




GAZA CITY: It was past noon on Jan 7 when Khaled Hamad Abed Rabo noticed three Israeli tanks in front of his house.
One of the soldiers, who spoke Arabic, told the family to get out.
Holding a white flag, Khaled stepped outside with his mother, wife and their three daughters — Amal, two, Samar, four and Soad who just turned seven.
Ruined lives: Nabawiyah Abed Rabo and her children standing in front of what was once their home in Azbet Abed Rabo in Jabaliya. Children are often the victims of war.“We saw two soldiers outside the tank eating chocolates and chips. They didn’t say anything to us so we just stood there. Then another soldier came out of his tank and started shooting the children,” said an incredulous Khaled yesterday when met outside his destroyed home in Azbet Abed Rabo in Jabaliya.
“He started with the youngest. He shot Amal first. She was standing next to me. I heard her scream and fall. When I picked Amal up, he shot Samar in the stomach and then Soad.”
Khaled said his wife was so shocked that she fainted, adding that the soldier shot his mother three times in the arm. He grabbed Amal, Samar, his mother and wife and ran into the house.
“I had to leave Soad outside because she was already dead.
“While this soldier was shooting, the other two soldiers who were eating chocolates and chips continued eating.”
A neighbour who worked with a clinic had an ambulance and tried to reach them when he heard Khaled’s children screaming.
But the Israeli soldiers shot at the ambulance, forcing the neighbour to retreat. Then, they crushed the ambulance with a tank.
Five minutes later, Amal died in Khaled’s arms.
The Khaled and his terror-stricken family stayed inside the house, but after two hours they felt it was too dangerous to stay.
So, Khaled and his brothers who live next door in the same apartment complex come out together and try to make it to safety.
“When we came out, the soldiers shot into the sky and ground to scare us but they allowed us to leave. One of my brothers carried Soad’s body and I carried Amal while another one of my brothers held Samar,” said Khaled.
“A few hundred metres away, we saw a donkey cart and its ow ner came to help us. But a soldier shot the driver and the donkey. Both of them died.”
Khaled said the family then walk 2.5km until they found a taxi to take them to hospital.
His mother is now recovering, his wife is still mentally traumatised; while Samar is totally paralysed and is being treated in a Belgium hospital.
When Khaled came back after the ceasefire, he found his house reduced to a pile of rubble. He hunted for photographs of his girls but found none.
So, he has been coming back every day since the ceasefire from 7am to 7pm to sit by his home “because my memories are here.”
“My children were always playing around, doing funny things and I can’t accept that they are gone,” he added.
“Soad — she was so clever. She was always coming in first in class and loved computers and the Internet. And Amal, she was so beautiful.”
Khaled said he feels a huge pain in his heart over the loss.
He has no idea why the soldier shot the kids instead of him.
“I did not expect anyone to do such things to kids. Not even in a scary movie,” he said.
When Israel attacked Gaza on Dec 27, Khaled did not evacuate his home because he had been down that road before.
He said in March last year, Israeli tanks had rolled in with 400 soldiers who made his home their hotel for four days.
“They left the house in a mess but they did not kill anyone then,” he said.
Now, he says, he is not sure if he will even rebuild his home because “whom do I build it for? Israel took my family and my home.”
Asked whether he was afraid of Israel now after what they had done, Khaled replied: “When I had a family and my daughters, I was afraid. Now that they have killed my family, I have nothing to fear.”
Khaled, who has worked in Israel, says he likes Israelis in general and is not angry with the people over what has happened.
“I am angry with the Israeli army. I want Israeli citizens to get out of their homes and ask the army what they did and why they did it,” he said.

Here are the rules
> Stick to Mathematics and Science in English;
> Revert to Bahasa Malaysia;
> Let primary schools teach both subjects in the mother tongue and secondary schools use English;
> Let primary schools decide for themselves;
> Mathematics and Science be taught in Bahasa Malaysia and mother tongue for Years One to Three and in English from Year Four onwards;
> A combination of mother tongue in the first three years and a choice of mother tongue or English after that; and
> The two subjects will not be taught in Years One to Three and instead be integrated into other subjects.
I remember that this issue has been debated for years and the concurrences and objections were equally voiced. Both parties have good intentions and both were fairly argued.
As for me, I do understand the importance of our mother tongue. I do honor my own language and would love if it is being widely used. I also understand that it is a lot easier to learn in your first language. Europian countries such as Germany proved that they are equally good as the English spoken countries especially in automotive engineering. Japan is another close example that honor their own language and is still able to be one of the countries with the most advanced technology. Many uses these two examples in proving that it would be a lot better to use our own language. I can understand that and I would want to do the same too. Just not now.
One of the reasons is that many science books were written in English or other languages. Even if math and science were being taught in the mother tongue language in school, they would still have to study in English when they went to college. Should they have learned the terms before hand, it would lessen the struggle of learning in college. Another issue that might be brought up is that those science books should be translated into mother tongue language.
While I agree to that, I also know that it cannot be done immediately. Although, that plan should MUST be discussed now and milestone should be constructed. Many issues would be addressed in this process. For instance, Malay language does not have as many verbs. What we have been doing lately are transforming English verbs to Malay by changing one to two letters. Introducing totally new verbs would be quite confusing. However, if it were being used widely, it will settle in gradually. Translating books are not necessarily only from English books. I know that there are many great books in other languages such as French, Dutch, Arab and evenmore. I also know there are many translators out there like my friends Syu (French, Arab, Spanish?), Ainur(French) and Fadhil(German) but these talents are not being utilized.
What make it more disappointing is that these people that I know and the many more that I do not know are yearned to be given a chance to help. Give them a platform to generate ideas and to contribute. You would be surprised how talented these people are. If Facebook, Friendster, Wiki and Google can be translated into Malay, why not books? Educational books, specifically.
In conclusion, I agree that we would learn/understand better in our mother tongue language but I also agree that the teaching of math and science in English should be continued at least for another three years. I wish that our education ministry would set up a project dedicated to translating informations into mother tongue and another project of studying and doing analysis on Malay language on every level, from its origins to what would be the best way of introducing new verbs. I vote for Ungku Aziz for the advisor. Should this projects are initiated, I would be the first in line.





Our Story
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
~Frodo Baggins & Samwise Gamgee, LOTR
No one can put it better than the wise Samwise Gangee. Although this is not my word, I want to give it a tribute to you: who stays with me through the darkness, to you: who wanders in the fog long enough, to you: whose faith is slowly fading, to you: who are looking for answers..
That is what I am holding on and should you too. This shadow, it’s only a passing thing.. only a passing thing.. The sun shall shine, soon..
This will be our story..