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Sumud: Each Gen Has Its Gem

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  Sumud: Each Gen Has Its Gem (This essay was published on December 13th, 2024, in the Arrow: A Journal of wakeful Society, Culture & Politics. ) “We have another wisdom: it comes from those who have seen the nightmare of racism and oppression in the banal daylight of the everyday. They represent an idea of action and agency more complex than either the nihilism of despair or the Utopia of progress. They speak of the reality of survival and negotiation that constitutes the moment of resistance, its sorrow and salvation, but is rarely spoken in the heroisms or the horrors of history.” [1] As a Palestinian growing up in the West Bank during various phases of the struggle, I was introduced to the concept of Sumud, which embodies many forms and shapes of collective and individual resilience. The resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of adversity is a hidden asset that can be unearthed, molded, and utilized to sustain values a person or community holds dear. Sumud has tak...
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The Sacrifice: Two Fronts. The Trojan Horse of Gaza: A Red Heifer?

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  The Sacrifice: Two Fronts   The Trojan Horse of Gaza:  A Red Heifer? Even though the assault on Gaza is such an obvious and openly displayed horror, the level of silence and the seeming paralysis to act can be understood as terrifying and puzzling unless the role of religion is examined and understood along with the political and economic interests. The role of religion is rarely discussed openly because faith cannot be nudged in any direction. Its believers do not compromise; astonishingly, the leaders of the three religions in the region ask for hardship as a necessary ingredient for salvation. This religious component is present in the ongoing slaughter in Gaza.   Religion  is the unexplored terrain, the steep fall into a 2000-year-old conversation. It acts as the hidden ink with which the social contract is written between the political state and cultural identity. In my opinion, this part perpetuates the silence and exposes the unspoken supremacy that t...
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Gaza Has Fragmented Me

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  Gaza Has Fragmented Me Pile of Emotions: Part two I am sharing my soul’s pain about Gaza. I wish I had a more hopeful piece of writing to share on New Year’s Eve. But this is what I found reverberating in my heart. I wish for whoever is safe and has food and water to feel a sense of bliss. The Bliss of Being Alive: I express gratitude for my family's safety every night, Al-Hamdulillah. Bliss is present in every second we are alive, and every inhale free from the burns of war and residues of bombs. This is the gift of Gaza, the gift of bloody conflicts for all humans. I wonder whether I can protect my sons from adversity, from the trauma of wars. I guess no one, anywhere, can protect their kids from trauma and death. The idea brings solace to me somehow. The one-ness of destiny; there is a need to rethink the meaning of one-ness. Blame and Anger :  I hear your silence about Gaza. I can listen to you refraining from saying G.A.Z.A or P.A.L.E.S.T.I.N.E. I know. I under...
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What's Next? Questions and Answers

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  Day 76: December 21 What's Next? Questions and Answers There are a lot of people asking when will these atrocities in Gaza end and what will happen next. There is a lot of diplomatic talk in the media about the political outcome, but more than any other battlefield (or aggression), I think the political outcome or solution is strongly linked to what is happening on the ground. The fighting on the ground will probably determine the politics in the near and distant future.    This may sound obvious, but this is especially true in this case. In this article, I am trying to answer some significant questions and provide additional questions that are key, in my opinion, to understand the complexity of the situation or the impasses that exist for both societies, the Israelis and Palestinians. What is happening on the ground in Gaza right now in terms of fighting? The fighting, in some areas, has become guerilla-like, from building-to-building warfare, where the Israeli...
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"Those Who Died in Gaza Have Survived"

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  Day 64: December 9: “Those Who Died in Gaza Have Survived” The humanitarian crisis emanating in Gaza, a small, besieged area under the full control of the Israeli army for decades, from the modern and precise weaponry yet that was used indiscriminately in Gaza, has never happened before in human history. On top of this, there was never a time in history when anyone interested in knowing the truth could watch the events live.   The tragedy reveals that humanity probably did not change much, even though we like to think it has. Many people and governments are knowingly watching but stand complicit. Some go as far as to justify Israel’s operation, cover up the apocalyptic conditions, confuse the public, and attempt to silence, censor, and smear the Palestinian narrative. Effects of what’s happening : The double standardness of the Western and so-called civilized world is being exposed in this peak tragedy. Therefore, I believe we are watching the tumbling of many in...
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