If there was ever a time to demand a greater understanding of the British colonial legacy in the Middle East, this is it. Social media has been aflood with videos of conflict in Palestine and Israel, but very few understand how this oppressive situation came to be. We are told silence is violence, but how can we expect anything else when we are not teaching our children the role Britain has played in creating this disaster? 

Almost all of the Middle East, including Palestine, was once controlled by the British. It has defined the region for over half a century and yet, most British people are unaware of its relevance. This needs to change.

I have started this petition as I believe, like so many others, that Britain’s colonial past in the Middle East cannot and should not be excluded from the narrative. Currently, to understand this history is a privilege or a bittersweet consequence of having your family history defined by it. As a Palestinian woman who lives in the UK, I often feel like I am having to affirm why my life and that of my family matters. As I mourn the loss of my family and friends, I am simultaneously required to educate people on the situation. 

A change in the curriculum may not solve the conflict, but it is the first step in making a difference. Education on Britain’s role in the Middle East allows us to understand how the current situation came to be, while challenging the racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic misinformation that characterises people’s understanding of the current situation. 

Join me in calling for the Government to include education on Britain’s role in the Middle East in the History curriculum.