A photograph of three women ? Be patient and continue dialogue! [Archives:2005/840/Letters to the Editor]
Maeda
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In my mind there is one photograph of three Palestine women. My memory is ambiguous. I cannot remember correctly when and where it was seen. The photograph was as follows; Three women were beside the fence. One was an old woman. She expressed the feeling of sorrow in the whole body. She was looking up at the sky and praying something. Tears welled up in her eyes. White clouds were passing over her head.
The second woman beside her was a young lady. The young lady had shouted in a loud voice, shaking fence violently with both hands. Her face was filled to anger. On the top of hill, there was an Israeli tank which set its sight on her. No soldiers was seen. A dead silence has fallen and only her voice seems to have echoed. The fence divided the tank with her.
The third woman was a little girl. She crouched down and was gazing absorbedly at the ant coming and going through the fence. It seemed that she was too young to understand what has happened to her family.
The explanation of the photograph was such that: An old widow with her two daughters. Her son was killed by Israeli soldier. Their house was once located in the other side of the fence.
I lapsed into an illusion which hears three women's voice.
The old widow is sad toward heavens. The Lord, why you give me such a hard trial? After losing my husband, I brought up the son desperately. He had a good result in his school. He was the son of boast. He was the hope of my family. However, one day he told me that he had a mission given by the person whom he respected. Several days after, my neighbor told me that one young man performed suicidal-explosion to Israeli troop. He promised his mother that his mission would bring the bright future. However, she has now only the dark future.
The young lady had shouted toward the battle tank. My brother was gentle and wise. He had dignity like my father. She continued shouting and shouting. Return my brother!
The little girl was speaking to the ant. Ant, you can come and go through fence freely. Before this fence was made, I was playing at my house located there and played with my friend here. I don'ft know why the fence was made. If I were you, ant, I could go to the other side of the fence freely.
Three women could be named like this; Sadness for an old widow,Anger for a young lady and Innocent for a little girl.
Japanese had similar experience during the World War II 60 years ago. Many husbands were killed in the battlefield and many lives were lost by atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then widows were troubled after the war. But now, Japanese people enjoy peace and safety.
I, as an ordinary citizen in Japan (OCIN-Japan), have no means to save three women. I cannot agree a violent means like oppression by military power or suicidal-explosion terrorism. I can say that peace and safety would be achieved through global dialogue between Ordinary Citizens ? between Ordinary Citizen in Palestine (OCIN-Palestine), Ordinary Citizen in Arab Countries (OCIN-Arab), Ordinary Citizen in Asian Countries (OCIN-Asia), Ordinary Citizen in Western Countries (OCIN-West), etc.
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[archive-e:840-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-05-09-p:letters]
