‘Palestine will be freed through jihad, not a mock resolution’

A large number of people attended the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Palestine March on Sunday on the appeal of party chief Sirajul Haq to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and to condemn the murders of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

Addressing the rally at Sharea Faisal, Haq said that the participation of a large number of residents of Karachi in the march showed that their hearts beat with the Palestinians’. “The enthusiasm shown by men, women and children is invaluable.”

Rejecting the impression that the concept of Muslim Ummah has failed, he said that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries took to streets to express solidarity with Palestinians.

Haq said that Muslims all over the world, including those in Istanbul, Jakarta, Kabul, Baghdad, Morocco and Tunisia, are awake. “The hearts of the Ummah beat with the Palestinians’, but the Muslim rulers have become slaves of America.”

The JI leader dedicated the Palestine March to the issues of Muslims across the world. He said he had messaged senior Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh that he shared the ownership of each and every casualty in Palestine. He also vowed to avenge each and every martyr’s death.

Haq said that soon after the Israeli aggression, he had approached Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, urging him to mobilise the Muslim world against Israel. He made it clear that the OIC’s mere condemnation and lip services are unacceptable. He demanded that the Muslim world reconsider their diplomatic relations with Israel.

The JI chief also censured those countries condemning Israel who are directly responsible for the very establishment of and offering undue favours to the Zionist regime. He said that Palestinians have proved that the path of the Mujahideen cannot be blocked by oppression and violence. He also said that the passion of the martyrs cannot be stopped.

“The martyrs of Palestine are our martyrs,” said the JI leader, adding that Israel cannot defeat Hamas. “Palestine will be free through jihad, not a mock resolution.” He said that Arab rulers support Palestinians, and Muslims need to form their own army. He also said that when the Indian army can enter Srinagar and the Israeli army can enter the holy land, why do Muslim forces not do the same.

He pointed out that despite a ceasefire, unarmed Palestinians were oppressed. He also censured the UN’s silence over Israel’s crimes against humanity, saying that the Israeli forces were carrying out genocide of Palestinians, but the so-called human rights body had kept silent over the brutal killings, particularly of women and children.

He asked people to donate generously to the Palestine Relief Fund established by the JI’s charity Al-Khidmat Foundation. He accused the Pakistani government of backstabbing the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir. He made it clear that whoever tried to roll back the Kashmir issue would not be spared.

Haniyeh, a senior leader of Hamas and former Palestinian prime minister, expressed his gratitude to Karachi’s residents and JI members over the large turnout at the march. In his video address, he shared the honour of success in Al-Quds with his brothers in Pakistan. He said that as a result of recent developments, the fear of Zionists among Muslims has been eliminated, adding that the freedom fighters are following the path of Salahuddin Ayubi.

JI Sindh chief Muhammad Hussain Mehanti said the Pakistani nation stands by their brothers in Palestine. He criticised the governments in the Muslim block of the world, and said that Pakistan’s Muslims would love to join the freedom fighters in the holy land if needed and if made possible.

JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman pressed the government for playing an active role, saying that on state level, the government needs to go beyond solidarity messages and condemnations.

Holding Palestinian flags and banners, and shouting slogans condemning Israel’s atrocities against unarmed people of Gaza, people from all walks of life, including women and children, demanded the rulers of the Muslim world to stop their lip services and to take a solid stand on the Palestinian cause.

Besides JI leaders, representatives of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, minorities and lawyers fraternity also participated in and addressed the march. On the occasion, Sabir Abu Maryam from the Palestine Foundation presented a Palestinian scarf to Haq.