About time the war in Palestine was covered. There have been protests across Sheffield for 6 months. Tens of Thousands raised at many fundraising events. People from all backgrounds and ages, experienced campaigners and first timers. People like me traumatized and devastated by lack of action by our so called political leaders, and the use of anti-Semitism as a threat to people who dare to challenge the Israeli state
Solidarity, Musheir. Thanks for this moving account. I hope the tragedy ends soon, for your loved-ones and all your fellow Palestinians. It's long past time.
As a side-note. It will be interesting to see if Starmer's Labour suffer at all (at the General in particular) for their immoral stance on Gaza. It's difficult to unpick this issue from all others affecting the polls (and obviously the Tories are going to get a rightful pasting).
But I will find it dispiriting if Labour come out with a thumping majority merely because the Conservatives are so awful. For many reasons... but on this issue alone - this issue in particular - they have disgraced themselves irredeemably. To respond to mass-killing with cynical opportunism, obfuscation and victim-blaming is nauseating. Starmer has blood on him. He can never wash that away. He'll have blood on him to his dying day.
So under our electoral system we can either "throw our votes away" on minor parties - or tacitly endorse genocide*. Personally I'll be "throwing my vote away" - and gladly.
*Or plausible genocide, no need to split hairs. Regardless of technicalities we all know it's a bloodbath.
Thank you for finally covering something that connects local activity (and complicity). People in Sheffield have been affected by what is happening all those miles away, are learning about the historic and current role of this country in the present situation and trying to spread awareness. So many of us feel helpless in the face of the horror and political attitudes and are glad to find ways to show support for Palestinians. In proud of Sheffield for this ......
This article about Musheir was very moving. I’ve just come back from visiting the holocaust memorial & other sites in Berlin relating to the torture & annihilation of Jews & many other groups before & during WW2. Why is it that we humans are so unable to recognise that our fellow humans are fundamentally just the same as us? Or is it that most of us do recognise that but that many of the people who come to power are more interested in their own personal position?
I arrived in Jordan on the 7th October 2023. I asked why there were 80,000 Pilipino men and women working in the hotels and no Palestinian men and women who I understood to be in need of work? I have visited both Israel and the area known as Palestine some 20 years ago. I have been fortunate to travel and observe humanity in all corners of the world. I believe there to be only one race and it is called the human race. Our cultures and beliefs however make some groups very different to other groups of people. Injustice is everywhere, including our own back yards. Musheir El-Farra is almost the same age as me, perhaps he can explain how his fellow citizens elected and tolerated Hamas in their community. Why did they celebrate the 9/11 act of terror? Perhaps The Tribune will give some space to cover the Sudan civil war where WFP have also experience deaths and sexual violence is common place (there are no reports yet of the the IDF committing such atrocities). You might have an article on Haiti or the general Islamist militancy in Africa. For most Europeans it is natural to be most concerned with the conflict in Ukraine. This is not due to ethnicity but geography. I would lastly ask Musheir El-Farra why the neighbouring countries and other middle east countries have not opened their borders to the Palestinians wishing to flee to safety. The Israelis might make it difficult to return but are unlikely to prevent the exit. I naturally wish Musheir El-Farra and all his family well.
Looking over all the comments I am struck by the lack of regret for the attack on Israel by Hamas and the chilling sense that this was negligible in the context of the Palestinian struggle for nationhood.
Your readers don’t appear to grasp the
history of how we got here and why.
But most of all the sense that Hamas are pursuing a legitimate long term political objective by any murderous means and your readers think that’s ok is depressing.
The sheer coverage of death and destruction in Gaza and public displays of support do not seem to suggest that accusations of antisemitism are making people tiptoe around the view that Israel is the villain here. The fact remains that armed men based in Gaza’s raided Israel killing 1000 people and taking 250 hostages back into Gaza. Faced with an inevitable military retaliation Hamas chose not to release the hostages but dig into a heavily populated city.
What did they think would happen?
As to a just peace based on a secular state that is unlikely given the religious and historical belief that both sides have ancestral claims to the territory.
About time the war in Palestine was covered. There have been protests across Sheffield for 6 months. Tens of Thousands raised at many fundraising events. People from all backgrounds and ages, experienced campaigners and first timers. People like me traumatized and devastated by lack of action by our so called political leaders, and the use of anti-Semitism as a threat to people who dare to challenge the Israeli state
Solidarity, Musheir. Thanks for this moving account. I hope the tragedy ends soon, for your loved-ones and all your fellow Palestinians. It's long past time.
As a side-note. It will be interesting to see if Starmer's Labour suffer at all (at the General in particular) for their immoral stance on Gaza. It's difficult to unpick this issue from all others affecting the polls (and obviously the Tories are going to get a rightful pasting).
But I will find it dispiriting if Labour come out with a thumping majority merely because the Conservatives are so awful. For many reasons... but on this issue alone - this issue in particular - they have disgraced themselves irredeemably. To respond to mass-killing with cynical opportunism, obfuscation and victim-blaming is nauseating. Starmer has blood on him. He can never wash that away. He'll have blood on him to his dying day.
So under our electoral system we can either "throw our votes away" on minor parties - or tacitly endorse genocide*. Personally I'll be "throwing my vote away" - and gladly.
*Or plausible genocide, no need to split hairs. Regardless of technicalities we all know it's a bloodbath.
Thank you for finally covering something that connects local activity (and complicity). People in Sheffield have been affected by what is happening all those miles away, are learning about the historic and current role of this country in the present situation and trying to spread awareness. So many of us feel helpless in the face of the horror and political attitudes and are glad to find ways to show support for Palestinians. In proud of Sheffield for this ......
Thanks Vicky and Tribune for finally highlighting the appalling situation in Gaza throught the experience and work of our amazing Musheir.
Thank you for this. Such an important issue
This article about Musheir was very moving. I’ve just come back from visiting the holocaust memorial & other sites in Berlin relating to the torture & annihilation of Jews & many other groups before & during WW2. Why is it that we humans are so unable to recognise that our fellow humans are fundamentally just the same as us? Or is it that most of us do recognise that but that many of the people who come to power are more interested in their own personal position?
I arrived in Jordan on the 7th October 2023. I asked why there were 80,000 Pilipino men and women working in the hotels and no Palestinian men and women who I understood to be in need of work? I have visited both Israel and the area known as Palestine some 20 years ago. I have been fortunate to travel and observe humanity in all corners of the world. I believe there to be only one race and it is called the human race. Our cultures and beliefs however make some groups very different to other groups of people. Injustice is everywhere, including our own back yards. Musheir El-Farra is almost the same age as me, perhaps he can explain how his fellow citizens elected and tolerated Hamas in their community. Why did they celebrate the 9/11 act of terror? Perhaps The Tribune will give some space to cover the Sudan civil war where WFP have also experience deaths and sexual violence is common place (there are no reports yet of the the IDF committing such atrocities). You might have an article on Haiti or the general Islamist militancy in Africa. For most Europeans it is natural to be most concerned with the conflict in Ukraine. This is not due to ethnicity but geography. I would lastly ask Musheir El-Farra why the neighbouring countries and other middle east countries have not opened their borders to the Palestinians wishing to flee to safety. The Israelis might make it difficult to return but are unlikely to prevent the exit. I naturally wish Musheir El-Farra and all his family well.
Well done Tribune for running this piece.
Looking over all the comments I am struck by the lack of regret for the attack on Israel by Hamas and the chilling sense that this was negligible in the context of the Palestinian struggle for nationhood.
Your readers don’t appear to grasp the
history of how we got here and why.
But most of all the sense that Hamas are pursuing a legitimate long term political objective by any murderous means and your readers think that’s ok is depressing.
The sheer coverage of death and destruction in Gaza and public displays of support do not seem to suggest that accusations of antisemitism are making people tiptoe around the view that Israel is the villain here. The fact remains that armed men based in Gaza’s raided Israel killing 1000 people and taking 250 hostages back into Gaza. Faced with an inevitable military retaliation Hamas chose not to release the hostages but dig into a heavily populated city.
What did they think would happen?
As to a just peace based on a secular state that is unlikely given the religious and historical belief that both sides have ancestral claims to the territory.