Bielessann Ahmad, ba160@uakron.edu
October 7th, 2023
On October 7th, 2023, the terrorist organization H.A.M.A.S. [Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement)] launched a premeditated attack on the state of Israel.
This was all it took to send Israel on another genocidal rampage on the city of Gaza, Palestine. And from there on out, all of their methods of eradicating the Palestinian people have been justified as “self-defense”. When Israel defends themselves, the media hands them the titles of strong, brave, heroes even. Let Palestinans do the same and they're strictly given the title of dirty-terrorists. Although a large handful of Hamas’s actions were in fact acts of terrorsism, Israel's are no different, and are even on a larger scale of severity. Neither are just, and neither are appropriate forms of retaliation or defense. They dishevel the peace that they so much preach. But I'm not here to give you stats, death tolls, and how this cause of corruption is playing out. Overall, I want to leave you with a feeling of confidence in fighting and standing for peace and peace only.
I Do Not Owe You
My name is Bielessann Ahmad, and I am Palestinian like my parents, grandparents and the rest of my lineage. My parents come from the villages of Qattana and Qubaeba, not too far from Jerusalem. And even to this day I have family in Palestine. I identify with being Palestinian and am more than proud of it. I have always been an advocate for Palestinian activism. Although I am telling you this, in no way am I obligated to do so in order to justify why my opinion matters. I do this to let you know that I am more than qualified and have enough credibility to speak on this subject. I am not a mindless drone absorbing what the media puts in front of me, and I refuse to be perceived that way for any reason. I have morals, beliefs, am capable of and have self-generated ideas. Regardless, I do not have to prove anything to anyone about myself to further support my points.
Dismissing uncertainty, I do not know where to begin. There is a plethora to this matter than just politics and war, although it is not “complicated” and is very simple to understand if you can manage humanity. When the west, or anywhere else in the world really, hears about another war or conflict in the Middle East, a blind eye is turned. To them, it is just another day, another headline. Especially America, and even more for our younger generation. To my fellow students, I'm sure you've seen a fair share of posts on social media that spread awareness pertaining to these recent events. You might think it's useless to repost, comment, and share your thoughts on these things, but your knowledge of what goes on in the world is very valuable, and it is important that you take a stand in what you believe. I urge you to not be an ignorant bystander, relentlessly paying no mind to the signs in your face, and to go out of your way to learn about the atrocities we as people make the decision to ignore. Take time to properly educate yourself, regardless of how you feel about politics. As a matter of fact if you're against learning about international or even just national matters it's something you should change, because the politics you hate so much ultimately govern your life and society around you, no matter where conflict or treaty occurs in the world.
Anti-semitism and Zionism
(Jews and Arabs are both semitic peoples, I am referring to both)
There is one underlying misconception that so many support and believe in; the idea that hating a government is hating their people. The people are not their government. I have seen countless hate crimes or verbal violence against semitic peoples on the internet for their religious, nationalistic, and ethnic affiliations along with their political stereotypes. And with the current situation in Gaza, these acts of discrimination have heightened. I have experienced such at times in my own life as well, it is truly a dehumanizing thing. Violence is absolutely never the answer. Even at the feet of the aggressor, you keep temperate. And to be clear, the hatred for the state of Israel and its corrupt government does not translate or is the same concept as hating the Jewish faith, people, or culture. There is a very bold line drawn between the two. Palestine is a beautiful crossroads of Islamic, Judaic, and Christian beliefs. Individuals should be able to practice what they believe, although, with the thought in mind that Palestinains are the indigenous peoples of historic Palestine. So when the topic of condemning Zionism is brought up, many opposing arguments associate it with the idea of anti-semitism (directed at Jews). That shouldn’t be the case as a government’s or representative’s actions can reflect on a whole demographic, and again people are not their government. It is miraculously inaccurate and clearly doesn’t support everyone's ideas. People who argue with underlying fallacies often abuse this concept to support their unstable argument. Do not be that person, know the difference. Zionism ≠ Anti-Semitism.
Here are some informational links that will help with your awareness on the matter:
(I really do urge you to watch the videos and read the whole articles in their entirety, there is no point in educating yourself if it’s not done properly and with a conscious mind.)
Brief History - https://www.un.org/unispal/history/
Recent Events Following the October 7th attack - https://abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-surprise-rocket-attack-hamas-israel/story?id=103816006#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Israeli%20prime,since%20the%20ground%20campaign%20began.
What Role America plays - https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/10/22/the-american-centres-embrace-of-the-far-right-fuels-israels-war-machine
I news channel and site I suggest is “Al-Jazeera” (https://www.aljazeera.com/) They have live updates on the matter and elaborates and goes deeper on the genocide.
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