Palestinian Authority Chief Shari'a Justice, Advisor To Palestinian President 'Abbas, Speaks At 'Indo-Arab Solidarity Day' In Hyderabad, India, Where Center 'In Memory Of Palestinian Martyrs' In City Is Announced; Other Dignitaries At Conference: Islamic State Was Created By The West; 'One Can Understand Why... Hitler Carried Out The Massacre Of Jews'

A screenshot of the news that appeared in Roznama Urdu Times.

On October 29, 2017, a day-long conference called Indo-Arab Solidarity Day was held in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad by the Indo-Arab League, a non-governmental organization, to express solidarity with the Palestinians. Earlier, speaking to reporters on October 25, Indo-Arab League Chairman Syed Vicaruddin offered free land to Palestine to set up its consulate in Hyderabad.[1] An Indo-Arab Cultural Centre in the Banjara Hills area of Hyderabad is already started; its foundation stone was laid by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1997.

Vicaruddin, who received Palestine's Star of Jerusalem, its highest civilian award, in 2015 and is chief editor of the Urdu daily Rahnuma-e-Deccan, announced that the Indo-Arab Cultural Centre (also known as the Arafat Centre) will have a dedicated hall "in memory of Palestinian martyrs."[2] In July this year, Vicaruddin was awarded a gold medal by the Palestinian government.[3] Vicaruddin said that the Palestinian consulate will help strengthen "relations between India and Palestine and facilitate Muslims wanting to visit Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem."[4]

The conference was attended by delegates from Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, and Yemen, among others. One of the key speakers on the occasion was Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Palestinian Authority chief shari'a justice and religious affairs advisor to Palestinian Authority President 'Abbas. Mohammad Mahmood Ali, deputy chief minister of India's Telangana state of which Hyderabad is the capital, was the chief guest.  Others included Palestinian Ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaija, Jordanian Ambassador Hassan Mahmoud Mohammad Al-Jawarneh, Sudanese Ambassador Sirajuddin Hamid Yousif, Iraqi Ambassador Fakhri Hassan Al-Issa, Syrian Ambassador Riad Kamil Abbas, and Lebanese Ambassador Ghassan Abdelkhalek.

According to a report in the Urdu daily Roznama Urdu Times, Al-Habbash said: "Every Palestinian will continue the struggle till the complete freedom of Palestine. Those who started the movement for the freedom of Palestine took a pledge, while leaving this world, from the next generation that it will continue this struggle until the land of the first qibla [direction of prayer, i.e. Palestine] is purified of the impious existence of Jews. Yasser Arafat, Amin Al-Hussein, and many martyrs like them fought for the freedom of Palestine till the last breath of their lives."[5]  

He continued: "Britain is responsible for Israel's occupation supremacy on Palestinian land, because on November 2, 1917 it announced the establishment of a new state of Israel for Jews in the Balfour Declaration... This year, on November 2, 2017, the British government is celebrating 100 years of the Balfour Declaration. The world of humanity should condemn this."[6]

He also said: "There was a time when no importance was given to the Palestinian struggle for freedom. Rather, the mujahideen of Palestine were imprisoned for unfurling the Palestinian flag and... [I] too have suffered the difficulties of prison. With the blessing and kindness of Allah, today the Palestinian flag is unfurling in 150 countries of the world. The UN has given it complete status. Palestinians have obtained their rights in many international institutions. Israel is stunned by the Intifada movement of Palestinian youths. It cannot bear the stones of Palestinian youths. Allah will help Palestinians, will deliver them justice..."[7]

Syrian Ambassador Riad Kamil Abbas also addressed the conference, saying: "The formation of the front against Syria is, in reality, the formation of a front against Palestine. Syria considers the Palestinian problem its own problem, and that of the Arab world. Those who have conspired against Palestinians are the same people who are active against Syria. Syria has been part of the Palestinian people's struggle and will remain so. It considers the atrocities perpetrated against the Palestinians a crime against humanity, genocide and [a] violation of international laws..." He added that the Islamic State was the creation of the West.[8]

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Iraqi Ambassador Fakhri Hassan Al-Issa told the conference: "Iraq has always been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and has been supporting international efforts against Israel's cruel occupation to succeed."[9] Lebanese Ambassador Ghassan Abdelkhalek said that he does "not consider Palestine to be a religious or political issue, but a conspiracy to weaken the Arab world."[10]

Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali of India's Telangana state told the conference: "Given the Israeli occupation on Palestine and the Jews' atrocities against Palestinians, one can understand why the Kaiser of Germany, Hitler, carried out the massacre of Jews. In Hitler's words, wherever Jews lived, they created conflict..."[11]