Peace for a Palestinian Quotes

“When I taught at the Arab American University and lived in Zababdeh, I had a neighbor who was a shepherd. Each morning, he would take his sheep out to the fields. His sheep followed him, sticking close together. One day, the shepherd forgot something and had to go home to get it. He left his sheep by my house and went back home. The sheep stood still and waited for the return of their shepherd. There was a field full of long, green grass by the side of the road, but the sheep did not go there. They waited patiently for their shepherd to return. They trusted that their shepherd would lead them to a much better place. Our Savior is the Good Shepherd, and if we trust Him, He will lead us to green fields, where we will find happiness and peace. As tempting as the grass may seem on the side of the road, I know that if I keep my eyes on my Shepherd and follow Him always, I will be fed spiritually and physically.”
― Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian

“I also testify that charity is essential for our spiritual well-being. It is essential not only because it is a commandment from God to love others but also because letting go of anger and hate is liberating… [My friend asked] How can you deal with this injustice and not get angry?” I told her that if I let myself get angry each time something like this happened, I would be angry all my life. As I have learned to love my enemies, I have also realized that at some point in your life, you have to learn to let go. Being angry and hateful toward others only hurts you. My faith and feelings of peace intensified by learning to love and forgive as exemplified by our Savior Jesus Christ.”
― Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian

“My contentment and joy in life are not dependent on chains, walls, fences, or checkpoints. As long as I know that I have a Father in Heaven that loves me and cares about me, all is well. In His sight, I am precious. There is no reason to care about what others think of me. As long as I know that I am walking in His paths and obeying His commandments, I know that my Heavenly Father will be there to lift me and help me. This knowledge that I have gained about my true identity has been life changing to me. However, this knowledge came later in my life. Before I came to understand this, before discovering my true identity, I was engulfed in misery.”
― Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian

“I tried to get a taste of the joy people around me felt as they celebrated their country’s independence. I watched the fireworks with eyes full of tears as I came to realize that I would never know how that felt. I so wanted to stop people around me and ask them, “How do you feel? What does it feel like to be free? What does it feel like to have an identity and a nationality and be called ‘American’?” Since then, I have come to realize that these titles and identities that the world uses are not as important as some may think. I have come to realize my true identity. I’ve discovered that this identity is not something the occupation can take away, nor is it something that others can burn or destroy. I speak of my identity as a daughter of God. I didn’t need a paper document to prove the sacred relationship I had with God. I was part of God’s kingdom, a kingdom with a perfectly just King, even the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No occupation, no army, and no weapon in the world could take that away from me.”
― Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian

“Sometimes our mountains are not removed. It may be the wisdom of God that we climb those mountains and pass through those rocky, difficult roads. The faith needed to climb our mountains is actually greater than the faith needed to remove them. I often had to climb hills, mountains, and walls in order to get to church. My faith did not enable me to remove those obstacles or trials from my path. But Heavenly Father has given me the courage and strength to pass through them. Because I have done so, my faith has grown stronger.”
― Sahar Qumsiyeh, Peace for a Palestinian