by Claire Reutter
Once upon a time, there was a group of women and a group of men. They lived very close to each other, but separately. After years of mistreatment from the men, a couple of women surprised the men by attacking them one day, brutally killing several of the men. The men did not like this, and they fought back for months and months with non-stop bombing that destroyed homes and communities and killed women in large numbers. The men argued with the women and said, “We are defending ourselves from this horrific attack that the women committed against us! We have the right to exist as a separate group!”
When the buildings collapsed because of the bombs, people were trapped below. Many of these women suffered long, agonizing deaths of suffocation and starvation. Those who survived were told they had to move. So they left their homes and “lived” in tents in areas that were designated by the men as “safe zones.” Nevertheless, bombs were still dropped, and thousands more died. Destruction continued all around with the demolishment of homes, schools, museums, libraries, shops, mosques and churches. Even hospitals were attacked and ruined.
It didn’t take long for the women to run out of food. The men had already been controlling what and how much the women could eat and drink. The people on the other side of the world spoke up. They said to their leaders, “Women are starving. We need to help them.” The leaders agreed to send over a crumb for the many women to fight over. But these same leaders refused to stop sending money and weapons to the men who continued to bomb and kill the women.
Nevertheless, the people on the far side of the world persisted. They appealed to teachers, ministers, rabbis, and elected officials. But many of these leaders still sided with the men who continued without end to drop more bombs and withhold more food. “We must never forget that day when the women first attacked the men!’ they insisted.
Then college students rose up. They said, “The women need better treatment! They might live far away from us, but they are our sisters, and we need to stop them from being killed!”
Author’s Note: This once-upon-a-time-story-of-today may be easier for some folks to understand if they think in terms of oppression of women. Share this story (or any like it) with someone who you know is struggling with understanding Gaza. Then ask them to consider how they would feel if they had Palestinian friends or family members in the position of the abused women in this story. No one knows for sure how or when this story will end. But if we don’t at least try to help, then we will most certainly fail. And by “we,” I mean you and me and all the other compassionate humans the world over. Please keep caring. Together, we can write the best possible ending for this story.
Claire Reutter—after two years living in New England, Claire looks forward to moving back to Austin, Texas, this summer where her voice will continue to be heard. Reach her at cdsittingintree@yahoo.com.