76th Year Anniversary of the Nakbah (The Catastrophe)

The Nakba Continues Today

Today, the 15th of May, the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) join their fellow Palestinian brothers and sisters, Australians and the global community to commemorate the 76-year anniversary of the Nakba (The Catastrophe), which involved the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and obliteration of Palestinian communities as a means of establishing the State of Israel in 1948. Over 750,000 Palestinians were either forcibly expelled or fled their homeland.

Palestinians today continue to experience the “Nakbah” through the ongoing application of brutal Israeli policies, which involve forced evictions, expansion of illegal settlements, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on movement due to military checkpoints and the separation walls.

ANIC and the Australian Muslim community condemn the ongoing attacks on the Palestinian people around Palestine and in Gaza, as the Israeli occupying forces continue to commit genocide against the Palestinian people, with more than 35,000 killed in Gaza and tens of thousands injured. Over half the population in Gaza is now displaced and is facing starvation imposed by Israel. This is other than the escalated aggression currently being perpetrated against Palestinians in the West Bank and other Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Nakbah continues today.

The Palestinian people have the right to self-determination, to oppose unjust and unlawful occupation, and to live in peace and harmony on the land that belongs to them and their ancestors.

ANIC and the Australian Muslim community demand real action to be taken by the Australian Government to do more in protecting the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian people and to take proactive steps towards the recognition of the State of Palestine.

We also call upon Australian Muslims and those who stand up for human rights to utilise their civil and democratic rights by expressing and promoting this message to their local MPs and political representatives. Additionally, we recommend that they seek further information and understanding about the continued struggles faced by the Palestinian people, as well as educate themselves and others on this ongoing plight and catastrophe.