First of all, let us get some word definitions out of the way, so we are on the same page, so to speak.
Be on the same page means to understand and agree with what is being done or suggested. It is an expression that means two or more people are in agreement or are starting with the same body of knowledge or assumptions. On the same page means they are of one mind or are thinking in the same manner. The idiom on the same page can not be traced any further back than the 1970s.
Hopelessness is a feeling of despair. Synonyms of despair are: hopelessness, desperation, distress, anguish, pain, dejection, depression, despondency, disconsolateness, gloom, melancholy, melancholia, misery, wretchedness; disheartenment, discouragement, resignedness, forlornness, defeatism, pessimism. Its antonyms are hope and joy.
The world is an utter mess. The situation in Palestine is to me the worst in the world, causing anguish, gloom, discouragement pessimism and forlornness. One can not, therefore, imagine the joy and hope found when I opened the following Instagram reel. You shall have to retrieve it yourself, this a conversation between Computer Guru Chris and myself.
Me: Hi. Is it possible for you to imbed this reel within the blog?
He: Looks like I can only post a link, Mr Zuckerburg doesn’t like us not sending people to his website, like we could embed a Youtube video for example, bloody Mr Zuckerburg.
Therefore, gang, here is the link. This is called self help and I am sure you are capable.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChNa2OKDB3l/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
So if you have taken the time, the energy and the effort to watch this man you will feel hope, particularly if you are a Muslim.
I shall apply this principle to the situation in Palestine using an incredibly well written article found in the Opinion section of Al Jazeera. It speaks of why the people of Israel fear the Palestinians, written by a man most knowledgable, Marwan Bishara, an author who writes extensively on global politics and is widely regarded as a leading authority on US foreign policy, the Middle East and international strategic affairs. He is a senior political analyst employed by Al Jazeera.
“Israel fears all that is Palestinian steadfastness, Palestinian unity, Palestinian democracy, Palestinian poetry, and all Palestinian national symbols, including language, which it downgraded, and the flag, which it is trying to ban. Israel especially fears Palestinian mothers bearing new babies, which it calls a “demographic threat”. Echoing this national Israeli obsession with Palestinian procreation, a historian warned 12 years ago that demography is a threat to the survival of the Jewish state much like a nuclear Iran, for example, because in his view, Palestinians could become a majority by 2040-2050.
Fear is also instrumental for a garrison state like Israel, known as “an army with a country attached”. In a book summarising his decades-long experience in Israel, an American journalist noted that: “Today’s government stirs up fears, most of them imaginary or at least wildly exaggerated, painting Israel as an isolated, lonely, threatened, little country, always on the defensive, always on the lookout for the next sign of hate somewhere, eager to overreact.”
In sum, fear generates hatred because, in the words of another Israeli observer, a state that is always afraid cannot be free; a state that is shaped by militant messianism and ugly racism, against the indigenous people of the land, cannot be truly independent either.
Israel is also angry, always angry at the Palestinians for refusing to give up or give in, for not going away; far away. Israel, for all intents and purposes, has won all its wars since 1948, and become a regional superpower, forcing Arab regimes to bow in humiliation. And yet the Palestinians continue to deny the Israelis victory, they will not submit; they will not surrender, rather they continue to resist come what may.
Israel has the world powers on its side, with the United States in its pocket, Europe behind it and the Arab regimes sucking up to it. But the isolated – and even forgotten – Palestinians still refuse to cede their basic rights, let alone concede defeat. It must be infuriating for Israel to have so much innocent blood on its hands, to no avail. It kills, tortures, exploits and robs the Palestinians of all that is dear, but they will not acquiesce. It has imprisoned more than a million of them over the years but the Palestinians refuse to capitulate. They continue to yearn and struggle for freedom and independence, with many insisting on Israel’s own demise as a colonial state.
Israel is also envious of Palestinian inner power and outward pride. It is envious of their strong beliefs and readiness to sacrifice, which presumably reminds today’s Israelis of early Zionists. Today’s Israeli conscripts-turned-Robocops face off against bare-chested Palestinian bravery from behind their armoured vehicles, cowardly shooting with vengeance.
Israel is most envious of the Palestinians’ historic and cultural belonging to Palestine; of their attachment to the land, an attachment Zionism has had to manufacture in order to entice Jews into becoming colonial settlers. Israel hates the Palestinians for being so integral to the history, geography and nature of the landscape it claims as its own. Israel has long resorted to theology and mythology to justify its existence, when the Palestinians need no such justification; belonging so effortlessly, so conveniently, so naturally.
Israel has tried to erase or bury all traces of Palestinian existence, even changing the names of streets, neighbourhoods and towns. In the words of one Israeli historian, “to find accurate parallels for the reconsecration of places of worship by a conqueror, one must go back to Spain or the Byzantine Empire in the middle of the late 15th century.”
Israel hates the Palestinians for being the living proof that the foundations of Zionism – a people without a land settling in a land without a people – is mythical at best and violent and colonialist in reality. Israel hates them for impeding the realisation of the Zionist dream over all historical Palestine. And it especially hates those living in Gaza, for turning the dream into a nightmare.
Yet, it would be wrong to glorify any of this. Love is always better than hate. Hatred is destructive and feeds into more hatred. Hatred is devastating to the hateful and the hated. Israel could still turn all that hatred into tolerance, envy into appreciation, and anger into empathy, if only it has the courage to atone for its violent past, apologise for its crimes, compensate the Palestinians for their suffering and start treating them with the respect and honour they deserve as equals, even privileged equals in their homeland. Israel’s hatred will not drive the Palestinians out but it may well drive the Jews out and away.”
The last sentence says it all, restoring my hope and faith in Allah. “Israel’s hatred will not drive the Palestinians out but it may well drive the Jews out and away.” He also summarizes the pathetic response of Muslim Rulers in the Middle East: forcing Arab regimes to bow in humiliation” and then more powerfully: “Israel has the world powers on its side, with the United States in its pocket, Europe behind it and the Arab regimes sucking up to it”
Arab regimes sucking up to Israel. Such powerful words to end this blog. But, may I remind both readers and the Arab regime Rulers that those are not my words. I am but the Messenger.
And what is that saying? Oh yes, do not kill the messenger.
Do not kill the messenger is an idiom meaning that one should not get angry at or punish someone who is simply delivering bad or undesirable news as they are not responsible for it.
Did you know that shooting the messenger is a war crime? It is and also murder. But if you shoot me Middle East Rulers I shall go to Jannah and you, most definitely, will not.
So perhaps Alexis McBride aka Fatimah is invincible which is too powerful to be defeated or overcome. She perhaps is indestructible, unconquerable, unbeatable, indomitable, unassailable; unyielding, unflinching, unbending, unshakeable, indefatigable, dauntless; impregnable, inviolable. She is not vulnerable nor defenseless.
I am reminded of the song written by Helen Reddy.
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an’ pretend
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before
And I’ve been down there on the floor
No one’s ever gonna keep me down again
Oh yes I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul
Oh yes I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land
But I’m still an embryo
With a long long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Oh yes I am wise
But it’s wisdom born of pain
Yes, I’ve paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
Go to YouTube and watch Helen Reddy’s version. If it were me singing the song I would stop my foot and look tough with lots of arm gestures. Fortunately, I cannot sing. I can not sing nor do math but otherwise most strong, talented and goodness knows, humble. Hahaha
