Their lives and Ours!

 They wake up alarmed; we wake up to alarms.

They realise they’re still alive; we enjoy our lives.

They search for food; our fridges are stocked.

They queue up for water; we refresh in showers.

They’re grateful to get dry bread; we have an abundance.

They starve; we feast.

They’re scared; we live carefree.

They strive to survive; we strive to prosper.

They've nowhere to go; we have the entire world.

Their belongings are just what they wear; ours are unending.

They fear for their children's lives; we plan for our children’s lifetime.

They sleep in the open; we relish the comfort of our homes.

They shiver; we have warmth.

Their nights are sleepless; we sleep throughout.

They live in the ruins and dust; we can't stand the dust in our homes.

They've lost hope; our dreams are boundless.

They see only grey and red; we enjoy the beauty of rainbows.

They count their dead; do we count our blessings?

We bury our dead; UNDER RUBBLE, MANY OF THEM GET BURIED ALIVE!

Eyes, Void of Life

 Was he a day, or a week old? And was the baby 'he' or 'she'? What difference does it make? It was a baby, an infant who had, perhaps not even tasted a morsel of solid food.

When was he born? Who are his parents? Where are they? Are they alive? Or died with him? Or died before? Did he even have a name? Could he see his parents and siblings? Unanswered questions cascade through my thoughts.

All that can be seen is his little face, an open mouth with toothless gum, dry lips, a dimpled chin, and a straight nose. And, of course, his eyes! Half-open, tired, without hope, AND DEAD!   Those eyes, that once, would have been bright and shiny at birth, darting from one object to the other. But now, it is so painful to see them. They are so poignant. Once you see them, you won’t be able to forget. And you shouldn’t! Those eyes should keep us awake. Because we have been witness to those eyes becoming lifeless! They demand attention, a lingering reminder of our impotence in preserving that spark.

I hope the mother preceded the infant in departure. Pessimistic, yes. How else could she bear to witness those luminous eyes dimming, life slipping away?

May those eyes torment the oppressors, robbing them of sleep. May the haunting gaze be an eternal companion, a relentless memory of lives extinguished. May those who orchestrated this demise never escape the haunting image of silenced voices, like this baby, who never uttered a single word.

Gaza's New Normal: The Horrors of Genocide

While the rest of the world is busy with their normal lives, there are about 2.3 million people, for whom the whole definition of ‘normal’ has changed - a normalisation of once inconceivable horrors. 

For the past two months, for them, it has become a new normal:

• to hear the non-stop and deafening sounds of bombs 

• to see the reduction of their once-standing havens (homes, businesses, schools, hospitals) to desolate rubbles.

It has become agonisingly routine:

• to witness continuously, the demise of their family members, relatives and friends

• to starve, to just have a few sips of water in days

• to sleep under the open sky

• to just run for their lives

In this stark reality, the once unimaginable has become customary:

• to hear cries for help from under the rubbles of weighty concrete of what was once the very place where one could stay safe

• to flee for safety (which of course, is nowhere)

• to see the new-borns throwing their arms around in their incubators, and then go still, forever

• to carry the injured in their arms, and see them breath their last

• to bury the dead, not just in ones, but in masses

• to hallucinate while awake

• to abruptly wake up frightened

It has become normal to die, nay, to be KILLED!

(Underlined blue fonts are links to related news/articles.)

Children's Day?

 15.11.2023

While children were celebrating “Children’s Day” here in India on 14th November, the same day there were children in Gaza who had just lost everything – parents, family members, friends, relatives, their own limbs, and in many cases their lives (till 14th November, 4650 children). 1755 children have not yet been traced. Many lie injured.

Jason Lee, Save the Children's Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, says: "Babies are being born into a nightmare, a humanitarian catastrophe. Their families are being cut off from the basics. Premature babies dying in incubators. …The violence must stop. We need a ceasefire. We need it now."

Living in makeshift and flimsy tents the children are exposed to outbreaks of disease and harsh natural conditions. It has rained heavily recently and winter is soon approaching.

#GazaChildren

#Gaza    

G is for 'Gaza', not for 'Genocide'

 14.11.2023

We are witnessing genocide right now. The Palestinians, who accommodated the Jews decades ago, are being subjected to the most inhuman treatment and torture by the Zionists. Bombs are falling almost every minute. A person is injured every two minutes and killed every 4 minutes. There are about 50,000 women in different stages of their pregnancies. Every day about 200 babies come into this hellish environment called Gaza. Babies are getting killed in the hospitals by bombs as well as lack of treatment. And the bombs on the hospitals, they are not by accident. Homes, schools, hospitals, roads, nothing remain!

Living in the rubble with a risk to their lives every moment, we just can’t imagine the plight of these people. No food, no water, no electricity, no medicines. Perhaps their tear ducts would have long dried. Just how much can a heart bear the loss of dear ones – one, two, five, ten – 42 members of the same family!!! Yes, it is hard to believe but it is true https://www.ndtv.com/.../israel-gaza-hamas-palestine-42....

No amount of statistics can convey their sufferings. And we are helpless, just watching, hearing and counting, the dead, the dying, and those living like dead. Death, that brings grief and sorrow for those left behind. But what when there is hardly anyone left to mourn. Yes, this is what is happening, entire families are being wiped out as if they never existed.

While the Governments all over the world, except for a few, watch. No, sorry, not just watch! They encourage the oppressors to do more, supplying them with more funds, more weapons, and more excuses, so that they continue the massacre of even those who left their homes to save themselves, and as per the tyrant’s commands. Yes, these Governments, having double standards, and hiding behind their ulterior motives, have lost their moral grounds to be so called.

But the patience that we see in the Palestinians, their belief, their destiny, their hope, in the Almighty, Subhan Allah. They don’t mourn, they thank Allah, for the dead have been accepted by Him as “Shaheed”, a martyr.

Thousands of kilometres away from them, we can just try to feel their plight, pray for them, and boycott the business of those who support the Zionist agenda.

My appeal to you, join this boycott call.

#Gaza