Islamic Council of Norway and Muslim Dialogue Network jointly condemn Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians and humanity.
9000 people have been killed, with 70% of them being women and children. Israel denies the population food, water, and electricity. They bomb hospitals, aid workers, churches, mosques, UN schools and journalists. Israel’s president has stated that no one in Gaza is innocent, and the defense minister says everything will be eliminated.
We have over 200 Norwegian citizens in Gaza, half of them children, and many of them are members of our mosques. One member has lost 18 family members. Another member is trapped in Gaza with their young child, unable to escape.
We feel deep sorrow for the atrocities unfolding in Gaza. It pains us to see innocent people, under a total blocade, being massacred by a ruthless and vengeful occupier. Every ten minutes, a child in Gaza is killed. As of now, we are approaching more deaths in recent weeks than the Srebrenica genocide.
We urge Norwegian authorities to use all available channels to immediately stop Israel’s war of aggression on Gaza and the West Bank. Lack of action from the international community will have lasting consequences, and we fear the gap between the West and the «rest» will widen. The signal that some lives are worth more than others will lead to alienation and a lack of trust in democracy. It is commendable that Jews and Jewish organizations, with Jewish Voice for Peace at the forefront, are taking a clear stand against the war crimes we are witnessing. Humanitarian engagement worldwide provides hope.
Peace does not come on its own. It requires will, pressure, and defiance to uphold human rights for all. This principle is non-negotiable.
This is a time for unity, understanding, and action. Let us stand together in condemning genocide and show that humanity has not failed by declaring that illegal occupation and apartheid is absolutely unacceptable.
We expect a majority vote for the Representative Proposal on the recognition of Palestine as a separate state and Norwegian accession to the UN’s Apartheid Convention to be discussed in Parliament on November 14, 2023.