Sister Umm Taqi has written the following letter from Gaza, which has been translated from Arabic into English.
Asaalam Alykum,
My dear sisters and brothers I wanted to take this opportunity to send you a message from the sisters in Gaza . Please hear our situation and tell everyone that you know and dont know.
Our situation is dire but our eman is strong alhamdulillah, even though we have no water to speak of, and when we do it is polluted and we have no money to buy mineral water. When we find the money those that sell it say that it is too dangerous for them to travel out to get new supplies. We have no gas, and have not had for the last four months. We cook the little food we have on real fires that we have learned to prepare.
Our men have lost all of their jobs. They spend their days at home now. My husband can spend a day just going from place to place just for the basic need of water. He usually returns empty handed. There are no schools, no banks, hardly any hospitals open. You are constantly aware that you risk your life when you go out and when you are indoors. They give us a curfew between 1-4pm. We can go out, they say, in safety to get your supplies, but that is a lie. They have ofetn used that opportnity to add more shuhada to their list.
We eat one day rice and one day bread. Meat and milk are a luxury. They are using chemical warfare in the areas which are on the borders.
All this and we are being told that people demonstrate all over the world. Masha Allah. the fact that you go to embassies and leave your homes makes us feel truely that we are not alone in our struggle.
But you go home at night and lock your door. We cannot do that. I have to leave my home on the second floor every night and stay with my sister on the ground floor. Should there be an attack, it's quicker to leave from the ground floor.
Yes we are tired. When we hear rockets and bombs and see planes that fly too close to our building, I scream with my young son and my husband feels helpless.
In all this there is no one but Allah (swt) that can save us. But the ummah is asking where are the armies, where is the victory. Dont forget us because you are all that we have now. Your kind sadeqat is not reaching us, and when they open borders it only reaches a few. Keep up the work of Allah and pray that the victory will come soon insha Allah.
Ws.
Your sister umm Taqi.