Forgive Me, Mother: The Testimony of Rifaat Radwan

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

On March 23rd, 2024, a massacre unfolded in Rafah.

The Israeli army's elite Golani Brigade was deployed under chilling orders:

“Everyone you encounter is an enemy. If you spot a figure, open fire, eliminate, and move on.”

These chilling orders were given to soldiers before the attack. And it wasn’t until a mobile phone—belonging to a slain Palestinian paramedic—was recovered that the truth could no longer be buried.

That phone belonged to Rifaat Radwan, a volunteer with the Palestinian Red Crescent. His final moments were recorded in a video that shattered the false narrative Israel initially offered to justify the killings.

In the recording, Rifaat is heard reciting the Muslim prayers of the dying. He knew his life was ending.

But Rifaat’s last words weren’t political. They weren’t angry.

They were for his mother.

“Forgive me, mother. Forgive me. I chose this path to help people.”

A Martyr of Mercy

Rifaat Radwan died helping others. He ran toward danger, not away from it. He gave everything—not for fame, not for gain—but for the sacred calling to protect life amid destruction.

“The situation in Gaza will haunt us for decades. Because no one will be able to say we weren’t aware. All the information is available. The images are there.” — Robert Mardini, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Indeed, the images are there—streamed from the phones of the living and the dead. What is unfolding in Gaza is not hidden. It is documented, broadcast, and replayed in real time.

The Weight of Grief, the Echo of Honor

That Rifaat felt he had to apologize in his final moments speaks volumes about the world we now inhabit.

He knew his death would break his mother's heart. And even though he died doing something noble, something selfless—he still asked for her forgiveness.

Because when the world fails its people… When justice is denied… When silence becomes complicity… Even the righteous feel they must apologize for answering the call.

Let This Be His Memorial

This is Rifaat Radwan’s lived testimony—a legacy of compassion, courage, and sacrificial love.

He should not have had to say “Forgive me.” The world should have said “Thank you.”

Let his name be remembered. Let his story be told. Let his memory be a fire that softens hearts and strengthens resolve.

Let his sacrifice pierce the conscience of the world.

#RifaatRadwan #Gaza #Humanity #MartyrOfMercy #RedCrescent #StandForJustice #TruthMatters #NeverForget #ICRC #MothersGrief #Witness #PrayForJustice

Silent Sentinel
> “The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
> Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
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When the Law Bows to Power signal 10

Tonight, while watching the news, I saw one more reason to speak. One more piece of evidence that our democracy is being dismantled in plain sight—and that we are at the mercy of a tyrant if we don’t stand together.

This president believes he can weaponize the Department of Justice to crucify anyone he sees as a threat—even people who’ve done nothing but speak the truth. In his eyes, truth itself is treason.

He’s gone after immigrants. He’s gone after students. He’s gone after children. He has shipped people off to prison in a foreign country with no due process.

This isn’t law and order. It’s lawlessness cloaked in power. And the more we look away, the bolder it becomes.

Half the country voted for this man. But I refuse to believe that half the people in this country truly wanted this.

Because this is not governing. This is the decimation of government in an attempt to bend power to the will of one man.

And now we are watching as law firms—pillars of our legal system—bow one by one, offering him tens of millions in pro bono legal work, not out of duty, but out of fear. They're not defending justice. They're defending themselves from him.

Some made these deals before they were even targeted. Some pledged $40 million. Others, $100 million. They gave him the power to decide how it will be used. To write trade deals. To shape tariffs. To dismantle democracy with a team of lawyers bearing their firm’s names.

And for what?

To be spared. To avoid his wrath. To stay in his good graces—for now.

But history sees this. And history remembers.

As former Attorney General Eric Holder asked:

“What are you going to say five years from now... when you talk about your firm’s great culture and your commitment to the rule of law? How will you say that with a straight face?”

That question isn’t just for them. It’s for all of us.

Because every time we justify silence in the face of injustice, we set a precedent. We send a signal.

Let this be the signal we send back:

We see you. We are not afraid to speak. And we have not forgotten what justice is supposed to look like.

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There will come a time when silence is no longer an option. For me, that time is now.

When the law bends to power, the people must rise to conscience.

I write this not to persuade—but to witness. So no one can say we didn’t see it coming.

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#Signal10 #RuleOfLaw #EricHolder #LegalIntegrity #Authoritarianism #Resistance #Justice #Witness

Silent Sentinel
> “The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
> Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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If this message resonates, share it. The truth must not be silenced.