A Great Tragedy of Nakba (Catastrophe) After the Declaration of the State of Israel in Palestine 1948
By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
8 January 2024
The Brutal Expulsion Of Palestinians, Which Destroyed
Their Identity, Political Rights, Society, And Culture, Is Known As The Nakba,
A Tragic Event In The 1948 Israeli-Palestinian War. Palestinians Hold Keys In
Their Hands As They Remember This Tragedy On May 15. Palestinians Were
Reportedly In Great Suffering As They Evacuated Their Homes, Possibly Locking
Them In The Hopes That The Killing And Violence Would Eventually Stop And They
Might Return, But That Never Happened.
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A significant historical tragedy in the ongoing conflict
between Israel and Palestine has been the Nakba. The term "Nakba”
(Catastrophe) \ refers to the violent uprooting and expulsion of the
Palestinian people coupled with the eradication of their identity, political
rights, society, and culture. 1948 saw the forced relocation of almost 750,000
Palestinians, according to historical accounts. A person with a basic
understanding of humanity may easily picture the anguish someone would
experience if their home were taken away.
Every year on May 15, the Palestinian people mark Nakba Day in
remembrance of the persecuted Palestinians during the conflict. This tremendous
catastrophe is known as the Nakba (Catastrophe). That day, they hold
keys in their hands.
Their keys range in complexity from simple to heavy to
rusted. Not only are these keys made of metal, but they also represent the
persecution of the Palestinian people, who have endured years of injustice and
bloodshed and are now appealing for justice worldwide. These keys provide a way
for those who scream for human freedom to knock on the door of common sense and
observe how the Palestinians are uprooted from their land and long for freedom
from the harsh grasp of time; despite this, they have not been able to reclaim
their land but instead must endure ongoing attacks by Israel on their
territory.
Palestinians carry keys and march through the streets on Nakba
(Catastrophe) Day each year. These are the keys to their houses, from which
they were driven away 75 years ago; they were never allowed to go back. They
have been keeping these keys safe from generation to generation ever since.
In most interviews conducted on Nakba (Catastrophe)
Day, Palestinians tell media representatives that they have carried these keys
with them in the hopes of returning to their houses eventually. They go on to
claim that it makes no difference to them if their homes are demolished or
remain protected. They claim the right to cling to this hope and go back to
their homes. This is because they have this privilege due to international law.
They are hoping that international law will live up to its promises and assist
them. It is another matter entirely when international law will live up to its
promise.
The spark of this Nakba (Catastrophe) started when
Israel declared its independence from the British Mandatory Palestine on May
14, 1948. On the second day following this declaration, the Arab-Israeli war
began and lasted for around fifteen days. During this time, almost 7.5 million
Palestinians were forced to flee their homes and endure unrelenting waves of
persecution. Every year on May 15, the Palestinians commemorate this event of
displacement—known as the Nakba—with a demonstration in which the keys to their
homes serve as a prominent symbol.
Israel took control of the Palestinian territories and
annexed them. The local Palestinian population states that Zionist militia
members and Israeli soldiers drove them from their homes and never permitted
them to return. The Israeli authorities, on the other hand, use the statement,
"It was the Arab countries who asked the Palestinians to leave their lands
and residences so that they would not have to bear the consequences of the war
when they attacked the new state," to silence the Palestinian voice.
Nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees are recognised by the
UN as having rights, many of whom are compelled to live under oppression in
camps in East Jerusalem, Gaza, Jordan, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon.
According to historical records, when the Palestinian
inhabitants were driven away from their homes, they did so out of a deep sense
of regret because, as human beings, they had fled to protect themselves. They
took whatever they could from their homes before leaving, including the house
keys. They may have closed their doors for fear that they would return and
resume their lives there once the violence and killing stopped, but that was
never going to happen.
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A regular
Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Aalim and
Faazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a Sufi-Sunni background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B. A (Hons.) in Arabic, M.A.
in Arabic and M.A. in English from JMI, New Delhi. He is interested in Islamic
Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and Islamic mysticism
(Tasawwuf).
Urdu Article: 1948: A Great Tragedy of Nakba After the Declaration of the State of
Israel in Palestine 1948: فلسطین میں
اسرائیلی ریاست کے اعلان کے بعد نکبہ کا عظیم سانحہ
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/nakba-catastrophe-israel-palestine-1948/d/131473