My Letter to the Global Climate Movement
My Letter to the Global Climate Movement: The climate movement conveniently utters words of justice, spinelessly sprinkling decolonization and justice rhetoric without truly embracing the sacrifices required to live it. I passionately believe in this movement, but it must rise above its failures when faced with adversity. We cannot call ourselves a movement rooted in justice if we continue to let the most impacted amongst us die in silence.
Last week, I was invited to open a three day event at Kampnagel in Hamburg, Germany as a keynote speaker. I was attending to speak about Climate JUSTICE, Global Solidarity and the intersection of Art and Action.
Unfortunately, an unfounded and malicious smear campaign initiated by the German media resulted in death threats, protests, and widespread disruptions, ultimately forcing my keynote to be shifted to a virtual format.
First and foremost, the German media cannot silence or intimidate me. My commitment to advocating for Freedom and Justice for the Palestinian people will persist until the day they achieve their freedom.
Amongst the hundreds of you who have checked on me and my well-being as I joked about being 'Germany's most wanted,' I was reminded of the privilege I have to raise my voice from the sidelines and how unaffected I actually am. Ironically, I had written my speech before the media storm hit like I saw this coming; I said, 'There are stories told to divide us, and stories told to unite us.'
This smear campaign united me with so many. I have heard painful and infuriating stories from many Germans who have faced the shattering consequences of standing against injustice. Whilst I am mostly unaffected by the attacks because of the platform that I have built, many of us are not.
I acknowledge that the fight for justice is messy, incredibly tough, and filled with sacrifices. However, it is also filled, upheld and covered by the resilience of black and brown bodies repeatedly sacrificing themselves for the cause, over and over again.
Last week, the counter-protests at Kampnagel were predominantly led by people of colour. Most of the individuals who reached out to offer support were also people of colour.
Global solidarity involves not only supporting one another but also transcending borders in our unity and reciprocating the assistance we provide.
Solidarity goes further by leveraging our privileges to advocate for the safety and humanity of those who are denied such considerations due to the biased media and toxic narratives of dehumanization that have brought us to this point.
People of conscience in Germany and across Europe, particularly those who are white, must actively establish connections between climate justice and the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
It is crucial to do so consistently and resolutely, stepping up for those of us who face heightened dangers, harassment, and attacks simply because we are perceived as "other" and have the courage to speak out against injustice.
The climate movement has failed time and time again to embody the words they utter, ‘JUSTICE’.
I’m calling on the global climate movement to offer solidarity with every activist and campaigner in Germany and beyond who are unapologetically advocating for Palestine!
To never speak about climate justice without recognizing decolonial practice, the Anti-Apartheid struggle.
Lastly and crucially to the movement,
there is ‘NO CLIMATE JUSTICE’ on occupied land.
In Solidarity,
Zamzam