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Published on December 06, 2023
Nabila Alqadumi, president of the MSA
Muneeb Butt, vice president of the MSA
Upwards of 100 students gathered in front of the Student Center on Nov. 29 to raise awareness of the violence happening in Gaza and to remember the Palestinians who have died in the conflict with Israel. Organized by Eastern’s Muslim Student Association (MSA), the rally was one of several related demonstrations happening at universities across the state that same day.
“We are here to honor the martyrs of Gaza because we want to make sure their stories live on,” said Nabila Alqadumi, president of the MSA, explaining that the Arabic word for martyr — “shaheed” — directly translates to “witness.”
“We refer to them as martyrs rather than victims,” she said. “Martyrs are the witnesses of the crimes through which they were killed.”
Alqadumi called attention to the thousands of innocent Palestinians who have died and been displaced since Israel’s invasion of Gaza following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. Amid their call for unity and peace, the rally included readings of stories of individual Palestinians who have lost their lives in the last two months.
The rally organizers called onlookers to take action by contacting their representatives to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; boycotting companies that support the war; continuing to post on social media to raise awareness of the Palestinian situation; and donating to the cause.
“We want to see leaders condemning the war,” said Muneeb Butt, vice president of the MSA. “We want to see money put into resources, not weapons. What we want is peace.”