Interview with the President of Bergen Community College Muslim Student Association on Ongoing Week of action for Palestine
Students at BCC are organizing a week of solidarity with Palestine and against the Israeli genocide
Bergen Community College Muslim Student Association is calling for students at Bergen Community College to wear a Keffiyeh from October 16-20 to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and spread awareness of the Palestinian cause. We sat down with the President of the BCCMSA to find out more!
Hello, what is your name and what is your position in the club?
Hello, my name is Lara Ibrahim, I am the president of the Muslim Student Association club at Bergen Community College.
What made your club want to call this event? What kind of response do you expect from the student body?
We have previously expressed our support for Palestine, so hopefully a positive answer. We held a bake sale in the spring semester, and many students supplied flags from home, including Palestinian flags. We believed that since there are so many students that were Pro Palestine, we decided we had to join together and express our hostility to the genocide and support for Palestine.
What would you recommend that people who don’t know about the conflict read to understand the Palestinian perspective?
The mainstream media is pro Israel, and they have spread false information about the Palestine conflict. Even though the pretend to be unbiased, they support Israel by spreading fake news. Numerous false reports, such as the one about Hamas beheading children have come from these big news outlets, to persuade people to support the wrong cause. Even President Biden, announced the fake news he has received, and as a result, a 6 year old Palestinian child was murdered by a man. This is what misleading reports leads to the American people being brainwashed and the increase of discrimination and hate crimes.
Are there any pro Palestinian sources you would recommend?
Social media is what most people turn to seek reliable information on what is happening in Palestine. Palestinians in Gaza act as their own press, bringing attention to the challenges they find themselves in and the war that they are fighting alone. They are currently using vehicle batteries to charge their phones because Israel has shut off electricity in Gaza, making this more challenging for them. This is one of the pages on Instagram thats a dependable source of news that I advise using. @eye.on.palestine
Do you have plans for further actions after this week?
Yes, we had intended to take a stand for Palestine, but in order to prevent a commotion, we must first get permission from the college. Still, we intend to exhibit images of the situation in Palestine. We want to do it outside where we will be able to express our opinions without disturbing the classes. We want to preserve a peaceful safe environment because, for some individuals, this is a political debate.
What is a Keffiyeh and why is it significant to Palestinian people?
The Keffiyeh is a checkered black and white scarf. It symbolizes Palestinian Nationalism and many middle eastern cultures. Wearing a Keffiyeh is a symbol showing solidarity for Palestine.
Would students who are not Palestinian but support Palestine be considered to be engaging in cultural appropriation?
No, we are reaching out to all different clubs from all backrounds to wear the Keffiyeh this week. If you support Palestine, please wear the Keffiyeh!
Do you know of any other similar actions being initiated by students in other USA or in NJ?
There was a protest at Rutgers Newark, Montclair and I believe NJIT.
Do you know of any county, state or national groups that are doing good work on Israel Palestine?
I think that in most colleges there is a Students for Justice in Palestine, and other for that there are two instagram pages called American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and also Palestinian American Community Center (PACC)
How can people support Palestine in their communities when they don’t feel like anyone else cares about the Palestinian issue in their area?
I feel like I can relate to that question because I live in Paramus and my high school was mostly Jewish/ White . I didn’t encounter any problems with them but I tried to raise awareness, and everyone in that school knew I was Palestinian and why I supported that cause. Spreading awareness is the best way you can show your support. There are people who support something only because their friends support it, so spreading awareness can help to get people to change their minds and view the issue through another lens. We always aim try to educate people more about the occupation of palestine.
What would you say to students who criticize the timing of this action and say that you are supporting violence?
We are aware that Palestine has been under occupation for 75 years, not just one year or month. We are aware that for the occupation to happen a genocide has taken place, and the occupation goes beyond simply a conflict. Palestinian resistance is in response to Isreali oppression. We are backing the resistance because what is taking on in Palestine is ethnic cleansing. Israel is Backed with fighter jets, sophisticated anti-missiles defense systems, nuclear weapons, the iron dome, and not to mention the billions of dollars of military aid provided by the US. Meanwhile Palestine has no army, no navy, no air force, no tanks, no nuclear weapons and most importantly no Aid. Despite the terrible number of Palestinians who have been murdered in cold blood over the past 75 years, people only pay attention to acts of vengeance when Palestinians rebel.
The IDF as of today has murdered 600 infants, and if that isn't violent, I don't know what is. We are referring to actual babies here, other than the people who have been killed.
Supporting violence is to support Zionism.
Do you believe that you will face serious pushback from Zionist students and faculty?
I don't believe so, we're attempting to take a nonviolent stance in support of Palestine. To help people understand the nature of the violence, we wish to present images. We don't want to get ourselves into a fight, so we trust the school security to let us hold a civil discussion. Rather than merely hearing about something, showing them what is really going on might assist them to comprehend it better.
A person is free to express their own opinions, but if they get aggressive we will contact security to remove them from the area. They are free to express their own beliefs, but they must do so with civility and respect the same way we are.