ALBAWABA - Two activists from Jordan have decided to give up their American honorary awards in protest against the United States' support for Israel's aggression in the Gaza Strip.
Hadeel Abdel Aziz, the Director of the Justice Center for Legal Aid, announced that she would be relinquishing the "International Women of Courage" award for 2023.
Meanwhile, Linda Kalash, the Director of the Tamkeen Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, announced that she would be giving up the "Heroes in the Battle of Human Trafficking" award, which she received in 2010.
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Abdel Aziz explained that she was choosing to abandon her award due to the United States' support for Israel's actions in Gaza.
The "International Women of Courage" award is presented by the US State Department to distinguished women worldwide who are actively working towards a better future for all.
The department acknowledged Abdel Aziz's role in the field of human rights, describing her as a frontline defender of the most vulnerable individuals in Jordan.
In an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Abdel Aziz stated that she had officially informed the American embassy in Amman of her decision to relinquish the award.
She believed that the award no longer represented courage or justice in light of the United States' complicity in Israel's human rights violations against Palestinians. For her, any kind of recognition or honor for human rights becomes meaningless.
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Abdel Aziz acknowledged that her action was just a small step, but she emphasized that it was part of a broader movement of individuals taking similar actions.
She argued that these collective stances contribute to revealing the truth and defending human rights on a larger scale. She believes that Western support for the aggression in Gaza has endangered human rights.
Linda Kalash, Director of the Tamkeen Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights, also followed suit and returned a 2010 award as a champion against human trafficking.
Kalash withdrew from the American fellowship program "Vital Voices" due to former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's supportive stance on the aggression against Gaza. She emphasized the need to uphold human rights principles, even if countries claiming to defend them commit violations.
