The Interior Minister’s scandalous expulsion order against a prominent Palestinian figure from Gaza
The France Palestine Solidarity Association protests with the greatest vigor against the expulsion order issued by the Minister of the Interior against Meryem Abou Daka
Meryem Abou Daka is a great Palestinian personality, known and respected for her commitments. In the difficult environment of the Gaza Strip, she is a tireless fighter for women’s rights and an unwavering supporter of Palestinian political prisoners. She now chairs the board of directors of the feminist association “Palestinian Development Women Studies Association”. (see the video below, produced as part of the Gaza, Life initiative, in which Dr Meryem Abou Daka testifies).
At the invitation of a Marseille collective and several associations including the AFPS, she toured France, where she came for the first time, in more than fifteen cities. She obtained a valid visa for her tour. Its associative and political commitments are public.
Since the start of his tour, his conferences have been the subject, on the part of the prefecture, of several measures of intimidation or banning. In Marseille itself, his conference was finally moved to a parish hall, which gave him a particularly warm welcome.
Mariam Abudaqa and her family reside in Gaza. She has just lost 27 members of her family in Israeli bombings. She continued her tour with admirable courage, while being particularly upset by the information reaching her from the Gaza Strip.
By wanting to silence her, the Minister of the Interior is committing not only a political mistake, but a particularly inhumane act which shames France.
She was arrested at Marseille station while taking the train to Toulouse, her next stop. She is currently under house arrest. Appeals will be filed to challenge these unfair decisions, which are added to the long list of measures taken by the French government to try to silence the voices of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The AFPS National Office,
October 16, 2023
Also read on Oumma, our article : “Being a woman in Gaza”: seven remarkable Palestinian women testify”, including Dr. Meryem Abou Daka, the oldest of them and a doctor of philosophy. In the report below dedicated to them, she declares with conviction:
“A strong woman means a strong society”