Sunday, February 19, 2012

Khader Adnan, Bobby Sands

Khader Adnan's current hunger strike, presumably to the death, is more than a little reminiscent of the IRA hunger strikes of 1981. As, no doubt, the Israeli occupation of Palestine is more than a little reminiscent of the British occupation of Ireland, most particularly during the Troubles.

1 comment:

  1. Lyric:

    Khader Adnan, Bobby Sands

    Khader Adnan grew up near Jenin City
    You could say he was a product of his time
    Ever since he was a kid he'd get arrested
    Though he was never charged with any crime
    Spending half his life in prison
    A life lived like so many of his friends
    Arbitrary and indefinite detention
    Never knowing if your jail time would end
    Khader Adnan was arrested last December
    Again he wasn't told the reason why
    He was shackled, he was beaten, he was tortured
    There beneath the Middle Eastern sky
    Perhaps there was a moment when he realized
    That right then, with his body, he'd say no
    But from then on he refused to eat another meal
    Like in Belfast not many years ago

    Khader Adnan grew up in a war zone
    But all the tanks and planes were only on one side
    It was a type of war that they call occupation
    Settlement, removal, fratricide
    And anyone who talked about resistance
    Who thought they did not deserve to be a slave
    Would be looking down the barrel of a gun
    And often find themselves inside an early grave
    Khader Adnan loves his wife and daughters
    And he likes to eat his daily bread
    But in prison he can't see his children
    Or live life with the lady that he wed
    So on behalf of all the children without fathers
    He decided he had to strike a blow
    He said I will have dignity or death
    Like in Belfast not many years ago

    Each time Khader Adnan was arrested
    In prison he would learn a little more
    And soon he became the teacher
    And he'd talk about the times that came before
    They talked about civil disobedience
    They talked about the ballot and the gun
    They talked about the Occupied Six Counties
    And the H Blocks in 1981
    Khader Adnan talked of perseverance
    And how someday their people might be free
    How someday they might hear their children laughing
    Unafraid, how someday things could be
    And then at 3:30 on one morning
    The soldiers came, their rifles pointed low
    And they took Khader Adnan from his family
    Like in Belfast not many years ago

    They say Khader Adnan is a terrorist
    Just like they said of Bobby Sands
    Because he dares speak out against injustice
    Because he dares to make a stand
    Because he dares believe that he is human
    And he does not deserve to live this way
    Because he dares to consider an alternative
    Because he dares imagine a new day
    Khader Adnan lost his liberty before he was born
    To fight for life it's death he must embrace
    But just like others come before him
    There are others waiting to take his place
    And even the great powers can lose interest
    In supporting such a vicious status quo
    Because you can't break a man who won't be broken
    Like in Belfast not many years ago

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