KL under siege!

"Children of Palestine are fighting for their lives They say to their parents we know that Palestine is our right They to say to their parents we'll fight for what is right They say not to worry God is on our side They say we'll die for Palestine Palestine, Forever Palestine" Palestine Forever by Sami Yusuf





It started at 6.45a.m when I woke up to the shrill sound of my alarm clock. I had half an hour to get ready before Badib picked me up to go to the COMPLETE event held at the Bangsar Sports Complex. Badib, Ilham and I had volunteered for the registering of volunteers for the KL Siege. KL Siege basically meant a bunch of us (300+ in the end) dispersed all around Klang Valley up till KLIA to distribute pamphlets in order to create more awareness about the situation in Palestine overall and not just focusing on the current events in Gaza.

We got there pretty early and the volunteers didn’t really start coming till half past eight. We basically just got them to write their names and contact details down and then give each volunteer a Palestinian scarf. Although we were informed later by an Arab “brother” that the scarf depicts Iran’s flag rather than Palestine’s. I guess he didn’t get that the motive was having the colours of the flag on the scarf. Besides Iran has something in the middle of their flag. Never mind.

At around 1p.m everyone got ready to take KL by storm. In the hall team leaders in charge of particular areas had banners up calling for people interested to follow them. We decided to go to KLCC thinking we’d be able to reach out to a more diverse crowd. Adrenaline was rushing through our veins and we were so pumped up and excited as we boarded the LRT. There were already a few volunteers there. Unfortunately even before we began, the volunteers that were already there were told off by the security guards of KLCC for distributing the pamphlets. One even rudely mentioned that: “Kalau nak jihad, jihadlah tapi jangan menyusahkan aku”, roughly translated “If you want to do jihad go ahead but don’t bother me” it just doesn’t sound as mean in English as it does in Malay. And how in the world did jihad get into the picture? We’re just alerting the citizens of Malaysia to the oppression that Palestinians are subjected to on a daily basis. I find it really stupid that they would force us out of the place but allow all those “mat rempits” (kind of like the chavs of Malaysia) to hang around the area whistling at everything on two legs! I mean here we are trying to create awareness for a good cause but we get told off whereas those that just sit there and smoke and fondle each other and clearly disturbing the peace of the families around are allowed to stay? Where is the justice in that?

Deflated, we left the KLCC area before we got into further trouble with them. We split up and 5 of us, my friends and I were in a group walking down the road towards KL Tower. Not many people wanted to take the pamphlets, most of them were tourists anyway (although one that took the pamphlet then later asked if I could show him the way to Hard Rock Café, LOL!). Near the traffic light at Shangri-La Hotel cops were suddenly staring at us. Ilham then spoke to them and they asked to see our pamphlets. Their faces were guilt ridden, I mean it is for a good cause yet they were informed by their head office to oversee students handing out all these flyers. We were then detained for a bit and they read our authorisation letter over and over again and then also called the head of the COMPLETE team. We were all already tired of walking, sweating from the heat, thirsty and hungry that I believe that they did take pity on our pathetic-ness. I mean how can 5 girls one on the phone with her mum, the other lobster-faced because of the heat and the rest complaining of hunger be handing out flyers promoting something bad? They let us go eventually and allowed us to continue distributing the flyers as long as we didn’t disturb people’s peace.

Honestly though, we were just plain disheartened and probably lost all our motivation. I mean we had like stacks of pamphlets probably nearly 1000 of them still to give out but we were already thrown out of KLCC and just got detained by the police. All we wanted to do was board the monorail and go home. Then someone got the idea that perhaps on the monorail we should just start giving the flyers outs. At Raja Chulan station there was already a donation box for Gaza so we asked if we could leave some of our flyers behind, which they more than willingly let us do: things were looking a bit better for us. The monorail then was exceptionally slow, especially in between stops and Badib started handing out the flyers to people and they actually read it instantly. We were achieving our objective!

We decided to get off the monorail at KL Sentral, then get back on it again then get off again so we could give out more pamphlets. Which we succeeded in doing, some people even asked for more so they could distribute it to their friends. We were already running late so we all went to the LRT station to head back to Bangsar. The queue was so long that we took the opportunity to just hand out to everyone the flyers and people whilst in line were actually reading it! Some even asked questions about COMPLETE and also gave suggestions on how to improve the flyers. The responses we got were amazing, Alhamdulillah.

On our final leg, I gave out the flyers on the LRT and people were really happy to have gotten them. Once we reached Bangsar we had finished all the stacks of pamphlets we originally had. It was truly unbelievable because we had such a trying day. From the heat, the thirst, the sleepiness, the hunger, to the trouble we got with KLCC security and then the cops we thought we’d never give out the pamphlets at all! I guess us all dressing in black with a Palestinian scarf around our necks really got people questioning who we were and what were we all about. Alhamdulillah, a very fulfilling day and the best thing about it is that people actually read the pamphlets; and not just Muslims, everyone transcending race and religion, that was the most rewarding feeling ever.

How many more must die?

"...you will find the faithful like a body, if one of its parts feels pain, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever" (Narrated by Muslim and Bukhari)

As I write this entry, it's been 19days since Israel started it's barbaric assault onto Gaza and the death toll is nearly 1000. Sometimes you just don't want to watch the news anymore. Too many deaths, destruction, tears, screams, blood...all you want to do is just to flick the channel or turn off the TV and make it all go away. We're fortunate enough to just turn it off, but what about those in Gaza, subjected to sounds of bombs, sounds of jetplanes constantly circling above their homes every hour of the day? What about them?

I've never felt more useless in my life as I feel now. I've always thought that with a proper education I would be able to help rise the ummah, I would be a part of the generation that will create change. Yet, I spend my days in comforts that my brothers and sisters in Gaza can only dream of. The worst feeling ever for one to have is that of helplessness.

I was reading in Al Jazeera how Egypt and Saudi Arabia rejected an Arab summit call to discuss the situation in Gaza. Instead they find the 18th January economic summit would be an appropriate place to discuss the issue. What I find interesting is how diplomats have said that the Egyptians and Saudis fear that the summit wont have any results and would make Arab leaders appear ineffective. Oh trust me, Arab leaders have appeared ineffective a looooooong time ago! Actually not just Arab leaders, most Muslim leaders are pretty much useless at the moment, OIC I believe stands for organization of IMMOBILE countries. For the most part, they don't move anywhere, they don't progress, they're just stay stunted and useless.

For example, just a few steps from Masjidil Haram lies a Starbucks Coffeeshop. Now Saudi Arabia, a state that won't allow women to drive (!!!) has made Makkah, the holiest of lands for all Muslims a place where multi-national corporations to stamp their brands on. And need I add Howard Schultz the chairman of Starbucks is an active Zionist too. When I see on the news how the Muslims in Gaza are saying Arab leaders have sold them out, I echo their sentiment.

Everyone seems to think that the most powerful nation in the world is the USA. Ironically enough most of the oil (where the money is really at), is concentrated mostly in the Middle East. So shouldn't the Muslim countries be the ones most powerful and feared right now? Look at what the furore Russia caused with stopping gas to Ukraine, what would happen if a similar incident occured but with regards to oil? Isn't that a frightening situation?

Yet, it seems like those in "control" of these riches are just mere puppets on a puppet show. Other people are pulling the strings, other people are ochestrating the show.

Again, I repeat, I've never felt more useless in my life as I feel now. What use is that piece of paper stating my accomplishment when my brothers and sisters, no, a part of me is bleeding; hurting; dying!

Israel continue to claim that they are attacking only Hamas and not civilians. Yet the accusations of them using white phosphorus really does go against their "we're not attacking civillians" claim. It's a smoke that encompasses a wide area, it will eventually harm everyone within the vicinity. And we continuously hear on the news how densely populated Gaza city is. Oh yes, not harming the civillians indeed. I didn't know that children were military targets either.

My voice may not be heard, but the cries and screams of the 4000+ injured and families of the nearly 1000 killed is hard to drown out. If you can't hear that, then you truly are deaf. You're not human.

How many more must die for the world to open their eyes, their ears, to hear the pleas of those who are unjustly murdered? How many more must die for diplomacy to come to play? How many more must die for the Muslim ummah to rise and help one another? Uniting to fight against an evil may not be the best foundation to begin unity, but it is a platform for unity. So why then can't we forget our differences, leave the accusations behind and just stand together?

"The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear God, that you may receive Mercy" (Holy Qur'an 49:10)

Truth is on the side of the oppressed

it's nearly two weeks since israel began its assault on gaza. the death toll of innocent civillians right now is 765 and rising. the only outcome of politicians who sit around a a table debating whilst children, i repeat CHILDREN are dying, is a three hour pause during the day for aid to pass through. oh and just in, finally a resolution for a ceasefire... it took them 765 deaths to come to that conclusion???

i am getting sick and tired of israel's "self-defense" excuse used to justify its acts. is it really self defense killing innocent lives of children? preventing aid? bombing places of worship? even firing at a UN truck! oh yes all this in the name of self defense indeed ...


"Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army," said Unrwa spokesman Chris Gunness.


nothing can justify what the israeli govt are doing to the gazans. they say they are defending themselves against terrorists, it is them who are the terrorist. i dont hold all israel to blame, there are 20% of israelis against their government, although a minority, at least there is awareness amongst the israelis at how inhumane their government is.

im going to stop now because i just cant blog any further about this. it really does pain me to see my brothers and sisters in palestine without food, water, shelter. make dua for them please. that is the least we can do. pray an additional sunnah prayer every night for them. that is the least we can do. donate even $1, that is the least we can do.

check out these other websites for more details on the war on gaza:

Electronic Intifada

Al Jazeera English

Ilan Pappe (check this guy out, he's one of the 20%. i was priviliged enough to have heard him speak when he came to warwick and was very impressed)

BBC

BBC-Aid worker's diary (a must read)

1948 (not so related to the current war on gaza, but is worth a visit)