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[mahmoudkhalafff]

Deprived of the Oxygen We Breathe in Gaza: Education

I took so much pride in telling Irish students and professors at my Irish university how proud we, Palestinians, are of having one of the lowest rates of illiteracy in the Arab World (Approximately 1%) and how much we cherish education. I also shed light on how the ongoing genocide has deprived students across all levels of their right to a proper education by bombing schools and universities and making the living conditions in Gaza just hellish.

Having been a lecturer at the Islamic University in Gaza (IUG) for two years, I have always seen the passion and determination in the eyes of my students whenever they talked about their life goals and dreams. Not only did this war kill their dreams but also killed many of my students. One of them is the smiling young man in the middle of the picture below Mohammed.

Mohammed was known for always having a big smile on his face that would brighten not only the lecture halls but also our days. I look at my chat with Mohammed on Facebook and think to myself: Is there any hope he would reply to his teacher if he were to send him a message?! Take all the marks you want, but please say something! Please reply!

For my students, education is a bridge to success in life and an opportunity to get equipped with the skills and knowledge they crave. It means talking to experts in their fields, mingling with like-minded people, and having exciting experiences. In addition, education is indisputably a noble form of resistance and entrenching existence. It is our most cherished tool to preserve our culture, values, and commitment to our land and rights as Palestinians. Depriving students of education is equal to depriving them of Oxygen.  

This was the final part of a play performed by my students named 'Sounds from Heaven'. It embodied the characters of iconic Palestinian martyrs like Al-Jazeera Palestinian American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh.

Four months into the war, I was evacuated to Ireland to pursue my studies. Looking over my shoulder to see my greatly damaged house and family running from death from one place to another felt like ripping my soul out of my body. How does one work on his PhD research in such circumstances? How do you process all the near-death experiences and horrible images in your head from the war? What kind of therapy helps you cope with and accept your constant worry about your family? None! As the hope of a ceasefire diminishes every minute, the only solution I am left with is to evacuate my family from Gaza to Egypt until peace and life revisit my beautiful Gaza.

[Vetted by el-shab-hussein. # 151 on the list of Vetted Gaza Fundraisers List] 🍉🍉🍉

@riding-with-the-wild-hunt @ibtisams @vakarians-babe @90-ghost @sayruq @fairuzfan @sar-soor @fallahifag @el-shab-hussein @taamarrud @humanvoicebox @plomegranate @queerstudiesnatural @commissions4aid-international @nabulsi @stil-lindigo @soon-palestine @communistchilchuck @palestinegenocide @northgazaupdates2 @northgazaupdates @ghost-and-a-half @kyra45-helping-others @kyra45 @commissions4aid-international @feluka

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[mahmoudkhalafff]

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Dear, free world: Apathy No More!

When piles and piles of people are apathetic when it comes to the genocide unfolding in Gaza, be the source of relief, hope, and support for the stranded helpless besieged people there. Astonishingly, our life in Gaza turned upside down in an instant?! We woke up one day to realize that a massive-scale war was to be launched against more than 2 million people in Gaza. My Facebook timeline was filled with countless posts in which Gazans publicly asked for forgiveness before their expected imminent mass murder. Can you imagine what it feels like reading all these scary posts and wondering if you should say a final 'Goodbye'?!

Then, Gazans ventured on their own version of Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) which included multiple forced displacements, acute life-threatening shortages of water and food, lost jobs, humiliation, mass destruction, injuries, and murder.

It is beyond shocking and sickening how desensitized our world has become to see all the horrifying images of children's body parts scattered everywhere and not lift a finger to stop this ruthless and inhumane genocide. I can say with all certitude on behalf of my people in Gaza that we have lost hope in all the vile desensitized regimes and politicians of the world.

However, we still have strong faith in the lovers and supporters of our just cause who never cease to shower us with their heartwarming words of support and uplifting wishes. Our belief in your humanity and support for our just cause drives us to ask you for help in this worst crisis in our history since the Nakba.

[Vetted by el-shab-hussein. # 151 on the list of Vetted Gaza Fundraisers List] 🍉🍉🍉

@ibtisams @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @90-ghost @vakarians-babe

@fairuzfan @sayruq @sar-soor @fallahifag @el-shab-hussein @tamarrud @humanvoicebox @plomegranate @queerstudiesnatural @commission4aid @nabulsi @stil-lindigo

@soon-palestine @communistchilchuck @palestinegenocide @ghost-and-a-half @northgazaupdates @northgazaupdates2 @palestinegenocide @kyra45-helping-others @kyra45 @nabulsi @commissions4aid-international @queerstudiesnatural @feluka @northgazaupdates @northgazaupdates2