The loss of his daughters as the final test
The novel's title is an anthemic proclamation with serious implications. But how will the reader know for sure that Dr. Abuelaish's ethical standard of complete non-violence is really strong enough to work in their own lives? For that, Abuelaish tells the true story of the deaths of his daughters. One evening, an Israeli tank missile hit Abuelaish's civilian home, exploding into his home and killing three of his daughters. After this, through the post-traumatic stress, through the absolute horror and terror, he still does not resort to hatred, malice, or violence. Still, Abuelaish is non-violent and loving.
The birth coaching and deliveries
There is a lovely picture of Dr. Abuelaish helping the young Israeli women to deliver their young. The women come to him for his expertise, and, although they were Jewish, Abuelaish would help them, every single time. This is a picture of love, and it can be seen as a metaphor for Abuelaish's personal religious views in life. Even though the Israeli army is afflicting his people, he still serves the Jewish community freely, though they are literally attacking as he does so.
The motif of human dignity
By observing Abuelaish's relationships to others, the reader can see that Abuelaish has ethical guidelines that dictate his responses to news of any kind. The title is a major one, but there are more. In addition to not hating anyone, Abuelaish also demonstrates a consistent respect for human life. He doesn't hate anyone, and through motif, we see why: He believes every human is extremely valuable and inherently lovable.
Pictures of the savior
This story follows a Messianic model, since the protagonist (a real person) advocates complete non-violence, and since he offers love to his enemies, helping their pregnant women to deliver babies, and then celebrating with the families, even though many of his patients are Jewish. When he loses his children, his story becomes like the story of Job who loses his family without warning, just like Abuelaish. This would imply that he will be blessed for suffering with honor.
Abuelaish as a symbol for reason
There are many misconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, such as the nature of the conflict, the scope of the conflict, the tension between the Jewish and Muslim communities, and so on. These misconceptions are addressed in the narrative through Abuelaish, which means that he represents reason and love, as opposed to the fear-mongering and misinformation that get spread through the public. We see this in Abuelaish's advocacy for the war to end. Many people have used the conflict between Arabs and Jews as an excuse for racism, bigotry, and hatred, and Abuelaish represents the voice that calmly reminds everyone that if everyone would stop shooting, there would be peace again.
