The Unseen War: The clock strikes one in the scorching afternoon of mid-July; the intense heat of the sun seems to scald the city. There is no sign of a cool breeze, no faucet nearby; no salvation from a burning death. In the midst of this heat, a lone ranger strives with purpose.

He is a soldier. Fighting for his country and for a better world, unified with others who dare to care. But, this soldier is different. He does not carry ammunition, nor does he have gunpowder or grenades to fire upon his enemy; merely because his enemy is invisible, insidious and vicious.

This young soldier is an ordinary man. He wears common clothing, devoid of camouflaged armor and personal protection. His determination is incomparable; his devotion, unmatchable. His blue bag with a red cross signifies that there are still people remaining, who care for the better; in pursuit of the enemy.

The soldier moves forward, regardless of the infernal heat, irrespective of the unpredictable. He approaches a door, knocking gently, greeted by suspicious looks. As he states his purpose, the polio drops remain stable in his bag; he witnesses a scowl evolve on the host’s face.

The soldier is insolently berated, the commotion alerting more of the hostile. The hollering begins; “KAAFIR!” (Disbeliever), “LOBBYIST!”, “OUR KIDS WILL NOT INTAKE THE FORBIDDEN”. The soldier is
forced to exile from his own front, rejected by his own people.

This soldier is not one that fights on the nation’s border, rather, He fights the enemy within the nation. The issue is, he is more human than others. He is an ordinary man, with an extraordinary purpose. He is a warrior and defender; a Health Worker.

His enemy: the epidemics that gulp over precious lives and are never satiated, the diseases that encompass the cities beauty and the viral infections that penetrate throughout the Nation. His job is simple, yet that arduous. He works diligently, for the future of those who might never even remember him. Similar to this health worker, numerous health workers and facilitators fight each day, for the future of mankind. But unfortunately, most of mankind moves against them.

Through time, since the evolution of medicine, there have been two trends following the treatment of health workers. When medicine was new, it was magic; people were considerate and respectful towards them. They would consider it a prestige and a high-ranked privilege to be involved in such an auspicious profession; therefore, honor was the trend. However, as medicine took on a modern stance, it altered the trend. When medicine went from doctors to digitisation, doctors became “murderers”, “incompetent” and were rid of their rights.

They were bitterly mistreated and abused. Their Vans were set ablaze and their lives were threatened profusely. Like the young nurse, Razan Najjar, who was brutally martyred on the border of Gaza, in the name of freedom. Or those doctors and hospitals that blew up to smithereens in Syria, from the air strikes. Or the conservatism against polio drops, vaccines and immunity injections.

A resultant of the bleak small-mindedness of ignorant individuals (deliberately, at most); which has lead to a complete lapse of that trend, presently. Health workers are called unmentionable names, accursed, beaten, chased after or murdered.

But, even with the new ‘norm’ of violence against them, health workers still persevere
forward; regardless of all the impediments ahead in their pursuit. They strive with undeniable
spirit. They persist, towards making an everlasting impact, in the world.

The soldier rushes for his own life, sprinting across the narrow alleyways, the bag with the delicate drops is to be kept stable too; this is nothing less than a feat. He stops running, panting for breath, utterly perplexed as to how mankind is willfully blind to the enemy, while it is vividly exposed to them. He pities them and their deliberate lack of vision.

He regains his breath, lifts himself and stands upright, clutching his bag even tighter. He knows what needs to be done and is aware of his purpose. He takes calculated steps towards the alleyway ahead, shunning his fear and regaining his strength. Simultaneously, the enemy advances, relentlessly; the War has only just begun.

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