Ayla: Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your journey into activism?

Tarik: My name is Tarik and I’m Palestinian. My family is originally from Gaza, but after our neighbors were bombed in the early 2000s, they fled to Egypt — where I was born. From there, we lived in Egypt for a few years until we went to Yemen where we also stayed for a few years. After that, we came to Canada.

From a very young age because of my experiences — moving from country to country and witnessing a multitude of different cultures and world views — I had a unique perspective that many didn’t. This made me curious about the things that happen around me, that have led my life down this path. Like other Palestinians joining the diaspora, I became very curious about what it means to be Palestinian and began researching Palestine from a young age.

Ayla: So, to dive deeper into your journey, can you share some of the projects or initiatives you’ve been involved in?

Tarik: I’ve been involved [in initiatives] from a pretty young age. My first effort I took was when I was around 12 years old. That's when I started my social media activism, starting an instagram account to spread awareness about Palestine. At the time, I was getting hundreds of likes and followers. That was a big deal for me, especially as a 12 year old kid who doesn’t know much about the world. From then, it's been a long journey to push for meaningful change.

In high school, I became more involved in social media activism. I had a TikTok account where I’d take part in the discourse, reaching tens of thousands with all that info.

However, the most impactful role I’ve been involved in has been during my time in university. Ever since high school, I dreamt of being part of a divestment campaign which I thankfully got to take part in. I co-founded a student human rights advocacy group, our aim being to push the University to align with international human rights, especially with their investments. Through this effort, I got to partake in wider city organizing including the Palestine solidarity encampments at universities. The encampment is the greatest highlight of my journey so far.

Ayla: I can’t help but notice you’re being very careful with your words, why is that?

Tarik: Palestinians are targeted, how else has this genocide lasted for over a year? Our mere existence is politicised and indignified — we face levels of dehumanisation or

Anti-Palestinians Racism (APR) that is incomprehensible to anyone else. APR plays out in different ways to other forms of racism, it is a lot more quiet and implied than explicit. It sets us out to exist as people but not claim our heritage, it allows us to contribute to the betterment of society but bars us from acknowledging or questioning the injustices we face, it even sometimes allows us to claim our victimhood but will refuse us from seeking justice or naming our oppressors: Zionists. So, simply saying “I am Palestinian” challenges the status quo and places us in danger. We put ourselves, our physical bodies, careers and education at risk to speak for Palestine, especially organizers. Zionists have harassed and assaulted me before. So, when I say I’m putting myself on the line, I mean it.

Ayla: Going back to your early work with social media, what role do you think social media plays in modern activism?

Tarik: Social media is the main platform we use for Palestinian activism. Without it, I don’t think we would be as successful as we are now. This is a well known thing, hence why Meta and X are strategically censoring Palestinian voices and content. It is how we communicate with the public, call out people/institutions, and spread awareness, especially since current Legacy Media plays a major part in the dehumanisation of our people. Social media is meant to be an uncensored, decentralized way to spread knowledge and information — for now at least.

Ayla: What are some challenges/frustrations you’ve faced in your activism, and how have you addressed them?

Tarik: The biggest frustration I experience is the apathy of my own community. So many Palestinians (in the West) have accepted and normalized the violence that we see, especially against Gazans. That’s something I still struggle with today. We have to figure out how to navigate life in a way that we can work towards helping those who are being killed right now, but simultaneously live sustainably so we can function with our own personal responsibilities. When I speak to another Palestinian and see that they are not passionate about our people like I am, it is frustrating and confusing.

However, I’ve realized that a lot of the time I cannot blame these people for acting this way. Many Palestinians do not want to relive their traumas and talk or think about them, they’d rather forget it all to try to live ‘normal lives’. This apathy also doesn’t always stem from personal feelings but rather a defeatist condition forced on to us by the oppressor. From biased media coverage to complicit governments, I understand feeling silenced and unable.

“The biggest frustration I experience is the apathy of my own community.”

Ayla: What is one thing you like the most about the Free Palestine movement?

Tarik: On a personal level, it pushes you out of your comfort zone. If you organize, you gain an amazing amount of confidence through this self-growth…it allows for people to learn and grow to their greatest self. Collectively, Gaza has exposed everyone and everything. Palestine has become the central issue of injustice; it has exposed all the flawed Western systems of oppression and colonialism.

Ayla: What is one thing you dislike about the movement?

Tarik: Honestly, it’s an emotional burden. We are in these spaces because of something very violent and cruel — genocide. That is a crazy burden to always be carrying.

Ayla: Do you feel there’s enough awareness about Palestinian issues in Canada? What can be done to change this?

Tarik: Absolutely. Anyone claiming neutrality or siding with the oppressor is doing so consciously. Going on social media, this information will come to you. You don’t even have to look for it. So much of this genocide and aparthied is recorded. So there is ample awareness, just minimal action. 

Ayla: What misconceptions about your Palestinian activism do you wish people better understood?

Tarik: I think the biggest misconception is that people don’t understand how much injustice and oppression is tied to literally everything. When we talk about boycotts and protests, we’re not doing it for any reason, it's very specific. Palestinians have been experiencing this for more than 77 years. We have exhausted every method. So when we do a certain thing, it is very calculated and strategic. Someone may question why there is a protest in a specific time or place which seems to have zero ties to Palestine. However, what's usually the case is that there is a connection. The best example I can think of is universities. Why would students protest at universities? Well, many schools have unethical investments in companies and financial institutions that contribute to the oppression of Palestinians, like weapon manufacturers. Why is an educational system investing in violence against other students in Palestine? That doesn’t make sense.

Ayla: What changes would you like to see in the world as a result of your advocacy?

Tarik: Free Palestine obviously. I’m honestly just one person, so if you were to measure my individual contribution it's probably not much. But our collective contributions can be great. I’ve always dreamt of being part of a divestment campaign and to see my school contribute to the freeing of my people. But, the ultimate goal is Free Palestine.

“But, the ultimate goal is Free Palestine.”

Ayla: How do you see the role of young people in driving social and political change?

Tarik: I think there is such a large emphasis on our youth being the future. If the youth right now are willing to risk their careers, education and physical bodies to support human rights, imagine what they are going to be capable of when they are in positions of power and the leaders of tomorrow.

“If the youth right now are willing to risk their careers, education, and physical bodies to support human rights, imagine what they are going to be capable of when they are in positions of power and the leaders of tomorrow.”

Ayla: What advice would you give to other young people who want to make a difference?

Tarik: Just do it. There isn’t a right time or place or way to do anything. Whatever change you want to create, just do it. Do not wait for someone else to do it, no one is saving you. I have a personal experience to attest [to] this.

I am a very shy person. So for me, one of my highlights that pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to fight is a protest I participated in in November 2023. It was a university walk-out. Most people were posting about it on social media, some had [the] courage to announce it to their classes, but I took spreading the word to another level. I bought a green megaphone online, went to my uni library, and yelled at everyone to join the walk-out. I then went and did this in another place at my uni. Through this action, we were able to get a couple hundred to join our protest. But for my personal development, I want to say it changed my life. I was stuttering, shaking and even lost my vision, but the confidence I gained from this experience has been the catalyst for everything I’ve done since then.

“Whatever change you want to create, just do it. Do not wait for someone else to do it, no one is saving you.”

Ayla: What are some highlights/changes that you feel you’ve fertilized with your work?

Tarik: Definitely the university encampments. It is one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had in my life. I struggle to explain why, so I’ll just tell you what I saw and what I felt.

There was a particular moment where a group of anti-Zionist Jews organized a Shabbat dinner during the encampment. This was the second day, the night before the police brutalized us. I was under so much stress and worry, I was carrying the grief of my family and everyone else killed in Gaza, I was stressed about school and the assignments, I was so overworked I had not slept in days while everyone just kept nagging at me for direction, help, support, chants, interviews, meetings, phone calls and strategy. All the hatred I had faced by my peers and administrators, the threat of suspension or expulsion, and the threat of police brutality was all weighing on me. I was terrified and couldn't take in what was happening around me. But in that particular moment of the Shabbat dinner — families, students, faculty gathered, it was such a somber event, even though I was all over the place. People were drawing, feeding each other, helping each other, supporting each other, teaching each other, people were freeing each other. When dinner ended, I was confused to see people cry. I looked around at what we had created, and in that moment all the stress and worry I had just melted away, it was almost euphoric… but this euphoria allowed me to properly grieve. I’ve never felt so supported in my life, everyone was there to support me, my family, my people, hundreds of community members made the decision to partake in something so beautiful. I will never forget that moment, I saw our future. Even with all this said it still does not properly capture that movement.

Ayla: If you could send one message to people about Palestine, what would it be?

Tarik: Gaza will haunt you for the rest of your lives.