Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Gaza and the Songs of Freedom
















So I was trying to get away from this story ....at least for a while. Because there is only so much horror and suffering I can take, without needing a break to recharge my faith in humanity.

And I came across this forum on Songs of Freedom.

Which was a welcome distraction. Until I started to think about how long the poor wretched Palestinians have been fighting for their freedom.


And what all those years of war and occupation have done to them.

I used to think, in a rather airy-fairy way, that if someone was brutally treated they would determine, having experienced pain and humiliation, never to inflict it on anyone else. But now I know the opposite is true. If you subjugate and brutalise someone, odds on they will grow up to be brutish and full of hate.

I thought most people now understood that, and that most people knew that the Palestinians have been treated barbarically by Israel, and the rest of the world, since 1948. The big surprise is that it hasn't driven more of them mad. Their land has been stolen and occupied, their leaders manipulated, their people divided and crushed, their homes and land bulldozed and wrecked, their willingness to negotiate ignored; and, since the "withdrawal" of Israel from the Gaza Strip, they have been imprisoned and isolated in that territory in close to unbearable conditions; and now more than 700 of them have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured. Some of them may feel that they can do or say what they like now, because they have hardly anything left to lose.

Just like some Israelis...who have also been driven mad.... appear to believe they can say or do whatever THEY want.

Which was so depressing I took refuge in my video collection.

Only to stumble upon this little Ode to Freedom....




Which finally made me laugh. Isn't freedom wonderful?

Until I remembered how sad it is that some have it.

And some don't....















And was reminded once again that in the midst of the horror.... and the lies..... there is only one blinding truth.

Until the Palestinians get their freedom and their state so they can live in peace with their neighbours.

The violence and the sadness will just go on and on...


------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. As for the songs of freedom....I think I'll choose my favourites and play them in a few days. When hopefully this horror will have ended.

So I can enjoy them even more....

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here is something to soothe your soul, Simon. A few are sad, but others are joyful and seem to me to be full of hope.

Stay Human!

unokhan said...

dood, u have GOT 2 understand that this mess is fukn ramped-up colonialism. it makes apartheid south africa look humane. zionists regard palestinians as less than human (as they regard all goyim) and they kill children, men, dogs, and chickens with impunity. it's the invariable result of identity politix, always. when your ideology ushers you into a fantasy of 'chosen', 'set apart', or 'white', you're gonna eventually take the bestial road.

my apologies for being abrupt

Simon said...

Hi Gene...thanks for that link. It did cheer me up.
It's great to see that no matter how much some may try to beat them down...or ignore their suffering...nothing can stop the Palestinian from affirming their right to exist.
And don't worry I will stay human. That's my problem eh? :)

Simon said...

Hi Unokhan...I know...or at least I'm finding out. I admit that I didn't really know enough about the Palestinian struggle until recently. I'm guilty of not paying enough attention to that part of the world. But I'm afraid you're right about the even more brutal form of apartheid. And don't worry now my eyes are open wide... :)