Jordan: Islamist movement holds demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians,
Sudanese president
IAF Secretary General Zaki Bani Rsheid (left) and overall leader of the Muslim
Brotherhood movement Hamam Said attend a demonstration on Saturday (Reuters
photo by Ali Jarekji)
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
AMMAN - The Islamist movement on Saturday staged a sit-in to protest Israeli
plans to demolish 88 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem and the International
Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Bashir.
The protest was held in front of the Abdali headquarters of the Islamic Action
Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, after the government
did not grant to the movement permission to organise a public rally, according
to IAF Secretary General Zaki Bani Rsheid.
Under the Public Gathering Law, no party is allowed to organise an event in
public without the written approval of the governor.
“Why do we have this modest sit-in where protesters are surrounded by security
forces? This is because the government refused to grant us permission to hold a
rally in support of Jerusalem. If a request was made to open a bar, permission
would have been granted easily,” added Bani Rsheid, who called for political
reform in the Kingdom.
He decried the government’s “shameful stance” regarding Israel’s measures in
Jerusalem, calling for an amendment to the Constitution under which “people can
govern themselves”.
“Today’s question is who aborted the efforts to take Israel to court for its
war crimes? If it was the government, then it should be dismissed. If it was
the Parliament then we are better off without it,” Bani Rsheid told dozens of
supporters.
Following the Jerusalem Municipality’s announcement late last month, Minister
of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nabil Sharif, who is also
government spokesperson, strongly denounced the plans to demolish 88
Palestinian homes in Al Bustan.
Stressing Jordan’s rejection of the “measure”, Sharif said it is a breach of
international law and a violation of UN resolutions which state that all
measures taken by the Israeli authorities in Jerusalem are null and void as
they seek to change the legal situation of the city as an occupied territory.
He said Jordan and all other concerned parties will work together to stop this
move, warning that unilateral steps would only increase tensions and disrupt
Arab and international efforts seeking to achieve Middle East peace.
At the time, Fakhri Abu Diab, a member of the Committee for the Defence of the
Territory of Silwan, was quoted by Reuters as saying the demolition orders had
been issued on the pretext that the homes had been built without the required
zoning and construction permits.
He said the real motive was ethnic cleansing and part of Israel’s plan to
gradually drive the Arab population out of the city which Israel claims as its
undivided capital.
At yesterday’s sit-in, Bani Rsheid also called for scrapping the 1994 peace
treaty with Israel.
“It is time to end this dirty Wadi Araba peace treaty and someone ends it with
a pen, not a sword,” he said.
He saluted the people of Silwan and Jerusalem “as they stand defiant against
Israeli measures to uproot them. We are supporting you and God willing,
liberation of Palestine will start from Jordan”, Bani Rsheid added.
Protesters chanted slogans expressing support for Jerusalemites and condemning
Israel for its actions in the city.
Bani Rsheid also called on Bashir to remain defiant in the face of the
conspiracy by the West against his country: “We are supporting you in your
position like we supported Hamas and people of Gaza in the war.”
“Sudan is paying the price of its independence. They want Sudan to be a
follower of Western policies and normalise with Israel,” he added.
