Children of War

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi (Indian Philosopher, internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest, 1869-1948)
It is not with delight that I post this message but it is with an intention of highlighting what we remain oblivious to. The suffering of so many in Palestine and amongst them are the "children of war". I have not the understanding of where to start or what exactly to say. As I keep asking myself, what can I possibly say that will do any justice to their plight? Nothing comes to mind...

We have only to open our eyes and the tears will begin to flow. My tears cannot help them but hopefully my prayer is sincere enough to be heard by Allah, ya Rab. One cannot understand why it was and is still being done but in the world that exists today men without reasoning are the most influential.
I share this video that should be seen. I urge you to take the time and see it. It would be advised to keep a box of tissues nearby and if it does not become necessary then your heart is most definitely made of stone.

Let us all make a prayer and pledge to help these children in any way that we can. We are the adults of today so let us give the children who will be the adults of tomorrow a chance. May God protect and ease the sufferings of all the people of Palestine especially the children ameen ya Rab. Help these people to remain strong and endure whatever hardships they may still have to go through. Help them to see reason when there is none. Fill their hearts with forgiveness and hope. Remove from them hate and revenge. Inspire them with peace and love. Protect them from the onslaught of the wicked and defend them from the evils of that which surrounds them. Keep a watchful eye over them and remain as their guardian throughout their days. Prepare for them a beautiful place in this world and in the hereafter , Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbul Alameen.



"I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?"" ~Eve Merriam
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Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Beauty Unseen

"Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears." ~ Edgar Allen Poe~

The beauty that is seldom seen often makes one oblivious to its existence. To ensure reality does not morph into disbelief we should keep reminding ourselves of all unseen beauty. I would like to focus on one such beauty that is currently being plundered and confiscated. It is sad indeed that we can only appreciate such beauty in lifeless pictures, for many of the scenes that you will see herein are only a memory of what once was. Nevertheless, I thought it valuable to share this beauty with you. What beauty am I speaking of? It is the sacred beauty of Palestine...

"Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone." ~Roy R. Gilson ~

~*~Beauty Unseen~*~




































~*~

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"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." ~ Kahlil Gibran~

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~Hellen Keller ~

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." ~Rumi ~

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue


Shadia Mansour - Tribute to Mahmoud Darwish

Kulna Ghazza

Kulna Ghazza

My first blog post for the year 2009 is dedicated to Falesteen…


La Hawla wa La Quwatta Illah Billah ~ There is no power or might except from God

These past days have left me feeling desolate and helpless. Today is the 10th day of the recent upsurge of aggression on the Palestinians. As I turn on the news channel or read an article my emotions run high and I cannot understand why a ceasefire hasn’t been put into effect till date. It’s almost two (2) weeks, since it started and yet the aggression is increasing in intensity and frequency. I cannot turn off my feelings with the touch of a remote control and I feel obliged to help in whatever way I can. Of what help can I be? Though it seems useless as all I can do is watch, my conscience does not permit me to lay back and leave slander to prevail or actions of the innocent undefended. It is the least that I can do from where I am but my heart is with Gaza…I take my heart and throw with you.

This recent siege reminds me of the US led war in Iraq to which Iraqis still remain crippled, with more than a million dead. It seems this sort of bullying at the cost of lives is common in history. I can think of many other instances, just recently the Russians were forcing an entry into Georgia and what of the Native Americans of North America; they still remain in “reserves” to this date.
However there was one particular siege that remains to this day an admirable achievement. The conquest of Makkah, where 10,000 muslims strong marched unto the streets of Makkah after being persecuted for years in unimaginable ways. The Makkans cowered in their houses expecting the inevitable as people tend to judge and expect others to act by their own standards. It would be known as the single ever siege that had not even one drop of blood. The Makkans were all pardoned and allowed to stay in Makkah with all of their belongings.

As for the siege that we are witnessing now, the same can definitely not be said. Within minutes into the ground offensive in Gaza, the death rate escalated. What I cannot stomach is how many people remain ignorant to the reality of the crisis. Some are justifying the Israeli’s actions as one “target specific” in retaliation to acts of terrorism from the Hamas on their own population. They say its defence. Which brings me to another point, I don’t think much people know what defence means anymore. I will take this opportunity to re-educate some…
defence
(US defense)
• noun 1- the action of defending from or resisting attack.
Then may I now ask, how can you call this defence? The Israeli’s say they are defending their population against years of random terrorist acts by the Palestinians and what of the attacks on the Palestinian population. A terror act is definitely an atrocious act and I do not condone such no matter who is carrying it out. However in isolation, it cannot be viewed as an eminent attack (i.e. in succession) that requires such defensive action and therefore cannot justify the present Israeli actions. How are the actions of the Israel going to bring back peace and stability? The greater question should be what are their intentions because certainly it is not to the benefit of the palestinian people. It is now 60 years and counting and Israel is still defending? This is open aggression in the offensive, in a bid as they say to eradicate the “threat”. The “threat” seems to include children under the age of 15 which is by the way 45 % of the total population of Palestinians. There are 1.5 million Palestinians concentrated in Gaza which was the last place of refuge for them in what was once their home. Now tell me how accurate and precise can the Israeli intelligence and their rockets be? Yet there are many who can’t seem to understand what is going on and swallow everything they are told, like a food manic after being unable to eat for some hours. Here is an analogy that I hope will make things a bit clearer…
“Don’t judge a person until you can walk in their shoes”


Put yourself in their shoes for a moment…
You are an average Palestinian with a family of 5, three children and a spouse who mean the world to you. You were evicted from your home where generations of your family have lived for and now forced to live in a refugee camp. You’ve lost a lot of loved ones during the years. There has been years upon years of fighting and terror groups attacking both Palestinians and Israelis. One such group, has allegedly fired a rocket into Israel wounding civilians. You sympathise their loss and you fear the worse in retaliation. Your expectations are proved right and now you are being fired upon by the Israeli army in its full force.
Now you are viewed as responsible for terror attacks by some ignorant people around the world, since people of your nationality have carried them out.
Is this truly a war against terror? To me it seems like genocide.

If this still fails to bring it home to you then at least I tried in my humble attempt.

Overcrowded hospitals, insufficient staff, medical supplies and accommodations with a continuous pouring-in of new casualties, is any doctors worst nightmare. Even in this desperate need for help, some countries are refusing to allow the wounded treatment and the Israelis have enforced a blockade. I have just read a comment from a certain individual that seems to think there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza and their hospitals are well stocked with medical supplies and the people have way more than enough to eat… :) Please educate yourself I beg of you!
People are dying as we speak at least we can all unite in a common prayer for peace and stop the epidemic of ignorance.
Join the cause for Peace and Ceasefire and let the violence end. I do believe people still have the right to Life, don’t you?

Blogging with Purpose,
Mariamlelue

Youtubers Against the Gaza massacre

External Links:
Updates from Hatem, a palestinian -
Read his diary from Gaza posted on BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7802295.stm
Watch Hatem's Video live from Gaza:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7810290.stm

More info:
http://www.hahmed.com/blog/2009/01/04/humanitarian-crisis-in-gaza/
http://muslimmatters.org/2009/01/04/action-gaza-can-we-spare-60-minutes-can-we-walk-the-talk/
http://sabbah.biz/mt/
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-38459.html
http://fromgaza.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/palestinejustice
http://ahmedbedier.blogspot.com/
http://www.urgence-gaza.com/
U.N. confirms 30 die in Israeli strike near Gaza school:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28404637/
Venezuela expels Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen and other Israeli Diplomats:
http://www.aztlan.net/venezuela_expels_jews.htm
Avi Shlaim: How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/07/gaza-israel-palestine
CNN Confirms Israel Broke Ceasefire First:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4&e

Sign the petitions:
http://petition.cair.com/
http://www.petitiononline.com/gaza2812/
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/938380652?z00m=18948122
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/97.php?cl_tf_sign=1
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/37?m=464521fc
Creation of a Special Tribunal to try Israeli War Criminals: http://www.petitiononline.com/EAFORD09/petition.html
Vote for Gaza:

http://www.israel-vs-palestine.com/
For Uncensored Media Coverage:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=80443&sectionid=351020202
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/

World in Crisis

World in Crisis

As I turn on the television, a “window to the world”, I’m overwhelmed with what I see. My natural inclination is to update myself with the happenings of the world in which I live. I see President Obama already on a tight schedule, as he rushes in and out of shiny, black limousines in his newest portfolio. The hub is over and now he faces the greatest challenge in his 4 year term at the white house; Recession is eminent, international ties are estranged and the people need someone accountable, accompanied with the backdrop of “bad” politics associated with the last presidential office. America has fallen from its grace; the world sees it as power-hungry bully. President Obama, I wish you all the best. May a change come but not at the expense of life or hope, a change that can fuel sustainable growth.

44th President of USA

There is mass fear of a disease epidemic as tens of thousands gather just outside the United Nations base in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tutsi and Hutu Rebel fighters along with Government militia battle against each other as hundreds are killed in the cross fire. Men of fighting age are dragged out of their homes and shot dead in the pretext that they belong to an opposing rebel group. Thousands are displaced estimated at as much as quarter of a million as they flee on foot with a few basic belongings. They gather around the UN base, some there for two days now and no relief has been sent yet. While the government leaders meet in Nairobi with UN Secretary Ki-moon, a call for ceasefire yet death is knocking on the door of the Congolese civilians with each day that passes.

Mass displacement in DR Congo - Fleeing War

The Israeli army are called to account for the contents of an amateur video posted on youtube showing a Palestinian man blind-folded and mocked as he is made to repeat derogatory statements about himself. The Israeli army says it doesn’t condone such actions and will make a “full” investigation into it yet a leading Israeli human rights group says "many instances of abuse are not exposed because they have become the norm". It is common practice where Palestinians are mocked, verbally and physically abused along the Israeli border under the nose of informed authorities. It was conveniently pulled off youtube but a portion of the footage with English captioning is viewable on BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7716050.stm

Palestinian man humiliated by Israeli soldiers

The remarkable resilience of an Iraqi book seller is featured as he starts over his business of selling books. His customers are increasing as he lays a temporary stand on the side of a once busy trading street. He is Nasser Hussain and he represents the true strength of a people under siege from failed governance to the refusal of the US in pulling out their troops. The figure till date stands at 1,284,105 Iraqi deaths due to the US Invasion and the figure continues to rise.

US Invasion of Iraq

The world is on the brink of an economic disaster as foreign states try their best to consolidate to reduce its impact. An unlikely duo of Russia and China has started collaborating, a partnership of convenience rather than mutual interest. Will there be a shift of the “super power” from the west to the east, as Asia makes it stake on the world’s economy. Only time will tell as we remain spectators in a rate race for power and financial acquisition.

President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev and China's President Hu Jintao

Locally, after a domestic dispute a father mixes lannate, a chemical insecticide, with soft-drink and gives it to his 2 year old daughter and later he himself ingests the poisonous concoction with alcohol. A quick fix to silence his grievances as both toddler and father are to have their last rites performed. A family is literally torn apart and the general public are left stunned.


Police officers and relatives restrain a distraught Lisa Ramdeen at the scene where the bodies of her husband and two-year-old daughter were found. Police said it was a murder-suicide.

Fifteen minutes of my time spent watching these events and I cannot continue the pastry dessert I was priorly eating to my heart’s content.
I feel a sense of gratitude for where I am, as I am made aware of the World I live in …a World truly in crisis.
Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue



Barack Obama as a child with Kenyan born father and American mother

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Iraqi women mourn the dead as US raid kills 3
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Former President of Russia Vladimir Putin and China's President Hu Jintao
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External Links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7715861.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7715936.stm