Merry Christmas folks!
I'm still having lots of problems now with posting on this blog. I need to get another virus scan soon or find some other remedy.
I received a holiay greeting depicting the scene above, but no snow at all here in Berkeley Springs, where the grass is still green on Christmias Day.
And here are family members living in Florida, daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson, wearing matching pajamas, before getting ready to open their presents this morning.
Meanwhile, let me tell this story about my Cuban-born friend Armando, who just sent the message below. He is right, if it hadn't been for me getting him out of Cuba years ago, he wouldn't be alive today. I actually did save his life, not an exaggeration. And now his mother has also come to Florida to be with him.
Do you want to hear that story?
Here it is.again.
I actually met Armando in Cuba about 30 years ago, after his letter, written in Spanish, arrived at my workplace, the American Occupational Therapy Association. The letter was given to me to translate. In the letter, he said he neeeded a medication unavilable in Cuba to keep from dying of his kidney disease. At that time, Cubans were not allowed to come to the US. So first I went to Cuba to meet him to be sure he was on the up-and-up. Americans weren't allowed to visit Cuba then--it was the Fidel Castro era.
I then got him a visa to Mexico and drove down to meet him at the Texas-Mexico border and, holding his hand, I walked him right across, talking the border patrol into letting us pass, Yes, then he got his meds here and later brought his mother.
He married a Nicaraguan woman with 2 daughters. Here they were together when I visited them in Florida quite a few years ago. But now they are separated. Real-life stories don't necessarily have fairytale endings.
Here I was visiting him and his Nicarguan-born wife and her 2 daughters in Florida some years ago. That's me there in the red shirt.
And now, in this holiday season, Armando is separated from his wife, but is reunited with his mother, below, whom he brought to Florida from Cuba.
Armando's messge below says that if it hadn't been for me, he would not be alive today, so he really appreicates hearing from me. Armando is now past 50.
Sorry, because of viruses or whatever, I cannot close the gap below. And I cannot continue here, so will try to start over.
Message Body
Si hubiese sido por su gran ayuda yo no estuviera vivo. Por eso cuando me escribe me alegra mucho.También para Jonathan, Stephanie y toda la Familia. Que lo pasen muy bien todos. La mano ya está muy bien sin problema.
Si Bárbara, si no h
Estoy ahor
Que la
pasen muy bien. Saludos. Bendiciones.También para Jonathan, Stephanie y toda la Familia. Que lo pasen muy bien todos. La mano ya está muy bien sin problema.
Si Bárbara, si no hubiese sido por su gran ayuda no estubiera vivo. Por eso cuando me escribes o se de Usted me alegra mucho.
Estoy ahora con mi madre pasando la noche buena y mañana la Navidad
Haitham Salem, a 31-year-old electrician from northern Gaza, spent 11 months in Israeli prisons, where he faced severe mistreatment, including physical abuse and inadequate medical care. He described his experience as so traumatic that he wished he had died rather than endure it.
Salem was captured during a military checkpoint in Gaza while trying to escape the bombardment with his family. He was never charged with a crime and was released as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas after being classified as an "unlawful combatant."
His return to Gaza was marked by tragedy; upon reuniting with his family, he learned that his wife and three children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike just weeks before his release. This devastating news shattered his hopes of reuniting with them.
During his detention, Salem was subjected to harsh conditions, including overcrowding and violence, as reported by various organizations. The Israeli military has denied systematic abuse but has not provided specific details regarding individual cases like Salem's.
Salem was interrogated multiple times, where he was pressured to provide information about militant activities. He maintained that he was a civilian and had no ties to armed groups, despite the Israeli military's claims of his involvement with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
His time in detention included being placed in a room with loud music, which he described as torture, and experiencing physical abuse from guards. He witnessed other detainees suffering from similar mistreatment, including severe beatings and psychological torment.
After being transferred between several prisons, Salem was finally released in October 2024, only to face the heartbreaking reality of losing his family. He now carries the memory of his children and the bracelet he made for
Haitham Salem, a 31-year-old electrician from northern Gaza, spent 11 months in Israeli prisons, where he faced severe mistreatment, including physical abuse and inadequate medical care. He described his experience as so traumatic that he wished he had died rather than endure it.
Salem was captured during a military checkpoint in Gaza while trying to escape the bombardment with his family. He was never charged with a crime and was released as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas after being classified as an "unlawful combatant."
His return to Gaza was marked by tragedy; upon reuniting with his family, he learned that his wife and three children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike just weeks before his release. This devastating news shattered his hopes of reuniting with them.
During his detention, Salem was subjected to harsh conditions, including overcrowding and violence, as reported by various organizations. The Israeli military has denied systematic abuse but has not provided specific details regarding individual cases like Salem's.
Salem was interrogated multiple times, where he was pressured to provide information about militant activities. He maintained that he was a civilian and had no ties to armed groups, despite the Israeli military's claims of his involvement with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
His time in detention included being placed in a room with loud music, which he described as torture, and experiencing physical abuse from guards. He witnessed other detainees suffering from similar mistreatment, including severe beatings and psychological torment.
After being transferred between several prisons, Salem was finally released in October 2024, only to face the heartbreaking reality of losing his family. He now carries the memory of his children and the bracelet he made for his daughter, who would have turned two shortly after his return.
No comments:
Post a Comment