Press Release
May 15th, 2000 marks the anniversary of the Nakba - the 1948 Catastrophe,
in which over 750,000 Palestinians were forced from their land and homes
and became refugees. Palestinian refugees have endured exile, the ravages
of war, oppression, denial of national identity and racism for half a
century now.
As Edward Said, noted Palestinian intellectual, academic and activist
states: "the Palestinian refugees were displaced in 1948, 1967 and again in
1982 by the most naked acts of ethnic cleansing. Any other description of
these acts by the Israeli army is a travesty of the truth, no matter how
many protestations are heard from the unyielding supporters of Israel
whether on the right or the left."
As Israel continues to uproot and dispossess Palestinians to this day, the
right of the Palestinian refugees and the uprooted to return to their homes
remains a fundamental right under the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the European, the American and the African Conventions on
Human Rights.
Further, the right of the Palestinian refugees and the uprooted to return
to their homes is an inalienable right and has been affirmed by the UN
resolution No 194 over 110 times since 1948. The Right of Return is
essentially an individual right that cannot be delegated, diminished,
reduced or forfeited by any representation on behalf of the Palestinians in
any agreement or treaty.
A Sydney forum remembering the Nakba will take place on May 12 and will
bring Indigenous and Palestinian activists together to explore the politics
of reconciliation and the issues around restitution, Right of Return,
refugees and compensation. The dispossession of Aboriginal people in
Australia, like in Palestine is ongoing. Without justice and action around
these critical issues, reconciliation and any settlement remains empty and
meaningless.
Speakers Jenny Munro, Lyall Munro, Bassma Karakira and Sari Kassis will
present a panel of critical views at the City Campus of UTS at 6pm on
Friday, May 12 in Tower Building Room 1/406 (street level behind the
escalators).
For information contact 0414630 314 or 0404244588
Sponsored by the Arab Australian Action Network (AAAN), Sydney Arab
Feminist Alliance (SAFA), Friends of Palestine, Council Of Australian
Palestinian (CAP), General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS), Al-Awda,
The Palestine Right To Return List & PRRC, The Palestine Right To Return
Coalition.
LL.NE
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