The Palestinian Poppy and the Western Hypocrisy

In the somber cascade of red poppies adorning Western lapels each year, an irony unfolds-an act of mourning for the departed, juxtaposed against the financial backing of the ongoing tragedy in occupied territories across the world. As the petals fall, so does the veil on the obscured narrative of Palestinian suffering—a discourse too often stripped of its humanity, relegated to the sidelines of global attention.

Saree Makdisi's poignant portrayal in "Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation" bridges the symbolic and the tangible, weaving a narrative where the red poppy transforms from a mere emblem of remembrance into a powerful symbol of daily resistance against occupation. Its vibrant hues mirror the Palestinian flag, a defiant flourish in the face of adversity. This red poppy is a living testament, encapsulating the unyielding spirit of a people striving for self-determination against colonial oppression—an assertion of agency that starkly contrasts the confined remembrance celebrated in the West. Should we not mourn the accelerating loss of life in the West Bank and Gaza? Has humanity itself succumbed to a silent demise?

The red poppy, a national symbol of Palestine, serves as a potent icon of living resistance, demanding recognition beyond the bounds of conventional remembrance. The stark disparity between Remembrance Day commemorations, centered on lives extinguished, and the ongoing carnage in Palestine tugs at the realities of the West—a disconcerting imbalance in how we assign value to lives ensnared in the throes of conflict. The question that comes to mind is: What shapes the ethical dimensions of their collective memory and the narratives they prioritize?

While the West mourns for those who have passed, Palestine resists its genocide funded by the same mourners. In the shadows of mass exodus and genocide, over 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,500 children, have died. The condemnation of a Palestinian march as "disrespectful" by Sunak and labeled a "hate rally" by Doug Ford reveals a macabre theater, where political jesters can close their eyes to bloodstained hands, drowning in the consequences of their actions.