Bandung – The academic community from two universities in Bandung – the Aisyiyah University Bandung (Unisa) and the Muhammadiyah University Bandung (UMB) held a defend Palestine action in front of the Sate building in Bandung city, West Java, on the afternoon of Tuesday May 7.
The actions were motivated by Israel's military aggression against Palestine, both in Gaza and the West Bank.
They also criticized the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab countries for being "weak" in preventing military aggression by Israel which has been bombarding Palestine, especially Gaza, since last year.
They also condemned Israel's aggression accusing it of genocide against the Palestinian people.
Acting Unisa Bandung Chancellor Sitti Syabariyah said that all of the Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah higher education institutions in the country are holding simultaneous peaceful actions today.
She said that in total, 176 Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah campuses have joined in the actions throughout Indonesia. In Bandung itself, she said that thousands of students are taking part.
"This is an agreement from us at the PTMA (Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education) chancellors forum throughout Indonesia to call for peaceful actions to defend Palestine", she said in front of Sate building, which is the office of the West Java governor.
With today's action, they hope that all world organisations can be moved to defend the Palestinian state. Aside from holding the actions, they also raised funds to help residents in Palestine.
The following are points from a statement at the peaceful demonstration to defend Palestine at Unisa Bandung and the UMB:
1. We strongly condemn Israel for its very disproportionate military aggression and attacks, the arrest of civilians, the destruction of public facilities, especially health facilities, and the blockading of humanitarian aid.
2. We condemn the attitude of the United States, France, Germany, Britain and other countries which provide assistance and support to Israel in its aggression against Palestine.
3. We ask the United Nations to enforce and facilitate negotiations and a ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian.
4. We support the International Criminal Court trying Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli figures who have committed genocide against Palestinians.
5. We condemn the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Rabitha Alam Islami (World Islamic League) and Arab countries that have taken a weak position and tend to allow Israel to freely carry out attacks and murder.
6. We ask the Indonesian government not to even consider let alone open political diplomatic relations with Israel.
7. We ask the Indonesian government to strengthen diplomacy with other countries to realise the birth of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
8. We invite all layers of society to pay attention to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and providing moral, material and spiritual assistance to the Palestinian struggle. (csr/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Aksi Bela Palestina Kampus Muhammadiyah Bandung, Kecam Genosida Israel".]
