On May 27, 2021, the Qatari daily Al-Sharq published a poem by Qatar's former health minister, cardiologist Dr. Hajar Bin Ahmad Al-Bin'ali, glorifying the Gazan organizations for their recent round of fighting with Israel. The poem, titled "The Intifada of Laylat Al-Qader," is written in the form of a traditional qasidah (ode). It lavishes praise on the Gazans who "led the way in jihad and in courage" and whose rockets "illuminated the earth," terrifying the Israelis and bringing pride and joy to the Arabs. Extolling the Gazans for heeding the call of Jerusalem, and calling to "expel the filthy Zionists from Al-Aqsa," the poem also curses the Arabs and Muslims for not coming to the Gazans' aid.
The qasida in the Qatari daily Al-Sharq
The following is a translation of the poem.[1]
"Your rockets became suns in the evening
They were fear for them and joy for us
"Awesome, they move proudly through space
Bringing calamity upon them in Tel Aviv
"You shot up meteors that sailed through their skies
Frightening both devils and humans as they flew
"From up high they illuminated the earth
And you [Israelis] remained humiliated underground, as prisoners
"We heard the call of Jerusalem: Arise, let us help Jerusalem
And let us expel the filthy Zionists from Al-Aqsa
"The noble Jerusalemite refused to abandon Al-Aqsa
And gave the Zionists a lesson, right there, in [the Al-Aqsa] compound
"God bless you, son of Jerusalem, you did not fear their soldiers
And the month of fasting heighted the holiness of your Holy City
"Two [lions'] dens of heroes – Jerusalem and Gaza
They brought forth lions who increased our might
"Their children threw stones,
But their resolve was tougher than stone
"The sons of Gaza rose up, God bless them,
They shed their blood and sacrificed their lives
"O my heroic brethren, o pride of my nation
Your glorious fighting raised up our heads
"Gaza leads the way in jihad and in courage
Her sons answered the call of conscience and of the Holy City
"Struggle and faith and the resolve to fight,
You see that their war is fire and their funerals are weddings[2]
"By Mighty Allah's victory and grace,
The head of evil swallowed a cup of humiliation
"If not for them, I would never have written a single line,
The valiant holy war inspired my heart and feeling
"They shattered the infamous Oslo [Accord] – woe to it –
It was an injustice to them [the Palestinians] and a prison
"Those who love Israel were disappointed,
They experienced anxiety morning and evening
"There was in Palestine a people, outstanding,
Those who do not recognize them are blind, they deny the sun
"We saw the Arab youth in every prison,
In the occupied homeland, they shattered the prison
"But our [Arab] kin and fellow Muslims did not come forth
To succor the people of Jerusalem. Curse on them! Curse!
"When called upon to extend help for Allah's sake, they desisted
Their lack of high ambition is yet another plight
"The Arab assemblies did not respond to Gaza's calls
Their deafness to her cries makes me sleepless
"I do not see "normalization" as an achievement
Our homeland was sold cheaply to our enemies
"The homeland has [inviolable] rights,
Whoever betrays his people – his people shall bury him.
"Palestine is in my heart and mind and blood,
I may get old and forgetful but Palestine shall not be forgotten
[1] Al-Sharq (Qatar), May 27, 2021.
[2] This is a reference to the Muslim traditional belief that martyrs are wed to 72 black-eyed virgins in Paradise. The belief is based on Quranic verses promising this reward to "the righteous" (Quran 44:51-54; 52:17-20), interpreted by Muslim commentators as "the martyrs."
