Palestine: The Story of a Gazan “Martyr”

MuminThe death of anyone close to you is painful, but how do you cope with it if that person has actively sought death? Gazan blogger Samaher Al Khazandar has written about her nephew, Mu’min Musa Al Khazandar, who joined the military wing of Hamas, and was determined to die as a martyr while fighting for Palestine.

Samaher says:

“يا أمي أنا نويت الشهادة في سيبل الله” “أنا قبلت في كتائب عز الدين القسام .. مش مهم أجاهد مع مين.. المهم النية .. نيتي أجاهد في سبيل الله وتحرير الوطن مع صحبة طيبة ولقيت الصحبة الطيبة مع إخواني في الكتائب” “الناس يا أمي تعيش عمر طويل تحاول تعيش ما عيش إلا عيش الآخرة.. أنا أحاول أخد طريق مختصرة واكسب أجر مضاعف” “نحن يا أمي ما بنرمي حالنا على الموت نحن نقاتل ونحسن القتال والله يختار منا من يشاء، لو كان الموضوع إهلاك النفس، كان ما رجع منا حدا” “الجهاد يا أمي يعني نصر أو استشهاد.. ادعي لي بواحدة منهم بس أنا بفضل الثانية” “الله يا أمي يصطفي الشهداء .. مش مين ما كان يختاره الله شهيد .. ادعي لي الله يختارني برضاك علي .. راضية عني؟” “لما أستشهد إنشاء الله راح أرجع لك محمل على الأكتاف من هذا الطريق” رنت كلمات مؤمن في أذني أمه التي كانت تقف شاردة في الشرفة تراقب الطريق، التي تضيئها انفجارات الغارات المتلاحقة. لفح هواء ليل شتاء غزة البارد وجهها وهي تهمس “18 يوم يا رب .. 18 يوم تحت رحمتك على أرضك وتحت سماك .. 18 يوم في البرد والطيارات بتقصف حواليه .. أكرمني بدفنه يا رب بس أشوفه وأدفنه بعدها.. عينك عليه يا رب تحميه .. أنا أودعتك إياه.. رجعه يبرِّد ناري قبل الفراق .. يا رب .. نوى الشهادة وصدقك يا رب .. اصدقه واجعله من الشهداء المكرمين ”
“Mother, I've made up my mind to be martyred for the cause of God.” “I've been accepted in the Izz Al Din Al Qassam Brigades…It's not important who I undertake jihad with, the important thing is the intention…My intention is to struggle for the cause of God, and liberate the nation with good comrades, and I have found good comrades with my brothers in the Brigades.” “Mother, people spend long lives trying to live, but there is no life but the afterlife; I am trying to take a shorter route and earn a double reward.” “Mother, we are not throwing ourselves towards death, we are fighting and doing well by fighting, and God will choose for us what He wishes. If it were a matter of self-destruction, none of us would have returned.” “Mother, jihad means victory or martyrdom…Pray for me to achieve one of them; I prefer the second.” “Mother, God chooses the martyrs…and not just anyone is chosen by God as a martyr. Pray for me that God will choose me, and that you will be pleased with me…Are you pleased with me?” “When I am martyred, God willing, I will come back to you by this street, carried on people's shoulders.” Mu'min's words rang in the ears of his mother who stood on the balcony, preoccupied, watching the street that was lit by the explosions of one attack after another. The air of Gaza's cold winter night burned, as did her face, and she whispered, “Lord, it's eighteen days…Eighteen days at Your mercy, on Your earth and under Your skies…Eighteen days in the cold, while the planes are bombing around him…Lord, by Your generosity I will bury him, just let me see him, and I will bury him after that…O Lord, Your eye is on him, protecting him…I have entrusted him to You…His return will cool the fire in me before the farewell…O Lord…He intended to be martyred and trusted You, o Lord…Believe him, and make him one of the honoured martyrs.”
?عادت الكهرباء تضيء الشارع بعد انقطاعها ليومين كاملين، فانطلقت تضيء التلفاز لتسمع الأخبار علها تأتي بما ينذر باقتراب انتهاء كربها الذي يصر على أن يطول.. على التلفاز كان رئيس وزراء العدو يقف بصلافته وبلاهته المعتادة، معلنا عن وقف لإطلاق النار من جانب واحد، قفزت بحركة عفوية، وراحت تصرخ “الحمد لله الحمد لله” .. قضت سوزان الليل تحضر بيتها لاستقبل إبنها الأوسط شهيداً محملاً على الأكتاف. كان قلبها يهوي كلما تذكرته يجري بكامل عتاده في الطريق الذي من المفترض أن يعود منه شهيداً .. خالجها حينها شعور بأنها المرة الأخيرة التي ستراه فيها .. لطالما كان متعجلاً للرحيل ..
The electricity came back, lighting the street after being cut for two whole days. She immediately switched on the television to listen to the news in the hope that she would get a sign that her misery which insisted on being prolonged would end soon. The enemy's prime minister was on the television, standing with his customary pomposity and stupidity, announcing a unilateral ceasefire. She automatically jumped up, and began to cry out, “Thanks be to God, thanks be to God!” Suzanne spent the night preparing her house to receive her middle son as a martyr carried on people's shoulders. Her heart sank whenever she remembered him running, fully armed, along the street by which he was supposed to return as a martyr…At that moment the feeling would pervade her that it was the last time she would see him…While he was hurrying towards death…
في آخر مرة نجا فيها من عملية اغتيال استهدفت مجموعته الفدائية، عاد للبيت بعصبية لم تكن أبداً من طباعه، كاد يبكي وهو يردد: “في شي غلط .. يا أنا مش مصفي النية أو إنت .. بتضلك تقولي أودعتك الله .. نفسي استشهد .. ادعيلي أنالها.. ادعي” رجف قلبها يومها وهي تقول بصوت دامع: “الله ينولك الي في بالك” شعرت بروحها تتمزق وهي تسترجع هذه الذكريات، وتبتلع لوعتها لعدم قدرتها على أن تلقي على ابنها نظرة وداع أخيرة مع غصة كبيرة مريرة..
The last time he got safely away from an assassination operation aimed at his group of fighters, he went home tense, which was not in his nature. He was almost crying as he said, “There is something wrong…Either I am not pure in my intention, or you aren't…Keep saying ‘I entrust you to God’…I want to be martyred…Pray that it is granted to me…Pray for me…”
Her heart fluttered that day when she said in a tearful voice, “May God grant you what is in your mind.” She felt that her soul was in shreds as she recalled these memories, and she swallowed her anguish for being unable to say a final farewell to her son, and felt choked with bitterness.
حين انتهت من تحضير بيتها المتواضع لاستقبال الشهيد، صلت الفجر وجلست تراقب الهاتف، وتنتظر طلوع صباح جديد بلا شمس، وبدلاً من أن يرن الهاتف، لتسمع أخبار العثور على مؤمن، ضربت أذنها أصوات عدة صواريخ جراد وأخرى محلية الصنع تنطلق متلاحقة فصرخت منهارة “لااااااااا .. رجعت الحرب رجعت .. آه يا مؤمن آاااااااااااه”. أفاق زوجها على صوتها فوجدها تبكي، لم تستطع أن تقول له أن الأمل وُلد أثناء نومه الطويل العميق وقتل منذ ثوانٍ فقط.. وقبل أن يفهم أبو الشهيد القصة رن هاتفه النقال، رفعت رأسها وراقبته وهي تنتفض كان يحاول أن يفهم كلمات المتصل المشوشة بسبب سوء الإرسال، وحاولت أن تصغي علها تستطيع أن تسمع ما لا يستطيع هو التقاطه، فانتبهت فجأة أن هناك أصوات عالية في الشارع، فقفزت بلوعة وهي تصرخ باسم مؤمن. وتحت الشرفة كان هناك أحد رفاق الشهيد يحاول الاتصال بهم عبر الجوال ليخبرهم أنهم قد عثروا على جثة مؤمن بعد انسحاب الجيش الإسرائيلي من عدة مناطق منها جبل الريس حيث كان يرابط قبل استشهاده، وأنه مع عدد من رفاقه الشهداء في مستشفى الشفاء.
When she had finished preparing her humble house to welcome the martyr, she prayed the dawn prayer, and sat watching the telephone, and waited for the arrival of a new morning, without sun. Instead of the telephone ringing, so that she could hear the news of Mu'min's discovery, her ears rang with the noise of some Grad missiles and other locally-made ones exploding one after another. She screamed angrily, “Noooooo…The war's started again, it's started again…Oh, Mu'min, ohhhhhhh…” Her husband woke up at her voice and found her crying, and she couldn't tell him that hope had been born during his long, deep sleep, and had been killed just seconds ago. Before the father of the martyr had understood the story his mobile phone rang, and she raised her head and looked at it. Shaking, she tried to understand the words of the caller that were unclear because of the bad connection. She tried listening to the conversation in the hope of hearing what her husband was not able to understand. She suddenly became aware of loud voices in the street, and jumped up anxiously, calling out Mu'min's name. Below the balcony one of the martyr's friends was trying to call them on his mobile to inform them that Mu'min's body had been found after the withdrawal of the Israeli army from a number of areas, including Jabal Al Rayyis [in eastern Jabaliya] where Mu'min had taken position before being killed. He was with several of his martyred comrades in Al Shifa Hospital.
مرت الدقائق كالساعات، وتوافد الأهل والأقارب والأصدقاء وامتلأ البيت الصغير بمحبي مؤمن وسوزان، وهي وقفت في الشرفة تنتظر حضور مؤمن، من الطريق الذي وعدها أن يعود منه، محملاً تنظر نظرة فارغة لنهاية الطريق، الذي بدا أطول بكثير مما كان عليه، أحاطتها أخواتها وشعرت بأن توتر ملحوظاً قد طرأ عليهن بعد مكالمة هاتفية، التفتت إليهن فوجدت عيونهن تحيطها بأسى وقالت إحداهن: “هذا ماجد بيقول إنه .. يعني .. أصله القسام أكدوا إن ما حدا ينكشف وجه مؤمن” نظرت لهن متشككة ورددت : “متحلل؟!” فاستدركت اختها قائلة: “لا لا .. والله قالوا إنه زي ما هو .. بس أصله .. أصله الصاروخ جاي برأسه .. ما في معالم بوجهه يا أختي .. كله صحيح بس الرأس.. قصدي .. خلي آخر ذكرى عنه حلوة .. هو أكيد ما راح يحب تشوفيه بهذا الشكل” أدارت بين وجوههن الباكية نظرة خاوية، وهمهمت بصوت منهك: “أنا أودعته الله .. الله ما راح يضيعه”
Minutes passed like hours, and family and relatives and friends arrived and filled the small house with those who cared for Mu'min and Suzanne. She stood on the balcony awaiting his arrival, from the street which he promised to return by, which seemed much longer than it was. Her sisters surrounded her and she felt that a noticeable tension had arisen after the phone call. She turned towards them and found their eyes upon her full of distress. One of them said, “That's Majid saying…I mean…that the Qassam Brigades have emphasised that no one was able to identify Mu’min's face…”
She looked at them doubtfully and replied, “His body was blown apart?”
Her sister clarified, “No, no… I swear they said he is just as he was…just that…the rocket hit his head…Sister, his face has no features…Everything is whole apart from his head…I mean…Keep another, better memory of him…He certainly would not have wanted you to see him like this.”
She looked round at all their weeping faces with a vacant expression, and mumbled in an exhausted voice, “I entrusted him to God…God would not let this be in vain…”
عادت تنظر إلى الطريق الذي بدأ يتحرك أخيراً .. طالعتها وجوه أصدقائه وأقاربه ورفاق دربه يحملونه على أكتافهم، مكفناً بعلم كتائب القسام الأبيض، تماماً كما أراد دائما، وورائه هرولت جماعات من الناس يهتف أحدهم ويردد الآخرين “لا إله إلا الله والشهيد حبيب الله” وحين اقترب الجمع من الباب، وأدخل النعش، دفعت سوزان من حولها وشقت طريقها بلهفة لتجد النعش قد وُضع على طاولة تتوسط غرفة المعيشة.. ألقت بنفسها على جسده المسجى، وراحت تتحسسه بيدها، حتى التقطت يده من تحت العلم الأبيض، تحسست أصابعه وثنت يده، ثم ابتسمت من بين دموعها، وهي تستنشق رائحة عطرة ملأت هواء الغرفة والبيت والشارع، تعالت صيحات لا إله إلا الله حولهما في حين صاحت هي بصوت مكتوم: “ما ضيعك الله يامًا ما ضيعك الله .. الحمد لله .. الحمد لله.. طلبتها ونلتها .. الحمد لله .. لا إله إلا الله .. لا إله إلا الله”
She looked again at the street which had finally started to move…She looked at the faces of his friends and relatives and comrades carrying him on their shoulders, wrapped in the white flag of the Qassam Brigades, exactly as he had always wanted. Behind him hurried groups of people; one man was shouting, and the others repeated, “There is no god but God and the martyr is favoured by God.” When the crowd got near the door, and the bier was brought inside, Suzanne pushed away those around her, clearing her way impatiently to find the bier that had been placed on a table in the centre of the living room. She found herself by his shrouded body, and started to run her hand over it until she came across his hand under the white flag. She felt his fingers and turned his hand, then smiled amidst her tears, as she inhaled the scent of the perfume that filled the air of the room, the house, the street. Cries of “There is no god but God” rang out around them, while she called out in a stifled voice, “This has not been in vain, my son, this has not been in vain…Thanks be to God…Thanks be to God…You requested it…And were granted it…Thanks be to God…There is no god but God…There is no god but God.”
ومن فوق الرؤوس الموحدة هبطت سكينة على القلوب الملتاعة، واتسعت ابتسامة رضى على وجه ودع الدنيا، وفي لحظات أخيرة تنظر عين راضية على الجسد الذي يستعد للفراق الأبدي ويحيط أمن بالعيون الدامعة، وهي تلقي آخر النظرات على النعش الذي عاد للأكتاف، وتنطلق قوة خفية في الأرجل الراكضة، وتتلاحق أنفاس اللاحقين المتزاحمين في الجنازة، مؤمن يستعجل الرحيل، يعود الجسد لبطن غزة، ترتقي الروح تودع، وداعاً ربماً ليس أخيراً، ما تبقى من أهل غزة ومن حارات غزة ومن مساجد غزة وكنائسها ومن ثبات غزة وحرائرها وجنائز الشهداء ودموع ثكالى وأرامل ويتامى غزة.. راحل يا مؤمن تتركنا وربما نظرت لنا روحك بحنانك المعتاد ورقة طبعك الجميل.. ربما نظرت لنا روحك وقالت: “أودعتكم الله”
From above the massed heads a calm settled in the tormented hearts, and a contented smile was spread on the face which had bid this life adieu. In the last moments she turned her satisfied eye to the body that was ready for its eternal farewell, surrounded in peace by tearful eyes, and threw a last glance at the bier which was back on the shoulders. A hidden power was unleashed in the running feet, and people crowded to catch up with the funeral procession. Mu’min was in a hurry to leave; the body returns to the belly of Gaza, the soul rises for farewell, perhaps not its last farewell, for what is left of the people of Gaza and its neighbourhouds, mosques and churches, its steadfastedness and funeral processions of its martyrs, and the tears of its bereaved and widows and orphans…Mu’min, you have departed, and left us behind. Maybe your soul will look upon us with its usual warmth and delicately beautiful manners. Perhaps your soul looked at us and said: “I have entrusted you to God.”
إن صدقنا الله يا مؤمن فلن يضيعنا، هكذا تعلمنا من رحيلك أيها الصغير الذي كبر في غفلة منا، وبعد أن ظننا أننا كبار، جئت لترينا كم صغرنا.. جاء سريعاً هذا الرحيل، قبل أن نشبع من وجودك، قبل أن نفهم حقيقة وجودك، قبل حتى أن نستطيع أن نفهمك.. ما زلت يا صغيري لغزاً محيراً، كيف استطعت أن تفهم وتقرر وتعمل وتنجز وتحقق في هذا الوقت القياسي من عمرك القصير في هذه الدنيا الفانية .. لو كان كل منا يتحرك بطريقتك وإن كان في طريق غير طريقك لما كان هذا الحال حالنا.. أرجو أن لا يكون هذا وداعاً يا مؤمن نحتسبك عند الله شهيداً لحقت بالأحبة محمد وصحبه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين ونرجو الله أن ننال ما نلت من الشرف والكرامة عند الله …
If we trust God, Mu’min, He will not let our lives be in vain. This is what we have learnt from your departure, o little one, who grew up without us realising, after we thought that we were grownups. You came to show us how much younger we had become. Your departure came too soon, before we had our fill of your presence, before we understood the reality of your existence, and even before we were able to understand you. My little one, you are still a puzzling mystery. How were you able to understand, decide, act, and achieve in a record period of your short life in this world…If everyone acted in such a way, even by taking a route other than yours, our situation wouldn't have been like this…I hope this is not a farewell, Mu’min, as we consider you to be a martyr with God. You are amongst those favoured by Mohammed and his companions and all those who have believed in them until the day of judgement. We pray to God that we are honoured and dignified by God in the way that you have been…

23 comments

  • Stan R

    My stomach turned reading this. I am sorry I believe in life. Fourty years ego I did not move to Israel, because I would have to go to army and possibly kill. i did not move to USA because I would have to go to army and kill.I believe in life not death. Now I am reading here that young boy was brainwashed and family instead giving him 25 on naked behind and sending him to room, is making him a “martyr with god” Let be real, no god would accept to have a blood of this naive boy on his/her hands.

    • Jane

      See Im sure youre not muslim so I guess it shoudnt be expected for you to think this is normal. But in Islam, the muslims give themselves up for the sake of God. Even if it means death, depending on the strength of faith the individual has. Clearly this young man, had a strong faith. And wanted to fight for his country and die for his country. Its not a matter of beeing brainwashed, its a matter of making a sacrifice for God. ” No God would accept to have a blood of this naive boy on his hands “, how do you know that?

      :) Have a great won, peace be upon this young man. Wow – God bless him and his family.

      • Stan R

        Hi Jane,

        Good question: “how do you know that?” before I answer it how do you, the young man, his family, leaders and followers of religion know that God wants the suicide or any other types killings? The Judo-Christian-Islam concept of God is universal, of all mankind, of whole universe. Clearly this young man was brainwashed by self-interest tribal teachings. To even suggest to “die for the country” is left over from pagan city-state religion. The teachings of universal God would never allow that kind of killing.

        • Jane

          Hey Stan,
          How do the muslims know? They have faith, they believe in their relegion, Islam. Its written in their book that someone who sacrifices their life for the sake of their country and God, God willing, will be rewarded. See, I dont think they expect you to understand this as you are not muslim. But their faith is so strong that theyre willing to do anything for God. Palestine has been suffering way too much that all these ppl do is depend on God, which makes their faith strong. See, some ppl insist that its brainwashing – its not.

          If he wants to fight for his country and looses his life in the process and doesnt seem to have a problem with it, why do you gys judge?

          Have a great one ! :)
          Id just like to add one more thing, “ the teachings of universal God would never allow that kind of killing “, how do you explain close to a thousand ppl dead in Gaza and nearly 2000 injured? God doesnt allow that, but im sure he`ll reward someone who fought for all these ppl. Im glad the war is over, Palestine deserves their freedom. And this man earns all my respect, thats for sure. God Bless him and his family.
          Peace. :)

  • […] February 20, 2009 by Intern in Israel The Story of a Gazan “Martyr” US congressmen express shock at Gaza devastation Students occupy New York University U.S. trade […]

  • Erika Rosner

    How dreadful, how awfull to so brainwashed as to try to get yourself killed by killing others. Brainwashing can do such things to people. I grew up un Soviet Russia and solgers who run up to enemy’s cannons to cover them with their bodies- screaming for our Motherland Russia and our Father Stalin- were exalted and given as greatest examples of patriots, and this was the best way to die.
    There was a Soviet -Maya Kosmodemjansakaya- her mother was making money off her daughter’s death- that she was a spyexecuted by Fashists- touring USSR for money- telling her “martyred’ daughter’s story- embelishing it more and more (though the truth later came out -apparently she was simply a mistress of of a Nazy major, who killed her in rage). One can see how retoric and talent of delivering convincing speaches can brainwash nations even in our lifetime.

  • Colin Andersen

    I assume that Stan and Erika are Jews, and as such have the choice of remaining where they are or moving to Israel, the land from which Mu’min and his people were driven by Zionist terrorists in 1948. Mu’min had no such choice, even though his right to return to his stolen land has the backing of international law. Neither Stan nor Erika can find room in their comments to condemn those whose behaviour has turned the lives of Mu’min and all Palestinians into a living hell. Neither seem to have the wit to understand that Mu’min’s killers, like those who drove his people into Gaza in 1948 and have kept them confined and impoverished there ever since, are the genuinely brainwashed. Neither seem to have any appreciation whatever that the only choice imposed on Mu’min and his comrades by the racist Zionist project is: Do I live (or maybe not) on my knees, or die on my feet. Their smug arrogance is insufferable and deserves our contempt.

    • Jane

      Hi there, yes perhaps they are.
      Which is why I keep insisting that it is not expected for them to understand. When someone takes your land, you will do anything in order to get it back. Even die for it. And they are not to judge wheather God will accept it or not.

      The poor guy had no choice, since his whole life hes had to live under occupation, along with all the rest of the Palestinians.

      But hey, Im still curious to hear what they to say.
      Unlike most ppl, I like to hear the other side. Just to see what other excuse they have to offer the world, once again.

      Have a great day, God bless you all.
      :)

    • Stan R

      My friend, facts no propaganda.

      Gaza: 1949 UNWR 240,000 people
      Gaza: 1967 UNWR 280,000 people (Israel took over)
      Gaza: 2006 UNWR 1,450,000 people (Israel left)
      Gaza: 2009 UNWR 1,480,000 people.

      Women (mothers) bring children to the this world when they feel save and believe that the family and society can support them.

      Problem with you, you are living only on hate.

      • Jane

        Problem with you ; you cant seem to understand that this land belongs to Palestine.

        Had Isreal never come into the picture in 1948, the Palestinians woudnt be living under occupation and constant wars.

        I am not living only on hate Stan, I am living with logic. How is it logic for Palestine to be living under occupation, when this is in fact their land? Once again, problem with you ; you ignore that fact. Which is why you are constantly judging.

        Have a great one, God bless*

        :)

        • Stan R

          Hi Jane,
          Just quick history lesson. The Jews were living in Palestine for the last 3000 years. Yes there were pogroms but they were never wiped up. To call an Arab a Palestinian would cost you a “knife” in your back until mid 20 century. Their leadership did not consider themselves Palestinian (that was reserved for Jews) but Greater Syrians and wanted to be part of Syria. That was the one of the reasons they refused independent Arab state in Palestine. Only Arafat in early 60’s started to use name Palestine and independence as a political tool.
          Peace

          • Stan R,

            If you really want a history lesson, then I suggest that you read “The Gun and the Olive Branch” by David Hirsht which will document the “ownership” of Palestine in an impartial way. Yes, there were Jews living in Palestine pre-Nakba times, but they were only 6-12% of the indegenious people.

            Moreover, history will document that Jews living under Muslim rule throught the Caliphate rule, then Ommayad dynasty, then Ottoman Empire were never subjected to a massacre, unlike what happened to them in Europe (e.g. the Spanish Inquistion, and Hitler’s Concentration Camps). That is why Israelis are so afraid of Muslims. Even at the height of our power, we never committed atrocities against the Jews. We have the moral high ground and we will win in the end. It is a part of our faith.

             
  • My eyes teared while reading this account in admiration for the martyr’s sacrifice and the mother’s acceptance and delight at it. It would be difficult for any of us who love life too much to realize how much determination and belief in God that it takes to be a martyr – in other words, to sacrifice your life for a higher meaning/cause. That it takes guts and conviction is something that we will not easily understand.
    So, please do not make your judgements while you are sitting in the comfort of our sofas sorrounded by life’s material possessions. We cannot fathom to understand the “less than humane” conditions that the proud and might people of Gaza live under due to the illegal and racist policy of the Israelis.
    May God grant Palestine independence and reward all of its martyrs and freedom fighters who have chosen a higher calling that ordinary souls cannot fathom or comprehend.

  • Kay kactuz

    Jane and Colin, the reason that Mu’min and his people have no land is because Arab armies did not accept the partition back in 1948. They attacked the newly formed Jewish state. Many Palestianins fled, other were driven from their homes.

    Since then, the Palestianians have adopted a culture of hate and death. They have supported corrupt and evil governments (I use that word loosely). They have also been used by their so-called friends. Even so, their hate and violence has gotten them expelled from Jordan and Kuwait. Notice the use of the word “martyr” to describe a person that thinks only of killing and being killed – quite different from that of Christian tradition.

    Oh yes, for every Palestianian expelled from their homes, a Jew in the ancient middle east was also forced out of lands where they had lived for hundreds (or thousands) of years. The difference? Israel took them in.

    Tell me, why should the Jews be nice to a people that lives to hate and kill, a people that, if given a chance, would kill every Jewish man, woman and child in Israel? Of course, the Palestianians have been willing tools for radical Islam, which rejoices over every dead baby Palestinian.

    This poor young fool is an example of a barbaric, irrational ideology that is taking hold of people around the world. It is a return to the basic teachings of Mohammud about attacking and killing. It is a case of doing that Allah tells them to – to kill and be killed. That is from the Quran, verse 9:111 (what irony!) in case you dont know. This ideology is what turned this young man’s life into a living hell of hate and violence.

    Your ignorance of history, Islamic traditions and Muslim teachings – and your unwillingness to question any aspect of Islam, no matter how silly or violent – contributes to the circle of violence that will never end.

    Jay

    PS: I am not jewish.

    • Stan R

      I had been just reading a Colin response to you. I believe You as a person who probably received very little creditable information about Arab-Jewish conflict should receive information backed by facts not hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric..
      First, Jews were continuously living in area of Palestine since acout 1300 BC. The Bible gives some credibility with timetable to 70 AC. (Jewish-Roman war)
      Second Historical Information is from 352AD – Jewish rebellion against Byzantine rule. Estimate is approximately 1000000 Jews were living then what is now call Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
      Third Historical Information is from 638 AD when the cities like Jerusalem accepted Arab Caliph rule. He ruled from Baghdad (now Iraq)
      From 1066 to apr. 1270 we have famous Crusaders.
      Just to keep it short then we had Malmuk sultan from Syria, Second Crusaders, Ottoman rule. All have a written documents of Jews living in the area of Palestine in large numbers. There was not large Muslim population at that time.

      There were pogroms during the Crusader periods but they were initiated by Christians. The Muslim population was able to run away, Jews did not have a place to run to.

      Earliest documented Arab pogrom what I had been able to find is from 1834 in Safed. Population of about 4000 Jews.

      Just to give you idea of size of Jewish population comparing to Arab population at that time..

      Safed 4000 Jews
      Bethlehem 200 families as per Mark Twain (American writer 19 century who traveled in Palestine)
      1920 Mebi Musa
      1929 Hebron. (after this pogrom Jews organized a defense force to protect them.

      The Arabs in Palestine at that time did not consider themselves Palestinians but Syrians and wanted to be part of Greater Syrian state. The label “Palestine” was “reserved” for Jews. They strongly protested in 193o’s and in 1940’s to that name. Only 196o’s Arafat started to use the name as a political tool and cover all areas including Israel.

      One more I like to tell you. This conflict is not about land or nationalistic aspiration of Arab population. It’s about power and money. The leadership of PLO or Hamas know that with today’s education levels and welfare dependency of Arab population the independent state not including Israel is not realistic. The socio-economic problems are too large, the reward is too small. With post nation-state era almost nil.

    • Jane

      Hi there – tell me should the Palestinians accept the Jews in their land, if all their doing is occupying it?

      PS: I dont care.

      Have a great day :)
      Oh one more thing, Palestinians dont hate – theyre fed up.

  • Colin Andersen

    Kay, your facts and arguments are indeed cactus. Palestine’s partition was in 1947, not 1948. And forget ‘Arab armies’, the Palestinians did not accept it because it was unjust. I don’t know where you live, but is it really too hard for you to imagine a situation in which a white man’s club (the UN in 47), without consulting you or your people, decides to hand over half of your country to a group of people who have been there under 30 years and own only a fraction of the land? As for your Arab armies, they only entered Palestine 4 months after Zionist forces had begun ethnically cleansing it of non-Jews in order to establish their sectarian Jewish state. The issue of Arab Jews is a separate, later issue (50s), an unfortunate spillover from what happened in Palestine, and involved in large part an organized Zionist campaign to uproot them and bring them to Israel in a cynical effort to boost numbers and block a return of Palestinian refugees. If you have a genuine interest in history, which I doubt, check out Abbas Shiblak’s excellent Iraqi Jews: A History of Mass Exodus for example. At any rate, both the issue of Palestinian refugees such as Mu’min and that of Arab Jews with property claims against Arab governments call out for redress. The rest of your contribution is cactus of the standard Islamophobic variety. PS: I don’t care if you’re from Mars – you’re spouting crude Zionist propaganda.

  • Dörte

    Has no one of you read this text carefully enough to see how torn and desparate this mother is? She is trying to accept her son’s decision and at the same time wishing he will survive. That is stomach-turning indeed, but it’s also heart-rending. You are very much concerned about fighting each other, but have you ever thought of fighting the reasons for despair?

  • Jay Kactuz

    Colin, I just check GVO and see you have left a comment. Here goes my reply… The partition occurred at the end of November 1947, the mandate expired in May1948. Most of the fighting occurred in1948. The Arabs (both inside and outside Palestine) did not accept the partition.

    Let me quote from Wikipedia: “On the day after the vote, a spate of Arab attacks left seven Jews dead and scores more wounded. Shooting, stoning, and rioting continued apace in the following days. The consulates of Poland and Sweden, both of whose governments had voted for partition, were attacked. Bombs were thrown into cafes, Molotov cocktails were hurled at shops, a synagogue was set on fire. Fighting began almost as soon as the plan was approved, beginning with the Arab Jerusalem Riots of 1947”. And “The declaration was followed by an invasion of the new state by troops from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War…”

    As to the Jews just having arrived in Palestine “only 30 years” before, let me quote a guy named Karl Marx (New York Daily Tribune, 15 April 1854): “The Mussulmans, forming about a fourth part of the whole, and consisting of Turks, Arabs and Moors, are, of course, the masters in every respect, as they are in no way affected with the weakness of their Government at Constantinople. Nothing equals the misery and suffering of the Jews at Jerusalem, inhabiting the most filthy quarter of the town, called hareth-el-yahoud, this quarter of dirt between Mount Zion and Mount Moriah, where their synagogues are situated – the constant objects of Mussulman oppression and intolerance, insulted by the Greeks, persecuted by the Latins and living only upon the scanty alms transmitted by their European brethren. The Jews, however, are not natives, but from distant and different countries, and are only attracted to Jerusalem by the desire of inhabiting the Valley of Jehosophat and to die in the very places where their Redemptor is to be expected.

    FYI the Jews have always been in ancient Judea (with possible exceptions of after 132 AD and 1099 AD). Notice I included the quote about jews being from other places. They always are. They get expelled but they return, always. Notice that Muslims were only 25% of population. Notice how they treated others, as usual.

    So it was the Zionists that made the Jews leave Arab lands? I guess the hate, violence and discrimination, not to mention orders to leave and take nothing by Arab governments, had nothing to do with it. Tell me, is there anything that these Zionists can’t do? They seem to control the Arab mind so much that Muslims are mere puppets in their evil hands. For Muslims, everything bad must always be blamed on others. Notice I quoted a verse from the Quran, is that also “crude Zionist propaganda”?

    Now about Islamophobia. Why can’t Muslims understand that some people don’t like Islam because of the hate and violence it teaches and because of the hate and violence that Muslims do? Maybe you should read the Quran and ahadith, as I have. Maybe you would then notice they are not about nice people doing nice things and thinking sweet thoughts. Who knows, maybe you would notice a connection between the hate and violence in Islam’s doctrines and history and the stupid evil actions of this young man. Perhaps you may even notice a link between violence in many different countries around the world and a certain religion.

    The solution is simple: All the Muslims have to do is give up the hate and quit attacking others. Of course, that is too much to expect, and so the violence continues. Of course, this makes some people very happy.

    Kactuz

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