Last night fantastic fireworks heralded in the new year across the datelines as the 2009 crept in from the South Pacific. The sights in Sydney harbour, Hong Kong, Beijing and the London Eye were a pleasure to behold. However, in the Middle East, fireworks were banned for the New Year celebrations in view of the war situation in Gaza.
Here in the little town of Huissen on the surburb of Arnhem, there was a free-for-all in firework displays as youth who had been itching to let off, released all they had to the night sky. There was a cacophony of sounds and the sky was lit up in flares of all colours and configurations. There were loud bangs, hissing sounds, crackling and whistling sounds as of bullets and other military projectiles. I stopped to ponder that for us, these were sounds and lights of merriment and celebration to welcome a new year but over the Gaza strip this same night, the fireworks of the Israeli Defence Forces were the harbingers of death and destruction. I watched our local fireworks and experienced the blinding flares, the booming noises and the incessant activity in the sky above. Fortunately the threat of imminent death was the all-important missing factor. Last night, I empathised the plight of the helpless citizens of Gaza. My heart went out for the terrorised people of Gaza.
Here in the little town of Huissen on the surburb of Arnhem, there was a free-for-all in firework displays as youth who had been itching to let off, released all they had to the night sky. There was a cacophony of sounds and the sky was lit up in flares of all colours and configurations. There were loud bangs, hissing sounds, crackling and whistling sounds as of bullets and other military projectiles. I stopped to ponder that for us, these were sounds and lights of merriment and celebration to welcome a new year but over the Gaza strip this same night, the fireworks of the Israeli Defence Forces were the harbingers of death and destruction. I watched our local fireworks and experienced the blinding flares, the booming noises and the incessant activity in the sky above. Fortunately the threat of imminent death was the all-important missing factor. Last night, I empathised the plight of the helpless citizens of Gaza. My heart went out for the terrorised people of Gaza.
