It was definitely a very sad day for all muslims today…we laid to rest our very own guerrilla, freedom fighter, rebel, hero, icon, peace maker, leader Yasser Arafat! now that he’s gone, i realize along with many other human beings what a tremendous character he was. the glowing smile he always wore, even present on his face when he was last seen in public standing inside a chopper being taken to the hospital last week where he died yesterday. this tiny man faced Goliath, but never left the calm on his face leave. he smiled so his brethren would draw courage from him.
I was fortunate enough to watch his burrial scene live on CNN and GEO with commentary by Jim Clancy and Christian Ammanpour and Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain resepectively. the scene at the HQs where Yasser Arafat had been under house arrest and where he was to be burried was already emotional enough with millions of people hanging on electric poles, walls, roofs to make sure they were there to pay resepct when their father arrived.
and it all came as a shock, the scene when the two egyptian choppers arrived on screen creating the thunderous noise which appeared like a suited salute to the man who was inside on a last journey. within seconds the crowd errupted into the loudest of noises shouting slogans and ran to the spot where the choppers were to land leaving almost no space for them to land! the ground was just so full of people full of emotions that not a single person was able to step down from the choppers for the next half hour or so. the security officials began firing rounds of automatic fire into the air to repel the crowd; it would have no effect on the people who are born amidst gunfights! soon the firing turned into saluting fire so befitting the occasion…this was just an mazing sight…the entire scene…the commentators were speachless, it was that moment that made them realize what a man he was and what he meant to Palestinians. from then on the commentary was clearly pro Yasser Arafat. they were clearly moved and inspired by the scenes.
the Israelis had claimed Arafat was an irrelevant man, Jim Clancy and Ms Amanpour sarcastically quoted the Israelis and said somethin to the effcets that this does not happen for an irrelevant man. the world saw who Arafat was and what he meant.
Indeed all grace and respect comes from Allah and whom he wills to grant respect no one can belittle…the funeral of this man who spent his entire life wearing the green battle outfit and the white checkered shamagh, which will now become a symbol of heroism like Che Geuvaras cap, and will be worn by many including jews and americans and be displayed on many a poster, was granted a burrial by Allah’s grace which not even the greatest of kings have had in history! Jim Clancy of CNN said, many leaders have forced funerals where the people are told to show emotion in a reqd way, here ppl are showing open emotion, raw emotion.
Indeed in my entire life i have never seen anythign like this on tv. i had goose bumps all the while and reluctant tears watering the eyes.
as i think of it, in my lifetime so far only a few other events covered on TV have been somewhat as moving as this, though if we talk abot funerals this has to be the funeral of the century so far…
other events include of course the 9/11 attack on the WTC.
the Tiannaman square drama…?
can any of you think of more things that could be added to this list?
from the 70s i am told that the funeral of Aytollah Komeini was an equally striking scene…his body had also fallen from the coffin.
