Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 | Posted by Syed Amir Mian

Discussion on “Israel’s Gaza Offensive and Palestinian Resistance” organised

Aligarh: Department of West Asian Studies of Aligarh Muslim University organized a discussion on “Israel’s Gaza Offensive and Palestinian Resistance”. The Chairman, Department of West Asian Studies, Professor Mohammad Gulrez in his opening remarks while highlighting the historical and cultural links between India and the Arab World said that India’s support to the Arab causes predates our own independence.

Professor Gulrez said that as early as 1920s Indian National Congress had espoused the cause of Arab unity and the rights of the Palestinian people. The Government of India even today reiterates our firm support for the just and respectable rights of the Palestinians, including the establishment of an independent state of Palestine. He further reiterated that we the academics in the centre support this policy and condemn all acts of genocide carried out by Israel.

Prof. Shamir Hasan gave the genesis of the state of Israel and emphasized that how it came into being through European Expansionist policy in the lands of Palestinians. He further reiterated that the question of the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories poses the foremost threat to peace in the region which is carried out through the Israeli expansionist settlement policy. Dr. Javed Iqbal in his presentation emphasized that there is political angle to this excessive military use at the moment by Israeli for political gains as the parliamentary elections are due in February in Israel. Prof. Nazim Ali and Dr. Mohammad Azher were of the view that international community, by upholding the International humanitarian laws and human rights should condemn Israel for their acts or Genocide on innocent people. They further claimed that this attack has brought many economic miseries to the Palestinians also. Dr. Fazan Mehmood gave and geographical dimension to the problem. He highlighted that how systematically Israeli Government trying to malign the image of democratically elected Government of Hamas in Palestine.

Prof. Shah Mohammad Waseem, Prof. Mehmoodul Haq, Dr. Arif Rizvi, Prof. Ali Mohammad Prof. Salahuddin Qureshi, Dr. Wasem Raja and Dr. Hafeez Uddin Ahmad also expressed their views. The other participants include students from Arab region, Thailand and India. They hoped that the new Government of Barak Obama in USA will find some solution to the plight of Palestinians for a peaceful world.

Prof. Mohammad Gulrez thanked the participants and hoped to organize such programmes in future also in line with academic activities of the centre.