Israeli apartheid week kicks off in South Africa

CAPE TOWN, (PIC)– The cultural week against the Israeli apartheid regime in occupied Palestine were launched in more than 13 South African cities in the context of global activities and events taking place in about 90 cities around the world.

These events include university seminars, lectures, documentaries movies, photo galleries and many other activities on the apartheid system pursued by Israel.

Many prominent international and local figures and Palestinians are participating in these anti-apartheid events throughout South Africa.

In a joint press release the Muslim Judicial Council and Al Quds Foundation announced their support for the Israeli Apartheid Week(IAW), an initiative of international education institutes who in conjunction with the call by the Palestinian Students’ Campaign has raised awareness for an Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI)  and a BDS Campaign in Gaza.  Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar.

It includes lectures, film screenings, round- table discussions and workshops in response to the call of Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
 
The Muslim Judicial Council and the Al Quds Foundation will contribute towards the awareness campaign of the Israeli Apartheid policies by hosting one of the prisoners Dr Abdul Aziz
Umar, who was released last year as part of the prisoner exchange deal.
 
Dr Umar’s visit forms part of the Israeli Apartheid Week [IAW] that aims to raise awareness through educational campaigns about Israel's apartheid policies toward Palestinians and to gather support for the international boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign, which was launched in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian civil society organisations.

Dr Umar will provide South African’s with the insight of how the Israeli Apartheid machine operates in prisons and will also raise an awareness of the similarities of treatment and torture endured by our liberation fighters in South African prisons during the Apartheid era.
 
During a visit to the Holy Land, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said in an interview to The Guardian “I’ve been very deeply distressed in my visit to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa. […]”