Queen Rania in Washington Post op-ed: ‘Christmas is cancelled in the land of Jesus’ birth’

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania penned an op-ed for The Washington Post, published on Thursday, on the tragic losses in Gaza and the urgency of a ceasefire.

Queen Rania wrote that “Bethlehem usually comes alive at Christmas. Not this year. In the Holy Land, celebrations have been cancelled: No parades, no bazaars, no public tree lightings. In my country, Jordan, where Jesus was baptised, our Christian community has chosen to do the same.”

Her Majesty said that in the occupied West Bank, one Bethlehem church has adapted its nativity scene, placing the infant Jesus among the rubble of a bombed-out building, indicating that “It is a reflection of the story playing out on screens everywhere: The horrific images of the destruction of Gaza, and especially, its bloodied and broken children”.

“I watch a video of a Gazan father stroking his daughter’s face, telling someone to look at how beautiful she is. She could almost be sleeping, if not for her white shroud.” 

Queen Rania emphasised the resilience and strength of the people of Gaza, “the people of Gaza have not lost hope in others’ humanity — even as so many fail to see theirs.” 

Her Majesty elaborated on the extent of destruction caused by the war on Gaza, “In just over two months, Israel has turned Gaza into a hellscape. Almost 20,000 dead. At least 8,000 are children — more than the death tolls of Pearl Harbor, the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina combined.”

“International organisations are now calling Gaza a graveyard for children. How perverse that the Holy Land should be described as something so profoundly unholy,” the Queen said. 

“This has become an unequivocal humanitarian nightmare. With each passing day, the threshold of what is acceptable falls to new lows, setting a terrifying precedent for this and other wars to come.”

Her Majesty stressed that “no matter what side you support, you can still demand a ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and unrestricted access to aid”.

“I am a mother, and my heart breaks for parents in Gaza doing everything in their power to keep their children alive — and then losing them. All parents share the impulse to shield their children from the worst of the world. No matter who you are or where you come from, your instinct to care for and protect those you love is one you must honour in yourself but also in strangers — even adversaries. Honouring it selectively diminishes our own humanity,” the Queen said. 

Highlighting the urgency for the war to end, the Queen said, “Today, it boils down to one question that each of us must answer: If you could prevent hundreds or thousands more children from dying, would you?