A Letter from a Palestinian Muslim to Santa, By Mahmoud El-Yousseph

A Letter from a Palestinian Muslim to Santa

By Mahmoud El-Yousseph

ccun.org, December 26, 2008

Dear Mr. Santa,

This might be unusual request coming from someone who is a Muslim, but the fact is that I have few things on my mind.

Could you please swing by Palestine, and in particular to a place called Gaza this year. It is not too far from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, who is the reason for the season. There are 1.5 million people who are starving there in Gaza and have been under siege from air, sea, and ground for almost three years. You may ask what is the reason for that? Those people wanted to be free and independent just like us here in America.

Over 51% of the population is under the age of 15. Among those people are solid 3,000 Christians also. Statistically speaking, there should be about 1,500 of their Christian children who will not be having a merry Christmas this year for lack of basic necessities to survive such as food, water, fuel, and medicine.

Animals are in a worse shape than humans in Gaza. There is no grass or animal feeds left in Gaza.

Parents and children alike are dying daily because they are unable to get medical attention inside or outside Gaza due to the blockade. The U.N. is no longer able to deliver food anymore because of Israeli border closings, and has also warned of impending human disaster..

The children of Gaza do not need toys or video games as they do in other parts of the Christian world, so I suggest the following:

Baby formula

Bottled water

Candles

Vitamin supplement. I heard many suffer from severe malnutrition

Clothing and toiletry

Batteries (all sizes)

Hearing aids for children

Animal feeds. I heard that a local pet store here is having a great bargain, buy one get one free!

Meal Ready to Eat [MRE]. The same kind used by the military.

No need for desert, there is one inside the MRE package. However, if there is some ginger bread man on special, I recommend taking several boxes. I am sure the children will enjoy it and will talk about it for years to come.

Thank you in advance. Have a safe trip. May Allah [God in Arabic] be with you, and as you would say; Ho, ho, ho.

Sincerely,

Mahmoud El-Yousseph

elyousseph6@yahoo.com

You may send your assistance to besieged Gazans through:

1. United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

http://www.un.org/unrwa/

2. The free Gaza movement

http://www.freegaza.ps/english/

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