On March 30th 1976 the Palestinian people began a strike and marches in condemnation of the confiscation of thousands acres of Palestinian lands by the Zionist regime. The Israeli army attacked the protestors killing six Palestinians and injuring about a hundred.
Ayed Ahmed told the audience to stand up in honor of the martyrs of that day with a minute of silence. He reminded the audience that the Zionist regime was also confiscating land on the Golan Heights and that the fate of Syria and Palestine are linked together. In Golan too people were protesting.
He finished his speech by quoting a verse from the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish which says: Ala hadhihil ardh ma yastahiq al hayyat or “Everything on this land has a right to live”. Ayed added: “Our lives begin when we return to our homeland”.
Fayek Saleh, chairman of the Palestinian People’s Association, began his address by saluting the martyrs of 30th March 1976. He continued to say that we should not doubt the resistance. In the year 2000 the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah proved the effectiveness of armed resistance by forcing the Israeli army to retreat from south Lebanon. It proved it again in 2006 when it came out victorious against the Israeli invasion. The victory of Hezbollah was a Palestinian victory.
The Palestinian and the Lebanese resistance is one, said Fayek. We have the same enemy and we both struggle to liberate Jerusalem, Al-Quds. “We who live here in exile, and the young generation, must never forget our history and our identity.”
After the opening speeches by Ayed Ahmed and Fayek Saleh the folk music group Asail from Ramallah in the West Bank entered the stage. The folk musicians were received with much patriotic enthusiasm. The director of the group, Abu Naji Shukheidim, said in an interview that music forms a very important part of the Palestinian struggle.
Through music Palestinians convey their sorrows and joys and inspire each other to be patient and steadfast and continue the struggle against the occupation. The aired was filled with hope as the singers praised the beauty of the land of Palestine.
© Islam Times
Mohamed Omar is a Swedish freelance writer. 
