“I Do Not Believe in Impossible Things.” – Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish

This week I had the extreme good fortune to attend a local Toronto Beaches book club meeting where the author of the book was in attendance. You must understand what an incredible occurrence this was, as the author was none other than Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, known world-wide as “The Gaza Doctor.” Dr. Abuelaish wrote the touching book I Shall Not Hate, a memoir of his life growing up and living in the war-torn Gaza Strip.  Most importantly, the book focusses on his life after losing his wife to cancer and four short months later, three of his daughters to an Israeli-led bombing. Dr. Abuelaish’s story is one of compassion in the face of grief, and action when words are never enough. Many in attendance at the book club, including myself, marvelled at his ability to not only share a story that is so painful to communicate, but to share his strong belief, even now, that hope for peace in the Middle East is in fact possible. To help us understand the incomprehensible, he often used analogies from the world of medicine to unravel what has historically been a grievously misunderstood world issue. Abuelaish strongly believes that the disease of war in the Middle East, the never-ending cycle of meeting of violence with violence, is a distinctly human malady that can, because of its innate human-ness, be treated. He speaks of Israel and Palestine as doctor and patient. In order for the patient to get well, both the patient and the doctor must take responsibility, and must have hope. It is only with a diagnosis of the problem that the illness can then be treated and the patient cured.

From his new home in Toronto, Dr. Abuelaish is putting his words into action. He has founded the organization called The Daughters For Life Foundation, established to advance both the education and health of girls and women in The Middle East. He also shares his message of tolerance, dignity and respect through teaching courses at The University of Toronto that include Women’s Health in Countries of Conflict, Health as an Engine for the Journey to Peace, and International Perspectives on Health Services Management. You can learn more about Dr. Abuelaish’s story in an engrossing interview with Steve Paikin of TVO here, and learn more about his remarkable book, I Shall Not Hate in this Globe and Mail book review. Better, yet, please read the book!

I have to thank my dear friends Don and Pauli Quinlan for inviting me to their book club on Wednesday. Not only was the message a timely one for me to hear, I appreciated becoming part of a thoughtful group of people meeting to discuss important world issues discovered through the power of literature. I have had Dr. Abuelaish’s book on my e-book shelf for a year, but needed the personal experience to prompt me to read and better understand this strikingly human dimension to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

I also want to give recognition to Don, who is an author himself. I’ve known Don professionally since starting work at Oxford University Press back in the mid 1990’s. Not only did Don and Pauli take me in as an extended member of their Toronto Beaches family when I moved here, Don and I also had the opportunity to publish a textbook together on World Religions. This was a project near and dear to both of our hearts, and is now in high schools across Ontario and Newfoundland. It is one of the projects I am most proud of in my publishing career as the spirit of the resource aligns closely with Dr. Abuelaish’s message of tolerance, understanding and hope. Don also recently received a nomination and medal from The Speaker’s Book Award that recognizes works by Ontario authors that help reflect the rich and diverse culture of Ontario and its residents.  A signed copy of Tim Horton: From Stanley Cups to Coffee Cups proudly rests on my bookshelf. If you have any young hockey and/or Maple Leaf fans in your house, this book about Horton’s life and accomplishments is an engaging read. You can learn more about the Speaker’s Book Award here, and Don’s ode to Tim Horton here.

Lastly, when doing my planning and research for this post, I wondered what image or images I could use that would best convey the post’s message of hope. I didn’t have far to look when I recalled this series of images I captured in Greenwich Village on a recent visit to New York City. I was on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Manhattan when I saw the school fence you see above filled with ceramic tiles painted with messages. I quickly hopped off the bus for a closer look and found that these tiles were placed on the fence by neighbours and visitors in the days, weeks and months after 9/11. I was struck by the many messages of hope that have remained there in memory of a dark time when you would not expect to see evidence of understanding, tolerance or compassion. You can read more about the tiles in this post that I wrote immediately after my visit.

This week I am grateful for the reminder of the power of words, compassion, hope, and action.