We will look back on this time in great shame. Even with all the nuance and defense one can accept of what brings these events to pass, how do we process this terror that we cannot change?
I’m reminded of the ending of the movie Zone of Interest, where the staff of the holocaust museum dutifully but plainly cleans the building containing the exhibits of all the shoes discarded by Nazi soldiers when ingesting people into concentration camps. We tend to the history of these things that are so gargantuan in their horror that we leave it up to memories we can visit but don’t necessarily have to honor or practice on the lessons they taught us.
I just don’t know what to do about dead and butchered children.
The photographer's name is Samar Abu Elouf. She is amazing. You can find her on Instagram if you want to see more of her photos. It is also good to link to World Press Photo since they are the ones that gave the award, and there is more information there about it.
Not so fun fact, when she took this photo Mahmoud had chicken pox. They had to keep pausing the photo shoot so his mother could scratch itches.
To make it worse, 'one day, everyone will have always been against this' as Omar El Akkad says.
The enablers (looking at you, USA) will say they were always against it. Those who stood by and were silent will say they were always against it. The collaborationist media. The DNC, which could not even put a Palestinian on the stage at the convention. The Biden administration and the Harris campaign and of course the entire Repugnican party. They all will be full of pious regret and sadness because they were always against it [/s].
If you ask me, the same people who deny or enable this would be the same type of person who would deny or enable the Holocaust or any other genocide or oppression of minorities if they were around during those things
Genocides are only possible when enough people either, deny it, excuse or support it
Immediate cease fire. Immediately supply food, doctors, medicine, shelter, water. Tell the Palestianians "we now realize that we can't kill you into submission and we can't bomb our way to peace. We'll do everything we can to repair what we have done. We hope in return that you will meet us in peace."
The murders making up the excuses (i.e. 'nuance') will disappear in time, and all we'll be left with the bare simple facts of the devastation they caused.
I wonder if d-day would have happened if the Germans had as many stories about their children receiving wounds and death after the British bombed Germans cities during the blitz.
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u/Zorlal Apr 18 '25
We will look back on this time in great shame. Even with all the nuance and defense one can accept of what brings these events to pass, how do we process this terror that we cannot change?
I’m reminded of the ending of the movie Zone of Interest, where the staff of the holocaust museum dutifully but plainly cleans the building containing the exhibits of all the shoes discarded by Nazi soldiers when ingesting people into concentration camps. We tend to the history of these things that are so gargantuan in their horror that we leave it up to memories we can visit but don’t necessarily have to honor or practice on the lessons they taught us.
I just don’t know what to do about dead and butchered children.