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Sarah Malik, USA
January 14th marked 100 days. One-hundred days of mass homicide, of devastation, of a inhabitants slowly being buried underneath the rubble of their as soon as properties.
However what of the tens of millions who’re nonetheless alive and awaiting their destiny? They have a look at the rubble realizing that the opportunity of them being underneath it at some point may be very actual, as a result of the statistics are stacked towards them a method or one other.
In line with the UN , as of 12 January 2024, 23,708 Gazans killed, 60,005 injured, 2.2 million liable to hunger, 939,000 at emergency ranges, zero entry to wash water within the north. The maths speaks for itself, in a inhabitants of two.3 million – practically each particular person is ravenous, injured, or lifeless.
Whereas the numbers alone are staggering, think about for a second what it’s prefer to be a type of 2.3 million. These of us listening to about Gaza within the information or studying about them can by no means actually perceive their struggles. Significantly as a result of Gazans have largely been minimize off from the world – their voices seldom heard. Communications are steadily down, their borders are blocked, and channels for reaching the world outdoors or for the surface world to succeed in them, are virtually non-existent.
![](https://www.reviewofreligions.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/I-am-still-alive-Gaza-stats.png)
It’s for this very cause that we’ve been working to present a platform to the voices of Gaza, to allow them to communicate for themselves and for his or her fact to ring clearly above all else. As one can think about, it hasn’t been simple to make contact with these on the bottom in Gaza. In a most startling actuality, we discovered the best option to discover folks in Gaza Gazan was to look ‘I’m nonetheless alive’ on social media.
Gazans who someway can handle to seek out mobile connection are posting ‘I’m nonetheless alive’ day-after-day, in order that when a day comes they haven’t posted, the hope is that somebody, someplace will know of their destiny.
We had been lastly capable of attain Hamid, a Gazan who’s been displaced 4 occasions and is now residing in a tent along with his household. Hamid shared among the realities he and his household are going through in a candid interview.
‘My home has been destroyed, my household’s home has been destroyed, my family’ homes have been destroyed, our farms have been destroyed. All of our desires have been destroyed. However we’ll proceed preventing firmly to determine peace. We’ll set up peace.’
Hamid shared that neighbourhoods the place properties have been destroyed at the moment are tent cities. The phrase sadly being fairly literal – the tents are all that’s left.
‘We’re in a tent and it will get very chilly at night time; it doesn’t even have any of the fundamental requirements.’
Even for individuals who stay this actuality each single day, they’re no much less shell shocked by the reality of their new actuality.
‘You see issues that you’d by no means have imagined seeing. You see folks, households, even youngsters sleeping within the open, within the chilly, within the rain and also you see youngsters crying for meals and water.’
And for any dad or mum, on a standard day they may get up fearful about making breakfast for his or her youngsters or getting them to highschool on time; not for the Gazans. They get up and fear whether or not their youngsters survived the night time.
‘At any time when we get up early within the morning, the very first thing we consider is our youngsters, loss of life, and destruction. Once we get up we’re afraid. We search for meals to maintain us and our youngsters alive. We get up within the midst of destruction and killing and we’re in a state of concern and fear.’
The brutal actuality is that the opportunity of loss of life appears extra possible than not, merely primarily based on the carnage they’ve needed to witness. Burying the lifeless is without doubt one of the methods household and pals are capable of finding closure or pay their final respects. However as Hamid describes it, even doing that a lot just isn’t potential for a lot of who’ve misplaced their family members
‘Lots of the our bodies are blown to items. Lots of the our bodies find yourself remaining unknown and we are able to’t determine who it’s. A few of them are utterly misplaced (underneath the rubble). A few of them find yourself being in such tiny items that they’ll’t be recognized. I’ve many members of the family whom we all know nothing about.’
However as night time falls, within the tent cities, after a day of relentless bombings and shootings, the Palestinians nonetheless carry an inspirational mindset. Around the globe, folks have taken discover of the distinct resilience and persistence proven by the Palestinians. Hamid’s clarification of the place such dedication and persistence comes from is easy:
“By the grace of Allah within the Gaza strip our religion is robust. God has commanded us that after we undergo trials now we have to stay affected person and robust…It’s required of us to encourage our youngsters and households to even be affected person, to not present any weak point in entrance of them, despite the fact that from the within we’re grieving and utterly frightened.’
The grins of Palestinians radiate by way of the smokey rubble that Gaza has been diminished to. But the cycle by no means stops. As a result of as has turn into the fact in Gaza, there’s at all times one thing to mourn.
‘One of many hardest issues for us is after we are sitting collectively in a gathering and considered one of us receives a name saying {that a} member of your loved ones is gone. Total households have been annihilated. We’ll be sitting and smiling, after which all of the sudden considered one of us receives a name that his entire household is gone after which the whole aura adjustments to considered one of sorrow and disappointment.’
It’s been no totally different for Hamid. He opened about among the household he’s misplaced through the conflict. In a tone blended with sorrow, ache and exhaustion, Hamid spoke about his cousin who had been bedridden for 22 years as a consequence of an accident. He was being helped by his brother to a hospital in northern Gaza after they had been each struck by a missile and died.
‘This was one of many hardest issues for me – to lose this one who had been on mattress relaxation for 22 years, gone, identical to that.’
The Israeli bombs actually haven’t discriminated. Hamid painfully recalled one other cousin he misplaced; a health care provider, who graduated simply final yr. He had excelled in his research and had a vivid way forward for service to humanity forward of him. When he heard that the Israeli troopers had left the north, he went to verify on his dwelling. Turned out it wasn’t true, and this public servant was shot within the head and killed. With a tremor of ache, Hamid articulates a sentiment which could be utilized to all harmless Gazans:
‘He was only a civilian; a health care provider who had nothing to do with the conflict.’
If the plight of Gazans has proven us something, it’s that survival actually is relative. For many who have thus far remained alive from the fixed bombardment, life has been characterised by the wrestle to seek out the fundamentals wants of life
‘There are big shortages of every thing…There’s a scarcity of meals, water, drugs, not to mention the concern and fear that now we have. Once you go in search of meals you’re in a state of concern {that a} missile shall be dropped on you and on the similar time you’re pondering of every thing; your loved ones. So many issues occurring in your thoughts. In the event you hear a missile being launched, you instantly consider your loved ones.’
However Hamid hasn’t accepted defeat, not even shut. He exudes a dedication to by no means surrender irrespective of the circumstances. It was this similar dedication that led him to gather donations from pals overseas and use the funds to do no matter he might to assist these round him, by bringing them meals, water, and no matter different fundamental requirements he might discover.
‘Think about when your loved ones doesn’t have all the fundamental requirements of life; water, meals and drugs. Think about when you acquired these issues how comfortable you’ll really feel. Once you go to a household and you’ve got a packet of provides like milk for his or her youngsters or some meals for them, the enjoyment that they really feel is indescribable. It feels as if God’s mercy has descended upon them from the heavens.’
It’s a glimpse into what the world wants at current to result in peace; a spirit of serving to each other, of respecting each other, as a result of no stage of enmity ought to ever result in any quantity of bloodshed, not to mention the horrendous state of affairs in Gaza. Even for folks like Hamid who’re going through the brunt of this brutality, it’s not about revenge, it’s about peace
‘We want governments that enable us all to stay, all Jews, Christians, and Muslims to stay collectively in love, peace and concord. All of those religions are from God. We must always all respect one another, and we must always all prolong our palms for peace.’
Concerning the Creator: Sarah Malik has a level in Medical Biochemistry and is the recipient of the nationwide American Chemical Society (ACS) award as the highest scholar within the nation for her contribution to analysis and educational efficiency in Natural Chemistry. Sarah is a Masters scholar finding out to turn into a Doctor Assistant. She is a member of The Existence Venture staff and serves because the Govt Producer of the ‘Energy of Prayer’ podcast.
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