Unique Muslimah

A Tribute to Gaza, originally photographed and uploaded by Unique-Muslimah.

At a recent school fund-raiser for Palestine, I came across these artistic cupcakes.

Only 12 years old, Aisha not only made these delicious cupcakes, but came up with the idea to include the Palestinian flag; a tribute to the people of Gaza. The idea was very popular with the crowds, and the cakes were sold-out.

It’s only a shame that they had to be eaten, but at least the photograph serves as a memory.

The atrocious events in Gaza have put things into perspective for so many people around the world. Ordinary people who watch the painful scenes of injustice on the television screen with their mouths wide open and most often with their eyes wide shut, because it’s all too devastating for the human mind to conceive.

Take Nour, a mother of three. Working part-time, half-way through her second degree and a full-time mother, this brilliantly intelligent multi-tasking modern Muslim woman can sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities she faces on a day-to-day basis. But just witnessing the devastation inflicted on the many lives in Gaza is enough of a cognitive behaviour therapy session for Nour to change her mind-set from feelings of helplessness to one full of determination and optimism.

Because if the mothers in Gaza are coping by the thread of hope and faith they so dearly cling on to, without electricity, running water, food or shelter, then a mother living with dignity and freedom in the West may feel that she is queen of the world. If her family are free from oppression and injustice, then she can have so much to thank for. “That’s why” Nour admits, “whenever I complain about something superficial, I remember those who are in the position to complain about so much more and with no one to listen to their woes”.

And it is the very scenes of injustice inflicted on the women and children of Gaza which has left scars on the minds of those who deeply sympathise. Those scars have led to many taking the initiative to change their psyche in order to better deal with the world. “I used to let every little thing upset me,” confides Mariam, a full-time solicitor. “When I watched the news of Gazans losing their homes and families, I decided to change my attitude. If a woman who was interviewed on television said ‘Thank God for everything’ when asked how she felt about losing her home, then I have so much more to thank for and I will make every day count and I dedicate each day to those under occupation.”

These feelings of empathy are not reserved for senior generations. Young girls are taking pro-active initiatives during a time when some give into helplessness and idleism. 12 year old Mai had decided to give up food from dawn to sunset for the Palestinian cause. “I’ve been fasting every day since the war. I hope my small sacrifice of food and water for a few hours will make me more thankful of the blessings I have. And I hope God accepts the intention of my fasts to free the Palestinians from oppression.”

Mai is not alone with her sentiments. Many fund-raising events have been organised by young people to do something for the Gazans. “Instead of gluing myself to the TV, crying while I watch the news, complaining about the injustices of the world, I’m taking an active part to make a change to the lives of the victims in Palestine”, says Huda, a 17 year old college student who has helped organise two fund-raising events since the beginning of the conflict.

These fund-raising events see many young people sacrificing their time, effort and emotions to raise money for the plight of those hundreds of thousands of miles away. “We feel united with the Palestinian cause; we have the upper hand to help, so we should be thankful for that and also utilise it” is the sentiment of 11-year old student Rania and the many young people busy struggling against the bloody scenes of the helplessness and oppression they have been bombarded with in the media.

But despite the overwhelming feelings of pessimism, these individuals collectively strive to replace these emotions with feelings of gratitude and purpose; purpose to strive for those who are oppressed. They face confusion, but they strive to replace the emotion with wisdom through dialogue and informative texts. They face anger, but they strive to replace this emotion with patience and endurance while they do their part to help.

Admirably, these groups of people have been stimulated by the dire circumstances in Palestine to better themselves for the betterment of humanity. They are inspired by the survivors of the war and their courage to continue living after death has visited their doors. They believe that being brave and positive for the sake of the victims will achieve so much more than surrendering to depression and pessimism.

Even the small intention to alter the perspective to “see the glass half-full” rather than “half-empty” has given Nour the positive, energetic initiative to endure and overcome the challenges in her own life; “From now, whenever I think I’m going to complain, I will stop myself and make a small prayer to those in the world who have the right to complain; who have the right to be heard and helped”.

Nour’s resolution is admirable. She noted an undesirable habit and is keen on changing it for the better because life is not to be wasted on pessimism. And although it is effortless to become caught up in our own modern-world lives, worrying about superficialities can be turned into a more productive deed. To strive against negative energy and negative thinking, with the inspiration and intention to act for those who simply do not have the energy to go on, can make a difference, as shown in the cases of the individuals in this piece.

It can make a difference not only to the lives of the victims who continue to be a source of motivation without knowing, but to the lives of those who want so desperately to be a part of that difference; the difference between a world gone wrong and a world turned right for the whole of mankind.