Wake up, you people

Eloquently put by crimsonskye (thanks for the permission;)) on the prolonging issue:

How much do you care?

Nine days into the open war in Lebanon, with the crimes committed by the Israelis now far beyond their so-called anti-terrorist operations. Civilians are being murdered by the hundreds, their homes ripped apart and their cities torn to shreds. At the same time Palestinians continue their long fight against the occupation of their homeland, and against the atrocities of the Israel government.

Are we even aware of the pain and suffering of our fellow human beings? Or are we still wondering how in the world our darling Siti Nurhaliza chose to marry Datuk K?

Anyone with a heart couldn't possibly not be moved by the plight of the Palestinians, towards their strong and unwearied spirit to carry on their struggle - even without the help of the rest of the world, who tend to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear on the situation. Those Palestinians, they're just ordinary people like you and me, but they're all blessed with this unbelievable bravery to defend their homes and people from the Israelis.

The situation in Palestine can be confusing and misleading to the majority of outsiders, who are depending on the West-controlled media for information about Palestine. If Israel invades the Palestinian lands and murders civilians, that is 'self-defense'. But if someone responds to Israeli aggression with a rocket, that is 'Muslim terrorism'. How could anyone agree to this horrendous double-standard is beyond me.

When Hamas finally obtained victory in the Palestinian legislative election, which has been described by the officials and observers as extremely fair and transparent with a large voter turnout, many stated that the outcome was 'disturbing' because with Hamas in power it would encourage terrorism activities even more than before.

What the hell is this? The Palestinians went through a democracy process that was done with integrity and in line with international standards, then those very same people who claimed to uphold democracy refuse to recognize Hamas' right to form their government. They cut off all ties with the Hamas, reject truces and calls for ceasefire offered by Hamas, sanction blockings towards the aid and supplies brought to the Palestinians, while the Israel regime continues to massacre the Palestinians and razing their homes to the ground.

Suicide bomber/bombing are just terms coined by the West. Phrases like 'Islamic militants' and 'extremists' are used in liberal doses. Don't fall into these manipulating traps. Anyone with the basic knowledge of Islam would know that in Islam, suicide is forbidden to the utmost.

Suicide is done out of desperation, but the Palestinians who bombed themselves have nothing to do with desperation or losing the will to live. This is their last resort to defend themselves against the violence committed upon them. What do the Palestinians have to help themselves against the Israelis, who have a whole hoard of missiles, Apache helicopters, precision bombs, F16s and goodness knows what else?

And just who do we think we are to tell them what they should or never do? We're not in their places - we're sitting here in our comfortable homes, with our friends and family safe with us. We're not the ones who are being snatched away from our homes, watching our own mothers and fathers being murdered before our own eyes, our brothers and sisters assaulted and dishonoured. We're not the ones who are being starved to death and having bombs and bullets slammed into our own streets each passing day.

It doesn't make me feel any better to see anyone being killed, on whatever side they are. Anyone would wish for all of this just to stop right now, but of course that's impossible.

So what we can do?

No need to feel so helpless. The first thing we need to do is take a very firm stand against the Zionists (don't put the Jews all in the same bandwagon! Not all Jews are Zionists and not all Zionists are Jews!) and the regime of Israel. Be extremely aware of the history and the current situation of Palestine. Take every effort to increase our information about their issues e.g. going to talks. Whenever we could, engage friends and family in discussions about the Palestinian issue.

Another step further would be boycotting the products and services by companies that invest in Israel. There are so many, including Intel, Nokia and other brands that are still essential to many of us. We can't boycott all but we can do whatever which is within our capacities.

MacDonald's would be the easiest example. Just two days ago, a friend of mine suddenly told me she has decided not to consume McD anymore. She doesn't know it, but I felt a lump in my throat when I heard her saying that. I have so many people around me who are very sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, but only a few actually boycott something to show solidarity with the Palestinians. She told me, it feels very difficult not to eat anything McD anymore. To give up something that she had enjoyed very much - I pray that Allah will reward her efforts.

I have no idea whether these boycotts have significant economic impacts or not, but that's not my first and foremost reason for boycotting. It's all about taking a stand regarding something that's very dear to my heart. If my boycotting those products can get the message across about the Palestinian issue to other people, or at least make me remind myself of my brothers and sisters who are fighting for their very lives at this very moment, then these are reasons enough for me.