Post

More from @OmarHamadD

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

@OmarHamadD

Mar 20

My brother Abdullah called me and said: “There’s a library that was destroyed by the occupation, and there are many important books that can be saved — instead of being taken by the displaced to be used as firewood for cooking.”

I immediately went and managed to rescue many books — over 200 of them — some of which are more than 100 years old….+

1_ “A Tale of Two Cities” is one of the most famous works of the English writer Charles Dickens, first published in 1859. The novel takes place between London and Paris during the period leading up to and during the French Revolution.

The novel explores themes such as social injustice, sacrifice, and redemption. It begins with the famous line:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

The story revolves around Charles Darnay, a French nobleman who abandons his aristocratic privileges to live a simple life in London, and Sydney Carton, an English lawyer who appears to be a lost, aimless man but possesses a noble heart. Both fall in love with Lucie Manette, the daughter of a doctor who was released after being imprisoned in the Bastille for a long time without just cause.

The novel delves into the class divide between the rich and the poor, highlighting how oppression and injustice led to the explosion of the revolution. One of the most powerful moments in the story is Sydney Carton’s ultimate sacrifice — giving his life for Lucie’s happiness, taking Charles Darnay’s place at the guillotine. The novel ends with his famous final words:
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done…”

The novel is filled with deep emotional scenes and provides a vivid portrayal of the brutality of the revolution, while also showcasing the humanity and compassion that can exist amidst the chaos..+

2_ “The Prince” by Niccolò Machiavelli is one of the most famous works in political philosophy. Machiavelli wrote it in 1513, but it was published posthumously in 1532. The book offers advice to rulers on how to gain and maintain power, focusing on political reality rather than morality.

Machiavelli argues that a ruler must be intelligent and pragmatic, and sometimes act immorally if necessary to preserve power and ensure the stability of the state. His phrase “the ends justify the means” — though not stated verbatim — reflects the core of his ideas.

Some of the book’s key ideas include:
•It is better for people to fear you than to love you if you cannot achieve both.
•A ruler must learn to be both a fox (cunning) and a lion (strong).
•Morality is important, but staying in power is more crucial when the fate of the state is at stake.

The book sparked significant controversy because it shattered the idealistic image of the just ruler, offering instead a realistic and provocative view of politics. Even today, the term “Machiavellian” is used to describe political strategies that prioritize pragmatism and cunning over morality…+

Read 7 tweets

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

@OmarHamadD

Jan 30

As my friends Ibrahim, Hossam, and I were walking among the rubble of the houses, we came across a library. We entered and found many books—it was like discovering a precious treasure.

In this thread, I’d like to write a brief paragraph about each book we found.

The first book is The World of Ornament:

The book covers a wide range of ornamental designs inspired by historical elements dating back to ancient times, including jewelry, tiles, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, textiles, and ceramics. These designs encompass styles from various cultures and civilizations, such as: Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Asian, Middle Eastern and European (from the Middle Ages to the 19th century)...+

The Second book: “The Heart of Man” is a novel by the Icelandic author Jón Kalman Stefánsson, and it is the third part of the trilogy “Heaven and Hell.” This novel takes the young boy, the main character, by the hand and leads him toward the crucible he longed to merge into, after reaching the pinnacle of awareness, beyond which there is only silence. The boy survives the wrath of the sea and snow, and is drawn back to the coastal town, where he firmly plants his feet amidst its contradictions and all the virtues and vices it teems with. The town, battered by winds and scorched by frost, survives off the sea and perishes within it. Its people draw strength from the towering mountains, and tenderness seeps into their hearts from its green meadows that pierce the rock like dreams. This book is considered an essential exploration of life, love, desire, lust, and a challenge to death. It combines sublimity and simplicity, with words born from the heart of a poet and the insight of a philosopher. The Heart of Man is a musical piece from a distant island, played on the strings of life..+
@IamIbrahim21

The third book: “A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954–1962” is a comprehensive history of the Algerian War, authored by Alistair Horne and first published in 1977. The book delves into the complexities of the conflict, examining the political, social, and military aspects that led to Algeria’s independence from French colonial rule. Horne’s narrative is noted for its depth and balanced perspective, making it a seminal work on the subject…+

Read 5 tweets

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

@OmarHamadD

Jul 17, 2024

Horrific testimonies from the massacre of Mawasi Khan Younis committed by Israel on July 13th:

1_ "My son asked me to bring him his severed leg so he could say goodbye to it. Based on his request, I returned in the afternoon to check the place, but I couldn't find his leg." ..+

2_ "I was carrying an empty pot, heading to the nearby soup kitchen from my tent to get some food for my family. Suddenly, the color of the sky changed, and daylight was replaced by darkness and dust. I fainted briefly, and every time I tried to get up,..+

I saw feet running around me. It felt like I had forgotten how to walk."

3_ "I felt that life was suddenly filled with hungry ghosts, ready to bite into your body, your head, your hand, your foot. And if none of that happens, they might erase you forever." ..+

Read 4 tweets

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

@OmarHamadD

Jun 15, 2024

This story is different from all the other stories I've told. My cousin, the legend Hidaya Hamad. She was the volunteer manager at the Red Crescent in Khan Yunis, where the building was sheltering around 15,000 displaced people..+

Every night before bed, she would take a round among the displaced people and ask if they needed anything, fulfilling their needs. She was the first to go to the Rafah border crossing to secure humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza..+

where her mission would end at 2 AM amidst the terror of bombings and the dark, desolate night. Our hearts would reach our throats in fear that something might happen to her. She was like a mother to me when I was away from my family..+

Read 7 tweets

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

@OmarHamadD

Jun 6, 2024

Massacre

When you see this word, you might find it difficult to grasp its full meaning or envision its true form. Perhaps you have seen on your phone a house collapsing on its residents, or a child whose entrails were left in the hallway between the kitchen and the bedroom..+

unreachable by rescuers, and fully decomposed over time. Perhaps you have seen fully decomposed bodies, with a mother holding her child's head and a wife lying on what remains of her husband's rib cage. Maybe you have finally seen a headless child..+

and spent the entire night wondering where the head is!
All these pains are nothing compared to witnessing them in reality, compared to living them. One day, I carried 27 dismembered bodies with my hands and lifted them onto a donkey cart. That day, my heart died..+

Read 5 tweets

Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

More from @OmarHamadD

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Omar Hamad | عُـمَـرْ 𓂆

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Send Email!