One often gets the question of why the Palestinian cause is creating so much passion across Arab states and beyond in almost every Arab family in the world.
Why would Arabs follow every day what is happening in Gaza and all Arab stations and TV talk day in and day out about the war in Gaza?
After all, a few years back the Iraq war or the Syrian war, which claimed many more victims unfortunately, or even more recently the Libyan war or the civil war in Sudan, which would largely be avoidable if the Arab streets were mobilized, do not create such passion and participation.
The answer to me holds in a few words and is the key to understanding Arab culture: Palestine is the mother of all causes among Arabs.
What is the role and status of mothers in Arab families?
First one has to understand that far from any prejudice Mothers have kind of superpowers in Arab families.
Without using their dissuasion weapons (and they have a few) they can change the course of history in the family, posing a veto to some decisions or imposing others with grace and wisdom… If we were to symbolize the father as the pilot cabin in the plane you may imagine the mother being able to drive both the wheels in taxi position or the wings in the air while the pilot is distracted in his cockpit…
Do Palestinian men and women hold this power across Arab lands?
Well without any doubt Palestinians are the best brains across Arab lands, known for their competence and trusted for their dedication. Everyone has a Palestinian doctor, teacher, chief executive, or even colleague that he can trust and follow. Palestinian friends are reliable and caring, and Palestinian colleagues are highly competent and soft-mannered. If you become friend with a Palestinian, he would invite you to his home, at his family weddings and celebrations, hold you and your family in great respect and always ask about you. Even today, despite being subject to the worst treatment in Gaza you would find in every Arab company, hospital, or educational institution, and obviously among many of the same in the West, dedicated Gazaouis reporting to duty daily while their families have been massacred and shattered. With that, they hold this great power of influencing or directing decisions in almost every sector. Subtly but effectively, and by being role models, like our respected mothers.
But the superpowers of mothers are not the only reason why Mothers do matter so much in Arab families.
It is because we love them and care so much about them. Every Arab and Muslim has been taught from his earliest days that mothers deserve a special love and care. They have been mentioned so many times by the Prophet Mohamed ﷺ in his sayings that noone can think of disrespecting his mother while claiming to be a good Muslim. Among Arab tribes mothers hold the pride and honor of the family, and wars used to be waged because of them. Even today’s Princes and leaders are the fruit of their mother’s ambitions and plans, and whatever their successes they pay them great respect and show them love…
And such is the case for our mother land Palestine. We can’t think of Palestine as a remote place or distant cousin. We think of it as our mother land. The land that used to be the direction of our daily prayers. The land from which our beloved Prophet ﷺ visited the Heavens. The land where the last Day will be called with the great turn of events of the End of times. The land where we Muslims turn all our hopes towards for the revival of Justice in the world.
Freeing Palestine from oppression is not a moral duty for Arab and Muslims. It is an existential matter. It is the mother of all causes, of all wars, it is the past, present and future of our nations.
Dear Mother please forgive us our mistakes. Dear Mother please wait for us we are coming.