Just wanted to draw attention to this, but renowned Palestinian musician Ramzi Aburedwan's first record with the Dal'Ouna ensemble, Oyoun Al Kalam has been made digitally available on multiple digital and streaming platforms (spotify, apple music, youtube) !! It's an absolutely beautiful album featuring the voices of Oday Al-Khatib and Noura Madi who were refugee students part of Aburedwan's music school. I cannot overstate how amazing and impactful their singing and vocalization sounds against the beautiful landscape of Aburdewan and Co's instrumentation. I'd also recommend listening to his most acclaimed album Reflections of Palestine while you're at it.
Ursula K. Le Guin would do numbers on tumblr
They need more esims!
If any of you ever feel like what you're doing for Palestine isn't helping anything, I'll tell you right now it's helping me. I know it is fortifying all of us who have been in this fight for years to see so many people willing to speak up. It has never been like this before.
The tide has already turned. The fact that #free palestine will have new posts everyday, that helps me. It helps my mental health knowing that Palestinians are less alone now than ever.
Yesterday I read some verses from the Quran talking about how "the blame" is not with those who wish to help but cannot, but with those who CAN help and do not.
Truly I do not care if all you do for Palestine is post in that #free palestine everyday, that is still more than many people with the means to do even more would do.
We see you. We see you standing in solidarity with us and with Palestinians. We love you. Thank you.
where is that cat with the kind and reassuring face
via @wizard_bisan1
21 January 2024
Hi everyone, it’s Bisan from Gaza, I am still alive Alhamdullah.. it’s been 107 days of genocide, 15 weeks, 2568 hours of killing us, taking over our homes and lands in Gaza Strip, and forcing us to choose between leaving or death.. and sometimes we can’t even choose.. the Israeli air strikes simply kill us without any warnings. Now, we are without any connection, neither the internet nor the cellular, we can’t reach each other’s inside Gaza, we don’t know if our families and friends are alive or not, wounded or not.. still in their places or not! We take hours of walking and searching to reach someone, while moving became very risky! We can’t reach to you as well! The footage, information and news from Gaza are not reaching you as before because the Israeli army intentionally destroyers the signal towers and the servers, even using the E-SIM requires being in a high place which is very risky!. I borrowed this vest to upload this post! I am not scared of death, but of being displaced, scared of losing my family or friends, scared of being wounded and can’t have my treatment because the health system is collapsed in Gaza, and to die in pain! I am not scared of the destruction.. I lost my work place.. my home and my family work place and source of income, I am terrified of being killed by an occupier, and to be forgotten, one oppressed Bisan of a whole occupied people. The strongest governments and weapons manufacturers are supporting this genocide against my people, and you are our only hope! STRIKE globally and call for a ceasefire! Strike, protest, stop the economic movements and make pressure on your countries to stand against this and stop it, if ISRAhell don’t find the financial and weapons support, or governments to hide their crimes they will be forced to stop the genocide! Go to the streets, protest and Globally strike for a week, (21-28) January! YALLA Brave and free people of the world, CEASEFIRE NOW!
What did you do while the children of Gaza were dying?
I argued with their killers.
What did you say?
I said that the innocent deserve innocence. That the sound of laughter is better than nightmares, and briefer. That the cost of killing may be higher than the price of dying.
Did they listen?
Do killers ever listen? They are deafened by their weapons’ drone and by the grate of their own voices raging, denying.
Why were they angry?
They said that they needed to feel safe.
Safe from the children?
They said there are no children in Gaza, only young combatants.
And the babies?
They said they are little snakes that will grow, and it is better to kill them in their nests.
And what of the teachers? The singers? The artists? The fathers? The mothers?
They said that all who live there are terrorists. And as for the mothers, they said it is they who bear the little snakes.
Did your protestations do any good?
No. I lost my breath, I lost my words, I lost my heart. But had I not argued, I would have lost my soul.
Did any children survive?
In body, yes. In spirit, it is not sure.
The children who lived, what will become of them?
Their eyes will sear holes in the night sky. Remember this when you look at the stars:
that it is the burning eyes of Gaza’s children that hold your gaze.
(Gaza 2014)
Lisa Suhair Majaj