Week 5: Pray for Peace

Where's our humanity?

It's week 5, and we're already into February. I could not go a whole year without talking about horrific events going on around the world. It's not just Gaza, it's Sudan, it's Congo and very likely many other places which I just cannot keep up with. It's treating people with no humanity. The things I have seen shared online, which haven't been shared in the newspapers or television news programmes, it is horrific.

I am utterly heartbroken by the events over the last couple of months, but this is not a new thing. It's been going on for years. 70 years and counting in Gaza. It makes me realise how much we put so much mislaid trust in the governments when they don't actually have our best interests in mind. We pay them taxes and they waste the money on contracts to those who lobby them hardest. I wholeheartedly disagree with any bombing of any country, any place and any people.

In my opinion, all militaries should be banned, all weapons should be destroyed and we should be able to say where our taxes go directly like you would do stocks and shares. The UK government and parliament needs a huge shake up and the way that policies, parties and prime ministers are voted on, needs to be radically changed. I see things in the House of Commons and House of Lords which frankly embarrasses me in being British. When MP's stand up and point out the genocide, horrific acts of violence and destruction all over the world, and the replies back with a... but but but but... look what the other people are doing, self defence, blah blah .. and then they sit down smirking. It's absolutely childish and it gives me no hope in this country sometimes.

The Palestinian people deserve freedom, humanity, security, aid and rights. They deserve love, respect and community... like every other human on this planet. We are only here for short time, we need to treat each other like a family member. The protests around the world have been a wonderful show of solidarity with the people in amongst the destruction and bombing in Gaza. Sometimes I feel helpless and broken when I see videos of babies, kids, women and men being hurt and killed shared on social media. I see the numbers and you see the voices that talk about how bad it's been. Every year, a part of the Palestinian land is taken over. All this just highlights the colonial mentality a lot of Western governments have. If there are highly valuable resources to be had, western countries will be after it one way or another.

I really don't understand in this day and age that we have to resort to violence and destruction. It absolutely baffles me. Countries, like the US and the UK always want to be superior over others. I'm sorry this has been a quite depressing post this week but I just had to talk about it. It is heartbreaking talking, protesting and standing up for what we think is right for humanity and community.

Those who have been sharing the horrific events across the world:

Lowkey, The Slow Factory, Rosy Pirani, Mint Press, Double Down News, Wear The Peace, Bees and Refugees, Earthrise Studio,

and last but not least the incredible press photographer Motaz Azaiza.

And then you have social media companies like Meta, who have been closing down and shadow banning social media accounts for rightly sharing the horrific events around the worlds. It's quite frankly unacceptable. There should be widespread condemnation across the world.

Let me know what you think. Follow me on this journey.

If you'd like to work on a photo with me one week, feel free to drop me a message via Instagram @bimalt or via my contact form.