Another entry in the BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen’s diary as he meets victim’s of the war on Gaza.
Excerpts:
The first day back at school is always a rush for children and parents. Even if you’re organised there’s always an exercise book, or bag, or a pair of swimming goggles that has disappeared during the break.
Normally you can sort it out in a few minutes of frantic activity, and then the children get off to school, and peace descends again – for a few hours anyway.
So imagine what it was like to be a 10-year-old girl called Mona in Gaza. Her school reopened Saturday morning, after the break for the war.
She doesn’t have parents to get her off to school, as they were killed by Israeli soldiers. Her brother took her back to their family house this morning, to find her school things.
Mona is a bright little girl, and she knows what has happened to her. She carries a pad of paper, and draws constantly. So do my children, but they draw pictures that show them playing in the garden, and having fun at parties, or on holiday.
Mona did two versions of the drawing that is most on her mind at the moment. It shows an aircraft firing missiles, soldiers, tanks, bulldozers knocking down buildings, and in the middle of it all is a house full of tiny stick figures. They are Mona and her family. Another picture shows her trying to help her mother and her father.
At the school Mona’s best friend was very pleased to see her, because she had heard that she was dead. She held her hand and played with her fingers while Mona was talking to the teacher, whose eyes filled with tears when she saw her, because she also thought she had been killed.
She hurried away to the staff room afterwards. I suppose she thought it would not be good for her class to see her break down.
Read the rest of the entry here.
Related posts:
- Tears of a Mother
- Normality in Gaza
- Voices from Gaza
- Breaking: Israeli incursion into Gaza
- Gaza: Fighting for liberty even if the price is death
Sorry for hijacking Mohammad, but I have to say the blog is looking nice.
And also, this CBS 60 mins report on life in the West Bank is excellent.
Seriously. Like, on, CBS. What the hell is going on?
Posted by American Muslim Girl | January 26, 2009, 6:04 pmThat’s heartbreaking. The description of her second drawing nearly did it for me. It amazes me how much strength these children have after losing so much. God bless.
Posted by SouthAsianReader | January 26, 2009, 8:07 pm“Seriously. Like, on, CBS. What the hell is going on?”
Yes, I saw it too and was really surprised. Maybe what is going on is the beginning in a real shift in public perception. I think we can help that, and that in turn can help our elected officials have the balls to shift course. The entrenchment of those settlers in the West Bank though is a very discouraging thing.
Posted by alfannaan | January 26, 2009, 10:45 pmMany stories are surfacing now that journalists are getting in there. I received this in an email from the Middle East Children’s Alliance yesterday and I can only pray it isn’t true:
……………Out of all the devastation I have seen so far, there is one story in particular that I think the world needs to hear. I met a mother who was at home with her ten children when Israeli soldiers entered the house. The soldiers told her she had to choose five of her children to “give as a gift to Israel.” As she screamed in horror they repeated the demand and told her she could choose or they would choose for her. Then these soldiers murdered five of her children in front of her. The concept of “Jewish morality” is truly dead. We can be fascists, terrorists, and Nazis just like everybody else. ……….
Sincerely,
Barbara Lubin
Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine
Posted by alfannaan | January 26, 2009, 10:48 pmI’ve heard half a dozen very similar stories. We need an independent commission. I’m not fan of Israel but this sounds a little too much. And in each story the Israelis are leaving witnesses? These people might be traumatized or coerced to say these things, or maybe they are telling the truth, but someone credible should find out either way, instead of just reporting what they hear.
Posted by Anonymous | January 26, 2009, 11:21 pmYeah, here’s another one, same website.
I remember hearing stories like these from Iraq, never substantiated, but usually in those cases everyone was killed like at a checkpoint or in a house. I also don’t understand the witnesses thing
Those who support Israel will reject them. Those who already hate Israel will use them as cannon fodder.
One interesting note. I was reading on several sites that Hamas had Israeli uniforms and special units were going to wear them to emerge from behind front lines to kidnap IDF soldiers.
With all the Fatah-Hamas stuff going on, I wonder if there could have been some retribution meted out under the fog of white phosphorus. who knows, war is ugly
Posted by Anonymous | January 26, 2009, 11:59 pmI think they want to traumatize the entire population by giving them horror stories to discuss.
They know this will give them severe mental illness and have them living in a constant state of fear.
Which is what they want.
Stay strong ya philistine! You believe in God! There bombs and bullets kill your babies, but not your spirit, your strength, your power. They are SCARED of YOU.
Posted by American Muslim Girl | January 27, 2009, 1:36 amAMG, what are you talking about? The last time the people of Gaza had anything to celebrate it was an attack on a Jewish seminary that killed some kids.
The people of Gaza are broken. They don’t need more religious nationalist inspiration. They need peace.
Posted by Anonymous | January 27, 2009, 7:50 am