MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, July 23 (PIA) --- “How could innocent children die just like that? How could people lose their lives just like that?”
This is the stand of Meranaos who gathered at the Peace Plaza of Mindanao State University (MSU) Main Campus on July 17 for a solidarity prayer rally for the people in Gaza.
The rally was organized by the faculty of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) and Supreme Student Government (SSG) to express their protest on Israel’s massive military actions against Palestine which had killed innocent civilians, including women and children.
Some of the faculty, students, and civilians who joined the solidarity event were waving the flag of Palestine. Others were holding slogans expressing their emotions and opinions and branding the military actions as brutal and barbaric.
“You don’t have to be a Palestinian to stand for Gaza. You just have to be human,” they expressed.
Professor Tirmizy Abdullah, a History Professor, was very emotional in his speech. He said he has witnessed how the Palestinians are being mistreated in their own land. He was crying out loud while narrating his story and told the audience “…Palestinians don’t have the right to renovate their own houses while Israelis are building their own. Do you know that?” He also claimed that before Palestinians used to be the sole dwellers in Palestine, but now they are only five percent of the population.
While he was speaking, participants of the prayer rally who could no longer hold their tears started to cry.
A lady professor also advised the participants to pray for Gaza, and at the same time for the Israelis to be enlightened.
Former Assemblywoman Samira Gutoc also conveyed her sentiment. She reiterated that what is going on in Gaza is totally against humanity. She said they should not be doing the attacks as the Palestinians are already suffering for decades.
As she shouted “kapayaan (peace),” the crowd would respond “hustisya (justice)” and vice-versa.
The rally ended at 6:00pm through a collective prayer.
Indeed, kindness requires no specific religion. What is going on now in Gaza is something that we must be concerned of. We have to save humanity. Much as we want to stop or freeze the rockets being thrown to Gaza, we simply cannot. But we have powerful prayers that may save the people. (Johaniah Yusoph/APB/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
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