Contributor: Salsabila Syadza Az-Zahra | Editor: Supriyono
UIII, JAKARTA - On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, representatives of the UIII Student Association of the Faculty of Social Science (ASSIST) visited the Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta. The visit aimed to convey their support and solidarity with the Palestinians while commemorating the annual Nakba Day.
The Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Zuhair Al-Shun, along with dozens of members of the Palestinian community, journalists, and guests, attended the event. This year's Nakba commemoration took place amidst the ongoing conflict there which has intensified since October 7, 2023.
The UIII students attending the event were ASSIST leader Salsabila Syadza Az-Zahra, Firda Nur Jannah, and Fina Farhani all from the MA in Political Science program, as well as Agus Firmansyah and M. Akbar Rahmadi from Master program in Public Policy with specialization in Climate Change.
The Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day every May 15. This event marks the profound disruption of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948, during which 700,000 Palestinians were displaced between 1947 and 1948. The commemoration aims to raise awareness and foster solidarity between Indonesia and Palestine.
In his speech, Ambassador Zuhair Al-Shun said that Nakba is the saddest day for Palestinians, as it marks a time of immense suffering. Al-Shun emphasized that the Palestinian people will continue to fight for freedom and peace.
Representatives of Palestinian students who attended the event also expressed their hopes for Indonesia. "We wish for the Indonesian people to support us not just mentally, but physically,” said one of them in an interview with ASSIST.
In line with the Indonesian government’s stance in favor of Palestine, the UIII students empathize with Palestinians. We wish any conflict and war to end so that every human can live in peace and harmony.