PALESTINIAN guest speakers visited Clarendon Academy in Trowbridge on Monday in the first of a series of talks arranged by the Bradford on Avon Friends of Palestine.

The group, which was established in May 2013, aims to promote dialogue and understanding between the people of west Wiltshire and the Palestinian people.

Guest speakers Jalal Khudiri, a youth and community leader, Shukri Talal Hamdi Aslan, a young law student, and Abdalrazeq Daraghma visited the school to run workshops with pupils in Year 10, before holding a discussion with sixth form students about Islamophobia.

Bradford on Avon Friends of Palestine (BOAFOP) sponsored the visit by raising £3,000 through crowd funding, after the group previously raised money for a visit from Palestinian dancers in 2013.

Friends member Nina Beaven said: “The Bradford on Avon Friends of Palestine funded the trip through crowd funding and other fundraising and we are delighted we managed to bring them over here.

“They spoke to students at Clarendon about their lives in Palestine and their attitudes about the situation that they are in, which was very interesting. Their message was a peaceful one and they said that hatred is not a useful emotion.

“It was an inspiring talk for the pupils and they did find it interesting. Many of them didn’t know a lot about the situation in Palestine, so it was a real eye opener and helped their understanding.

“The children have learnt so much from the talks, while they also had the opportunity to learn a traditional Palestinian dance, called Dabka, which they really enjoyed.”

As well as visiting Clarendon Academy, the three Palestinians have been to St Laurence and John of Gaunt schools this week and spoke to members of the public at Masons Hall in Bradford on Avon.

The visitors, who come from the Northern West Bank town of Tubas, will also be visiting Warminster School and Warminster Preparatory School next week, before heading home on April 27.

Mrs Beavan added: “They are going to events across the county over the next few days, working with various schools and other institutions within Wiltshire.

“All three men have done a lot of positive work in their communities and it was a unique opportunity to have them discuss contemporary issues with people throughout west Wiltshire.”