Jeddah (UNA) – The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the State of Palestine to the OIC and the Union of OIC News Agencies, commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba by organizing an exhibition at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah today, Thursday, May 15, 2025, entitled “Palestine: Land, People, and Identity,” in the presence of a number of ambassadors, general delegates, and consuls general.
The exhibition included photos of Palestine before and after the Nakba of 1948, as well as other photos that depict the destruction caused by the occupation, alongside photos of Palestinian history and culture. It also included video clips about the suffering of the Palestinian people and their lack of access to the most basic human rights, such as food, health, education, and other rights. The exhibition was accompanied by statistics and figures on the number of martyrs and wounded in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression, as well as statistics on the number of arrests and prisoners who were martyred in prisons, journalists who were assassinated by the occupation forces, students who were victims of the war, and schools and hospitals that were destroyed by the occupation.
The program was opened with a speech by the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs at the OIC, Ambassador Samir Bakr. Bakr emphasized that the Palestinian Nakba is a dark mark on the human conscience and a testament to the absence of international justice and the inability to provide justice to the oppressed. He explained that the commemoration of the 77th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba embodies its deep-rooted presence in the collective memory of the Islamic nation and affirms the spirit of solidarity and absolute support for the rights of the steadfast Palestinian people.
The Secretary-General saluted the struggling Palestinian people, who have managed for decades to remain steadfast on their land, defending their legitimate rights and holy sites, and adhering to their national identity.
In his speech, the Secretary-General reiterated his unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to return and the establishment of their independent state.
The Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Hadi Shibli, delivered a speech on this occasion, in which he expressed his appreciation to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, its member states and various institutions for their firm positions and tireless efforts in defense of the rights of the Palestinian people, their land and their holy sites. He also extended his thanks to the General Secretariat of the Organization and the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (UNA) for their sponsorship and joint organization of the exhibition “Palestine: Land, People and Identity.”
Shibli said that such events constitute a cultural bridge that conveys the truth and narrates the story and journey of the Palestinian people in the face of a historical injustice that has lasted 77 years. This tells the world: “We are here... staying on our land... steadfast, we will not leave,” reminding the international community that justice begins with recognizing the history, existence, national identity, and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Ambassador Shibli commemorated the caravans of righteous martyrs from the Palestinian people since 1948, wishing a speedy recovery to the tens of thousands of wounded.
Shibli considered the commemoration of the 77th anniversary of the Nakba at the OIC headquarters a living testament to the fact that the Palestinian cause is the central issue of this organization. He commended the positions and efforts of the OIC, both its states and institutions, in defending the Palestinian cause, particularly the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Mahmoud Yahya Al-Asadi, Consul General of the State of Palestine and Dean of the Consular Corps in Jeddah, reiterated the Palestinian people's refusal to surrender to colonial schemes.
He said that this occasion coincides with the Nakba and systematic war of genocide waged by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, its brutal and destructive aggression across the West Bank, and its colonial plan to Judaize the city of Jerusalem and confiscate Palestinian lands to build colonial settlements. He added that this new-old colonial plan will not pass thanks to the awareness, steadfastness, and solidarity of the Palestinian citizen despite the siege, killing, starvation, thirst, and lack of treatment and medicine.
He added, "From here, from the headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was established for the sake of Jerusalem and its preservation, we send out our highest expressions of reverence and appreciation to the steadfast Palestinian people, who are steadfast in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, in exile and refugee camps."
Al-Asadi called on the world, with all its countries, institutions, and organizations, to urgently intervene and assume their political, historical, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities to halt the systematic genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. He also called for support for efforts to hold an international conference to ensure the success of the two-state solution conference, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It is worth noting that the exhibition is being organized in implementation of the resolution issued by the 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Cameroon on August 29 and 30, 2024. The resolution stipulated that “May 15 of each year be designated as an Arab, Islamic, and international day to commemorate the Nakba.” The resolution called for measures to be taken at the level of states and international and regional organizations to commemorate this painful anniversary, as a reminder of the need to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and enable its refugees to exercise their right to return and compensation, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 194.
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