Gaza - We cannot remain Silent.

 

  Highlights of Susan Abulhawa's speech to the Oxford Union.

• Introduction & Opening Statement
  She began by requesting that the audience refrain from interrupting. Then she laid out a historical context:

  “Chaim Weizman…said Palestinians were akin to ‘the rocks of Judea, obstacles that had to be cleared on a difficult path.’
  David Ben-Gurion said, ‘We must expel Arabs and take their places."

• Early Zionist Ideology
  She documented the troubling rhetoric of early Zionist figures, such as:

  “Benny Morris…expressed regret that Ben Gurion ‘did not finish the job’… the ‘Arab problem.’” 

  
  
  

   

• Escalation of Violent Policies
  She referenced more recent statements by military and political figures like:

  Efraim Eitan (2004): “We have to kill them all.”
  Aaron Sofer (2018): “We have to kill and kill and kill. All day, every day.” 

• Personal Testimony
  She recounted a harrowing anecdote:

  “When I was in Gaza, I saw a little boy no more than nine years old whose hands and part of his face had been blown off from a booby‑trapped can of food…”

  
  
  

   

• Core Message
  She emphasized the value of Palestinian life:

  “This debate is ultimately about the worth of Palestinian lives; about the worth of our schools, research centers, books… our humanity and our agency.” 

  
  
  

   If the roles were reversed she said: 

   

• Because if the roles were reversed — if Palestinians had spent the last eight decades stealing Jewish homes, expelling, oppressing, imprisoning, poisoning, torturing, raping and killing Jews; if Palestinians had killed an estimated 300,000 Jews in one year, targeted their journalists, their thinkers, their healthcare workers, their athletes, their artists, bombed every Israeli hospital, university, library, museum, cultural center, synagogue, and simultaneously set up an observation platform where people came to watch their slaughter as if a tourist attraction;

  if Palestinians had corralled Jews by the hundreds of thousands into flimsy tents, bombed them in so-called safe zones, burned them alive, cut off their food, water, and medicine;

  if Palestinians made Jewish children wander barefoot with empty pots; made them gather the flesh of their parents into plastic bags; made them bury their siblings, cousins, and friends; made them sneak out from their tents in the middle of the night to sleep on their parents’ graves; made them pray for death just to join their families and not be alone in this terrible world anymore, and terrorized them so utterly that their children lose their hair, lose their memory, lose their minds, and made those as young as four and five years old die of heart attacks;

  if we mercilessly forced their NICU babies to die, alone in hospital beds, crying until they could cry no more, dead and decomposed in the same spot;

  if Palestinians used wheat-flour aid trucks to lure starving Jews, then opened fire on them when they gathered to collect a day’s bread; if Palestinians finally allowed a food delivery into a shelter with hungry Jews, then set fire to the entire shelter and the aid truck before anyone could taste the food;

  if a Palestinian sniper bragged about blowing out 42 Jewish kneecaps in one day as one Israeli soldier did in 2019; if a Palestinian admitted to CNN that he ran over hundreds of Jews with his tank, their squished flesh lingering in the tank treads;

  if Palestinians were systematically raping Jewish doctors, patients, and other captives with hot metal rods, jagged and electrified sticks, and fire extinguishers, sometimes raping to death, as happened with Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh and others;

  if Jewish women were forced to give birth in filth, get C-sections or leg amputations without anesthesia; if we destroyed their children then decorated our tanks with their toys; if we killed or displaced their women then posed in their lingerie…

  if the world were watching the livestreamed, systematic annihilation of Jews in real time, there would be no debating whether that constituted terrorism or genocide.

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• Defiant Conclusion
  Her closing remarks were poignant:

  “You will not erase us… We are its very soil. We are her rivers and her trees and her stories… Palestine will be free.” 

  here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3EwBh_nCM 

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"Your worth isn't defined by a position"

 

Your worth isn’t defined by a position

“At 58, they told me I was too old for the job… and for the first time, I wasn’t ashamed to cry.”

I spent my whole life working in an office. I wasn’t a boss, but I wasn’t invisible either. I filed, organized, helped the newcomers. I wasn’t the heart of the company, but I was a steady piece of it. Then one day, they called me into a five-minute meeting and told me I no longer “fit” the company’s vision. They handed me a letter, gave me an awkward smile… and showed me the door.

Walking home with a cardboard box in my hands was more humiliating than any failure I’ve ever experienced. My kids were grown and living their lives. My wife hugged me, but didn’t know what to say. I sat in the kitchen for days, wondering what to do with so much empty time. I felt discarded. Broken. Invisible.

One ordinary Saturday, I went for a walk and passed a small neighbourhood school. I saw a woman struggling to move some heavy desks. I helped her without thinking. She asked if I was a volunteer. I said no, but I had time. She told me to come back Monday.

So I did.

And I kept going.

First I repaired chairs. Then I sorted supplies. Then I started showing some kids how to use an old computer. I wasn’t paid. They didn’t offer me a contract. But every time a child said “Thank you, teacher,” something in me lit up.

Today, I’m 61. I still go to that little school. I don’t care about fancy job titles or business cards anymore. Because I finally understood: your worth isn’t defined by a position—it’s defined by what you give when the world thinks you have nothing left.

Sometimes, you get thrown out of the wrong place… just to arrive at the one where you truly matter.

– Ramiro

Put the chain on me too, Dad

 

Put the Chain on Me Too, Dad

A story that speaks to every parent’s heart

Once there was a little boy who lived with his father.

Every morning at home was rushed and tense.

“Wake up!”

“Why are you so slow?”

“Fix your hair!”

“Take your juice, and don’t spill it!”

But the boy often spilled it.

And every time, his father shouted,

“You never listen! You never do anything right!”

The boy didn’t talk back.

He just stayed quiet, picked up his things, and left for school.

But inside, he felt sad… and a little scared.

At school, he didn’t laugh much.

He watched other kids smile and wondered why he didn’t feel like that.

He wasn’t naughty. He wasn’t loud.

He just stayed in his corner, quiet and alone.

One day, his teacher asked the class,

“What does your father do for work?”

The boy didn’t know what to say.

That evening, he gathered courage and asked his dad,

“What do you do at work?”

His father replied,

“I train dogs.”

The boy thought for a moment.

“What do you teach them?”

His father answered,

“I teach them to obey. To stay calm. To protect people. To guide the blind. To be loyal, brave, and patient.”

“Wow,” said the boy softly. “And how do you teach all that?”

“I put a little chain on them,” his father said.

“I walk beside them. I correct them gently. I speak softly. And after that, I give them love so they don’t feel scared. It takes a lot of patience.”

The boy’s eyes filled with tears.

He looked at his father and said,

“Then… put the chain on me too, Dad.

Teach me like that.

Be patient with me.

Don’t shout.

Correct me gently.

Hug me afterward so I know you still love me.

I’ll learn. I’ll be better.

And one day, if you can’t see… I’ll be your eyes.”

His father didn’t say a word.

He just pulled the boy into a hug. A real one.

And in that moment, something changed.

Not through yelling.

Not through rules.

But through love.

Moral of the story:

Children don’t need to be shouted at to learn.

They need patience, kindness, and love.

Correct them gently.

Show them they are safe, even when they make mistakes.

Because love isn’t loud… it’s shown in small moments.

 

" A Leader with Soul" - Pope Leo XIV

 

The untold story of new elected Pope Robert Prevost: In 1975

Robert Prevost was at the top of his game. Chicago math teacher. Devout Catholic. Accepted into Harvard Law. He had everything a young man could dream of, But then—he made a decision that no one saw coming. He said no to Harvard
No to a six-figure future. No to fame. No to comfort
And yes—to something few dare to choose: A life of complete surrender. He joined a missionary group and moved to Peru. Not to the cities. Not to the tourist spots .
But to the *most* remote villages—where children die from treatable diseases. And families walk miles just for clean water. There were no roads. No running water. No WiFi
Just mountains. Silence And poverty. But he embraced it like home
Robert didn’t just live *among* the people. He became *one* of them
• Learned Quechua—the sacred language of the Incas
• Carried food on foot for days
• Slept on dirt floors with the villagers
• Prayed under the stars
When he wasn’t building shelters. He taught math to barefoot kids under broken rooftops. When he wasn’t teaching. He carried the sick on donkeys to get help. When he wasn’t healing. He listened—truly listened—to stories no one else cared to hear.
While his friends from back home became lawyers and doctors. He became something else entirely.
A shepherd
A brother
A quiet warrior of faith
And slowly—his legend grew. His acts weren’t broadcast. But they echoed through the Andes
Bishops noticed
Priests noticed
And eventually—the Vatican noticed
They called him back to lead his entire Augustinian order. From serving a village. To overseeing 2,800 brothers in over 40 countries.
Still—he kept his same sandals
Still—he walked with the poor
Still—he rejected luxury

Then came the call that changed everything:
Rome wanted him closer. In 2020 He was appointed Archbishop and assigned to govern other bishops globally. It was rare. But Robert had never chased tradition. He wasn’t just fluent in Latin or Canon Law.
He was fluent in *compassion*
In humility
In listening
In *presence*
The Vatican didn’t just see a priest. They saw a *leader with soul*. On September 30, 2023. Pope Francis made it official:
Robert Prevost was named a Cardinal. Just one step below the Pope
And then… in 2025
History was made. For the first time ever
An American
A former math teacher
A missionary to the forgotten
Was elevated as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church

And he didn’t forget the people who shaped him. To this day. Pope Robert still returns to the same villages.
Still prays in Quechua
Still sits on dirt floors
Still holds the hands of the elderly in silence
Because leadership he believes:
Is about *presence* not position
The world is obsessed with power.
But Robert Prevost proves:
• Titles mean nothing without service
• Knowledge is useless without love
• And faith—without sacrifice—is noise
He turned down the world. And changed it instead.

" It's up to You "

 

" It's up to you "

My mom did not sleep. She felt exhausted. She was irritable, grumpy, and bitter. She was always sick until one day, suddenly, she changed.

One day my dad said to her:

- I've been looking for a job for three months and I haven't found anything, I'm going to have a few beers with friends.

My mom replied:

- It's okay.

My brother said to her:

- Mom, I'm doing poorly in all subjects at the University.

My mom replied:

- Okay, you will recover, and if you don't, well, you repeat the semester, but you pay the tuition.

My sister said to her:

- Mom, I smashed the car.

My mom replied:

- Okay daughter, take it to the car shop & find how to pay and while they fix it, get around by bus or subway.

Her daughter-in-law said to her:

- Mother-in-law, I came to spend a few months with you.

My mom replied:

- Okay, settle in the living room couch and look for some blankets in the closet.

All of us gathered worried to see these reactions coming from Mom.

We suspected that she had gone to the doctor and that she was prescribed some pills called "I don't give a damn”... Perhaps she was overdosing on these!

We then proposed to do an "intervention" w/my mother to remove her from any possible addiction she had towards some anti-tantrum medication.

But then ... she gathered us around her and my mom explained:

"It took me a long time to realize that each person is responsible for their life. It took me years to discover that my anguish, anxiety, my depression, my courage, my insomnia & my stress, does not solve your problems but aggravates mine.

I am not responsible for the actions of anyone & it’s not my job to provide happiness but I am responsible for the reactions I express to that.

Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my duty to myself is to remain calm and let each one of you solve what corresponds to you.

I have taken courses in yoga, meditation, miracles, human development, mental hygiene, and in all of them, I found a common denominator in them all...

I can only control myself, you have all the necessary resources to solve your own problems despite how hard they may be. My job is to pray for you, love on you, encourage you but it’s up to YOU to solve them & find your happiness.

I can only give you my advice if you ask me & it depends on you to follow it or not. There are consequences, good or bad, to your decisions and YOU have to live them.

So from now on, I cease to be the receptacle of your responsibilities, the sack of your guilt, the laundress of your remorse, the advocate of your faults, the wall of your lamentations, the depositary of your duties, who should solve your problems every time to fulfill your responsibilities.

From now on, I declare all independent and self-sufficient adults.

Everyone at my mom's house was speechless.

From that day on, the family began to function better because everyone in the house knew exactly what it is that they needed to do.

Parenting - Challenges and "Let them Fly"

 

The challenges of being a Parent.

When you first have children they talk about the challenges of parenting....the struggles of a baby waking in the night, the toddler who won’t stay in their bed, the cost of childcare, injuries from sports...

Having to take off work to pick them up from school when they don’t feel well, helping them with homework, a messy house, the never ending laundry, the cost to buy school clothes, packing their lunches....

You watch their eyes light up on Christmas morning....and try to soak in the magic of those moments.

You coach them in sports, rushing to practices and ballgames...and bring them all over the country to let them play the game they love...no matter how exhausting or expensive it becomes.

Life is just so busy that you rarely even stop to think what the end of those days look like.

In fact, it’s not really even something you can wrap your mind around.

You go into it thinking that 18-20 years sounds like a long time....

Then suddenly hours turn into days...days into months...and months into years.

That little person that used to crawl up next to you in bed and cuddle up to watch cartoons...suddenly becomes this young adult who hugs you in the hallway as they come and go.

And the chaos and laughter that used to echo throughout your home....gets filled with silence and solitude.

You’ve learned how to parent a child who needs you to care for and protect them....but have no clue how the whole “letting go” thing is supposed to work.

So you hold on as tight as you can...wondering how time passed so quickly...feeling guilty that you missed something....

Because even though you had 20 years.....it just somehow doesn’t seem like it was enough.

You ask yourself so many questions...

Did you teach them the right lessons?

Did you read them enough books as a child?

Spend enough time playing with them?

How many school parties did you have to miss?

Do they really know how much you love them?

What could I have done better as a parent?

.....When it’s time for them to go, it all hits you like a ton of bricks.

And all you can do is pray....hope....and trust that God will protect them as they start to make their way into the world alone.

Parenting is by far the most amazing experience of your life....that at times leaves you exhilarated....while others leave you heartbroken.

But one thing is certain.....it’s never enough time...

So for all the parents with young children...whose days are spent trying to figure out how to make it through the madness...

Exhausted day in and day out...

Soak. It. All. In.

Because one day....all those crazy days full of cartoons, snuggles, sleep overs, Christmas morning magic, ballgames, practices and late night dinners...

All come to an end.

And you’re left hoping that you did enough right, so that when they spread their wings....

They’ll fly...