PADANG, forumsumbar —– Gaza’s Wounds: A Cry That Awakens the World’s Conscience
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
In a world saturated with fleeting content, instant entertainment, and the relentless pace of digital distraction, Gaza continues to bleed. For decades, this besieged land has endured the unspeakable—blockade, bombardment, starvation, and forced evictions. Amid the silence of many powerful nations and the inertia of global institutions, a voice rises from the western edge of Sumatra, Indonesia. From the city of Padang, ordinary people have chosen not to remain silent.
With poetry, with speeches, with prayers and sacred songs, they raise something more enduring than anger: love and solidarity. They gather in a spirit that transcends borders, uniting heart and voice in a spiritual and cultural act of resistance.
On Sunday morning, June 22, 2025, the “Love & Safe Gaza” event was held at GOR Agus Salim in Padang, a powerful expression of international solidarity from Indonesia.
This action is part of the World Poetry Movement (WPM)’s global campaign—an organization based in Colombia that has rallied 179 poets from 121 countries to speak up for Palestine.
Why Gaza? Why Poetry? Why Now?
“To be silent is to be complicit.” — Desmond Tutu
Why is Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia speaking out? Because the history of Indonesia was not born in silence, but in defiance. Because the Minangkabau people have never been spectators of history, but participants in its making. Because in the blood of Minangkabau customs flows the principle “adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah”—which teaches that speaking the truth is an act of faith.
Gaza is a symbol of suffering, but also of resistance. When the world is mute, poetry becomes a voice that cannot be silenced. When weapons deepen destruction, poetry and oration become tools of nonviolent resistance that reach into the soul.
As Alice Walker once wrote: “Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.”
That is why poetry is the chosen weapon: it does not wound—it awakens. It does not destroy—it heals. And it lives in the spirit of the Minangkabau.
From West Sumatra, Indonesia to Palestine: A Chorus of Compassion
Hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds gathered—not as spectators, but as witnesses. They came bearing one message: Padang and West Sumatra are part of a global conscience that refuses to look away.
Among the notable voices:
• Ibnu Azis, Vice Mayor of Bukittinggi, delivered a stirring humanitarian speech.
• Dianita Maulin Vasko, Chair of BKOW Sumbar and advisor to PKK Sumbar, expressed the voice of Minangkabau women with a combination of speech and song for Palestine.
• Acclaimed poets of West Sumatra such as Andria C. Tamsin, Zamzami Ismail, and others gave impassioned readings of poetry.
There were also performances by:
• Malin Tirih, a traditional Minangkabau figure,
• Vocal and cultural groups including Nasyid Al Fajr, Sumbar Talenta, and Barabah Vocal Group.
The event became more than an artistic expression—it became a collective testimony. From the religious reflection by Ustadzah Ayu, to declarations by organizations such as DHD 45, every segment echoed a shared message: Gaza lives in our hearts.
The event was open and free to the public, inviting everyone to listen, reflect, and stand in empathy. An open mic session at the end symbolized the belief that every voice matters.
The Front Lines of Poetry: Verses as Bullets of Conscience
Below is the list of featured poets and their works:
1. Sastri Bakry – (SatuPena/WPM) – “Gaza, The Wounded City” by Sastri Bakry
2. Leni Marlina – (Poetry-Pen IC / PPIPM-Indonesia / SatuPena / WPM) – “Between the Cracks of Earth” by Leni Marlina
3. Tyo Kurniawan – (PPIPM-Indonesia / Poetry-Pen IC) – “Wrapped in Clouds, Pillow of Prayers” by Leni Marlina
4. Edrawati – (SatuPena) – “Red Sky on the Horizon of Palestine” by Era Nurza
5. Rhein Eka Triana – (DHD ’45) – “Give Us Weapons, O World” by Pipiet Senja
6. Nofieana Gusti Winata – (SatuPena/WPM) – “Save Love (We Love Palestine)” by Fiana Winata
7. Hesti Nelvia – (ASM/SatuPena) – “The Sorrows of Palestinian Children” by Ramli Djafar
8. Yenny Ibrahim – “When We Just Watch 1,300 Children Being Killed” by Yenny Ibrahim
9. Fauzul el Nurca – “Watching the Shards” by Fauzul el Nurca
10. Marniyeti – (HWK Sumbar) – “Gaza: Heaven and Hell” by Rizal Tanjung
11. Era Yunus – (HWK Sumbar) – “After That Sunset” by Anwar Putra Bayu
12. Sri Juwita Dewhi – (ASM) – “Gaza, the Fortress City” by Sri Juwita Dewhi
Woven Solidarity: A Tapestry of Community Collaboration
This event was organized by the World Poetry Movement – Indonesia with national coordinator Sastri Bakry, and supported by a wide network of communities and organizations, including:
1. Satu Pena Sumbar
2. Tonggak Nagari
3. BKOW Sumbar
4. FKPPI
5. DHD 45
6. Siti Manggopoh Women’s Association (ASM)
7. FOrkasmi
8. HWK Sumbar
9. PPIPM (People’s Inspiration Poetry Center)
10. Poetry-Pen International Community
11. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC)
12. Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia
13. Hamas (Sumbar Media Association).
“Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” — Audre Lorde.
In a world accelerated by algorithms and overwhelmed by speed, poetry slows us down—to reflect, to feel, and to act. The poems read in Padang became vessels for unspoken prayers, voices for the voiceless, and the breath of those trapped under siege in Gaza.
From the Land of Poetry to a Wounded Homeland
“Love & Safe.Gaza” was more than a poetry reading. It was the heartbeat of resistance from ordinary people refusing to bow to silence. It was a collective prayer, a shared wound, and a declaration of universal love.
As César A. Cruz once said: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
And so it is, from Padang, West Sumatra to Gaza, Palestine—from Minangkabau, Indonesia to the world—the voice of humanity continues to resound. With poetry, with oration, with art, and with love.
Read previous stories:
• https://forumsumbar.com/berita/49993/dianita-maulin-vasko-ikut-baca-puisi-gaza-bersama-penyair-dan-tokoh-sumbar/
• https://forumsumbar.com/berita/50002/dianita-maulin-vasko-raises-her-voice-for-humanity-through-gaza-poetry-reading-with-west-sumatran-poets-and-leaders/
(Leni Marlina)
