Pray For Palestine

 I remember my grandfather sitting on his bed listening to the news of the Sinai war fifty years ago .. I sit on the very same bed at the very same angle staring unbelievingly at my iPad and the news from Gaza … 

It was a Saturday afternoon and I, eleven years old at the time, had just come back from school. My grandmother looked worried and told me not to disturb my grandfather because another war appears to have broken in Sinai. I tiptoed into their bedroom and there was my grandfather sitting on the side of the bed listening to his transistor radio with a deep frown on his face. He was muttering something I could not understand but every now and then I overheard the name of Allah and prayers that He may have mercy on us .

Today sitting on the edge of the same bed I repeat the same prayer… May God have mercy on us. May He bring peace and prosperity to our people… and may He end the suffering and indignity of the Palestinian people and return their occupied lands. I pray because I have no faith in our leaders.. I have lost all hope in the international community. Politicians all over the world have failed the Palestinian people over and over again turning a blind eye to all Israeli Occupation Army crimes and wrongdoing; The ongoing settlements, the desecration of religious holy sites, the brutality and apartheid .. the daily humiliation at the borders at the hands of arrogant Israeli soldiers have become acceptable and not newsworthy. This conflict has been going on for as long as I can remember .. and sadly only war and weapons force all sides to the negotiations table. 

Will my grandchild sit on the same bed and repeat the same prayers? Will this conflict take more lives and rob the people of prosperity in favor of warmongers and the arms industry? Will the people barely sustain a hand to mouth existence while the executives of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, McDonnell Douglas etc etc and their Middle East representatives/consultants go galavanting in their private jets all over the world? 

This region will not prosper and develop until it is declared an arms free zone. The Middle East does not need military aid and more arms. It needs democratization,, human rights and development. Until that happens people will fight for their rights and freedoms. 

I sit on the side of my grandparents bed and pray for Palestine