A Statement of Solidarity from Noor Theatre
October 2023
Noor Theatre deeply and profoundly mourns the precious Palestinian and Israeli lives lost and calls for an immediate end to the assault on Gaza. We condemn the terror inflicted on Israeli civilians by Hamas, all Anti-Semitic acts targeting Jewish civilians, all Islamophobic incidents on the rise globally, and all acts of violence and terrorism in all of its forms. These abhorrent actions have no place in the movement for Palestinian liberation.
We affirm the Palestinian right to sovereignty and support the rights of all Palestinians and Israelis to human dignity, safety, equality, freedom, and peace.
We are calling on our community to stand in solidarity against the imminent genocide and mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. We must acknowledge that in defending itself against terrorism, the Israeli government has not only declared war against Hamas, but has declared war on the Palestinian people by bombing, entrapping, and decreeing the displacement of innocent civilians, the majority of whom are refugees and children. The horrific violence currently occurring in Gaza is a continuation of the Nakba – the destruction of the Palestinian homeland in 1948 and the permanent displacement of Palestinians which led them to seek refuge in Gaza– and of 75 long years of occupation and apartheid inflicted by the Israeli government. There can be no peace in the region without the end of Israeli occupation and the internationally recognized independence, freedom, and self-determination of Palestinians.
We call on the U.S. government to demand an immediate ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza. We demand that the United States hold the Israeli government accountable for its continuous violations of human rights and international law. Further, we call on the United States to become a leader amongst the international community in championing the sovereignty, independence, and self-determination of Palestinians.
We also call on U.S. media outlets to be extra vigilant and conscious against fueling rising Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism by oversimplifying this violence as the “Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Not only does this harmful rhetoric create a false equivalency and fail to recognize the egregious imbalance of power between a well-funded and internationally-supported militarized state and an occupied people, but framing the ongoing violence as a religious war falsely implies that the horrific violence is somehow inevitable conflict. However, the horrific violations of humanity we are witnessing today stem not from inherent conflict between Jews and Muslims, who for centuries have co-existed in peace, but rather from the oppression of Palestinians by the Israeli government which, with the support of U.S. and Western governments, has empowered extremism of the few that has completely devastated the many.
As a theatre company that champions artists of Middle Eastern, North African, and Southwest Asian descent and their stories, we cannot allow Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian voices to be silenced. As we mourn the tremendous loss of the lives lost as a result of the escalated events, we stand together against all forms of oppression; champion rigorous, nuanced discourse; and will not tolerate rhetoric or actions that are anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, or anti-Jewish. We ask that every human being reading this not consciously or unconsciously promote or propagate rhetoric that demonizes or dehumanizes any people– Palestinian, Arab, Jewish, or Israeli alike. We call on our community to stand together as interconnected human beings by fighting against all forms of Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; leading nuanced and thoughtful conversations; reflecting on and challenging any oversimplified narrative one may have been taught; donating to humanitarian aid; sharing vetted resources; amplifying suppressed voices; demanding that governmental leaders stop the assault on Gaza; and uplifting every other member of our beautifully diverse community.
As we acknowledge the grief, rage, and tremendous pain that so many members of our community are in right now, we remain committed to holding space for you to celebrate your beautifully rich heritage and to tell your stories. We uplift the plurality of our countries of origin, which include people of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths among others, and will continue to fight for our diverse voices to be heard and uplifted, radically and compassionately. We stand with our community.
#فلسطين 🇵🇸
#StopGazaGenocide
#EndTheSiegeOnGaza
#ShowUpForGaza
#StopTheViolence