By Nadrat Siddique
So, this morning I ran
the Gaza 5k in Washington DC's Rock Creek Park. The race starts on the grounds
of the iconic Carter Barron Theatre, and is one of my favorite races. I run
with some regularity from the Carter Barron, and it was beautiful to see it nearly
over run by Palestinians in kaffiyahs, some of them carrying Palestinian flags.
(Usually I encounter mostly Black and Latino youth playing soccer and such, in
itself a beautiful sight.)
The Gaza 5k is organized
by UNRWA, and benefits Palestinian refugees. The DC version of the race (which
is also held in other cities) had turned virtual due to COVID-19, and I'd
missed it terribly. This was the first year the live event was rekindled.
In Gaza, Palestinians
are crammed into refugee camps with an extremely high population density. These
camps frequently lack basic resources, such as electricity and running water,
which "Israel," as the occupying power, controls. "Israel"
then conducts aerial bombardment of these heavily populated areas, under the
pretext that Hamas fighters are "hiding" there. (Where else would
they be? They live there.)
As a result, much of the
population of Gaza has been terrorized, displaced, and traumatized. It would be
difficult to find someone there who DOES NOT have PTSD and other serious mental
health conditions. Palestinian children are the worst afflicted. UNRWA's
facilities in Gaza provide schooling, mental health care, and other badly
needed services to Gazans.
At the Gaza 5k, I was
thrilled to see a great turnout, with a youthful, energetic vibe. The race
seems to get larger every year. The majority of attendees appeared to be of
Palestinian heritage, with a smaller number of allies (White, Black, Hispanic,
and Asian) present. Race participants ran and walked a 3.1 mile course which
was largely downhill on the outbound. Unfortunately, since the race route
returns the same way, there is a huge climb on the way back. During one of the
last in-person renditions of the Gaza 5k (before COVID), I remembered my
father, the editor of the Muslim newspaper "New Trend" and a huge
supporter of Palestine, bravely walking the course with his wife. In his late
70s at the time, he completed the course, but not without some effort.
PERSONAL NOTES: Today as
I ran, I was still recovering from an annoying bug I'd picked up during a
recent trip to Florida to attend a funeral for a member of my extended family.
But I would not miss my favorite race for anything. I thought about the
Palestinians who, when faced with much more serious ailments, are deprived of
all medications, due to the "Israeli" blockade of Gaza. That, from
"the only democracy in the Middle East." My cold (or whatever it was)
quickly became a non-issue.
I hadn't been training
at all, since Ramadan had ended not so long ago (I relax my training during the
Holy Month, running only about 25 miles per week, instead of 40), almost
immediately followed by the death in my extended family. I even registered very
belatedly for the Gaza 5k, totally unlike me. In any event, when I finally did
register, it was as a member of Team Jamaat Al-Muslimeen. And our team, in a
very short time (less than a week), raised over $400.00 for UNRWA's work in
Gaza.
As I ran outbound, I was
intimidated by the huge hill I knew I'd face on the inbound. I hoped rather
unrealistically that the race organizers had tweaked the route to avoid runners
having to tackle that hill (around Mile 2).
They had not. I tried to
concentrate on my breathing and form, which helped somewhat. Two or three
groups of young, fast Arab men passed me, which made me feel even slower than
my (approximately) 8:30 min/mile pace. Then, a young, very fit looking Black
woman caught up to me. For some reason, she told me right then and there
(shortly before we were about to encounter the monster hill) that "I look
beautiful." I thanked her, saying "You do, too," and
complimented her on her pace. She ran with me for a short while, before
overtaking me. I tried to keep her in my sights, which helped my time. (She
later told me I helped her time, as she'd spotted me from afar, and was trying
to catch up to me.) We both survived the Hill.
A while later, when the
awards ceremony was held, I was surprised to hear my name called. I was #1 in
my division, with a finish time of 26:08 (8:25 min/mile pace). Later, looking
at the detailed race results, I realized I was #9 out of 334 total women
participating in the race. Of the 8 women who finished before me, all were in
their 20s and 30s, except an 8-year old and an 18-year old. (I'm now 54.)
Amusingly, the 8-year old beat me by two seconds. Alhamdulillah.
The lesson in all this?
One need not use age as an excuse for inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle,
which will necessarily lead to premature aging. If you fall down
(metaphorically), you need not stay down. If you're a Muslim, then the Rasool
(SAW) is your example. That includes in the realm of his eating habits (very
little meat; instead: grains, dates, nuts, seeds, fruit, etc), and very active
life style (he personally participated in running, horse back riding, etc and
engaged in military campaigns, which, at the time, were very physical, into his
60s). From Gaza to New York, oppression is pervasive, and we cannot afford to
be physically (or mentally) lazy or sedentary.
#Gaza5k #FreePalestine
#FreeGaza
- - - - - - - - - -
It's not to late to
donate to the Gaza 5k. You can do that here:
https://unrwausa-2023-dc-gaza-5k.funraise.org/fundraiser/nadrat-siddique
