Be human, don't stay silent
Feb. 14th, 2025 01:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hexenprinzessinGermany's "Never again" statement is completely selective. So many people don't know that "Never again" needs to protect all marginalized people. They want to stay on the surface and avoid going into the depths that real solidarity entails. They say they're ashamed of this country's history, but politicians and mainstream media support genocide and apartheid yet again. They think that criticizing Israel in any way is automatically antisemitic, but that hating Arabs and putting them through hell is somehow fair game. They think they can make up for their German guilt by getting yet another people's blood on their hands. And with others further to the right, it's not even about that, it's about mere convenience.
The other day I watched a German YouTube video that mentioned a (frankly quite awful) guy who happens to have Palestinian heritage. In a response to one comment there someone called him something very hateful that I don't even want to repeat here because I don't want to hurt anyone who might read it and because that commenter doesn't deserve to get their filth repeated. There were 4 upvotes and no one countered it in any way...
There's a good chance it partly has to do with the fact that this piece of shit used the word "falestin" which I guess a lot of people here don't know means Palestine. Still, it's shocking how this kind of thing seemingly just gets accepted. I did report the comment, but who knows if it gets removed... I have little hope for even a sliver solidarity from anyone, it's so disheartening...
Luckily some more politically conscious people do exist in Germany, but if you watch TV and read the news and hear quite a lot of people talk, it sometimes feels like no one understands the situation (not to mention the predictions for the upcoming election...). It feels like everyone here is okay with seeing us Arabs dead or displaced...
It doesn't even feel safe to talk about all this, it's very taboo to criticize Israel. I mean, it's nothing new that whatever we do, we're automatically categorized as terrorists. Always be quiet, don't dare to show your emotions, always gotta be stoic, always gotta be chill about the fact that so many people consider you to be sub-human. I hate that even in this post I feel the need to tone down my completely justified anger because it is literally dangerous to be angry when you're classed as a demon from the start.
Shaun's video about Palestine is amazing. One of his points really stuck with me: He talks about the resistance of British civilians against the Nazis in World War II, how these people to this day get lauded as heroes for standing up against them while risking their own lives. And about how when Palestinians act the same way, suddenly it's a problem, that they aren't allowed to have a human reaction to being attacked and besieged.
That's how it is every time. People of color never get the permission to react in a human way because we are not fucking seen as human.
Every day my heart is with Palestinians all over the world. Bless you all. Bless the souls of all the people who lost their lives. They cannot be erased. They are being remembered, they continue to be loved, their memory will always be cherished by those blessed enough to have known them. So many Palestinians' stories are remembered even by complete strangers, some of whom live thousands of miles away, simply because they are human enough to care.
P.S.: Speaking of Shaun, I was so happy to watch his fundraiser stream and see how much money he raised for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund! Even though there are so many cruel and apathetic people out there, still there are others who care and who are willing to do whatever little bit they can to help, and seeing that really meant a lot to me.
The other day I watched a German YouTube video that mentioned a (frankly quite awful) guy who happens to have Palestinian heritage. In a response to one comment there someone called him something very hateful that I don't even want to repeat here because I don't want to hurt anyone who might read it and because that commenter doesn't deserve to get their filth repeated. There were 4 upvotes and no one countered it in any way...
There's a good chance it partly has to do with the fact that this piece of shit used the word "falestin" which I guess a lot of people here don't know means Palestine. Still, it's shocking how this kind of thing seemingly just gets accepted. I did report the comment, but who knows if it gets removed... I have little hope for even a sliver solidarity from anyone, it's so disheartening...
Luckily some more politically conscious people do exist in Germany, but if you watch TV and read the news and hear quite a lot of people talk, it sometimes feels like no one understands the situation (not to mention the predictions for the upcoming election...). It feels like everyone here is okay with seeing us Arabs dead or displaced...
It doesn't even feel safe to talk about all this, it's very taboo to criticize Israel. I mean, it's nothing new that whatever we do, we're automatically categorized as terrorists. Always be quiet, don't dare to show your emotions, always gotta be stoic, always gotta be chill about the fact that so many people consider you to be sub-human. I hate that even in this post I feel the need to tone down my completely justified anger because it is literally dangerous to be angry when you're classed as a demon from the start.
Shaun's video about Palestine is amazing. One of his points really stuck with me: He talks about the resistance of British civilians against the Nazis in World War II, how these people to this day get lauded as heroes for standing up against them while risking their own lives. And about how when Palestinians act the same way, suddenly it's a problem, that they aren't allowed to have a human reaction to being attacked and besieged.
That's how it is every time. People of color never get the permission to react in a human way because we are not fucking seen as human.
Every day my heart is with Palestinians all over the world. Bless you all. Bless the souls of all the people who lost their lives. They cannot be erased. They are being remembered, they continue to be loved, their memory will always be cherished by those blessed enough to have known them. So many Palestinians' stories are remembered even by complete strangers, some of whom live thousands of miles away, simply because they are human enough to care.
P.S.: Speaking of Shaun, I was so happy to watch his fundraiser stream and see how much money he raised for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund! Even though there are so many cruel and apathetic people out there, still there are others who care and who are willing to do whatever little bit they can to help, and seeing that really meant a lot to me.
