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Mustafa,
Israr and Basima's Viva Palestina TravelBlog
More
than 1,300 dead – more than 400 of them children – and
still they are dragging bodies from the ruins.
The
death toll in Gaza is rising, while the world’s leaders and
media look away in search of a new story.
The Palestinians in Gaza need our help now, just as they did when
Israel’s bombs and illegal weapons were dropping.
The help and
support that our brothers and sisters need, will not just be a passing
phase. They will need long term support for the emotional, social,
financial and physical repercussions of the treatment they have
had to endure.
As
Muslims we strongly believe in the preservation of human life, human
life that does not discriminate against religious, cultural or ethnic
backgrounds. The Qur’an warns and advises us that if a man
kills one soul, it is as if he has killed mankind entirely, and
to save a soul it is as if he has saved the whole of mankind.(Qur’an
5:32)
The
killings of our innocent brothers and sisters, is not just death
in numbers. It is a death, to the soul of mankind. It is a very
dark destruction that seeks to wipe out the humanity that lies within
us all. But we stand here to today because we refuse to let that
happen. We aim to do justice to the very important warning in the
Qur’an and make a difference to peoples lives; and in saving
them, we attempt to save the soul of mankind.
For
that reason I (Mustafa Jaddou) have decided along with my mother
(Basima Ghafori) and my friend (Israr Khan), to take part in an
aid Convoy leaving from London to Gaza on the 14th of February (lead
by MP George Galloway). This convoy aims to bring material aid and
raise the banner of Palestine through out the countries it will
travel through starting from Belgium, France, Spain, Morocco, Algeria,
Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and through Rafah and into Gaza.
So
on Saturday Morning 14th of Feb, we hope to start a long and a never
ending pro Palestinian campaign to support them in light of the
persecution that they face. And in doing so let’s not forget
the benefits of charity, Indeed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) said: "The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection
will be his charity." (Al-Tirmidhi: Hadith 604) So in helping
our brothers and sisters, we strive not just for their benefit but
also for our own. But we also strive to become conscious of our
own human spirit.
This
commitment of human spirit that we hope to inspire in everyone as
we make our journey to Gaza; is one which is engaged in passion,
enthusiasm and perseverance for a cause that highlights so deeply
the troubling times we live in today. We hope to emphasize that
it is up to us as individuals to unite together as part of one brotherhood
that calls for justice. A brotherhood, that calls, for the right
to life.
The
challenge of awakening the human spirit within us is something that
has been attempted time and time again at the sight of tyranny and
persecution upon groups of people. The Prophet (pbuh) provided an
example of this challenge "None of you truly believes (in Allah
and in His religion) until he loves for his brother what he loves
for himself" We believe that you are too recognize the suffering
of your brothers and sisters in Gaza and you want to make change.
You want them to have the right to life; a right to a life of peace
and stability.
Finally we
hope (through our journey to Gaza) to inspire a spiritual resurrection
within everyone everywhere. We sincerely pray that you too will
shed your light on the darkness that surrounds the Palestinians
and show them the compassion that they truly deserve.
Best
Regards
Mustafa
Jaddou
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