The mother of Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German national believed to have been kidnapped by Hamas fighters during the militant group’s surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, said on Tuesday that her daughter is alive.
Louk, a tattoo artist, was attending the Tribe of Nova music festival in the plains of the Negev Desert near Urim, close to the Gaza Strip, on Saturday when Hamas fighters stormed the event. She’s believed to have been seized by the militants and paraded through the streets in the back of a pick-up.
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On Tuesday, Louk’s family announced they had proof that Louk—who grew up in Israel—was alive. German news website Blick reported that her mother said she was in a hospital in Gaza with serious head injuries.
“We now have more information that Shani is alive,” her mother told television channel NTV, adding she received the information from unnamed Palestinian sources.
The mother added that Louk is seriously injured, and asked the German government for help and quick action.
If you care about victims of rape, don’t spread that bs about “life being over” and other disheartening quotes that make them feel like a used up rag. If she survives, it’s cause for celebration, period.
Nobody said anything about her being raped, and never said anything about her life being over. She was present during a mass-killing, was brutalized in the process, and she is now being held captive by a terrorist group. Even if Hamas wasn’t raping their victims (which they absolutely are), living through this will, without a doubt, change the trajectory of a person’s life.
It blows my mind that there are people who think mental recovery from things like this is a simple, easy process. Imagine all the horrors of war without any of the training and purpose of cause that allow you to cope just a bit and most still suffer from severe PTSD from that. She just got more trauma crammed into one week than many will see in their entire lives, with more to come and maybe more previously we don’t know about. Her life isn’t over, and it could eventually be fine. But it will be different.
I agree with the point you’re making.
I don’t think this is the equivalent of saying life is over. It’s saying that if Shani Louk is alive it’s good news while also acknowledging that there has still been significant grievous harm caused to this young woman.
Her not being dead is not equivalent to no harm/no foul. Hamas still has responsibility for significant harm caused to Shani Louk.
It wasn’t trying to diminish the atrocity, sorry if it came out that way. This is humanity at its lowest. I’m just happy she might still survive.
I just keep the aggressor out of my head when thinking about the victim, they don’t deserve the attention.
I guess I’m a little triggered by this specific theme, thx for the feedback.
You did not, not to me at least.
That’s a great way to approach it. I was only speculating on the original commenter’s intent because that’s how I think about it too. I’ve had trauma in my past and it’s shaped who I am today; I reflect on it often. When I see stories of trauma for others I always have the thought about how their trauma is now going to shape their life going forward.
With good cause for sure! Harm and trauma don’t take away your agency or humanity, that happens by how others react to you after.
I’m more worried about the fact that she is very likely paralyzed to some degree and appears to have a hole in her head.
Did you actually read what you were responding to, or just have kneejerk reaction?
You’re not wrong, but the person you are responding to didn’t say any of those things.
Suggesting their life will never be the same is not equivalent to suggesting they are worthless. They didn’t say “life being over”
Victims of rape will never be the same, as they will have a very traumatic event in their history. That event is of significance, not devaluation.
You’re the only one interpreting it like that.
Some trauma stays with you for life. No one’s calling her a “used up rag,” the reality is that she may continue to suffer from what happened for the rest of her life.
Yeah i got that later, see other response. Tldr; personal trigger sorry
Maybe edit your initial comment too? Just a suggestion
I think tt trauma of part of her head missing is more likely the concern here.
What about ‘serious head injuries’? They can be pretty life changing and can end up in ‘life being over’ compared to normal…
There are many possibilities like this you’re right, she might be brain dead, etc. I was using a broad definition of “alive”, having autonomic functions and a fair amount of cognitive and physical fitness.
Do you have a source for the claim she was raped?
Thank you.
❤️
Acknowledging is not perpetuating.
Agreed. Don’t let their entire life be defined by this one event.