Students for Gaza

Shocked and saddened by the ongoing attacks against Palestinians, youth across the UAE are taking time out to organise fundraising events and awareness drives to show their solidarity with the victims. Maysam Ali and Rania Moussly report .

Operation Cast Lead — the Israeli military campaign launched against the Palestinians in Gaza — began on December 27, 2008. Students in the UAE have been deeply moved by the bloodshed and spiralling number of deaths. It has prompted them to organise awareness campaigns to show their solidarity and support for the plight of the Palestinians. The aim is to spread awareness about the realities on the ground, raise funds and collect donations of basic supplies to be distributed in Gaza.

Notes spoke to students from a number of campuses and brings you the latest on what they are doing to help the suffering Palestinians.

Zayed University

Zayed University (ZU) was among the first universities to respond to the war. Just days after the start of the aggression, the students got to work organising a full-fledged campaign to raise awareness about the situation and collect funds.

The campaign, titled 'Return Life to Gaza', was organised by 10 student members of the Logo Club (LC) at ZU and attracted 400 visitors.

It began with students giving speeches of solidarity to express their concerns for the continued pounding that Gaza is taking, and the escalating humanitarian crisis due to a lack of medical and basic supplies. Photographs of murdered Palestinian civilians were featured. A market stall selling jewellery, Palestinian flags, kaffiyahs and souvenirs was set up. Thirty five per cent of its proceeds is being sent along with the collections from the Red Crescent boxes to Gaza.

Fatima Al Madani, 19, a second year General Education student, explained that the main purpose was to raise awareness about the harsh reality the residents of Gaza are facing, and the injustice of the Israeli attacks.

Fatima, secretary of the LC, said most students have a general idea about the ongoing struggle, but most do not realise the full extent of the situation.

"They were not taking it seriously because they were not well informed, which led them to not care. However, after the campaign we were inundated by students thanking us for holding such an event that expanded their knowledge and concern for this devastating situation." Fatima said.

The club's mission is to spread their message through all mediums of communication. Their motto is 'Words play a crucial role'.

'Return Life to Gaza' was organised because, as Fatima emphasised, "the people in Gaza deserve the right to live an honourable life".

She added: "These men, women and children, struggling to live day by day, deserve a fair chance at a life just like everyone else.

"There is no point in getting upset and angry; that benefits nobody. We need to educate ourselves and spread knowledge so students consciously make the choice to become active."

Deira International School

Students, Seaon Shin, Elisar Sasso and Arno Steyn, at the Deira International School in Dubai came together to organise a campaign for Gaza. Lebanese-British born Elisar is the only student with roots in the Middle East. However, all of them have been living in Dubai for years and felt the need to get involved in some way to express their deep concern for the onslaught.

"We knew we had to do something but it would need sponsorship. Emirates Bank sponsored us to hold a fund-raising event at school," Shin said. The proceeds will go to the World Food Programme, which has launched 'Operation Lifeline Gaza' — a global appeal to boost the distribution of food to afflicted civilians.

The idea for the fund-raising event is "based on an Arabic theme," Shin explained. "It is a mixture of Arabic decoration, surprise performance and showcases of student artwork as well as other events." The event will be held on Wednesday, February 11 at 7pm. Tickets to the event are selling for Dh100 for students, Dh150 for parents and Dh250 for couples. However "anyone who attends is free to donate as much as they want," Shin added.

American University of Sharjah (AUS)

The Palestinian Cultural Club (PCC) at AUS has organised a fund-raising campaign on campus in conjunction with the Red Crescent. It will run until the end of this month. Red Crescent money boxes as well as boxes to collect basic supplies — canned foods, blankets, clothes and medicine — have been placed in the university's 10 main buildings as well as in the student and faculty dorms.

The largest box, hand-made by the PCC, is located in the Student Centre. Students who want to donate money or supplies can either go directly to AUS or call 050-9527939 and arrange a day and time to have the items picked up.

"We collect items from anywhere in the UAE," Mohammad Afana, president of the Palestinian Cultural Club, told Notes.
Afana, 22, a senior civil engineering student, believes what is happening is "outrageous and unacceptable". He said: "There is no justifiable reason for killing women and children and attacking everyone and everything inside Gaza under false accusations. It is just shocking. Powerful countries such as the UK, US and France need to react and act. The Arab countries won't act because they don't have the power to, they are afraid and their people are afraid. I don't think people fully understand what is going on.

"The Palestinian people are very angry. However other Arab nationalities are not fully informed; for example they don't really know or understand the difference between Hamas and Fatah; but it is very clear that most people in the UAE are sad and hurt at what is taking place right now," he added.

University of Wollongong, Dubai (UOWD)

Fahd Akram Ali, 26, a second-year marketing student, told Notes that although the UOWD has not organised any official event, students are deeply concerned about the aggression against Gaza and discuss it amongst themselves.

"The general consensus is that what is happening is a humanitarian crisis. What Israel is doing is a violation of human rights and no country is stopping it," Fahd said.

He said students are communicating via the web and social networking sites such as Facebook to share their views. "Students are communicating globally," said Fahd. "People have a lot to say."

Dubai Women's College (DWC)

DWC circulated an email to its students urging them to donate supplies and funds for the Palestinians in Gaza at a collection point in the student centre. Notes spoke to Asma Ali Al Bannai, 21, a senior information technology student, who said that prior to the email being circulated, students had been discussing how they could help alleviate the suffering in Gaza.

"We were having a big discussion — 17 girls actually — about the situation and what we could possibly do to help. When we received the email, we all gave what we could," she said. The DWC managed to raise donations of blankets, clothes and canned foods that filled 50 boxes, as well as Dh12,680 in funds.

Asma added that the attack against Gaza is a hot topic on campus with students "talking about it all the time — verbally and over the net".

American University of Dubai (AUD)

Notes spoke to the Executive Vice President of AUD, Elyas Bou Saab, at a rally on campus organised by the Palestinian Club. The club is working in collaboration with Red Crescent and the Palestinian Consulate in the UAE to ensure all proceeds and donations reach families in need of aid in Gaza. "Through this rally we are sending a message of unity, declaring that nobody can stand by and watch the massacre of a civilian population. We are here to say no to murder and destruction. We are here to voice the dream of our Palestinian brothers of having a recognised homeland. We are here to demand justice from our leaders, asking them to put their differences aside and unite to save what is left of Palestine. We are here to ask them to take a position that will bring a positive historic change for humanity, at this crucial moment in time" Bou Saab said.

Students of all nationalities came to show their support "for our brothers and sisters, dying in Gaza. All these children dying in prison makes us feel ashamed of ourselves. I have a little brother, and I feel these children are all my brothers," said Yahya Al Hashemi, 23. Amongst candles formed to spell Gaza, in Arabic, students chanted, "Israel should know that occupation has to go". The vice president of the Palestinian Cultural Club at AUD, Ameen Al Hajj, 20, told the crowd, "although this may be an American university, it is on Arab land and we are all here to show our support for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. The killing of nearly 1,000 innocent women and children is not self-defence it is murder... Israel treats Palestinians like animals, but even animals have more rights, what rights have they given the people in Gaza, when they can not even manage a slice of bread to eat?" Al Hajj said to an attentive crowd. "We are here to reach out to those unaware of the truth and show our support for those who continue to suffer. People are angry, but it is important to channel that energy and turn it into a force of positive change", Al Hajj told Notes.

Jamal Ali, 21, thinks, "even if this rally moves just five people it is a benefit, because those five people may touch another five people and start a movement. A spiritual and mental movement to open closed doors and get our voices heard," he said. "We are here to show the people in Palestine they are not alone. We will no stay quiet as long as they are suffering," he added.

War facts
When: Night of December 27, 2008 - ongoing
Who: Israeli Defence Forces against Hamas and the Palestinian civilian population
Where: The Gaza Strip
Size of Gaza Strip: 360 sq km
Population: 1,500,202

Palestinian death toll since December 27, 2008: nearing 1,033 up until January 15, 2009 before Notes went to print
Palestinian casualties since December 27, 2008: 5,000* up until January 15, 2009 before Notes went to print
Israeli death toll: 13*

How you can help
Charity Evening: Deira International School
When: Wednesday, February 11 at 7pm
Where: Deira International School
All ticket procceeds will go to the World Food Programme

How can you donate
When: Until January 30
Where: American University of Sharjah
How: Go there or call 050 9527939 for collections from anywhere in the UAE