For the last two years, the world witnessed horrific tragedies in Gaza. Painful images and stories emerged as innocent people were displaced, bombed, maimed, raped, starved, and killed. Many of those affected were women and children, and although a formal ceasefire was recently established, there are still frequent reports of bombs continuing to drop.
For the besieged Palestinians and much of the world, the ceasefire was a small sigh of momentary relief, a temporary respite from the daily destruction. And yet, the difficulties have not ceased; by all accounts, they are still continuing as we ask how the Palestinian people can even begin to rebuild all that they have lost.
Here at home, a sense of helplessness sometimes haunts us as we watch such unspeakable suffering. But we are not helpless, and there are simple but powerful things we can do right here in our communities to show our support.
Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah
Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.
The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small.
Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.
On November 29th, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People will be globally observed. This day, established in 1977 by the United Nations General Assembly, commemorates the adoption of the United Nations Partition Plan (UN Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, to advocate for the establishment of a two-state solution and for the Palestinians’ right to return to their homes. We can show our solidarity and support for our brothers and sisters on this day and even during the entire month of November. Here are some suggestions of what we can do:
- Fly a Palestinian flag at every home and/or organization to show support for Gaza and Palestine. Another option is to wear a Palestinian flag pin on your lapel, jacket, hijab, bag, etc.
- Organizations and allies of the Palestinian people can screen documentaries/films on the oppression and systematic genocide that occurred, and in some cases, is still occurring in Gaza and in Palestine (a suggested list is included). Have multiple showings if possible.
- Host talks and discussions on the situation in Gaza.
- Wear Palestinian pins, bracelets, colors, and or the kaffiyeh during the month of November in support and remembrance of the Palestinian people and their fight for survival.
- Take consistent and regular action, letting your elected officials know that you expect them to uphold justice for the Palestinian people (through phone calls, letters, emails, visits, etc.).
- On Nov 29th, encourage fasting and extra prayers in solidarity with the Palestinian people (prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do).
- Continue activism (in any form that works for you [eg, fasting, prayers, contacting elected officials, supporting the BDS movement, hosting talks, wearing Palestinian colors/kaffiyeh, etc.]) to protest the ongoing occupation and brutal genocide. Continue until the Palestinian people are free.
The following list of films, documentaries, and videos all showcase powerful stories of the Palestinian people. Their voices carry through loud and clear, asking us to hear what they are trying to share. Many of these films have won multiple awards and accolades:
-
- Gaza: Journalists Under Fire (www.bravenewfilms.org)
- The Voice of Hind Rajab (official trailer on YouTube)*
- Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (official trailer on YouTube. In theaters Nov 5)
- Starving Gaza (Al Jazeera)
- This is Gaza: Witnessing the Israel-Hamas war (YouTube, Channel4.com)
- It’s Bisan from Gaza, and I’m still Alive (YouTube)
- The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- Israel’s Reel Extremism (www.Zeteo.com, YouTube)
- In Reel Life: Hidden War
- 3000 Nights (Netflix)
- Resistance, Why? (YouTube, Vimeo.com)
- Ma’loul Celebrates its Destruction (Justwatch.com)
- 5 Broken Cameras (Apple TV)
- The Wanted 18 (Amazon Prime, Justwatch.com)
- Aida Returns
- Farha (Netflix)
- Ghost Hunting
- Naila and the Uprising
- Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege
- Eleven Days in May (Al Jazeera)
- Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe (YouTube, Al Jazeera)
- The War in June 1967 (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- The War in October: What Happened in 1973? (YouTube, Al Jazeera)
- The Price of Oslo (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- Jerusalem: Dividing Al-Aqsa (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story (Al Jazeera)
- Gaza, Sinai, and the Wall (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- Israel’s Automated Occupation: Hebron (Al Jazeera, YouTube
- Weaponising Water in Palestine (Al Jazeera, YouTube)
- Rebel Architecture: The Architecture of Violence (Al Jazeera)
- No Other Land (2025 Academy Award Winner! On Amazon, Apple TV, etc.)
This is only a partial list. There are many other films also documenting the plight of the Palestinian people. Please support these brave filmmakers as they share their stories. Together, we can show our solidarity with Palestine. This genocide is one that the whole world is watching in real time, and it is incumbent upon all of us to uphold justice in the face of such atrocities. There is much truth in the old adage “Together we stand, divided we fall”. Let us stand firm and united for Palestine.
[*The film received a record-breaking 24-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize. Release date TBA. No USA distributor as of the date of this printing.]
Related:
– Watch, Learn, And Speak Out: Films And Documentaries About Palestine Made Available Online For Free
– From Algeria to Palestine: Commemorating Eighty Years Of Resistance And International Solidarity