Iran Press/ Africa: Images and videos coming out of Palestine evoke feelings of deep pain within people, reminding them of the opposite experience to the joy when a child is born.
In Cape Town, one protestor told Iran Press, he could not look at some of the pictures; they are so gruesome.
Yusri Abrahams said, “What goes through me is probably the inverse of what I felt when my children were born. That elated feeling of joy and happiness…it is the opposite. It is heartbreak and sadness.”
The protestor said he brought his children along to the demonstration to conscientize them about the suffering of the people in Palestine.
Another protestor, Masoodah Chikte told Iran Press, criticized those who simply allow their lives to just go on, despite the bloodshed. She further expressed concern about how bans on social media are preventing people from receiving accurate news on the situation.
The protest which included a short march through the community of Salt River, was attended by a cross section of South Africans. They urged the government to take tangible steps to isolate the Israeli regime.
Tasneem Khan, whose father fought in the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa and was forced into exile during the struggle, expressed disappointment at the South African government.
Tasneem Khan told Iran Press: “I won't equate South African apartheid to what is happening there… It is far worse, what the Palestinians are going through than what we went through."
“But I think when you want to please the imperialists, when you want to make them happy all the time, you are not going to choose the right side, you are not going to do the rights things, because there is a higher power that you want to satisfy,” she concluded.
“We expect more from the South African government. I believe it is the intricacies of diplomacy and trade agreements; that why they are not taking a stronger stance against what the state of Israel is doing."
I think ideally, we want to see not only the ANC but the South African government (take action). We want to see cultural boycotts, we want to see trade boycotts,” said Franscious Nel.
Demonstrators reminded the South African government that it was a similar action during the Apartheid years in South Africa that assisted in dismantling the white Apartheid regime locally.
But the government has been condemned for being out of touch with the demands of the people.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Aadila Mahomed told Iran Press: “A big part of this is civil accountability. I think a big part of this is the fact that South Africa has been able to distance itself from our history to such an extent that we have lost the humanity, that we know our brothers and sisters in Palestine had when we were struggling through Apartheid. The fact that our government has not taken the stance that we need, shows how far removed they are from their people, from the Foreign powers who are unequivocally supporting the Zionist killing campaign and were also condemned for their actions."
Naeem Bray told Iran Press, “Currently the politicians don’t represent the people. If you look at the US and UK, the leaders are promoting war, they are agitating for war. They have denied a ceasefire. But the people on the ground want peace, they are protesting against aggression and we have to remember that constantly; the people have the power.”
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