25/05/2024
Resharing. Now 35.903 innocent people have been killed.
As of today, one hundred days into Israel’s assault on Gaza, I shall no longer be coerced into silence by the Zionist lobby.
Over a decade ago, during one of Israel’s past wars on Gaza, I instinctively started posting and sharing comments on a social media platform about the suffering of the civilians whose homes were being bombed and the escalating death toll.
After a mere few days of posts, my secretary put a call through to me from a man. He explained to me that the organisation he was part of, a Zionist entity, had seen what I had shared and claimed the posts criticising Israel’s bombing campaign were anti-Semitic. This emissary stated he knew I was the manager of an established company and brazenly declared his organisation’s intention to contact my clientele to inform them of my alleged anti-Semitism and urge them to sever ties with my business.
In the ensuing days, I heard from several clients that they had been contacted by members of this faction levelling spiteful accusations against me and been lobbied to stop working with my business; I am sure countless others received emails and telephone calls, unbeknownst to me.
Throughout my life, I have had a philosophy of staying in my lane, focusing on my métier which is to run businesses and do the best by my clients and staff, and refrain from delving into politics. I have spent many an hour listening to individuals passionately air their views on the latest hot button topics of the day and maintained a stoic silence. When interviewed in the media, journalists have often asked my view on such-and-such a partisan matter and I have always gone out of my way to avoid answering their questions. In the hundreds of posts I’ve made here on Facebook since 2007, you will not find me sharing my tuppence worth about any political movement or party or, for instance, express an opinion about being for or against Brexit.
While seeing the suffering of the people of Gaza has felt like being stabbed in my heart by daggers and had such a seismic impact on me that it has significantly changed the prism from which I view the world, I have disciplined myself to continue that stance of remaining silent on this and other platforms where I have the most connections. Memories of that venomous call accusing me of anti-Semitism and threatening to destroy my livelihood lingered, and I thought to myself, “Nadeem, best to keep your head down and carry on focusing on your work”.
However, having borne witness to one hundred days of unbridled heartlessness from the Zionist war apparatus, I have resolved to not allow Israel’s attack dogs silence me anymore. The level of barbarism I have been watching on a daily basis on television and social media is such that it demands a departure from taciturnity. From now on, should I feel the need to, I will unashamedly post here about the injustices suffered by the people of Palestine. Speaking out against genocide transcends “being political”; it is an expression of humanity.
As for the persistent accusation of anti-Semitism hurled at those daring to utter a word critiquing Israel, those familiar with me know that I am the diametric opposite. In my university days, I was a member of the Union of Jewish Students – perhaps the only Muslim member they have had in their history of over a hundred years – and would regularly attend their activities with my Jewish friends.
This long camaraderie with my brethren has continued for decades. Some of the closest associates I’ve had in my life, whether it is friends or clients, have been Jews, and I’ve travelled to Golders Green, an area here in London with a sizeable Jewish population, hundreds of times to see them. To this day, a law firm I hired for one of my businesses, is run by several Jewish lawyers with whom I am in almost daily communication with and have who have become good friends.
I am the least anti-Semitic person you will come across; my stance is unequivocally anti-Zionist. Any racist ideology holds no water in my book. It is because of that racism and dehumanisation of others that over 23,843 people have been murdered in Gaza over the last one hundred days and 2.2 million civilians are enduring a vicious siege depriving them of food, water, fuel, electricity and medical care.
