Pembroke residents fasting for Gazans

     While the conflict in Gaza is thousands of miles away, there are people who feel its impact much closer to home. In solidarity with the approximately two million people in Gaza who are experiencing an extreme shortage of food and basic amenities as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, two Pembroke residents recently participated in a 40 day fast along with 27 others around the state.
      "Over the past 21 months, I have seen countless photos and videos clearly showing the entire Gazan population starving while being deprived of human rights such as the ability to leave and return, safety for civilians, and access to clean food and water," says Rosemary Corkins, who fasted along with her mother, Patricia. She wanted to get involved in part due to the blocking of humanitarian aid and the targeting of civilian areas such as schools and hospitals.
      Corkins and her family moved to Maine when she was 11 to get away from crowded city streets and to "experience community where people looked after one another," she says. "This mindset is part of why I got involved with the Fast for Gaza campaign." Corkins and her mother have been involved with the Coalition for Palestine since October 2023.
      The Fast for Gaza campaign was started by Veterans for Peace, who demonstrated their fast in front of the United Nations building in New York City. "We have continuously reached out to our senators and representatives to listen to us and our fellow Americans and to tell Congress that America cannot fund the genocide of the Gazan people. However, we have received little contact with them."
      The last known average caloric intake of people living in Gaza was 250 calories. Those who fasted in solidarity chose the best way to participate, depending on their personal health, with some opting to do a relay style fast with a team and others opting to refrain from eating until sundown in accordance with Ramadan tradition.
      In Corkins case, she limited herself to 750 calories a day and did not eat until nightfall. "I struggled throughout the 40 days with brain fog, fatigue from doing light physical work, and increases in headaches and migraines," she says, adding that she lost about 10% of her body weight even while consuming three times as many calories as someone in Gaza.
      While it was challenging at times, Corkins was comforted by the fact that she could end her fast at any time, including with medical supervision if necessary. In Gaza, there is no such relief. "It was a reminder that the people who need humanitarian aid reopened and a permanent and complete ceasefire are not fasting to make a plea -- they are being purposefully starved."
      The Fast for Gaza won't be the last demonstration Corkins and her mother will participate in, she says. "I and others around this state and this country continue to be willing to do actions such as hunger strikes or other means in order to bring this genocide to the forefront of public discussion. We will continue to act, as the United States not only refuses to condemn but continues to be one of the few nations in the world that funds this genocide."