Letters from Gaza

“We love life, we don’t carry hate or aggression in our heart”

Dear friends,

I have been trying to write to you for several days. But lately I feel as if I were disabled, unable to pick up the pen to start the text.

This time I will not mention the damage in figures and find the lack of humanity through the number of deaths or wounded: a human being is not a digit.

I’m not going to compare their damage with ours. I’m not going to say that the Israelis have killed women and children without mentioning the loss of men, as if it were legal to kill men: Palestine needs of its men, women, children and also its trees.

I will not repeat the stories about the wages, the lack of electricity and fuel, or everything that’s necessary for a life to be honorable, because we have to live with dignity and we have been living with all these difficulties for years.

Perhaps it surprises you if I say that this time I feel indifference: I have no more fear in my heart, nor tears in my eyes, nor hatred, really, I don’t hate anybody.

Today, I will talk about peace, to the right of existing and resisting

During the 1st Intifada (1987-1993), stones were the weapons used against the crimes commited by the Israeli army, from there came the name “the war of stones”.

Back then, even thought the equation was; the stones in the hands of the Palestinians against the Israeli military weapons, the result was the same: “The Arab or Palestinian terrorists”

For years Israeli weapons have grown but the weapons of the Palestinian resistance, haven’t.

In 2006, everyone decided to punish those who voted for these Palestinian “terrorists”. And Israel thought it was time to wipe out Hamas, but after the Israeli offensive, I think the total opposite happened.

Hamas has built tunnels to provide what the Gaza population is lacking to be able to survive. Necessity is the mother of ingenuity. And this is the beginning of the story: a stone can not make a rocket or a missile retreat. These can only be faced with rockets. Also, you can’t wait with your arms crossed and wait for the Israelis to tell us: “I will give you back your territories because you are pacifists”

Now I have decided to tell you about my cousin, killed by Israeli rockets. I am talking about someone that I know very well. My cousin was from the resistance, I’m not afraid to say it, on the contrary, I feel very proud.

He chose the way of resistance, he realized the need to sacrifice his heart, his life, his blood so that Palestine could be free.

Last year, the first day of the Eid Aladha festivity, he came to visit me with his father, he enjoyed playing with my kids, and he promised me that he would return this year to eat delicious cakes. The party is in three weeks and my cousin will no longer come visit me.

Last month, he added a photo on Facebook: he was with some friends in a restaurant. The comments on this photo show that they are people who want to laugh, live and live in peace. There is one who says, “I know what you are thinking: who ate the sandwiches?”And another one says, “Uh my friend, there is an extra sandwich, no? And he answered: “Friend, I dream of my future wife, I dream that she is here with me in this restaurant, although the sandwich will be more delicious and the place more beautiful.”

The day of his murder, he was playing football with his friends and neighbors, saying: “The World Cup is here in Gaza.”

I’m telling you these stories to show you that these guys were passionate about living, they will do anything to live.

We are tired of all these acts.

We love life, we don’t carry hate or aggression in our heart.

I no longer suffer for my children, nothing is expensive in Palestine.

My little two year old thought every time there was a bombing, that they were knocking on the front door and that they were asking us to open up. This morning, I found out that he no longer believes in what he thought. The poor child is right…no one knocks on the door in such an aggresive way!

Salma A. E

Grafitti by Banksy