Arabs in Britain call for unity and the formation of an influential Arab lobbying group
London – “Al-Quds Al-Arabi”:
The first Arab Community Conference concluded its activities in the British capital, London, and held its first session under the title “The Loyalty to the Friends of Palestine Session.”
The conference participants called for forming an Arab lobbying group that is influential in British politics in favor of the Palestinian cause and all Arab causes. The recommendations also stated the need to work on establishing a unified Arab institution that would act as an umbrella for all members of the Arab community, and a higher council that coordinates between all associations and institutions. The participants also affirmed the necessity of encouraging members of the second and third generations of the Arab community to engage in volunteer work, student activity, and political activity to enhance positive integration and political and social participation. They also called for launching a special Arab radio station for the Arab community that addresses its issues and concerns, and for translating the wide solidarity with the Palestinian cause into political action in Parliament, and developing an electoral strategy that invests the significant electoral weight of Arab Britons to bring Arab MPs into Parliament. The conference also called for positive integration into society without dissolving.
Mohammed Amin, editor-in-chief of “Arab London Platform,” the platform organizing the conference, said that the advisory council of the Arab Community Conference decided that the first session would be titled “The Loyalty to the Friends of Palestine Session,” in honor of many supporters of the Palestinian cause from different backgrounds, including British doctors who volunteered to work in Gaza, such as Dr. Graeme Groom and Dr. Victoria Rose, who were honored at the conference.
In his opening speech, Amin pointed out that the Arab community in Britain is facing many challenges, the first of which is the genocide war that continues in the Gaza Strip for the second year in a row, which formed a shock to everyone who believes in human rights, justice, and international law. He said that everyone watched those laws fail to prevent killing, starvation, and genocide for a whole year. He added that the Arab community also faces many other challenges, including the rise of right-wing political discourse and the emergence of parties hostile to minorities and immigrants, as well as challenges related to integration into British society, in addition to many economic and cultural challenges.
For his part, the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, Dr. Husam Zomlot, called for reactivating the role of Arab community associations and unions and coordinating between them to benefit from the large Arab and Islamic presence in Britain, which forms a significant electoral bloc.
Zomlot pointed out that the major change in public opinion in Britain in favor of the Palestinian narrative and Palestinian rights is very important and indicates major transformations in the international approach to the Palestinian cause, which he believes is due to major efforts by the Arab community and supporters and friends of Palestine.
The guest of honor of the first session of the conference was Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, the well-known Palestinian national figure and Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative. In his speech, he emphasized the extremely important role of the Arab community in Britain specifically, and of all Arab communities in the West in the battle of the narrative. He noted that the large demonstrations that swept London and Western capitals shook the foundations of the occupation state, exposed it morally, and revealed the ugly reality of the Zionist project, where there is no middle ground with the Zionist movement. He called on the Arab community to unite its efforts, strengthen its front, and build on that in Parliament and in political influence on Western governments in favor of the Palestinian cause, which has become an international justice issue.
Barghouti pointed out that despite the large-scale genocide in Gaza, the Palestinian people remain steadfast on their land, and that all efforts inside and outside must focus on supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, and before that continuing the pressure to stop the genocide, which history has never witnessed before.
Sabah Al-Mukhtar, President of the Arab Lawyers Association and Honorary President of the Arab Community Conference, expressed his happiness at the launch of the first sessions of the conference. He pointed out that the community needs to sit at one table for consultation and dialogue and to find solutions to the challenges it faces, the first of which is the second and third generations and preserving their identity and preventing their dissolution. He called for positive integration into society and stressed the central role of the community in supporting the Palestinian cause.
Dr. Graeme Groom, the well-known British doctor who went with Dr. Victoria Rose to Gaza and together documented the massacre there through well-known videos on social media platforms, spoke about the horrors he saw and called for stopping the war. He said that this trip was one of the most important things he has accomplished in his life. Dr. Victoria recorded a special video for the conference in which she thanked the Arab community for the honor and confirmed her continued support for the Palestinian cause.
The conference honored, in the presence of Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot and Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, several prominent Arab figures and friends of the Palestinian people. Among those honored were Dr. Graeme Groom, Dr. Victoria Rose, the British journalist and activist Dr. Myriam François, Professor Amin Al-Habayba, director of the Product Innovation Center at Nottingham Trent University, and the late Moroccan journalist Ayoub Arimi for his efforts and loyalty to Palestine, with his wife receiving the award. The conference also honored Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and international chess champion Jalal Shaheen.
It is worth noting that the “Arab Community Conference” was established in London in June 2023 at the initiative of the “Arab London” platform and was able to gather a large number of intellectuals, journalists, writers, and university professors from various members of the Arab community in Britain to form a unifying umbrella for them. The conference also includes representatives of most Arab communities.
Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi (link)