PARSIPPANY — Hundreds of people from all different religions, races, and political affiliations came together for the “People for Palestine” rally and teach-in at Smith Field Park on the corner of Route 46 and Baldwin Road. The rally was organized by four Morris County high school students: Sumaiya Rehman (Parsippany High School), Nicole
Piccininni, Noor Zaman, and Medina Kandil (Morris County School of Technology).
The teens set out to create a peaceful rally and teach-in for Palestine after witnessing through social media over two weeks of Israeli onslaught of Palestinians and witnessing the death of hundreds of innocent civilians. The youth organizers were joined by Jabari Jackson from the Respect My Life Foundation, who organized a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest of his own last summer. The students felt an obligation to mobilize and build awareness and even provide a voice to those across the world who do not have one. The girls’ voices were heard by the several hundred who attended the rally on an extremely hot Sunday afternoon.
Amongst the crowd were individuals of many different ethnicities, religions, and several
backgrounds. Everyone rallied and stood together for the same cause: fighting for humanity.
Several vehicles passing along Route 46 honked and waved with solidarity and support.
The several cars passing by in attendance lifted the spirits and energy of the crowd.
The situation happening in Palestine is nothing new but now with independence and social
media, it has attracted global attention and has caused an uproar throughout the country
for people to come together and go into action for what is right. The Parsippany-held event
is one of the many held across New Jersey. In the last month, 230 Palestinians have been
killed by Israeli forces, including 65 children as well. Within the last month, in a holy area
(Jerusalem) for which, for centuries, has been the site of all three Abrahamic Faiths to
peacefully worship, had been invaded as congregations peacefully prayed the last Friday
prayer (Jum’uah) of Ramadan.
The crowd that gathered at Smith Field was not there for the sole reason to support the local youth and their efforts. Everyone attended to support the cause and fight for the justice of Palestinians. After Aziz Al-Qoalak, the San Diego Palestinian-American who lost 21 of his extended family members while Gaza was under attack mourned for days, after the attacks on Masjid Al-Aqsa, the third holiest worshipping site for Muslims, and the endless deaths of children and families in Palestine, what is happening in there is not a cause to back down from. “The fight should continue and should not end until our brothers and sisters across the world can sleep safely in their homes without the fear of waking to their homes destroyed or lives lost around them,” says another youth organizer, Medina Kandil.
People from all backgrounds and spectrums came together to unite on a hot afternoon to
support the humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing, as Palestinians grapple to rebuild their desolated infrastructure that was barely rebuilt since the last bombing. People united and came together with decorated posters, Palestinian flags, and the energy and spirit to fight for the right cause. Parsippany High School junior and one of the lead organizers of the rally, Sumaiya Rehman emphasized, “There is no reason to thank the four of us youth for what we have done. What we did needed to happen; regardless of how far across the world we are.
In a time of injustice, our efforts need to be seen and executed with the right intention.”
Sumaiya is one of the organizers alongside three of her friends.
Throughout the event, there were a series of speakers. Dijuan Higgins from the Respect My
Life Foundation, Madelyn Hoffman, Green Party candidate for Governor of New Jersey, and
Morris County youth came together along with Palestinian Americans to speak out for the
the humanitarian crisis and grave injustice that their Palestinian brothers and sisters are suffering.
Additionally, Hafsa Habbeh from American Muslims for Palestine and Imam Basel Hamdeh,
from the Jam-E-Masjid Islamic Center in Boonton, were amongst the speaker lineup as well.
Americans from all walks of life and all different backgrounds stood in solidarity with
Palestine, here in Parsippany, which has the largest Muslim and Palestinian population in
Morris County.
The four youth organizers encourage Morris County and New Jersey to speak up for what is
right. In a time of injustice, unity is what we need. The youth encourage everyone to look into resources and access ways to teach themselves about the ongoing situation in Palestine.
