November 18 2024
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Gaza: Check all that apply: Human Rights Day edition
Marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let us see which of these articles apply to Gaza
Sarah Shabbar, Jordan News
last updated:
Dec 10,2023
(Photo: Twitter/X)
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Since
the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, the
same year that Palestinians were expelled from their homes, the UN declares
that this document is a milestone for human rights, however, who gets benefits
from these human rights?
And
in an even more ironic twist, this year, the theme is freedom, equality, and
justice for all.
So
let us look at if this applies to Gaza, check all the boxes below if they do,
and tally up your score at the end.
Article
1: All
human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights.
For some, nearly half, 47 percent of
Gaza’s population are under 18, and in an Instagram post by Plestia, “I am 22
years old today, that means I am four aggressions and a war old.” Gaza, which
has been deemed as an open-air prison, asks the question, who is free, and who
is equal?
Article
9 No
one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile
At the end of September 2023,
according to B’Tselem, Israel Prison Services (IPS) was holding 4,764
Palestinians in detention or prison on what it defined as ‘security’ grounds,
including 176 from the Gaza Strip. Many of its prisoners have been detained without
a reason, or a cause, and are subjected to torture, beatings, and psychological
manipulation by Israeli guards.
Everyone has the
right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each
state
Everyone has the
right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his
country
Over 1.8 million Gazans have been
internally displaced in Gaza. And no, Palestinians can’t just leave Gaza. While
Israeli Occupation Forces have created ‘safe zones’ for Gazans to flee to,
those so-called ‘safe zones’ have also been targeted, in conclusion, there is
nowhere safe for them to go.
Article
26
Everyone has the
right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.
Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and
higher education shall be equally accessible to all based on merit.
Education shall be directed to
the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance, and friendship among all nations, racial or
religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations
for the maintenance of peace.
Parents have a prior right
to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
217 schools in Gaza have been
destroyed, risking the lives of tens of thousands of children to have an
education or even a future.
How
many of these have you checked off? If you, like myself, checked off zero, then
you are correct. How do we celebrate 75 years of human rights when tens of
thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians are being killed in name and
disorder under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s draconian
government?
Since
October 7, the United Nations has been merely a name rather than a driving
force for making actual change. While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
referred to Article 99 in its rare usage during a recent Security Council
meeting, it was a stark reminder that U.S. interests or its veto power can
override the articles intended to protect Palestinian civilians.
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