In 480 BC, 300 men fought against the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. With no help from their Greek allies, the King of Sparta, Leonidas, blocked the hot gates with the Spartans. With an army of one hundred thousand men, King Xerxes confronted the 300 Spartans. He demanded Leonidas to surrender. Leonidas, who had never learned to retreat or surrender, gave his life along with his 300 men.
The history of the Greeks has always been rich. No matter who the foes were or how powerful they were, Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Syracuse, Aegina, Argos, Eretria, and Elis consistently appeared, marching together against a single enemy. Looking back, we can see that Greece has always been united and has battled heroically in several conflicts, like the Trojan War, the Battle of Marathon, and others, that have even been erased from history. They became legendary because of the one exception at Thermopylae and the story of persevering in the face of overwhelming odds. History remembers these 300 men, and it always will.
Years have passed, and the Persians and Greeks are gone. Numerous things have changed across the planet. Unfortunately, we are still unable to eliminate the practice of possession. This time, anarchy unfolds in the Middle East, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Looking back to 1948, the first footprint of the Zionists on the coasts of Palestine marked the beginning of the expulsion of people from their homes. These invading Zionists, together with their powerful friends, struck the whip and are wiping out Palestinians.
However, Palestinians have always refused to leave their homeland and continue their fight for it. With the dream of a free Palestine, Palestinians continue to defend their flag despite their inadequate numbers, lack of modern weapons to repel the tyrants, and exclusion from their Middle Eastern allies.
History will remember Palestine -- the nation and people that stood up against all odds
The latest attempt to redeem Palestine was during the Arab-Israeli conflicts. Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon fought to uproot the Zionists from Jerusalem and regain control of Al-Aqsa for Palestine. Arabs suffered greatly as a result of these invasions. Upon losing the hostilities, Arabs fled and retreated to their homelands, leaving Palestinians all alone.
The West Bank and Gaza -- two different territories of Palestine sharing one common nationalism -- hold their stance with no intention of retreating or surrendering. Every dawn in the West Bank and Gaza starts with bullets and bombs, and every dusk ends with death.
Israelis are moving forward into the West Bank, occupying more Palestinian land than the previous day. This progression is stealing the homesteads of their rightful owners, and no one wants to talk about it. The UN and the Western media are playing it exceedingly safe. On rare, fine mornings, the UN issues a statement admonishing Israel, which eventually brings no visible impact. Palestinians, having no alternative, continue to fight and die.
Nevertheless, apart from costing countless lives, this never-ending battle is decimating the homes, hospitals, and schools of Palestine. All of history’s men have battled on the battlefield, dying on their feet, eye to eye with their adversaries. But people in Palestine do not even know when and where the next airstrike will take place.
No retreat, no surrender. That was Spartan law -- as it has become so for Palestinian. And by this law, they stand and fight, and die. And they will look forward to a new age to begin. An age of freedom. An age of pride. And history will remember Palestine -- the nation and people that stood up against all odds.
ASM Kamrul Islam is a Lecturer at the Green University of Bangladesh.