By: Vaanmathy
I went and asked my mother today, what is a mother? She said” “a mother is someone who brings life into this world, and treats their life as the most precious thing in the world, even before her life. She is a living symbol of love, and one’s whose love is endless and unconditional.”
Now, last year on this day, May 10, it was Mother’s Day. And, as the world celebrated Mother’s Day, the Sri-Lankan Government killed thousands of innocent Tamil civilians in an all night artillery barrage – to the tune of over 2000, many others were left injured. Thousands became orphans because their MOTHER’s and FATHER’s were KILLED.
In response to this brutal massacre, the Tamils in Toronto protested on the Gardiner Expressway. These individuals wanted to call media attention to the situation in Sri-Lanka, and called for an intervention since many people were losing relatives while they protested. Tears filled many people’s eyes.
While they blocked the highway, many people became aware of what was going on, other’s complained that they were going to be late to their Mother’s Day dinners. I talked to one of my co-workers who said, “Don’t listen to those who complained they were going to be late to their Mother’s Day dinners, a real mother would understand. When children are losing their mothers, a real mother would understand the pain, and she would want to see lives saves, not lives lost. And, a mother would understand that she will be able to have dinner with her son/daughter here in Canada, even if they come 3 hours late, or if they come the next day, but those Tamils in Sri-Lanka, in 3 hours, they may not have someone to call a mother, so calling attention to the brutality and massacre is a must.”
This made me think, many others said that the protesters put their lives at risk by taking up the highway, but we all know, that those lives who were truly in danger, were those Tamils who were being attacked by artillery shelling in Sri-Lanka.
I leave you here with this quote:
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
– Elie Wiesel, Night
Tags: Speak Out
