The UK government has revoked the student visa of a Palestinian student who lost relatives in Gaza after she spoke at a demonstration at the University of Manchester.

Dana Abuqamar, a law student who heads the Friends of Palestine Society at the University of Manchester, said the UK government revoked her visa on “national security” grounds, after claiming she was a risk to public safety.

“The claim they are making is baseless and violates my rights as a resident here in the UK. My legal team has lodged a human rights appeal against this decision to revoke my student visa in my last and final year as a law student,” Abuqamar said, speaking to Al Jazeera English, confirming that her visa had been revoked.

Last year, Abuqamar revealed that she had lost at least 15 relatives in Gaza after the Israeli army bombed a three-storey building in the besieged enclave.

  • juicy@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    6 months ago

    So she expressed an ugly emotion. Is the UK going after people who celebrate Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinians? A US politician called for Gaza to be nuked. It’s reprehensible, but free speech gives him the right to say stupid and even evil things with out fear of government persecution. There is a mutual hatred between many Israelis and Palestinians, but the hammer only comes down when Palestinians give voice to that hatred. Israelis and their partisans say whatever they want without consequence. And good. Free speech. But get rid of the double standard.

    • InformalTrifle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      6 months ago

      Free speech is not without limits in the U.K.

      I think someone supporting terrorist atrocities is lucky to get away with just losing a visa.

      • acargitz@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        15
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        6 months ago

        Don’t be silly, nobody is taking away UK government officials’ visas.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        Except if you advocate for literal Genocide that’s fine of course. In fact you can give weapons to the people committing Genocide.

        You can walk around with Genocidal I <3 israel banners proudly advocating for Nazism.

        Only the people resisting cannot be advocated for.