Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Vice President of the Arab Council, Tawakkol Karman, declared that the path to Jerusalem runs through democracy and freedom for our Arab countries.
During the second virtual session of the Arab Peoples' Summit, which commenced this Sunday evening, Tawakkol Karman added, "The counter-revolutions in the Arab world have been orchestrated by joint chambers of tyranny and the Israeli entity.
As the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh approaches, Karman criticized the Arab governments for their inaction in providing essential aid to Gaza and halting the war, which she described as having escalated beyond its initial claims to ethnic cleansing. She expressed skepticism about the efficacy of the summit, viewing it as an attempt to cover up their inaction rather than addressing the real issues.
Despite her criticism of Arab regimes, Karman conveyed her strong belief in the resilience and determination of the Arab people. She expressed confidence that, despite current challenges, the people will rise, rebel, and shape their own history, ultimately achieving freedom and dignity.
Karman praised the Palestinian people's resilience, the Sudanese people's determination to overcome militia-backed conflicts, and the Yemenis' ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy. She also acknowledged the Syrian and Libyan revolutions and the persistent efforts of Egyptians and Tunisians to reclaim their rights despite harsh counter-revolutions.
In her concluding remarks, Karman called on all Arab peoples to unite against corrupt, tyrannical regimes and to strive for a future marked by freedom and dignity. She expressed a strong belief in their ability to achieve these goals, despite the significant obstacles they face.
Here is the complete text of the speech:
Welcome, everyone, to the second Arab Peoples' Summit!
I have always believed that the path to Jerusalem goes through establishing democracy in our capitals, from the ocean to the Gulf. Today, we witness the Israeli occupation intertwined with Arab tyranny, with both entities feeding off one another, providing each other with reasons for survival, growth, and prosperity.
The expansion of the Arab Spring, which guarantees democracy, protects rights, and ensures freedoms, will necessarily lead to the liberation of Palestinian land and the return of its displaced people. It is certain that the ongoing war of extermination and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people in Gaza would not have occurred without the prior overthrow of the Arab Spring revolutions and their governments. I assert, and will continue to assert, that even if these movements have faced setbacks, they are still pursuing their revolution for justice, freedom, and democracy, and they will ultimately prevail, sooner rather than later.
Tomorrow, the Arab-Islamic summit will be held in Riyadh. The Arab governments meeting to discuss ways to stop the violence in Gaza and Lebanon could have, with a little pressure, ensured the flow of food and medicine to the Gaza Strip during the days, weeks, and months of killing, siege, and destruction. With greater effort, they could have halted a war that has escalated far beyond the claims of it being a response to October 7, as the Zionist21 entity asserts. This war has devolved into ethnic cleansing and extermination against two and a half million Palestinian residents in Gaza.
Yet, these Arab rulers have stood by, either silent, complacent, supportive, inciting, or funding both overtly and covertly. As Arab peoples, we are aware of this reality. So, what can we expect from a summit like this? It is being held more than a year after the onset of the horrific ethnic cleansing and genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people. Will it be anything more than a whitewashing of the crimes of the Zionist entity, legitimizing that genocide, and achieving what the war failed to accomplish, or is it just a summit to cover up their inaction towards Gaza with a facade of convening a summit that we know from experience isn't not worth a hill of beans.
In fact, I have always been accustomed to not relying on the failed, tyrannical, and corrupt Arab regimes, nor do I place any trust in this farcical summit being held more than a year after the onset of this historic massacre. Instead, I consistently place my faith in the people and stand with them. I know that their dawn—though sometimes obscured by clouds—is permanent and endless. These peoples are the ones who ultimately have the final say, even when they seem weak or defeated. They may rest at times, grow weary, or feel temporarily frustrated, but they always rise up, rebel, and shape their own history. They will undoubtedly continue to challenge and bring down the Arab regimes of tyranny, corruption, and failure.
Now, as we stand on the brink and at the heart of the battle for Arab freedom and liberation, the Palestinian people will remain resilient against massacres and ethnic cleansing. They will continue to fight and resist, alongside the free people of our nation and the entire world. These days, we witness and see the free people of the world standing with the Palestinian people until the promise of liberating the land and the return of the displaced people to their entire homes is fulfilled. 'And they ask you, when will it be... say it may be soon.'
I would like to conclude my speech by extending my full support and solidarity to the great Sudanese people, who are currently enduring a militia war backed by the UAE. This regime uses its excess wealth to harm our nations. We have faith that Sudan, with the strength of its army and the resilience of its citizens, will overcome this militia and safeguard the unity and integrity of its territories.
With unwavering certainty, support, and pride, we stand by our people in Yemen who continue to resist for their freedom, democracy, and sovereignty. They endure the consequences of a militia coup that toppled their state and forcibly seized the Yemeni capital under the oppressive rule of the Houthi militia, continuously backed by Iran. Furthermore, they suffer under the Saudi-Emirati occupation and control of vital areas. Yet, they persist, steadfast and determined, to achieve their dream of freedom and dignity within a united Yemeni republic and a glorious democratic state.
Greetings also to the Syrian revolution, which has faced immense killing, conspiracy, and betrayal, yet remains undaunted, looking towards Damascus with the hope of liberating it from occupation and tyranny together.
To our beloved ones in Libya, who confront similar conspiracies with steadfastness and immense moral and national commitment, and are determined to overcome them and establish a free, democratic Libya—they will succeed.
To our brothers in Egypt and Tunisia who endured the harshest counter-revolutions that shattered the rights and absolute freedoms won by their spring revolutions, turning both countries into vast prisons and detention centers. Greetings to the free people of Egypt and Tunisia, to those determined to reclaim their rights and build a state of equal citizenship. They will undoubtedly succeed.
Greetings to all the peoples of our Arab nation, from the ocean to the Gulf, who have suffered under corrupt, failed, tyrannical regimes that are out of touch with the times. It has become imperative and destined for them to turn away from oppression and towards the shores of freedom and dignity. I see them as nothing short of capable of achieving this.
Thank you.