recent incident of disproportionate and indiscriminate killing of civilians by israeli defence forces in Gaza, Palestine saddened me beyond words. this is by no means a new thing. yet as i follow world news quiet regularly, i couldn't help myself not to bleed internally when i saw the missiles killed along with many children, infants as young as five months old who has nothing do to with these mindless violence.ironic sad part is that the militants who are really responsible for firing missiles to israeli side got away and when their abandoned office were hit with missile, nobody was there. the story goes with one third of who killed by israeli attack are civilian including children and women. many are still suffering in hospitals and many will die as the hospitals are always short of supply of medicine and equipment due to check posts and constant blockade.
The people of Gaza have been blockaded, uprooted, starved, and silenced ... and now they are being massacred. Over 100 Palestinian men, women, and children have been murdered in the last few days, as the world watches and does nothing.
now while i posted a post with the situation and protesting unjust, imbalanced, counter-productive policy of israeli defence force, i got serious reactions because of the term "shoah". its funny when names and forms to some are much more important that suffering and bleeding of humanity.
one friend emailed, then called and said, our friendship is over! i was left speechless. speechless because she found stating facts from what is going on was VICIOUS! then in a forum, i received intense negative reaction which comes from negative association, denial of the self to look beyond and our stereotyped projection. its really sad to see people so quickly jump to project anyone who doesn't fit into their own painting of the world and its reality.
as if protesting and saying that, "KILLING targeted CIVILIAN, specially children is WRONG" was translated in some people's mind as a support for the militant. Come on!
militants, terrorist, policy of terror and injustice has nothing to do with a protest of killing innocent civilians or war crime. we all condemn terrorism and specially i am equally disgusted with the mindless, spiraling violence from the Palestinian militants who send crude missiles to israeli civilians. their action is equally condemned and has been contributing to nothing but more suffering to their own people. terrorism no matter from which side it comes to has no validation whatsoever.
but thats not the subject matter of this post. what made me think was how human perception really works. how quickly we shut ourselves and deny to look beyond. how quickly we will limit ourselves and project that limitations to others. how easily we will neglect what is real to what is fed into and apparent. we are so conditioned that even when naked truth is presented, somewhere we shut ourselves out and look for the buried concepts we never let go from long past, tradition, culture and associations.
then yesterday as i was posting something on the gaza situation on contrary to what i mostly post about, an enlightened friend of mine emailed me with some of the most wisest words i can recall when she pointed out the Mayic world and its manifestation. she wrote in her brief email (sharing without edit):
"I'm feeling compelled to offer a view on your latest blogging trend: You have a unique gift to find the universal upliftment in the various religions and their saints.
There have always been wars and sufferring and inhumanity, but relatively speaking, there have been few who can look beyond that drama and focus on God and the journey of the soul.. . offering HOPE and INSPIRATION, and COMFORT. As a friend I would ask you to please consider staying with your gift and not get sucked into the ills of this world...
instead, dear one, continue to offer balm to the soul and divine remembrance.
Let your space not be one of complaints about the system or chronicling the ills of this Mayic world. We need your gift of being a messenger for the Divine Beloved to help turn the consciousness on the positive... on God and Truth.
There are those whose karma and job is to address the ills of this world-- that is how they will grow , but you my dear have the ability to work for and serve the Most High... to turn souls Godward ... to lift the consciousness to the higher realms... Please think and pray deeply on this."
yes i did think. because of the conditioned minds and its projection i received over the protest of killing of civilians (the blog posts and poems), it automatically aroused sadness and thoughts. and today while reading a magazine i came across the prince of non-violence, Gandhi's saying which really made clear a lot of things for me. its like a satori.
"Non-Violence, which is a quality of the heart, cannot come by an appeal to the brain." - Gandhi
and yes i experienced that very well for the last few days of appealing to brain and conditioned mind. the real compassion for humanity beyond forms, names, culture, language, religious stereotyping is a revolution of heart, has little to do with conditioned mind.
its sad that modern day society, controlled media, madness of materialism, new inventions only condition our mind more and more and we are missing the wise counsellings of enlightened beings who's very first step was and rarely still is - the deconditioning of mind. collectively humanity surely miss them. we hardly have visionary world leader who can speak out from the minerets of the world.
Vaclev Havel, when asked what could change the direction of today's civilization replied: "The only option is a change in the sphere of the spirit, in the sphere of human conscience. It is not enough to invent new machines, new regulations, new institutions. We must develop a new understanding of the true purpose of our existence on this Earth."
yes we must.
. B'Tselem: The Israeli information center for Human Rights
At least half of those killed in Gaza did not take part in the fighting: According to B'Tselem figures, from 27 February to the afternoon of 3 March, 106 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip. At least fifty-four of the dead (twenty-five of them minors) did not take part in the hostilities. In addition, at least forty-six minors were wounded.
. Palestine: the pursuit of justice. On the Gaza genocide
Laila El-Haddad writing from the US, Live from Palestine, 2 March 2008
. Israeli missiles silence baby's laughter in Gaza
Sami Abu Salem writing from the occupied Gaza Strip, Live from Palestine, 28 February 2008
. More diaries
. Palestine's Daily Voices
. Arab Israelis protest Gaza 'massacre'
"As for civilian casualties from Israeli attacks, an investigation is required in many cases to determine whether Israel did everything feasible in its weapons and targeting choices to minimize civilian harm, as required by the laws of war. Recent attacks that killed civilians raise questions about whether Israel is taking all feasible precautions in its targeting decisions. In a report published in July 2007, Human Rights Watch showed that Israel had not monitored civilian casualties in Gaza and had not investigated harm to civilians associated with its attacks in or near civilian-populated areas. Human Rights Watch said that, given the continuing civilian casualties in Gaza, Israel should do more to examine its targeting behavior and to implement measures that better protect civilians. " - Human Rights Watch: Gaza Stril/Israel
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