13 October 2014 Dear Respected Elder / Leader / Pundit We extend warm and fraternal greetings of peace, love and goodwill to you as you prepare to observe the blessed and auspicious festival of Diwali / Deepavali. It is in this context of peace and goodwill that we write to you and the South African Hindu community to request assistance with advancing solidarity for a critical human rights campaign which many within the Hindu community have already shown much support for, ie, the Palestinian struggle for political self - determination. As South Africans we have coexisted well ever since the first arrival of Indians in 1860 and have indeed come a long way from the scourge of Apartheid. Our communities were steadfast and fought for the freedom and rights that we all enjoy today. However, we are currently witnessing a far more horrific Apartheid being carried out on the people of Palestine. This Apartheid has spread its wings to that of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide. Despite the mass media propaganda and the narrative being meted out by the Israeli Apartheid Government, the people of Palestine also want to live, coexist, enjoy the freedom and rights we enjoy today. Like the Apartheid Regime of South Africa was held to account, and punished with boycotts, sanctions and dis-investments, so too the Apartheid Regime of Israel deserves the same treatment. As we are aware, all this is a result of the cruel colonial practices of the British Empire in splitting up communities and societies wherever they went. It was their legacy of Divide and Rule that saw the breakup of India, Malaysia, Argentina, many parts of Africa and the Middle East, and their unilateral decision under the Balfour Declaration to take a peoples land “Palestine” without their knowledge or consent and just give it away to another people. The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign has increasingly become the core form of solidarity that citizens around the world can extend to the Palestinians. By identifying and targeting local companies and businesses, that have become complicit in the oppression of this community (in various forms); we are standing up against the evil that is Apartheid Israel. In South Africa, Woolworths is one such retailer that has become complicit with Israeli oppression, through stocking products sourced from Israel. In the same way that the global community supported South Africa in its hour of need (Palestinians included), we are extending the same solidarity to our Palestinian friends. Therefore, in light of this, we call on you dear respected elder, to kindly urge members of the Hindu community to join the oppressed Palestinians in a show of solidarity and partake in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Apartheid State of Israel. With the upcoming Deepavali Festivals, it would be appropriate to start off with a boycott of all Woolworths stores. Why Woolworths? Woolworths claims to be conducting their business acumen on the grounds of Strong Ethics, Good Practice, Environmental and Social Responsibility. However, how can Woolworths stock products and produce from Israel, when the very lands that these produce are grown on, is stolen? The late Nelson Mandela said: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” The late Mahatma Gandhi said: “Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense England belongs to the English. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs.” We look forward to joining hands in partnership with you to advance solidarity with a long suffering people, who are fighting to acquire the same freedoms that we ourselves fought very hard to attain. We take this opportunity in wishing you, and the Hindu community a very Happy Deepavali. With Best wishes Mustafa Moosa Darsot On Behalf of The KZN Palestine Solidarity Forum PO Box 1109, Wandsbeck, 3631 E-mail : kznpsf@gmail Cell : 0829019786 / 0824231348 #boycottIsrael #boycottWoolworths
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 05:26:18 +0000
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