Sana'a: The University Student Forum in Yemeni universities organized an international online student and youth symposium under the slogan "Hajj as a Countermeasure to Zionist Projects of Hegemony and Violation." Representatives from student and youth organizations, movements, and groups from Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and Australia participated in the symposium.
According to Yemen News Agency, the symposium discussed the dimensions of the Hajj pilgrimage and its role in consolidating the values of unity, awareness, and liberation from hegemony and arrogance. It also addressed the importance of drawing inspiration from the meanings of the Abrahamic Hajj in confronting Zionist and American projects targeting the Islamic nation and its holy sites.
The symposium touched upon the crucial role of youth and students in raising awareness of the Palestinian cause, countering campaigns of misinformation and normalization, and strengthening the unity of the Islamic nation in the face of projects of hegemony and violation targeting its holy sites, identity, and central issues. At the symposium, Mohamed Saad, a member of the Supreme Council of the Karama Party in Egypt, affirmed that the Hajj pilgrimage is a field for consolidating monotheism, unity, and liberation from all forms of tyranny and hegemony, and not merely a devotional ritual isolated from the realities and issues of the Muslim world, foremost among them Palestine, Gaza, and Quds.
He stressed the necessity of confronting colonial schemes and normalization agreements that aim to eliminate awareness of the Palestinian cause, calling for the integration of scholarly and intellectual efforts to solidify the discourse of unity and counter soft power.
In a speech delivered from Tehran, Hamid Reza Ahmadi emphasized that the Hajj is one of the most important and oldest Islamic gatherings, noting the need to view it as an influential act of worship and politics based on monotheism and the unity of Muslims, and not simply a religious journey. He criticized what he termed "American Islam," which he described as far removed from the authentic path of Muhammadan Islam, calling for the Hajj to be a symbol of unity and struggle against the forces of hegemony and arrogance.
Engineer Mohammed Essam, representative of the Yemeni University Student Forum, explained that the repeated insults against the Holy Quran and Al-Aqsa Mosque represent a systematic and blatant targeting by global Zionism, embodied by America and Israel, aimed at gauging the pulse of the Muslim world and conditioning Muslims to apathy towards their holy sites. He pointed out that the timing of these insults, just before the Hajj season, constitutes a direct provocation to two billion Muslims, calling on academics, students, and free societies to take serious action to confront these violations.
For his part, Ali Taha Hassan, the student relations officer for the Quds Association in Palestine, affirmed that Hajj is a comprehensive school of awareness, unity, and dignity, and a political and civilizational message that dismantles artificial barriers between the people of the Muslim world and reconnects them with their major issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause. He warned against attempts to distract young people through entertainment and cultural normalization, calling for the Palestinian cause to be championed in media, culture, and thought, and for the rejection of manifestations of global arrogance and Western support for the Zionist entity.
For his part, Muhammad Abu Shaqra, representative of the Central Youth and Student Office of Hamas, affirmed that this year's Hajj season comes amidst sensitive circumstances facing the Muslim world, given the ongoing war of extermination against the Gaza Strip and the violations against Islamic holy sites. He called for this religious duty to serve as a catalyst for unifying the efforts of the Muslim world in confronting the occupation, rejecting attempts at sectarian division, and working to support the oppressed and the holy sites in all forums.
Saleh Saeed, a member of the Higher Preparatory Committee of the General Union of Palestinian Students, emphasized that the Palestinian cause will remain the central issue for the Muslim world, praising the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank despite the extermination, displacement, and ethnic cleansing they are subjected to. He indicated that the Palestinian people will remain at the forefront of the Muslim world in defending the holy sites, calling on Arab youth and student organizations to continue supporting the Palestinian cause.
Sayed Hussein Termizi, representative of the Kadhimiya Islamic Association in Australia, explained that Hajj is a great pillar of Islam in which differences among Muslims dissolve, and the criteria are piety and good deeds. He considered this Islamic essence to be in direct contradiction with Zionist ideology, which is based on racism and genocide. He called for leveraging the Hajj season to raise awareness and continue popular and media mobilization against the occupation and its supporters.
Sayed Ali Awais, representative of the Imamia Students Organization from Pakistan, emphasized that the true responsibility of pilgrims, youth, and students lies in standing with the oppressed and confronting global hegemonic powers, stressing that Islamic unity is the only way to bring about change and confront injustice.
Abu al-Hassan al-Amiri, representative of the Popular Mobilization Forces students in Iraq, pointed out that Hajj is not merely a religious ritual, but a global declaration of the unity of the Ummah and an intellectual and spiritual weapon against Zionist projects of hegemony and aggression. He explained that the meanings of Hajj-unity, disavowal, and renewal of the spirit of resistance-must be practically reflected in societies and universities through boycotts, exposing the Zionist narrative, and strengthening brotherhood among the Ummah's people.
Dr. Ali al-Hajj, the youth official in Hezbollah's Educational Mobilization in Lebanon, affirmed that the true Abrahamic Hajj is embodied in disavowing polytheists and confronting global tyranny and arrogance. He pointed out that the axis of resistance has proven that American hegemony is not inevitable, calling for unifying efforts to confront the Zionist project and support the issues of the nation, foremost among them Palestine.