Riad Hamad, a little boy, and a bicycle
By Mike Odetalla
Much has been written lately about Riad Hamad and his tragic death. Those that really knew Riad, were blessed to have known him, and those that choose to attack him, in life and death, aren't worth mentioning, for they are blinded by a simple hatred for Palestinians and anyone that dares to lend a hand to help them, ignoring any and all things that makes us decent human beings!
After Riad's death, I have spent much time thinking about him and his tireless effort on behalf of the children of Palestine and any and all oppressed people around him. He didn't take the "easy" way out and always stood up for those whose causes weren't so "popular"…
Of all the many things that Riad did, one special moment sticks in my mind…
Just before Eid Al Fitr in 2003, I was going through the PCWF simple web site looking at pictures of Palestinian children who were up for sponsorship. All of their stories were tragic and it was very hard for me to just "pick" a child to sponsor on a monthly basis. They and all of their families were in dire need, but as I was going through the list and pictures, I came across a picture of sad faced little boy named Mohamed. His sad eyes pulled me right in and I proceeded to read the little bit of info about Mohamed and his family.
Mohamed was about 7 years old and he and his family were living in a tent because the Israeli army had demolished their humble home in Rafah. Although the family had lost nearly everything with the destruction of their home by the Zionist forces, little Mohamed it seems was heart broken because his most beloved possession, his little bike was destroyed along with family's home and belongings. His father stated that Mohammed was no longer smiling or laughing and all he could ever talk about was the loss of his bike. The little boy wanted nothing more than a bike, even though the family was barely getting by in a makeshift tent.
After reading this, I proceeded to contact Riad and offered to sponsor this child, but more importantly, I wanted to see if it was possible to get him a bike for Eid. Riad, ever the optimist, said that he will work on it with his contacts in Gaza and get back to me. He then came up with the idea of getting enough money together to have an Eid party for Palestinian orphans in one of the orphanages and provide each child with a simple present…
I told him it was a great idea and to count on me for the party, BUT to please see about the bike for little Mohamed as I could not stop thinking about him and how much Eid Al Fitr meant to me as a child growing up in Palestine.
For us children, the best part was the presents and small coins we received as gifts. We'd take our money and run to the center of the village where the butcher shop (usually bustling with people buying fresh meat for the Eid feast), a couple of coffeehouses, a barber shop (busiest just before the Eid), and a couple of small grocery stores were huddled together. We rushed to buy balloons, candy, sparklers helping to fill the village square with laughing, noisy children playing and bragging about what they had received for Eid: marbles and spinning tops were the preferred gifts, at night; sparklers helped us find our way through dark streets. We were children, enjoying the simple pleasures of the holidays as only children can.
My most memorable present was the bicycle that I received on the Eid of 1968. That red shiny new bike was the envy of every boy who gathered behind the mosque, and that first day, I refused to ride it because I didn't want to get it dirty. It was my pride and joy and all I could think about was the little boy who had his prized possession destroyed along with his home…
About a couple weeks after Eid, I received a forwarded e-mail from Riad with a picture. The note said that Mohamed wished to thank "Mr. Mike" for his generosity and wishing me and my family a blessed Eid. Along with the note was a picture of a little boy sitting atop a shiny red bicycle, smiling from ear to ear…
I stared long and hard at that picture and the smile on that little boy's face warmed my heart and moistened my eyes…
Unknowingly, Riad had presented me with one of the best presents I had ever gotten and I will be eternally grateful to him for that. He managed to help me bring a smile to a boy that witnessed too much misery and suffering at such a tender age and helped restore a small bit of that boys' stolen childhood…
My computer crashed in 2004 and I lost quite a bit of my writings, files, and pictures which included the picture of a smiling 7 years old boys sitting on his bicycle, the same age I was in 1968 when I got my first bike…
This is my most memorable Riad Hamad moment and I am sure that he is up there bringing smiles to faces that hadn't smiled for far too long…Good bye my friend and thank you for bringing a smile to my face every time I think of you…May God bless and have mercy on your soul. The world is a little "darker" with your passing…
Mike Odetalla 4-24-2008
Mike Odetalla..."A seed in the eternal fruit of Palestine"
"Come, I'll tell you about Palestine" www.Hanini.org
My Home Town: http://www.beithanina.org/
http://www.palestinecalendar.org/
http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/
http://www.alnakba.org/
http://www.nakbainhebrew.org/
http://www.palestineremembered.com
http://www.al-awda.org
http://www.pcwf.org
The link to the website of Palestine Children's Welfare Fund ...Click to buy Palestinian embroidery online, sponsor a Palestinian child, buy a flag or a Kuffiya to feed one, or a donation of 25 dollars to plant an olive or orange tree in honor of some one you know or to commemorate a hero of yours .
"The ink of the scholar is holier more than the blood of the martyr"-
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
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