Absolute non-violence
As a pacifist, Abuelaish is firmly committed to the ethical standard of non-violence. Non-violence basically means, "Do no harm," but as the title suggests, Abuelaish takes the standard of non-violence and extends it to even his emotional thought life. Not only will Abuelaish choose non-violence in the face of horror and tragedy, he will also choose non-violence in his inner world, choosing to forgive and to find peace. He affirms his commitment to non-violence even after his house is shelled by the Israeli Army and his daughters are killed.
Love for all human life
Abuelaish arrives to his standard of non-violence by being a loving person. He demonstrates this most clearly by delivering babies for the Jewish mothers across the border divide. Because he works near the worst of the fighting, there are often Israeli mothers who cannot get the help they need in their own communities. Abuelaish helps every single one of them, knowing the whole time that in the future, those children he delivered might pick up arms and continue fighting.
In this narrative, love is defined by sacrifice, honor, and peace. When given the opportunity to seek revenge against the people who killed his daughters, Abuelaish retreats to Canada to seek a life of peace. He sacrifices his emotions to do what will be best for himself, honoring himself. His love for his daughters is defined by the honor with which he handles their deaths, a kind of involuntary sacrifice.
The gruesome war in Palestine
The war in Palestine began after World War II, as a response to the damage done to the Jewish community abroad during the Holocaust. The United Nations recognized Israel as an official nation-state, and the new Israeli government kicked the Palestinians out of their homes and communities.
In this memoir, the war is highlighted for its gruesomeness and its absolute horror (he watches his own daughters explode when their home is hit by artillery), and also for its unnecessary nature. The conflict has been going on for so long that no one is willing to forgive the other side, making Abuelaish a hero because he experiences the worst that war has to offer, but he still picks non-violence and forgiveness.
