Gaza Mosque Reopens: Just Don't Ask About the Other 200
The Sayed al-Hashim mosque, a centuries-old site, reopens in Gaza City – a heartwarming tale of resilience. What the news casually bypasses is the UN estimate that over 200 mosques in Gaza have been completely destroyed or severely damaged since October 7th, 2023 alone, according to rights groups. Celebrating one reopening while vast swathes of cultural and religious sites lie in rubble is like
cheering a single flower blooming in a scorched earth, courtesy of precision-guided munitions paid for by U.S. taxpayers. American politicians, fresh off approving more unconditional aid to Israel, might find this 'reconstruction' a convenient distraction. One might wonder at the timing, too. Is this a narrative shift, a gentle suggestion that 'things are getting back to normal'? Normalcy,
apparently, is when historic sites are obliterated and then slowly, painstakingly, rebuilt over years, in between humanitarian crises. How many houses, hospitals, and schools also await their two-year 'reopening'? The silence on those matters is deafening.