No More Silence! No More Violence!

some poetic activism in the name of ending Palestinian genocide

my poem on the Palestinian flag with a marble statue of goddess Athena alongside it

May the Palestinian people be free!
May the hostages be returned!
May the land of Gaza no longer burn!

With anti-Islam¹ and anti-Semiticism² on the rise,
may the hateful-hearted be granted Athena's³ discerning eyes⁴.

No more silence!
No more violence!

May the war-torn souls both alive and deceased
be enveloped in her steadfast peace.

"Once pro-Palestinian, Hellas is now one of Israel's closest European allies. The Hellenic Republic has emerged as a key supporter of Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean, a position unimaginable little more than a decade ago and apparently at odds with public opinion. The two countries share energy ambitions, defense partnerships and a mistrust of Türkiye, analysts say."

"The war on Gaza has seen Türkiye step forward as a potential mediator to not only end Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, but also bring lasting peace to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts."

"Israel on said it is recalling its diplomats from Türkiye after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke out against Israel during a pro-Palestinian rally. In Istanbul, Erdogan calls for a cease-fire in front of hundreds of thousands of supporters protesting Israel’s moves in the war on northern Gaza, calling the country an “occupier” in a fiery speech."

"In addition to financial and military aid, the United States also provides large-scale political support to Israel, having used its United Nations Security Council veto power 42 times against resolutions condemning Israel, out of a total 83 times in which its veto has ever been used."

8,000+ deaths... Over 8,000 Palestinians have lost their lives... horrifically. This is genocide, and some people are still saying it's too complicated. Some people are still saying they're neutral on the matter. Some people only seem to care about their whataboutisms or their Halloween costumes.

And I understand that some people's hearts are so full of anguish that they're at a loss for what to do or say... Being afraid to "say the wrong thing" or "not feeling educated enough about the topic" isn't reason enough to remain silent, though. Whether it's attending protests, joining collective meditation efforts, writing activism poems, being there for those in mourning, donating to important causes, or calling out bigots on their BS... these are all ways to stop remaining silent.

As a Hellenic Turkish American whose background is from countries that are more or less at odds with each other when it comes to this heart-wrenching matter and many others, I refuse to accept that demanding a ceasefire is in any way anti-Semitic or demanding the release of hostages is anti-Islamic. There is a "no" in the word genocide. No more genocide! No more crimes against humanity! That's what my soul stands for. Hate is in no way part of these sentiments.

🇵🇸FREE PALESTINE🇵🇸

1. opposition to or hostility toward Islam or Islamic people.

2. hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

3. (in Hellenic mythology and ancient Hellenic Religion) a virgin goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and prudent warfare.

4. Homer applies the epithets "stormy-eyed" and "bright-eyed" to Athena's name in the Odyssey and Iliad. Therefore, she is often depicted with lively, discerning gray eyes.