What is being done in Gaza is a crime: Palestinian mother in Fredericton

Editor’s note: This speech was given by Rana at the rally calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the New Brunswick Legislature on November 19, 2023.

My name is Rana. I am originally from Palestine 1948.

Today I stand before you as a Palestinian Canadian mom, as a human. I am no politician and I don’t know how to speak politics but I know how to speak as a human, as a mom whose heart is bleeding each and every day for what is happening to our beloved children in Palestine.

I saw the children of Gaza a couple of days back playing joyfully in the rain and jumping in muddy puddles. They prayed to God to send them rain because they were suffering. They were drinking the rain because they were dying of thirst. Do you know how unbearable the pain is to see your child die from thirst?

Do you know how painful it is that those Palestinian moms see their kids each and every day starving to death? Do you know how horrifying it is to witness your kids being bombed and killed with cold blood?

Newborn babies are being removed from incubators due to the cutting off of electricity. Do you know what it means to remove newborn babies from their incubators? This is a crime.

Pregnant women are delivering their babies through a C-section without anesthesia due to the cut off of medicine. This is a crime! The crimes against Palestinians are countless.

Forgive us Gaza, forgive us. We feel betrayal for eating food, drinking water, sleeping in our cozy beds. We feel betrayal in each and every movement we do. Our life is not the same anymore, it never will be until you are free.

Peace be upon all our beloved martyrs. Peace be upon all those innocent souls.

Long live Palestine!