By Ola Attallah, IOL Correspondent
GAZA CITY — “O God Almighty! The words are poor and the breath is unable to describe our distress, but You are the only One who knows our suffering,” tearful Om Mohamamd prayed at a mosque in Gaza, which endured Monday, January 21, a fourth day in a row of a deadly Israeli blockade.
“God is our savior; I’m confident that God won’t let us down at such hard times,” added Abu Ahmad, 65, with a candle in his right hand and a banner in the left.
The banner’s message could not be more forceful, “Lift this killer blockade.”
Israel tightened its cordon around Gaza on Friday, January 18, by shutting all border crossings, cutting fuel supplies and even stopping UN humanitarian supplies.
Lines formed at bakeries over the past three days as Palestinians stockpiled food and factories and petrol stations were closed after Gaza’s electricity generating station turned off the second of its two turbines late on Sunday.
This came amid peak winter demand for fuel and with Gaza already reeling under a crippling Western economic boycott.
The Gazans are shocked by the sepulchral silence reigning worldwide while they are being humiliated, slain and subjugated by Israel day in, day out.
“No body lifts a finger to help; our cries and tears failed to move them,” said Abu Ahmad.
Fast
Thousands of Palestinians started a fast Monday, kneeling in supplication with unshakable faith in God that their sufferings would come to an end someday in the not too distant future.
The Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails also observed Monday a fast in solidarity with a bleeding Gaza.
“It breaks our hearts that we are helpless to help,” they said in a statement.
Calls for steadfastness and resolve have been resonating across the Strip through microphones and radios.
“Remain steadfast…With hardship goes ease; with hardship goes ease,” read one.
Many Gazans spent the night at mosques, lying prostrate on the ground to complain to God.
“O God Almighty! Remove this distress and save those widowed wives, poor children and dying patients,” one old woman prayed.
One imam at a Gaza mosque could not help but vent his anger at the world inaction.
“Are they deaf?” fumed sheikh Wael Al-Zordi, the imam of Al-Omari mosque in Gaza.
“Don’t they hear the cries of bereaved mothers and dying children? Don’t they hear the cries of the oppressed and prisoners?”
Posted by: Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout, info@al-amana.org
0 Responses to “Gaza Prayers Only Hope”