I speak for many in the Muslim community when I say that I have no words that properly encapsulate how I feel at the moment- shocked, devastated, guilty, helpless, betrayed. I cannot even begin to comprehend the horrors happening to our brothers and sisters in Gaza and the West Bank.
I feel overwhelmed just watching videos and I cannot ever imagine that I would see these horrific scenes before my eyes or experience them; the patience and strength of the Palestinian people is so uniquely powerful.
So many videos show up on my social media page- brothers embracing, found dead under the rubble, a girl smiling and thanking God, her leg amputated, a little girl screaming in disbelief that she needs her mum who has been martyred, a pregnant woman who prays that there will be peace before she gives birth, a young boy crying next to his father as they carry his martyred younger brother.
More than 16,000 Palestinians have been violently killed and unfortunately by the time you read this, that number will probably be larger. How many more innocent people need to be killed for the world to finally call for a ceasefire?
How is it possible that those who call for a ceasefire are called terrorists? The very nature of opposing a ceasefire is terrorism because it condones violence, because it sees no limit to the Palestinian blood that needs to be shed, people that need to be murdered, children that need to be orphaned.
Israel is a terrorist state and yet somehow it has convinced the world that it is the humane one, that it is the moral one, after all they warn civilians before they bomb their buildings, they only target refugee camps, schools, hospitals and residential buildings because they are all Hamas bases.
And when the Palestinian people reject this inhumane justification, when the reasoning for Hamas’ presence is so clearly fabricated and when the occupational regime targets ‘safe zones’ and areas in Southern Gaza that were supposedly safe the world does not believe them.
The genocide enabling president of the United States, Joe Biden, had the utter inhumanity and insensitivity to question the death toll earlier, to say that Hamas had exaggerated their numbers and in response a list was issued by Gaza’s health ministry with 6,747 people killed in the Israeli attacks, including 2,665 children.
Thousands of deaths represent not just numbers but innocent people.
People like Al-Shaima Saidam, who received a 99.6% average in her examinations, celebrated as Palestine’s top schooler.
Like Besan Helasa, a 19 year old medical student who was killed with her mother and siblings.
Like 5 year old Iyad AbdelAziz Asker who was killed at a refugee camp.
Like 13 year old Hala Abu Sa’da who dreamed of being a singer.
There are thousands of other innocent lives that have been robbed by Israel.
May Allah reward the martyrs and their families and hold their oppressors accountable. May the world wake up and see this destruction.
I encourage you all to follow the content of leading Palestinian voices, such as @motaz_azaiza and @wizard_bisan1.
If you are a young person like myself I would also encourage you to enter this writing competition run by @iwwayouth, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgt74wD_EmrcBibLWj3xRNKsYzC_fsyTNU93tMOvSWt2Lr1w/viewform.
We will always remember the bravery of the Palestinian people.
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