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Sinar Daily
a day ago
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Why Southeast Asians marched for Gaza and why the movement is far from over
From different walks of life activists, students, mothers, artists, professionals they came together to join the Global March to Gaza, a multinational civil society campaign calling for an end to the inhumane blockade on Gaza. By REVDA SELVER 19 Jun 2025 07:27pm Indonesian Muslims attend a rally in support of the ?Global March to Gaza? at Wibawa Mukti Stadium in Bekasi, West Java on June 15, 2025. (Photo by Aditya Irawan / AFP) Last week, dozens of Malaysians and Indonesians left their homes with nothing but conviction in their hearts. From different walks of life activists, students, mothers, artists, professionals they came together to join the Global March to Gaza, a multinational civil society campaign calling for an end to the inhumane blockade on Gaza. They were not politicians or diplomats. They were ordinary people taking an extraordinary stand representing a region that has, time and again, voiced deep solidarity with Palestine. The march brought over 4,000 participants from more than 80 countries to Cairo. Their goal was peaceful: to approach the Rafah crossing and call for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, where over two million people remain trapped under siege. Among them was the Southeast Asian delegation known as 'Qafla Al-Samoud,' made up of volunteers from Malaysia and Indonesia who believed it was time to on June 14, the mission was halted. Participants were blocked in Ismailia. Some were detained, others deported. A protester holds a placard depicting French-Palestinian lawyer and member of European Parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI) party Rima Hassan during a pro-Palestinian demonstration called by several French unions in Paris on June 14, 2025. French Democratic Confederation of Labour trade union (CFDT), French trade union General Confederation of Labour (CGT), French National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (Unsa) Unsa, French group of trade unions Union syndicale Solidaires (SUD) and French trade union "Federation Syndicale Unitaire" (FSU) are calling for people to join "the mobilisation for Palestine" on June 14, 2025 and denounce "the Israeli authorities mortifying headlong rush and the atrocities" in Gaza, according to a joint statement. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) Threats of violence, confiscation of passports, and prolonged holding at checkpoints made clear that although no official ban was declared the march would not be allowed to proceed. This was not due to Israeli interference, as many first assumed. Instead, it was Egyptian authorities who imposed the restrictions. For a peaceful campaign that operated within Egyptian law and coordinated with embassies, the message was deeply troubling: solidarity is seen as a threat. Yet, what they tried to stop on the ground only grew stronger across the globe. From Mexico to Cyprus, more than 50 parallel actions were carried out. The Freedom Flotilla's 'Madeleine' ship set sail from Italy, carrying aid and international hope before being intercepted by Israeli forces. Despite physical setbacks, these efforts have reignited a wave of public support for Palestine not just in the Middle East, but globally. The Southeast Asian presence in the march is 'historic.' Because these weren't just protests, they were proof that the people of Southeast Asia refuse to be complicit in genocide. They marched for every child under rubble, every parent grieving, every classroom destroyed. They marched because silence is no longer an option. Now that the campaign has concluded, the next phase must begin: sustained pressure, legal action, media awareness, and regional mobilisation. We must continue to raise our voices, support humanitarian efforts and hold power to account. The Global March to Gaza is not over. It is only just beginning. Revda Selver is Friends of Palestine Public Relation and Media Executive. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily. More Like This
Forbes
23-03-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Trump Administration's Attack On DEI Threatens Health For Everyone
A woman holds a cardboard sign reading 'Tubal ligation of Trump'. Thousands of women and men take to ... More the streets of Toulouse, France, on March 8, 2025, for International Women's Day. This year, the motto focuses on sexism, the far-right, Trump, and sexual violence. One theme of the protest addresses US President D. Trump, who bars words like 'woman, women, gender, transgender, sexism, machism, etc.' from governmental websites. Trump also terminates the D.E.I. (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and demands that corporations cut all DEI initiatives. Protesters aim to raise awareness about sexism, machism, and the disparity of rights between men and women in society. Protesters also denounce rape, sexual violence, and violence towards women. Trade unions such as CGT, FSU, and Unsa are also present at the march. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The Trump administration's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has many public health experts concerned about the future of healthcare in America. Since assuming the presidency in January, Trump has terminated key health advisory committees, including the Health Equity Advisory Committee for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition, words like 'health disparity', 'inclusion', 'health equity' and 'inclusion' are being removed from federal databases, research and websites. In fact, research projects that use such words are at risk of getting terminated altogether. The undermining of DEI initiatives is not solely an attack on racial or minority groups, it actually threatens healthcare for all Americans. Here is why. It is absolutely true that certain groups have more adverse outcomes for health when compared to White Americans. Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer when compared to White women. Nearly 17% of Hispanics have no health insurance coverage, compared to 5.3% of non-Hispanic White Americans. DEI programs do not exclusively promote racial and ethnic groups. As an example, consider White Americans living in predominantly rural areas. DEI initiatives offer funding, research and care to underserved rural areas, often in areas where White Americans make up the majority of the population. It is well known that those that live in rural areas have a 20% higher death rate than Americans that live in urban areas, often from chronic diseases like heart failure and cancer. In addition, many White Americans are less likely to get screening tests for important cancers, which can lead to delayed diagnosis, early disability and even death. Lack of funding and support for DEI programs will not just affect minorities in America, it will have profound and devastating effects even for White Americans living in rural areas. Nearly 35 million White Americans live in rural areas, according to the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy. Cuts for DEI initiatives will also affect nearly all Americans, including White Americans that live in urban areas. Consider infectious diseases that do not have borders and can spread very easily through travel and close contact. When NIH funding for research or services gets cut for projects specifically examining health disparities for diseases like HIV or TB, it is not simply the health of racial minorities or underserved populations that is at stake. Less funding means less resources and preventive measures to help control and combat these infectious diseases. This ultimately translates into more people that will get infected with these diseases, with the potential of spreading it to all Americans, including White Americans in urban neighborhoods. Healthcare and particularly infectious diseases do not operate in a vacuum. As a final example, consider the effect of DEI on medical education and the medical workforce. By eliminating funding for medical schools and programs that foster DEI, not only will there be less people of color graduating from medical schools, there will also be less funding for medical schools, hospitals and clinics in rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. This means all Americans that live in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas will continue to face barriers in accessing high quality healthcare. This includes White Americans of low-income and those that live in rural areas who will face challenges in filling prescriptions, getting screening studies as well as visiting their primary care doctor. The attacks on DEI are much more than meets the eye. By dismantling these programs, health disparities will continue to soar, not just for racial minorities but for essentially all Americans. Healthcare should seek to improve health outcomes for all people, and should never be driven by political agendas that ignore the reality of systemic inequities that have been pervasive in America.
