“Not to react to rape and murder? It’s against Islam – we can’t be silent when crimes are committed against women”
As part of the collaboration between the advocacy organization “Gideon’s Sword” and the American Muslim women’s empowerment organization, AMMWEC, a powerful meeting took place between Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi who was kidnapped while wounded from the massacre at the party in Re’im into Gaza, where Hamas terrorists murdered, kidnapped, and committed sexual offenses, the organization’s president Anila Ali and board member Soraya M. Dean. At the meeting, a joint mission, of both Muslim and Jewish mothers, was announced for the release of the hostages and to create a better world.
“Gideon’s Sword” is led by Ariel Orbach – a reserve major, lawyer, and entrepreneur, who states, “The organization aims to lead the fight for Israel in the international public’s consciousness arena, to strengthen Israel’s position in the global media and in the battle for the world’s public opinion. We must shift over from defense to offense, and position Israel as a strong and proud country that leads the global discourse on principles of truth, justice, and human rights. The idea behind our organization is that these messages will be heard mainly by moderate Muslims which in turn will fight against extreme Islam.”
Meirav Leshem Gonen: “I feel that this is a feminine struggle, a struggle of mothers. My daughter was kidnapped, I feel guilty that I couldn’t prevent her abduction, she is now in hell on earth. I feel that I have failed in my biggest role as a mother to protect my child. I was on the phone with her when it happened and I couldn’t help her. My struggle is a struggle of a mother,and this is a struggle of mothers all around the world. We give birth, we bring life into this world! And we need to join together to make this a better world for our children.”
Anila Ali makes an emotional appeal to Gazan mothers: “We, American Muslim women condemn terrorism. It’s against Islam. Against all of our values; as Arabs, as Muslims, it’s absolutely wrong!”. Anila says the silence that prevailed in the Muslim community in the US following Oct 7th was embarrassing and illogical, “There is no difference between Muslim, Druze, and Jewish women. We are all mothers! To not react to rape and murder? We can’t be silent when crimes are committed against women. We need to join together, in sisterhood all over the world. I appeal to the women of Gaza, read the Quran again and give your children the gift of life, not death. Our message to the mothers in Gaza is: enough! We don’t want our children to die. Islam sanctifies life. We won’t sacrafice our children to jihad. We won’t let the people who take parts from the Quran to separate us. We saw terrible videos of Hamas terrorists raping and killing Jewish women and immediately afterwards calling home to their parents proudly informing them of these killings, and the parents respond with joy! This greatly disturbed us. The empathy that the Gaza citizens show for Hamas must change. These people need to ask themselves who their leaders are?
The mothers of Gaza need to wake up and lead the change together with Jewish mothers. This cannot happen again. We must stop this hatred.”
This unprecedented alliance of Muslim and Jewish mothers sends a clear message: maternal love transcends borders and conflicts.
It’s time for women on all sides to unite, to speak out against violence, and to pave the way for a future where children all over the world, regardless of their religion, can live in peace and safety.
