Jena Kanaan and Majid Matariyeh Javell Shepard
In the coming weeks, the Students For Justice In Palestine (SJP) plans to host several events in response to the bombing of Rafah.
Rafah is a city in Palestine that borders Egypt, which has become a final refuge for Gazans fleeing the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The city, which is usually home to a population of 280,000, has become a refuge for the 1.5 million displaced citizens of Gaza.
While Rafah was designated as a safe zone for civilians, it has been the target of airstrikes, ground strikes, and naval assaults since the night of Feb 11.
In the wake of this, SJP held a demonstration on Feb. 19 similar to the ones they held during the fall semester. During this demonstration, the president of the SJP Jena Kanaan gave three speeches urging those in attendance to call their local politicians and advocate for a ceasefire.
The SJP raised funds for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) by selling kuffiyehs, which are traditional Arab headdresses. The campaign raised over 12 hundred dollars and lasted three days before the kuffiyehs sold out. When asked about any future fundraisers, Kanaan said “SJP would love to do a few more fundraisers in the future.”
“We plan to do another kuffiyeh fundraiser if we are able to get the resources, since that one was very successful. We also plan to have our second annual Basketball Charity Tournament before the end of the school year. These are all tentative fundraisers that we hope to implement.”
On Feb. 25 from noon to 4 P.M., the SJP plans to put up a fixed exhibit on the front lawn between 103rd and the main entrance of the school, where Lot 2 is located. The exhibit will be a display of 23,000 flags, many of them bearing the name of, “martyrs who have been murdered by Israel.”
“Some flags remain nameless, as there are still bodies under the rubble that have not been identified. This is our way of honoring the lives of our martyrs from afar. These flags were taken from SJP Depaul, which were taken from SJP Loyola, which were taken from the very start of this initiative at SJP Uchicago. This is part of a larger initiative with several university chapters to all do our part to honor our martyrs.” Kanaan said of the exhibit.
Beyond this monument to those slain by Israel, SJP also engages with the larger community of Pro-Palestine organizations in Illinois through SJP Chicago.
“SJP Chicago is the coalition for justice in Palestine composed of all the SJP university chapters in the Chicago area. We meet, discuss, and mobilize together. We have an upcoming summit that is meant to discuss where we stand in the Palestinian Liberation Movement as a whole, as well as provide resources for our chapters to keep succeeding.”
There will be a workshop held on Tatreez, a traditional Palestinian style of embroidery. The workshop will be about “preserving this symbolic ancient culture that extends far beyond a simple art” as Kanaan described.
“By learning how to preserve this, we are unifying and weaving together the love for our country and heritage, and our dedication to forever preserve our heritage despite means to wipe it away.” she went on to say of the motivation behind the event. The workshop will be held on Feb. 26 from 12 P.M. to 3 P.M. in the diner atrium.
For those who want to get involved with SJP, Kanaan said, “Students interested in contributing to our upcoming events should join our organization on The Den. Here, they will find all future events and details for upcoming events. They should also follow our Instagram @sjpsxu_ which provides updates on all fundraisers and events for the future.” The club is currently looking for volunteers to help put up the flags for their fixed exhibit.
Kanaan also noted that she is always available via email at kanaan.j01@mymail.sxu.edu.