The University Students Participate in the Walking Marathon in Jericho

2017-12-16

About 100 students from Al-Istiqlal University participated in the "Walking Marathon" on the occasion of International Day for the Defense of Human Rights and International Human Rights Day, which coincides on December 10th of each year. The marathon was organized by the Human Rights and Democracy Media Center SHAMS, the office of the United Nations for Human Rights in Palestine, in cooperation with Jericho and the Jordan Valley and Al-Istiqlal University.

For his part, the Colonel Salman Taysir Abdullah, the Vice President for Military Affairs at Al-Istiqlal University, welcomed the participants in this marathon, stressing the rights of the Palestinian people to live a decent life in the shadow of an independent state with its eternal capital Jerusalem.

The governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley Mr. Majid Fetiani directed his speech to the President of the United States Donald Trump that the Palestinians can travel to Jerusalem and raise the Palestinian flag because Jerusalem represents the identity and the doctrine of the Palestinian people. He also sends a message through the participants in this marathon to the world to recognize the right of the Palestinian people to live in dignity on his land.

In a related context, the representative of the Palestinian Council for Human Rights Hilmi Al-A'raj called on the international community to respect the Palestinian people and defend their legitimate rights which are guaranteed by the international humanitarian law. This marathon is an expression of the Palestinian respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its 70th anniversary.

"The Israeli occupation continues to pursue its crimes and violations against the Palestinian people, depriving them moving freely and reaching the places of worship, as well as the confiscation of land and other aggressive measures of occupation," said Ali Al-Santarisi of the SHAMS Center for Human Rights and Democracy and one of the organizers of the marathon.

The marathon, which carried the slogan "Every Human Being is a Human Rights Defender", launched  from the campus of Al-Istiqlal University at 10 a.m on Sunday, reaching the oldest  tree in the world in the city center of Jericho, with a participation of hundreds of people.

It should be noted that Al-Istiqlal University participates in a number of events which are organized by the partner institutions in the governorate of Jericho and the local community on national, local and global occasions.