Refuse. Resist.

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The last couple of weeks have been shattering. The epidemic wrecking unimaginable havoc all over the world. And then events which happened at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem spiral out of control and a war breaks out between Israel and Hamas. I know quite a bit of the history of the region and the reasons for the continuous conflict, but I always like to understand more. These days YouTube has become a good source, apart from of course reading. So I dove into learning more about the history of the region. 

I stumbled upon this 6 - minute long video. It is based at Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. You might have heard of this place as it is in the news these days. This is an Arab neighborhood, and the residents who have been living there for decades there are now facing eviction by the Israeli state. You might know that this region has an extremely complicated history which I do not want to go to.

Refuse. Resist.  Source

The video is narrated by Muna and Muhammed, 12-year-old twins living in there. A part of the house where their family lived for decades has been taken over by the Israeli settlers, but the family continue to live in the rest of the house. The settlers have been provided with state protection. We see settlers rejoicing on their new found land, while the rightful owners lament.

The video was uploaded in 2011. It contains mostly choppy footage, it looks like the camera is handled by one of the twins when the other is talking. They introduce their neighborhood to us in a matter - fact way, showing us around their home, the park etc., and we understand a bit of what their life is like. One of the striking facets of the experience is how mature the twins are, for their age. The circumstances of their hard life has robbed them of a peaceful childhood, and has made them confront the harsh reality of their world at a very young age. The video ends with a busload of "tourists" who are shown around town and their home. The group of "tourists" sing a song, and the twins sing their own. Towards the end, one of the tourists abuses them, calling them "murderers". It is unsettling, sad and depressing. One can not even begin to imagine how hard life must be.

Source

Next I stumbled upon this video (from May 2021, a decade after the first one). Lo and behold! There is Muna, rallying people from her neighborhood to resist the eviction. She delivers a powerful and inspirational speech to the crowd. It is heartening to see her as a strong, young woman who is fighting for what is right. This is how kids should be raised. This video, true to VICE style, is raw and hard hitting. Later on we also see Muhammed, who gets arrested but is defiant in the face of authority. He is now a poet and a writer, and is working hard to spread the word about what is going on in this part of the world. Because of people like these young folks, the world is beginning to see what is actually happening.

After watching these two videos, I was completely depressed and felt totally helpless. What kind of a world are we living in? But I saw light at the end of the tunnel, because of people like Muna and Muhammed. They are islands of hope in the ocean of oppression, brutality and injustice. Bright,  luminous stars in the inky nothingness. Well cultured, eloquent and fearless, they lead the fight to stand firm in the battle against the occupying force, for a right to live peacefully in their homes and in their community. We have many similar folks in our country as well, fighting for what they feel is right. We bestow them with the epithet "anti - national".

Going towards the extreme does not lead to anything good. If I say that my book is better than your book, and as per my book, I am the superior race, chosen one, of pure blood. If I say my religion/ country/ language/ caste is better than yours, then it is a pact with the devil, because you will destroy yourself and those around you, blind in your belief, thirsty for blood. It does not matter what faith you belong to. Because if the result of your understanding in your "faith" or whatever, is that, your community/ country is not for everyone but only for people like yourself, then you're not fit to live as a human being. 

Understanding is the first step. Save Sheikh Jarrah. Save Palestine.

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