From al-Shakif Fort: We Will Return to The Land Called HOME

Mariam Saleh

With a joy intermingled with suffering and a constant prayer for freedom, thousands of Palestinians went to al-Shakif Fort in Arnoun, South Lebanon to mark Palestinian Land Day just kilometers away from the borders with occupied Palestine.

The emotions were overwhelming as the men and women held photos of their martyred children and took out the keys to their houses in the land they call home.

Khouloud Hussein, a Palestinian mid-aged woman was standing with her teenaged daughter at the protest, and although she seemed quite happy to be as close as she can be to her homeland, she said she believes with all her heart that she will be back. "Palestine is our land and it's been occupied for over 65 years. But it's in my blood and heart to return to Palestine. No matter how much the west and the European Union stand against us, we'll continue our struggle, and we will return."

Palestinian Land Day, which marks the martyrdom of several Palestinians, who were peacefully protesting the continued occupation of al-Quds in 1976, has become an occasion for Palestinians to protest against the ongoing occupation of their land. Yet lately it seems to have become an international wake up call for the entire world to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the name of humanity.

Nusrat Howard-Moore, a Malaysian writer and filmmaker took part in the Global March to al-Quds along with an Asian convoy which underwent a harsh trip all the way from Tehran, through land and sea in order to reach Lebanon and show their solidarity with the Palestinian people and stand with them in their hardship. "We've had a hard journey, but this has helped me remove the "Jilbab" of my egoism and here I feel more human."

Nusrat seemed to criticize Arab and world leaders when she spoke about the need for the powerful states to stand with their people." The leaders are unfortunately not in tune with what the people need, but this is a first step to show the world that we are with Palestine."

Land Day at Lebanese-Palestinian Borders

The highlight of the event was the participation of the Netirei Karta, a group of Rabbis who consider themselves as Jews against Zionism. Rabbi Chaim Blayer who came from London said that he religiously opposes the declaration of the Zionist state which was born out of occupation, but that he also stands with the Palestinian people for their humanitarian sufferings. "We pray that Palestine will be free and that we all pray together in "Jerusalem" as the capital of a free Palestine."

For the past year, Palestinian, Lebanese and western activists have been preparing Land Day Celebration in what they call the Global March to al-Quds. Sara Marusek who is the main organizer for the global campaign in North America said that the despite the fact that voicing support for Palestine in North America is taken as an anti-Semitic stance, the campaign is increasingly gaining momentum in the United States and Canada where many people have sent emails or called in to take part of their free will.

"The amount of support was overwhelming. All the Palestinians want is to go home, and with this solidarity movement we can find strength with each other."
The Global March is just one of the activities which the people of the
world have been active in as a peaceful grassroots movement. The main demands are freedom for al-Quds and its people; an end to the Zionist policies of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and Judaization which have so far harmed the people, land and sanctity of al-Quds.

On May 15th 2011 tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon flocked to the southern Lebanese town of Maroun al-Ras to protest the day "Israel" destroyed hundreds of Palestinian villages and expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their own land.
Many of them vowed to return, and it seems that when they do, the whole world will be joining them.

Source: moqawama.org


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