We are free to witness - sign our open letter
Introduction
Call to Action - Our children and communities are bearing witness to the injustice and destruction of lives in Gaza. We are seeing our children being policed, punished, harassed and silenced in their declaration of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for liberation. We will not be silenced in the face of oppression. Sign our letter https://forms.gle/5SM6VZWU1TWv7Fhy8
The Need
The Government, police and structures of power are disturbed and unsettled when they see our communities who are routinely dehumanised and silenced walk and speak out for their freedom and dreams.
The Department of Education guidance is encouraging schools to discipline students who express solidarity with Palestine through suspensions, exclusions, referrals to Prevent and other sanctions.
This will only further create division in our communities and will not help the increase in Islamophobia and anti-semitism. Schools have a duty of care which should prioritise students’ physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
This is our call to action, because we know the oppression of one community always leaves another unsafe and we see this not only in Gaza but also here. We see the colonial muscles of divide and conquer being used right now and we refuse to play that game and to be silenced.
We know that we stand on a history built on fighting all forms of oppression, racism, anti-semitism and Islamophobia. This resistance has always been strong and will continue to be renewed and endure.
What We Did
We worked with parents, educators and young people to create this call to action, to mobilise around Palestinian solidarity to centre anti-racist practice and solidarity in education and movement. Please sign here to help mobilise and make sure we will not be silent in the face oppression because of none of us are free until Palestine is free.
Signed by
Maslaha
The Lantern Initiative
Displaced Collective
Release UK
Aziza Husain, Mum of 3, SLT in a primary school setting
Zenab Ismail, Mum of 3, Driver
Sudha Sreedharan, London Borough of Newham, Education
Sarfaraz Mulla, Father of 3, IT support in education
Farid Shafi, Father of 3, Brokerage
Robina Patel, Mum of 3, Lunch supervisor
Aishah, Mum of 3, Nursery practitioner
Anisa Patel, Mum of 2, Careers Advisor
Zaynab Patel, Mum of 4, Teacher
Shireen Shaikh, Mum of 3, Business analyst
Zaheera, Mum of 3 , Lawyer
Faisal Hassen, Father of 3, Entrepreneur
Sarah, Mum of 1, Retail
Munira Suleman, Mum of 2, Teacher
Jelani Ahmed, Father of 2, Local Authority
Sahjida Suleman, Audiologist
Zineb Amghar, Mum of 1, Education
Niamh Eastwood, Legal services
Syed Zain Haider Zaidi, Engineer
Tarek Younis, Father of 3, Senior Lecturer
Hunainah Mansuri, Family Worker
Joan Hall, Education advocacy
Suleman Amad
Fayyaz Patel, 3 children, Local government Authority
Osman Bari, Designer
Samir Saleh, Father of 2
Abdul Hai, Father of 3, Charity
Farhiyo, Mum of 4, Primary school teacher
Habibullah Chand, Dad of 3, Management
Munzar Sharif, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
Saleh Mohamed, Trainee psychologist
Amani Hassani, Mum of 3, Academic
Sabera Ismail, Madrasa teacher
Saeed Molvi, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Father of 2, Emergency service
Kiran Javid, Mum of 3, FE Teacher
Fazil Khan
Zahra Bei, No More Exclusions , Mum of 2, Education
Waqas Tufail, Leeds Beckett University, Father of 2, Academic
Kevin Meehan, Father of 1, Computor's
Haj Liaquat, Higher education
Saira, Student
Hanain Brohi, Academic
Allia Fredericks, Maslaha
Razan Alshehri, Doctor
Aneela Husain, Mum of 3, Teaching Assistant (primary school)
Emilie Palamy Pradichit, Lawyer
Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, Civil Society/Human Rights
Constantin Symsiris, Artist
Catriona McDermid, Mum of 1, Educational researcher
Farzana, Mother of 2, PhD student and Writer
Amber Smith, Youth Projects Coordinator
Hannah Hutchings-Georgioi, UCL, Education and the arts
Saba Shafi, Youth Organiser
Amirah Akhtar, Founder of Ramadan Challenge, Mum of 2, Activist
Sasha Baker, Journalism
Roger King, National Education Union, Father of 3, retired teacher
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