ladybugknowledge

[ladybugknowledge]

On June 9, 2025, Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, in international waters, and abducted all activists and journalists on board. These civilians, unarmed, peaceful, and carrying desperately needed supplies like baby formula, flour, diapers, water filters, medical kits, and prosthetics, were seized without warning while en route to deliver aid to the people of Gaza, who continue to suffer under blockade and bombardment.

Among the 12 to 13 individuals detained were world-renowned Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, French/Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, Irish actor and humanitarian Liam Cunningham, Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, Spanish activist Sergio Toribio, German rights advocate Yasemin Acar, French journalist Omar Faiad, French activists Pascal Maurieras, Reva Viard, and physician Baptiste André, Turkish activist Suayb Ordu, Dutch activist Marco van Rennes, and French reporter Yanis Mhamdi.

These are not enemies of peace; they are its defenders. They carried no weapons, only hope, aid, and solidarity.

Before her disappearance, Greta Thunberg (and her fellow activists) recorded a video in which she stated, “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces,” a message later shared by the @EyesOnPalestine Instagram page. This act, condemned by international observers and human rights groups, is not only a violation of maritime law and human dignity, it is a warning to the world that even peaceful resistance is now met with force and silence.

The abduction of civilians on a humanitarian mission mirrors the tragic precedent of the Mavi Marmara raid in 2010, where activists were killed. Today, we must not let history repeat itself. Every name on that ship carries weight, and every moment they remain detained chips away at the world’s conscience. Their mission was one of compassion; their treatment, one of cruelty.

We must raise our voices louder than ever, demand their immediate release, and refuse to let the world look away. Share their names. Speak their truth. Pressure your governments. Attend rallies. Amplify the message: the world is watching, and justice must not be hijacked at sea.

[ladybugknowledge]

I don’t know who still needs to hear this, but Israel isn’t just occupying Palestine. It’s been occupying Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967. That’s 58 years of blatant land theft that somehow gets swept under the rug by mainstream media and the international community. This isn't history, this is ongoing. And it doesn’t stop there.

Israel is actively bombing Syria. Right now. Not just in one place, but across the whole damn country!!! From Damascus to Latakia, from the mountains to the coast. No one is safe, and barely anyone talks about it. These aren't just “strategic” strikes. These are acts of terror. Civilians are dying. Homes are being obliterated. Families torn apart. It’s disgusting.

And how will Israel excuse this? Will they wave the same tired “right to self-defense” slogan while bombing another sovereign nation. It’s a farce. A cover-up. A lie people are too biased to question.

What gives Israel the right to cross borders and drop bombs like it’s a game? What happened to respecting sovereignty? Oh, right!! That only applies when it’s not a Western-backed regime doing the bombing.

People love to preach about international law, human rights, and peace; until it comes to Syria. Then suddenly, it’s silence or excuses. But Syrians are people too. And this endless aggression, this military arrogance, needs to be called out for what it is: terrorism. State-sponsored, Western-backed terrorism.

[ladybugknowledge]

It’s absolutely insane that in 2025, there are still elected officials in government who deny the existence of intersex people, as if basic biology is up for debate. The fact that someone with power can confidently stand up and say intersex individuals don’t exist, simply because it clashes with their religious beliefs or outdated understanding, is not just ignorant; it’s dangerous. These are the people making decisions that affect millions of lives, and they’re doing it from a place of misinformation and bias. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to watch real human experiences be dismissed like that. People are being erased, invalidated, and excluded from protection and support by the very system that’s supposed to serve everyone. It’s deeply unfair, and it shows just how much work we still have to do to make this world livable for all.

[ladybugknowledge]

I pick jasmines and hold them to my nose because their scent reminds me of home.

I collect seashells because they look like the ones scattered along the coast of Syria, where the water was always cold and the sun always soft.

I drink tea after every dinner, not out of habit, but because it makes me feel grounded, like I��m back at my grandmother’s table.

I pronounce my ك's with purpose, like the way I was taught, like my roots still matter.

I listen to folk Arabic music because it sounds like memory; dusty roads, open windows, voices rising like smoke.

I love hikes and lakes because my village had both, and I still see it in every tree and ripple.

I really am a mosaic of everything I’ve ever loved.

Every tradition, every sound, every scent, a living piece of the Syria I still carry with me.

[ladybugknowledge]

The UN is a disgrace. A hollow institution parading as the world’s moral compass, yet all it does is bow to the rich, powerful hands dripping in blood while trampling the broken backs of the oppressed. It speaks in polished statements and resolutions that do nothing but decorate the pages of history with false hope.

Where was the UN when Syrians in Homs were being turned to ash in their own homes? When their neighbourhoods were flattened, when barrel bombs fell like rain and bodies lined the streets? It issued statements. Empty, useless statements. It “condemned” violence while letting it rage on. It drew “red lines” in the sand and watched them be crossed without lifting a finger.

And now, as massacres tear through Alawite villages, where is that same institution? These are people, civilians, being killed for the crime of existence, caught in the flames of a power struggle they didn’t choose. Alawite families are being slaughtered, dragged into a war they never started, and the UN sits comfortably in its air-conditioned halls, debating terminology while blood stains the soil. Not even a whisper of meaningful intervention. Not even a true attempt at justice.

Palestine is no different. Gaza has been a graveyard of dreams for decades. Israel drops bombs with impunity, blockades every breath, and the world watches. What did the UN do when hospitals were turned to dust and children burned in their sleep? Another statement. Another vote blocked by a veto. The system is rigged. The very conference that was meant to hold the world accountable ended in mockery. As one speaker cried, “Do they have the right to kill? And the only right we have is to die.” That’s what the UN has reduced us to, bodies to count, not people to protect.

What kind of justice is this? Where is the outrage when a powerful nation violates international law? It’s gone, buried under diplomatic smiles and “strategic partnerships.” The UN kneels at the feet of power, licking the boots of empire while the rest of us are told to stay silent, to “wait for peace.” Peace doesn’t come from cowardice, it comes from action. And the UN has proven, time and time again, it is incapable of anything but betrayal.

I’m tired of watching our lives be weighed against the interests of the elite. I’m tired of being told justice takes time while it’s handed instantly to those who never needed it. The UN has failed. Not once. Not twice. But endlessly. It does not represent the people. It represents control. Oppression. And death.

How many more have to die before the world stops pretending the UN means anything?

[ladybugknowledge]

With everything atrocious happening in Syria right now, I wanted to share something I wrote back in March.

From a young age, I stood up against the injustices of my government. I raised my voice for those who couldn’t. I volunteered in refugee camps, offering whatever help I could, fully aware of the danger it posed to me and my family. I lived in Syria. I witnessed the fear, the silence, the consequences.

I was raised to respect all authority, to avoid posting anything political for the sake of our safety. I carried the same fears as every Syrian: the fear of losing my home, losing my family, losing everything.

So why is it that the people of the coast are being punished now? My people, my home, suffering because of religious differences? We all endured the same oppression under the past government. We all lived in fear. Is it because the president was Alawite, like many of the people from the coast? Is that why innocent children have to die, why families are forced to flee into the mountains, where there is no shelter, no food? Even the trees that once offered protection were burned to ash, destroyed so they could not hide.

Calling all Alawites "followers of the Assad regime” is not just wrong, it is cruel. Alawites lived under fear just like every other sect, every other religion. Never asked for special treatment. Never asked to be part of this war. And now, our once-beautiful coast has been turned into a bloodbath.

Syrian Alawites, driven from their homes, now sleep beneath the open sky, in forests, on mountains, beside graves where they may one day rest if this suffering does not end. This is not the Syria we dreamed of. This is not the future we fought for. Massacres, home invasions, and division were never meant to define us.

Syria is a land of beauty, of boundless generosity, of jasmine-scented streets and warm embraces. How can the world turn away as our homes crumble? As the essence of our homeland fades?

[ladybugknowledge]

"Grow up" is honestly the dumbest thing you can say to someone under 18 who's enjoying an interest. Not that turning 18 suddenly means you can’t enjoy things anymore, but specifically for teenagers (13-18), you have every right to like whatever you want, whether it’s cartoons, games, or anything else. You can be intelligent, articulate, even a genius, and still love "kid stuff." You can play with dolls, collect toy trucks, rewatch your favourite cartoon series, and find joy in mythical things. Enjoying something made for a younger audience doesn’t make you any less mature or intelligent. Not everything you like has to be a reflection of your maturity.

[ladybugknowledge]

People act like belief automatically equals endorsement of every institution tied to it, and it's ridiculous. Saying "I believe in God" doesn’t mean I subscribe to every corrupt organization or extreme faction that claims to represent faith. It’s like saying, "I love music," and someone responding, "Oh, so you support the shady practices of the record industry?" No, that’s not how this works.

People can hold beliefs independently of institutions. Faith doesn’t mean blind allegiance to organized religion, just like loving a country doesn’t mean supporting every decision its government makes. It’s really that simple, but some people insist on overcomplicating it just to push a narrative.

[ladybugknowledge]

That whataboutism nonsense is one of the most frustrating ways people derail discussions. Instead of addressing the actual argument, they just throw in something unrelated to shift focus. If someone is criticizing a government, suddenly it’s “Well, the previous one was bad too!” Okay? And? That doesn’t change the current issue being discussed. Not everything has to turn into a comparison contest.

Even worse are the people who have a “what about…” for literally everything. It’s exhausting. If you talk about one injustice, they immediately jump in with “Well, what about this other one?” As if caring about one thing means you’re ignoring everything else. It’s a cheap, lazy way to avoid real conversation, and it completely kills any productive discussion. Not every argument needs a detour. Sometimes, things just need to be addressed for what they are.