A PRAYER FOR GAZA with images

The poem "A Prayer for Gaza" - written and narrated by Dr Rafey Habib - was used by Sonja Karkar of Australians for Palestine and Women for Palestine to create a video of powerful images for the 2009 Nakba event held in Melbourne, Australia. It was a fitting ending to a performance of the play "Seven Jewish Children" and panel discussion and reminded the audience of the ongoing calamities endured by Palestinians 61 years after the Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948 when their society was uprooted to create the State of Israel.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Gaza
• Palestine
• Nakba
• peace
• a prayer for Gaza
• Jews and Palestinians

[sonjakarkar]

There are far more effective ways of resistance than sending rockets over the wall. I still remember those brave women who went to protect their menfolk and some were shot by Israeli sniper fire. The sight of unarmed women being shot at is repugnant. If a million unarmed Gazans would storm the walls surrounding them neither Israel nor Egypt would be able to stop them.

[sonjakarkar]

As for the plea to see Jews as friends, this is meant to shame all those who think Israel wants peace when clearly it does not. The end game, whatever solution is agreed upon, must be towards healing the wounds for the sake of future generations, but not without an apology or compensation. The reality is that perpetrating another injustice on an existing injustice will only perpetuate a cycle of violence that has no end.

[sonjakarkar]

The images are meant to show the awesome power that Israel can amass, but it also shows what cowards Israeli soldiers are in fighting an almost defenceless people from afar. This is what Western audiences need to see.

Defending armed resistance only makes them think that the Palestinians are equal combatants when they are not.

[sonjakarkar]

I think you have misunderstood the words of the poem Alex. It does not blame the oppressed for anything, but rather says that armed resistance is useless against a mighty enemy bent on the destruction of Palestinian society. All it does is invite more violence upon the population simply because Israel can do whatever it wants.

[TheBlindPig1]

in the ghetto. No squares.  Where the people gather there is disorder.

[LIQUIDFLUIDR12X]

it's time to be a peace ! ...say no to TERROR !!! SHALOM !!!

[Larasackey]

thank you Raffy for getting back to me. Your message and work really moves me. We have to keep believing in the possibilities of peace. we are one, are we not? we've just been taught to forget. Namaste, Salaam ,Shalom, Lara

[mhabib3]

@Larasackey Thank you, sister, for your kind and compassionate comments. I wish there were more people like you who would speak up. Perhaps then there would be a real possibility of peace. Rafey.

[Larasackey]

wow. Thank you for your compassionate poetic bravery in seeing in me, too, a Jewish woman, who too is so saddened by being seen as the same kind of terrorists who call themseves righteous Jews and then continue to commit their atrocities against you, my brother, in my name.

[Larasackey]

Thank you for your huge compassionate and brave heart to write such a poetic act of peace. You really do understand how painful it is to have terrorists use your name to commit the atrocities they commit against themselves and the other God-blessed souls they kill along with them. I am sad for you that people can look at you kind brilliant eyes and see you in they same way as they see a suicide bomber, ... (continued below, i've run out the word limit lol...)

[IwasaBushfan]

@saharbamo i agree with that prayer from usa..i was delivered from zionism and shown the plight of the palistenians thanks to christ...Gods fav messenger! who alone as man was completely kind never sought or taught war....i pray for the women of palistine dont let the zionist cause your children to hate.that is a zionist!!!....humbleness and trust in God makes mountains move! his eyes are on all children. we grown ups better realze that..we will be accountable for what we pass on...

[Mr007jessejames]

Yeshua Mashiach is their answer!

[Badwolf182]

IsraHELL = zionist terrorist state

Lucifer lives in Israhell