Friday, November 12, 2004
Arafat is dead, but the Palestinian Cause Lives on
International Al-Quds day was ardently celebrated, under the shadow of Arafat's death. I feel so proud seeing my fellow countrymen put another cause above theirs and to hold a hand out to their brothers and sisters in Palestine. Likewise, Palestinians held the photo of Mohammed Juma'a, the young Bahraini man who was shot dead in a similar march 3 years ago.
Al-Quds Day Festival and March
May Arafat rest in peace, and may the sun rise over Al-Quds once again.
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I got to attend the march today (it was huge) and I'll hopefully have a post up with my photos if I get a break during the Eid festivities/obligations in the next day or two.
Although I very much support the Palestinian cause, and I was also pleased to so many Bahrainis expressing themselves on the street, I must say that I was quite disappointed with the message. Specifically, most of the chanting was about "death to America, death to Israel". I guess that's the reality of how most people here feel, but it's not something that I really feel proud of.
The other thing was that the march was completely overtaken by specifically shia symbolism. There were huge portraits of Hasan Nasrallah and Ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei, but none of any actual Palestinian figures. The chants were also filled with "labbayk Nasrallah/Hezbollah" and "Ayatolla Khomeini said...", and there were Hezbollah flags everywhere, but nothing about actual Palestinians (asides from the occasional support for Hamas).
I wouldn't feel comfortable participating in such an event, because of the hate-filled message, and because it had little to do with demanding a free Palestine on humanistic and moral grounds. Rather, it was all based on claiming it on purely religious grounds (which is exactly the same argument that Jews in Israel make).
The only good thing I have to say about it was that the march was very well organized. But that's my two fils.
3eedech embarak!