1 Hope

"They say that only a disaster can test the real core of humanity. Long time ago a disaster happened, and unfortunately, core of humanity has been tested"

Diana put her pen aside after she wrote those words into her diary. It was dark, except for the dancing light that sways with wood fire flame response to wind's whispering.

Diana is thirty years old lady. She is white as snow, and her eyes despite that blueness, reflects all the suffering from the long road escaping from war. She is Palestinian young lady who escaped with 18 children from the war that devoured the entire world.

She cannot remember how this war started, or even how it lasted for years and still exists. But she can remember very well the eighteen children she is responsible for till they reach someplace safe.

Diana has been walking for weeks with the children trying to reach Africa. They were avoiding different militias that resulted from this war, those who defected from their armies and declared their rebellion.

The militias were abducting children, forcing them to work in their hideouts and if they found in one of the children a sufficient ability to carry a weapon, they were training him to become a heartless killer in the name of religion.

Religion!! That is how it started, group calling themselves Zionists killing innocent civilians, kicking them out from their houses because they believe that Torah says so. Then Muslims started a war to pay them back and to defend themselves as Quran says so.

Then, Decision makers of the world decided with all stupidity to repeat the scenario of world war. The whole western powers took the side of Zionists, supported them with all military equipment, fought for them, killed for them, and committed all war crimes to satisfy the Zionist leaders.

On the other side, The Arab countries, they found the eastern powers as supporters in their war with Zionists. All countries were showing off in the Middle East that turned into a stage where everyone can show his muscles, his weapons, and his capability.

What happened later was madness. A group of each Arab army defected and declared rebellion and decided to take the war to the land of western world. Those different resulted militias caused massive damage in Europe and Northern and Southern America. Damage forced the western leaders to back off supporting Zionists.

Zionists… those deceivers who launched a massive destruction missile on China and another one on Russians making them believe that those missiles were launched from western powers. Russians and Chinese launched without hesitation massive destruction missiles to Europe, Northern America, and Southern America.

The world became in a big chaos. No countries, no boundaries, and no nations. People lost faith in their different religions. And some groups invented their own religion. Some groups were worshipping their dead leaders, and some were worshipping living man thought to be prohibited by god spirit.

Poverty was everywhere, and militias were dominating on all lands, except Africa.

Africa did not interfere in this war. The remaining of Egyptian army trained the unified African army to dominate all borders of the continent after declaration of the formation of African Union.

Diana was a child when this was started. Her father was a Palestinian and her mom was an English lady. She lived in shelters most of her life, racing against time with her father, mother, and older brother to stay alive as long as they can.

Her brother (Tarik) met a girl called (Dinara) in one of the shelters in which they were hiding from militias. Tarik was twenty-seven years old Youngman and Diana was twenty-five years old. Dinara was a twenty-years old Jewish girl. They were in what was called before "Germany".

Dinara was looking for her family who were hiding in Turkish shelters. She got wounded while she was escaping from one of the European militias till, she made it and get to the shelter where she met Tarik and his family.

Tarik was helping Dinara to heal her wound. Then Dinara thanked him and asked him what his name is? He answered her that his name is Tarik.

Dinara got shocked and said:

- Are you a Muslim?

Tarik said:

- Yes, I am.

Dinara wondered:

- So why are you helping me? You saw my necklace. I'm a Jewish.

Tarik smiled and said:

- It does not matter. We have no problem with Jewish.

Dinara was looking to his eyes and said:

- You look honest, how is this possible? After all this destruction we know that Muslims hate us.

Tarik finished dressing her wound, then he put her hand on her wound, looked to her eyes and said:

- What is your name?

Dinara said:

- My name is Dinara.

Tarik smiled and said:

- Look Dinara. Islam has no problem with civilian peaceful Dinara that practices her believe whatever is it in peace. But, when Dinara holds a gun, aim it to an innocent man trying to kick this man of his house, it is an assault, and in this case, Not only Islam, but all logic in the world says that the man should defend himself against the aggressor Dinara, and every fair person will support this man against aggressor Dinara, until this aggressor Dinara who understand only power language that she cannot assault innocent people, otherwise she will face supports of justice and fairness. Islam is a supporter of justice and fairness. It is simple the capability of lending hand of friendship to peaceful Dinara and at the same time the capability of suppressing aggressor Dinara. And here I am lending hand of friendship to pretty Dinara.

Dinara was thinking about what he said, and she showed a true shy face once he said "pretty". Their relationship developed by time from being just friends to feel something more.

After one month Tarik and Dinara declared their marriage in the shelter, and then they both said goodbye to Tarik's family to go and look for Dinara's family in Turkish shelters.

Diana was quietly witnessing all these events and remembering her brother's request to take care of their parents until he came back. Diana was following her brother's footsteps taking care of her parents and children in the shelter they were living in.

Five years have passed without any news from Tarik. Diana and her parents did not know that Tarik and Dinara could not find her family and they were looking for years until they got caught by an extreme Zionist militia and Tarik scarified himself to help his wife and his daughter to escape.

Dinara spent months moving from shelter-to-shelter heading to Tarik's family. But she did not know that the Zionist militia was looking for her to kill her and her daughter as a punishment for marrying a non-Jewish and giving birth of a hybrid child.

Dinara made it safely to Tarik's family shelter. When they saw her, they asked where is Tarik? Dinara told them what happened while she was crying. Tarik's mother hugged Dinara and Tarik's father said trying to beat his tears:

- He died as a brave man. My son died to save his family. And God rewarded me with my granddaughter.

Diana was crying alone and found her angel little niece holding her leg smiling with innocent look saying "Up... Up"

Diana dried her tears for the little kid's sake and asked Dinara:

- What is her name?

Dinara smiled while her tears were raining and said:

- Tarik called her "Peace". She is our peace.

Peace was four-years old angel. She got her father's eyes and her mother's face. Her grandfather, grandmother and her aunt Diana hugged her as they have been rewarded.

The Zionist militia got the location of Dinara. Once they broke into the shelter, they committed a massacre. Dinara begged Diana to take (Peace) and escape while she stalls the militia.

Diana saw her father and her mother got shot, and Dinara was running in different directions to attract the militia attention and to give Diana chance to escape.

Diana took (Peace) and all survived children and ran away into woods. They hid in the woods until the militia moved away after they killed everyone in the shelter.

The children were crying from hunger. Diana did not know what to do. She took them and moved to east direction until she saw carts loaded with food and one man guarding them.

She asked the children to hide and to not make any sound until she come back with food.

Once Diana stepped closer trying to steal from one of the carts, the guard noticed her and shouted to call his colleagues who surrounded her with weapons.

The forty years old leader walked quietly towards Diana who knelt in fear and asked her:

- You dare to steal from us? What is your name?

Diana said:

- My name is Diana, and I am sorry I was very hungry.

The leader said:

- Hungry? Well Diana, being Hungry is not enough reason to steal. Are you alone?

Diana thought that they might be a militia who kidnaps children, she said:

- Yes. I am alone.

One of the soldiers noticed a movement behind the weeds, nodded to the leader who shook his head as an order to go and check what is there. The leader looked to Diana, pointed a gun at her head and said:

- Alone? We will see Diana.

The soldier came out with the children and walked with them towards the carts. The leader got angry once he saw the children and said:

- Now you are dead. You are one of those who kidnap children and sell them to militias.

Diana cried and said:

- No, I am not. A militia attacked our shelter and killed everyone. I took those children and ran away to save them.

While Diana was explaining what happened in the shelter, (Peace) walked between soldiers' legs towards Diana and hugged her. Then looked to the leader who got silenced once he saw (Peace) walking towards him, hugging his leg, asking him to lift her up saying "Up…Up".

Diana looked to the leader who surrendered to (Peace) innocence and said:

- She is my niece. Her name is (Peace).

The leader seemed surprised when he heard (Peace)'s name. He asked Diana to stand up and asked soldiers to put their guns down.

The leader looked to Diana and said:

- We are the guards of Balkans shelter. The children look hungry. Come with us.

Diana felt safe and put the children on one of the carts and the leader joined them on the same cart. He was enjoying (Peace)'s company while Diana was telling him her brother's story.

After he knew the full story on their way to the Balkans shelter, the leader looked at (Peace) and said:

- You little angel, may be the hope for whole humanity.

Diana wondered:

- What hope?

The leader said:

- The hope for peace.

Diana hopelessly said:

- Do you think this word exists anymore?

The leader looked to (Peace) and said:

- Can't you see it?

Diana lived for month in the Balkans Shelter taking care of the children, while the leader wrote Tarik and Dinara story and wrote about (Peace) the little angel and sent these letters to all surrounding shelters to offer an initiative for coexistence between different shelters.

Shelters were sending delegates to witness and see (Peace) and check Tarik and Dinara story that inspired most of them to build one big market and exchange goods, food, and culture between shelters.

The leader felt a great success and happiness until one of delegates asked:

- Is (Peace) now Jewish or Muslim?

Silence was dominant for seconds until Diana said:

- Neither. She is child. Once she knew how to read. She will read in all religions. Ask questions, get answers, and think about it. And when she gets old enough, she will choose her belief.

The delegate was convinced and shook his head as sign of satisfaction. They were all enjoying the story until one of the soldiers interrupted the shelter and warned the leader that the Zionist militia who killed Tarik and Dinara knew that (Peace) still alive, and they are coming to kill her.

The leader asked the delegates to host the Balkan shelter group in their shelters and he will take Diana with the eighteen children to African borders where they will be safe from Zionist militia.

Each delegate took a group of Balkan Shelter with him to his shelter while the leader took part of his soldiers and moved with Diana and the children towards Sinai where they can access Africa's borders.

The journey lasted for weeks until (Peace)'s companions reached Sinai. The Zionist militia was following their leads after they discovered that Balkans shelter has been abandoned.

It was a calm night. Diana asked the leader after they camped while she was looking to (Peace):

- Do you think the Africans will help us? Would they pick a side, or they will choose not to interfere as they did before?

The leader said:

- It is a real humanity test.

Diana smiled sarcastically and said:

- Humanity? Humanity has been tested before and here is the result.

The leaders sit closer to Diana and said:

- Yes, I saw the result. I saw those men as well around us ready to sacrifice their souls to get (Peace) safe. I saw Shelters' delegates taking my people to their shelters and protecting them. I saw the delegates felt hope when they saw (Peace). Humanity is to pick the right side, the (Peace) side. She is the future. Her story is a proof that people can coexist. She is the hope that humanity should fight for.

The next day the whole group was standing in front of the great border wall of Suez Canal. The leader was asking for the African commandant to speak with him.

The African border guards lead the (Peace) group to the waiting area where no violence is allowed. They get surprised when they saw the Zionist militia leader is waiting for the African commandant to ask him to keep his non-alignment policy and let Zionist militia and (Peace) group settle their own conflicts out of African borders.

The African commandant arrived and gave permission to Zionist militia leader to speak who said:

- This child is ours, and those adults are incredible criminals. They abducted our child, and when we tried to retrieve our child back, a lot of people get hurt. They were using innocent people as a shield in front of our soldiers who were trying to retrieve our child. A lot of innocent lives have been killed because of abducting our child. Now, we are offering you gold, goods, ores, and different services if you let us and them settle our own conflicts away of your borders.

The African commandant gave permission to (Peace) group to speak. The leader looked to Diana shook his head as a sign that she is the one who will talk. Diana said:

- Long time ago, civilized human world decided to pick the side of the criminals because they were stronger. This was a real test for humanity. And instead of being fair. They chose the stronger side, the winner side, and the criminal side. Since then, I lost my hope in humanity. Until I met this leader, and those brave soldiers. They did not know (Peace) but once they met her and knew her story. They realized that she is the future. The future where all humankind can coexist except for those caused wars directly and indirectly through history. They ignited the flame of world wars and local wars to for their banks favor. They tried to slay a whole race and gave a bribe for the world leaders to close their eyes. They killed children and use their media to make it as collateral damage. They assaulted the holy symbols of another religion and killed the resistance who follow this religion and said a terrorism war.

Even Africa's humanity has been tested. And Africa chose to stay safe. We know Africa at that time was not able to support any side whoever it was. But now, the chance to save the future is in your hands. The chance to pick a side from human prospect not political prospect is in your hands. The chance to get (Peace) live and grow up is in your hands. Humanity was not ever staying neutral. Humanity is feeling fair, being fair and acting fair.

The African commandant was thinking about the two claims until (Peace) hugged his leg and asked him to lift her up.

The African commandant looked at (Peace) and said:

.....................

To be continued….