We are all connected… by Joe McVeigh

 

 

Every bombed village is my hometown

A poem by Nikita Gill (2024)

     

 “Every bombed village is my hometown”— James Baldwin

And every dead child is my child.

Every grieving mother is my mother.

Every crying father is my father.

Every home turned to rubble

is the home I grew up in.

Every brother carrying the remains

of his brother across borders

is my brother.

Every sister waiting for a sister

who will never come home

is my sister.

 

Every one of these people are ours,

Just like we are theirs.

We belong to them

and they belong to us.

   

 — Nikita Gill is a Belfast born Irish-Indian poet now based in England

 

I think that this poem expresses very well how we are all connected and  how as we grow older we become more aware of the world out there-and what is going on. Of course, we are deeply affected by what goes on in our own small world-it may be sickness in the family or the death of a loved one.

 

I read in a recent article quoting this poem, “We can also be profoundly affected by the deaths of people whose names we do not know; by the ending of stories we never had the opportunity to hear. One of the greatest lies of empire is to convince us that the tragedies of others are not also ours to hold — that somehow we are separate from one another. But empires begin to crumble when we interrupt this lie and recommit to the truth of our interconnection.”

 

In the last two years, more than 74,000 people have died in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Many thousands have been injured. We will never know the names and stories of each of them, but we can resist getting lost in the enormity of numbers and statistics by naming and honouring the lives of a few.

 

1. Hala Abu Saada, 13 years old

Hala was one of the active volunteers at the Tamer Institute in Gaza, doing many beautiful things. Among them, she trained in sign language to accompany deaf and mute children. She translated two songs from the “Fahim” children’s album that became popular four months ago. Hala was talented in Palestinian folk dance (Dabke) and taught it to her classmates, encouraging them to study. She dreamt of becoming a journalist, a criminal investigator, or an astronaut. Hala’s father was martyred in an Israeli bombardment in 2009 when she was an infant, leaving her orphaned. Hala and her family were martyred in an Israeli bombardment on their home in Jabalia Camp in October 2023.

2. Dr. Mustafa Al Najeer

Dr. Mustafa was a survivor of four Israeli airstrikes. He used to still believe that something might change, but eventually, before his tragic death, he filmed his last video saying to the whole world, “We have been defeated in front of the children. We are dying of hunger while the world’s trash bins are overflowing with food. There is no justice except in heaven.” Unfortunately, Dr. Mustafa was killed in a fifth airstrike that targeted him, ending his life, career, and hope of better future for the people of Gaza on Feb. 7, 2024. It’s reported that more than 1,000 health workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

3. Carmel, 1 month old

Her father named her Carmel after Mount Carmel in Haifa, hoping to be able to visit one day when Palestine is free. Carmel, an innocent one-month-old child, was born and martyred in the war. A promising future and beautiful dreams awaited her, but she was killed by Israeli missiles on February 20, 2024.

4. Ahmed Fatima

Ahmed worked as a correspondent for the Cairo News Channel. He used to embrace children at Al-Shifa Hospital to reassure them and try to ease their fear due to the Israeli bombardment. He was kind-hearted and gentle, loved by all his colleagues. In every gathering of friends, he was present, and when absent, everyone asked about him. Ahmed was martyred in an Israeli bombardment while covering the news at the entrance of Al-Shifa Hospital on Nov. 14, 2023. He is one of over 130 journalists who have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.

5. Dr. Refaat Alareer

Dr. Refaat Alareer was an academic and lecturer at the Islamic University of Gaza, teaching poetry and English literature. He wrote many novels and books about the challenges of life in Gaza under Israeli blockade. He was

 respected around the world and loved by his students. He always used to say: “When we write about martyrs, it must be known that the Israeli occupation killed them. We must not leave the perpetrator unknown.” The last thing he said was: “The situation is very bleak, we don’t even have water… I only have my pen, I’ll throw it at the occupation soldiers if they invade, even if that’s the last thing I do. We have nothing to lose.” 

Dr. Refaat and his family were martyred by the Israeli occupation on December 7, 2023. Before he died, Dr. Refaat Alareer wrote a poem — a message to all of us.

فال بد أن تعيش أنت رفعت العرعير إذا كان لا بد أن أموت فال بد أن تعيش أنت لتروي حكايتي لتبيع أشيائي وتشتري قطعة قماش وخيوطا (فلتكن بيضاء وبذيل طويل) كي يبصر طفل في مكان ما من ّغّزة وهو يح ّّدق في السماء منتظرًاً أباه الذي رحل فجأة دون أن يودع أحدًاً وال حتى لحمه أو ذاته يبصر الطائرة الورقّية طائرتي الورقية التي صنعَتها أنت تحّلق في الأعالي ويظ ّّن للحظة أن هناك مالكًاً يعيد الحب إذا كان لا بد أن أموت فليأ ِِت موتي باألمل فليصبح حكاية ترجمة سنان أنطون Translation by Sinan Antoon

If I Must Die, by Dr. Refaat Alareer   If I must die, you must live to tell my story to sell my things to buy a piece of cloth and some strings, (make it white with a long tail) so that a child, somewhere in Gaza while looking heaven in the eye awaiting his dad who left in a blaze— and bid no one farewell not even to his flesh not even to himself— sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above and thinks for a moment an angel is there bringing back love If I must die let it bring hope let it be a tale

 

We must do whatever we can to support the Palestinian people and work to end this genocide. The people of Gaza should be in our thoughts and prayers today and every day until they achieve their freedom. 

The least we can do is pray for an end to their suffering. We can also protest and write letters to political leaders and representatives calling on them to show solidarity with the People of Palestine. Each of us can and should do something. People are out there protesting every day-and boycotting Israel and Israeli goods.

 

A group of priests from all over the world are campaigning on behalf of the People of Palestine in Gaza and the Left bank They call themselves Priests Against Genocide (PAG). I am glad to be a member of this group to show solidarity with the people of Gaza. I applaud the good work they are doing.