March 30 is not just a date, but a history written in the ground, a memory that the country itself carries within it.
On this day in 1976, my father Bishara gave his life after a lifetime of protecting the land of his ancestors. Today marks the 50th anniversary of his death, but his presence has never left us. It lives in every tree he planted, in every field he tended, in every path his hands shaped with patience, perseverance and love.
He belonged to this country, and the country belonged to him. Through hardship, through political struggles, through all the challenges that would separate him from it, he remained rooted. He worked it with his own hands, planted life in it, harvested its fruits and cared for it as one cares for a mother.
And today, half a century later, we can still feel him walking alongside us on the farm. His legacy is not just a memory, it is a responsibility. It is the path he showed us: to continue to protect the land, to care for it and to stay connected to it, whatever the cost. He gave his life in the cause of justice and peace, and we carry this commitment forward.
We will continue this journey, with deeper determination, stronger faith and unwavering love. We will protect the land he has nurtured until the day we pass it on to the next generation, just as it was entrusted to him.
We will continue to dream and work for the day when justice flows like a river and peace and justice become one.
Your spirit lives on, Papa, in this country, in our hands and in every step we take forward.
Daoud Nassar