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Palestinian Christians are having unmerry Christmas

I hope this letter finds you well. Although we come from different cultures and traditions, I have always admired the spirit of giving and kindness that you represent. As a Palestinian Muslim living in the good old USA, I do not celebrate Christmas. However, I am writing to you on behalf of the approximately 3,000 Christian Palestinians living in Gaza.  Given that over 51% of the population is under the age of 15. Among those people are solid 3,000 Christians also. Statistically speaking, there should be about 1,500 of their Christian children who will have unmerry Christmas this year for lack of basic necessities to survive such as food, water, fuel, and medicine. The children in Gaza face unimaginable pain and suffering. Many lack basic necessities like food, water, and medicine. They live in constant fear, unsure if they will see another day. Over 50,000 children have lost one or both limbs, making Gaza home to the highest number of amputees in the world. Many have also lost their parents, leaving them to navigate this harsh reality alone. I wish for peace and understanding among all people, regardless of their background or beliefs.

Syria at the Crossroads

Syria, known throughout history as the “crossroads of civilization,” now finds itself at a crossroads of its own. After 54 years, the Assad family’s brutal dictatorship in Syria has finally ended.

“I never thought I’d live to see this day,” said my dad, who left Aleppo as a teenager. My parents grew up there.

Is Seeking to Stop a War a Crime?

The early November detention of Asif Rahman, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, indicted in a federal national security court in the Eastern District of Virginia on two counts of “willful retention and transmission of national defense information under the Espionage Act,” was largely downplayed in the national media. He was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Tuesday November 5th at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh in Cambodia where he was stationed and was sent to appear in the nearest federal court in Guam on Thursday the 7th to be charged. After his initial court appearance and indictment, Rahman, was transferred to a federal prison in Virginia.

In Defense of Cair Against Israel’s Attack and Threat

Israel Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli attacked and threatened the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Chickli is one of the high-ranking officials of the Crime Minister Netanyahu's Foreign Ministery. CAIR is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994. The organization has a national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 32 regional chapters spanning more than 20 states. Its current executive director is Nihad Awad. Why on earth would a foreign government like Israel attack a civil liberties organization to begin with? To accuse Niha Awad and CAIR of being "outrageously antisemitic." That is pure poppycock. And for the Anti-Apartheid Defense League (ADL) to join in attacking and smearing CAIR is ludicrous and odd. I will explain later! Chikli and the Apartheid Defense League (ADL) publicly defended the Israeli genocide in Gaza as "self-defense." However, when Nihad Awad said, "Yes, I was happy to see people in Gaza breaking the 17-year-old illegal and inhumane siege, the walls of the contraction camp, on October 7" they falsely accused him of praising the October 7 attacks.

This Solstice we’re grateful for being able to contribute to "raising awareness to drive meaningful change."

“The difficulty with nuclear power is that it produces the worst industrial waste that’s ever been produced by any industry on earth. This stuff remains deadly for literally, millions of years!” - Gordon Edwards, President, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility

“Your project is a remarkable example of cinema that seeks to raise awareness and drive meaningful change.” - Organizing Committee of the Festival Internacional de Cine Animal y Ambiental (FICAA).

 

A challenge to President-elect Trump

My name is Mahmoud El-Youseph. I am a Palestinian American freelance writer and retired USAF veteran who has lived in the US for nearly half a century. I promise to change my first name to "Mo" if President-elect Donald Trump can get Hamas to release their hostages without the release of 16,000 Palestinian hostages held by Israel, which include four American citizens, that Trump conveniently ignored to mention. After making his direct threat to Hamas about the hostages this week, Trump confounded me even more when he said, "If you hate America and hate Israel, then we don't want you in our country. Hamas supporters will be gone." This statement was aimed at Americans who protested and spoke out against the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Gaza. However, opposing genocide and advocating for Palestinian rights do not equate to supporting Hamas—a distinction Trump appears unable or unwilling to make. Moreover, Trump’s threat to expel individuals from the United States reveals his misunderstanding of constitutional rights. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and U.S. citizenship—whether by birth or naturalization—protects against arbitrary deportation.
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