Today, Monday, the Council on International Relations-Palestine (non-governmental) organized a memorial ceremony for Desmond Tutu, one of the symbols of the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa, and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The ceremony was held at Rashad Al-Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City, with the participation of South African and Palestinian personalities.
Toto died at the age of 90 on December 26, 2021.
Intercontinental struggle
The South African ambassador to Palestine, Sean Edward Bienfeldt, praised Tutu's virtues.
And he said, in a speech remotely, via the Zoom application, that Tutu was a spiritual leader, "with a strong tongue and pen, speaking loudly against injustice, and in support of justice, equality and humanity."
The ambassador added, "He was a resistance in the face of hegemony and exclusivity, always striving to strengthen the role of international activists."
He stressed that his country will remain on the side of "the oppressed who suffer from occupation, until they restore the stolen human dignity."
For his part, Zwelville, a member of parliament and grandson of Nelson Mandela, an icon of the struggle against the defunct apartheid regime, said, "Today we stand united in South Africa and Palestine, in our stance against occupation and apartheid, as the best tribute to the late Tutu, and his courageous stances on the Palestinian cause."
He added in a speech via "Zoom" that "Toto is no longer among us, but the cause that he defended and fought for will remain until Palestine is liberated."
Mandela's grandson explained that the struggle for Palestine had reached "a decisive crossroads," calling for the need to "intensify global solidarity around the world to combat the apartheid regime in Palestine."
"There are similarities between the two apartheid regimes, whether it was in South Africa or what still exists in occupied Palestine," he added.
The grandson Mandela also condemned the world's opposition to the Russian intervention in Ukraine in exchange for "their silence on 7 decades of occupation, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and apartheid in Palestine."
He called on the world to listen to "the cries of those who have no voice, and to respond to the suffering of those who are marginalized through the media, and who suffer from occupation."
Mandela's grandson also demanded to redouble "solidarity efforts to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement as the largest moral support we can provide to the internal resistance in Palestine."
The fight against racial discrimination
In turn, Basem Naim, President of the Council on International Relations-Palestine, said, "It (Palestine) lost the fighter Tutu, who was famous for his stubborn struggle against racial discrimination, for justice and for the oppressed in South Africa and around the world."
"The high moral vision enjoyed by the (late) South African fighter made him very urgent to speak about tolerance, peace, truth, justice and equality," he said in a speech during the ceremony.
The head of the council explained that Tutu was one of the first to accuse the "Zionist entity" of practicing "a policy of racial discrimination, in 2002."
He also said, "(Toto) likened the Israeli policy of racial discrimination to the policy that prevailed" in his country, considering that Israeli violence will only generate "more hatred and mutual violence."
Naim praised South Africa's efforts to prevent Israel from obtaining "observer" membership in the African Union.
In this context, Khaled Al-Batsh, coordinator of the Follow-up Committee in the National and Islamic Forces Coalition in Gaza, praised Tutu's virtues.
In a speech during the ceremony, he said, "The titles of persecution and injustice experienced by both the peoples of South Africa and Palestine were similar, including murder, aggression, land confiscation and occupation."
He denounced what he called "the imbalance and duplicity of the countries of the world, in dealing with various issues, in favor of Israel and the United States, including the injustice of the occupied peoples."
Naim called on the people of South Africa to "continue to stand by their Palestinian counterpart, against the policy of apartheid until they reach their goal of freedom, return and independence."
At the end of the ceremony, Yahya Al-Sarraj, mayor of Gaza, announced that one of the halls of the Rashad Al-Shawa Cultural Center was named "Desmond Tutu" in appreciation of his supportive stances for Palestine.