Waiting

“Every dreamer knows 

that it is entirely possible 

to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, 

perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”

~Judith Thurman

people of exile

"What could be more intransigent than the conflict between Zionist Jews and Arab Palestinians?
Palestinians feel that they have been turned into exiles by the proverbial people of exile, the Jews"
- The late Edward Said

freedom

 "Those who deny freedom to others, 
deserve it not for themselves; 
and, under a just God, can not long retain it."
—Abraham Lincoln

The Wall built by Israel, restricts Palestinians'

freedom of movement and access to family, health care, school, and farm land

Gazan Zebra

If you want to have an animal in your zoo such as a Zebra then you bring it in from Africa. Only problem is if your Zoo is located in Gaza the only way to bring in a Zebra would be to smuggle it in through tunnels that run under the Egyptian-Gazan boarder.
Since that's too expensive and it does look like the Gaza boarders will be opening anytime soon... the Palestinians trapped inside Gaza will have to be creative.

And Creative they are!

A-La Pepé Le Pew when that poor black cat seems to always have a white stripe painted on her back...so too these white Donkeys get black stripes painted on them. The Palestinian children seem to like it. Although I hope one day they will get a chance to see the real thing.

Full article here.

why Religion and State don't mix

Confessions of a Confused Religious Zionist - written by Rabbi Shlomo Cradall is very enlightening piece.

religious Zionists in the army have difficulty choosing whether to follow their religious leaders or their military commanders...

"Dr. Matar also explained that, as a religious man, he could not accept orders that would force him to choose between his fundamental religious beliefs regarding the Torah commandments to settle the Land of Israel and his loyalty to the state and the army."

Here is the full article.

Octoberfest in Palestine

Taybeh is a tasty beer produced in Palestine.
Having moved to Denver and jumped on (rather pushed onto) 
the micro-brew bandwagon 
I can attest to its comparable nature. 
Here is a little video for your enjoyment:

 

the leap

"This is the leap,

when you’re ready to share your gifts with the world,

to take the risk and say,

“Here. Here is who I am. Here is what I’ve created.”

It’s a bold time, a brave time, a time full of risk and of joy.
This is when you embrace the deepest truth of who you are
and step fully into what you want to bring to this world."

                          - Jamie Ridler

Muslim in America

WARNING: This is a tear jerker...

As I procrastinate on some school work, I turn to YouTube for distraction.
I came across this video which brings up a serious topic.

Muslim women who wear a head scarf are consistently discriminated and threatened in the U.S. in 2009 no less! It really touched me when one man stood up for her and said that his son served in the U.S. Military so that we could feel safe here at 'home'. But then the Muslim woman confided in her interview that she not only fears but avoids going out in public ALONE. A college woman who is afraid to do things on her own. As an independent woman myself I feel this is the ultimate human rights violation. The loss of her personal self-determination due to fear. But at the end I do feel a sense of hope and pride when so many wonderful people stand up and try to help defend this Muslim woman and as they say in the video..."defend what America really stands for"