International meet to mark 53rd anniversary of Israel's 'occupation' of Jerusalem

Hyderabad

An international conference will be held here on June 7 to mark the 53rd anniversary of "illegal occupation" of Jerusalem and Al-Quds by Israel.

This was announced here on Thursday by Indo-Arab League, an NGO working to promote relations between India and Arab countries and Turkey-based NGO Minber-i-Aqsa International Foundation.

Eminent personalities and Palestinian activists will participate in the international conference on Zoom video conferencing platform.

Dr Rai Fathi, Professor, College of Islamic Studies and President Islamic Council for Iftah (Al-Quds), representing the Grand Mufti of Palestine, Allama Ikramah Saberi,  renowned research scholar for Al-Quds studies Shaikh Sameer and representatives of the Minber-i-Aqsa International Foundation will be among the speakers.

Syed Vicaruddin, Chairman Indo-Arab League Hyderabad, told reporters that the conference was part of an e-campaign day for liberation of Jerusalem and Al-Quds, also known as Al-Aqsa mosque.

He said that June 7 is remembered as a "black day" due to Israel's "illegal occupation" of Palestine, depriving Palestinians of their homeland and fundamental rights.

"Regaining Al-Quds, the third holiest place of Islam, is our top priority. Indo-Arab League has been striving to help Palestinians in this cause since the day of Palestine's occupation of Israel over 5 decades ago," he said.

Vicaruddin recalled that the Indo-Arab League was founded on the same day and it was the first to raise the voice from India against Israeli "atrocities".

The Indo-Arab League, Hyderabad has always followed and propagated Mahatma Gandhi's belief about Palestine that it belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French.

He noted that secular Indians have always supported Palestinian cause. Eminent personalities including former Prime Ministers and Presidents including Indira Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, I.K. Gujaral, V.P. Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shankar Dayal Sharma and Giani Zail Singh have addressed the Indo-Arab League public meetings.

Several Arab leaders including Palestinian Authority President Yaser Arafat had visited India at the invitation of Indo-Arab League.

Rafeeq Ahmed Nizami, India coordinator of Minber-i-Aqsa International Foundation, said that the NGO provides a platform for different individuals and organisations to support the cause of Palestinian freedom and its self-determination.