Journalist honoured for his contributions to Palestine cause
Veteran journalist and author Latheef Farook was honoured for his contribution to Palestinian cause for more than half a century. The award was given by Dr Zuhair M H Zaid, Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka and Bimal Rathnayake, the President of Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestinian People, SCSP, at a ceremony held at the Lotus Room, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on Wednesday, November 29.
The function was organised to mark the unfortunate November 29, 1948, United Nations resolution No 181 which partitioned Palestine and created an artificial settler colonial state of Israel for Jews brought in from Europe, Russia and Middle East.
Journalist Latheef has written more than 500 articles on different aspects of the Israel-Palestine issue since the June 1967 US-Europe backed Israel’s aggression during which Israel captured West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, Sinai and South Lebanon.
On the eve of the Summit Conference of Non-Aligned Countries in Sri Lanka in 1975, Latheef founded the SCSP.
Palestine Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas who attended the Non-Aligned Summit invited Latheef for a special breakfast meeting to thank him for his single handed contributions to highlight the just Palestinian cause. He has also been in direct contact with the Palestine Liberation Organisation's foreign affairs chief Dr Farouk Qaddumi.
Latheef has written two books on Palestine: One deals with the comprehensive history of the Palestine issue, and the other with Israel’s repeated genocides in Gaza under the title Gaza - The Other Holocaust.
Both books will be published soon.