The controversy follows a backlash against the anti-Semitic remarks by the two nurses, and has accused Muslim groups of ignoring politicians of “selective anger.”
The Australian National Gallery (NGA) is being fired from the Australian Islam Council (AFIC) after censoring two Palestinian flags at the exhibition.
The AFIC denounced the law and called it a dangerous precedent for direct attacks and cultural expression on Palestinian identity, but the report suggests that artists accepted the decision under compulsion.
Censorship raises condemnation
The AFIC has shown support for the law as “co-disorder” and efforts to erase Palestinian culture. The flag was part of Te Pepae Aola. There, we explore the themes of justice and Indigenous identity in a place where the gods are not fooled by the exhibition.
“The deliberate elimination of the Palestinian flag is a direct support of the ongoing Zionist campaign to suppress, dehumanize and erase the Palestinian people from history,” the AFIC said.
Artwork aimed at reflecting the call for social justice
The artwork includes Palestinian flags alongside other symbols such as the flags of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the flags of West Papua, representing the appeals of social justice by various indigenous peoples and Pacific people. Masu.
Rateb Jneid, president of AFIC, called Palestinian symbols and culture part of a disturbing trend that is labelled “controversial” or “divisible.”
“The Palestinians are not abstract concepts. They exist. Their history exists. Their struggle exists,” Jneid said.
He continued to emphasize that public institutions across Australia had succumbed to external pressures that led to the elimination of Palestinian identity.
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“This censorship sends a clear message. Palestinians are not allowed to represent themselves. Their culture should be erased. Their supporters should be silent,” he said. added.
AFIC wants immediate action
In response to censorship, the AFIC demands that NGAs immediately return their artwork to their original form, arguing that art institutions should challenge and inspire rather than expressing silentness.
The Commonwealth also called on the Australian government to issue directives to all public bodies, ensuring that Palestinian identity is no longer restrained.
The group also sought to protect Palestinian self-determination advocates, increasingly targeting stances on justice and human rights.
“We demand clear recognition of Palestinian rights, represented by all disciplines, arts, academia and public discourse, without harassment, censorship or intimidation,” the AFIC said.
Muslim groups criticize double standards and selective anger
The incident follows a wave of dissatisfaction within the Muslim community.
A coalition of Muslim organizations and leaders issued an open letter on February 18, denounced what was called “selective anger” over the incident involving two Sydney nurses.
The nurse boasted of hurting Jewish patients, which sparked rapid public condemnation.
However, a group of Muslims argued that politicians and the media were ignoring Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“We condemn nurses’ hypocrisy over the controversy,” the letter read.
“As representative of the Australian Muslim community, we assert that all forms of discrimination based on race and religion are unacceptable and that health care should be justified to all.
“However, this statement addresses selective anger and political motivations surrounding recent controversy.”
The letter also stated that frustration directed towards Israel was not an expression of hatred towards Jews, but a response to its policy.
