Israel boycotters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The issue of human rights is very alluring. It appeals to our conscience and sense of altruism, but what happens when organizations and individuals who claim to be concerned with the cause of human rights discriminate against the rights of others?

Okay, the jig is up. You all know who I am talking about. BDS – the so called Boycott Divestment and Sanction movement. Only it should be renamed “we only care about boycotting Israel and accusing them of heinous crimes like Apartheid, and screw those other folks like the Yazidis, Christians, and Syrians who could really use our help.” But then again, that would make for a rather long and confusing acronym.

It seems like those aforementioned peoples, who are in dire need of a voice, are not the subjects of marches, rallies – and t-shirts!

Cut to South Africa – it really is the epicenter of BDS, as it’s where BDS burst onto the global stage at the 2001 UN Conference – and the latest drama playing out is t-shirt-gate. Now I know that you are scratching your heads wondering what I am going on about but it exposes another hypocritical double standard that the BDS movement is guilty of.

BDS South Africa poster child, Mohamed Desai, was asked to leave a popular Johannesburg gym for wearing a BDS t-shirt that read “From the coast of Cape Town to the coast of Gaza, in solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli apartheid.” See video clip here. 

Mr Desai and his cohorts are guilty of the following: singing “Shoot the Jew” at a rally, harassing and bullying staff and shoppers at Woolworths stores, intimidating and even bribing student leaders who visited Israel recently, amongst other belligerent activities. Desai is now taking t-shirtgate to the South African Human Rights Commission.

This is a prime example of the hideous double standards employed by this movement. Yeah, they are a movement alright – one that may require a latrine.

These same self-righteous people are silent on Syria, the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, the flagrant abuse of Yazidis, and the rape, mutilation, and torture of women by ISIS. Not a peep out of the mouths of this bunch. No marches, no demonstrations, and no boycotts. This honour is reserved only for Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

At a time when Jews have been shot while touring museums and doing their Shabbat shopping, there is nothing remotely dismissive or funny about singing songs like shoot the Jew. Why is it that every time BDS want to make a point of something or protest some terrible abuses, their activities invariably result in anti-Semitism?

BDS is quite frankly anti-peace. Bullyboy tactics and double standards are contra to any peace loving individual who wants to see a just and negotiated settlement reached in the Middle East. Discourse is the only way, and boycotts and inflammatory speech destroy that.

I appeal to any peace loving, sane person to not believe the bulls*** spouted by these hate mongers. Don’t let them polarize your community or import conflicts into your country; rather give a voice to those who have no advocates speaking or marching on their behalf. Nobody will be offended by any t-shirt displaying a peace sign.