A Palestinian law student at the University of Manchester claims the Home Office canceled his student visa. She claims this was done on grounds of “national security” following her comments at a protest last year.
Dana Abukamal, 19, sparked widespread outrage last October when she appeared to praise Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7 October. Abu Kamal took part in pro-Palestinian protests a day after the brutal attack, which killed more than 1,160 people.
At the rally, she told a Sky News reporter that she was “full of pride” after Hamas launched the surprise attack. The 19-year-old, who also runs Manchester Friends of Palestine, was filmed saying she was “absolutely overjoyed” and “proud of how far the Palestinian resistance has come”. ing.
At the time, Police Minister Chris Phillip publicly described the comments as “sickening”.
A few days after her interview, Ms Abu Kamal told the BBC that her words had been “misrepresented” and that she “should never be allowed to die an innocent civilian”. Ta.
She also announced that 15 of her relatives in the Gaza Strip were killed in an Israeli rocket attack on her residential building. Ms Abukamal pledged to fight against her Home Office decision and allowed her to appeal.
The Home Office said it does not comment on individual cases, and it remains unclear what exactly the visa cancellation will mean for the teenager’s future in her final year of university.
The student told Middle East Eye that her comments had been “taken out of context” and called the Home Office’s claims that she was “a threat to public safety” “completely unfounded.” ” He dismissed it as “outrageous.” .
Before she came to the UK, she said she believed freedom of expression was “a fundamental human right that is respected here”.
But now she believes this right “does not apply to ethnic minorities, especially Muslims and Palestinians like me.”
She said: “We must reject the double standards in the application of human rights by the authorities and stand up to this repression.”
On Thursday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak condemned pro-Palestinian camps that have sprung up at several universities. All over the country.
The Prime Minister said: “A vocal minority on campus disrupts the lives and learning of their fellow students, and in some cases spreads outright harassment and anti-Semitic abuse. This must stop. ” he said. University leaders call for a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination on student campuses and announce £500,000 funding for the university’s Jewish Chaplaincy Service, which provides social services to Jewish students. did.