Guest writer Tain Bo in a moment of quiet reflection on the infanticide being ruthlessly applied to Gaza by Israeli state terrorists.


I had remained intentionally quiet trying to mentally digest the crisis reading through the articles on the Quill and rummaging through the internet for the latest even visiting the IDF blog. I had found a use for my television linking video feeds of slaughter on it as my eyes strain on a computer screen. I am not lost to the irony of my first world problems the only phrase that comes to mind is wise up.

I would land on The Quill unconcerned with the latest article or comment, instead I would quietly read  Running Orders - a poem by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha almost in a prayer like manner. It is extremely moving. Leaving the poem behind gearing up for the next round of disbelief reading through the well thought out articles and comments something had been quietly nagging in the back of my mind.

I made a few attempts at trying to piece a comment together but the nagging would distract me. The imagery playing out on my computer soon became seared into my mind. Amidst the deaths one painful image stuck out and was a constant source of hope and despair. About a month ago I went to an old friend’s granddaughter’s Christening. We cracked a few jokes as neither of us had any right being in a Church. But it was a happy occasion for all and afterward my friend and I found a quiet corner and sat talking the usual tripe influenced by a bottle of whiskey.

I can’t remember exactly the date but I caught the story of an infant being saved by doctors in Gaza. This was the nagging thought as the story faded into the next casualties. I am unsure why but I worried daily about this infant. Perhaps it was the unnatural way the baby entered the world - the mother dead, another victim in a horrifying instant of tragedy and hope colliding.

A few days ago I had a quiet relief as the infant was still alive. That was the video Gaza doctors save baby from dead mother’s womb. The nagging stopped and I was able to put together a few thoughts and intentionally included the videos as the visual helplessness of the infant put the crisis in perspective as the reality is the civilian population are just as helpless.

Although the header has dual meaning its origin was the little infant in a Gaza hospital incubator chamber. I had spoken with a friend about being happy the child survived I think it was the day before my piece went up.

Today July 30th the same friend sent me a twitter feed that said the infant had died due to the shelling of the power plant that left the hospital without electricity. I was in disbelief saddened and depressed how this infant could be so unfortunate to have survived one attack only to become the victim in an attack that was directly aimed at inflicting more suffering on the people.

It is disturbing to sit here in comfort with things I take for granted electricity, water, a well stocked fridge and it may as well be a planet away where these people have only one thing in abundance and that is fear.  

People in Gaza have an Abundance ... of Fear

Guest writer Tain Bo in a moment of quiet reflection on the infanticide being ruthlessly applied to Gaza by Israeli state terrorists.


I had remained intentionally quiet trying to mentally digest the crisis reading through the articles on the Quill and rummaging through the internet for the latest even visiting the IDF blog. I had found a use for my television linking video feeds of slaughter on it as my eyes strain on a computer screen. I am not lost to the irony of my first world problems the only phrase that comes to mind is wise up.

I would land on The Quill unconcerned with the latest article or comment, instead I would quietly read  Running Orders - a poem by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha almost in a prayer like manner. It is extremely moving. Leaving the poem behind gearing up for the next round of disbelief reading through the well thought out articles and comments something had been quietly nagging in the back of my mind.

I made a few attempts at trying to piece a comment together but the nagging would distract me. The imagery playing out on my computer soon became seared into my mind. Amidst the deaths one painful image stuck out and was a constant source of hope and despair. About a month ago I went to an old friend’s granddaughter’s Christening. We cracked a few jokes as neither of us had any right being in a Church. But it was a happy occasion for all and afterward my friend and I found a quiet corner and sat talking the usual tripe influenced by a bottle of whiskey.

I can’t remember exactly the date but I caught the story of an infant being saved by doctors in Gaza. This was the nagging thought as the story faded into the next casualties. I am unsure why but I worried daily about this infant. Perhaps it was the unnatural way the baby entered the world - the mother dead, another victim in a horrifying instant of tragedy and hope colliding.

A few days ago I had a quiet relief as the infant was still alive. That was the video Gaza doctors save baby from dead mother’s womb. The nagging stopped and I was able to put together a few thoughts and intentionally included the videos as the visual helplessness of the infant put the crisis in perspective as the reality is the civilian population are just as helpless.

Although the header has dual meaning its origin was the little infant in a Gaza hospital incubator chamber. I had spoken with a friend about being happy the child survived I think it was the day before my piece went up.

Today July 30th the same friend sent me a twitter feed that said the infant had died due to the shelling of the power plant that left the hospital without electricity. I was in disbelief saddened and depressed how this infant could be so unfortunate to have survived one attack only to become the victim in an attack that was directly aimed at inflicting more suffering on the people.

It is disturbing to sit here in comfort with things I take for granted electricity, water, a well stocked fridge and it may as well be a planet away where these people have only one thing in abundance and that is fear.  

2 comments:

  1. "prime minister Netanyahu clearly stated at the outset of this incursion that his objective was to restore a sustainable quiet to the citizens of Israel. We have already established it is the responsibility of every government to ensure the safety of it's people. If political leaders and military experts determine that the only way to achieve this goal of sustaining quiet is through genocide is it then permissible to achieve those responsible goals" The comment above was made by blogger Yochanan Gordon in the times of Israel. To be fair it was widely criticized but the fact there are some openly advocating genocide is staggering. Come on people it will be a black mark upon our soul if we allow this to go unchallenged.

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  2. David, do you, (or anyone else here,) have any practical ideas on how this can be challenged?
    The times of israel is a nasty, nasty rag and the only difference between this piece by Yochanan Gordon and articles by other contributors is his use of the word genocide. Other writers haven't used that word but they don't need to because their message is clear enough without it.

    It appears that the paper is trying to abdicate responsibility for publishing the article by saying that they don't monitor or regulate contributions from bloggers - they're effectively saying anyone can write anything and it will be published. I don't see how that can possibly be true but perhaps one of the experienced TPQ writers could try to get something published there? If they don't publish it, which is most likely, then at least their excuse for allowing the genocide article to appear could be challenged.
    It's not a brilliant suggestion but it's the only practical thing i've thought of so far and David is absolutely right with regards to allowing this to go unchallenged.
    Sarah.

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