Hey ,
I hope you're doing as well as you possibly can. I've been trying to think of something to type to you for hours. It's been difficult to find any words at all.
As you may know, Khaled Nabhan, the beloved grandfather from Gaza who wore compassion on his sleeve and embodied the essence of kindness, has tragically been killed. He was killed by the occupation, which continues to exterminate without remorse.
He broke our hearts last year, around this time, when he kissed the eyes of his granddaughter Reem as he let the world know that she was "the soul of his soul." We ended up creating a design in dedication to him and his family, and donated 100% of profits to provide for the humans of Gaza and to assist Khaled's family. He loved the design, but because of the restrictions of the occupation and their border wall, we were not able to get him a piece from the collection.
This morning, like millions of others who loved him, I woke up to the horrific news that he had been killed. I saw his enlightened face as his family said their final farewells. I saw them carrying his body for burial. I saw his daughter playing with his beard. Like many others, I felt like a piece of me had been snatched away. I wondered, how many people have a heavy heart today, though they've never met him.
As I scrolled through the news on Instagram, my body froze. His nephew, Saed Nabhan, a journalist from Gaza, took a photo of him with his thobe open. He was wearing the design and the crewneck that we designed in dedication to him. It didn't make sense to me. How was this even possible?
I had sent my condolences earlier in the morning to his nephew, Saed, but had to ask him about the shirt. He sent me a voice message saying he just got it gifted it to him just a couple of days ago from someone who entered (later we found out it was from a volunteer nurse that entered Gaza). Today was the first day he ever wore it and that he loved it so much. He was killed in it.
My heart was now in a million pieces.
Hours later, I felt different. I was still heartbroken but there was a sense of honor.
I felt like this was the Wear The Peace family's way of saying goodbye to him. None of us ever had the pleasure of meeting him in real life. We all never had the honor to be in his presence. But, this felt like our way of giving him a hug as he continued his journey to Reem and Tariq, his beloved grandchildren.
It's only because you of that we were able to help him and his family. Today we donated an extra $3,800 to his family to help them with anything they need. We will continue to look out for them in the future as well. They have become a part of our family.
Be louder for Gaza and do not lose hope. We cannot have this continue. We will rejoice on the beaches of Gaza and celebrate a free Palestine soon.
Peace and blessings,
Murad
Murad
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