Why A Dying Cat Touches More Hearts Than Dying Child
Meet Hind, a six-year-old girl with dreams and daily routines mirroring those of children around the world. With her playful hair and bright smile, she embodied the innocence of childhood, harboring ambitions for a peaceful life filled with love from her parents, who cherished watching her grow.
Tragically, Hind found herself trapped in what has been described as the largest open-air prison in the world, home to two and a half million souls. Her final days were marked by events so harrowing that they defy the imagination of even the most creative storytellers.
Thirty days ago, Hind and her family set out in search of a safe haven. In an instant that was meant to be ordinary, their lives changed forever. Surrounded by tanks, Israeli soldiers emerged and targeted their vehicle. Within minutes, Hind lost everything she knew—her family perished before her eyes, leaving only her cousin Haya alive to call for help.
For 12 agonizing days, Hind endured hunger and thirst, unable to comprehend the magnitude of her loss. Eventually, she too lost her cousin, leaving her the sole survivor amidst her deceased family, trapped and powerless in their car.
The world, aware of Hind's birth, remains oblivious to the date of her passing. The exact cause of her death—whether hunger, thirst, or a combination of both—remains unknown. However, the undeniable truth is that our collective silence contributed to her untimely demise.
Life marches on for us, filled with mundane joys and activities. Yet, Hind's story remains a stark reminder of our collective apathy and the death of our global conscience.
In "Schindler's List," a film chronicling the atrocities faced by Jews, a scene featuring a girl in a red coat stands out amidst the black-and-white imagery, drawing attention to the innocence lost in the tragedy. Will Hollywood ever spotlight Hind's story, or do we perceive our children's lives as unequal to those of animals, which sometimes garner more immediate empathy and action?
Hind’s story, along with those of 13,000 other children, poses a grave question to us. Our silence in the face of such atrocities is deafening.
The narrative does not end with Hind. Thousands of children have suffered similar fates, their stories barely heard, their tragedies a testament to the world's indifference.
###Consider a five-year-old, forced to witness the execution of his family. Or the premature babies at Al-Nasr Hospital in Gaza, sentenced to death as medical staff were expelled by the Israeli army. These stories are beyond comprehension, challenging our humanity and our capacity for empathy.
How can we lead normal lives knowing the suffering of infants in Gaza, witnessing the forced separation of mothers from their babies due to military orders, or knowing that entire families are annihilated with little to no global outcry?
The question of who bears responsibility for Hind's death is complex. It involves not only the direct actions of the occupying military forces but also the policies of governments, the decisions of international bodies, and the silence of the global community. Our inaction and our silence make us complicit.
This blog post is a call to action. Reflect on our shared humanity and the collective responsibility we hold. We must raise our voices, advocate for the innocent, and challenge the status quo. Silence and indifference are luxuries we can no longer afford in the face of horrific genocide.
What must we do to ensure we are not complicit, whether through our silence or our nation's involvement in this unforgivable genocide?
Right now, there are immediate actions you can take to save the lives of over a million people, half of whom are innocent children facing brutal bombardment, extreme hunger, and deadly diseases due to lack of water and medical care:
1. Donate Now to Prevent Starvation
World Central Kitchen was forced to leave Gaza after being bombed by Israel and the US, leaving over 200,000 people who relied on their meals daily without food. This is a critical situation that demands immediate attention and support.
The two largest meal providers in Gaza have also withdrawn due to similar tragic circumstances, leaving hundreds of thousands without access to essential meals.
These groups alone were providing about 250,000 meals PER DAY.
I don’t know how else to say this, but this is a devastating turn of events that will cause people from the North to the South to starve to death.
The New York Times best-selling author and American writer Shaun King is leading a large-scale donation campaign to deliver hot meals to the most vulnerable families in Gaza, in collaboration with a local team risking their lives to help. You can contribute directly to this life-saving effort through this link and make a tangible difference in the lives of starving children and families in Gaza. Every donation counts towards preventing hunger.
2. Boycott to End the War
First, exert pressure in every way possible to halt this ruthless war against children. Start by boycotting products from companies that support the Israeli army and its occupation of Palestine . Your boycott won't cost lives, but buying these products could contribute to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children. When you and those around you join in boycotting, it creates substantial economic pressure on these companies, compelling them to end their support for the Israeli occupation.
Find out which companies are involved by visiting the BDS movement website. BDS is an international boycott movement targeting companies and institutions that support the Israeli occupation. Together, through collective action, we can make a difference and help stop this genocide . Take action now to stand up for what is right and save innocent lives.
3. Urgent Call for U.S. Citizens
If you're a U.S. citizen, consider this: How do you feel knowing your government aids the Israeli army in the worst genocide humanity has witnessed? They supply the latest lethal weapons and billions in taxpayer money, resulting in the deaths of 32,000 innocent lives and the starvation of 1.5 million people in Gaza.
It's important to realize that if the American administration truly wanted this war to end, it would have stopped already. Yet, the Biden administration and Congress continue to support it. The United Nations Security Council convened four times during this war, with all members except one voting to stop the genocide. Who is that one country? Your country, the United States.
Take action today. Join demonstrations and events organized by American institutions to pressure the Biden administration to end this support for the Israeli army.
Demand a Ceasefire in Gaza:
- Congress: 202–225–3121
- Senate: 202–224–3121
- White House: 202–456–1111
Call these numbers, demand a ceasefire, question the arms support to Israel, and advocate for an end to the occupation. This conflict is not about religion; it's about human rights, land, and justice. We must recognize the shared humanity in each other and stand against oppression. The time for change is now.
Learn more or get involved:
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights https://uscpr.org/
Jewish Voice for Peace https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
If Not Now https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/
If Americans Knew https://ifamericansknew.org/
React now, so in the future, you can tell your children you did everything in your power to reject this war.
While you rest comfortably, thousands are suffering in tents, their hearts stopping from the cold. Hundreds of thousands of children cry out with empty stomachs, unable to find food. Babies are left hungry as their parents struggle to provide even a drop of milk.
Let’s act together to stop this before it’s too late!
