Ahmed the Little Farmer
“[The sea is] the only place where we don’t hear the sound of the planes because the sound of the sea’s waves is higher than it” - From Ahmed’s visit to the sea
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a little guy who has been gaining a lot of momentum online for sharing his tactics for resiliency and encouraging us to join him: Ahmed, the Little Farmer!
Ahmed is 8 years old and comes from Gaza City, though like virtually all of our neighbours in Palestine, he has been displaced from his home for almost a year. He now lives in a tent with his older brother Ali, his father Aaed, and his mother Tasneem, the tent walls covered in the names of his followers and supporters from around the world. Through the aperture of our phone screens, we see his love of animals (he has two ducks that he raised since they were ducklings, a few chickens, and a pet cat named Susie) and his faithful agriculture skills by turning handfuls of popcorn, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas into rows of thriving crops, rather than eating them right away.
You could scroll for days admiring Ahmed’s diligence and hard work, but there’s one particular pair of posts that stuck with me this week. Despite his circumstances, we get to see Ahmed smile a lot, but I’ve never seen him more joyful than when, back in the summer, Ahmed finally had the chance to visit the beach after 10 months of siege. In his videos, we see him hop excitedly, rush down to dance in the waves, and then stand, arms wide, dripping wet, listening to the sound of the waves. A brief moment of relief amid a year of horror. A solitary moment where, for once, the sound of drones buzzing, airstrikes whistling, and warplanes roaring was drowned out by the steadfast sea.
Today, across Canada, people of conscience are once again speaking out and hitting the streets to demand an arms embargo. But this day of action is special, because it’s focused on those same warplanes, hoping that maybe we can be the wave that silences them this time.
If you’ve ever contacted your MP to demand an arms embargo, you’ve probably received a response saying that ‘Canada does not supply Israel with lethal arms.’ I’ve talked before about how this response is a dodge, in my post for the last Arms Embargo Now day of action, but today I want to join my colleagues across Canada in shining the light on one particular example: Lockheed Martin F-35 warplanes.
While F-35s, the most advanced fighter jets in Israel’s repertoire, are not actually built in Canada (they’re built in the US), multiple weapons and technology manufacturers in Canada develop vital components used in their construction. Because we don’t actually ship the planes from here to Israel, the government—and the public—does not consider this ‘arms sales to Israel,’ but Canadian businesses are crucial cogs in Israel’s supply chain, making them both complicit in the deaths these jets cause and important pressure points for those committed to ending the violence.
What’s worse, the manufacturers which make these parts, such as L3 Harris, BAE Systems, and Heroux-Devtek, are operating in our own neighbourhoods—sometimes our own backyards—without most of us even knowing they’re there. When people ask ‘why protest for Palestine in Canada?’, among other reasons, it’s because the people who make the weapons that kill our neighbours in Palestine live right here!
Moreover, exposing and blocking weapons manufacturing is a very tangible way that we can fight for justice and an end to Israel’s violence. I’m reminded of the Scottish Rolls-Royce workers who in 1974 refused to service Rolls-Royce fighter plane engines used in Pinochet’s dictatorial coup in Chile. This was the only plant in the world where these engines were serviced, so by boycotting these engines, the workers took Pinochet’s air force out of the sky. It’s the same thing in Canada, as certain parts, such as the engine sensors made by Gastops in Ottawa, are only made here.
It is our responsibility as Canadians to ensure that the work of our hands is not making the walls of Ahmed’s tent shake (or worse). So far, our government seems uninterested in closing these loopholes, so we need to show them—and all our neighbours—that weapons of war have no place in our communities.
When I look at Ahmed, I see a lot of things. I see a smile that remains bright despite the worst horrors imaginable. I see a loving relationship with the land and what it produces. I see a beloved son. I see a little farmer with big ambitions for great growth. I want him to be able to have that, not in a tent or under the din of death-bringing machines. Ahmed shouldn’t have to scrounge for peace in the sound of the waves. Together, we can be the roar that drowns out the warplanes.
With your heart: Pray for Ahmed and his family, that together we may be able to bring him a true peace, founded in justice. Pray for all who have been killed by F-35s and the Canadian-made components within, and for those who must live in fear of them. Pray for a full arms embargo now.
With your voice: Tell your MP that Canadians want a full, 2-way arms embargo that includes blocking loopholes like the F-35 components (Contact tools can be found at ArmsEmbargoNow.ca)
With your hands: Join one of the 16 actions taking place across Canada outside weapons manufacturers. See ArmsEmbargoNow.ca/f-35 for the list, or if you’re in Toronto, join me today from 2-3pm at the L3 Harris plant at 17 Prince Andrew Place (please use TTC or park at a nearby shopping centre)
Donate to Ahmed’s family’s GoFundMe
Learn more about the Arms Embargo Now F-35 Day of Action
Learn more about the Scottish Rolls-Royce workers’ boycott in the documentary Nae Pasaran! (2018) - Highly recommended!