“Twenty-five people died after a bomb blast near the hospital” and “twenty civilians were killed as police attacked the protesters” –we hear similar news on a daily basis, but never pay attention to the fact that so many precious lives are lost. I always try to keep up with the news, and whenever there is a discussion on current events I feel proud that at least I know more than an average citizen in this country. Due to improper coverage of the media, the sensitivity of the issue is almost always lost. But last week’s events turned out to be an eye-opening experience for me. I realized that perhaps I don’t know what it really means to be oppressed or to live in war.
A whole week was dedicated to spread awareness of Palestine, to collect donations for Afghans to fulfill their basic need of water, and to educate about the oppressed Kashmiris at a teach-in. All these events took place back-to-back during last week. During each event I learned something new about those people and their sufferings. I learned how the situation in Palestine is not just a humanitarian crisis but also a brutal apartheid. The majority of the Afghan population is living without access to clean water, and many of them have to walk miles to get water. The Kashmiris have been oppressed for more than 60 years now, even though there are numerous UN resolutions that give Kashmiris the right to choose. I never thought these events could have such an impact on me. I learned how individuals suffer in such situations. The Muslim ummah is suffering throughout the world, and many of us do not recognize the intensity of the crisis. Being Muslims, we need to have a better understanding of what our fellow brothers and sister have to go through.