Listen first, speak later

 

In 2012 Marillion -- an English progrock band -- released the album 'Sounds that can't be made'. The album featured the song 'Gaza', a seventeen minute long description of life in Gaza as seen through the eyes of a child. This was long before the general outrage in the western world on the conflict. Steve Hogarth, Marillion singer and lyricist, could have chosen a militant point of view, as many are prone to today. He didn't. Instead he wrote a story. A story on how a child copes with the such a dire living situation. 

As Hogarth explained himself he wrote the lyrics after many conversations with ordinary Palestinians living in the refugee camps of Gaza and the West Bank. He also spoke to Israelis and to N.G.O workers. Commendable, to gather information first and form an opninion after. Still, the song is not militant. It is a poetic account. It's about how a child shouldn't have to grow up like this, living like this, living in a place with a wall around it. You can find the lyrics here: https://www.marillion.com/music/lyric.htm?id=824.

To me, this bears more weight than angry shouting and unfounded outcries. In a time of omnipresent information, we seem to look up what already aligns with our bias, our preconceived ideas. The worldwide web in all its wonder ads at the same time great benefit and danger.

How come those who often shout the loudest, seem to have the least knowledge. This is not only so on the Gaza topic, but rather in general. Most of the relevant information, on any topic, is out there, at the tip of our fingers, just one click away. All we have to do is go look for it.

Sadly, Gaza and the Palestinians' cause have been in the news for a half a century. From the PLO's actions to Yasser Arafat's Peace Nobel Prize. From the inifada's to today's violence. Don't we all remember this? During the many previous crises no universities were occupied in the West. No marches in major cities, rallying a hundred thousand people, were held. What changed? Our moral compass? Have we suddenly woken up, no longer prepared to accept injustice? The what about other injustices across the world. There are many. Few of them get a press coverage, though. Are we selective in our outrage, then? Influenced by internet and other media perhaps?

It's time for all of us to read more, isn't it. Time to go far and beyond what popular media feeds us, so we can form an balanced and nuanced opinion, based on fact.  

Marillion did exactly that and the beautiful song 'Gaza' is the result.