Document:In the Holy Land, Just a Couple of Dead Catholics
Mother Nahida and daughter Samar
| "One year later I thought we should not forget them. We should offer up to their memory, their souls, our promise that not only will they not be forgotten, we will not give up our fight for their freedom and the freedom of their families. Say their names. Place this photo of them somewhere special." |
blog post by Michael Moore dated 25 December 2024Subjects: Israeli Army, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gaza, terrorism, ethnic cleansing, genocide
Source: substack (Link)
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In the Holy Land, Just a Couple of Dead Catholics
There is much to feel today — love, family, community, kindness, etc. I hope you are all well and where you want to be. My best wishes to you and your year ahead.
I also didn’t want the day to end without remembering what happened last year at Christmas. Nahida Khalil Anton, a 70-year-old Palestinian Catholic mother of seven and grandmother of 20, and her 50-year-old daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, were executed by the Israeli Army while attending Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City. Nahida had gotten up to use the restroom which was across the courtyard on the church grounds. The Israeli sniper on top of a nearby building tracked her through his high-powered scope as she made her way to the bathroom and pumped three bullets into her body, including one that tore a hole through her stomach as she fell to the ground. Nahida’s daughter, Samar, who worked for the nuns as their cook at the Mother Teresa convent attached to the church, ran to her mother’s lifeless body and began to drag her to safety. As she did this, the sniper put his scope on her, aiming his powerful military assault rifle directly at her head and murdered her instantly by blowing her head apart. An Israeli tank on the street fired three large shells into the church and convent destroying much of it and then shooting and wounding at least another 7 Catholics, including Samar’s brother Edward who works with Doctors Without Borders. “They were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish,” witnesses including priests, nuns and parishioners reported.
Pope Francis condemned the killings by the Israeli forces as an “act of terrorism”. Of course the entire assault on the civilian population of Gaza has been one act of terrorism after another — ethnic cleansing, genocide, forced mass starvation, obliterating nearly every hospital, school, and apartment building. Murdering Catholics? Of course! Who do you think the regime is that rules — with the consent of the people — the State of Israel?
One year later I thought we should not forget them. We should offer up to their memory, their souls, our promise that not only will they not be forgotten, we will not give up our fight for their freedom and the freedom of their families. Say their names. Place this photo of them somewhere special. And make no mistake about what you and I are paying for. It’s on us.
I know this is a day we’d rather focus on happier things.
Or perhaps the purpose of today is exactly this: Peace on Earth, Good Will to those that are Oppressed and living under Occupation.
Thank you everyone for what you do to make this world a better place.
P.S. One year ago today, 25 December 2023, Netanyahu went to Gaza to congratulate his IDF troops for killing 250 people in 24 hours — including attacks on refugee camps — saying, “We do not stop.”
