By Nur Elysa Amirah Suhaimi and Nur Atiq Maisara Suhaimi
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- Palestinian youth are harnessing education as a powerful medium to raise global awareness about their struggle for freedom from Israel’s occupation and atrocities.
A representative from the General Union of Palestinian Students - Malaysia Branch (GUPS), Dr Mohammed R.M Salem, said the quest for knowledge has become a form of empowerment for young Palestinians, many of whom have had their dreams disrupted by war.
“We seek peace, prosperity, and the right to live – not violence or expansion. This reflects the difference between a nation that strives to live and progress, and one that seeks power by oppressing others.
“We will continue with our cause today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes until Palestine is free,” he told Bernama at the “More Than A War, It’s Genocide” forum held at the National Art Gallery here.
The forum was the highlight of the two-day “The World Unites for Palestine” campaign organised by Year Three students from the Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness, promote cultural exchange and support the well-being of Palestinians living in Malaysia.
Despite facing decades of adversity, Palestinians remain among the most literate populations in the world.
According to data, as of Jan 31, 2025, literacy rate in Palestine was 96 per cent – slightly lower than the 97.8 per cent recorded in 2022.
“Palestinians believe that knowledge is power. Nearly every family in Palestine has at least one member pursuing postgraduate studies. This educated young generation has invested not only in academic achievement, but also in strong moral values.
“When you are educated, you carry the responsibility and to use that knowledge as a tool to liberate your homeland,” Mohammed said.
For many Palestinians forced to flee their homeland, the pursuit of knowledge through various means has become a source of strength and a way to cope with the trauma of war.
Reem Zaher Ahmed, 27, an architect and visual artist from Gaza, recounted the horror she had to endure when her home in Khan Younis was attacked by the Zionist regime.
“I was trapped for 12 hours under the rubbles of the three story apartment block. I survived. But my family didn’t. I lost my mother, brother, nephew, brother in law, aunt and cousins on October 10, 2023.
“For one year after the tragedy, I couldn't draw anything because I was traumatised,” she said.
Reem said she slowly started to draw again when she arrived in Malaysia in early 2025, expressing her homesickness and pain through painting and other art works.
“To start painting again and now be able to show Palestinian arts to the world is like life giving me a second chance and new purpose,” she said.
For her sister Alaa, 21, a medical student, the war has only forced her to put her dream on hold – not to end it.
She said physical classes had to be called off as learning institutions were destroyed by the regime.
"Even studying online was hard as there were a lot of challenges, because of limited internet and there was just no place to study.
"I continued my third year online; but after that – because in medicine we should go (for) clinical training in hospital – but there were no hospital to train in Gaza, we stopped our study," she said.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has resulted in almost 56,000 documented fatalities and over 130,000 people injured.
Israel’s aggression have also caused widespread destruction to critical infrastructure and facilities in the enclave.
The total blockade imposed by the regime since March has further aggravated the already severe humanitarian crisis, rendering the area inhabitable, according to many humanitarian groups.
-- BERNAMA
