Palestinian student who faces deportation over October 7 comments insists she was not referring to Hamas
17 May 2024, 19:50 | Updated: 17 May 2024, 19:57
Tom Swarbrick speaks to Dana Abu Qamar
A Palestinian student who faces deportation over her remarks about October 7 has insisted she was not referring to Hamas.
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Dana Abuqamar, 19, was filmed at a protest one day after the attack describing how she was “full of joy” and “proud that Palestinian resistance has come to this point”.
The Manchester University law student has since had her visa revoked, with the Home Office citing reasons of “public safety”.
But Ms Abuqamar said that her "words were taken out of context".
Speaking to LBC's Tom Swarbrick on Friday, she said: "I do not mention Hamas, I do not mention that I condone the killing of any innocent civilians, my words were taken completely out of context.
"No logical person can conclude that I was supporting harm to any innocent civilians based on the context that was given."
When asked what she was "full of pride" about, Ms Abuqamar said: "The breaking of the siege on Gaza, which was put in place on Gaza illegally for over 16 years."
She went on to say: "Palestinian resistance in itself is an action. Resistance is consistent with international law.
"It does not concern me what Hamas was doing, I was referring to Palestinian resistance. I was referring to resistance that is consistent with international law and the specific act of breaking through the siege.
She added: "I was not referring to any group."
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Tom Swarbrick's nuanced take on the Palestinian student who had her visa revoked
Ms Abuqamar has said she plans to appeal the decision.
She told Al Jazeera: “Essentially the Home Office claims that my presence in the UK threatens national security; they have said that the statements that I've made support some sort of extremist views.
“Keep in mind, I am a 19-year-old law student – all I have done in life is go to school and receive an education and advocate for social justice.”
She called the decision “completely baseless”.
The Home Office said it does not comment on individual cases.
She accused officials of “oppression” adding that she now feels freedom of expression does “not apply to ethnic minorities, particularly Muslims and Palestinians like myself”.
During the October 8 protest she was interviewed and told Sky News: “We are full of pride. We are really, really full of joy (at) what has happened.... We are proud that Palestinian resistance has come to this point.”
She later told the BBC that her comments had been “misrepresented” adding: “The death of any innocent civilian should not be condoned ever and we don't condone it at all.”
