Thousands of Madurese Pray for Palestinian People

Pamekasan (News Today) - About 2,000 Muslim scholars and students of Islamic boarding schools in Madura Island, East Java, on Monday organized a prayer service for the safety of the Palestinian people. The prayer service supported by ulema and students of 137 Islamic boarding schools in four districts, was held a week after Israeli troops brutally shot dead nine humanitarian activists.

"We condemn the Israeli commandos’ attack on the Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara which was on a humanitarian mission to Gaza last week," head of the Madurese Ulema Deliberation Forum (FMU) K.H.Ali Karar Sinhaji said.

At the end of the prayer service, the ulema and students issued a petition condemning the frequent acts of terror the Israelis have committed against the Palestinians and humanitarian workers. They also urged the United Nations to bring the Israeli leaders and military commanders to the International Criminal Court because what the Zionist state had done was indeed a crime against humanity.

"The terrorist acts of the Israelis are a crime against humanity and serious human rights violations," noted ulame K.H.Abdul Gafur said. The prayer was also attended by a number of local legislators and youth activists.

Over the past week, the people of Madura Island had witnessed four massive peaceful rallies against Israel. The previous rallies were staged by local journalists and activists of the Muslim Students’ Association (HMI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Students Movement (GMNI).

Peaceful rallies were also staged by various elements in the Indonesian society to show their solidarity for the fate of unarmed humanitarian activists on board the Mavi Marmara ship. In Bogor, West Java, a group of student activists and journalists staged a rally on June 1, condemning the attacks of Israeli commandos on six ships transporting humanitarian aids to Gaza.

In the rally, tens of Islamic Student Association (HMI) and Bogor Daily Journalist Forum (FWHB) members also echoed a global campaign to stop buying the Israeli products. Among the humanitarian activists on board of the six-ship convoy loading 10,000 tonnes of aid from Cyprus to Gaza were Indonesians. There were 12 people all together. Two sustained shot wounds.

Five of the 12 Indonesian activists arrived in Jakarta on Monday (7/6). Following its brutal attacks on the six-ship convoy which triggered anger in Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of the world, the Israelis again stopped the MV Rachel Corrie vessel on its way to Gaza last Saturday.

Source : kompas.com

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