Home Artikelen Mohammed Khatib gives speech despite government ban

Mohammed Khatib, pro-Palestine activist and European frontman of the Palestinian movement Samidoun, held a speech through a live connection at Radboud University. Khatib was denied access to the Netherlands by the Dutch government for ‘hate speech’ and supporting terrorist organisations. As cameras swarmed around the small laptop screen, Khatib spoke about the liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian resistance. 

When Khatib was invited as speaker by Situating Palestine, the Dutch media landscape exploded. The controversy around his presence at the university was on account of his role within the activist network Samidoun. This organisation aims to fight for the rights of Palestinian prisoners and the liberation of Palestine. Samidoun also explicitly supports all forms of Palestinian ‘resistance’, including the violence by Hamas on October 7th, 2023. Khatib, frontman of the European branch of Samidoun, has stated on VRT news that this violence was ‘a normal response for a population who was living under siege since 2006.’ Minister Faber of Asylum and minister Van Weel of the ministry of Justice decided that Khatib is not welcome in the Netherlands. The Executive Board (CvB) first accepted Khatib’s lecture at the university, but after the decision of the government, they said in a statement that the lecture, albeit online, had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, pro-Palestine activists set up a livestream through which Khatib could still speak to the students.

A nuanced Khatib

The student activists gathered by the Spinoza building and marched towards Maria Montessori. One pro-Palestine activist took centre stage before Khatib and among other things announced that the CvB’s Partnerships Advisory Committee does not merely delay proper action, but it ‘delegitimises the movement and is only an illusion of progress.’ Furthermore, according to the speaker, it was an undemocratic act of the government to deny Khatib entrance to the Netherlands.  

As the livestream was being set up, camera crews surrounded the small laptop while pro-Palestine activists used multifunctional keffiyehs to block the cameras. With some mild shoving and pushing, the group formed a circle around the screen as Khatib appeared. After taking some time to articulate his appreciation for the Dutch students who have protested and spoken up about the injustice faced by Palestinian people, he described what the people in Palestine are actually fighting against: colonialism, zionism and white supremacy. Khatib explained how colonialism and zionism form a repressive system that is visible not only in Palestine, but that is spread all the way to even this university. According to Khatib, when people say ‘from the river to the sea’, it is not about a fight for a piece of land, but for a ‘free, just society without European white supremacy.’

Khatib did not speak about violence from, for example, Hamas, but did declare his support for Palestinian resistance, as ‘it is their right and duty’ to resist oppression. The speech was skillfully adjusted to the audience of students and therefore strikingly unsurprising. Support for resistance is generally agreed upon by those that protest for the Palestinian cause. However, implied in his argumentation is the premise that Hamas is merely a form of Palestinian resistance, not a terrorist organisation. Moreover, when Khatib explained the ‘from the river to the sea’ chant, he avoided stating the controversial claim, also propelled by Samidoun, that the state Israel should be dismantled. 

Violence as resistance

A Pro-Palestine activist and media spokesperson recognises the controversy surrounding Khatib and Samidoun and their support of violence by organisations such as Hamas, but argues: ‘In order to invite a speaker, you do not have to agree with everything they say. Khatib is an amazing speaker and can help us make action happen.’ When the march continues, activists are heard chanting: ‘We are all Samidoun.’ The spokesperson then repeats Khatib’s arguments about standing for multiple forms of resistance. He adds: ‘No one wants violence, but Palestinians are being imprisoned and murdered on a massive scale. As such, their options are extremely limited.’ He describes how a non-violent solution in the face of genocide has not been presented yet.

When asked the question whether fellow students might be scared off by a controversial speaker like Khatib, the spokesperson states: ‘I would say the movement is growing.’ For students that do not agree with an organisation like Samidoun, he emphasises that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that the organisation is always open for dialogue. He adds: ‘Likewise, we are also entitled to our opinion, and for us, armed resistance is the only way: it is legitimate.’

Despite the commotion and large media presence, both the protest and speech by Khatib remained fairly subdued. After Khatib’s speech, the protestors gathered their banners and signs and continued to march peacefully.

1 Reactie

Stan Squires 12 november 2024 - 20:28

I am from Vancouver,Canada and i am pleased that Mohammed Khatib got
the chance to speak to the students at Radboud University.Shame on the Dutch
Gov’t for not allowing Mohammed Khatib to go to Radboud University. I hope
Mohammed Khatib got lots of Support at Radboud University!

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