By Daoud Kuttab

Palestinian nonviolence leader who was deported from Jerusalem by Israel, Mubarak Awad, praised Gazans for their faith in God despite all the atrocities that they are facing. “You cannot imagine the faith that the people in Gaza have. With everything what happened, all they say is that is the will of God. If you are hungry, if  you are upset when so many people are killed most people would say Where is God in this? But they do not. They say it is the will of God. It is our faith. They pray for the dead and they go on.”  Awad related that he was so impressed noticing the while Gazans are extremely hungry, yet they did not attack a single fellow Palestinian who had been able to secure a bag of flour. There role model is something we in America need to learn from, he said.

The description by Awad, the founder/director of the Palestinian Nonviolence Center, was part of his keynote speech at an interfaith iftar for peace leaders held at Philadelphia’s Al Hidaya Islamic Center March 28^th. The event organized by the Prayer for Peace Alliance that consists of leaders from different Christian, Muslim, and Jewish organizations. Awad was very critical of the Christian Churches and the American public and leaders who have not responded as needed to the genocide in Palestine. He also was critical of Egypt for its failure to push through food and humanitarian needs into Gaza, despite Israeli objections.

Samuel Kuttab a founding member O Prayers For Peace Alliance, which sponsored the Iftar,  explained that the alliance was created as Philadelphians of different religious backgrounds were struggling with what to do regarding the assault on civilians in Gaza. “We decided simply to stand outside Churches in the city with placards calling for prayer for peace. Some churches were worried and tried to get us to leave while a number of other church leaders welcomed us into their  church and even joined us in prayer for peace in Gaza.

Mubarak Awad often referred to as the Ghandi of Palestine gave his life story telling the audience that included Christian clergy, rabbis, and Imams,  that as a five-year-old his father was killed in the 1948 war, and he developed a hatred for those who killed his father. “But my mother insisted that if I loved her that I should not hate.” Awad explained his journey through life as he searched for an active way to deal with his anger and that his adoption of nonviolent activism was the way he did it. “But I am 80 years old now and I still have problems dealing with what happened to me especially when I see children in Gaza, and I remember my own childhood.”

The unique event in Philadelphia included well respected spiritual and political leaders. Pennsylvania state senator Nikil Saval and state representative Danilo Burges, councilwoman Rue Landau as well as Justin Marshall a leader of IfNotNow Jewish movement, the Reverend Fahed AbuAkel of the Red Christian letters who came from Atlanta as well as the Imam of the center and other leaders of peace movements in the city of Philadelphia.

Participants broke the fast together and organizers said that the event was a big success as many Jewish leaders had never in their life ever visited an Islamic Mosque before.