Buddhist Maung Zarni part of interfaith delegation visiting Palestine

Interfaith activists visit Palestine. Excerpt from thewire.in

An interfaith peace delegation has traveled to Palestine to advocate for a ceasefire and an end to violence amid rising tensions in the region. The delegation, organized by Rabbis for Ceasefire and Christians for Ceasefire, included Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and a Buddhist scholar, who wanted to meet with Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict and express solidarity with those enduring hardship.

The 35 religious representatives, including Burmese human rights activist and genocide scholar Maung Zarni, were invited to join the peace mission to Palestine. “As a Burmese and a Buddhist, I cannot remain silent when Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,” Zarni said of his visit. “Seeing the tanks coming out of Gaza and hearing the airstrikes at that Rafah crossing, I feel like I am standing in front of a mass grave. Gaza is a mass grave in the making.” (American Kahani)

Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR-UK) director Rajiv Sinha was denied entry by Israeli authorities. Sinha, who had been planning to protest for ten months, was detained for over five hours, along with several Palestinians. Sunita Viswanath, executive director of Hindus for Human Rights, wrote that Sinha “got a bitter taste of what ordinary daily life has been like for Palestinians over the past seven decades.” (The Wire)

During their stay in Palestine, Viswanath noted that the delegation visited several sites, including the Shufat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, which they said was frequently subjected to tear gas and live fire by Israeli forces.

The delegation also visited the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, where it met with local community leader Fakhri Abu Diab, whose family home was demolished by Israeli authorities in February, despite personal assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that it would be spared. Fakhri told the delegation that settlers often invite Palestinians to destroy their own homes, which many have done. His family has since begun rebuilding, though they face the possibility of further demolitions.

In Al-Makhrur, west of Bethlehem, the delegation met with the Kassieh family, who said they were constantly harassed by settlers. According to the Kassiehs, the settlers physically assaulted them and filed false complaints, claiming that the family was behind the violence. The delegates met with Alice Kassieh, who leads a grassroots movement resisting these pressures.

The group also traveled to the southern Hebron hills, where it visited the village of Umm Al Khair, which has been subjected to repeated demolitions by the Israeli army. The village is located near the Carmel settlement, an area under Israeli control.

The interfaith visit comes amid renewed international attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hindus for Human Rights called on the international community to “act with urgency and compassion, to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and to demand an immediate end to the violence.” (American Kahani)

The ongoing conflict has deep historical roots and has been marked by periods of intense violence and failed peace negotiations. In recent months, hostilities have intensified, prompting renewed calls from international leaders and activists for a peaceful resolution.

The interfaith delegation’s visit highlights the international community’s efforts to draw attention to the living conditions of Palestinians and to promote dialogue and understanding among all parties involved in the conflict. The group plans to continue its advocacy for a ceasefire and an arms embargo, stressing the need for sustained international pressure to end the cycle of violence in the region.

Maung Zarni, who is a vocal human rights advocate in Myanmar, has spoken out on the situation in Palestine before. In an interview with Anadoul English, he said the International Court of Justice generally delivers conservative judgments, but the case brought by South Africa against Israel had obtained a judgment suggesting genocide. “The Court was convinced by the evidence presented… that Israel is very likely and very plausibly violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention,” he said. (YouTube)

See more

Hindu, Buddhist activists hold interfaith prayer vigil at Gaza-Israel border to call for immediate ceasefire (American Kahani)
Palestine Journal: Gaza Genocide Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg (The Wire)
Human rights activist Maung Zarni speaks to Anadolu about Israel's deadly war on Gaza (YouTube)

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Buddhist scholar Maung Zarni among interfaith delegation visiting Palestine appeared first on Buddhist News Global.

Buddhist Maung Zarni part of interfaith delegation visiting Palestine

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