Thursday, January 24, 2008

A Taste Of Freedom!


Friends, this wonderful photo, though small, shows a flood of human beings, yes, human beings, ones just like you and me, escaping from their concentration camp in the Gaza Strip.

Some Hamas Freedom Fighters had blown several holes in the wall at Rafah and Egyptian officials allowed Palestinian people from Gaza to move back and forth across the border to get food and medicines and fuel from a nearby Egyptian town.

Can you imagine how these beleaguered people must have felt when they experienced a touch of freedom for the first time in decades, when they could do what most people in the world take for granted: move around without restriction, go to another town, even another country and shop? It must have been mind-blowing, like a fantastic dream!

Israel, the immoral jailer, predictably, is complaining. Egypt is justifying its humanitarian position. How long the crossing remains open is another question.

Freedom is still a fantasy for some people!

But it shouldn't be.

Photo Link.

13 comments:

Damian Lataan said...

Daniel, it's great to see photos like this. Some others I have seen clearly show very, very happy Palestinians making their way into Egypt while others are making their way home again laden with new goodies to beat the Israeli squeeze and with even bigger smiles on their faces.

Obviously, this has come as a blow to the Israelis who are furious that they didn't see this coming.

It has also come as blow to Egypt's Murbarak because it has demonstrated that, while the Egyptian government might be in the US and Israelis pocket, the people of Eygpt are not and are more than happy to welcome their Arab brothers from the Gaza into Egypt where they can enjoy some trade and other communal activities.

While what has happened is a great win for the Palestinian people and an immense propaganda victory for Hamas, there is, I fear, going to be a downside. I hope I'm wrong!

Daniel said...

This is what happens, Damian, when religious fantasies completely distort people's minds.

What Israel is doing by locking itself into an anachronistic, superstitious time-warp demonstrates clearly why all religion should be eradicated!

P.S. I heard Olmert speaking Hebrew today. Perhaps we should all start speaking in Latin or Ancient Greek again! Talk about backward looking.

Anonymous said...

Hi Daniel:

Olmert was speaking in Hebrew because that is the official language of Israel. See here.

I don't find it very 'backward looking' for a government official to speak in the official language of their own country.

Cheers,

Dylan

Daniel said...

Ah, Dylan, this is the year 2008! You may have noticed.

Most societies have moved on in the last several thousand years! You may have noticed.

Some even ground themselves in reality, Dylan, have given up on believing in Santa! You may have noticed.

Some people haven't heard the term 'catch-up.' Which era do you live in, Dylan?

Anonymous said...

"Moved on in the last several thousand years"? Not sure what your point is, Daniel. Perhaps you can make it clearer for me.

Why is the use of Hebrew 'backward looking' in a country where it is an official language?

Personally I don't find it backward looking that, for example, a Slovenian MP would present a speech in Slovene or that a Dutch leader would speak in Dutch.

Are you suggesting he should speak in English? I'm no great intellect, Daniel: can you explain your reasoning to me.

Cheers,

Dylan

Daniel said...

Always happy to oblige you, Dylan, a fellow seeker after truth and, dare I say it, a truly great intellect.

Surely you would agree with my point that there are not too many people in the world today who still believe in things that were held to be true many thousands of years ago! Wouldn't you?

Do you think we should bury people in pyramids as they once did? Do you think we should once again begin sacrificing virgins on altars?

Surely, Dylan, you would agree that people who are firmly rooted in the past, whose minds are filled with silly, elitist superstitions have no place in our modern world, only perhaps as oddities. And surely such backward, deranged people shouldn't be in possession of nuclear weapons?

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if I can agree with you on all of those things. As long as they don't hurt others then people should be free to do what they want.

If someone wants to bury their father in a pyramid because it makes them feel better then fine. Heck, a Catholic funeral (the one which I am most familiar) must look pretty strange to an outside observer. The incense, the elaborate coffin, the headstone, prayers and then the heavy drinking and singing at the wake (I am an Irish citizen, after all) must look rather weird to most people not of the faith or culture. It's religious, some elements are indeed superstitious but I don't mind so much: a Catholic funeral doesn't really have much of an impact on anyone else.

(Leaving aside the institution of religion and its effect on societies, of course - I'm talking about the funeral itself...)

I don't think that we should be sacrificing virgins, though.

The point you made, though, was about language. As someone who has done a bit of travelling in the last couple of years (and only once in that time visited a country where English is the native language) I can appreciate that speaking a provincial language with a small number of speakers can be infuriating for the visitor. Trying to understand Basque or Hungarian or Romanian or Hebrew while visiting Bilbao, Budapest, Cluj and Jerusalem (respectively) is impossible for the person on a short visit.

Do I sometimes wish that the people there spoke English? Yes. Should they be forced to? No. Do I think they are backward looking for speaking their own language? No.

But don't let me take up all your thread with a topic that is tangental to your post.

Cheers,

Dylan

Daniel said...

Problem is that the Israelis are hurting others, Dylan! Bigtime. And not with their language but their boots and weapons and small minds.

P.S. Perhaps we could all start speaking Babylonian again...hang on, I know, what about we bring back grunting?

Lovely to hear from you! Enjoy the wine.

Anonymous said...

Those pesky Palestinians have been seen coming back to Gaza laden with new TV's, radios and yes, lots of other "goodies" as you mention Damian.

Daniel will NOT be impressed. Even these downtrodden idols of righteousness are resorting to mindless materialism.

How dare they!

Don't they know Daniel doesn't approve of new tellys and mindless consumerism!

What were they thinking! New household goods will hardly bring them wordly satisfaction! Just ask Daniel.

Daniel said...

I've rejected a number of offensive comments from P.P. but decided to publish this one because it highlights the shallowness and small-mindedness of many humans.

That someone with some education and intelligence could look at a photograph of people tasting freedom for the first time and rushing to get food, medicines and fuel for their survival and reduce it all to seeing a crowd merely going shopping for television sets is both astounding and frightening.

The capacity of humans to distort reality and see what they want to see seems infinite. It does not bode well for ever achieving world peace.

Damian Lataan said...

Daniel, you say: "The capacity of humans to distort reality and see what they want to see seems infinite." It's also a typical characteristic of the right-wing who are unable to provide clear logical argument in any debate and, as a result, find they need to resort to manipulation and the politics of 'wedging', as demonstrated so clearly in PP's comment.

Very sad.

Daniel said...

Some people don't debate to find the truth, Damian! They simply take any available opportunity to shovel their narrow views down someone else's throat. It is sad, I agree.

Anonymous said...

Daniel,

I pointed out that many goodies and consumer products were being purchased.

You responded with people ..."rushing to get food, medicines and fuel for their survival"....

Associated Press (AP) seems to throw some light on the subject.

As you copy and paste this link to see the Associated Press article and stunning photo, I'm confident that at least this materialistic fellow will surely NOT win your approval Daniel:


http://apnews.myway.com/image/20080125/MIDEAST_ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS_BORDER.sff_AXLP157_20080125172202.html?date=20080126&docid=D8UDMD3O0


Never mind. He's probably just a Fatah voter, no doubt.

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