KUALA LUMPUR: While several NGOs have slammed and called the Palestinian Solidarity Week held in schools as an attempt to politicise children, the Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) said that there is nothing wrong with the initiative and that "children should not be shielded from the real world."
Following backlash from school pupils seen in a video carrying toy rifles and weapons during a school assembly, many have come forward- including NGOs and politicians- to voice their concerns about involving schools and school children in the cause.
However, based on a statement issued yesterday (Oct 27), Mapim said it felt differently about the issue.
"We refer to a letter from a few NGOs that oppose the Education Ministry's directive for schools to start activities expressing their solidarity with the Palestinian people in light of the current situation in Gaza.
"We fully support this initiative as an important part of educating school students to understand injustice and grave violations of human rights. Children should not be shielded from the real world with all its goodness and ugliness," the statement read.
"They (those against the programme) argue that the war in Gaza is a global adult issue, and therefore schools should not be involved. They are mistaken. The primary goal of school education is to instil good values— enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong — in children. What better way to teach these values than by making children understand the brutality, dispossession, and injustice that have accompanied the Palestinian Nakba (the Palestinian Catastrophe which led to the displacement of Palestinian Arabs in 1948 and ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories).
"The Palestinian case is a clear example of how occupation and colonisation have caused severe suffering for the Palestinian people through violations of international law.
"On what basis do they oppose the government's initiative to support the rights of the Palestinian people and encourage all institutions to express solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and freedom?" they questioned.
The statement further questioned why there needs to be parliamentary approval since the motion to support the Palestinian cause was passed in parliament.
Mapim also highlighted that only parents who are "racially or religiously prejudiced with skewed morals" would not support such a cause for Palestinians.
"All parents, except those with racial/religious prejudices and skewed moral values, are deeply concerned about the continuous indiscriminate bombings in Gaza by Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 7,000 civilians in the last 16 days, including over 3,000 children.
"The group (opposed to the Palestinian cause) calls for keeping international conflicts away from schools.
"We (however) stand on the need for school children to express their support for the oppressed anywhere in the world. This is the right way to instil a deep understanding of what is meant by subjugation and a war against humanity.
"In this critical situation, where Israel continues to invade, school children need to be instilled with the highest values of respect for human dignity and rejection of oppression.
"It is almost impossible for children not to be aware of Israel's heinous actions and those who support them through mobile devices or television news broadcasts every minute. Children must be allowed to express their empathy and sympathy for the suffering of the Palestinian people.
"How can young minds remain untouched by seeing babies and children their own age being killed by Israeli bombings in Gaza? Compassion and dignity need to be instilled in the learning process for every child. This cannot be achieved by ignoring reality. Children must be taught to understand and internalise the meaning of justice, respect, and the rights of all humans," they further added.
Mapim reiterated that they fully support the idea that all schools should start observing the Palestinian Solidarity Week to educate students about the history of Palestine and the plight of its people.
"The disturbing images of Israel's inhumanity that have been circulating should trigger children's anger, causing them to reject and oppose all forms of oppression. They must learn the principles of justice and the true meaning of human rights and security.
"We oppose the groups that condone Israel's ongoing atrocities while disregarding justice for the victims," it concluded.
The statement was signed by leaders of 10 civil society groups including; Mapim president, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid; Citizens International board member, Mohideen Abdul Kader;
Manar chairman, Datuk Seri Ahmad Awang and; Advocacy for the Institute of Justice and Peace chairman, Dr Mohammad Fauzi Zakaria, among others.