Humanity, War and the Voices We Need to Hear

Twenty minutes before we were scheduled to go live to talk about the writing life and Little Women and

Substack

, this headline came across my screen:

Israel and Lebanon Agree to Cease-Fire, Biden Says

Noha Beshir

and I agreed it would be a better use of our time to focus on the reality that some suffering is ending with this cease-fire, but the terms do not include Gaza.

Noha’s writing in her newsletter, Letters From a Muslim Woman, has turned my attention month after month toward the suffering of the people of Gaza.

And I believe that her voice is vital in pointing to the tragedies of war often overlooked in fleeting glances at the headlines. She often reminds me how those of us who live in privileged safety must continue to grapple with our relationship to that safety and the broader suffering in the world. We talk about this during our livestream.

Her writing unlocks something in me — and I hope you took some time to hear her reading these two pieces during our livestream:

the prophet’s sujood

To be a Gazan During Ramadan

If you’re asking “How can I be of some benefit?”

If you are looking for a place to donate your time, attention and resources, Noha shared a few places where you can make a financial donation below.

→ You can subscribe and read the work of

Mohammed Mohisen

; he also has a Go Fund Me where you can support him while he’s covering the war in Gaza.

→ Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: an organization that injured children in Gaza for treatment to other countries.

And here are some other charities which Noha says has a good track record for donations to Gaza:

• Islamic Relief USA

• Islamic Relief Canada

• Penny Appeal USA: Donate here and here.

A way to support Noha’s writing

In addition to these places, I would like to point you toward subscribing as a paid reader to Noha’s newsletter. Noha has a full-time job, is a wife and mother and doesn’t always have extended time to focus just on her writing. Every paid subscription helps her save up for writing retreats so that she can pour more attention on her work.

Thank you for joining us today, whether you were there live or giving your attention to this in the replay. I’m thankful for you, for my friend Noha and for writers everywhere.