Palestinian plight not a religious issue but a humanitarian one, says social activist

KUALA LUMPUR: The plight of the Palestinians should not be viewed as a Muslim issue but rather a humanitarian one, said a Christian social activist who has dedicated much of her life to the cause.

Dr Ang Swee Chai (pic), the co-founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, said many had asked why a Christian Chinese woman was walking the journey of the Palestinians.

“This is an important question as I am not an Arab, not a Muslim, not even a Jew. But I see the Palestinians as my brothers and sisters struggling for their rights and human dignity. I have learnt that humanity is not bound by race, colour or religion,” Dr Ang, 67, told The Star in an interview.

“People are being killed, dispossessed. It is a cruel occupation. People are being ethnically cleansed and I am supporting them because I am a human being,” she added.

Penang-born Dr Ang, a Singaporean citizen, is also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem, a book about her personal journey to war-torn Lebanon in 1982.

It was there that she witnessed the Sabra and Shatila massacre, where thousands of Palestinian refugees were killed.

A Chinese version of her book was launched at the Perdana Global Peace Foundation here on Friday.

“I am so happy to see my book published so that the Chinese community can read about it and learn that this is a human issue. In fact, there are a lot of Palestinians who are Christians,” said Dr Ang who currently works in the emergency and trauma centre at the Royal London Hospital.

She said that supporting the Palestinians didn’t mean one had to give up his or her religion.

“By supporting the Palestinians, it doesn’t mean you give up being a Buddhist, give up being a Christian. You become a better human being,” she said, adding that in the past even her family had asked why she was taking up a “Muslim issue”.

Dr Ang, who was brought up in Singapore but now settles in London, first went to Lebanon to help out victims of the war in August 1982.

After that she went back to Lebanon and Gaza to help out the victims of such human atrocities.

For her work, the orthopaedic surgeon was awarded the Star of Palestine by the late Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

“I support the Palestinians because they are victims of injustice. As a people, I support their rights. Suppose you switch the whole thing around and the Palestinians one day gain power and are oppressing the Jews, I will switch sides,” she said.