SAD leader Umama rejects US award honouring women of July Uprising over ties to attack on Palestine
Umama Fatema, spokesperson of the Students Against Discrimination, has rejected an award conferred upon all women who played a role during the July uprising by the US State Department's 'International Women of Courage' programme.
Yesterday (29 March) night, Umama Fatema announced her decision to decline the award through a Facebook post. She stated that the US State Department's 'International Women of Courage' Award 2025 has nominated female activists for special recognition in honour of their contributions to the July uprising. Under this recognition, the 'Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award' has been bestowed upon all women involved in the movement. She also cited the official statement from the awarding authority in her post.
She further mentioned that the award ceremony is scheduled for 1 April, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump will present the awards.
Explaining her reasons for rejecting the award, Umama Fatema stated, "Collective recognition of women activists is highly honorable for us. However, this award has been used to directly endorse Israel's brutal attack on Palestine in October 2023. By justifying Israel's assault while ignoring Palestine's freedom struggle, the award's neutrality has been compromised. The Palestinian people have long been deprived of their fundamental human rights, including their right to land. In solidarity with Palestine's independence struggle, I am personally rejecting this award."
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The Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award would be given to a valiant group of women who were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024.
According to the US State Department, they demonstrated extraordinary bravery, including standing between security forces and male protestors in spite of threats and violence.
