From South Africa to Palestine to Kashmir - We Say No To Apartheid, No To Settler Colonialism, No to Racism

 Public Meeting today Monday April 5^th 7 pm with Ronnie Kassrills, Ramzy Baroud, Salma Yaqoob, Rana Nazir and Black Lives Matter

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In 1961 Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, the South African Prime Minister said

‘they took Israel away from the Arabs after the Arabs lived there for a thousand years. In that, I agree with them. Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid state.

Nearly 30 years ago Apartheid came to an end in South Africa. Today though, a much more sophisticated form of Apartheid continues in Israel. There are no signs ‘Jews only’ yet in the West Bank there is a ‘Jews only’ system of roads which relies on different number plates for Jewish settlers and Palestinians. It is digital apartheid.

Indian Troops Imposing Martial Law in Kashmir

In India Narendra Modi, of the openly anti-Islamic BJP, is trying to make India into a Hindu supremacist state, abandoning the ideals of Ghandi and Nehru that India would be a secular state of all its citizens, regardless of religion. To this effect the special status of Kashmir, Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has been repealed and martial law has been in operation in Kashmir. On 15 April 2020, a hospital in Ahmadabad began segregating Coronavirus patients based on their religious belief, allocating separate wards for Muslims and non-Muslims as they do for maternity patients in Israel.

Petty Apartheid in South Africa - Israel avoids overt displays of racism

For over one and a half years, martial law has been imposed on Kashmir. Kashmiris cannot access the internet, cell phone services or gather publicly. The Indian military presence in the region swelled after India dissolved Kashmir’s local government in August 2019 and arrested hundreds of local politicians and activists. The government can hold these prisoners for up to two years without a trial under India’s Public Safety Act.

In the West Bank Israel holds hundreds of Palestinian prisoners under Administrative detention which is renewed every 6 months. All protest actions are outlawed. Military rule has been a constant for the past 54 years. The quisling Palestinian Authority have announced that elections will be held and Israel has been doing its best to stop them by pressurizing the PA whilst at the same time arresting militants of Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.  Despite this Israel calls itself the ‘only democracy in the Middle East.’

Register and come to the meeting – we have Ronnie Kasrills, former head of the ANC’s military wing and a former Minister in Nelson Mandela’s government. Also speaking is the well known Palestinian author and journalist, Ramzy Baroud. Rana Nazir is Chair of the Kashmiri Women’s Association who will tell us about what is happening in Kashmir.  Also speaking is well known Muslim anti-racist and former Birmingham City Councillor Salma Yaqoob. Other speakers include Kweku Martin Peprah from Brighton Black Lives Matter, Rania Muharebm a Palestinian human rights activist and Ph D student and Tony Greenstein.

Originally intended to be held on UN Anti-racism day, the meeting was postponed till today.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Tony Greenstein

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