#genocide begins with the silence of the world

[momiji-kitsune]

I want to celebrate Aromantic Awareness Week, I really do. I want to reblog text posts and images and videos and anything related to aromance.

But I can't do that. I can't do that, because Palestinians are being slaughtered in a genocide perpetrated by Israel and funded by the USA. Because innocent people in the Congo, Sudan, and so many more countries are dying by the thousands.

So here I am, instead of sharing posts about how much I love being aromantic, begging for anyone who sees this post to join in on the strike that is happening this week. The strike that starts on the 18th of February and ends on the 25th.

The strike is not just about the genocide Palestinians are facing, but all genocides currently occurring. The goals of this strike are to: stand up against genocide worldwide, spread info and resources for countries in need, and impact the sales of companies profiting off genocide.

So, how can you help?

Join local protests.

Contact your local representatives.

Buy only what's necessary and limit your shopping for the week. Boycott brands that are helping to fund the genocides (McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Coca Cola, etc.).

Use social media to spread awareness (only post/reblog posts about the genocides happening worldwide).

There are many other ways to strike and show your support for the innocent people who are experiencing genocide, but these are a few ways to start.

Genocide begins with the silence of the world. Do not let your silence last any longer.

[fading-event-608]

Hello! I see people here are talking about Gaza again. 

I’m not one to vaguepost, nor do I usually spend time arguing with zionists and liberals online, but the amount of “pro-Palestine” liberals I’ve seen in the last day saying that Gazans “deserve genocide” because Trump won…

I’m not surprised to hear that democrats are mad at third-party voters. It’s true that even if all swing third-party votes went to Kamala she’d still have lost, but reality isn’t important to these people. Democrats want a monopoly - of course they’re upset at everyone who isn’t voting for their party. Of course they’re more upset with communists and anarchists than they are with nazis.

None of this is new. But even though we’ve seen these patterns before, I am absolutely sick to witness these people blaming Palestinians for this. I’m sick hearing them almost gleefully wishing for Gaza to be turned into a parking lot. I’m sick coming across individualistic little diatribes about how they’re “done” boycotting, “done” helping others.

Is it Palestinians’ fault that Kamala’s campaign was so poorly run?

Is it Palestinians’ fault that the US is now so full of nazis that the Democrats lost the popular vote for the first time since 2004, by 5 million votes?

Is it Palestinians’ fault that the US supplies and supports Israel in their annihilation of Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories, as well as neighbouring countries?

Is it Palestinians’ fault that the government assisting Israel’s genocidal project was, for the past four years, Biden’s administration? A Democrat’s administration? 

The crime that Palestinians have committed in the eyes of these liberals is the crime of existing where said liberals can see them - namely, on social media. The unofficial charges: not being silent, resisting, asking for help from the people best equipped to give money for their survival. So again, I’ll ask - is it the fault of Palestinians that the people best equipped to help them are those in the imperial core? That the people Palestinians must go to for help are people benefitting from both this genocide and the genocides the empires that house them are built on?

Of course the gravest offence is interrupting the liberal supply of white noise. Comfort is, after all, the biggest priority in liberalism - silence and denial is self care. Murder by proxy is the most popular of hobbies, and is best enjoyed with the sound off. But Palestinians are not quiet. You can see their faces now - and the identification of them as something other than faceless, or rather someone, begins to burrow through the insulation built up around you. 

You have the barest sense of how fragile your world is. You can either turn away from this, or continue your journey towards the truth. These liberals are examples of those violently turning away and taking up the slaughter again, desperate to dispel any reminders that they are not the only people on earth worthy of life.

You can literally buy an indulgence now by donating to a Palestinian fundraiser. Yes, even if you’re not a Democrat, or you’re from Europe (chances are your government supplies Israel too, or is at least complacent), or there’s any other facet of your identity that supplies nuance. This is up to all of us, no matter who we are. 

I’ve been spotlighting Falastin’s campaign to save her family in Gaza for more than two months now. I will continue to do so until they’re safe; but their safety will likely be a long time coming. This is in part because Falastin’s campaign must support 24 people, and in part because donations are slowing down - not only for Falastin, but for a lot of other fundraisers I keep an eye on. To be afraid for so many people while watching liberals angrily abandoning this cause is distressing and disheartening.

This is life or death. I don’t care who you are, and I care even less to hear if you’ve voted or who you voted for. All I ask is that you boost this post and, if you can, donate to Falastin. The Gofundme is in SEK and the rates are:

10$ = 107 SEK

25$ = 269 SEK

50$ = 538 SEK

100$ = 1,076 SEK

You can also donate via PayPal in USD: [LINK]

We also host a raffle for hand-made Palestinian thob [info HERE], and the first winner will be chosen in a bit less than 2 days. 

P. S. Yes, Falastin’s campaign has been vetted, several times across multiple platforms:

#282 in El-Shab-Hussein and Nabulsi's spreadsheet [HERE], 

#957 in the Butterfly Project spreadsheet [HERE]

Falastin's account: [LINK]

[batsyheere]

Phantom doesn't trust the Justice League as far as he could throw them- which was a weird statement to make considering, so he might as well say he did not trust them.

First there had been the attempt to exorcise him. That had been done with some very obviously coerced members of Dark, who had eventually been stopped by a panicked Constantine who Phantom now had weekly tea with. (Because Danny needed more ways to defend himself outside of his ghostly abilities, and especially with the attention of the JL now focused on him. Constantine had not put up much of a fight, especially after that incident.)

Following that had been the JL's attempt at peacemaking and finally handling the Anti-Ecto Acts- which had simply sped up the work that Team Phantom had been working on since the majority of their group hit 17 and the threats were more human than ghost. Taking credit for the years of activism and appeal Team Phantom had already made efforts in had soured whatever they wished to gain.

Offering him a place within the teams of Young Justice or the Titans had been another layer of insult when they tried to pressure him into some sort of mentorship- Phantom very much was insulted by the implications that he needed any such help after the years of being left to fend for himself. And the implications that they thought they could control and observe him now.

The final straw was their invitation to join the Justice League itself.

"I don't know about you," Phantom drawls, tone almost apathetic as his head leans against his fist. He was hovering in the air, sat back in a pose his little sister often called his "I'm dealing with idiots and politics" posture. "But if I've repeatedly rejected and ignored an individual who asked for help, then ignored their requests to leave them be... well, I wouldn't assume they would wish to join your club and be pleased by it."

"King Phantom," Wonder Woman begins, one of the few who actually had any sense. She looks exhausted.

Another member, one of the Green Lanterns whose names Danny couldn't be bothered with after some rather volatile debates with the dead of Oa, cuts her off.

"Look, kid, you're being offered something most other heroes only dream of being offered-"

"Most other people have to be recommended or apply to join the League, or otherwise be ignored and left to handle situations such as a chunk of the Midwest sinking into the Infinite Realms through the directions of a tyrannical conqueror seeking to gain access to the mortal world."

Silence. There were a few winces, as well as a few heroes who were glancing nervously towards Superman who was frowning.

"Look, we've obviously made mistakes-" the man in blue begins. Phantom cuts him short as well.

"A mistake is dismissing a call about ghosts as a prank," he states. "A mistake is making assumptions based off the research of science and believing it to be true."

He sat up, crown flaring above his head with frost as the temperature in the room dropped.

"What you have done is blatantly allow a government to persecute and prepare acts of genocide, while ignoring the evidence and pleas of the people you swear to protect. You then proceed to ignore the word of those who have stood the line of defence and resolve the matter without any representation of the voices that fought long enough to be heard."

"What would you have us do."

It was Batman who spoke up. While not his favorite member of the League, Phantom could appreciate the fact that the man had been left out of most of the formal decision making on these matters- even Amity Park had heard of the strange mass outbreak of Arkham residents spilling into Gotham- something that had not happened in quite a while. It had kept Batman and his associate busy enough to keep away from League business, in an effort to keep the chaos contained to Gotham's borders.

But Batman had many issues and Phantom had very little care for them.

"At this time? Move on. The situation is handled, and those who have not screwed up diplomatic matters are informed and may keep contact. We want no further ties to the Justice League or it's members at this time."

[vague-humanoid]

n childhood, I was taught the importance of seeing Black faces in government positions and political power. At school, I learned how integral specific Black political leaders were to the Black Revolution—especially during the Reconstruction era and the Civil Rights Movement. I understood from a young age that the presence of Black faces in political institutions was necessary for community advancement. 

I still remember learning about Hiram Revels, who in 1870 became the first Black elected official to serve in Congress. This was shortly after slavery was abolished, and Revels’ presence in U.S. politics was a watershed moment for Black American communities. 

Our presence in these institutions that sought to exclude us did indeed make a difference. Now, even after witnessing the election of a Black president in 2008 and seeing more and more Black people in spaces of political power and privilege, I’m not so sure.

When Barack Obama became president in 2008, I remember the joy felt across my community and this understanding that if a Black person could reach the highest level of power in the U.S., change had certainly come.   

That was the beginning of a harsh reality check for me. What good is Black political representation in a system meant to maintain the subjugation of marginalized people? What positive change does that representation bring when people with Black faces are complicit in the same oppression and violence that continue to devastate communities like ours?

Communities like Gaza, whose devastation we continue to see every day.

The death toll in Gaza is more than 37,000, and the U.S. has repeatedly vetoed a life-saving ceasefire for the Palestinian people and voted against the effort to recognize Palestinian statehood. 

The U.S. has left Palestine and its people in the path of fire and destruction. The world has watched the U.S. ambassadors for the United Nations silently raise their hands to veto ceasefire resolutions. Their silence speaks volumes.

U.N. ambassadors Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Robert A. Wood are Black Americans in high-ranking government positions, two Black Americans who ostensibly represent our ability to overcome a history of slavery, genocide, and racism, the relics of which continue to plague our communities today. They are two Black Americans choosing to subject another group of oppressed people to genocide and displacement, not so different from what our ancestors faced when they were stolen from their lands, slaughtered, and enslaved. 

Before you assume otherwise, let me say that I do understand nuance. Yes, Ambassadors Thomas-Greenfield and Wood do carry out Washington’s decisions, and they do not act on their own behalf; they are the voice of the U.S. government. But for me, the question remains: Why are you there? As Black Americans, why are you choosing to work as conduits for colonization, imperialism, and genocide? What does this do for Black people in America right now? Because existing in places of power and privilege does not inherently equate to uplifting and serving the Black community. 

Another example is White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Jean-Pierre is the first Black and openly gay woman to hold her role in the White House. She is a Black woman I once looked up to—until I began to pay close attention to the way she speaks of Israel’s war on Gaza. 

In one press conference, Jean-Pierre could not even acknowledge why Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab organizations rejected meetings with President Joe Biden. I’ve watched Jean-Pierre dismiss journalists’ questions regarding the safety and protection of Palestinians in Gaza. Of course, Jean-Pierre is the White House’s mouthpiece, and we do not know her thoughts on the genocide in Palestine. But again, I ask: Why is she there? What is she willing to co-sign to have proximity to power? What personal excuses are used to justify being complicit in oppression not so different from what our own people face?

How many times will we exempt Black political figures from accountability while holding up their representation as some sort of community good? Do we not realize the harm this does when we uplift Black leaders who merely act as conduits for white supremacy? As a Black woman, I find this hard to accept. 

more at link

[lagunapoint]

I've been thinking about something. Lavellan is the only woman in Solas's life who knows his contemplative, serene, and solitary-melancholic side. That part of him that outwardly yearns for peace and love, isn’t it? A woman who never manipulated him but simply listened (or didn’t) to his advice and sought his help. She didn’t know about his past, and he could present himself to her as he wished. It was a big opportunity for Solas to remember something forgotten about himself. Of course, he loves Lavellan, and the phrase about a "rare spirit" takes on a deeper meaning. Lavellan believes in the best in him, while everyone else around him sees only a brilliant strategist for achieving their ends. And this plays so well in contrast to his relationship with Mythal, who saw him as a means to an end, no doubt. She led him down the path of war. She nudged him, approved, and let him make choices leading, at the very least, to genocide.

Solas’s phrase, one of his regrets, when he asks Mythal to leave the Evanuris. Could it be that Solas admits he has doubts about what he’s doing and is ready to turn back? But then Mythal hooks him with the word love and he melts again. If she approves, then everything’s okay.

And here he is, left without his power, without his people, in a world where no one knows him, and where he knows nothing. And he meets a woman who is, for many, a symbol of faith, a deity. She begins to build her own order, faith around her strengthens, the power of the Inquisition grows, and I think Solas might have felt a sense of déjà vu in many ways here. However, this woman doesn’t choose the path of "achieving her goals through death." Perhaps it wasn’t only Lavellan herself who served as an example for Solas that there are other ways to overthrow a false god obsessed with the blight (hello corypheus, hello evanuris), but also the entire Inquisition, with all its advisors, companions, and the final victory, showed him that goals can be achieved differently. Maybe in moments of silence, he wondered how things might have turned out if Mythal had been like Lavellan. Maybe they wouldn’t have touched the Titans at all, and nothing would’ve happened. Or if instead of Mythal, it had always been Lavellan? I like this version better. Solas would have had an entirely different path. I don’t know, just an idea my head is such a mess.

And I can't shake the thought that Mythal wanted to remain the supreme deity, and that the true god of betrayal and deceit is her. This fits the logic of the updated lore good gods = bad gods. And if that were true, how cunning one would have to be to deceive wisdom itself.

Thoughts?

[metamorphesque]

I saw you mentioned being a theatre lover as well. What are the best plays you've seen? (I'm also into theater I hope to do it at uni)

At first, I told myself I’d mention only one play… but that one play led to another… and then it became three. So, here are three of my favorite plays. All of them were performed at the Drama Theater named after H. Ghaplanyan.

“Great Silence” («Մեծ լռություն») – written by P. Zeytuntsyan (one of Armenia's most influential modern dramatists), directed by A. Khandikyan.

This play explores the lives and tragic fates of the Armenian poets Daniel Varujan and Ruben Sevak, both of whom were victims of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. It’s a deeply moving and heartbreaking piece, and the phenomenal performances of the actors elevate it into an emotionally and intellectually profound experience for the audience. I particularly want to highlight Artashes Mkhitaryan, who portrays Daniel Varujan. His subtle expressions—a flicker of hope, quiet despair in his eyes or the strength he conveys in silence—serve as windows into Varujan’s internal struggle. Varujan’s words in the play are not merely lines; they are the voice of an Armenian poet whose heart bled for his homeland. The entire play is performed in Western Armenian, as both Daniel and Ruben were Western Armenian writers. Artashes’ mastery of the language and his delivery of Varujan’s poetry are especially moving. His recitations make each word feel deliberate, delivered with the weight it deserves. His ability to bring poetry to life on stage shows his deep understanding of the significance behind each letter, word and pause.

It brings me great joy to think that I will see this play again at the end of September.

2. “The Parisian Verdict” («Փարիզյան դատավճիռ») – written by P. Zeytuntsyan, directed by A. Khandikyan.

A truly heartbreaking piece! The play revolves around the trial of four ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia) members who participated in the Van Operation in 1981. During this incident, ASALA members occupied the Turkish consulate in Paris to draw attention to the Armenian cause and Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. The four demanded recognition of the genocide and the release of Armenian political prisoners. This operation thrust the issue of the Armenian Genocide into the international spotlight. (I promise to tell you more about ASALA in the near future.)

What makes this play even more special is that two of the Van Operation members actually live in Armenia. After each performance, they go on stage and stand alongside the actors. I’ve had the opportunity (and mustered the courage) to approach them, express my admiration for their sacrifice and exchange a few words. I can’t even begin to describe what it feels like to shake hands and speak with someone who has been your hero since childhood.

3. “Eternal Return” («Անվերջ Վերադարձ») – a theatrical fantasy based on Paruyr Sevak’s poetry, directed by A. Khandikyan.

Every phrase, every word in this play feels so relevant and relatable that it’s as if it were written yesterday. The story centers on the poet’s struggle against falsehood, time and the world. It’s one of those pieces you need to watch multiple times to fully grasp its depth. Perfectly written and perfectly performed—absolutely marvelous!

PS. Good luck with your acting classes!

[elianaroselight]

So I have fallen into the CotL world and came across an awesome AU called the Heartstring AU by @bleeding-seraphic. I loved this post about Leshy meeting his soulmate (again) and had to write about it.

TW : talks of sacrificing another and mentions of genocide

How did he end up in this predicament? This was the thought running through Leshy's mind as he listened to the lamb that had somehow managed to make him mortal. “-welcome to your new forever home, you genocidal freak.” Ah. Still was quite the spitfire it seems. Even after all these years. “If you need anything, man up and deal with it on your own. Oh. And if you try anything, I'll break both your knees and sacrifice you to your brother. Bye now!” Well, that was quite the whiplash of a threat. 

Leshy listens to the sound of feet walking away, used to his dark world forcing him to rely on sound to orient and understand his surroundings. The worm sighs when the coast is clear, reaching down to scratch an itch on his pinky. ‘Damned beast.’ He thinks before being startled by the feeling of something on his finger. He feels it quietly. It was.. A thread? A string of some sort. Thin but strong. Almost like spider silk. It didn't seem to be touching the ground, meaning it was floating or tied to something else. Now he was curious. Where did this strange thread lead to?

He loosely holds it, following where the string directed him to go. A few times, he had to walk around a building or even past some plants. (He was especially careful around those.) As he walked, he could hear someone working in the dirt before standing up. He seemed to be nearing this person and planned to walk right on by, until he realized the string he was following wasn't going around them. It was leading him to them. He feels his hand touch theirs and feels a gaze upon his face. The gentle sparks and warmth he felt where they touched was oddly welcoming if confusing. 

They sat in silence for a moment before the other screamed, startling the god. Leshy flinched back, trying to figure out why they were yelling but before they could do anything, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention and he stepped back a bit more. “Okay. Okay. What is going on?” The lamb calls out to them. Before Leshy could speak, the other begins to yell at the lamb. “WHY IS THE GOD OF DARKWOOD HERE?!” He's been recognized? 

“You must have recognized him wrong, Mel. He is but a rescue from Darkwood.” They say as the lamb tried to calm the other. So Mel is the name of the one his string is tied to? Leshy quickly makes note of that information as he listens on. “My lamb, I think I'd recognize the god who tried to sacrifice me! And even if I didn't, our strings were the same the first time we met and-and they still are!” A sacrifice? There was only one sacrifice that had managed to get away from him. A silent yellow cat who had been set free after he was creeped out. So this ‘Mel’ was the yellow cat he set free? Huh. 

The annoying sheep pauses for a moment before speaking with a bit of an uncertain tone. “Are you sure your strings are attached?” “Yes! I've known since I saw it connect while I was at his altar to be sacrificed!” “I see. Well, he won't be able to harm anyone here so I'm giving him another chance. Why don't you take the rest of the day off, Mel. We can talk this over more when things settle down again.” 

Leshy hears the cat near him sigh. “Yeah okay.” They say before walking off. Leshy can feel the glare from the lamb on him, but ignores it to process this information. So this string was attached to Mel, a yellow cat he had set free a while back. The only thing left to answer was: what is this string and why is it attaching them? 

[athena5898]

(Quds) Palestinian journalist Saleh Al-jafarawi condemns the silence and lack of accountability from the world and western community regarding the deliberate crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against Gazan journalists during the ongoing genocide in the enclave.

early this morning, the Israeli occupation forces committed a massacre against Palestinian journalists when an airstrike targeted a vehicle belonging to the press in front of Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing of five journalists.

Since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, the occupation forces have continued their deliberate attacks against journalists in an attempt to hide the truth and prevent the exposure of the crimes they are committing against civilians, killing 201 journalists.

[workersolidarity]

🇵🇸 🚨

HAMAS DELIVERS A MESSAGE TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE OF GAZA, AND THE WOMEN OF PALESTINE

Hamas delivered a statement today to the Palestinian people, and reported on by Al-Mayadeen News.

The statement begins by addressing the Palestinian people generally, but the people of Gaza in particular, delivers it's sincere message.

According to Al-Mayadeen, "The Palestinian Resistance movement expressed honor and pride in the Palestinian people in Gaza who have endured what no other nation could bear."

The statement then emphasizes the resilience of the Palestinian people of Gaza, "teaching the world meaning of patience, patriotism, and sacrifice for the sake of the dignity of their homeland, despite abandonment and silence that left them to face this brutal war on their own."

The Hamas resistance movement goes on to point to the Gazan people's support for the Resistance, "affirming that this Resistance emerged from these people's suffering and sacrifices and fought with honor and bravery."

"We behold you crafting your own victory," the Resistance is quoted by Al-Mayadeen as saying.

Hamas says that it is working on many levels, and fighting on all fronts along with other Palestinian factions, striving to "offer a little for the people of Gaza" and "correcting the paths to avoid missteps and errors caused by the ongoing Israeli genocide."

The Resistance movement goes on underline its efforts through emergency committees to "correct governmental, relief, humanitarian, security and economic actions, acknowledging its successes and mistakes and exhibiting commitment to pursuing work to this end."

Next, the Hamas movement addresses the women of Palestine, describing them as "the best among women on this earth, and the symbol of victory," and further expressed gratitude, appreciation and respect for them.

The Resistance goes on to declare that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood represents a strategic shift at a critical historical juncture for the Palestinian cause.

The Resistance says its leadership in Gaza decided in this moment, under siege, to excercise its right to resist occupation and respond to the occupation's crimes in the West Bank, dividing the occupied territory and building settlements.

Occupation Al-Aqsa Flood was also a response to the "Judaization and division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque" and "complete control over occupied Al-Quds (Jersusalem), its Mosques, and its Churches," the Hamas movement added.

The Resistance goes on to affirm that the battle was a reaction to the occupation's "discriminatory practices against Palestinians in the 1948 occupied territories," along with the "continuous aggression against detainees," and the Israeli occupation's expansion and presence in the region.

Hamas also emphasized that the Israeli occupation "showed it's true colors to the entire world with its Nazi-like behavior and exposed the true nature of criminality and terrorism of its diminishing entity, which the [Hamas] movement would not have been able to do even if it tried for many years."

Lastly, the Resistance group turns its attention to the Israeli occupation itself, asking the occupation, "Can you just stand there for one moment in your occupation sites or continue your ground operations safely? Can you build fortifications to protect you from our resistance or live a moment of safety in our country?"

Hamas concludes by saying, "we will not answer you, as our answer will be delivered via our actions and not mere words."

#source

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[fireheartwraith]

Please, take a minute to talk about what’s happening in Palestine

Since the beginning of october, more than 7 thousand palestinians have been killed, 3 thousand of them were children. And that was when the world was watching.

Today, Israel cut off Gaza from the world by cutting their access to the internet and cellphone services and is bombarding them non-stop. They can't even call an ambulance to help the injured. Hospitals don't have electricity.

This is a massacre. They are trying to erradicate a people. They are trying to silence Gaza, so be their voice. Post about, tweet about, post about, call your representatives, even just retweeting/reblogging helps. Or will you look back in five years and remember that you were too busy talking about minecraft while a genocide happened?

I know it feels daunting and scary and triggering, but this is not about us. Our lives continue tomorrow. Theirs might not

[thefirelookout]

Dead silence

This post is an attempt to share or let out some of my complex feelings about the situation in Bangladesh.

We went to our city's protest yesterday. It was a silent, peaceful protest. The Bangladeshi student community here in Kingston stood in a human chain with placards. "Save Bangladesh student", yes grammatically wrong, yes, it assumes that young revolutionaries need saving, so on and so forth. The protest started and ended quietly. My non-Bangladeshi friends were a bit confused, since they're used to chanty protests for Palestine, or union picket lines with cars passing by, honking in support. There was more noise even for the Iranian protests, Zan Zendegi Azadi. The silence of a graveyard in this one, though.

Who cares about little old Bangladesh? I sometimes wonder. We're not in the eye of the middle eastern storm like Syria, Lebanon or Palestine are. We're not strategically important, we don't even have many natural resources like Sudan or Congo do. The Prime Minister visited China recently to ask for an aid or a loan, and came back pretty much empty handed. China isn't very interested in us. India has gotten what it needed to get, and can milk more out of us, but they can do the same with Nepal or Bhutan too. We're never in the headlines, the US or the West in general isn't interested in us at all. And Pakistan denies that the 1971 genocide ever happened.

Which is why, the world isn't missing our voices due to the internet blackout.

The voices were all over my Facebook newsfeed. Aunties and apus on Facebook live selling sarees, jewelry, crafts, elderly boomers sharing gardening tips, quick fixes or herbal remedies that they swear by, people sharing posts about cricket or which cricketer's wife wore what, food bloggers calling every possible dish juicy (be it a burger or the meat in biriyani), celebrity drama, political drama to the extent of what was allowed back home. That sort of thing.

Now, again, there's the silence of a graveyard over here. And I feel like screaming till I snap my vocal cords. Can you all please come back? Please? The silence is unbearable! Please! I won't judge you if you sell your wares! Please! I won't judge if you think turmeric water can act as a miracle detox! Please, please I won't say a word if your post about your stupid cricket match! Just something, please say something! I haven't seen a single one of you online. Please don't die, please stay safe. When the internet comes back, please, post about your vacations and your pets. Not the dead, please, don't post about the bodies. I can take a bit of silence but not more bodies please!

Speaking of bodies. There was an armoured vehicle, painted navy blue in the colours of the police (fuck them). And there was a body on top of it. Dead, obviously, very dead, because it flopped down with the slightest nudge, and was left on the streets. Before that happened, the vehicle drove about as if parading its spoils of war, with the body on top. Sending a message. This will happen to you if you raise your voice.

That image has been haunting me for two nights now. So yeah, I'm not man enough to get some incisive political analysis out. I have no either or predictions for what happens if the regime falls or doesn't fall. My body feels numb, I've been binge eating because I still have food in the house and I won't be gunned down if I go out to get groceries now. My non-Bangladeshi friends, bless their first world hearts, have never had to live under fascism. Bless their hearts, have never had to stifle their voices to the extent that we've had to. Bless their beautiful hearts, could hardly pronounce Bangladesh. But they still showed up to that docile little protest because they care about my spouse and I. I can't even begin to thank them.

My insides are tearing up. I'm sitting with a poker face typing all this word vomit, but my insides are nothing but a scream. No clever realpolitik comes out of a heart that's screaming, because our mouths are sewn shut.

[fiercynn]

palestinian poets: yahya ashour

yahya ashour is a touring poet and an awarded author.

ashour was born on april 22nd, 1998 in gaza, where he grew up and continuously resided until september 2023, when he came to the united states to participate in a festival, and wasn't able to go back home since the beginning of the genocide in gaza. he is currently staying in saline, michigan.

ashour was a 2022 university of iowa fellow and is a current 2024 mizna fellow. he has been published in numerous outlets around the world in arabic and in translation, and his first two books were the 2018 poetry collection لهذا ريان يمشي هكذا and the 2021 children's book لهذا ريان يمشي هكذا. he has also taught creative writing and literacy skills to both children and adults at various community organizations in gaza.

on march 29, 2024, ashour released A Gaza of Siege & Genocide: excerpts, a poetry book in english written and illustrated by him and published by mizna. all proceeds from this collection go to helping ashour's nineteen family members escape genocide, so please, please, please purchase this e-book before you read his other poetry, and give generously if you can.

since fall 2023, he has been reading poetry and talking across the united states about the genocide in gaza. his poetry reading is called: “What the World’s Silence Says: A Reading With Gazan Poet Yahya Ashour”. his current tour schedule and and ways to contact him are all listed at his website. he is also looking to be connected with any university, speaking organization, or media outlet around the world that might be interested in having him speak in-person or online about the book, so please get him touch with him if you have any leads.

IF YOU READ JUST ONE POEM BY YAHYA ASHOUR, MAKE IT THIS ONE

OTHER WRITING ONLINE I LOVE BY YAHYA ASHOUR

so the war would know i'm here, short film directed by andrew burgess of ashour reading aloud two poems translated into english

Gaza Under Siege (translated from arabic to english by atef alshaer) at poetry translation centre

From loss to solitude and not the other way around!, an essay in 28 magazine's special issue "coronaphone"

Enjoy the Rain at iowa writers' program

you can find the full list of poets featured in this series here!

[septembriseur]

‘The second reigning sentiment – or rather lack of sentiment – is the flipside of the first. It is the utter inability of Israeli society today to feel any empathy for the population of Gaza. The majority, it seems, do not even want to know what is happening in Gaza, and this desire is reflected in TV coverage. Israeli television news these days usually begins with reports on the funerals of soldiers, invariably described as heroes, fallen in the fighting in Gaza, followed by estimates of how many Hamas fighters were “liquidated”. References to Palestinian civilian deaths are rare and normally presented as part of enemy propaganda or as a cause for unwelcome international pressure. In the face of so much death, this deafening silence now seems like its own form of vengefulness.

‘Of course, the Israeli public long ago became inured to the brutal occupation that has characterised the country for 57 out of the 76 years of its existence. But the scale of what is being perpetrated in Gaza right now by the IDF is as unprecedented as the complete indifference of most Israelis to what is being done in their name. In 1982, hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested against the massacre of the Palestinian population in the refugee camps Sabra and Shatila in western Beirut by Maronite Christian militias, facilitated by the IDF. Today, this kind of response is inconceivable. The way people’s eyes glaze over whenever one mentions the suffering of Palestinian civilians, and the deaths of thousands of children and women and elderly people, is deeply unsettling.

‘…Unlike the majority of Israelis, these young people had seen the destruction of Gaza with their own eyes. It seemed to me that they had not only internalised a particular view that has become commonplace in Israel – namely, that the destruction of Gaza as such was a legitimate response to 7 October – but had also developed a way of thinking that I had observed many years ago when studying the conduct, worldview and self-perception of German army soldiers in the second world war. Having internalised certain views of the enemy – the Bolsheviks as Untermenschen; Hamas as human animals – and of the wider population as less than human and undeserving of rights, soldiers observing or perpetrating atrocities tend to ascribe them not to their own military, or to themselves, but to the enemy.

‘…By the time I travelled to Israel, I had become convinced that at least since the attack by the IDF on Rafah on 6 May 2024, it was no longer possible to deny that Israel was engaged in systematic war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal actions. It was not just that this attack against the last concentration of Gazans – most of them displaced already several times by the IDF, which now once again pushed them to a so-called safe zone – demonstrated a total disregard of any humanitarian standards. It also clearly indicated that the ultimate goal of this entire undertaking from the very beginning had been to make the entire Gaza Strip uninhabitable, and to debilitate its population to such a degree that it would either die out or seek all possible options to flee the territory. In other words, the rhetoric spouted by Israeli leaders since 7 October was now being translated into reality – namely, as the 1948 UN Genocide Convention puts it, that Israel was acting “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part”, the Palestinian population in Gaza, “as such, by killing, causing serious harm, or inflicting conditions of life meant to bring about the group’s destruction”.’

[loaksky]

hi, everyone. i want to be very candid for a moment...

while i still do write for tlou, and plan to officially resume posting at the beginning of march, i’ve pumped the breaks a lot on posting in general because the internet has grown to be quite overwhelming for me.

truthfully, i don’t typically post in response to current events because i’m the kind of person who begins catastrophizing and feeling extremely helpless in light of what is going on in the world, but i think it’s important to hold myself accountable in recognizing that it is such a disgustingly implicit privilege to be able to log off and disconnect once i do get overwhelmed.

palestinian people do not have the privilege to log off and disconnect. and as someone who has an albeit small following in comparison to my peers, even a single person i can urge to take the smallest of actions is one step closer to change.

i've reblogged a few posts about gaza and the genocide going on, but i haven’t made a full or direct statement in hopes of keeping it light-hearted on this blog as i know that often times people use the internet and fanfiction as an escape. but it’d be a disservice not to.

understandably not everyone can donate, but please don’t succumb to the silence. palestine is relying on us to be loud so that they can be heard. share important links, show solidarity by supporting organizations dedicated to helping those in need, have those difficult conversations even if it makes you uncomfortable. do what you can. humanity shouldn’t be circumstantial.

here are a few links to get started:

a carrd compilation curated by other collective of relevant links | click to help palestine

and finally, i know that some of you will part ways with me and this blog after this. any disrespectful comments or asks won’t be entertained and will be deleted. similarly, while i have zero issues losing followers, especially over something as important as this, i do genuinely implore those of you on your way out to truly mull over the state of the world and find it in your hearts to show even a shred of sympathy and compassion to palestinian families, men, women, children, the elderly.

they only seek to live peacefully like the rest of the world does.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Dr. Phil: There are some things that are just fundamental human decency, and when I ask you if what happened on October 7th is something you condemn, and you say, "Well, you have to look at that by looking at hundreds of years of conflict," no you don't. No, you don't. That's either right or it's wrong, and it was wrong, and I don't need a hundred years of conflict to know it was wrong.

Activist: The fact of the matter of is that Hamas, yes did take innocent life. Why did Hamas take away Hamas innocent life? Why was Hamas platformed, why was Hamas funded, why was Hamas empowered to take away innocent life? 

Dr. Phil: Let me tell you something, let me tell you something. When somebody comes over a fence and goes into someone's house and burns their infant in their crib, I don't give a damn why they did it. It's wrong.

--

Dr. Phil: I've read it that the charter of Hamas is to eliminate the Jewish race. Beginning with Israel, but not stopping with Israel, wiping them off the face of the Earth. Is that true?

Mosab Yousef: This is true. But it does not end there. Now we have the problem of the pro-Palestine who are actually giving Hamas cover. They're participants in the crime.

In fact, since October 7, I personally don't differentiate between Hamas and what's so-called Palestinians. Cause actually there is no Palestinians. There are tribes, there is the tribe of Hamas and the tribe of the Islamic Jihad and there is the tribe of Al Khalil and there is the tribe of Nablus. And each one has different interests and all of them are conflicted. If they did not have Israel as the common enemy, they would kill each other. This is the reality of what's so-called Palestine.

Activist: You realize that's common colonial rhetoric? 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️

Yousef: You don't know what Palestine is. Actually, in fact, the keffiyeh that you are wearing, this is just a statement to show that you really lack the authenticity to represent the kids. And what's so-called "the cause," this is a human problem. The cause must die. I think enough is enough. And now it's proven, and you are helping Hamas to prove it to the world. That Palestine depends on the destruction of the State of Israel. And this is not acceptable, and we are not going to agree to it.

And I tell you something. For the next 10 or 20 years, the Palestinian people will pay the bill Hamas has cost today. And most likely in blood.

Activist: To you, Hamas and Palestinians are the same, they're one and the same.

Yousef: After October 7, yes. There is no difference.

Activist: Really?

Yousef: The vast majority of the Palestinian people support Hamas.

Activist: Really?

Yousef: This is a fact. This is proven by statistics and your silence now. You are not even, you cannot even condemn Hamas and say that what they did on October 7 was an act of a savage group. You don't have that power.

On what authority do you speak? You only speak on the authority of Hamas propaganda.

Activist: No, I'm -- why do you say that I'm speaking on the authority of Hamas propaganda?

Yousef: Because if you were a decent human being, you can say that the thousands who were killed on October 7, that was a crime against humanity, it was a genocide.

==

When a stupid, stupid little girl playing activist, finds out she's an ignorant idiot regurgitating buzzwords and being used to provide cover for terrorism by a fanatical far-right supremacist cult.

I've been saying it for months. They CANNOT, WILL NOT condemn Hamas. Not one of them will do it. Because they support it. They support "the cause": eradicating the Jews from the face of the Earth.

Pro-Palestine is pro-Hamas. They are the same. There is no difference. They support terrorists. We need to treat these fanatics as terrorists. No, I'm not kidding or exaggerating.

BTW, now you know why Egypt won't take them - they're savage tribes who would just as soon murder each other.

[thegreatimpersonator]

How do you reason if taylor doesnt speak up about palestine in the near future? Because there’s an air of finality in her silence about this cause. Especially now that we know an israeli supporter (capital one) sponsored her US leg of tour, even her eras tour seems dirty. She is so quick to release new versions of ttpd (31 versions as of now), after billie indirectly called her out.

(Sidebar— yes billie may be a hypocrite to talk about wasteful variants of albums to be produced one after another to supplement chart topping. BUT she wasn’t wrong and not only was taylor in a position to set an example of reducing waste in music industry because of her titan status, she used that position to punch down further on billie’s release week, despite it not affecting ttpd’s #1 rank. Talk about stepping on her gown and taking her crown. Olivia creating a distance from taylor since the royalties incident has left a bad taste in my mouth.)

Also, its not helpful that she dated and defended a racist last year, wrote an album about him.

small tangent before i get to the main point: i've said this before billie isn't a hypocrite for the vinyl thing. i think y'all really need to start looking into the actual articles instead of just reading headlines or hearing out-of-context quotes. the entire article with billie was about sustainability and how she works hard to make her variants out of 100% recycled material so they're less wasteful. she wasn't saying she was against all vinyl variants in general, she was saying she's against people who make a bunch of variants and not put the effort in to make sure it's not wasteful like she does. she was just asking people to be more sustainable with their variants.

now to the main point: i've already made peace a long time ago that she's not a good person. when she doubled down on dating a vocal bigot who says slurs for fun and gets off to black women getting brutalized and tried to make it look empowering for her, releasing a song about anyone who doesn't like bigotry as 'vipers dressed in empath's clothing', and just becoming the embodiment of true white feminism and being a huge hypocrite, fully abandoning her activism and regressing to the generic apolitical 'remember to register to vote' posts that she made before she promised to do more, all that plus she's also been openly ableist with parts of ttpd in terms of using problematic displays of mental hospitals/breakdowns and using them as an 'aesthetic', mocking/invalidating other peoples addiction/depression but then asking for empathy with her own mental issues, working with and befriending multiple abusers, zionists, etc all while remaining silent on a genocide that is dependent on gaining traction and attention so people can raise money to help (also releasing the eras tour movie in Israel actively during the genocide, then later selling it to disney+ which is on the boycott list) but making sure she's still the biggest star in the world, maintaining her platform but never using it for anything important or good, asking for more money for herself and fully showing that charts are more important to her than injustice or helping fellow humans, and showing all the causes she once said she cared about don't really matter to her.

i've fully accepted that she's not gonna talk about the genocide she can easily help. and if by a shocking turn of events she does, we'll all know it's because she was losing fans not because she actually cares (which i know isn't the point, it's not about her, and her speaking up will help the cause so much so she still should; but i'm speaking in terms of how it reflects on her and her intentions). none of this should be surprising, i've seen a lot of people say this might be their last straw with her and that's completely valid, but my last straw was used up about a year ago. none of her new behavior is causing frustration to me because i was already frustrated to begin with. i don't need to reason with it because i did a long time ago.