| From the Nakba to Gaza: Seventy-seven years of displacement… and unwavering resilience. |
** On the anniversary of the Nakba, we reaffirm that the suffering of the
Palestinian people did not end in 1948, but continues today in the form
of occupation, displacement, siege, and destruction in Gaza and the rest
of occupied Palestine
|
AFIC Statement on Nakba Day
15 May 2026
(See translation in Arabic section)
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, AFIC, joins Palestinians and people of conscience around the world in marking Nakba Day.
The Nakba, the catastrophe, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced from their homes, villages and lands. For Palestinians, the Nakba is not simply a historical event. It is an ongoing reality of exile, occupation, dispossession, denial of rights and the continued struggle to return, rebuild and live in freedom and dignity.
This year’s commemoration takes place amid the continuing devastation in Gaza and the ongoing suffering of Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories. The destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, places of worship and essential infrastructure, the mass displacement of families, the denial of adequate humanitarian assistance, and the continuing loss of innocent life are a painful reminder that the Palestinian people continue to endure the consequences of injustice that has remained unresolved for generations.
AFIC reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, freedom, justice and return. We affirm their right to live in their homeland with dignity, security and full political, civil and human rights. We also reaffirm that peace cannot be built on occupation, displacement, siege or the denial of a people’s national existence.
On this Nakba Day, we remember those who were driven from their homes in 1948, those who have lived as refugees across generations, those who remain under occupation, and those in Gaza who continue to face unimaginable suffering. We honour the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their enduring attachment to their land, identity, history and future.
AFIC President Dr Rateb Jneid said:
“The Nakba is not only a memory of what was taken from the Palestinian people in 1948. It is a continuing reality seen today in the displacement, destruction and suffering being inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza and across occupied Palestine. On this day, AFIC reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, justice, self-determination and return to their homeland.”
AFIC calls on the Australian Government and the international community to move beyond statements of concern and take meaningful action to uphold international law, protect civilian life, ensure unfettered humanitarian access, and support a just and lasting resolution grounded in the rights of the Palestinian people.
The Nakba must not be treated as a closed chapter of history. It remains a continuing wound and a continuing call for justice.
AFIC stands with Palestine. We stand with the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, self-determination and their homeland. |
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