That’s a very good question, but an extremely hard one to answer. I’m afraid the only answer to that is another question, “what are you willing to do to help?”

It is absolutely ridiculous that information on Darfur is becoming increasingly difficult to find. We have to go out of our way in order to seek it. We are not exposed to such information otherwise. The mass media ignores it, as if nothing is going on, as if this is an unimportant fact soon to be history. We look at our past and we think “never again.” We looked at Rwanda and we thought, “how horrible. Something should’ve been done about it!”

And this? It’s still happening today. Right now.

Is this not worthy of our attention?

Is this not front page material? Are you that comfortably numb? Too bored of numbers, dead bodies, horrific details, human beings who have been reduced to a footnote? Are you waiting for this current event to turn into a depressing statistic? Or are you simply unaware due to the unbelievable lack of coverage?

If the mass media is not acting responsibly, we will do whatever we can in order to provide vital information with the help of other campaigns launched for similar purposes. This is a grave crime against humanity and it pains me to see it unknown amongst many individuals, more specifically fellow Arabs. Where is the Arab media? What is it reporting that’s so much more important than this unspeakable crime?

Indeed, ignorance is bliss. But ignorance does come with a big price. If you are ignorant as to what’s going on in Darfur, you are allowing the rivers of blood to keep flowing. You do not put a limit, you do not even attempt to build a wall to stop the violent bloodshed. Why wait for others to do it? No matter who you are, where you are, this no longer matters. It is time to strip ourselves of these useless subtitles. No one cares about the labels you subscribe to, because today, we are human, and we stand with humanity.

If we were all truly aware of what’s going on, this will not happen, or it will at least not be as bad as we allow it to be. Regardless of their race, beliefs, or whether or not you’re even interested in the country or region, put yourself in their shoes and imagine the horror. Imagine how disgusted you would be knowing that others are living in a completely different, safe environment, distant enough not to be able to hear a peep while you and your loved ones were being chased and tortured to a slow painful death. Children crying on top of their dead mothers, husbands brutalized and killed in front of their families, areas where the houses are nothing but haunted with the memories of the dead … and yet here we are, in the sunshine, the silence, where this news isn’t worthy enough to make it to the front pages of any of our news services.

Knowing this, can you sleep at night? Because I can’t, and I stopped trying. Not until I stand up and say, “I will do something about this.” It’s time for you to stand up and state the same thing.

Together, we can.

Together, we blog for Darfur.