GARIIF 23: Caliph Solidarity with Palestine Run 2023

By Mohammad Shahziq Saleem

GOMBAK, 22 December 2023: With the aim of showing solidarity with Palestine, the organiser of the Global Arabic Islamic Annual Festival 2023 (GARIIF 23), the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, in collaboration with Student Facilitating Front (STUFF) hosted the Caliph Solidarity with Palestine Run on 16 December 2023, at IIUM Gombak campus.

The goal of the event was to promote GARIFF 23 and to raise funds as donations for the people of Palestine.

Around 170 participants gathered at the IIUM Culture Centre (ICC) for the three kilometre run. 

The opening ceremony started with a speech by the Head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, AHAS KIRKHS of the IIUM, Prof. Dr. Asem Shehadeh Saleh Ali, where he presented on the tragic situation in Palestine. He then inaugurated the programme.

Before the run started, participants warmed up in the energizer session. The route that the participants went through for the run started from ICC, and proceeded with the main road, then they went up the hill at Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology (KICT), and the final stop was back at ICC again.

“For every participant that registered, RM1 will be donated to Utijarah Sdn Bhd, which will send purchase basic needs and send them to the people in Palestine,” said Br. Sharil Sulaiman, Vice President II of STUFF cum Assistant Manager of the programme.

After the run, there was a qunut nazilah session, where participants made dua for the people in Palestine. 

Lastly, before closing the event, participants called for the freedom of Palestine through chants.

Participants were also given Caliph Solidarity Palestine Run Official t-shirts, Palestine Run headbands and exclusive medals. ***