By Nadrat Siddique
March 24, 2019
Washington, DC
The nation's capital
evidenced one of the most vibrant and energetic pro-Palestine protests today.
The "Support Palestine in DC" protest was spearheaded by Al-Awda (the
Palestine Right to Return Coalition) and the ANSWER Coalition, and was audaciously
scheduled--as it is each year--to coincide with the annual AIPAC. At the AIPAC
conference, pro-Israel delegates come together to instrument policies TO
facilitate the continued fleecing of the American public to the tune of $6
billion per annum in support of the occupation and genocide of the Palestinian
people. And for years, the AIPAC conference went on without any opposition.
Until Al-Awda and a few other organizations with a concern for basic human
rights and international law came around.
Although the protest has been held each year for at least a decade, sadly, few local masajid--and next to no local Muslim leaders--bother to attend. Despite the local Muslim/ Arab "leadership" abdicating their responsibility to engage in amr bil mauroof and nahi unal munkari on an issue of paramount importance to the Ummah, the protest went on very successfully. Starting at 12:00 noon, over 1,000 people spanning the spectrum of age, ethnicity, faith, gender, and national origin, rallied at the White House and then marched to the Convention Center, site of the AIPAC conference. Unlike at many previous pro-Palestine protests, most of the key leaders, organizers, and speakers were Palestinians, heartening in a time when the liberal Left often engages in its own imperial patriarchy, speaking for P.O.C. with the perfect ability to speak for themselves.
Also heartening was the fact that youth--Palestinian and non-Palestinian alike--articulately answered the Zionist rhetoric and lies. At today's protest, they appeared more well-versed and organized than ever, speaking confidently and non-rhetorically, from the mic as well as in in conversations with bye-standers.
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