I am a Palestinian from Gaza. I am a journalist. I am a mother. I am a Muslim. This blog is about the trials of raising my children between spaces and identities; displacement and occupation; and everything that entails from potty training to border crossings. My husband is a Palestinian refugee denied his right of return to Palestine, and thus OUR right to family life. Together, we endure a lot, and the personal becomes political. This is our story.
Journalist, mom, occupied Palestinian-all packed into one.
Attendants of a rally joined by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. David Paterson in support of Israel's attacks on Gaza go far beyond the pale. Read the background behind Ma Blumenthal's piece at Alternet's site here.
posted by Laila @ Friday, January 16, 2009
29 Comments:
Why talk about the Israelis?
See the "rightful" leaders of the gaza strip and their priorities:
"Responding to the killing of Said Siam Hamas exiled leader Khaled Mashaal said that “Israel has totally lost it.” According to Mashaal, the hit was proof of Israel being “unnerved”, since “it couldn’t cope with the Palestinian resistance activists in the Gaza Strip battlefield.”
Even the Gaza Strip so called leader gon't care about civilian casualties as long as their men are well and continue to bomb Israel.
Thank you so much for posting this video. It is absolutely disgusting and really unbeliveable to me.
There was not one person interviewed who seemed to want peace, all they did was justify Israels position.
I believe that there are crazies on each side but this was downright horrible.
Renee
despicable.
This is scary that people actually believe it is ok to kill innocent people and bomb schools. And tell me again who the terrorists are???
I saw this on Norman Finkelstein's website. His sarcastic headline was "Sieg Heil!" (go freakin' figure).
Israel's apologists sound more and more like Nazis every day.
If this kind of thing offends/frustrates/enrages me in such profound way, (-me, a non-Arab, non-Muslim Canadian with no familial ties to anyone in the region),
I can only IMAGINE how this sort of thing makes you feel...It is disgusting.
No, it is EVIL.
(IMO,I think they have *officially* forfeited their "right to exist")
I have bought a Hatta which I will wear EVERY DAY until life for the Palestinians/residents of Gaza improves.
I am with you... and I'm in it for the long haul.
I promise to never shut up about this.
I will spread the truth to everyone who will listen.
I am ashamed it has taken this latest Israeli terrorist assault to teach me...to make me FULLY AWARE of the struggle.
Though it is no consolation, Laila, the deaths will not be completely in vain.
First Lebanon, now this...
Israel is exposing to the world the extent of their terrorist ways with this monstrous, inhuman, soulless behaviour, hateful ignorance, bloodlust and twisted ideas and bigotry...they are showing everyone what the Israeli government and military is REALLY all about.Might and murder.
Those of us who sympathise with the plight of "your people" (--MY people too, now-)we are growing in numbers...the world cannot look away.
I am ashamed of the Canadian government...rest assured the people of this country do not support Harper's stance.I did not vote for him in the first place, and again, he is making me ashamed!
Please know that all my hopes/dreams/wishes/prayers are with you and yours.
--And there are many many more where I come from!
Try to continue to be strong.
You are providing such a great service in keeping this blog.I have recommended it to my 260 friends on Facebook and many mailing lists/groups to which I belong.
Thank you for all you are doing!If you were my daughter I would be SOOOO proud (-and your babies are so lucky to have you for a mum & role model!)
Again,
In solidarity,
Your sister,
Shannon
Absolutely priceless.
I am sorry to hear that. Thanks for your testimony.
-russ.
Stupid uniformed people, but propaganda is all. :(
In Germany report the newspaper meanwhile from " The Hill of shame"
The place from which must report the most foreign journalists.
Unfortunately it is in german language bit israel people show there it's real face...
Be sure, the world will know it!
Wrong time, I know, but someone here can give me the true english translation from the Charta of the Hamas? I have found five ore more different translations this time :(
This was played on Democracy Now on Tuesday and shows how ignorant some people are, what a joke. Heard your dad today on Democracy Now, you have made him a media personality, hope he and your family stays safe!!
I am not sure sure where to start. Each and every person interviewed would likely tell you that they are strong in their faith. That they believe in God and in His message of Peace and Love.
And seemingly each and every person interviewed wants death and annihilation - all in God's gentle and loving hand of course.
And of course, it is the other guy whose religion is warped and skewed and out of touch with reality. It is the other guy who is wrong, over-reacting, fabricating the facts and distorting reality.
And all of those nice people had not a single problem with blowing up an entire school building full of whomever as long as it meant the vaporization of at least one "terrorist."
And of course, all that is fine as long as it is not you or anyone you know who happens to be in that building at the moment it is being vaporized simply because someone "thinks" there might be "terrorists" in it.
So much thinking going on but so little actual problem-solving.
John
Assalamualaikum Laila, It's Ameen in Malaysia and am one of our muslim brotherhood who mourn and doa for brothers and sisters in Gaza. I have seen your interviews in the cnn and I have been following your blog. I just wanted to post this vido clip where Alex Thomson from Channel 4 news shuts up Mark Regev about Israel's human rights violations http://www.aljazeera.com/mm/video/video.php?op=showvideo&vidid=918
Coz you have the capabiltity to bring the story to the world.
Ameen again, also this Israeli foreign minister basically says that she doesn’t care how many Palestinians are killed!
http://www.aljazeera.com/mm/video/video.php?op=showvideo&vidid=904
This video is absolutely disgusting to me. I will keep you and your family in my good thoughts. Miracles do happen and I'm hoping some good news happens real soon.
Alex Thomson from Channel 4 news shuts up Mark Regev(Spokesman for Ehud Olmert) about Israel's human rights violations http://www.aljazeera.com/mm/video/video.php?op=showvideo&vidid=918.
It is truly scary how ignorant people can be. When I heard some of the comments that were coming from those 'activists' I was wondering whether it was real stupidity or something else. It is horrific how people become completely alienated from simple human sympathy and understanding, and how disconnected they are from human suffering.
,
I am sure you know that some of the speakers belong to an extremist Jewish-American
Orthodox movement. None of then is Israeli. They are a minority within minority.
Furthermore, on every video like this I can show a lot more videos soaked with racism and hatred
Of Muslims calling to kill Jews. Of Arabs justifying the kill /bombe Jewish kids.
Let's not be hypocrites.
Extremists are on both sides. While as in Israel, they are either out of law and a very small marginal minority. In Gaza and other Muslim states (Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc) they are the people in power, they are the majority.
Let's hope that the extremists on both sides will not be the ones to dictate our future.
if in every muslim holiday, every muslim father will slash their child's head, then i will not be here posting this comment today, because im a muslim. it's a non-sense. there is no religion in this world that tell us to slash our child's head for a so-called religious event. not even islam, christian, jew, buddha, hindu, baha'i etc.
No sign of compassion anywhere. Even if you are not Muslim you can have compassion for the suffering of children and defenceless citizens. As a mother I can put myself in the place of other parents and families in a warzone and imagine the kind of horror they are going through.
This is a typical double standards reaction indeed: “They are not distinguishing between civilians and military, so why should we?” said a member of the group of messianic Orthodox Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch group that flocked to the rally.
In other words this guy says: “we have the right to commit the same crimes than the Hamas but we cannot be condemned and called terrorists like the Hamas”…
It reminds me this old joke about crusades: during the crusades, Arabs cut heads in a wild and barbarian manner while crusaders cut heads in a very christian and heroic manner.
hi leila - i have created a blog specifically because i have wanted so badly to tell you what is happening here in the u.s. (in mainstream america).
i will begin by saying that while the government here supports israel's actions, there is much outrage and concern among the american people. the interviews of rally participants in the video you've posted starchly contrasts another ny rally in opposition to israel's violence. the pro israel group was full of hatred, pride and - honestly, - unintelligent. if you've seen the footage of the pro-cease fire rally you know that there are many american jews who wish to stop killing in the name of politics. one of the beautiful things i heard said by a few interviews of american jews was 'how could we kill when we know what it's like to have been persecuted for so long??' also, 'they look so much like us. they eat the same foods as we do.'
i know this is a really long comment but i would like to just say too that our mainstream media - the main source of news in the u.s.- is showing NOTHING like the footage i've seen online at such sites as democracynow.org. fox, cnn, nbc - they all show an aerial shot from far away so that as they speak of the situation the viewer only sees bomb smoke rising. this image doesn't have anywhere near the impact as those i've seen of women and children rushing being treated in hospitals. nor of the bodies of children carried away from their school bombing. nor of the people eating some kind of mush serves in the street. if americans saw this, leila, i assure you they wouldn't stand for it. and this is precisely why our media doesn't show it.
i've been praying for you, your family and everyone involved. best wishes
Hi Laila,
I'm one of the bloggers at Feministe (http://www.feministe.us/blog) where we're currently trying to do a series on Gaza and the brutality being carried out by the IDF. We're trying to represent several perspectives--some that I have to admit I find more problematic than others, but all on the progressive side of the left wing. We're still looking to include multiple voices of Palestinian bloggers, so I would like to extend an invitation to you to guest-blog on our site. You could write just one post or a series, on whatever topic seems the most relevant to you. We'd help moderate the comments and discussion that follow, and although we do have a lot of pro-Palestine readers, some angry Zionists always seem to pop up as well. Of course, I doubt you are unfamiliar with that kind of thing, especially since your comments are modded at the moment! If you are interested or you have any questions, definitely contact me at metasynthie@gmail.com
Thanks so much, and I hope that your family is as safe as they possibly could be in this terrible time.
Naomi Clark
(Holly at Feministe)
Laila-
I think I tried to post a comment for this entry, and for some reason it wasn't published. Let me try again...
The Pro-Palestinians have their rallies, we are allowed to have ours. Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that all Muslims are terrorists. Obviously it is not the case-not even close. It's sad that people think that way-and it's been worse since 9/11.
However, when "innocent" Muslims support Hamas and other terrorist organizations, it makes people even more convinced that all Muslims are terrorists.
If more people stood up to Hamas, Al-Qaida, and Hezbollah, the world would have a different view of Muslims.
Salaam
Me and my co-authors really appreciate all the hardwork u are doing... and we just wanted to show you that.
so check out our blog for the award we chose you for!
Laila, I have started this:http://wewillrememberyourname.blogspot.com/ I intend to document every name of each person killed in Gaza.Hopefully I will be able to forward it to every U.S. senator and congressman and our new president.I want them to see exactly how the tax dollars were being spent.
WOW! this video just confirms how ignorant a society can be.
Thanks for posting it!
a mail i send to jewish online newspaper .
A good mail, I believe.
I read with astonishement your editorial called " Lashing out at Israel ".
In that editorial it is claimed Israel had no choice but start a war.
This is completely false.
Back in 2006 when Hamas got the majority of the votes of the palestinians.., Olmert vowed not to talk.., not to deal with Hamas.
When Hamas took power in Gaza.., Israel launched a cruel siege to the territory.
In June 2008 Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and between june and October 2008 Hamas did not launch a single Qassam.
Even Mark Regev , Israeli spokesman , acknowledge that to the BBC .
What was israeli response ? To keep.., maintain the cruel siege to Gaza.
Israel could have given peace a chance.
Lift the blockade , talk with Hamas.
Israel choose not to do that.
November the 4 Israel launched an attack that killed 1 several Hamas man.
The stage was set for the end of the Hudna, armistice.
Blood had been shed.
Israel is guilty.
Israel is guilty because it did not gave peace a chance.
Israel is guilty because it refused to engage with Hamas .
Israel is guilty because it refused to lift the siege even when Hamas stopped launching Qassams , between June , October 2008.
Even the hour of the attack , December the 27 , speaks volumes about Israeli barbarism.
The attack took place at 11h30 AM..., when hamas offices were full of people.
Israel could have choosen to strike at night....,But no : Israel wanted to spill palestinian blood.
All the deaths.., all the suffering could have been avoided had israel engaged with Hamas.
Hamas was ready to stop the Qassams had israel lift the siege og impoverished Gaza.
Israel refused.
I was an Israeli backer.
I believed in Sionism.
I believed Israel was a victim.
No more.
The Gaza onslaught did open my eyes.
Israel is behaving like a bully.
A depictable bully.
2 Generations ago.., in the gettho the jews were crushed by the all mighty german army.
Today israelis forgot history.., and witout mercy are bombing defenselless civilians.., bombarding young men in the prime of their lives.
Shame on Israel.
Smiley..
It is true that a minority is speaking in the video. However, I think that your understanding of Gaza's politics is a bit disrupted by the popular propaganda. This popularly accepted understanding of Hamas is based on lies and statements with no concrete evidence. Let us remember why the so-called 'extremist' Hamas came to power. The people of Gaza chose them to represent the needs and wishes of the population in the Gaza strip. They did not lie, nor did they hide behind political rhetoric and that is the reason why the people of Gaza elected them. Part of the reason why Hamas is extremely unpopular within the Western political scene is that Western politicians would rather see a cooperating dictator that would bring silence and terror to its own people instead of a legitimate and resistant party. History has shown hundreds of such examples: the Western support of the dictator Batista of Cuba, the foreign intervention against the Bolsheviks in Russia, and I can go on. Let us remember that what is a terrorist organization in some international listings are in actuality the defenders of resistance to the occupation of Palestine. They may not represent our personal interests, or our personal needs; we may not even like them that much. But they do represent the immediate needs of their people.
The zionsist virus spreads unimpeded throughout the veins of humanity. Blindness grips those who see while those who hear are deafned with propaganda. But this makes sense when you realise that Zionism asks for, without question, a supremacist state excluively for Jews. And, as the video attests, the "holocaust industry" is alive and well.
Post a Comment
<< Home