I saw a programme on BBC on Tuesday, it was about Palestinians locked up in Isreali jails. It hurt to see so many of my muslim brothers locked up under Isreali authority. But what was really painful was to see my muslim sisters who were locked up (I'm not in anyway insinuatin that they were mis-treated in jail - they seemed to be treated as well as in any jail).
This hurt like hell. I know that many of these would have been involved in what the Isreali authorities see as "crimes and atrocities". But these are my sisters many were wearing hijabs and appeared to be practising. The thought that went through my mind is that many of these have already lived through an oppressive regime which those of us in the West can't even begin to imagine. At the best of times the lacked freedom and were treated as outcasts in their own country with the rest of the world looking on. To see my muslim sisters in pain hurts. To see them locked in Isreali jails in this way was awful!
Most of these women are unlikely to see any freedom unless tha political landscape was to change in the Middle East (Isreali jail terms are set on the basis of life for a life, so those considered to be involved in taking a life will be in jail for their natural lives). All these sisters will be daughters. Many will be mothers, sisters and wives.
They are locked up for resisiting the occupation of their homes. Many will have seen those their friends and loved ones killed, locked, tortured or made to suffer. These are our muslim bretheren, our sisters who are locked up for fighting for freedom, both their own and their people's.
Please don't get me wrong I don't condon violence and killing, I am just appaled that we live in a world where this happens. I hate to see anyone killed be they muslim or non-muslim.
I do have Jewish friends and have met a lot of nice Jewish people and I'm sure they feel the same way when they see Isrealis hurt and I would hate to see my friends hurt. I guess both sides need to stop seeing each other as demons...but after years of conflict with the hatred inbuilt I guess that's easier said then done.
I have no answer to this problem all I can say is that I have had a few sleepless nights while thinking about this. It hurts. I hope others feel this way on both sides. The death and destruction needs to stop...
1 comment:
Hi. I'm an Israeli, just looking at your blog because you asked for feedback, but also interested in your content. First thing is I love the way you have the categories. Is it a special tool or something? I'd love to do the same on my blog so I can separate my political posts from my recipes or ballet reviews. I like the template too, very clean.
On the issue of this post, obviously we may differ in some respects. I understand how you feel for them as you see them as sisters in faith, and at least according to outward signs, in practice. I certainly have no desire to have anybody imprisoned either, and since in reality, I have no idea what they are in prison for, I can't make too specific a comment on them individually.
I certainly acknowledge that in Israel's present situation, people get locked up for things that might not otherwise be crimes. That is, for political affiliation with groups deemed associated with "terrorism" (I put the quotes around that in attempt to be fair.) I don't like that. Believe it or not, a few Jews get locked up on the same charge, but by no means is it anywhere near equivalent in number.
The point I would love to eventually reach agreement on (maybe not possible in today's enviroment, but I dream) is that someone who hurts a civilian is called a criminal and is locked up according to the standards for criminals. Today, it is not so from either side's perspective. Today, one side calls them heros (by-and-large), and the other calls them terrorists, prisoners of war, security prisoner, what have you. Either way, a lot of innocents suffer.
The one point you made I would specifically disagree with is how you characterized Israeli "sentencing" as "life for a life". In fact it is not. Just as one example, a Palestinian who had planted a bomb in a refrigerator maybe 20 years ago was released just in the last couple years -- he was greeted by Yassir Arafat and installed as a national hero in a political position immediately. I believe there are many more examples that Israel has not locked up people, even who have killed civilians, for life. That angers a lot of Israelis.
Anyway, Peace and Good Blogging. Maybe we can all just blog it out. (Yeah, like its that simple). Can you imagine what the comments section would have looked like if Arafat or Sharon kept a blog?
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