60 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II. Nearly as long as the Nakba.
Brits had an extra Public Holiday granted to them earlier this month. Tuesday the 5th June and another moved from its traditional end-of-May date to Monday the 4th June to made a lengthy four-day weekend (Saturday 2nd June through to Tuesday 5th June) as the Queen celebrates her 60th anniversary on the throne this month – that’s just four years short of the Nakba’s 64 years. Last month Palestinians marked the Nakba anniversary with protests and this month an anti-monarchy protest took place alongside The Thames Pageant by the River Thames in London, coinciding with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Republic, the campaign group calling for a democratic alternative to the monarchy in Britain, organised the protest near City Hall near Tower Bridge and claimed that “The monarchy is not only an unaccountable and expensive institution, unrepresentative of modern Britain, it also gives politicians almost limitless power.” A republic, they claim, will have a “constitution based on democratic values – not medieval ones – [that] could give voters real power over their politicians and enshrine in our society ideas about the democratic rights of the people.”
Arabs leaving Haifa as Jewish forces enter the city, April 21-22, 1948.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), however, issued a press release praising the Queen, her long reign and her interest in her Muslim subjects. The press release sees Secretary General of the MCB, Farooq Murad, “call on British Muslims to give thanks to the Queen for her long reign during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations this weekend, suggesting they offer a prayer to Her Majesty’s continued health, and that of her family.” Murad also wrote to the Queen in a separate letter: “During your long reign, many Muslims have made this country their home, and have benefited from the freedom to practise their faith unhindered.” One wonders if Murad had PREVENT and its suspicion of all British Muslims in mind when composing that sentence.
But whatever your position on the Queen and the monarchy, let us not forget the Nakba – one of the greatest injustices ever to occur – and its perpetrators Israel and backed by others.
And I wonder which will last longer – the Queen’s current reign or the Nakba?
Related articles
- Israel, Racist, Really? (abdelxyz.wordpress.com)
- Palestine Nakba 64 Years Later – OpEd (eurasiareview.com)
- Palestinians Mark Nakba Day (voanews.com)
- Anti-monarchy protesters booed by Jubilee supporters (itv.com)
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee – Long to reign over us (roopost.wordpress.com)
- There’s every reason to argue that it’s time to abolish the Monarchy. Britain can do so much better (blogs.lse.ac.uk)
Posted on 27 June, 2012
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