5 Feet of Fury

Salim Mansur talks with ordinary Palestinians

Salim Mansur writes:

They speak of how the Palestinian leadership resembles Ali Baba and his 40 thieves robbing the people of the money that has poured in as aid from the West.

I have lived among, travelled and spoken with countless number of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims and have learned to be cautious about the disconnect between their words, their thinking, the reality around them and the record of their history.

(…)

But when they insist on hearing my views I remind them gently of the verse from the Qur’an that God does not change the condition of people unless they change what is in their hearts.

Then there is silence and the distress of not knowing how to unpack half-truths and lies — in part of their own making — to become a responsible, free and independent nation.