It's been a long time since I last blogged. Hope everyone had a good start for 2009...
...unlike the Gazans... :(
The Israelis aggression had touched me so much since its first day of war. I cried for the victims from afar. I couldn't stand watching the cries of parents and who lost their children, traumatized and terrified children, injured civilians especially children in pain I never could imagine. It almost felt like they were all my own child. It hurts even more to know that I could do nothing more than to keep praying for them, keep praying for IDF to stop the genocide at once. I hate them for laying their hands on women, elderly and children - kept hurting and terrifying them and to the extend of leaving the remaining Samouni's children laid weak of hunger next to their dead family members, including their mothers for days! A lot of children witnessed how the Israeli army shot children dead, some were even laughing while they shoot. I could never forgive the Zionist for being utterly rude and heartless. I believe that someday, they will have to pay for all of these and more.
The war is over...for now. Residents are back to what's left of their homes, schools have been re-open..but the scars and traumas of the war still haunt most Gazans, especially the young children.
Last Wednesday (January 21), a special project had been
launched in Bangsar, KL.
To My Friend in Gaza / Untuk Kawanku di Gaza is a project initiated by Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, together with UNICEF and +wondermilk for the children of Gaza. This project invites ALL Malaysian children to write letters / cards / postcards / etc for the children of Gaza.
Providing moral support to children in conflict or post-conflict situations is, I believe, an important way of helping the children heal from the emotional scars that they inevitably receive. I was encouraged by reports, for instance, that children in Timor Leste who were orphaned by the civil war there were delighted to receive letters from children in Japan. They were touched that someone cared about them after all that they had been through and this helped them recover faster. I believe that the same can happen to the children in Gaza.
It is also my belief that this recovery is important for those children because if we want peace to prevail in that part of the world in the future, children must grow up without believing that fear is the way to solve problems. They must have hope that there is a better world out there where people can live in peace. I think when our children reach out to them, it will give them that hope and that will stop them from being caught in the terrible trap of believing that violence is the only way of the world. - Marina Mahathir
My two children, whom are aware of the situation in Gaza, had been very excited about this project the moment I spoke to them about it. To date, my 6 years old daughter alone had made 3 different letters which she carefully drew and paint herself without me knowing it. Her simple words of faith and confidence surprised me. Even my 4 years old son had his own initiative to create a letter although he hardly know how to write. He had been printing / drawing his hands on pieces of colored papers for his friends in Gaza. He explained to me...that those were his little hands praying for his terrified and sick friends in Gaza. Later he got my daughter to write on his behalf, explaining about his hands prints.
It's a little something that we could do for those children from this far, besides our prayers. The children don't deserve to be treated like the way Israel had treated them lately. After all, they are all just kids...
So I am calling every parents in Malaysia to inspire your children to take part in this little project. It won't take too long for them to produce / write a drawing / simple letter. Just click on the project logo on this blog's sidebar to reach to Marina's blog to read & find more information on the project. This project is asking no money from you....just some simple, kind and thoughtful words.
Regards,
CucukSanggul
