LAHORE – Israeli occupational forces continue to carry out aerial bombardment and ground offensive on Gaza as death toll in the Palestinian territory has surpassed 11,000, including children and women.
The Zionist regime launched a war on Gaza on Oct 7 after Hamas attacked Israeli controlled cities, killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 hostages. Tel Aviv retaliated by imposing a strict blockade of the enclave, and carrying out airstrikes and ground attacks.
Palestinian officials say Israeli actions have so far killed around 11,500 people, of which 40% are children, with a huge number of people dead and buried under the rubble.
Amid the war, rallies are being conducted in various countries for both in support of Palestinians and Israelis with most of the Muslim world and even orthodox Jews condemning the Israeli brutalities.
Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel as a state, has also been condemning the attack on civilian population. The Muslim-majority nation has a clear stance that Israel should be held accountable for “deliberately” targeting mosques, churches and schools sheltering civilians who had been rendered homeless due to Israeli attacks.
Lately, a huge number of people joined a rally in Washington, DC, to show solidarity with Israel in its fight against Hamas. The “March for Israel” took place on the National Mall amid heavy security, with senior members of Congress addressing the participants.
Anila Ali, a Pakistani American Muslim and women’s rights activist, also spoke at the rally. She said, “I stand before you as a friend of the Jewish people.”
“I am here to affirm to my Abrahamic brothers and sisters that you are not alone,” says Ali. Explaining that Islam prohibits all the horrific acts Hamas committed on October 7, she ends her remarks, saying, “Am Yisrael Chai.”
Several Pakistanis shared the video clip on social media drawing mix response. Former bureaucrat and columnist Orya Maqbool Jan used the video to take a dig at the PML-N, claiming that Anila was leading a delegation that visited Israel in 2022 during the tenure of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
واشنگٹن میں آج اسرائیل کے حق مظاہرہ ہوا جس میں گلسطیبوں کو ختم کرنے تک جنگ جاری رکھنے پر تقریریں ہوئیں ۔اس پاکستانی نژاد انیلا علی نے بھی تقریر کی۔ یہ اس پاکستانی وفد کی سربراہ تھی جو شہباز شریف حکومت کے دوران ستمبر 2022میںُ اسرائیل گیا تھا ، اینکر احمد قریشی بھی شامل تھا pic.twitter.com/uS1izepdRc
— Orya Maqbool Jan (@OryaMaqboolJan) November 15, 2023
Contradicting his claim, an ‘X’ user said that Oyra Maqoobl Jan was distorting the facts, saying it was PTI in power when Anila Ali visited Israel along with the delegation. He also shared a photo of previous post shared by the Pakistani-American woman.
لیکوریا مقبول جان صاحب ڈیلیٹ کردیں کیونکہ آپ اس بار بھی جھوٹ بولتے پھڑے گئے ہیں اور آپکے جھوٹے ہونے کیلئے اتنا ہی کافی ہے کہ آپکو صدیق جان ریٹوئٹ کررہا ہے
زمین ملی تو بنجر pic.twitter.com/BAoaQjbIOZ— Raja Kabeer ™ (@kabeerraja786) November 16, 2023
Who is Anila Ali?
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Anila Ali was raised in a family dedicated to public service, reads her profile on her website.
Her great-grandfather served as the Prime Minister of Kashmir. Her grandmother served as Secretary of the Muslim League and authored several books on Islam and women’s rights.
Her father was a journalist and diplomat who founded Pakistan’s first news agency and wrote over a dozen books, including a biography of the Prophet Muhammad. Her mother was a teacher and a philanthropist.
Ali lives in Washington D.C. and is the mother of Sara and Danyal.
Israel storms Gaza s Al Shifa Hospital, dismissing calls for humanitarian ceasefire
