In Remembrance of Sabra and Shatila Masscare

Assalamu'alaikum,

Sabra and Shatila. Two names that might not be familiar for some while for others the names are something that cannot be eliminated from their minds. In fact, they are not only names, rather they are memories that marked one of the grave events that had happened in the lives of a group of people called Palestinians. What has that to do with me? In fact, what has that to do with all of us? To answer that, we need to go back to the past, to look at the history that took place 28 years ago.A history that you and me do not pay heed to.

The history of Palestine would not be complete if we do not take into consideration of what had happened in Sabra and Shatila. Two Palestinian refugees camps in Lebanon which had been raided brutally and people were butchered mercilessly in 1982. This year, it's been 28 years after the brutal attack had been carried out towards the Palestinians most of whom were civilians-women and children unarmed. The tragedy is truly one of the bloodiest tragedies in the history of Palestine and definitely in the history of mankind. The killings committed involved the killing of innocent people and therefore abhorrent and criminal. To call them war criminals would be the right term I believe. Not only that It breached the sanctity of life, it also against the very fundamental values of human rights i.e. to protect the civilian. As such, who are to be called the ‘terrorist’? The women and the children or the ones who killed the unarmed civilian??Ask ourselves.

Those who died are no longer with us today, but their spirit would always be with us. The spirit to stand up against injustices, the spirit to stand up for basic human values to live and the spirit to live like a normal human being which were basically denied for them. May Allah bless them and make them among those who are very close to Him. Ameen !

In the words of Benjamin Franklin:

I hope... that mankind will at length , as they call themselves responsible creatures, have the reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats..

Testimonies by witnesses: