do not snooze your alarm.

(before i start, i thank my brother who drew my attention to this issue. Jazakallahu Khayran. pardon my ignorance since how long ago this has been going on :S)

dear brothers and sisters,

our muslim fellows in Palestine are suffering. so much so at this point the Israelis denied them water. to the extent that they're not allowed to collect rainwater. they're stealing their water because they don't have enough. wow big stomp on weak and inferior much? do you feel that cruelty? astaghfirullah. they are denied of natural resources.. what is left?

Here are some significant facts we need to know about this situation:

1. Israel often sells the water it steals from the West Bank back to the Palestinians at inflated prices.

2. Three million West Bank Palestinians use only 250 million cubic meters per year (83 cubic meters per Palestinian per year) while six million Israelis enjoy the use of 1,954 million cubic meters (333 cubic meters per Israeli per year), which means that each Israeli consumes as much water as four Palestinians. Israeli settlers are allocated 1,450 cubic meters of water per person per year.

3. Israel does not allow new wells to be drilled by Palestinians and has confiscated many wells for Israeli use. Israel sets quotas on how much water can be drawn by Palestinians from existing wells.

4. The Gaza strip relies predominately on wells that are being increasingly infiltrated by salty sea water because Israel is over-pumping the groundwater. UN scientists estimate that Gaza will have no drinkable water within fifteen years.

5. Many of the most important underground wellsprings in the West Bank are located just to the east of the Green Line dividing Israel from Palestine. Israel has built the Wall not only to annex land but also to annex many of these wells in order to divert water to Israel and illegal West Bank settlements.

(and there are many more, so if you are interested, just look it up on the internet.)

“There is no reason for Palestinians to claim that just because they sit on lands, they have the rights to that water.” Mr. Katz-Oz, Israel’s negotiator on water issues. JOKE! ya Allah, mudahan Engkau memberi keterangan dihati orang ani!

it's incomprehensible to imagine such audacity can actually exist in today's world, especially on our end. we've never had to struggle for food. for shelter. for education. for clothing. for cars. for WATER. but fact is. there are unfortunate parts in this world that suffer from the resources that we are blessed with that often come to us on a silver platter. we live in this civilized world, how can people do this? how can people have so much darkness in their hearts to create their convenience in the expense of taking away the essentials of the weak and inferior? but i guess. it's not difficult to come up with an answer.

i feel so helpless. which makes me feel sadder about this situation. but more than anything. i pray that those who are wronged are able to smile. don't underestimate the simplest of gestures. a smile is charity right. but more so, a smile in the midst of a calamity implies that your contentedness lies with Allah. it means that you are able to believe, trust and love Him even though the going gets tough. and Insyallah Allah has bigger plans for the people of taqwa. The hardships that He grants you in this world does not mean that He does not love you or He does not hear you or He does not pay attention to you. He blesses you with hardships to get you through tests of faith and if we "pass", don't doubt, don't worry, don't falter.. He has promised you heaven. the rewards of heaven that will be forever. the rewards of heaven that cannot be measured by the greatest things in dunia. and believe. BELIEVE. that Allah fulfills His promises in the best way. if you disobey Him, He promised you hellfire and surely that day you are welcomed to the worst of punishments will come if He does not grant you His mercy. and if you are amongst the taqwa and iman... He promised you syurga. be it horrible or beautiful promises, He will grant them when the time calls.

can you imagine how the people are running their lives? how do they get by? the kids. the mothers. the elderly. ya Allah... mudahan Engkau memberikan mereka kekuatan. Allah has said in surah Insyirah. "so verily with every difficulty there is relief." Insyallah. if they are not given ease soon, Allah knows more what is best for them. and Insyallah their hardships are atonement for their sins. Insyallah.

i hope this gives birth to our awakening. we cannot afford to sleep. we have to wake up. we just have to hope and pray that the alarm rings sooner than later because who knows if we'll get later? and when it does ring.. don't snooze it. don't delay it. because we can't afford Your anger, Your disapproval, Your disliking. we can't afford them... we simply cannot. nobody can. our words may value to nothing, which is why we pray that You allow our actions to speak for us.