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President Ali calls out world powers for their silence on “slaughter” of women, girls in Gaza
Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday morning called out the silence of the world powers over their silence in the “slaughter” of Palestinian women and girls by Israel in Gaza.
President Irfaan Ali
The President was at the time addressing regional delegates at the three-day Ministerial Forum on Gender Empowerment & Equality which commenced at the Marriot Hotel in Kingston.
During his feature address at the forum, President Ali stated, “As we gather here today the world faces a crisis with women and girls. Our women and girls are being slaughtered in Gaza. Our women children are being slaughtered. Women and girls are being raped, killed through criminal violence and hate.”
He said, “women and girls are also suffering in a war in Ukraine yet some of the most powerful voices in the world lay silent as women and girls in Gaza are slaughtered. There’s still silence as women and girls suffer in Haiti.”
He added that, “I am happy that they are loud on the suffering of the women and girls in Ukraine as we all should be and I make that point knowing full well that many arrows may be pointed but knowing full well that I stand on the ground of truth.”
At Wednesday’s forum, he said he is trying “desperately” to find how many women-organizations have spoken out so far and are speaking out against the atrocities, “of the women who are killed in the war today.”
He said, “There is a big difference between equality and empowerment, and I question myself how equal is the world? How equal are our policies? How equal is our thinking?”
He noted as leaders one is faced with the question, “Who drives the agenda and for whom?” After a brief pause he continued by saying that, many leaders across the world, “many powerful voices across the world lay silently. Many of you in this room here, many of us in this room have resorted to a default position of not watching the news on this war anymore.”
The President said the situation is not only depressing, but also heart wrenching. “There is absolutely no justification for terrorism and what it brings to society, no defense. But there’s absolutely no space globally for anyone to be considered a leader who presides over the suffering of men and women.”
He said, “The system is failing us, and if you don’t recognize the system is failing us then we are in serious problem.”
The President’s remarks came on the heels of a petition which called on the Guyana Government to cut economic and diplomatic ties with Israel as that country continues to attack Palestine in its ongoing war with Hamas. Close to 9000 Palestinians and 1405 Israelis have been killed in the war thus far.
Organisers of the petition have argued that the thousands of innocent Palestinian children and families suffering unimaginable physical and emotional trauma need more than nice words at this time; they need the Israeli bombs to stop falling on their heads and homes.
“In the last three weeks, thousands of Palestinian civilians- almost half of them children- have been killed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza (and other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory). In response to the October 7th Hamas attack, Israel has bombed civilian homes, schools, factories, hospitals, roadways, and other infrastructure critical for public health and wellbeing. They also have cut off all food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to Gaza as part of a clear strategy of collective punishment.”
- Both President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Marriot Hotel, Ministerial Forum on Gender Empowerment & Equality, President, President Irfaan Ali
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