Cape Town - A number of Palestine solidarity events are expected to take place over the next few days.
Last night, several dhikr (Islamic prayer) groups gathered at the largest Palestinian mural on the Schotsche Kloof Flats, at Astana Street, Bo-Kaap for a Palestine awareness programme.
The solidarity programme was open to everyone and organised by the Al-Quds Foundation SA.
Al-Quds Foundation SA director, Shaykh Ebrahim Gabriels, said they have been fasting every Thursday for 20 years for Palestine, under “Fasting Until Liberation”.
“We have been having a Thursday night programme for the last 20 years, we have been fasting every Thursday and then we break our fast in a different masjid or different areas. So we decided that this is going to be an ideal opportunity to fast on this Thursday and break our fast in Bo-Kaap and add to that a special dhikr for the people of Palestine.”
The programme was also to continue the momentum around calling for an end to the “occupation of Palestine and genocide in Gaza”, following protest marches held earlier.
Today, a vigil organised by South African Healthcare Workers for Palestine (HCW4P) will be held from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Mandela Glasses, Three Anchor Bay to commemorate the lives of over 300 health-care workers and over 100 journalists slain by Israeli Defence Forces since October 7 .
HCW4P committee member and GOTG medical volunteer Nazreena Hassim said: “As a group, we recognised that the atrocities being meted out in Gaza have been targeting healthcare workers and journalists alike.
“We are advocating for a permanent end to violence, a permanent ceasefire, a diplomatic solution, free access to humanitarian aid and a stop to the senseless loss of life.
“This is the highest casualty rate among journalists in any conflict in recent times. And much the same as health-care workers, they are being targeted based on their profession.”
HCW4P will also hold a vigil in Johannesburg today for ambulances in Gaza.
Gift of the Givers (GOTG) project manager Ali Sablay said that while raising awareness around the starvation faced by Gazans amid Israeli bombardment, attendees have been asked to bring along non-perishable food items and bottled water to be donated to underprivileged communities in South Africa.
On Sunday, a Shakespeare to Gaza event will take place at the Theatre Arts, Methodist Church Hall in Observatory. All proceeds will be donated to the ASHTAR Theatre in Ramallah and GOTG.