Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-02 10:00:17
Presence of MMM, PTr, and PMSD parliamentarians alongside protesters
To mark International Women’s Day, the Muvman Liberasyon Fam (MLF) organized a march in the streets of Port Louis yesterday around the theme of the war in Israel, which broke out on October 7th. In addition to the organizer, other partners joined the movement, including Lalit, PTr, PMSD, MMM, CTSP, as well as the Chagos Women’s Group.
“Within the MLF, we have always taken a stand when women, in Mauritius as well as around the world, suffer from injustice,” explains Kisna Kistnasamy, a member of MLF and Lalit. She adds, “the action we are taking today on International Women’s Day aims to add our voice to that of the world, which denounces and deplores the massacre perpetrated by the Israeli state and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu against the Palestinian people, especially those living in Gaza.”
“For some time now, with positions taken all over the world, the outcry in different countries, all supported by the steps taken by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and when the ICJ recognized Israel guilty of genocide, it became clear that Israel had started to tremble!”
Rajni Lallah, also from MLF and organizer of the march, adds: “since 1948, with the first Israeli offensive against the Palestinians, this policy of displacing and driving away this people began. Many Mauritians have asked me why a situation that has persisted for 50 years has never been as strongly condemned as it is now. It is because of the complicity of major foreign powers, such as the United States and other European countries, who are always there to support Israel, supply it with weapons, and cover up its wrongdoings! Enough is enough! More and more countries are taking a stand against Israel.”
The members of MLF argue that “we must maintain the pressure started with this action and others undertaken by Lalit and Solidarity Mauritius with the Palestinian People (SOMAPP).” Rajni Lallah maintains: “we are horrified, through social networks and the media, at how Israel has so far slaughtered 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Women, children, elderly, patients in hospitals, who have already been injured in bombings… These are all civilians that Israel does not spare!”
She continues: “for some, International Women’s Day is limited to increasing the number of women in Parliament. But we, at MLF, have consistently advocated for the cause of women, here and elsewhere. If we chose the Jardin de la Compagnie on this 1st of March for this action, it is in memory of 1978, where we had protested right here, and it had caused us problems with the authorities. As long as we witness shortcomings and injustices, we will not remain silent!”
“Israel is criminal!”, “America supplies arms!”, “Close the Diego base!”, “Genocide, let’s talk about it!”. These were the slogans chanted along the march route. It started from Jardin de la Compagnie, took La-Chaussée in the opposite direction, passed in front of the Place-d’Armes, continued on rue Sir William Newton, then a portion of Rue Desforges, before passing in front of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Lindsey Collen, another member of the organization, notes: “we demand an immediate ceasefire, on the one hand. And that Mauritius stands with South Africa in its approach to the ICJ. Economic boycotts must follow, because Mauritius cannot and must not be complicit in the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Palestine!”
Arianne Navarre-Marie (MMM): “We cannot remain silent”
“Everyone is aware of the unspeakable horror unfolding. Of the genocide – we must not be afraid of the words – currently being perpetrated by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel. At the MMM, we have always supported the Palestinian cause. We are convinced that Israel and Palestine can exist as states. But we cannot remain indifferent or silent in the face of the massive destruction happening there. It is simply unacceptable!”
Stéphanie Anquetil (PTr): “For an immediate ceasefire”
“PTr is obviously in solidarity with the cause advocated by MLF today. We cannot stand idly by and watch, indifferently, as all these women and children, elderly, patients in hospitals, and other civilians are killed and martyred! We demand peace, everywhere in the world, because without peace, there is no justice, and we demand an immediate ceasefire.”
Aurore Perraud (PMSD): “A cause that is fundamentally human”
“We have brought our voices together with all these women and men who are here today to say No! Enough with this genocide! All Mauritians who marched today are in favor of a peaceful world. Israel is guilty of human rights violations, human rights abuses. At PMSD, we strongly condemn this. With other women from the party, we participated in this march and associated our voices with all the others. This cause is fundamentally human.”
Nalini Burn (Fam Ape Zwenn): “No one has the right to remain indifferent”
“We have focused our actions around three keywords of our democracy and republic: Peace, Justice & Liberty. If there is no peace here, as in the world, human rights are violated! The blatant and unbearable injustice suffered by the Palestinians must not be ignored. No one has the right to remain indifferent in this war.”
Marousia Bouvery (ABAIM): “We cannot condone such horrors”
“Like everyone else, we follow with great pain what is happening in Israel and Gaza. Based on our philosophy at Abaim, we cannot condone such horrors. What is happening in Palestine can happen to any child in the world. Through our affiliations with UNESCO, we have seen in the past how, in Iraq, with the destruction of cultural and historical heritage, it strongly impacts our lives.”
Saffiya Chady (citizen): “A great lesson in humility and faith”
“These women and children who fall under these bullets and who, in immense spiritual fervor, do not give up and rely on the Creator, command respect. Here, we complain about trivial things. What would we have done if we were in the place of these oppressed brothers and sisters? The Palestinians are giving us a great lesson in humility and faith.”
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
