can take over our minerals,” he added.
Azad Seedat, chairperson of the Shia Community and the Imam Husain Mosque in Ottawa, said they were distraught at the assassination of Khamenei.
“We are a minority community, and we are outraged. We condemn the killing of our spiritual leader and the bombing in Iran.
“We are struggling to come to grips with what has happened. We held a memorial on Sunday evening, and will host an official mourning programme soon. We condemn the genocide. We call on all freedom-loving people to the frontline to stand against these forces. For me, Khamenei’s murder is a personal loss.
“I am an orphan. We lost our father, and we lost our leader. I met Khamenei on two occasions and I was in awe of him.
“I was privileged to pray directly behind him in his house. We are disheartened with the negative publicity from mainstream Muslim organisations. Imam Ali, our first Shia Imam said a Muslim is your brother in faith, and a non-Muslim is your brother in creation. Treat both as equal,” Seedat said.