After 30 years, this year saw all 3 Abrahamic faiths celebrating their most prominent, solemn observances over the mid-April weekend – Good Friday by Christians, Passover by the Jews and the Holy Month of Ramadan by Muslims. Amidst these holy services, clashes between the Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque have left more than 150 wounded and many killed.
This should not and cannot happen in modern history where there is room for diplomacy, peace and reconciliation.
Whether Christian, Muslims or Jews, a life lost must be met with accountability and responsibility by the powers that be. The war between Israelis and Palestinians can never be justified with “an eye for an eye”, whether it is the Holy Month of Ramadan, in the Lenten season or during Jewish observances. A crime against humanity is a crime against humanity and must be condemned by all.
Institutionalised aggression by the police or by individuals must be condemned and must end immediately.
The DAP reviles and deplores the desecration of any place of worship, in this case the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. This is the contentious disputed site and still remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Anyone and everyone deserves to live in a safe environment and to be able to profess and practise their faiths without harm or danger and this must be accorded to the people of Palestine and everywhere else in the world facing raging geo-political conflict.
After 30 years, an overlap of these 3 observances should have been a landmark and monumental display of peace and truce but instead has been marred and paralyzed by violence and bloodshed.
After reeling from a disastrous and devastating pandemic that swept across the globe, rebuilding the economy and investing in human development must be the axis of reconciliation between the people of both nations.
No one wants another war – whether in Ukraine or in Palestine or anywhere else in the world and Governments as well as stakeholders must pool resources, courage and compassion to prevent a conflict and crimes against humanity to ever happen again.
DAP calls for peace talks, negotiations, mediation, diplomacy between the two nations and for preventive measures to be taken to ensure a shocking attack like this from further happening and proliferating.
As a member of the Human Rights Council, Malaysia must do more to be a go-between and peacemaker in this time-worn conflict and war.