TAXILA: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) women’s wing took out a protest rally in Taxila on Sunday to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and denounce Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

With black ribbons tied to their arms and carrying placards inscribed with slogans in support of the Palestinians, a large number of women and children participated in the rally despite the rain.

During the demonstration, protesters condemned Israel’s brutal oppression of the Palestinians and also burnt an Israeli flag. They called on leaders of Islamic countries to declare their solidarity with the Muslims of Palestine and send a forceful response to Israel and the US.

Addressing the gathering, former Punjab Assembly member Prof Waqas Khan criticised the US and European countries for supporting Israel in its oppression of Palestinians and demanded the Muslim countries to come together for the Palestinian cause.

Mr Khan described the US and rights organisations like the UN as ‘puppets of Israel’ and alleged that they were also involved in terrorism in Gaza.

Criticising the “double standards” of the West, he said the US and Europe had different benchmarks for Palestine and Ukraine.

JI Taxila chapter Emir Attiqur Rehman Kashmiri demanded that Muslim world leaders “break the chains of silence” and speak up for their brothers and sisters.

He expressed his dismay over the “traditional lukewarm attitude” shown by the leadership of Islamic states in the wake of the aggression being meted out by Israeli occupation forces in the region.

Addressing the participants, Vice President Cantonment Board Wah Malik Arshad Mehmood condemned the genocide of Palestinians by Israeli forces and asked the world to offer moral and legal support to Gaza.

It is high time the dispute over Al Aqsa mosque and Palestine be resolved permanently, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023