Christmas was cancelled this year in Palestine as genocide is being unleashed onto Gaza by Israeli forces.
I know that for many who celebrate Christmas for religious or cultural reasons, it’s a very tough time to navigate.
That’s why, I wanted to share some thoughts with you as I am in the process of that navigation myself.
First, I have a comment on the potential shame and guilt for being in caring, loving, and even joyful environments this end of the year.
It’s definitely something I’m experiencing myself, and although I don’t claim I have an answer to how to navigate this best, this was my honest comment which I recorded on December 24, 2023.
How I am navigating this holiday season doesn’t have to resonate with you. I am by no means saying this is the ethical thing to do (because I truly simply don’t know). But if it does resonate – and if it makes someone’s path to renewal and so-needed rest less ridden with guilt – I’ll be very happy.
Second, I came up with a holiday wish.
In addition to an end of genocide, brutal military occupation, ethnic cleansing, and colonisation of Palestine, it’s a wish I’d always have for everyone – including myself – yet I don’t think it has ever been clearer.
The wish is very simple:
For you to find the courage, integrity, and moral strength to condemn mass atrocities.
For you to stand up against fascism not as some distant phenomenon from the past but, unfortunately, as something you’re witnessing today.
For you to realise that, once you know and understand what’s happening, silence has a huge price. It’s not just a price for the people who are being oppressed but a toll that your heart and soul will have to live with.
Don’t turn it into a silence that you will always remember.
I’m not a poet so I turn to one, Rupi Kaur, to summarise my wish:
It is terrifying some people – neighbours, acquaintances, so-called intellectuals, country leaders – talking to you from that moral hell.
But YOU don’t have to go there.
Lastly, I want to leave you with a beautiful speech.
As someone who rarely shares speeches by any religious authority, I found this one to be beautiful, unapologetic, and very very needed.
If someone thinks religious views and policies one supports as well as values one claims to have are all separate things, this speech sheds light on how incorrect that is.
But you don’t have to be a religious person to appreciate it; having humanity is enough.
There is a lot of heartache this holiday season, potentially more than ever before.
Let’s rest, gather, and turn that heartache into action.
❤️💔❤️
Justina
Find all my work on Palestine here.
Latest from the Blog
An Interview with Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! That You Cannot Miss
Amy Goodman is a living legend. Her independent media work, her courage, her dedication to amplifying the voices of those who have been silenced, and her love for the world is an example to us all — and an invitation to speak out and uplift each other. Watch this amazing conversation with her now.
Indigeneity As The World Is Burning: We Can Either Watch The Fire, Or We Can Put Out The Centuries-Old Flames Together
On International Indigenous People’s Day, let’s not romanticise nor dismiss the struggle that will, in the end, liberate us all.
Settler Violence, State Violence: The Daily Terrorism in Palestine
Settler violence is state violence, and it has been on the rise in the West Bank for years. See and speak out against the intensification of pogroms that we’re seeing here now, after one specific deadly attack near Nablus.
The Exploding Head Media 