As Far As The Eye Can See

Washington D.C. January 13th, 2024.

It started with a message from an old friend asking me if I wanted to go to the March on D.C. My immediate reaction was yes, then I thought about the time, cost, and other commitments. I sent it to another friend, telling him I was seriously considering it, but wasn’t sure. He jumped on it and two weeks before MLK Day; we had tickets and hotel rooms on his credit card points.

One ask by a friend turned into a group of 17 of us from Denver and D.C. attending the March for Gaza.

Personally, it was important for me to be there, to be present, to be counted. I wanted to stand in solitary with others for Palestinian dignity and rights. So much of the past twenty years, I have felt isolated in my country positioning myself with Palestinians. Personally, I needed to be others that feel the same as I do.  

As far as the eye could see, was an ocean of people. I couldn’t see an end or a beginning. The crowd consisted of people from all different walks of life, ethnicities, and age groups. I saw toddlers, older adults, and people in wheelchairs. So many people wearing keffiyehs and Palestinian flags flying dotting the mass crowd. The sight overwhelmed me.

The call to prayer basically started the rally. A gifted reciter gave a beautiful Adhan (the summons to come and enter the prayer space). People cleared space for Muslims to perform their salat (prayers). In front of me, men laid down the Palestinian flag as their prayer mat. The crowd silenced and witnessed Muslims practicing their faith. It was a powerful example of freedom of religion in the United States and how we can respect different faiths.

An entire group of Orthodox Jewish families was in front of the crowd. Now, I am not sure how they could attend during their Sabbath. It took planning and work on their part. They had their eyes lowered the entire time. I am not sure if that was so they wouldn’t watch the video screens (because of the Sabbath) or if it was out of reverence. One rabbi shot a video earlier for the crowd voicing their support of Palestinian rights as a Jew, since he couldn’t speak into a microphone on the Sabbath.

As we approached the White House at the end of the March, they were walking against the crowd on their way back, single file, eyes down. I started to tear up at their commitment and sacrifice. It takes courage and bravery to show up like that. What a beautiful testament to their Jewish faith.

The crowd patiently stood and listened to over 3 hours of speeches, mostly given by Palestinians. Wael el-Dahdouh sent a message to the crowd from Gaza. That man is a treasure and a hero, not just for Palestinians, but for us all. Even with his recent loss of his son, he took the time to record a video and thanked us for showing up.

One of the last speakers was Dr. Cornel West. He gave a rousing speech, more like a good old-fashioned Sunday morning preaching, about love for our precious Palestinian brothers and sisters, Jesus, and MLK. Very fitting for Martin Luther King Weekend.

There was a unity among Muslims, Christians, and Jews in their love for Palestinians. All were welcome.

Presence matters. This struck me as we marched to Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House. Close to 400,000 people raising their voices for Palestinian freedom. Each one of our voices individually is powerful, but collectively is a force of nature.

I don’t know if this will get measurable results or not. I know this is the largest movement I’ve ever seen willing to stand for Palestinian rights. I was one of hundreds of thousands of Americans. A day I have longed to see and didn’t believe was possible.

I’ve described my life and work with Palestinians as an ornate tapestry. My life as a thread woven together with their lives. Continue looping and knotting together to create a stunning work of art.

Imagine the exquisiteness of being fastened with 400,000 unique threads in Washington only to be joined by a half million in London. Along with others protesting in Indonesia, South Africa, Italy, Brazil, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, Jordan, Japan, Ireland, Scotland, and Mexico, just to name a few.

The elaborate tapestry reaches as far as the eye can see…

To a free Palestine.