The word impossible is not in well-known author Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish’s vocabulary.”Everything in this world is possible, you see what is happening in this world? Can you tell me what will happen tomorrow? No one knows,” said Abuelaish, adding the world is constantly changing.”It’s moving, it’s volatile, it’s changing but I hope the change to be for the good. There are changes good and bad, but what can we do to maximize the changes for the good, not for the bad?”Abuelaish came to the Comox Valley to speak about moving forward from forgiveness to compassion at the conference, Apology and Forgiveness: Moving Forward on a Path of Healing.The doctor, author and Nobel Peace Prize nominee told his story — which is outlined in his book I Shall Not Hate — to a large audience in the Mark Isfeld Secondary School gym Thursday evening.Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor. Raised in the Jabalia refugee camp on the Gaza Strip, he beat the odds to become not only a doctor, but the first Arabic medical doctor holding a staff position in an Israeli hospital, serving both Arab and Israeli patients.Months after his wife died of leukemia in late 2008, Israeli shells hit his Gaza apartment and killed three of his daughters and his niece instantly.Rather than feeling hatred towards Israelis, Abuelaish decided to spread a message of peace, compassion and human connectivity.According to Abuelaish, one element is needed to change the world for the better.”It’s justice which is missing in this world,” said Abuelaish. “Justice is simple and easy; to like for others what do I like for myself, to put myself in the shoe of the others.”We all are living in this world to enjoy, to create and construct — not to destroy.”Abuelaish created a foundation called Daughters for Life, which promotes education for girls and women in the Middle East.He established the foundation in memory of his daughters who were all very studious, but he also believes education is the biggest weapon to end suffering, and further, the education of women will help create change in the world.”I believe in the potential of girls and women,” said Abuelaish. “If you want to measure the development of any country it’s not with the economic development or economic indicators; it’s with women’s education and women’s role — not women’s status and rights — it’s the role in decision-making, in shaping the future of the nation.”When we educate a girl or a woman you educate a nation. A healthy educated girl and woman will raise healthy, educated children, husband, family, community, nation. The woman is the school.”Abuelaish is not political in his endeavours for change, and said he never will be because he believes it’s time to humanize rather than to politicize. He said every life matters, and it’s important to think of people dying — as people, not numbers.In fact, the only thing he noted as being impossible to change is to bring someone back from death; he spent a considerable amount of time working away from home when his children were young, and wishes he had spent more time with them.”My daughter Mayar, who was killed, she said one day the most difficult thing for her when I leave home, when I travel that she doesn’t want and I felt that later,” said Abuelaish. “As I said, life, you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”Don’t say tomorrow, spend as much time as you can with the people you love, to kiss them, to hug them, to share with them, to eat with them, to talk to them.”Abuelaish lives in Canada now and teaches at the University of Toronto. He also speaks all over the world.The Comox Valley generated about $8,500 towards Daughters of Life through admission to Abuelaish’s speech and donations. Abuelaish plans to use some scholarship funding to bring Palestinian girls to the Comox Valley for their schooling, and North Island College president Dr. Jan Lindsay said she would work to allocate some scholarship funding from the college as well, according to conference co-ordinator Bruce Curtis.For more information on Abuelaish and the Daughters for Life foundation, visit www.daughtersforlife.com.writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com

Comox Valley Record