There was a story in the news some years ago about a woman who was attacked on a train. She said the trauma of her attack was almost surpassed by the fact that not one person who was in earshot of her cries for help attempted to assist her. She said she felt her attacker totally disregarded her humanity by subjugating her to his greater physical strength and that the actions of her fellow passengers confirmed her lack of significance.

This illustrates just one of the many reasons why the action of the Sussex students who travelled to Palestine was so important and necessary: To say to those people occupied, victimised and traumatised that they are not sub-human. That, despite the actions of our own Government and that of Ariel Sharon, there are numerous others elsewhere who care they are subjected to these injustices and believe they are not inconsequential.

-Iman Hashim, Bedford Square, Brighton