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Sinar Daily
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Why Southeast Asians marched for Gaza and why the movement is far from over
From different walks of life activists, students, mothers, artists, professionals they came together to join the Global March to Gaza, a multinational civil society campaign calling for an end to the inhumane blockade on Gaza. By REVDA SELVER 19 Jun 2025 07:27pm Indonesian Muslims attend a rally in support of the ?Global March to Gaza? at Wibawa Mukti Stadium in Bekasi, West Java on June 15, 2025. (Photo by Aditya Irawan / AFP) Last week, dozens of Malaysians and Indonesians left their homes with nothing but conviction in their hearts. From different walks of life activists, students, mothers, artists, professionals they came together to join the Global March to Gaza, a multinational civil society campaign calling for an end to the inhumane blockade on Gaza. They were not politicians or diplomats. They were ordinary people taking an extraordinary stand representing a region that has, time and again, voiced deep solidarity with Palestine. The march brought over 4,000 participants from more than 80 countries to Cairo. Their goal was peaceful: to approach the Rafah crossing and call for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, where over two million people remain trapped under siege. Among them was the Southeast Asian delegation known as 'Qafla Al-Samoud,' made up of volunteers from Malaysia and Indonesia who believed it was time to on June 14, the mission was halted. Participants were blocked in Ismailia. Some were detained, others deported. A protester holds a placard depicting French-Palestinian lawyer and member of European Parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI) party Rima Hassan during a pro-Palestinian demonstration called by several French unions in Paris on June 14, 2025. French Democratic Confederation of Labour trade union (CFDT), French trade union General Confederation of Labour (CGT), French National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (Unsa) Unsa, French group of trade unions Union syndicale Solidaires (SUD) and French trade union "Federation Syndicale Unitaire" (FSU) are calling for people to join "the mobilisation for Palestine" on June 14, 2025 and denounce "the Israeli authorities mortifying headlong rush and the atrocities" in Gaza, according to a joint statement. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) Threats of violence, confiscation of passports, and prolonged holding at checkpoints made clear that although no official ban was declared the march would not be allowed to proceed. This was not due to Israeli interference, as many first assumed. Instead, it was Egyptian authorities who imposed the restrictions. For a peaceful campaign that operated within Egyptian law and coordinated with embassies, the message was deeply troubling: solidarity is seen as a threat. Yet, what they tried to stop on the ground only grew stronger across the globe. From Mexico to Cyprus, more than 50 parallel actions were carried out. The Freedom Flotilla's 'Madeleine' ship set sail from Italy, carrying aid and international hope before being intercepted by Israeli forces. Despite physical setbacks, these efforts have reignited a wave of public support for Palestine not just in the Middle East, but globally. The Southeast Asian presence in the march is 'historic.' Because these weren't just protests, they were proof that the people of Southeast Asia refuse to be complicit in genocide. They marched for every child under rubble, every parent grieving, every classroom destroyed. They marched because silence is no longer an option. Now that the campaign has concluded, the next phase must begin: sustained pressure, legal action, media awareness, and regional mobilisation. We must continue to raise our voices, support humanitarian efforts and hold power to account. The Global March to Gaza is not over. It is only just beginning. Revda Selver is Friends of Palestine Public Relation and Media Executive. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily. More Like This
South China Morning Post
31-03-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
What China taught me about religious tolerance
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Advertisement It has now been several weeks since I embarked on an interventional cardiology fellowship at Rizhao International Heart Hospital, a private hospital affiliated with Qingdao University, in Shandong province. According to CEOWorld magazine's list of 'World's Most Religious Countries 2024', Indonesia is the seventh most religious country, with a score of 98.7 out of 100. Meanwhile, China was listed as having the highest percentage – 91 per cent – of atheists in the world. Initially, like many Indonesian Muslims who travel to China, my biggest concern was food as many Chinese dishes contain pork. There is very little information available about Rizhao online. Personally, I am an arek Suroboyo (a person from Surabaya) who carries the 'Bonek' (dare-to-risk) spirit, so I am used to taking risks and adapting quickly. When we first arrived in Rizhao, my colleague, a cardiologist from Lombok, and I were welcomed with a dinner at the hospital. We were asked if we drank alcohol. When we explained that being Muslims, we do not consume pork or alcohol, we were served halal food. Advertisement Our accommodation is about 1.5km from the hospital, and there are no 24-hour convenience stores or restaurants nearby. So, every day, we have all three meals at the hospital's cafeteria. At first, we had to ask which items were halal. But by the third day, they had already separated the halal and non-halal food, so we no longer had to worry about what we could eat.
