Hey, @staff, why are you hiding the profile of one of Gaza Verified’s team? (@rania40)
Can we please get full transparency on how this happened and who approved it and why?
CC @casey
#GazaVerified #israel #genocide #ethnicCleansing #apartheid #settlerColonialism #Palestine #Gaza #StopIsrael #FreePalestine
casey
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Aral Balkan
in reply to casey • • •It was hidden (and has been reinstated now). If you look on Aya’s timeline, there are lots of replies to unrelated posts.
Aya, please let me know when you have a post you need people to see and I’ll boost it for you.
Aral Balkan
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Thanking @staff for reinstating Aya’s account.
She had replied to a number of unrelated posts from people and organisations that she thought were friendly to the Palestinian cause but clearly some weren’t and reported her (instead of, say, muting or even blocking her personally). She has apologised for doing so.
That said, people in Gaza are suffering through genocide and we’re trying to silence them for breaching etiquette.
For the love of whatever you hold dear,
if a Palestinian facing genocide annoys you, mute or block them or, even better, tell them why and try to help them navigate this space instead of reporting them and getting their accounts limited or suspended.
For so many Palestinians this is their last lifeline for support from the outside world. Think twice before cutting it off for them.
AYA🤍
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Aral Balkan
in reply to AYA🤍 • • •Aya, it’s ok. Please don’t feel bad.
You inconvenienced a few people for a few seconds out of their day. I’m sure they’ll live.
The whole world has failed you while you face genocide.
We are the only ones who must apologise (and our apologies mean nothing without action to stop the genocide.)
Aral Balkan reshared this.
AYA🤍
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Layan🍉ayoub🇵🇸
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Totts
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •My advice would be to move your account to a more 'Palestine Friendly' instance.
I have had some issues with Mastodon.Social
Xx
Lina 🍉om Sham
in reply to Aral Balkan • • •Thank you for reinstating Aya's account. 🤍
For many of us in Gaza, social media is our only way to reach people who can help us survive. We are not here to disturb anyone — we are trying to save our families and share our reality.
If our posts feel overwhelming, please mute or block us instead of reporting us. Losing an account can mean losing our last hope here of reaching those who can help us.
Thank you to everyone who chooses compassion and humanity.
Aral Balkan reshared this.
JimmyB (he/him)
in reply to Lina 🍉om Sham • • •@lina19942810
"If our posts feel overwhelming, please mute or block us instead of reporting us"
OR... consider our privilege and deal with whatever uncomfortable feelings and emotions arise in us when we have to face the reality of what is happening with our taxes to the people of Gaza.
I don't think it's OK to turn away unless you just do not have the spoons left to look any more. For most of us, seeing a fraction of the daily cost, suffering and pain is important context to our otherwise unimpacted lives.
I'm sorry you had to make a post like that.
@aral @rania40 @casey @staff