Israel-Hamas war: thousands rally in Malaysia in support of Palestine as conflict mounts

Thousands of Malaysians rallied at mosques across the country after Friday prayers in support of Palestine, waving flags and carrying placards condemning Israel’s military action in Gaza, which so far has killed hundreds of civilians in retaliation for last weekend’s bloody attack by Hamas militants.

Southeast Asia’s Muslim-majority nations historically align with Palestine, demanding a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis that allows the formation of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

At least 15,000 people gathered at the national mosque in Kuala Lumpur, draped in scarves and carrying Palestinian flags as they chanted “Free Palestine” after Friday prayers.

They also railed against Israel and some protesters burned an Israeli flag.

Some of the speakers at the rally celebrated Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel, which two-time premier and long-time Palestine supporter Mahathir Mohamad said was unavoidable as the Islamists “had no other way” to counter Israel’s “atrocities” towards the Palestinian people.

“Hamas made a massive success. Over 100 Israeli soldiers have been killed, a feat unprecedented in previous decades,” said Hafidzi Mohd Noor, an honorary adviser to humanitarian aid group MyCare.

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The war has revived strong emotions among the nation’s Muslim-majority community who broadly draw little distinction between Hamas and the wider Palestinian cause.

Ahead of an international football friendly on Friday night, supporters group Ultras Malaya released a short video of a song in solidarity with Palestine and asked fans to sing at the National Stadium.

It was shared with the hashtag #MerdekaPalestin or Liberate Palestine.

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Protesters on both sides of Israel-Hamas conflict flood streets around the world

Protesters on both sides of Israel-Hamas conflict flood streets around the world

Mosques around Malaysia on Friday conducted “prayer of need” – salat-ul hajat – normally reserved for Muslim communities abroad in the face of calamity.

Such instruction often comes from the top of the Malaysian government. Islam in Malaysia is organised under state governments and its agencies which also standardise the sermons read in mosques for Friday prayers.

In Kuala Lumpur, this week’s sermon is titled “For You Palestine” which recounts the history of the Palestinians’ dispossession of their land and describes Israel as a terrorist country for its atrocities against the Palestinians.

“I’ve seen Israeli atrocities since I was a young boy, until now it’s still ongoing. I can’t imagine what it’s like for them in Gaza,” said Hisyam Abdul Umar, who joined the rally at the national mosque after Friday prayers.

“This is the least I can do, standing in solidarity.”

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The chairperson of the Indonesian Mosque Council had urged all mosques to perform the qunut nazilahto prayer, one made for protection, to ask for God’s help so that “the conflict in the Gaza Strip would end quickly.”

The appeal from the nation’s former vice-president Jusuf Kalla is in line with most Indonesian Muslims, who stand with Palestinians. The prayer was held along with the salat al-ghaib, or prayer for the absent.

In a sermon at Abu Bakar Al Shidiq, one of the most conservative mosques in Jakarta, a cleric called for mobilising “our power and efforts to help the Muslims in Palestine.”

“Prayer is a weapon for devout Muslims,” he said.

Malaysia has cultivated ties with Hamas over the years, hosting senior leaders of the militant group as recently as in 2020. Hamas operatives have reportedly been allowed to live and work in the Southeast Asian country, drawing the attention of Israel’s Mossad intelligence arm.

In 2018, Palestinian professor Fadi al-Batsh – believed to be a Hamas member – was gunned down in a suburb on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The victim’s family blamed Mossad for his killing.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored the international community to isolate and “sanction” any countries which maintain close ties with Hamas, arguing the group was on a par with Islamic State following last Saturday’s assault on the Middle Eastern nation.

The raid killed well over 1,000 Israelis – most of them civilians – and the Jewish state’s offensive on Gaza has killed a similar number of Palestinians so far, including hundreds of children.

Additional reporting by Associated Press