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'We
Shall Return' From my earliest memories as a child I remember playing the game of 'Palestine our home' with my sisters and cousins, we always dreamed of one day returning to our homeland and seeing the rights of the Palestinian people being upheld and given the peace and freedom they deserve. Throughout my life I have felt very strongly about Palestine and regularily attended protests and taking part in boycotts to support the people of Palestine. But I always felt that this was not enough and I wanted to do something to help them in person. During the
recent war on Gaza I felt utter frustration at how the world watched
on in silence while the people of Gaza took hit after hit. I felt
it was wrong that they should be left in isolation not knowing that
so many of us feel for them so deeply and want to stand by them
and help. I was so angered by the international hypocracy and unfaltering
support of the west to Israel, even though this is nothing new to
the Middle East. I heard about
the Viva Palestina effort through my mum who told me her friend
was going, I immediately decided that I too must go, and along with
my mums friend, Souheir Turkmani and Mary Edwards we started raising
money and within just 3weeks we had enough money to buy a minibus
and donate a generous amount of money to the people of Gaza. Going
on this trip has givin me a new purpose and an opportunity to tell
the people of Gaza, in person, how much we care for them and that
their pain is felt by millions of us around the world.
A new Life A new life is starting for a lot of the people from the Viva Palestina historic trip to Gaza. Mine started the minute I decided to go to Gaza with the blessing of Allah and of my family. I started my journey by forming our new charity based company Hope (Amal) Together. The hope in the name is for those people who would like to help the suffering and they have limited resources and at the same time we are giving Hope (or in Arabic Amal) to the people of Gaza. During our trip along the North Africa cities we were asked to deliver the peoples love and support to the people of Gaza. Our burden and responsibilities became heavier and harder, the trip became more important and we were determined to make it through the journey with all the strength we had to deliver our aid and the massages we carried on behalf of all the people we met. We carried their cries, admiration and the love they held in their hearts for the people of Gaza and that gave our trip more power and gave us more determination. We recognized that the journey we started should not stop by reaching Gaza. Reaching Gaza is the start of a new journey in this life. I am determined and may Allah give me strength to keep working on daily basis to help end the suffering of the people of Palestine. I am a Palestinian and fifty years old and on the 9 th of March was the first time I entered my country and smelled the fresh air over my country. I was in love with it before I arrived and I am now blinded by this love. It is the most beautiful country on earth. I love everything about it. May Allah protect it from all evil and relief its people from all the suffering. I left Gaza feeling in my heart that I will return to it soon. Souheir Turkmani
Send your photos to website@vivapalestina.org
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