Thursday, October 4, 2007

Support Khaled Mudallal's right to education


U.N. OBSERVER via uruknet.info

"University of Bradford student trapped in Gaza - visit http://www.letkhaledstudy.co.uk

Sign the online petition here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/letkhaledstudy/index.html

Khaled Mudallal is a Palestinian and a business and management student at the University of Bradford. He is currently trapped in Gaza due to the restrictions on freedom of movement imposed by Israel. Khaled needs to return to Bradford urgently to begin the third year of his degree course.

Khaled returned to his home town of Rafah in June with the intention of staying only for a few days. He has a British residence permit valid until November 2010.

According to Israeli human rights organisation Gisha, Khaled is one of several hundred Palestinian students who are being prevented from leaving Gaza to return to courses abroad. Gisha believes the Israeli government is in breach of international law. The right to education is enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In a statement to the press NUS President, Gemma Tumelty said "The Prime Minister should call on the Israeli government to allow Khaled Al-Mudallal to leave Gaza immediately. The right to education is a human right as stated in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right for students to study freely and safely across the world must be defended. Education will be central to finding a peaceful resolution in the Middle East."

The NUS Black Students' Campaign, General Union of Palestinian Students, lecturers union UCU, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, University of Bradford Union and Federation of Student Islamic Societies have launched a national campaign calling on all students, academics and others in Britain to support Khaled's right to continue his education and the right of all Palestinian students to access education free from the restrictions imposed by Israel's illegal occupation.

Visit the website http://www.letkhaledstudy.co.uk for more information and latest news.

Alternatively contact NUS Black Students' Officer, Ruqayyah Collector on (44) 07966627291 or email info@letkhaledstudy.co.uk.

We are asking you to:

• Print and collect signatures for the petition (click here) http://www.palestinecampaign.org/upload/pdf/khaled%20mudallal%20petition.pdf

• or sign online here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/letkhaledstudy/

• and encourage other to do the same – the petitions will be sent to the British and the Israeli Prime Ministers.

• Write to the Israeli Prime Minister calling for the travel restrictions imposed on Gaza to be lifted and for Khaled to be allowed to leave to return to Bradford. http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/PM/Write+to+PM/

• Write to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling on him to bring pressure to bear on his Israeli counterpart to lift the restrictions on students from Gaza including Khaled leaving Gaza to access education. http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page3.asp

• Contact student and other media to try to get articles published raising awareness of Khaled's situation and the plight of Palestinian students living under Israel's illegal occupation.

Urgent appeal - please circulate widely to all contacts.

The National Union of Students (NUS) LET KHALED STUDY http://www.letkhaledstudy.co.uk

Please also see:

University of Bradford http://www.brad.ac.uk/external

Israeli High Court Declines to Intervene in Military Policy Trapping U.K. Student in Gaza
http://www.gisha.org/index.php?intLanguage=2&intItemId=683&intSiteSN=113

Student trapped in Gaza loses fight to return to study in Britain
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article3021343.ece "

No comments: