Over the past few weeks, the world has been buzzing with news of Israel and Palestine. Malaysia is no exception. News about the war has become the tittle-tattle of every man and woman in our country. However, in Malaysia, there's something equally unsightly that has been making the rounds recently. Pictures of young kids brandishing toy guns continue to fill up Malaysian newsfeeds, with teachers shown to be leading the way in a flamboyant show of protest against Israel. The antics were part of the MOE's Palestinian Solidarity Week. The government has since decried such antics, with our Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar saying he will ensure that solidarity events are kept in check.
While we as Malaysians feel for and pay solidarity to Palestinians, it is important for us to keep close tabs on how we do so. It is also important that the actions we take are of assistance to Palestinians, in some way or the other. Most Palestinians have seen enough guns for a lifetime- Guns in the hands of Hamas militants, guns in the hands of Israeli soldiers; Guns in the hands of the oppressor and guns in the hands of the oppressed. I don't think they need to add the sight of "toy guns" in the hands of Malaysian children to that already expansive list. For most Palestinians, their only wish is to live a life like everybody else, free of guns and bombardment, free of violence, war and unabating anguish.
The truth is that if I were to pick on any of the Malaysian children involved in the "toy gun" fiasco and ask them why they were doing so, I'm sure the only response they would mutter would be: "Israel Jahat" (Israel is Evil). If they were asked to elaborate on it, I could bet every penny on the fact that most would be unable to. Therefore, instead of teaching our kids to pick up toy guns and choose violence, it would be far more pragmatic as part of Palestine Solidarity Week to encourage children to do in-depth research about the history of Palestine and Israel and come up with presentations in class to their fellow classmates.
In this manner, our children will be enriched with knowledge of the struggles of Palestinians and why this war is happening in the first place. They will learn that although there is a widely concocted notion that Israel is Jewish through and through, approximately 2 million Muslims live in Israel too; with Israeli citizenship and passports. That's 18% of Israel's populace.
Had more Malaysians known these statistics at their fingertips as kids, they wouldn't have created such a fuss about Nuseir Yassin's (owner of Nas Daily) visit to Malaysia last year, where he used a Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport to enter Malaysia, having bought citizenship from the island nation. It is true that Nas is Israeli and has an Israeli passport too, but it is also true that he is Muslim and is of Palestinian descent. Yes, there are many Palestinians living within Israel!
Many kids in Malaysia know of the existence of Gaza, but I am sure that only a handful know of the existence of the Palestinian West Bank, which is presided over by Israel and holds a hefty 2.9 million Palestinians(about a million more than the Gaza Strip). Those in the West Bank have their own struggles living under Israeli rule. By learning about these facts, our Malaysian kids can empathise more with the struggles of Palestinians and broaden their horizons with regard to the Palestinian struggle. On another note, our kids know that bombs are hitting Gaza and that people are dying, but do they know that the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated regions on the planet? Do they know that the reason why these bombs are having such a mutilating effect on Gaza is that the whole of the Gaza Strip is about the size of Kuala Lumpur with 2 million people packed into it like a can of sardines?
These are all salient facts that our kids should know and be exposed to. Instead of instructing them to pick up toy guns, they should be taught to pick up the most powerful weapon on the planet: Knowledge.
So, what would these kids be able to do if they are equipped with adequate knowledge? Well, for starters, they would tailor their activities to those that actually helped Palestinians. As part of Palestine Solidarity week, schools could host Palestine themed art competitions, dramas, history exhibitions...the list is inexhaustible. Many of these could be doubled up as fundraisers with proceeds going directly to Palestinians. In this way, both teachers and students actively involve themselves in activities that truly bring fruition and benefit to the Palestinian cause.
Wars will continue to be waged across the globe, promising a “victor ludorum”. Truth is, there is no winner as far as wars are concerned. Almost a decade ago, I was in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Considering its northerly position, it is aptly called the crown of India. What's ironic is that the "crowning" bit of Kashmir wasn't its gerography or its majestic snow-laden mountains, but rather it was the conspicuous view of army personnel, decked in uniforms and AK 47's. Kashmir used to be dubbed "Heaven on Earth", but a bitter war that has continued to rage on for decades between India and Pakistan has turned Kashmir into living hell for most citizens. Its many lakes, mountains and breathtaking sceneries appear to give its "Heaven on Earth" tagline some verisimilitude, but after a fleeting moment, the sight of a convoy of military trucks passing through the valley reminds us of what it actually is. Countless people have died, mostly civilians, labelled under the terminology: "Collateral Damage". That is the naked truth of war. History talks about commanders and chieftains, but it does not talk about the fallen. Wars are supposedly waged in the people's interest, but those people are the first to be forgotten and omitted by history.
“Governments wage wars, but people lose wars.” As the popular Malay proverb goes: “Gajah sama gajah berjuang, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah”. It is the same in the case of Palestine and Israel. When all is said and done, there is no Palestinian victory or Israeli victory. That is mere rhetoric to fan the fires of pseudo-success. For in reality, there is only loss, of the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilian; and therein, of the lives of thousands of Israeli civilians. Therefore, our children should be taught that justice should be brought through obstinate, but peaceful protests; through obstinate, but peaceful dialogue. If Malaysia and the Arab Nations remain united in their stance regarding Palestine, and continue to dish out collective dissent, the United Nations will eventually buckle and lend a listening ear, paving the way for an enduring resolution of the Palestine-Israel issue. Israel will also cave in themselves, for they have their own ambitions of fostering trade and economic ties with nations with Saudi Arabia. Isolation from the Arab/Middle Eastern nations that surround them from every side is simply not sustainable and is a death sentence for Israel in the long run.
War, however, lays the seed of detriment that curtails the possibility of any amicable solution. This is exactly what our children should be taught- that the only gain in war is that there is loss. Be it in Sudan, be it in Ukraine, be it in Yemen and be it in Palestine. For war has been, is, and will always be a poisoned chalice.
Thillak Sekaran is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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