LETTER | Stop the hate on a war-traumatised mother

“Do not criticise another until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” - Native American proverb.

LETTER | No parent should have to bury their children, and yet the Palestinian woman who had that outburst at the transit point had to do so not once but three times.

Even before the Oct 7 attack last year, Gazans had to live in a blockaded state under constant surveillance and control by Israel. They had to endure frequent water and power cuts, a shortage of medicines and fuel, and a lack of jobs.

After the tragic attack, she and millions of Gazans faced deadly bombings, homes destroyed, and friends and families injured or killed daily. The water, power, medicines, fuel, and food, which had already been bad before, became critical and scarce.

Hunger, thirst, depression, and anxiety were feelings she likely had to overcome daily whilst still providing and caring for her children. Fear and a sense of doom likely shuddered in her heart every time she heard a bomb or bullet.

She said she still has children in Palestine and does not know their whereabouts or fate. No mother should have to go through such agony and helplessness.

Most of us who work will likely have a bad day once where nothing goes right, and some will take the frustration and anger out on the road with road rage or worse, on our family, colleagues, and friends.

The bad day at work was not going to physically harm us or be fatal, and yet some may have behaved even worse than this woman.

This mother suffered tragedy and trauma in a war caused by the ambitions and folly of a few in her region indulging in politics, oppression, and power. She is in Malaysia because of politics, showmanship, vanity, and desperate garnering of racial and religious support.

Our government has stated that she and other Palestinians were brought here for humanitarian reasons and will be repatriated once the injured have recovered fully. The government believes this is the best solution for them.

Just when she thought she had freedom and control of her own life, it was denied to her due to procedures at the transit point. A whole lifetime of frustration, anger, and agony that was bottled up likely just boiled over.

She has apologized, just like some of us who get steamed up after a bad day at work or at home and realise we were wrong.

Cut her some slack; she has been through much more than a bad day at work.

Let us stop the rancour and viciousness immediately against this mother and hope and pray the Palestinians here will recover fully soon.

We should also hope and pray the war will be over soon and they can return home to rebuild their war-torn country and lives.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.