Evelyn Uddin-Khan – “In our modern, civilized world with an abundance of food and medicine, we are confronting and ignoring the many aspects of starvation, sickness and inhuman treatment of our fellow human beings — babies, children, old people and every soul in between.”

Earlier this year, two world leaders — with personal criminal records — announced that they would take over Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera” on the Mediterranean Coast.

Treating it as a joke, I said to my friend that when they do, I would buy two acres and build a B&B so when our tourists visit, they will have a less expensive place to stay.

My friend went silent. We were on the phone. I said, “Don’t you like my plan?” She said, “Are you out of your sick mind? Which sane, decent human being would want to go there, spread a blanket on the blood-covered sand of Gaza and sun themselves?”

On thinking back, I shudder at my stupidity!

Yes, I know the sand of Gaza is covered with the blood of babies and old people — but I did not realize how offensive my silly words came across. I apologized and let it go.

And then, my thoughts went to Jesus. My only hope!

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is in Palestine. Jerusalem is one of the holiest of places in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and it is in Palestine.

Palestine — Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth — cannot get any holier.

Remember when God parted the sea and Moses brought his people out of Pharoah’s bondage? Out of Egypt, to be free from persecution and to live in peace and serve their God? 

Well, I believe that one day (soon) God will send Jesus to save the Palestinians — Christians and Muslims from the persecution and evil that surrounds them. God is giving us time to test what is best and worst in our hearts. Are we failing the Palestinians?

According to Biblical history, Palestine is the birth place of Jesus and Christianity. Today, there are thousands of Christians still living there. Today, the Christian world has forgotten the Christians in Gaza and the West Bank — Palestine. The Muslims are just bargaining chips.

But there is hope! I have hope!

I believe that if the people of this world are not going to help the Palestinians, then only divine intervention will save those who survive. And for me that means Jesus will return and save the Palestinians who survive.

Persecution of Palestinians, the land grab and expulsion, isolation, starvation and greed began perhaps 75 years ago. Every day for decades, Palestinians lose their homes, families, lives and the world closes its eyes and pretend not to know and ignore the plight of the Palestinians.

Years ago, I wrote a paper that there is no land left for a Palestinian State. Today, no one can deny or dispute this fact.

I was in Palestine some years ago and I saw first-hand the conditions under which those people existed. I rode on a Red Cross truck with two workers and they were giving out packages to people along the route they had taken. Those needy people were Christians and Muslims and the only question asked were if they had a baby so they could get baby food.

In our modern, civilized world with an abundance of food and medicine, we are confronting and ignoring the many aspects of starvation, sickness and inhuman treatment of our fellow human beings — babies, children, old people and every soul in between. 

We can blame politicians only so much. Change will only come when we — the thinking, reasonable creatures — stand up and say enough, let the killings and starvation end. Politicians are not gods. They are just wicked men who sold their souls to the devil and whose sinful hearts are covered with greed and lust for power.

To my friend Dr. Hana who exposed my shameful thoughts, this is for you. We go back a long way and sometimes we need to be shown our shortcomings. How we deal with life’s tragedies should be outside the realm of humor.

It is a shame that those two “leaders” cannot take the blood-soaked sand of Gaza to the here-after with them. 

Please God, you sent Moses to his people, please send Jesus to his people before Palestine ceases to exist. Thank You.

Evelyn Uddin-Khan