A zero-waste grocery store in downtown London, Ont., is encouraging other local businesses to stand with the Palestinian community.
On Tuesday, Reimagine Co announced it has become an “Apartheid Free Zone,” which means it will stop selling any products linked to Israeli settlements.
This declaration follows a rise in violence in the Gaza Strip that has resulted in over 200 Palestinian deaths, including many children, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.
At @reimagineco_ where the zero-waste shop has declared itself an “Apartheid Free Zone” to show solidarity with Palestinian people amid escalating violence in Gaza. I’m told this is the first London business to do so. Supporters are calling on others to follow suit #Ldn Ont pic. twitter. com/p5IUtd Vh Hs
– Andrew Graham (@andrewjwgraham) May 18, 2021
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The Apartheid Free Zones initiative comes from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is a Palestinian-led campaign advocating for boycotts and economic sanctions against Israel.
Heenal Rajani, one of the founders of Reimagine Co, mentioned that he has long supported the BDS movement but discovered the Apartheid Free Zones initiative after a mistake made by his shop last year.
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Awadweh believes that educating oneself about these issues is crucial for everyone in London wanting to be supportive allies.
“Just gaining an understanding and fulfilling your civic duty by holding leaders accountable is essential,” Awawdeh stated.
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For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “Even though we supported the BDS movement, we were selling Dead Sea salts… one of our supporters reached out on social media saying, ‘you shouldn’t be selling these because they come from the occupied territories’,” Rajani explained. “So we began learning about where our products originate and what actions we can take.” The announcement was met with approval from Muhammad Awawdeh, who helped organize a large vehicle rally in London last week showing support for Palestinians. Story continues below “It really helps us cope with all of this pain we’re feeling seeing such terrible images,” said Awawdeh, speaking about the backing received from Reimagine Co and those who attended last week’s rally. Awawdeh expressed that he and his fellow organizers hope more local businesses will adopt similar declarations. He also seeks a statement from London’s city council condemning Israeli actions in Gaza. Trending Now
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Awadweh believes that educating oneself about these issues is crucial for everyone in London wanting to be supportive allies.
“Just gaining an understanding and fulfilling your civic duty by holding leaders accountable is essential,” Awawdeh stated.
p>“This is not a conflict; this is occupation. There is literally no way to be neutral in matters of injustice; otherwise you’re just complicit.”
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