Isreali-Palestinian conflict
Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,300 civilians and taking 150 hostages. Consequently, Israel attacked the Gaza Strip, killing 5,000 Palestinians, with over 2,000 of them being children. The attack displaced half of Gaza’s population and destroyed the territory’s infrastructure.
Students stood on the steps of Wilson Library at UNC-Chapel Hill to protest for justice in Palestine. The protest took place on Oct. 12., which was the same time as the University Day ceremony. It was organized by students advocating for Palestinians amid the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Counter-protestors within the university who support Israel attended the demonstration. Evyatar Marienberg, a UNC-CH religious studies professor, walked toward pro-Palestinian protesters and yelled “Nazi” at each student who stood in front of Wilson Library in a line.
“Rest assured, we are focused on our people and supporting them during this difficult time,” UNC-CH Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said during the University Day event. “My leadership team and I have been reaching out and meeting directly with those who are hurting, especially our students.”
The chancellor and Dr. Leah Cox, the Vice Provost of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, showed their support for the Muslim community Monday at the Peace Panel, which was held in Peabody Hall at UNC-CH. The Muslim Student Association organized the event to elevate the Muslim perspective on the crisis on Gaza.
“We are not dealing with an issue along racial lines or even religious lines,” said Yasmin Mogahed, a panelist. “We are literally dealing with a human issue.”
There are over 10,000 dead civilians, and over half of those are babies, Mogahed said. She directly addressed the audience as people of privilege who have been given safety, believing that this privilege comes with a responsibility to fight for the lives of people in Gaza.
Mogahed quoted the Prophet Muhammad when she said that if you see something wrong, one must try to change it with your hand, and if one cannot, then try to change it with one’s tongue. This is speaking the truth to power, which is part of worship as Muslims.
Since 1948, the mainstream media have been biased in its reporting on interviews with Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, changing the narratives of hostages to portray Palestinians as villains, Mogahed said.
“Normally, they would get away with it,” Mogahed said. “You see, normally, The New York Times could come and just take one word and pretend that was the whole interview. CNN tried it, Sky News tried it.”
But now, Mogahed is happy to see journalists being held accountable and to a higher standard when reporting an event.
“I think it is liberating,” Mogahed said. “The fact that there is an entire generation and an entire movement of people who are seeing the truth and are doing something about it.”
Mogahed stood up for Palestinians during this time when she said that everyone should have the right to live and see their children grow without having to wake up to their body parts scattered in a destroyed home. She mentions that the #standwithisreal hashtag on TikTok was used by 324 million people, while 3.4 billion people used the #standwithpalestine hashtag. She describes the difference in the number of hashtags used on TikTok like a veil that has been taken off as people are beginning to see what the media have been covering up for decades.
Dr. Cox asked students in the panel what changes they would like to see in the university’s campus to ensure Muslim students and pro-Palestinian advocates feel safer. A student requested to remove the university’s no-mask policy because “students would feel more comfortable if their identities were concealed when protesting for Palestine,” said the student, who requested anonymity. Students were also concerned about the recent attack against a Muslim student on Franklin Street during Halloween and how the university has yet to release an official statement.
Mogahed studied journalism and mass communications at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. This led her to become an author with three published books about spiritual growth and personal development. During the panel’s social hour, she held a book selling and signing.