Students gathered at the Students for Justice in Palestine’s “Paint Night” event to bring awareness to the recent raids in Palestine. The raids that occurred Feb. 22 killed 11 individuals and left more than 100 wounded and injured.
The Students for Justice in Palestine hosted an event last Friday, in the Alumni Memorial Union where students painted, consumed pizza and discussed the recent raid in Palestine.
“The goal of this event was to wind down before midterms, but we want people to constantly be reminded of the situation in Palestine, even if it is something as simple as a paint night,” Amani Dalieh, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said.
Out of respect to the 11 individuals killed, Dalieh mentioned each of their names and recited a prayer for them and their families. She said the recent crisis was unfortunate because as more happens in Palestine in regard to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, it starts being treated like a trend — talking about it for a week and then forgetting after.
“These types of events are needed to bring awareness to the issues that are going on in Palestine. It gets people involved and allows for students to connect in a more pleasing way to discuss these hard-hitting topics,” Mohammed Ahmed, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences, said.
Ahmed said that the Palestinian cause is sometimes ignored or that some people do not have a full scope of the conflict. He said that young individuals, such as him, are responsible for learning and reacting to the ongoing situation.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a long-standing dispute between Israel and Palestine since 1948. The two sides have historical and religious ties to the region and have conflicting claims on the land. There have been attempts to resolve this conflict over the decades, but no lasting peace agreements have been set in place.
“I really enjoy these types of events that SJP holds. A lot of these issues I tend not to see in the media or on the front pages, so it is nice to see that students are gathering together to honor the individuals who were killed and to bring awareness,” Abdallah Qasem, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said.
Qasem said he was excited to be a part of an event that works to bring change and highlight the stories and lives of those who may be disregarded sometimes. He said that one of his favorite parts of the event was listening to traditional Palestinian music.
Dalieh said the event was a success last year, so they decided to bring it back again this semester. She said that she had hoped that the circumstances would be better surrounding the event but that, sadly, some type of conflict is constantly occurring in the region.
“We get a very diverse mix of students. A lot of people who come aren’t necessarily Palestinian, but they are the students that know it’s a humanitarian issue,” Dalieh said.
Qasem said that he has been involved in SJP since his first-year year and is glad to see the progress that has occurred in educating others. He highlighted events such as the Palestinian Culture Night, where people came together for the Palestinian cause while still having a good time.
The event held last December was hosted by Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Students for Justice in Palestine. The event included things such as traditional Palestinian food, henna and a comedy show. The event aimed to celebrate Palestinian culture, raise awareness about the Palestinian struggle, and promote unity within the community.
“I believe that as more events are held, it will attract more people to come and allow us to inform them on the injustices going on,” Malik Said, a first-year in the College of Health Sciences, said.
Ahmed said that even if they start somewhere small, they can still bring some change for the future. He said that he is excited about the future of SJP and the events they hold.
“I may not be Palestinian, but I believe in the Palestinian cause. Though I may be one voice, I hope to be able to join the voices of others in the cause,” Ahmed said.
Dalieh said that SJP does these events to keep spreading awareness about Palestine. She said that these events encourage others to have an opportunity to come together and educate even in the smallest ways.
“These types of events are always for Palestine and because of us, their stories will always be kept in mind. Because of us, Palestine will never be forgotten,” Dalieh said.
This story was written by Uzair Qhavi. He can be reached at [email protected]
