Saadia Shakeel
Hamilton
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2025/dec/04/a-mass-wedding-in-gaza-in-pictures?CMP=share_btn_url#img-10
As I prepare for my own daughter’s wedding, memories of an article I once read return to me, and Eman’s words echo softly in my heart. I find myself feeling what she felt—carrying her pain alongside my joy.
I look at my daughter, Alhamdulillah, radiant and hopeful, immersed in the happiness of preparing for one of the most cherished moments of her life. May Allah protect her from every harm and every evil in this world, Ameen. As her mother, I stand beside her—present, grateful, and filled with a joy that words can hardly contain.
Yet, when night falls and the world grows quiet, my heart travels far beyond my home. In the stillness of my prayers, I think of the daughters of Gaza—those who do not have the comfort of family gathered around them, those who do not get to dream of weddings they can plan, design, and celebrate in peace. My joy feels heavier then, softened by grief.
How cruel must the heart be that can strip another human being of their home, their safety, and their dreams—while the world watches on. Weddings are sacred dreams, whispered into a girl’s heart long before they ever become reality. They are imagined with innocence, hope, and love over many years.
How blessed our children are to live these moments, to laugh, to plan, to create memories that will last a lifetime. And how heavy the responsibility upon us not to forget those who are denied even the chance to dream.
Dear friends, let us not turn away. Let us rise together and stand for the daughters whose dreams have been shattered, and do whatever we can to help restore hope where it has been stolen. It is never too late to stand for what is right.
May Allah guide us, strengthen us, and help us be a means of mercy in this world. Ameen.
https://donations.icnasistersca.org/daughters-of-gaza/
