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By Masoomeh, hunger striker in Camp Liberty

Nelson Mandela, the historic icon of resistance in South Africa, recently left us. Many countries across the globe flew their flags at half stance in a show of respect to this great leader, and many international figures reminded us of his greatness citing Mandela’s famous lines calling for peace and unity.

Mandela fought for freedom, and when he faced the Palestinian people, he told them, “As long as justice is not achieved in Palestine, our revolution has not borne fruit.” This historic sentence shows that as long as freedom is enchained, the cry for freedom continues until all of humanity is liberated from autarchy and cruelty.

The history of mankind is full of great men who paid the price and founded principles and laws, such as the Cyrus Charter; a step forward the 4th Geneva Convention; a step forward the non-refoulement principle; and another step forward on refugees and …

However, in the age of knowledge and liberty, not only are values not placed in the agenda, in fact in the face-off against between the despots and victims, it is these values that are sacrificed first. As if we have returned to the age of ignorance.

Is this the age of cloaking values and principles and human rights?! Or by citing beautiful sentences, quoting great men, and crying deceitful slogans, they are actually bargaining the lives of human beings through their silence and inaction? And in the black market of politics and appeasement, we are seeing human lives, revolution and revolutionist values being negotiated?

On the morning of 1 September 2013, 100 unarmed and innocent political refugees in Ashraf were attacked in the most vicious manner, leaving 52 people horrifically executed and seven others abducted as hostages.

It has been over 100 days since hundreds of refugees have been forced to resort to their last solution, going on a hunger strike. Residents of Camp Liberty are paying the price by endangering their very beings, in an attempt to just maybe open the eyes and ears of the international community to have the seven Ashrafi hostages release. We have decided to go the distance at all costs and devote our lives for the release of the seven hostages, and we will most definitely succeed.

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