Imran: Great interaction with the Jerusalem Intifada in Southeast Asia

Imran: Great interaction with the Jerusalem Intifada in Southeast Asia

*Published on The Palestinian Information Center on 25-1-2016.

KUALA LUMPUR, (PIC)-- The director of the Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia (PCOM), Muslim Imran, confirmed that the Jerusalem intifada has been receiving a significant popular and official support in Southeast Asian countries, stressing that these countries are of the most pro-Palestinian cause states. Imran said in an interview with NoonPost that the Malaysian people’s interaction with the Jerusalem intifada since its outbreak was remarkable, pointing to a series of demonstrations spporting the intifada, most notably the so-called "Day of Rage," in which more than 45 organizations and parties participated and thousands of people gathered. During the demonstration speeches were delivered by leading figures of the "UMNO" Party, the largest party of the governing coalition, along with the leaders of the People's Justice Party (PKR) and National Trust Party (Amanah), the largest opposition parties, in addition to the participation of leaders of the Chinese and Indian minorities in this event. Imran said that over the past four months, varied support campaigns were launched including: demonstrations, lectures, conferences, fund-raising, and many other events. The Palestinian presence in the two countries Imran pointed to the presence in Malaysia of nearly a thousand Palestinian refugees, more than half of them are those who fled war-torn Syria while others came from Iraq. Furthermore, there are more than three thousand Palestinian residents, mostly students, academics and their families. He said: "Although Malaysia is not a signatory to the refugee reception agreements -which means that it is not legally binding for the country to receive them and provide for them- but the country usually turns a blind eye to the arrival and the increasing numbers of Palestinian refugees as it is aware of the complexities of their situation". He pointed out that the Palestinian Cultural Organization sought over the previous years to provide support for the Palestinian community in Malaysia in collaboration with the government and Malaysian NGOs especially in the educational and human rights fields. He said that "the organization efforts in supporting Palestinians in Malaysia are continuous so as to help alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian refugees." With regard to Indonesia, he pointed out that there are nearly 300 Palestinian refugees, mostly Palestinians from Iraq, who need more care and support. For the following reasons these countries advocate the Palestinian cause: Imran said in the interview that among the most important reasons why these countries support the Palestinian cause are their people and their leaders' conviction of the justice of the Palestinian cause and the need to end the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people. Another reason is that they understand the historical relationship between their struggle against colonialism in the past and the current struggle of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. He also pointed to another reason for the support by Muslims of this region, who constitute more than 40% of the population, which is their belief in the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem and the importance of the religious connections between them and the Palestinian people. Special efforts to support the Gaza Strip Imran pointed out that the largest delegations participating in convoys to break the siege on Gaza were from the countries in this region (Southeast Asia), adding that the peoples of the region have contributed, in spite of their simple resources, in a number of reconstruction projects in Gaza; the Indonesian hospital and Malaysian mosques, for example, among others. He stressed, however, that all forms of support for the Palestinian struggle provided from all supporters of the Palestinian cause are in need of development. The role of Malaysia and Indonesia Imran pointed to the support of the Malaysian government led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, which was clear in various international forums. He pointed to the various forms of support the government of Najib provides which include: the political, financial and moral support, explaining that the first issues raised by the Malaysian envoy to the UN Security Council immediately after the election of Malaysia for non-permanent membership of the UNSC in 2015 was the need to support the Palestinians and end the Israeli occupation of their land. He also pointed to the Malaysian government's commitment to the contribution to the reconstruction projects of Gaza and the establishment of supportive projects in Jerusalem, some of which had been completed while others are under execution and follow-up. He stated that the previous government in Indonesia has repeatedly declared its support for the Palestinian people, adding that the Palestinian cause was present in the electoral campaigns of the presidential candidates in 2014. He pointed out that the Indonesian President Joko Widodo had pledged to make the Palestinian cause always present on his agenda. Despite the current internal challenges and regional issues his government is going through, the official position is still committed to supporting the Palestinian people in their struggle, a commitment based on the principles of the Indonesian Constitution calling for the support of colonized peoples. He stressed that the Palestinian cause is still in need for more efforts, "Despite the importance of what the governments of these two countries provide, the challenge is big and the ability of these countries to double their efforts is available." The need for efforts by the free people of the world He stressed that the Palestinian cause needs all Arab, Islamic and international efforts, as "the Palestinian people cannot, in spite of their heroism and huge sacrifices, overpower the Israeli occupation alone." He said: "The Israeli occupation of Arab territories is the spearhead of the Western colonial project supported by the great powers, especially the United States. It will not be easy to defeat a project of this size without concerted Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international efforts against it." Imran stressed that the Palestinian people’s resistance is of a great interest to the countries and peoples of the free world, saying that it is "the first line of defense against the Israeli danger to the world."

Link:
http://english.palinfo.com/site/pages/details.aspx?itemid=76376