Translated, she said, " I don't want to touch about religion because for me, this has little to do with religion. We have to see this issue from the aspect of humanity. When we look at the picture of a headless Palestinian baby found in Gaza, we all feel sad. We imagine what if that baby is our child.."
She shared her opinion with the rest of her colleagues and I could see that everyone nodded in agreement. It was Saturday and the 50-odd teachers were attending a short one-day course to improve their teaching skills. I was fortunate; I happened to be at the right place at the right time.
The teacher's views about this issue is uncommon but it makes sense. The current situation in Gaza is no longer just about two different religious groups fighting over a territory. It has become an international concern when hundreds of innocent lives are lost in 2 weeks due to bombings by the Israelis. The Palestinians are not just Muslims. There are Christians too. The death toll has reached to 800 Palestinians dead and will continue to increase unless both parties stop fighting.
A bomb does not select its victims. Once its launched, it'd land on anyone- Christians, Muslims and aethists. As we know, civilians including children have been killed, maimed or injured. No child deserves to be treated the way the Israelis are treating Palestinian children. No mother deserves to watch her child injured or death, shot in the head by those heartless soldiers in the name of "protecting their own race".While we continue to pray for the Palestinians and curse the Israelis, we should also do what the lady teacher had done this morning. We should help to make our non-Muslim friends, neighbours and anyone we come in contact with realise that the situation in Gaza is an international concern. Anyone with a caring heart, whether they're Muslims, Christians, Hindus or of other religions and beliefs, should speak up for the Palestinians and insist on a ceasefire between the Israelis soldiers and Hamas.
If Muslims fight alone, we have only a voice but if we explain the real situation to our non-Muslim friends about the real need for a unified protest, insyaAllah we will have a stronger voice. The struggle of the Palestinians for their own land will never end unless the whole world unite and speak up for their rights. Islam is not in danger now for Allah swt will safeguard Islam. However, the lives of the innocent children in Gaza is in danger. The world peace is in danger. Humanity is in danger. Today the Palestinians are the victims. Tomorrow it could be another weak nation.
Talk to our Muslim and non-Muslim friends.
Explain the current situation to them so that the ignorant ones will no longer be ignorant; so that the 'I-don't-care' ones will start to care and that those who see this issue as a Muslim's fight will realise that this is a fight for justice. The Israelis care only for themselves.
So when asking people to help the Palestinians, please don't limit your dakwah to only Muslims. True Muslims will respond even without prompting but others may need true information about why we call the Palestinians "victims" and the Israelis as "aggressors".
Anyone with love in their hearts for another human being will want to help in any way they can, if they're not misinformed and misguided to believe that the fight for the Palestinians is only a fight of the Muslims.
It's not.
It's a fight for justice, a fight for humanity, and a fight for the future of the human race.
Yes I agree. This isn't just the Muslims' problem but a worldwide problem.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the UN, OIC and other organisations? Or is there something sinister behind their quietness?
Wallahu'alam...
Yes, you're right.
ReplyDeleteUN acts only as US's puppet, cannot take action against Israel.
Most of the Middle Eastern countries are controlled by some families or dictators which are very very close to the US..Just look at Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and almost the rest of them..
ReplyDeleteThey're willing to let all of these happen before their eyes as long as their political power is guaranteed, by their relationship with the US....Just look at how US treat these things differently..
Hamas which was elected through legal election and democracy,has never, ever been given a chance to develop Palestine as it wish..
but Saudi Arabia? Kuwait? Qatar? Egypt? Monarchy @ Dictator =Democracy????
Nazri, I won't venture into politics but I'll let you know what I think about the Palestinians in Gaza.
ReplyDeleteI don't like what the Israels had done to the Palestinians. But at the same time I think Hamas has innocent Palestinian blood in their hands too. Why?
ReplyDeleteI suppose you know the story of King Solomon when 2 women claimed to be the real mother of 1 child. King Solomon told them to cut the child into halves. The true mother was sad and refused to do so knowing the child would die and rather give her child to the other woman.
Why I relate this story to Hamas deeds? Israel claimed as long as Hamas launched rockets, they would continue to attack Gaza. Knowing thousands of their innocent people dying, regretfully mostly children, yet they continue to send rockets into Israel.They should have stopped the first instance they know that innocent people were killed. I would have stopped knowing if my deeds hurt innocent people. Or is it their idea of Jihad?
Israel is understandably heartless for the plight of Muslims. But Hamas? So called Muslims? Do they really care for their fellow Muslims?
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ReplyDeleteAssalamualaikum Syari & azlan,
ReplyDeleteAmboi, topik panas. It's alright to disagree. I'm proud of you both because you managed to have a debate without resorting to name-calling etc which are rampant in Malay forums and other blogs. We don't really know what's actually happening in Gaza now but the latest revelations have shown that there've been senseless killings of civilian Palestinians.
Richer Muslim countries don't help the Palestinians, dear. Why? Think! If they want to, they'd done it long ago, but their hands are tied die to what? Think again.
Hamas are elected by the people and should be given the chance to rule the country. Instead they're called terrorist,yet they're our Muslim brothers. I'm not living in Gaza but I were, perhaps I too would allow my sons to take up arms and my husband to go to war. Why? Because when one is pushed to the limit, when you're forced out of your own homes, not given medical treatment and you can't even trust your neighbours who might be moles,you have nothing bu to fight back. Yes, innocent children and women are killed but I believe they'll still be killed evn if there's no Hamas today.
If the Israel invade Malaysia, would you say stop fighting, don't launch rockets at the Israel so that lives of innocent children and women will be spared,try discussions, yet you watch your loved ones being massacred daily by the invading soldiers while the UN, OIC etc drag their feet?
You're entitled to your own opinion Syari but as a Muslim, I support Hamas.
Aliya, this will be my last comment on this matter don't worry. :) . I understand as Muslims, we have to support fellow Muslims. Maybe Hamas is helping their people but I just don't agree on how they handled this so call "defending" their people.
ReplyDeleteIf M'sia is under attack I would say defend. But we also have to see how much we can defend.
I give a simple example. If we have revolvers (Hamas had only small amount of rockets) and our enemies have bazookas (Israel had big tanks and military aircraft).
Would you still shoot using your revolver hitting one of them but they use this as an excuse to retaliate by bombing and killing hundreds of your innocents? In Malay, bukan nak pertahan tapi nak cari nahas! That's not defending, but putting your own people in jeopardy.
You should know when to stop if you know you can only kill a few of your enemy when the enemy killed thousands of your people! Is that defending?? If no International pressure I really cannot imagine what would happen to more poor Palestinian civilians!
Yes Palestinians are being persecuted even before this conflict. But the way Hamas handled this conflict this time, it gave more opportunity for Israel to massacre their people by the thousands.
Even some Palestinians are angry at Hamas too because Hamas resisted to stop launching rockets!
20 over days the Israel offensive which could have ended earlier.... Israel said as long rockets being launched to Southern Israel they would keep attacking. Hamas should have stopped launching rockets (Tak guna kalau tembak pun tak kena kan?? cuma kasi sebab lagi Israel nak serang)
I am not supporting Israel. I am angry at both Israel and Hamas militants. I really hope Israel will be charged for committing a war crime. But I also hope Palestinians would choose better leaders who would think of their people first before doing something.