Dear Editor,
We must pursue peace to lead society toward development and prosperity. The thousands of wars between nations that have occurred at various levels and during all periods are documented in history. Living in a nation where our citizens are protected, our land belongs to us, and where we can go to bed at night in the blissful ignorance of not having to worry about our homes blown to pieces prevents us from actually understanding what war is. We will never really comprehend what it is like to be awakened by explosions and strikes or to see your loved ones crushed beneath the debris of your own home. We will never be able to comprehend how it feels to have our land, our house, possessions, and loved ones taken away while everyone else does nothing. We fall asleep to the sounds of frogs and crickets chirping, a gentle breeze, and the happy prospect of waking up in good health. But Palestinians cannot lead such a life.
In Israel and the Gaza Strip we have seen unspeakable devastation and tragedy. There have been thousands of fatalities, injuries, and displacements. But make no mistake, the newsworthy events of the present have been occurring for the previous century. In Gaza, the UN has said that water, food, fuel, medical supplies, and even body bags are running out due to the siege. Neighbourhoods have been destroyed and turned into complete rubble. Hospitals, places of worship and refugee camps have been bombed. Palestinians in search of safety have nowhere to go. Many of those who relocated from northern Gaza to the south after the relocation order by the Israeli army were bombed as they attempted to flee. It is astounding how sensitive and naive people have become, believing anything and anything without much consideration, inquiry, or comprehension. It is very hard to describe how disheartening it is to have to constantly demonstrate to humanity that people are worthy of having the right to exist in their own country.
Of all, this is little in comparison to those who have been imprisoned and under occupation since 1948. It is even more painful to have to rely on people of influence to use their platform in favour of Palestinians: in favour of the oppressed. And make no mistake, hand wringing about both sides and whataboutism, equivocation, even silence, is not neutrality. It is taking a stance without the spine to call it that. Condemn the brutalization of bodies. By all means do. There is no justification for killing. But if you are going to condemn one side, then it is worth asking yourself if brutalization is acceptable to you. Tell the truth to yourself without discrepancy and own it. Do not try to obfuscate the whole thing with talks of complex histories and religious scriptures. Palestinians are tired of trying to prove their existence.
Your reluctance to wholeheartedly support Palestine, your deafening silence in the face of the excruciating suffering endured by the Palestinian people, and your adamant refusal to label Israel for what it undeniably is – a heartless, colonialist, settler-driven state – implicates you deeply in the problem. Your voice and stance wield extraordinary influence, so I implore you to dive deep into the unfiltered truth. Do the research. Do the work. Refuse to be ensnared by the falsehoods perpetuated by Western media, which almost ALWAYS aligns itself with Israel’s interests. It is time that we extend the liberating truth of justice to yet another marginalized voice in society; that we leverage the expertise and willingness of an elite institution with a capacity for empathy towards the Palestinian struggle for freedom.
If we allow this neglect of Palestine to revel in blissful ignorance any longer, we undercut any movement, domestic or international, focused on opposing state-sponsored brutality. As Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It is about time that we rally around this commitment to intersectionality – around the Palestinian struggle for freedom. As Nelson Mandela said, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of Palestinians.” It is about time that we start holding each other accountable for the neglect of the Palestinian identity and for reducing the Palestinian cause to hushed discussions. It is about time that we start talking about Palestine. Civilians are not bargaining chips. The cycle of violence against innocent civilians needs to stop.
We leave with you a heart-wrenching poem by the Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish. The war will end. The leaders will shake hands. The old woman will keep waiting for her martyred son. That girl will wait for her beloved husband. And those children will wait for their heroic father. I don’t know who sold our homeland. But I saw who paid the price.
Sincerely,
Nazar Mohamed
