The Definition of Occupation

“Nu'man b. Bashir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.” Sahih Muslim Book 032, Number 6258:

When I read this Hadith, my heart fills with sadness because so many of us do not realy feel the importance of it. We do not see the significance of feeling the pain and sorrow of our brothers and sisters around the world. The ummah of the prophet Muhmammed (PBUH) is indeed one body, but perhaps our sickness has gotten so bad it has made us numb to the pain we should be feeling from our hurting limbs. I recently came across this poem written by an 11th grade Palestianian and perhaps the first dose of medicine to heal ourself will come from not forgetting -

The Definition of Occupation

Occupied, terrorized, genocide / while the whole world is hypnotized,

Sixty years, incessant tears / no day passes by without countless fears

For our lives, our wives, our children cry / yet the world turns away, and our spirits die.

For my land, I do stand / but I remain hopeless without a helping hand,

Oppression, suppression, depression / of every aspect of my life, you've taken possession,

Our weapons are stones, to protect our homes / but your bulldozers win and terror roams,

Yours are tanks, helicopters, and military jeeps / to kill the young man, as his mother weeps,

You control our electricity, you control our seas / you control our streets, and uproot our trees,

You close our schools, our children can't learn / you deny the refugees their right to return,

Suffering orphans, under your persecution / when they rise up, they face execution,

Families are separated, and farmers (merely) recall / the land they lost by your Apartheid Wall,

Through your diplomacy and your foreign relations /you attempt to justify and give credence to your occupation,

Palestine is my land, and I won't let you take it /and while you put the world to sleep, I try to wake it.

Abdelnasser Rashid,
April 15, 2006
11th Grade student
PALESTINE