Note: This article contains sensitive information, and I do not condone any of the violence against the Palestinian people. I am writing this in hopes of advocating and expressing my experience and views.
For the Martyred and the Survivors
“Don’t let them kill us.” That is what a banner portrayed during the 1993 Miss Besieged Sarajevo Pageant contest while applauding the winner, Inela Nogić. During the Yugoslavian war from 1991-2001, Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina) was repeatedly bombed daily for 1425 days by the Serbian Army.
That is the city in which my uncle lives, it is the country that my parents are from, and it is the war that my family has lived and lost through.
Today, at least 9,000 women have been martyred by the Israeli army under similar circumstances – for power and religion. That number is projected to exponentially based on the statistics regarding the starvation and the physical torments Palestinian women are enduring. According to the UN Women organization, an average of 67 women are being killed daily and more than 80 percent of women do not have access to food.
It has recently been shown that the Israeli army has now advanced to psychological – along with an increase in physical – warfare. In the time of Ramadan preparations, the Israeli army had dropped leaflets wishing the Palestinians a Ramadan Kareem as they had just massacred at least 100 Palestinians running for flour and aid a few days prior. This is not ethical or moral, and we are funding it as American taxpayers.
For the Brave and Bold Journalists
As of early March, at least 95 journalists or workers of the media have been killed, and many more have been reported missing, arrested, or injured. This is a “thank you” to the reporters who have risked their lives, or are currently risking their lives, to do their duty and report on this war for the rest of the world to see. Below are a list of women journalists still in Gaza today that are worth following and appreciating:
Bisan Owda – @wizard_bisan1
Hind Khoudary – @hindkhoudary
Plestia Alaqad – @byplestia
Yara Eid – @eid_yara
Afaf Ahmed – @afafpall_
Take Action
The Israeli-Hamas war is not war, it is genocide against Palestine. This isn’t the first time the world has been oblivious to a genocide against Muslims – don’t be oblivious to this one too. More than 30,000 Palestinans have been killed and more than 70,000 have been injured. The Palestinians are continuously told to move south before the Israeli army invades, but as the current “south” is Rafah, and that is as about as south they can go. There are thousands of Palestinans ready to flee in Rafah, but there is nowhere else to go except into Egypt, and Egypt has created a barrier. Together, we can fight for the lives being lost and demand a ceasefire. This can be done through voting, advocating, calling local and state representatives, etc; use your voice the way I am using mine.
While President Biden might be urging for aid and Vice President Harris might now be marching for a ceasefire, they have not decreased the money being invested into Israel’s army and weaponry. There is a surge of political campaigns due to the upcoming presidential election and politicians are doing what they do best. They are targeting demographic groups of voters with what they want to hear; in this case, the democratic party knows they align more with ceasefire supporters. While it may be satisfying to slightly start to see, do not stop fighting and demanding for a ceasefire until it has been done. Many countries have supported this decision, but not the United States. Continue protesting, writing, posting, etc. Do not stay silent in this unjust world manner.