An Eid gift for Gaza

It’s a challenge to celebrate Eid-il-Fitr, as during the month of Ramadan, the world witnessed the senselessness carnage and inhumanity of Isis, Boko Haram, MH17, and Gaza.

I have fasted but I will not celebrate Eid, as my neighbours in Gaza are encountering a living hell. The Koran says, "...Be kind to your parents and near of kin, to orphans, the needy, the neighbour who is related to you and the neighbour who is a stranger, the friend by your side, the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. God does not love those who are arrogant and boastful." (4:36)

Abu Hurayrah stated a man approached the Prophet (saw) to complain about his neighbour. The Prophet told him: “Go home and be patient. The man returned with his complaint two or three times, whereupon the Prophet, said: “Put your furniture out on the street” The man did as he was told, and people came up to him asking him what he was doing, so he told them about his neighbour’s bad behaviour. Upon hearing this, the people began cursing that neighbour, saying: “May Allah curse him.” Soon, the neighbour came out of his home and said: “Put your things back, for by Allah I will never harm you again.” (Sunan Abi Dawud: 5153).

‘Just’ soldiers

When state-backed military soldiers die fighting other military soldiers, they have fought for a cause, constitution, and country, and they justifiably receive the highest honour of the state.  Notwithstanding military versus military engagement, it’s the foot-soldiers who are often helpless to disagree against the orders of non-just top brass, for fear of reprisal to themselves or their families.

The world’s reaction to the abductions, vigilante justice, collateral damage, and seemingly “targeting children” lit up the non-censored social media sphere, i.e., Twitter. The social media has become the court of public opinion-cum-truth commission. It is  the great equalizer to established controlled media channels, and, even those who recant a tweet (“tweet and delete”), like pop-star Rihanna or NBA basketball star Dwight Howard, have added their conscious voice to injustice, if not, inhumanity.

Save the children

UK’s Independent on July 16 quoted Save the Children's Co-Country Director David Hassell, “Everyone knows why this conflict is wrong...The use of explosive weapons in built up residential areas, targeting of homes, and indiscriminate rocket attacks place children in harm’s way. It has been a dangerous and terrifying few days for children in both Gaza and Israel. It is unacceptable that in a conflict between adults, children should make up a fifth of the victims.”

The children’s exposure and connection to such atrocities reinforces and guarantees the hate will be passed down to the next generation.  The cycle will continue so the conflict will continue becomes the bottom-line. And it seems to become more escalated and gruesome at each iteration. 

Politicians have failed to break this vicious cycle. Celebrities have failed. Conferences have failed. NGOs/Non-profits have failed. They have all identified the challenges and causes, with many US Secretary of State shuttling back and forth just collecting frequent flyer points, and, yet, the parties are further apart than ever.

But, it’s the children continue to suffer. The children carry the images. It’s the children’s turn to have voice.

Marches
Marches, authorised and without permits, be it the Civil Rights movement (in US) or Arab Spring captures the attention of the responsible media and the social media, as it’s a tool that needs to be deployed when the establishment will not listen to the oppressed.

"On Saturday July 26, 2014, around 50,000 people marched from the Israeli embassy to Parliament in London to protest against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, which have now killed 1,000 people over the past three weeks… The BBC also came under attack as protesters sang 'BBC shame on you!' due to the alleged lack of coverage on the situation.’ Blogger: Britain’s Youth March for Gaza Children.

“Children's Crusade was the name bestowed upon a march by hundreds of school students in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 2-5, 1963, during the American Civil Rights Movement's Birmingham Campaign…the purpose of the march was to walk downtown to talk to the mayor about segregation in their city. Many children left their schools in order to be arrested, set free, and then to get arrested again the next day… The students remained non violent. …This event prompted President John F. Kennedy to publicly fully support racial equality and led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Wikipedia).”

Global Gaza Day

The world’s children need to march for their colleagues in Gaza, as it could have been them.  This is a great opportunity for leaders in Malaysia to show their moral compass is not jammed, and give a permit for their Malaysian youth to start a Global Gaza Day March that is coordinated amongst not only the 57 Muslim countries, but the world’s conscious at large.

The charismatic Malaysian Minister of Youth & Sports, Khairy Jamaluddin, upon returning from the Commonwealth Games should begin planning and coordinating such a march! It should take place immediately, but will make more sense in September during the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself... You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.” – Kahlil Gibran.

As the Prophet (saw), said: "Put your furniture out on the street." The man did as he was told, and people came up to him asking him what he was doing, so he told them about his neighbor’s bad behavior. Upon hearing this, the people began cursing that neighbour.

This should be the Eid Gift for the children of Gaza! – July 28, 2014.

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.