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Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Silence : Are you listening?

Silence : Are you listening?


Gaza, May 19, I have always came across “Silence” in my life, each time in a different form. It became a companion (rather than just a friend), a goal (sometimes) and an intriguingly opulent space. I discovered that Silence can become anything you want it to be, ofcourse that doesn’t mean its easily manipulated because sometimes it can be an abhorrent burden.

Silence is just like air, you cant see it or feel it, but you can definitely sense it and hear it if you paid attention. 

Just like anything in life, Silence can be used in a good way or a bad way.

Silence can bounce between gratitude, shame, guilt and\or empathy. Silence is wisdom when talk is cheap.

Silence can be a hint of dalliance, the beginning of a love affair, the end of a long relationship, a manifestation of certain good or bad feelings or just a way out. Some consider Silence as a symptom of defeat while others consider Silence as a sign of power.



“Actions speak louder than words”, is a popular saying that we often use excessively, but what we fail to mention is that Silence can be as powerful as actions and words. It can ruin a person, relationship, family, career, and\or a reputation if\when misinterpreted. It can also thicken the air when it tries to delicately hold what is left unsaid.

Silence can encapsulate endless untold stories and\or secrets but it can also refer to tiresome.
While some people consider Silence as a devilish act, others will resort to Silence to politely disagree with an elderly (whether a parent or a person you highly respect). It can also become the face of helplessness or a wicked punishment to someone that hurt us. Silence can be an alarming warning of anger.

People are usually Silent when they are contemplating or planning ahead. Silence can be the preparation of a pleasant surprise or the mischievous intent that will lead to atrocities and\or crimes of any nature.

In the Arabic culture, Silence is a sign of consent. When the bride-to-be is asked by her father or the sheikh if she approves or disapproves marrying the man who came to offer his love, Silence is a sign of consent. It can also be a sign of oppression if the bride-to-be is afraid to voice her real feelings. Silence can be an act of fear.

Silence can represent an asylum for people who assign it as their comfort zone. It can also be the mantra of true love for you don’t need to speak allot if there is a direct lane of feelings between you and your beloved. It can also refer to a lack of communication or even a lack of trust.
Silence has a voice that you can hear if you listen carefully. It can be singsonging calmness or containing bad news or an act of carelessness.

Silence can be a privilege that you need to work hard to experience, or a luxury that you yearn to indulge yourself in, or a self-defense mechanism that you use as a shield from being hurt or just a way to recuperate from a deep emotional wound caused by someone you love or a prison that you find yourself stuck in.

Silence can be the result of dead emotions. Silence can also be a way of appreciating everything around you.

Silence can be caused by injustice. Silence can mean cowardice.  Silence can impersonate a man with a wounded pride. Silence can become a solution to disguise confabulation.

Silence can shout: I love you or I cant stand you or I need my distance or I need to stay away for your own good.

Hence, Silence can also showcase inner peace or the exemplary rituals of a spiritual prayer that you might be performing for god in a ceremony that includes only you and god.

Silence can be easily molded but it should never be underestimated or taken lightly because it can hide lifetimes and worlds.




Friday, February 10, 2012

Khader Adnan: Dying to live. What will you do to help save his life?

Khader Adnan: Dying to live. What will you do to help save his life?


Imagine life was normal until one day everything changed. You woke up to find out that your father\husband\son\brother\uncle\friend was ILLEGALY detained and placed in jail. If you are a normal human being you will be shocked and devastated, the first thing that will come to your mind is to go and ask why was the person you care about detained? Am I right?
What would you do if you were told that the reason behind the detention of your loved one was “classified” and a “secret”? It doesn’t stop here. What would you feel if you were told that he will be detained for six months and then maybe sentenced for more and YOU CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT? I know I would go crazy.

Now lets step out of imagination and let me tell you that this person actually exists, he is a human being like you and me. He has a family, friends and an actual life. His name is Khader Adnan, 33, graduate student, married with two beautiful daughters and his wife is now pregnant. He was detained ILLEGALLY by Israeli police on the bases of an unexcused illegitimate court order. Imagine being detained with illegally which means you cant be with your daughters and your wife who is expecting a new baby to be born soon. Better yet, don’t imagine. Try to think about Khader Adnan and his family and what they are going through now. He went on a hunger strike 55 days ago and since then his health has been deteriorating every second.

After the 42nd day of a hunger strike, it is expected that individuals will begin to lose their hearing and vision, and suffer bleeding in the gums, intestines, and esophagus. The body will gradually stop functioning. After the 45th day, there is a high risk of death due to vascular system collapse and/or cardiac arrest.
Each day, Khader was subjected to two three-hour interrogation sessions. Throughout the interrogation sessions, his hands were tied behind his back on a chair with a crooked back, causing extreme pain to his back. Khader notes that the interrogators would leave him sitting alone in the room for half an hour or more. Khader also suffered from additional ill-treatment. During the second week of interrogation, one interrogator pulled his beard so hard that it caused his hair to rip off. The same interrogator also took dirt from the bottom of his shoe and rubbed it on Khader's mustache as a means of humiliation.

On Friday evening 30 December 2011, Khader was transferred to Ramleh prison hospital because of his deteriorating health from his hunger strike. He was placed in isolation in the hospital, where he was subject to cold conditions and cockroaches throughout his cell. He has refused any medical examinations since 25 December, which was one week after he stopped eating and speaking. The prison director came to speak to Khader in order to intimidate him further and soldiers closed the upper part of his cell's door to block any air circulation, commenting that they would "break him" eventually.

Randa was able to visit her husband last Tuesday evening after he was transferred to Zeif hospital in Safad. Imagine seeing your husband in a hospital after being on a hunger strike for 52 days protesting his illegal detention. Randa had this to say: “A lot of the hair on his face and head has fallen off. He has not been allowed to shower or wash during all his time in detention, nor is he allowed to wear warm clothes in this cold weather. He told me he feels he’s living the last moments of his life. During my visit, my husband's heart swelled up and a medical crew neglected him for half an hour." Randa was shocked and heartbroken after she visited her husband.

I will leave you with this final thought: Imagine the brutality of being on trial in your hospital bed because you are too sick to attend the court, Israeli court actually held a session at the hospital. He is too ill because he is starving himself in protest of his illegal detention. How brutal is that?

Do you feel like you want to help Khader Adnan? Help save his life? Because human life matters and its time we acknowledged that? Do you want to save a father\son\husband\brother\uncle\friend? Do you want to save somebody’s life? Do you want to act against injustice and illegal detention? Well guess what? You can actually do something about it. Don’t underestimate any little, singular or individual act because acting and putting pressure can make a difference, and can save a life.

If you live in Gaza, Palestine, Arab countries or international countries you can still make a difference from where you are. I will post links here of all petitions, action alerts and articles that can help you do something to save Khader’s life. Please read one and\or one of these links and ACT NOW TO HELP US SAVE HIS LIFE.

You can join Addameer's campaign to STOP ILLEGAL DETENTION by checking out this link that shows you what to do and who to contact:


You can sign this petition:


And\or this petition:


And\or this petition:


You can also check this link for more info about Khader Adnan and how to take action:


Here is Gaza's tribute to Khader Adnan, people joined a sit-in tent at ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) HQ.'s in Gaza while others demonstrated. Many went on a hunger strike in solidarity with Khader Adnan including myself. Here is Joe Catron's pictures of the ICRC sit-in tent in Gaza:


Khader Adnan receives message of support from former Hunger Striker Tommy McKearney:



Lets not wait for officials to move. Lets not wait for Khader to die or others to die so we can decide to do something. Back In the 1980s, nobody helped Tommy. They only released him after the death of 10 of his supporters who went on a hunger strike with him. Tommy went on hunger strike for 66 days. Lets not keep Khader waiting for that long. Move now. You don’t have any excuse not to. You can act in any way possible. 

Use social media, spread the word, write about it, go on a hunger strike for a day (not before you consult an adult if you are a child or a doctor if you are sick), demonstrate for him, hold vigils, put pressure and once again PLEASE READ THE LINKS I POSTED TO TAKE ACTION NOW.

Clock is ticking. Have you done anything to save Khader’s life yet?

In Solidarity with Khader Adnan & all other illegally-detained prisoners around the world specially 
Palestinians,

Omar 4m Gaza



I used Maan news agency and Mondoweiss as my references. You can check their websites here: