Tuesday, February 3, 2009

From the broken heart of Gaza

SALAM FROM GAZA! We know there were some bombings or shellings from some parts of Gaza today. We could hear the explosions, Two of the loudest were during zohor prayers (just after noon in Gaza) and one more around asar (about 330pm Gaza time). In between visits to several damaged sites, I sat with the Christian leader of Gaza, the respected and much-admired Father Musallam. The 70-year old Catholic priest is one of the most passionate speakers about the Palestinian cause, stressing many times that he "would rather die for Palestine than live the life of a slave to Zionist Israel." I had an almost two-hour chat with the man whose original home was in Birzeit on the West Bank. "I've not been back to my village because the Israelis have taken over my land. Don't insult me by asking whether I'm prepared to contribute to Palestine, or by asking if the Christians here are prepared to do the same. Listen, I'm a Palestinian, like all the other 1.5 million who live in the Gaza strip. I'm preoared to die for palestine, and it's the same feelings my congregation feel. This is my home. My struggle is the struggle of the Palestinian people, regardless whether they are Christians or Muslims or whatever." Father Musallman composed a poem/song to show his love for Gaza. It's called the broken heart of Gaza:

Father Musallam is sending out a message
from the broken heart of Gaza
to a strangely silent world
from the valley of tears where Gaza sinks in blood
the blood that has strangled the joy fom every heart
of a million and a half imprisoned people
where love itself was captured
defenceless in the siege
and love has been choked in every threat

CHORUS
O Lord of peace, rain peace upon us
O Lord of peace, grant peace to our land
Have Mercy lord on all of your people
but don't leave us lord in enmity forever

Oh the bitter cruel siege has turned into a hurricane
growing every hour until it became a war crime
a crime against humanity for which we all must answer
in the court of every human heart
and every human conscience
and before the just and holy court of God

CHORUS
O Lord of peace, rain peace upon us
O Lord of peace, grant peace to our land
Hve mercy Lord on all of your people
But don't leave us Lord in enmity forever

We will not live as slaves we will be free
No one is free till Gaza is free
Though here we weep no one wipes our tears
yet no one will be free till Gaza is free

The children are trembling we all live in fear
Muslims and Christians wounded together
between slavery and death there really is no choice
and if death is forced upon us
we'll have courage in our hearts
we will die - honest, brave and strong

CHORUS
we will not live as slaves we will be free
no one is free till Gaza is free
though here we weep - no one wipes our tears
yet no one will be free till Gaza is free
O Lord of peace, rain peace on us
O Lord of peace grant peace to our land
have mercy Lord on all of your people
but don't leave us Lord in enmity forever
Father Musallam is sending out a message
from the broken heart of Gaza
to a strangely silent world.

Friday, Jan 2, 2009

6 comments:

NGINAP SRENGENGE @ SRENGENGE said...

Pak Mat,

Doakan rombongan Malaysia dan plastin selamat.

Ya Allah berikanlah 'pukulan maut' kepada pihak zionis.

Anonymous said...

Tok Mat,

Doa di kabulkan di saat Tok Mat nak balik ke Msia di pertemukan juga warga Palestin bukan Islam, agar terbuka hati masyrakat bukan Islam di Malaysia ini.

Selamat Kembali ke Tanah Air Tok Mat and gang

devilmaycare said...

stay safe friend.

budak-kom said...

kawan forum saya kata yang kumpulan ngo dari malaysia sukar nak masuk ke gaza..mohon perjelasan datuk kerana yang d salahkan ialah mesir...tidak tau kenapa mesir cuba menyusahkan mereka yang ingin memasuki gaza...semoga perjalanan datuk selamat pergi, ketika dan pulang ke tanah air...pertanyaan bersikap politk-kenapa ulasan datuk dalam utusan malaysia hanya menyatakan rakyat palestin cuma menyebut nama tun dr mahathir sahaja...bagaimana mereka mengenali tun yang jauh d malaysia n cuma mantan perdana menteri...bukan pejuang berani mati atau radikal seperti osama bin laden yang menjadi idola pejuang radikal islam...d mana nama abdullah ahmad badawi...ingin tahu sahaja bagaimana nama mantan perdana menteri boleh tersemat d pejuang palestin...ada berita pasal tun ke d sana atau macam mana...

Ahmad A Talib said...

budak kom,

Memang NGO dari Malaysia sukar nak masuk ke Gaza. Saya sendiri terpaksa turun-naik dari Cairo ke Rafah beberapa kali untuk cuba masuk. Akhirnya, saya dan rakan2 yayasan salam berjaya masuk paha dari ke 5 selepas mencuba banyak kali. Karenah birokasi Egypt menyulitkan kami masuk. Saya berada dalam Gaza selama 10 hari.

Kerajaan Egypt atau Mesir ada perjajian diplomatikdengan Israel. Bahkan, kedua negara juga mempunyai kerajasaam dalam pelbagai bidang dan saling menghormati pendirian masing2. inilah punca utama kesukaran nak memasuki Gaza menggunakan pintu masuk sempadan Mesir. Semua pintu masuk Gaza di kawal oleh negara-negara yang bersempadan dengan Gaza atau Tebing Barat atau Israel.

Memang nama mantan PM Dr Mahathir disebut secara spontan oleh warga Gaza. Saya percaya ini kerana beliau menerajui negara selama 22 tahun, satu tempoh yang agak lama. Lagipun, beliau lantang bersuara. Warga Palestin kagum dengan beliau.
Ini tidak menghairankan kerana beliau berjaya menambat hati ramai warga Afrika mahupun di Timur Tengah.

Nama2 pemimpin lain dari Malaysia tidak disebut.

Osama? saya tak tahu samada beliau menjadi ikutan di Gaza.

TK

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