I'm sure most of you who are taking the time to actually read my blog already know that last week Oprah decided that she will be visiting Israel "in solidarity" with the Israelis. I don't have any problem with Oprah visiting Israel, but I just think she should take the time to visit some of the major Palestinian cities as well. I'd be happy to arrange a tour of Nablus and An-Najah for you Oprah, just shoot me a call!!!
Anyhow, it's important that we ask Oprah to educate herself as she so frequently asks her audience to do. There are many petitions circulating asking her to visit Palestine as well so I hope you'll consider signing one. Here's a link to one I found:
www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OprahPalestine
My sister was married this past weekend. God bless her marriage...see you soon.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
"Massacre of Democracy"
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=22302
How can we sit by as Israel dismantles perhaps the only Arab democracy in the middle east? I am appalled at these arrests and can't see any warrant for them. Arresting Hamas officials in the West Bank will have no effect on rocket attacks from Gaza. It's simply a means to destroy the intellectual infrastructure of the West Bank and the result is the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. I pray these officials will be released.
How can we sit by as Israel dismantles perhaps the only Arab democracy in the middle east? I am appalled at these arrests and can't see any warrant for them. Arresting Hamas officials in the West Bank will have no effect on rocket attacks from Gaza. It's simply a means to destroy the intellectual infrastructure of the West Bank and the result is the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. I pray these officials will be released.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Back in the U.S.A
So after four months overseas I'm back in the United States. I must say that it's hard to be back. I miss everyone in Palestine as much as I missed everyone here in the U.S. It's great to see my family and all of my friends, but I know that I will return to Palestine, and I will stay engaged in the Palestinian cause for the rest of my life. For all of you in Palestine reading this, I miss you more than you understand, and I'll be gone only as long as I need to be, inshallah.
Leaving Israel was no easy chore. I'll be writing about it in great detail in the near future and I'll be sure to post the story when I'm done. Let's just say that the process involved taking my clothes off on more than one occasion and seven hundred dollars in unnecessary expenses. It was quite a lovely time.
Since arriving here in Massachusetts I've been just as busy as I was in Nablus, however instead of working, I've been catching up on having a social life again. My friend Artty released a new CD, which you can check out here http://www.arttyraynes.com/, and my friend Cait got married, which was fantastic.
I've received a great deal of feedback about my blog since I've been home. It's amazing how many people read it and how it reached people I never thought would be interested. Instead of ending the blog I'll be re-naming it and continuing. I'm going to continue to write about Palestine and probably a host of other things, so if you're interested, keep your alerts set up. Also, please don't hesitate to send me feedback or just comments. As humans we learn through engagement, which should come through communication. This is how I learn, so I'd love to hear from you.
I think I've been talking to much since I've been back. I just find that I can't keep quiet and it's important for people to know the truth. I've encountered people who've been extremely interested, extremely ignorant, and some who have been extremely arrogant. I got into an argument the other night with a girl about Islam. She tried to tell me that their religion fosters hate and violence. I wanted to cry when I heard her speak these words, because it couldn't be farther from the truth.
As Americans it's our responsibility to understand Islam. Islamophobia is very dangerous and we should be taking steps to increase understanding to counter these radical views. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It would be very foolish for Americans not to understand it, and even more foolish to have false perceptions about the Muslim faith. So do your country and your culture a favor and instead of watching Grey's Anatomy some night read about the true principles of Islam, or better yet, find a Muslim and ask them about Islam. They will be helpful and enthusiastic to help.
I took my mother to a Red Sox game on Saturday. She watches the Red Sox every night and loves the team as so much of us do here in New England. She hadn't been since 1968 and you could tell. Fenway Park is one of those special places. When you come into the park and see the grass, look around at the fans, and watch the players warm up on the field a feeling comes over you that can't be described in words. When we got to our seats I could see that my mother was consumed by this feeling and actually for the first three or four innings she didn't talk much, I think her and the park were having a special moment, making up for lost time. I hadn't see my mother smile like that in years, she was like a little kid. The over priced tickets were worth every penny.
I'll try to post some links about Islam tomorrow. Like I said, I'd love any feedback about the blog. By the way, I like Grey's Anatomy too. :)
Leaving Israel was no easy chore. I'll be writing about it in great detail in the near future and I'll be sure to post the story when I'm done. Let's just say that the process involved taking my clothes off on more than one occasion and seven hundred dollars in unnecessary expenses. It was quite a lovely time.
Since arriving here in Massachusetts I've been just as busy as I was in Nablus, however instead of working, I've been catching up on having a social life again. My friend Artty released a new CD, which you can check out here http://www.arttyraynes.com/, and my friend Cait got married, which was fantastic.
I've received a great deal of feedback about my blog since I've been home. It's amazing how many people read it and how it reached people I never thought would be interested. Instead of ending the blog I'll be re-naming it and continuing. I'm going to continue to write about Palestine and probably a host of other things, so if you're interested, keep your alerts set up. Also, please don't hesitate to send me feedback or just comments. As humans we learn through engagement, which should come through communication. This is how I learn, so I'd love to hear from you.
I think I've been talking to much since I've been back. I just find that I can't keep quiet and it's important for people to know the truth. I've encountered people who've been extremely interested, extremely ignorant, and some who have been extremely arrogant. I got into an argument the other night with a girl about Islam. She tried to tell me that their religion fosters hate and violence. I wanted to cry when I heard her speak these words, because it couldn't be farther from the truth.
As Americans it's our responsibility to understand Islam. Islamophobia is very dangerous and we should be taking steps to increase understanding to counter these radical views. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It would be very foolish for Americans not to understand it, and even more foolish to have false perceptions about the Muslim faith. So do your country and your culture a favor and instead of watching Grey's Anatomy some night read about the true principles of Islam, or better yet, find a Muslim and ask them about Islam. They will be helpful and enthusiastic to help.
I took my mother to a Red Sox game on Saturday. She watches the Red Sox every night and loves the team as so much of us do here in New England. She hadn't been since 1968 and you could tell. Fenway Park is one of those special places. When you come into the park and see the grass, look around at the fans, and watch the players warm up on the field a feeling comes over you that can't be described in words. When we got to our seats I could see that my mother was consumed by this feeling and actually for the first three or four innings she didn't talk much, I think her and the park were having a special moment, making up for lost time. I hadn't see my mother smile like that in years, she was like a little kid. The over priced tickets were worth every penny.
I'll try to post some links about Islam tomorrow. Like I said, I'd love any feedback about the blog. By the way, I like Grey's Anatomy too. :)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monkeys!!!
"Monkeys!", she said to me in a tone of utter astonishment. I was engaged in an in depth conversation about the creation of human beings. There are a few students who come to speak with me everyday in the English department, while I conduct my volunteer hours in the English lab. They have taught me a great deal about Islam, for which I am forever grateful. I cherish my conversations with them.
When I explained to her that I'd been taught the scientific theory of evolution, she responded with the previous quote, which was accompanied with a big smile, the type which covers the whole face, one that you simply can't conceal with all your effort. She had given me an article about creation a few days before, and I had read it with much interest. The article explained, with a great deal of scientific support, that humans, or Adam more specifically, were created from clay, by Allah, as the Holy Qur'an clearly states.
The conversation became more and more complex and I look back at it now as one of those exercises that both tests your beliefs and opens your mind to new possibilities. I explained to the students that I didn't feel it was my duty to god to conduct my life in the manner in which I choose to do so, but my duty to humanity. Islam teaches with great respect the ideals of mutual respect and the lifelong goal of serving humanity, things I've always believed strongly in. Our disagreement, or at least my disagreement, is the motivation. I don't feel that humans should need motivation from god to conduct themselves in this manner. We shouldn’t need promises of paradise to treat others how you would want to be treated, at least in my opinion. When I did get my point across to the students, they agreed to a certain extent, and told me that those Muslims who live their lives only with the goal of reaching paradise are not faithful to Allah or his words dictated in the Holy Qur'an. The result of our conversation, besides mutual enlightenment , was that my next article would focus on the idea and motivations of paradise in Islam.
Last night, before I went to sleep, my roommate spoke to me in the darkness of our bedroom. "I dreaming of the Jewish again, they come to my village and invade". He told me how when he was young the Israelis had invaded his village, "truly", and that since then he'd had the same nightmare of the Israelis invading his home and him running to his mother's arms in tears. "I don't know why I dream this", he said to me. "Some things never leave us", I said to him, hoping that my words could help soothe him, but knowing that I would never truly understand the dream that haunts him to this day.
When I explained to her that I'd been taught the scientific theory of evolution, she responded with the previous quote, which was accompanied with a big smile, the type which covers the whole face, one that you simply can't conceal with all your effort. She had given me an article about creation a few days before, and I had read it with much interest. The article explained, with a great deal of scientific support, that humans, or Adam more specifically, were created from clay, by Allah, as the Holy Qur'an clearly states.
The conversation became more and more complex and I look back at it now as one of those exercises that both tests your beliefs and opens your mind to new possibilities. I explained to the students that I didn't feel it was my duty to god to conduct my life in the manner in which I choose to do so, but my duty to humanity. Islam teaches with great respect the ideals of mutual respect and the lifelong goal of serving humanity, things I've always believed strongly in. Our disagreement, or at least my disagreement, is the motivation. I don't feel that humans should need motivation from god to conduct themselves in this manner. We shouldn’t need promises of paradise to treat others how you would want to be treated, at least in my opinion. When I did get my point across to the students, they agreed to a certain extent, and told me that those Muslims who live their lives only with the goal of reaching paradise are not faithful to Allah or his words dictated in the Holy Qur'an. The result of our conversation, besides mutual enlightenment , was that my next article would focus on the idea and motivations of paradise in Islam.
Last night, before I went to sleep, my roommate spoke to me in the darkness of our bedroom. "I dreaming of the Jewish again, they come to my village and invade". He told me how when he was young the Israelis had invaded his village, "truly", and that since then he'd had the same nightmare of the Israelis invading his home and him running to his mother's arms in tears. "I don't know why I dream this", he said to me. "Some things never leave us", I said to him, hoping that my words could help soothe him, but knowing that I would never truly understand the dream that haunts him to this day.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
4/22/2007
"You are documenting the history and the emergence of a nation", Ala said to me. He also informed me that I am perhaps the first westerner to lecture in the Sharia Department here at An-Najah. I truly consider it to have been an honor and one of the most important presentations of my life. While I undoubtedly personally benefited from the experience, I hope that the students, both male and female, learned something from my efforts. If they learned anything, I hope it was that not all Americans are ignorant of the plight of the Palestinian people and that some of us do care.
It motivates me to give similar presentations in the United States so as to increase awareness and hopefully work towards a dramatic change in public opinion. Lucy, the director of the right to education campaign here at An-Najah, and a British citizen, attended my lecture and commented at the end that she has seen a change occur over her lifetime in the representation of Palestinians in the British media. I pray that such a change occurs in my country and that it won't take generations to do so.
My presentation was on the bias that exists in the American media, specifically in regards to the occupation of Palestine. When I was telling my roommate last night that I would be giving the lecture today he at first wished me luck, as many people had when I told them I would be presenting to students and faculty members of the Sharia Department, but then he told me how important it is to do such things. Many of these students may have never spoken to an American and by being here I have the amazing opportunity to present to them as what I am: an American citizen. My delivering of the presentation, as an American citizen, was powerful to many of the students, as I was told.
After the presentation Ala congratulated me and told me how it was very important for the students, especially Fatin, the student who lobbied for me to be permitted to give such a presentation. I was supposed to give it nearly three weeks ago, but unfortunately the faculty did not think it was appropriate for me to do so. Thankfully, through Fatin's efforts, they rescheduled the date. I understood how important it was to her both before and after the presentation. Before the presentation she was extremely nervous, probably more so than I was, and after the presentation she was extremely happy. It would have taken a great deal of effort to wipe the smile off her face, and to me, this was reason enough to have given the presentation. She walked off reciting one sentence to me: "Thank you very much!" That sentence and the smile on her face are two things I will never forget.
Ala compared Fatin's situation to the philosophy of Plato. When a man discovers how to escape from a cave he has the difficult decision of enjoying his freedom from the cave or returning to rescue his friends. Through the Zajel program Fatin has had the opportunity to interact with internationals like myself. "It's like she's entering another world", Ala explained to me. "Now she will go back to the cave and rescue the others". While I don't think my presentation was that groundbreaking, I was heartened by the words and hope that I had one tenth the effect he expressed to me.
In the presentation I focused on the bias in the American media through three case studies: The AP, a combined assessment of CBS, NBC, and ABC, and the NY Times. I provided statistical evidence, not gathered by me but by an organization named If Americans Knew, which shows how news agencies under report Palestinian deaths and over report Israeli deaths, giving the impression that the Israelis are the ones suffering more casualties. Recently the Palestinian Information Minister, Mustafa Barghouthi, cited a poll of Americans which showed that the majority of Americans believe that Palestine is occupying Israel. This is a shameful result of the statistics which I presented.
The most important part of my presentation focused on the lack of intercultural dialogue between Americans and Palestinians. Perhaps the most controversial part of the presentation was when I called upon the Palestinian people to negotiate such a dialogue, citing my pessimism that Americans would do such a thing. I hope I'm wrong. The presentation went well. The women sat in the back, with an awkward gap between the men sitting in the front. The question and answer portion was fruitful. The first question was from someone trying to explain to me that the problem is in America more than here. This gave me a chance to explain my agreement, but to elaborate, that the Palestinian people also have a responsibility to improve their tattered image abroad, whether it be based on facts or not. I enjoyed the experience and hope that the students and faculty members who were present benefited from it and that some of them will work in the future towards participating in such a dialogue. I also hope that I proved to some of them that generalizing cultures is dangerous, whether it be Americans generalizing Palestinians, or Palestinians generalizing Americans.
An American school was burned down in Gaza recently. Most American's would probably think the Palestinian government was behind the attack, or that they support such anti-American actions. This is obviously not the case. You can read the story, as well as the statements from the information minister, here: http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=8209&cat=1
Most of the businesses in Nablus are closed today. They decided not to open in solidarity against the murder of two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade by Israeli soldiers last night. http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=21390
PS. Mike, do you have a broom I can borrow? There's a big mess at Fenway park...
It motivates me to give similar presentations in the United States so as to increase awareness and hopefully work towards a dramatic change in public opinion. Lucy, the director of the right to education campaign here at An-Najah, and a British citizen, attended my lecture and commented at the end that she has seen a change occur over her lifetime in the representation of Palestinians in the British media. I pray that such a change occurs in my country and that it won't take generations to do so.
My presentation was on the bias that exists in the American media, specifically in regards to the occupation of Palestine. When I was telling my roommate last night that I would be giving the lecture today he at first wished me luck, as many people had when I told them I would be presenting to students and faculty members of the Sharia Department, but then he told me how important it is to do such things. Many of these students may have never spoken to an American and by being here I have the amazing opportunity to present to them as what I am: an American citizen. My delivering of the presentation, as an American citizen, was powerful to many of the students, as I was told.
After the presentation Ala congratulated me and told me how it was very important for the students, especially Fatin, the student who lobbied for me to be permitted to give such a presentation. I was supposed to give it nearly three weeks ago, but unfortunately the faculty did not think it was appropriate for me to do so. Thankfully, through Fatin's efforts, they rescheduled the date. I understood how important it was to her both before and after the presentation. Before the presentation she was extremely nervous, probably more so than I was, and after the presentation she was extremely happy. It would have taken a great deal of effort to wipe the smile off her face, and to me, this was reason enough to have given the presentation. She walked off reciting one sentence to me: "Thank you very much!" That sentence and the smile on her face are two things I will never forget.
Ala compared Fatin's situation to the philosophy of Plato. When a man discovers how to escape from a cave he has the difficult decision of enjoying his freedom from the cave or returning to rescue his friends. Through the Zajel program Fatin has had the opportunity to interact with internationals like myself. "It's like she's entering another world", Ala explained to me. "Now she will go back to the cave and rescue the others". While I don't think my presentation was that groundbreaking, I was heartened by the words and hope that I had one tenth the effect he expressed to me.
In the presentation I focused on the bias in the American media through three case studies: The AP, a combined assessment of CBS, NBC, and ABC, and the NY Times. I provided statistical evidence, not gathered by me but by an organization named If Americans Knew, which shows how news agencies under report Palestinian deaths and over report Israeli deaths, giving the impression that the Israelis are the ones suffering more casualties. Recently the Palestinian Information Minister, Mustafa Barghouthi, cited a poll of Americans which showed that the majority of Americans believe that Palestine is occupying Israel. This is a shameful result of the statistics which I presented.
The most important part of my presentation focused on the lack of intercultural dialogue between Americans and Palestinians. Perhaps the most controversial part of the presentation was when I called upon the Palestinian people to negotiate such a dialogue, citing my pessimism that Americans would do such a thing. I hope I'm wrong. The presentation went well. The women sat in the back, with an awkward gap between the men sitting in the front. The question and answer portion was fruitful. The first question was from someone trying to explain to me that the problem is in America more than here. This gave me a chance to explain my agreement, but to elaborate, that the Palestinian people also have a responsibility to improve their tattered image abroad, whether it be based on facts or not. I enjoyed the experience and hope that the students and faculty members who were present benefited from it and that some of them will work in the future towards participating in such a dialogue. I also hope that I proved to some of them that generalizing cultures is dangerous, whether it be Americans generalizing Palestinians, or Palestinians generalizing Americans.
An American school was burned down in Gaza recently. Most American's would probably think the Palestinian government was behind the attack, or that they support such anti-American actions. This is obviously not the case. You can read the story, as well as the statements from the information minister, here: http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=8209&cat=1
Most of the businesses in Nablus are closed today. They decided not to open in solidarity against the murder of two members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade by Israeli soldiers last night. http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=21390
PS. Mike, do you have a broom I can borrow? There's a big mess at Fenway park...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Dawn of the 27th Year
It seems the Palestinian tradition is to celebrate ones birthday for a week. On Thursday evening I was so bloated with cake I couldn't imagine ever consuming edibles again. I did survive my birthday however and I must say I was very pleased with the hospitality. The best gift I received was by far the argilah that Summer gave me. While my mother I'm sure will hate it, I'll always have a bit of Nablus running through my lungs.
Tomorrow, I am giving a lecture to students of the Sharia Department. I am going to be discussing bias in the American media and the misperceptions that exist between Americans and Palestinians. I've been told that they are not likely to greet my presentation with open arms, but I'm looking forward to the experience nonetheless. Part of my conclusion is that both cultures must work together to breach the levels of government and media so as to bring forth a greater level of intercultural dialogue. I think technology must play a big part in this communicative process. Unfortunately, most Americans won't proactively take such actions, so the burden lies on the Palestinian youth who understand this problem.
We can all do more to allay the misperceptions that exist between our cultures, in fact we must. Most Americans have never met a Palestinian citizen and their perceptions are based only on what they hear in the media and the rhetoric of our government. The fact is that most people in the media and government have also never met a Palestinian person. We should base our perceptions of people not on what we see and hear from media reports but through real life interaction between cultures. Only then will we truly understand each other.
I'll be sure to let you know how the presentation goes.
Tomorrow, I am giving a lecture to students of the Sharia Department. I am going to be discussing bias in the American media and the misperceptions that exist between Americans and Palestinians. I've been told that they are not likely to greet my presentation with open arms, but I'm looking forward to the experience nonetheless. Part of my conclusion is that both cultures must work together to breach the levels of government and media so as to bring forth a greater level of intercultural dialogue. I think technology must play a big part in this communicative process. Unfortunately, most Americans won't proactively take such actions, so the burden lies on the Palestinian youth who understand this problem.
We can all do more to allay the misperceptions that exist between our cultures, in fact we must. Most Americans have never met a Palestinian citizen and their perceptions are based only on what they hear in the media and the rhetoric of our government. The fact is that most people in the media and government have also never met a Palestinian person. We should base our perceptions of people not on what we see and hear from media reports but through real life interaction between cultures. Only then will we truly understand each other.
I'll be sure to let you know how the presentation goes.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Happy Birthday Ani
It's my twin sister's birthday today. Join me in wishing her a happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Ani! I miss you and hope that your birthday is filled with joy (a Red Sox win in other words :))
Happy Birthday Ani! I miss you and hope that your birthday is filled with joy (a Red Sox win in other words :))
4/14/2007
My phone rang early on Friday morning, at around 6 AM. I thought it was my alarm intruding on my sleep, waking me up for the day ahead, but I quickly remembered it was Friday, and on this day there was nowhere I needed to be. When I answered the phone I heard what sounded like a party taking place on the other end of the line. The voice on the phone was a familiar one, no matter what the hour. It was my best friend's sister and I was very pleased to hear her voice. It was nearly midnight in Boston, on a Thursday night. A few of my friends were out having a few drinks and decided they would put in a call to me. I was able to chat with three of my closest friends but I must admit that my conversation was limited, mostly as a result of the hour. I enjoy having the chance to chat with my friends back home, it makes me feel close to them, as if they were only down the street within walking distance. After talking with my friends it was still very early. Despite this fact I decided to get up and get on with my day, even though I knew it was going to be a very unproductive one, filled with rest and reading.
With it being only a bit past six in the morning I put off breakfast for a few hours and decided to engage myself in another activity which I enjoy almost as much as breakfast: laundry. Doing laundry at my flat has been an adventure since my first days here in Nablus. There's a washer in one of the bathrooms that I've never mastered and probably never will. The first time I tried to use it the electricity kept going out. I'd have to reset the breaker every time so that my laundry would continue. Since then I've discovered the weakness in one of the electrical outlets. With the use of an extension cord the machine works a little bit better, but when it attempts to spin dry the laundry, I find myself sitting in the dark. I've found it almost as easy to just hand wash my laundry, however I chose to use the machine, perhaps just for an adventure if nothing else.
To my surprise, the machine worked great that day, the only problem was a result of human error. I had forgotten to fasten the hose so the water could properly drain, and by the time I had discovered it, the bathroom floor was covered with water. It was actually quite a blessing. While my short run workload increased quite dramatically, the end result was a clean bathroom floor.
I had my laundry washed and hung by 7:30 and moved on to the kitchen and the living room. Rabeh and I had cleaned the entire flat a few days past, so it was not much of a chore to tidy up the two rooms. By 8:00 I was finished and had move on to eating breakfast and drinking coffee. Sometime after this I heard a loud bang outside. I wasn't so out of the ordinary to hear such things, but nonetheless I was always curious when I did. I walked out on my balcony to investigate and didn't see anything that looked suspicious. I did hear what sounded like a military jet nearby. I figured that the Israelis were conducting exercises, and that the jet had broken the sound barrier. An hour later I was watching the international news on Al-Jazeera when my entire apartment building shook. The tremor was accompanied by an even louder explosion. I could see the doors of my roommates bedrooms lunge forward towards me, as if someone was on the other side trying to push their way through. I must admit I was quite startled by the jolt at first, but after a few minutes I decided that it must have been another Israeli jet, this time flying very low when it broke the sound barrier. It was a cruel way to greet Muslims on their holiest day of the week.
The rest of my day was uneventful. I finally finished the book Saed had lent me: David Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace. I learned a great deal about the fall of the ottoman empire and how the end of the first world war contributed to the creation of the modern middle east. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may be reading this blog. I also caught up on some other reading I'd been putting off. This included a report about Al-Qaeda in Iraq, an assessment of the situation in Iraq which one of my friends had passed to me, as well as a short story a student at An-Najah had asked me to read for her. Her story was sad. It was about the Israelis placing her under arrest at a checkpoint for nearly seven hours. It just so happened that her first name was the same as someone they were searching for, so they seemed to think the logical thing to do was to detain everyone with the same name. She was joined by fifteen other's with the same name. After hours of interrogation, throughout which she constantly was overwhelmed with emotion, and throughout which she noticed no such reactions from the Israeli soldiers, she was released. Obviously my account does not do justice to what was done to her, or to her story for that matter, and to what is done to people just like her everyday at the checkpoints. As a result of being detained she missed an entire day at university. She wrote about how when she was released, it was as if nothing had happened to her, she took her place in line, just as she had been waiting before, only she'd been personally humiliated, the sorrow was her own. She cried for the rest of the time she stood in line waiting to pass through the checkpoint.
Last night before I went to sleep there was heavy gunfire on the streets below my flat. I'm not sure what the cause of the exchange was, and I'm no expert on weaponry, but the firearms being used were of a much more sophisticated nature than I usually hear in Nablus. My best guess was that it was a skirmish between two of the Palestinian political parties. Rabeh and I had once talked about how it is such an important part of the internal political problem here that all the parties have armed factions. As I feel asleep I was thinking about a friend of mine who lives in D.C., I'm sure I'll see him soon. He's a great friend of mine and it's been for to long since I've seen him. For the most part we're very similar people. We both enjoy women, sports, and above all politics. Our major difference is that he's a Republican and I'm a Democrat. I imagined explaining to him about the internal political situation here. While we sit and chat over a beer, they exchange gunfire in the streets. The cooperation between political parties is crucial, in my opinion, towards any future peace, that's why I've previously expressed optimism about the unity government and still think it's the only way the people can be represented legitimately. In the meantime, I just hope the shooting on my street subsides.
I've gotten some feedback, which I welcome, in regards to my blog. I just want to remind everyone that the purpose of this blog is not to make sweeping political statements, but simply to keep in touch with my family and friends back home. At times it may seem like I'm simply re-iterating my day. Well, in many cases, that's exactly what I'm doing.
A few postings ago I referred to a humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Britain. I was referring to the legislation mounting against smoking in public, specifically to Shisha bars. Of all the things I write about in these pages, I can't believe home many responses I got about this statement. I was being facetious folks :).
With it being only a bit past six in the morning I put off breakfast for a few hours and decided to engage myself in another activity which I enjoy almost as much as breakfast: laundry. Doing laundry at my flat has been an adventure since my first days here in Nablus. There's a washer in one of the bathrooms that I've never mastered and probably never will. The first time I tried to use it the electricity kept going out. I'd have to reset the breaker every time so that my laundry would continue. Since then I've discovered the weakness in one of the electrical outlets. With the use of an extension cord the machine works a little bit better, but when it attempts to spin dry the laundry, I find myself sitting in the dark. I've found it almost as easy to just hand wash my laundry, however I chose to use the machine, perhaps just for an adventure if nothing else.
To my surprise, the machine worked great that day, the only problem was a result of human error. I had forgotten to fasten the hose so the water could properly drain, and by the time I had discovered it, the bathroom floor was covered with water. It was actually quite a blessing. While my short run workload increased quite dramatically, the end result was a clean bathroom floor.
I had my laundry washed and hung by 7:30 and moved on to the kitchen and the living room. Rabeh and I had cleaned the entire flat a few days past, so it was not much of a chore to tidy up the two rooms. By 8:00 I was finished and had move on to eating breakfast and drinking coffee. Sometime after this I heard a loud bang outside. I wasn't so out of the ordinary to hear such things, but nonetheless I was always curious when I did. I walked out on my balcony to investigate and didn't see anything that looked suspicious. I did hear what sounded like a military jet nearby. I figured that the Israelis were conducting exercises, and that the jet had broken the sound barrier. An hour later I was watching the international news on Al-Jazeera when my entire apartment building shook. The tremor was accompanied by an even louder explosion. I could see the doors of my roommates bedrooms lunge forward towards me, as if someone was on the other side trying to push their way through. I must admit I was quite startled by the jolt at first, but after a few minutes I decided that it must have been another Israeli jet, this time flying very low when it broke the sound barrier. It was a cruel way to greet Muslims on their holiest day of the week.
The rest of my day was uneventful. I finally finished the book Saed had lent me: David Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace. I learned a great deal about the fall of the ottoman empire and how the end of the first world war contributed to the creation of the modern middle east. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may be reading this blog. I also caught up on some other reading I'd been putting off. This included a report about Al-Qaeda in Iraq, an assessment of the situation in Iraq which one of my friends had passed to me, as well as a short story a student at An-Najah had asked me to read for her. Her story was sad. It was about the Israelis placing her under arrest at a checkpoint for nearly seven hours. It just so happened that her first name was the same as someone they were searching for, so they seemed to think the logical thing to do was to detain everyone with the same name. She was joined by fifteen other's with the same name. After hours of interrogation, throughout which she constantly was overwhelmed with emotion, and throughout which she noticed no such reactions from the Israeli soldiers, she was released. Obviously my account does not do justice to what was done to her, or to her story for that matter, and to what is done to people just like her everyday at the checkpoints. As a result of being detained she missed an entire day at university. She wrote about how when she was released, it was as if nothing had happened to her, she took her place in line, just as she had been waiting before, only she'd been personally humiliated, the sorrow was her own. She cried for the rest of the time she stood in line waiting to pass through the checkpoint.
Last night before I went to sleep there was heavy gunfire on the streets below my flat. I'm not sure what the cause of the exchange was, and I'm no expert on weaponry, but the firearms being used were of a much more sophisticated nature than I usually hear in Nablus. My best guess was that it was a skirmish between two of the Palestinian political parties. Rabeh and I had once talked about how it is such an important part of the internal political problem here that all the parties have armed factions. As I feel asleep I was thinking about a friend of mine who lives in D.C., I'm sure I'll see him soon. He's a great friend of mine and it's been for to long since I've seen him. For the most part we're very similar people. We both enjoy women, sports, and above all politics. Our major difference is that he's a Republican and I'm a Democrat. I imagined explaining to him about the internal political situation here. While we sit and chat over a beer, they exchange gunfire in the streets. The cooperation between political parties is crucial, in my opinion, towards any future peace, that's why I've previously expressed optimism about the unity government and still think it's the only way the people can be represented legitimately. In the meantime, I just hope the shooting on my street subsides.
I've gotten some feedback, which I welcome, in regards to my blog. I just want to remind everyone that the purpose of this blog is not to make sweeping political statements, but simply to keep in touch with my family and friends back home. At times it may seem like I'm simply re-iterating my day. Well, in many cases, that's exactly what I'm doing.
A few postings ago I referred to a humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Britain. I was referring to the legislation mounting against smoking in public, specifically to Shisha bars. Of all the things I write about in these pages, I can't believe home many responses I got about this statement. I was being facetious folks :).
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Day by Day
So once again I find myself neglecting my writing and unable to understand why; perhaps it's a result of the routine I've settled into in Nablus. I suppose the reason really is not important.
My classes are progressing well. I get the feeling that all of my students, my students of English at both Amideast and the university, the students whom I assist in the English department, and the students who I'm developing the radio program with, are thoroughly enjoying my presence. I must say the feeling is mutual. Seeing their smiling faces everyday makes my life very enjoyable and worthwhile. It may seem like a little thing to those of us who enjoy freedom to the level that we do, but for those who persevere through such difficult circumstances day to day, having the chance to escape for just a few hours can be very beneficial.
Yesterday I spent my day off resting and relaxing. Working six days a week is a bit draining on the mind and body, however nothing close to what I became used to working on the campaigns. I woke up late, at least late for Nablus, at around half passed eight. I had planned to spend the entire day reading a book I'd borrowed from Saed, the former director of the public relations department at the university. A few days ago Saed took Lucy, Alison, and me out to dinner. He treated us to an enormous meal at a western style pizza parlor named "Pizza Hum". We started with soup, moved on to sandwiches, and then Saed ordered both a vegetarian and a supreme pizza. After the meal I felt like the girl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who turns into a blueberry. I could imagine them having to roll me back to my flat.
After the meal Saed invited us back to his house for tea. No matter where I go in Palestine I'm always offered two things: a seat and tea. Whether I'm at a supermarket, a friend's house, or the bank, everyone offers you their seat and a cup of tea. When we arrived at Saed's house the trip from the car to his living room took us about twenty minutes. It was not because the time it took to walk was so long, it was because Saed told us the story of his mother, the story of how one day, while she sat knitting on her porch, she was gunned down by the Israeli Defense Forces. I must say that I'm no longer comfortable referring to them with this title.
They were doing nothing wrong, nothing at all. Saed and the rest of his family were nearly killed as well. The glass to the front door was shattered, and instead of replacing it, he had done his best to patch it up, so that everyday he would be reminded of the injustice the Israelis had done to his family. He showed me the spot were she sat, where the bullet had hit the wall after going clear through her head, and where the Israeli jeep had been parked throughout the whole ordeal. Saed is a very intelligent man and he put this on display after her murder by using the western press to his advantage in trying to achieve justice. You can read more about his mother's murder on http://www.remembershaden.org/, but I thought I would post a poem that Saed wrote in her honor:
February 15, 2007
(On the sixty sixth birthday of Martyr Shaden Abdel Qader Al Saleh Abu-Hijleh)
On the altar of love
An angel came from above
To take her soul away from all
On a journey like that of prophets
To the lands of the first call
The home of martyrs and divine poets.
On that day Shaden didn't die
And today, Feb 15, is her birthday
Sixty six years of love, struggle, and tears
For the children of Palestine
And the earth that is yours and mine.
Sixty six years she is today
Despite the bullets that killed her yesterday
Or was it four years ago?
A heart in love with her would not know
Earthly time in this case does not show.
In birthdays we give presents to those who we love
But what present can you give to a person who is Love
This is the greatest challenge of all
Only divine help can prevent the fall.
A party for her I shall make
The sweetest cake I shall bake
Family and friends I invite
Sixty six candles we must light
A promise & oath we must make
We will not stop the fight
The chains of the oppressor we must break
Peace and justice for children's sake.
-------------------------------------------------
His mother's death is just one reminder of the human cost of this occupation. Not a day goes by in which I don't hear someone's story. Everyone has a story. Whether it be a friend, a cousin, or a mother, every Palestinian has suffered the loss of loved ones.
Every now and then after work a few of us go out for coffee and to smoke Argilah. Always a mixed crowd of internationals and local volunteers, we enjoy each other's conversation, laughs, and smiles. A few days past my friend Shamekh joined us. During a lull in the conversation I noticed that his eyes were watering up. I asked him what was bothering him and he responded to me, "I'm remembering my friend...he die...during intifada". During the second intifada Shamekh was in Jerusalem with his best friend. A skirmish erupted between a group of Palestinian boys, a group which included Shamekh and his friend, and the IDF. After being pelted with stones thrown by the group of children the IDF soldiers opened fire, killing Shamekh's friend and a few others. There's a large scar on Shamekh's right hand where a bullet passed through. I wanted to tell him I knew what it felt like, and that I was sorry, but the reality is I don't know what it feels like to lose a best friend in such circumstances. My words would have been just that, words. All I could do was pat him on the back and try to comfort him. The tears subsided a few minutes later and his smile returned with its familiar vigor. I knew he was only fighting the emotions that were bottled up inside of him, and that at some point, inevitably, they would re-emerge. It's not something you ever get over, I'm sure. I guess the point is that no peace agreement will heal the scars of people like Saed and Shamekh; their pains run much deeper than those which can be soothed by diplomacy. In the future, when the Palestinians and the Israelis live side by side in peace, I hope the world will look back at the tortures which have been afflicted on these people with sorrow and look towards a future in which the safety and the security of one people will not be achieved through the sacrifices of another.
As I said, I spent my Friday reading, most of the time on my balcony. I sat in the morning with the sun beating on my face. Book in one hand, Argilah in the other. My roommate Fedi joined me throughout the morning. His English is improving with my presence, which goes for most of my roommates. He told me how life is difficult without a women. "The washing, the cooking, very difficult", he explained. Women's rights in Palestine is a very interesting topic of discussion, one I hope to write about soon. Fedi and I sat looking out over the city of Nablus. It was warm, comfortable and with my argilah, book, and tea I felt very fortunate. I think Fedi felt the same way, but I also imagined his feeling of freedom to be ephemeral. I could simply get up and leave Nablus if I wanted; say that's enough, I've had it, I'm moving on. Fedi however can do no such thing. The view from our balcony is dominated by one sight which for Palestinians serves as a reminder of the freedom of mobility which has been stripped from them: an Israeli military base which sits atop one of the two mountains which enclose the city of Nablus. With the words Allahu Akbar Fedi left to go to the Mosque and pray. This liberty had not yet been stripped from him.
My classes are progressing well. I get the feeling that all of my students, my students of English at both Amideast and the university, the students whom I assist in the English department, and the students who I'm developing the radio program with, are thoroughly enjoying my presence. I must say the feeling is mutual. Seeing their smiling faces everyday makes my life very enjoyable and worthwhile. It may seem like a little thing to those of us who enjoy freedom to the level that we do, but for those who persevere through such difficult circumstances day to day, having the chance to escape for just a few hours can be very beneficial.
Yesterday I spent my day off resting and relaxing. Working six days a week is a bit draining on the mind and body, however nothing close to what I became used to working on the campaigns. I woke up late, at least late for Nablus, at around half passed eight. I had planned to spend the entire day reading a book I'd borrowed from Saed, the former director of the public relations department at the university. A few days ago Saed took Lucy, Alison, and me out to dinner. He treated us to an enormous meal at a western style pizza parlor named "Pizza Hum". We started with soup, moved on to sandwiches, and then Saed ordered both a vegetarian and a supreme pizza. After the meal I felt like the girl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who turns into a blueberry. I could imagine them having to roll me back to my flat.
After the meal Saed invited us back to his house for tea. No matter where I go in Palestine I'm always offered two things: a seat and tea. Whether I'm at a supermarket, a friend's house, or the bank, everyone offers you their seat and a cup of tea. When we arrived at Saed's house the trip from the car to his living room took us about twenty minutes. It was not because the time it took to walk was so long, it was because Saed told us the story of his mother, the story of how one day, while she sat knitting on her porch, she was gunned down by the Israeli Defense Forces. I must say that I'm no longer comfortable referring to them with this title.
They were doing nothing wrong, nothing at all. Saed and the rest of his family were nearly killed as well. The glass to the front door was shattered, and instead of replacing it, he had done his best to patch it up, so that everyday he would be reminded of the injustice the Israelis had done to his family. He showed me the spot were she sat, where the bullet had hit the wall after going clear through her head, and where the Israeli jeep had been parked throughout the whole ordeal. Saed is a very intelligent man and he put this on display after her murder by using the western press to his advantage in trying to achieve justice. You can read more about his mother's murder on http://www.remembershaden.org/, but I thought I would post a poem that Saed wrote in her honor:
February 15, 2007
(On the sixty sixth birthday of Martyr Shaden Abdel Qader Al Saleh Abu-Hijleh)
On the altar of love
An angel came from above
To take her soul away from all
On a journey like that of prophets
To the lands of the first call
The home of martyrs and divine poets.
On that day Shaden didn't die
And today, Feb 15, is her birthday
Sixty six years of love, struggle, and tears
For the children of Palestine
And the earth that is yours and mine.
Sixty six years she is today
Despite the bullets that killed her yesterday
Or was it four years ago?
A heart in love with her would not know
Earthly time in this case does not show.
In birthdays we give presents to those who we love
But what present can you give to a person who is Love
This is the greatest challenge of all
Only divine help can prevent the fall.
A party for her I shall make
The sweetest cake I shall bake
Family and friends I invite
Sixty six candles we must light
A promise & oath we must make
We will not stop the fight
The chains of the oppressor we must break
Peace and justice for children's sake.
-------------------------------------------------
His mother's death is just one reminder of the human cost of this occupation. Not a day goes by in which I don't hear someone's story. Everyone has a story. Whether it be a friend, a cousin, or a mother, every Palestinian has suffered the loss of loved ones.
Every now and then after work a few of us go out for coffee and to smoke Argilah. Always a mixed crowd of internationals and local volunteers, we enjoy each other's conversation, laughs, and smiles. A few days past my friend Shamekh joined us. During a lull in the conversation I noticed that his eyes were watering up. I asked him what was bothering him and he responded to me, "I'm remembering my friend...he die...during intifada". During the second intifada Shamekh was in Jerusalem with his best friend. A skirmish erupted between a group of Palestinian boys, a group which included Shamekh and his friend, and the IDF. After being pelted with stones thrown by the group of children the IDF soldiers opened fire, killing Shamekh's friend and a few others. There's a large scar on Shamekh's right hand where a bullet passed through. I wanted to tell him I knew what it felt like, and that I was sorry, but the reality is I don't know what it feels like to lose a best friend in such circumstances. My words would have been just that, words. All I could do was pat him on the back and try to comfort him. The tears subsided a few minutes later and his smile returned with its familiar vigor. I knew he was only fighting the emotions that were bottled up inside of him, and that at some point, inevitably, they would re-emerge. It's not something you ever get over, I'm sure. I guess the point is that no peace agreement will heal the scars of people like Saed and Shamekh; their pains run much deeper than those which can be soothed by diplomacy. In the future, when the Palestinians and the Israelis live side by side in peace, I hope the world will look back at the tortures which have been afflicted on these people with sorrow and look towards a future in which the safety and the security of one people will not be achieved through the sacrifices of another.
As I said, I spent my Friday reading, most of the time on my balcony. I sat in the morning with the sun beating on my face. Book in one hand, Argilah in the other. My roommate Fedi joined me throughout the morning. His English is improving with my presence, which goes for most of my roommates. He told me how life is difficult without a women. "The washing, the cooking, very difficult", he explained. Women's rights in Palestine is a very interesting topic of discussion, one I hope to write about soon. Fedi and I sat looking out over the city of Nablus. It was warm, comfortable and with my argilah, book, and tea I felt very fortunate. I think Fedi felt the same way, but I also imagined his feeling of freedom to be ephemeral. I could simply get up and leave Nablus if I wanted; say that's enough, I've had it, I'm moving on. Fedi however can do no such thing. The view from our balcony is dominated by one sight which for Palestinians serves as a reminder of the freedom of mobility which has been stripped from them: an Israeli military base which sits atop one of the two mountains which enclose the city of Nablus. With the words Allahu Akbar Fedi left to go to the Mosque and pray. This liberty had not yet been stripped from him.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
April Fools'
I've just had an enormous meal with the faculty of the English department here at An-Najah. I sat across from a man who studied linguistics at NYU. He was involved in an intense debate with a woman at the table, who seemed to be visiting, in regards to the learning curves of bilingual students as opposed to multi-lingual students. I enjoyed taking part in the conversation and I think the faculty enjoyed hearing about my experiences with the students. Two of the professors eating to my left were engaged in what seemed to be an in-depth discussion. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand as they were speaking Arabic. The NYU educated individual informed me they were talking about the difference in opportunity between Palestinian students and students in the surrounding arab countries. "Our graduates are ok…they are undergraduates, prepared perhaps for something else, but imagine if they had just one percent of the opportunities American students do…they would be amazing!". Having spent nearly two months working with the students he spoke of, I couldn't have agreed with him more.
Today, for the second time, I met with my university level English students. Many of the students could not attend the meeting we held the other day, as Fatah had been holding a political rally on campus. That day the campus was decorated as if there was to be a carnival, with black and white streamers waving in the air and large pictures of martyrs having been erected. Any evidence of the rally had since been removed and a few more students arrived to be briefed about the class as well. I only spoke with the students briefly, as I needed to get over to the English department, where my volunteer hours in the lab had already begun. I explained to the students how I would be structuring their English class; incorporating a new theme each class, which would be the result of their wishes, and establishing vocabulary and grammar lessons based on this theme. I conducted a brief brainstorming exercise which resulted in a list of possible themes. The list included basic topics like food, transportation, and greetings as well as more advanced points of possible discussion like politics and Islam. Before I left for the English department I poked fun at one of the local Zajel volunteers who helped me to organize the class. He'd just added food to the list of themes so I had a stab at his belly and ran out.
When I arrived at the English department there were five female students waiting for me. Only two of them needed help with their writing, most of them just wanted to sit around and listen. I corrected two essays, one on poetic expression and another on the romantic perspective of utopia. Each time I made a correction, or a suggestion in many cases, all of the students reacted as if light bulbs had been turned on in their heads. After I finished correcting the two essays there were no more students in the lab, most likely as a result of the classes that had just begun. I was scheduled to eat lunch at two with the English faculty, however it was only half past one at the time. I gathered my belongings and left the lab and thankfully I became engaged in a conversation with two female English students. It was nice to pass my time in conversation instead of wandering around aimlessly trying to kill a half hour. While the conversation followed the same theme of many of my previous conversations with students, I enjoyed it nonetheless.
At first the girls asked me about Nablus and what I thought about the checkpoints. One of them explained to me that every morning she enters through the checkpoints and every night she exits through them. She said, "I face many problems at the checkpoints, many problems". She explained how at least once a week she was humiliated at the checkpoints. She asked if I had troubles at the checkpoints as well. It pained me to tell her that I faced nothing like she did at the checkpoints. This was of course because I held an American passport, and she a Palestinian identification card. The girls then asked me, as most always do, if they could ask me a personal question. I told them they were free to ask me anything they desired. They asked me what religion I followed, and I told them I was agnostic, that I had questions about the existence of god, and that to this point in my life I hadn't found answers to them. This was a concept they found hard to understand. I told them that I found Islam to be a beautiful religion and asked them if they could teach me one thing about Islam what would it be? They told me Islam is a way of life, not simply a religion and in Islam, unlike Christianity, they only worship god. The students then asked me if I knew the difference between Hamas and Fatah, which of course I do. Fatah is a secular party, whereas Hamas is not. The students here always tease me because of my beard, telling me that I'm a supporter of Hamas, as most members of Hamas wear beards. I'd like to think I can keep my beard and not pledge allegiance to Hamas.
This morning the same girl who told me that if I didn't get my eye fixed people would think that Palestinian terrorists stole it, told me that a man here in Nablus had turned hummus into gold. I of course found this to be ridiculous and didn't think much of it. Later in the day she asked me if I wanted to go meet the man. I laughed and realized I'd been duped. It's April Fools' Day.
Alan Johnston was kidnapped in Gaza two weeks ago. I wish for his safe release. I bring him up now because over the weekend I was watching Al-Jazeera and they read a quote from Alan, which went something like this: "If I was ever kidnapped by Palestinians, the only thing I'd fear is being fed to death". He was commenting on the amazing hospitality of the Palestinian people. After my lunch with the English department, I was suffering from a hefty dose of that hospitality.
Today, for the second time, I met with my university level English students. Many of the students could not attend the meeting we held the other day, as Fatah had been holding a political rally on campus. That day the campus was decorated as if there was to be a carnival, with black and white streamers waving in the air and large pictures of martyrs having been erected. Any evidence of the rally had since been removed and a few more students arrived to be briefed about the class as well. I only spoke with the students briefly, as I needed to get over to the English department, where my volunteer hours in the lab had already begun. I explained to the students how I would be structuring their English class; incorporating a new theme each class, which would be the result of their wishes, and establishing vocabulary and grammar lessons based on this theme. I conducted a brief brainstorming exercise which resulted in a list of possible themes. The list included basic topics like food, transportation, and greetings as well as more advanced points of possible discussion like politics and Islam. Before I left for the English department I poked fun at one of the local Zajel volunteers who helped me to organize the class. He'd just added food to the list of themes so I had a stab at his belly and ran out.
When I arrived at the English department there were five female students waiting for me. Only two of them needed help with their writing, most of them just wanted to sit around and listen. I corrected two essays, one on poetic expression and another on the romantic perspective of utopia. Each time I made a correction, or a suggestion in many cases, all of the students reacted as if light bulbs had been turned on in their heads. After I finished correcting the two essays there were no more students in the lab, most likely as a result of the classes that had just begun. I was scheduled to eat lunch at two with the English faculty, however it was only half past one at the time. I gathered my belongings and left the lab and thankfully I became engaged in a conversation with two female English students. It was nice to pass my time in conversation instead of wandering around aimlessly trying to kill a half hour. While the conversation followed the same theme of many of my previous conversations with students, I enjoyed it nonetheless.
At first the girls asked me about Nablus and what I thought about the checkpoints. One of them explained to me that every morning she enters through the checkpoints and every night she exits through them. She said, "I face many problems at the checkpoints, many problems". She explained how at least once a week she was humiliated at the checkpoints. She asked if I had troubles at the checkpoints as well. It pained me to tell her that I faced nothing like she did at the checkpoints. This was of course because I held an American passport, and she a Palestinian identification card. The girls then asked me, as most always do, if they could ask me a personal question. I told them they were free to ask me anything they desired. They asked me what religion I followed, and I told them I was agnostic, that I had questions about the existence of god, and that to this point in my life I hadn't found answers to them. This was a concept they found hard to understand. I told them that I found Islam to be a beautiful religion and asked them if they could teach me one thing about Islam what would it be? They told me Islam is a way of life, not simply a religion and in Islam, unlike Christianity, they only worship god. The students then asked me if I knew the difference between Hamas and Fatah, which of course I do. Fatah is a secular party, whereas Hamas is not. The students here always tease me because of my beard, telling me that I'm a supporter of Hamas, as most members of Hamas wear beards. I'd like to think I can keep my beard and not pledge allegiance to Hamas.
This morning the same girl who told me that if I didn't get my eye fixed people would think that Palestinian terrorists stole it, told me that a man here in Nablus had turned hummus into gold. I of course found this to be ridiculous and didn't think much of it. Later in the day she asked me if I wanted to go meet the man. I laughed and realized I'd been duped. It's April Fools' Day.
Alan Johnston was kidnapped in Gaza two weeks ago. I wish for his safe release. I bring him up now because over the weekend I was watching Al-Jazeera and they read a quote from Alan, which went something like this: "If I was ever kidnapped by Palestinians, the only thing I'd fear is being fed to death". He was commenting on the amazing hospitality of the Palestinian people. After my lunch with the English department, I was suffering from a hefty dose of that hospitality.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
3/27/2007
Last night I was laying down in my bed, the lights were off and I was happily under my covers. I had just brushed my teeth and the light had been off only for a few minutes. As I was falling asleep I heard a giggle, which at first startled me. It was my roommate Rabeh. He continued to giggle and my natural reaction was to join in. After a few seconds of collective giggling I asked him why he was laughing. He told me that he remembered something from the day that made him laugh. "Every day I replay the tape", he told me, going through the good parts and the bad parts of his day, where he'd made mistakes and where he'd done well. Every night he would give himself a grade. "What grade did you give yourself today?", I asked him. "Maybe…seventy five", he told me. I told him if he'd only won one more game of Turnip he'd have gotten an eighty.
Earlier in the evening a few of my roommates and I went out to a bar in Rafeedia, which is the posh section of Nablus, relative of course. We settled in at an all male café to play Turnip and smoke Argilah. Turnip is a Palestinian game that my roommates had taught me when I first arrived. It's very similar to a game I play back home called forty fives, so I've had no trouble learning how to play. I always enjoyed the company of my roommates. They were always having a good time, always laughing and joking. It was an escape for them, an escape from this "big prison" as they commonly referred to Nablus. "All we can do is joke", Rabeh once told me.
The public relations department here at the university organized which opened today. The exhibition was set up in the university library and was established to put on display many political cartoons, most of which appeared in American newspapers around the time of the last war in Lebanon. The exhibition aims to put on display the extreme bias in the representation of Hezbollah throughout the American media. It was a powerful display. May of the cartoons were objective, but others were amazingly opinionated and not even close to portraying reality. One of the cartoons read, "What is our response to the latest peace proposal?", with a picture of two Arab men looking over a valley and missiles flying behind them. Hezbollah was scribbled on their shirts. Their response was, "We're launching it now". I can't begin to describe how this cartoon distorts the reality. Everyone is entitled to their own opinon however. I hope to find some of these cartoons and post them here in the future.
The exhibition reminded me of Rabeh and his replaying of the tape each night. Our perception of Islam is completely distorted in the west. Rabeh grades himself everyday so as to become a better person, to make his life more pure and closer to the examples of his prophet. Islam is not a religion, but a way of life. It guides muslims to live their lives by a set of ideals and principles which are based not on violence and terrorism, as westerners tend to believe, but on peace, tolerance, and understanding. I hope that everyone who may be reading this will attempt to educate themselves to a greated degree about this misunderstood religion.
My right eye is slightly infected. I'm not sure why, but I think it's just irritation caused by my contact lense. I'll just have to wear my glasses for a few days and hope the redness goes away, it's really quite bad. One of my Palestinian friends, a girl who works at one of the local refugee camps, was begging me to go and see a doctor, which I don't think is necessary. She told me that I better get it fixed before I go home, because if I don't, she said, "I'll see reports on CNN saying that the terrorists have stolen Jed's eye!".
On a separate note, the United Kingdom is in the process of an enormous human right's violation. I'll let you have a look for yourself, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6498099.stm.
Earlier in the evening a few of my roommates and I went out to a bar in Rafeedia, which is the posh section of Nablus, relative of course. We settled in at an all male café to play Turnip and smoke Argilah. Turnip is a Palestinian game that my roommates had taught me when I first arrived. It's very similar to a game I play back home called forty fives, so I've had no trouble learning how to play. I always enjoyed the company of my roommates. They were always having a good time, always laughing and joking. It was an escape for them, an escape from this "big prison" as they commonly referred to Nablus. "All we can do is joke", Rabeh once told me.
The public relations department here at the university organized which opened today. The exhibition was set up in the university library and was established to put on display many political cartoons, most of which appeared in American newspapers around the time of the last war in Lebanon. The exhibition aims to put on display the extreme bias in the representation of Hezbollah throughout the American media. It was a powerful display. May of the cartoons were objective, but others were amazingly opinionated and not even close to portraying reality. One of the cartoons read, "What is our response to the latest peace proposal?", with a picture of two Arab men looking over a valley and missiles flying behind them. Hezbollah was scribbled on their shirts. Their response was, "We're launching it now". I can't begin to describe how this cartoon distorts the reality. Everyone is entitled to their own opinon however. I hope to find some of these cartoons and post them here in the future.
Just one of the many disturbing cartoons. This one brings to mind the recent use of Palestinians as human shields by the Israelis during operation "hot winter"
The exhibition reminded me of Rabeh and his replaying of the tape each night. Our perception of Islam is completely distorted in the west. Rabeh grades himself everyday so as to become a better person, to make his life more pure and closer to the examples of his prophet. Islam is not a religion, but a way of life. It guides muslims to live their lives by a set of ideals and principles which are based not on violence and terrorism, as westerners tend to believe, but on peace, tolerance, and understanding. I hope that everyone who may be reading this will attempt to educate themselves to a greated degree about this misunderstood religion.
My right eye is slightly infected. I'm not sure why, but I think it's just irritation caused by my contact lense. I'll just have to wear my glasses for a few days and hope the redness goes away, it's really quite bad. One of my Palestinian friends, a girl who works at one of the local refugee camps, was begging me to go and see a doctor, which I don't think is necessary. She told me that I better get it fixed before I go home, because if I don't, she said, "I'll see reports on CNN saying that the terrorists have stolen Jed's eye!".
On a separate note, the United Kingdom is in the process of an enormous human right's violation. I'll let you have a look for yourself, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6498099.stm.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
3/21/2007
The last few days have been busy for me. I've seen my responsibilities increase quite dramatically, partially as a result of my own ambition, partly as a result of things finally starting to come to fruition. I'm now teaching three classes, an English class the university, as well as the two classes I'm also teaching at Amideast. I'm also heavily engaged with organizing the student English language radio program as well remaining actively seized of all my projects within the public relations department. Recently I've increased my work in general with the English department as well. I've been, and will continue to, volunteer in the English language lab. This may be one of my most enjoyable activities here at the university.
Yesterday, while holding my drop in hours at the language lab, I was able to sit and chat with a number of English students. Most of them told me how they were frustrated that they never got a chance to speak with native English speakers and they really appreciated the opportunity. I thought for the most part I'd be helping to correct their compositions while volunteering, but it turned out that they mostly just wanted to speak with me in English. I was more than happy to accommodate them. One of the students made a lasting impression on me. We talked about a project that she is working on, in which she is researching the role of literature, in what she called "the consolidation of imperialism". I learned through our conversation that her project is encompasses much more than what her title would have you believe. Specifically, she is focusing on rhetoric from President Bush's speeches, and how this may add to or reinforce a sense of orientalism. She asked that I help her with her project, so over the next few weeks I'll be working with her in order to research our President's rhetoric, and hopefully help to uncover some of this "neo-orientalism". I'm really quite interested in her project and I know that by working with her I'll probably learn more from her than she will from me.
I also learned the student is an author of short stories. She told me that she writes these stories in Arabic however, because there is so much emotion in them, that she believe to translate them to English would dramatically alter their meanings. She did tell me one of the stories, which was quite interesting, which she wrote as part of an assignment with the aim of explaining the idea of "national unity", obviously a reference to the recently formed National Unity Government. She narrated to me a story she had written, about a Palestinian boy, a student at An-Najah who comes to campus one day and is overwhelmed by the different flags and mottos that are on display this day. The flags and mottos are symbols of the different Palestinian political factions, green for Hamas, white for Fatah, and so forth. She told me how the boy was overcome with emotions at first but then remembered his loyalty to a particular faction. The boy was then approached by another boy, who was loyal to a different faction. At first the boys were confused as to their separate loyalties, but through examining the faction's different mottos they discovered by mixing the letters that make up the different mottos, they were able to generate a new motto, which had a similar meaning to both of the other mottos. In the end, the two boys walked away, arm in arm, understanding that they were both of one faction, a Palestinian faction.
I really enjoyed her story and hope that in the future I'll be able to work with her to translate it properly into English. I'm looking forward to our future conversations.
On Monday I finally got to meet my SAT students for the first time. Most of the students speak excellent English, and have aspirations to study in the United States. The meeting was arranged because some of the students were skeptical as to continuing the SAT class, given the fact that their previous teacher was forced to quit, and that the dates for the exam are not flexible at all. I think by briefly chatting with them that I was able to reassure them that I'll be able to properly prepare them for the exam. I hope I don't let them down.
Last night at my flat I lied down to read, as I do every night. I recently withdrew a book from the university library which is titled, A Muslim Primer. Towards the middle of the book I found some illustrations which explained how to conduct the Salat, the Muslim prayer which is conducted five times a day, the second pillar of Islam. As I read my roommate conducted the prayer in front of me, as he frequently does. As faith runs deep in many Americans, and many Israelis, so does it in Muslims throughout the world. I frequently ask Palestinians where they find hope in their current situation, and most reply with a similar response, that they find hope in god.
After reading for just a short period of time two of my roommates asked if I would assist them in writing English resumes, which they will need to apply for doctoral scholarships throughout Europe and the United States. This task was quite cumbersome, as neither of them speaks English well, and my other roommate was only acting intermittently as a translator. After a few hours however we were able to draft two very nice resumes which I hope will help them in their pursuit of scholarships. I feel that my roommates do so much for me, feeding me, making me tea, and just having me as a guest in their flat, any time I have the opportunity to help them I truly cherish it.
Before going to sleep Rabeh and I enjoyed some argilah in bed. We talked about U.S. Security Council vetoes, and he asked me if I were president, would I order the same vetoes. The question was a very difficult one that I don't think can be answered with a simple yes or no. I told him that in most cases I probably wouldn't veto certain resolutions, but that if I were president that I'd hopefully work diligently towards solutions before such resolutions come to vote. Rabeh also asked me about Watergate, which I explained in depth for him. I'd studied Watergate extensively in my final years of grade school, and it's still a topic I'm quite fascinated with. "I always hear "Watergate", and until now I never knew what it meant….I hope to make more argilah for us", he said. "You are a gentle man Jed". I told him I thought the same of him, and laid my head down to rest.
Yesterday, while holding my drop in hours at the language lab, I was able to sit and chat with a number of English students. Most of them told me how they were frustrated that they never got a chance to speak with native English speakers and they really appreciated the opportunity. I thought for the most part I'd be helping to correct their compositions while volunteering, but it turned out that they mostly just wanted to speak with me in English. I was more than happy to accommodate them. One of the students made a lasting impression on me. We talked about a project that she is working on, in which she is researching the role of literature, in what she called "the consolidation of imperialism". I learned through our conversation that her project is encompasses much more than what her title would have you believe. Specifically, she is focusing on rhetoric from President Bush's speeches, and how this may add to or reinforce a sense of orientalism. She asked that I help her with her project, so over the next few weeks I'll be working with her in order to research our President's rhetoric, and hopefully help to uncover some of this "neo-orientalism". I'm really quite interested in her project and I know that by working with her I'll probably learn more from her than she will from me.
I also learned the student is an author of short stories. She told me that she writes these stories in Arabic however, because there is so much emotion in them, that she believe to translate them to English would dramatically alter their meanings. She did tell me one of the stories, which was quite interesting, which she wrote as part of an assignment with the aim of explaining the idea of "national unity", obviously a reference to the recently formed National Unity Government. She narrated to me a story she had written, about a Palestinian boy, a student at An-Najah who comes to campus one day and is overwhelmed by the different flags and mottos that are on display this day. The flags and mottos are symbols of the different Palestinian political factions, green for Hamas, white for Fatah, and so forth. She told me how the boy was overcome with emotions at first but then remembered his loyalty to a particular faction. The boy was then approached by another boy, who was loyal to a different faction. At first the boys were confused as to their separate loyalties, but through examining the faction's different mottos they discovered by mixing the letters that make up the different mottos, they were able to generate a new motto, which had a similar meaning to both of the other mottos. In the end, the two boys walked away, arm in arm, understanding that they were both of one faction, a Palestinian faction.
I really enjoyed her story and hope that in the future I'll be able to work with her to translate it properly into English. I'm looking forward to our future conversations.
On Monday I finally got to meet my SAT students for the first time. Most of the students speak excellent English, and have aspirations to study in the United States. The meeting was arranged because some of the students were skeptical as to continuing the SAT class, given the fact that their previous teacher was forced to quit, and that the dates for the exam are not flexible at all. I think by briefly chatting with them that I was able to reassure them that I'll be able to properly prepare them for the exam. I hope I don't let them down.
Last night at my flat I lied down to read, as I do every night. I recently withdrew a book from the university library which is titled, A Muslim Primer. Towards the middle of the book I found some illustrations which explained how to conduct the Salat, the Muslim prayer which is conducted five times a day, the second pillar of Islam. As I read my roommate conducted the prayer in front of me, as he frequently does. As faith runs deep in many Americans, and many Israelis, so does it in Muslims throughout the world. I frequently ask Palestinians where they find hope in their current situation, and most reply with a similar response, that they find hope in god.
After reading for just a short period of time two of my roommates asked if I would assist them in writing English resumes, which they will need to apply for doctoral scholarships throughout Europe and the United States. This task was quite cumbersome, as neither of them speaks English well, and my other roommate was only acting intermittently as a translator. After a few hours however we were able to draft two very nice resumes which I hope will help them in their pursuit of scholarships. I feel that my roommates do so much for me, feeding me, making me tea, and just having me as a guest in their flat, any time I have the opportunity to help them I truly cherish it.
Before going to sleep Rabeh and I enjoyed some argilah in bed. We talked about U.S. Security Council vetoes, and he asked me if I were president, would I order the same vetoes. The question was a very difficult one that I don't think can be answered with a simple yes or no. I told him that in most cases I probably wouldn't veto certain resolutions, but that if I were president that I'd hopefully work diligently towards solutions before such resolutions come to vote. Rabeh also asked me about Watergate, which I explained in depth for him. I'd studied Watergate extensively in my final years of grade school, and it's still a topic I'm quite fascinated with. "I always hear "Watergate", and until now I never knew what it meant….I hope to make more argilah for us", he said. "You are a gentle man Jed". I told him I thought the same of him, and laid my head down to rest.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Looking Forward
Over the weekend there were two major developments here in Palestine. One was that the new National Unity Government was announced, which will hopefully lead to an end to Palestinian infighting and also greater international recognition of the Palestinian government. The second development was personal, as I taught my first class at Amideast.
It's worth mentioning that when I reference the weekend I'm not talking about the traditional western Saturday and Sunday weekend that we are all accustomed to, but instead a weekend which takes place on Thursday and Friday. While the western weekend is based on the Christian Sabbath, which obviously takes place on Sunday, the Muslim holy day is Friday. While it's strange at first, after a while it doesn't phase you. After all, they're only Sunday and Friday are only names.
While I'd be stretching the truth if I said my class went smoothly, overall, it wasn't bad for our first meeting, considering my lack of preparation. It wasn't that I purposely didn't prepare, it's that I was told my students had only met once to this point, when in fact they'd met on two previous occasions. When I asked the students to open their textbooks to unit 7 and half of them looked at me in confusion, I knew that something was wrong. They quickly explained to me that they'd already had unit's 6 and 7, and that today they were supposed to be writing their first exam, an exam which I naturally didn't have in my possession. After speaking with the director of the program and realizing that I was responsible for drafting an exam, I returned to inform the students that the exam would have to be postponed until next class. Half of them were pleased and the other half considerably disturbed, however it was a result that I was not responsible for. Despite the initial confusion I felt the class went well. I continued in the students text books to cover unit 8. Even though I'd prepared to teach the use of infinitives and gerunds, I didn't find it difficult making the transition to adverbial clauses. The instructors manual certainly helped.
It had been raining in Palestine for two days, which seemed like ten, as it had barely rained at all since I'd been in the West Bank. When I left the public relations department at An-Najah, en-route to Amideast, I did so when the sun seemed to be emerging. I walked the entire way, about 45 minutes, in the sun. I felt it was a sign that I'd made the right choice to stay in Nablus. Unfortunately when I left Amideast the symbolism had been distinguished by another strong rain. I walked the entire way back to my flat in the pouring rain. I'm surprised that I didn't get sick. I think it's probably the result of all the fruit I'd been eating, it certainly wasn't the chocolate.
The National Unity Government was finally announced this weekend. I say finally because there has been anticipation, since I arrived in Nablus, for the announcement of this government. It took them nearly a month to form the government, which is a result of the Mecca Agreement agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas, in February, in Saudi Arabia. The newly formed National Unity Government will be presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council for ratification shortly. Once it's ratified, it will then be the official government of the Palestinian people.
It may seem that it took a long time to form the government, but it's obviously not a simple task. There seems to be a mix of optimism and anxiety as a result of the announcement of the completion of forming the government. I had a conversation with my roommate Rabeh the other day, in which he expressed both emotions to me. We talked mostly about the job that the incoming interior minister will be faced with. It goes without saying that the political situation here is volatile at best. One of the most important issues to deal with is the fact that all of the political parties have military wings. Just imagine if the the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States had separate armies that were always clashing. Just imagine how hard it would be to make progress if you added bullets to bureaucracy. "It's a major problem", Rabeh told me. He hoped that the interior minister would have success in bringing greater internal security and an end to the infighting. I also hope for his success.
Another major problem is the fact that many states are refusing to communicate with the new government. This, in my opinion, is a ridiculous stumbling block to peace. Our country has refused to recognize the new government, because its highest ranked representatives are members of Hamas. We are setting a dangerous and foolish precedent by supporting democratic elections throughout the world and then refusing to recognize the governments that emerge as a result. The elections which took place here in Palestine, in January of 2006, were elections urged and supported by the United States, and were afterwards ruled free and fair. They were not declared free and fair internally but by an independent organization, an independent American organization run by our former leader, President Jimmy Carter.
The Palestinian people spoke and as a result Hamas was thrust into the international political spotlight. Our country and other countries refuse to negotiate with Hamas, saying that we will not negotiate with terrorist organizations. I've been living here for long enough to understand that Hamas has changed quite dramatically, and their leaders are not terrorists, but they are our only legitimate partners for peace. They certainly are not going to disappear anytime soon. For years western leaders refused to deal with the late President Arafat under the same premise and now that he is gone, which is a point of controversy in itself, we refuse to deal with his successors. Many leaders around the world have acknowledged that Ismael Haniyeh has brought diplomatic credibility to the Palestinian people since taking office. It's not that we should open a dialogue with Hamas, it's that we must, because they are no longer this "terrorist organization" like the American media would have you believe, but they are the chosen political leadership of a people who have seen more than enough suffering.
It disgusts me that we refuse to deal with the elected Palestinian government and at the same time we sit at negotiating tables with representatives of the most oppressive regime in the world in the North Koreans. This double standard is an interesting one to examine. It makes one realize the true effect of becoming a nuclear state. It's no wonder so many states around the world pursue nuclear weapons, it seems our foreign policy suggests this as the appropriate path towards negotiation. I pray that the results are not catastrophic, Inshallah.
It's worth mentioning that when I reference the weekend I'm not talking about the traditional western Saturday and Sunday weekend that we are all accustomed to, but instead a weekend which takes place on Thursday and Friday. While the western weekend is based on the Christian Sabbath, which obviously takes place on Sunday, the Muslim holy day is Friday. While it's strange at first, after a while it doesn't phase you. After all, they're only Sunday and Friday are only names.
While I'd be stretching the truth if I said my class went smoothly, overall, it wasn't bad for our first meeting, considering my lack of preparation. It wasn't that I purposely didn't prepare, it's that I was told my students had only met once to this point, when in fact they'd met on two previous occasions. When I asked the students to open their textbooks to unit 7 and half of them looked at me in confusion, I knew that something was wrong. They quickly explained to me that they'd already had unit's 6 and 7, and that today they were supposed to be writing their first exam, an exam which I naturally didn't have in my possession. After speaking with the director of the program and realizing that I was responsible for drafting an exam, I returned to inform the students that the exam would have to be postponed until next class. Half of them were pleased and the other half considerably disturbed, however it was a result that I was not responsible for. Despite the initial confusion I felt the class went well. I continued in the students text books to cover unit 8. Even though I'd prepared to teach the use of infinitives and gerunds, I didn't find it difficult making the transition to adverbial clauses. The instructors manual certainly helped.
It had been raining in Palestine for two days, which seemed like ten, as it had barely rained at all since I'd been in the West Bank. When I left the public relations department at An-Najah, en-route to Amideast, I did so when the sun seemed to be emerging. I walked the entire way, about 45 minutes, in the sun. I felt it was a sign that I'd made the right choice to stay in Nablus. Unfortunately when I left Amideast the symbolism had been distinguished by another strong rain. I walked the entire way back to my flat in the pouring rain. I'm surprised that I didn't get sick. I think it's probably the result of all the fruit I'd been eating, it certainly wasn't the chocolate.
The National Unity Government was finally announced this weekend. I say finally because there has been anticipation, since I arrived in Nablus, for the announcement of this government. It took them nearly a month to form the government, which is a result of the Mecca Agreement agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas, in February, in Saudi Arabia. The newly formed National Unity Government will be presented to the Palestinian Legislative Council for ratification shortly. Once it's ratified, it will then be the official government of the Palestinian people.
It may seem that it took a long time to form the government, but it's obviously not a simple task. There seems to be a mix of optimism and anxiety as a result of the announcement of the completion of forming the government. I had a conversation with my roommate Rabeh the other day, in which he expressed both emotions to me. We talked mostly about the job that the incoming interior minister will be faced with. It goes without saying that the political situation here is volatile at best. One of the most important issues to deal with is the fact that all of the political parties have military wings. Just imagine if the the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States had separate armies that were always clashing. Just imagine how hard it would be to make progress if you added bullets to bureaucracy. "It's a major problem", Rabeh told me. He hoped that the interior minister would have success in bringing greater internal security and an end to the infighting. I also hope for his success.
Another major problem is the fact that many states are refusing to communicate with the new government. This, in my opinion, is a ridiculous stumbling block to peace. Our country has refused to recognize the new government, because its highest ranked representatives are members of Hamas. We are setting a dangerous and foolish precedent by supporting democratic elections throughout the world and then refusing to recognize the governments that emerge as a result. The elections which took place here in Palestine, in January of 2006, were elections urged and supported by the United States, and were afterwards ruled free and fair. They were not declared free and fair internally but by an independent organization, an independent American organization run by our former leader, President Jimmy Carter.
The Palestinian people spoke and as a result Hamas was thrust into the international political spotlight. Our country and other countries refuse to negotiate with Hamas, saying that we will not negotiate with terrorist organizations. I've been living here for long enough to understand that Hamas has changed quite dramatically, and their leaders are not terrorists, but they are our only legitimate partners for peace. They certainly are not going to disappear anytime soon. For years western leaders refused to deal with the late President Arafat under the same premise and now that he is gone, which is a point of controversy in itself, we refuse to deal with his successors. Many leaders around the world have acknowledged that Ismael Haniyeh has brought diplomatic credibility to the Palestinian people since taking office. It's not that we should open a dialogue with Hamas, it's that we must, because they are no longer this "terrorist organization" like the American media would have you believe, but they are the chosen political leadership of a people who have seen more than enough suffering.
It disgusts me that we refuse to deal with the elected Palestinian government and at the same time we sit at negotiating tables with representatives of the most oppressive regime in the world in the North Koreans. This double standard is an interesting one to examine. It makes one realize the true effect of becoming a nuclear state. It's no wonder so many states around the world pursue nuclear weapons, it seems our foreign policy suggests this as the appropriate path towards negotiation. I pray that the results are not catastrophic, Inshallah.
The Purpose of this Blog
It's Saint Patrick's Day here in Nablus as it is throughout the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the holiday is not quite celebrated here in Nablus. In fact, Nablus is a city without Alcohol, which is a luxury for some cultures, but for others strictly prohibited. It's been over a month since I consumed any alcohol. It feels quite good.
After my posting the other day I thought more about my extended stay here in Nablus. Before I'd decided to stay my day to day work seemed much different. While I'm only staying here for another month, a mere four weeks, it seems now that I'm not consumed with looking forward to the day that I return. I was never looking forward to leaving Nablus, but I was looking forward to seeing my friends and family, some of which are undoubtedly upset with my decision to stay. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think that in four weeks I would have made much of a difference in the U.S., however here in Nablus, I'll make quite a big difference on the lives of my students, as well as having the opportunity to continue my work on the projects I've been engaged in here at An-Najah.
As I look towards the future, I see this blog site as an opportunity for me not only to communicate with my family, friends, and colleagues back home, but I hope also it will act as an avenue for others to gain some perspective regarding a place and people they are not accustomed to learning about. I hope not to simply write about my day to day activities, although at time this will undoubtedly dominate the text, but I also hope to provide some insight into the problems that plague the Palestinian people, a people that unfortunately many in our country consider synonymously with terrorists. If you learn anything, only one thing perhaps, please let it be that this association is one that must come to an end. The people I live and work amongst are not by any stretch of the imagination terrorists. They are hard working, intellectually minded individuals who every day study, work, and live under a system of occupation that we, as Americans, can only begin to understand through reading and listening. They are a people of high character and high resolve and I'm proud to be here working with them.
Also on this blog you'll find me give my opinion on a variety of matters in regards to the situation here in Palestine. I don't claim to know everything about the crisis here. I'm only one citizen, who has his own opinions. It is your freedom to question my assertions, however I hope you will at least consider the content herein as being a result of a primary source, perhaps the best primary source, not simply as having been constructed through some subjective academic analysis.
Over the next two months I'll be posting not only new entries here, but also entries from my personal journal, which I have been keeping since my arrival here in Nablus. I hope that you find my writing to be if nothing else a bit interesting.
After my posting the other day I thought more about my extended stay here in Nablus. Before I'd decided to stay my day to day work seemed much different. While I'm only staying here for another month, a mere four weeks, it seems now that I'm not consumed with looking forward to the day that I return. I was never looking forward to leaving Nablus, but I was looking forward to seeing my friends and family, some of which are undoubtedly upset with my decision to stay. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think that in four weeks I would have made much of a difference in the U.S., however here in Nablus, I'll make quite a big difference on the lives of my students, as well as having the opportunity to continue my work on the projects I've been engaged in here at An-Najah.
As I look towards the future, I see this blog site as an opportunity for me not only to communicate with my family, friends, and colleagues back home, but I hope also it will act as an avenue for others to gain some perspective regarding a place and people they are not accustomed to learning about. I hope not to simply write about my day to day activities, although at time this will undoubtedly dominate the text, but I also hope to provide some insight into the problems that plague the Palestinian people, a people that unfortunately many in our country consider synonymously with terrorists. If you learn anything, only one thing perhaps, please let it be that this association is one that must come to an end. The people I live and work amongst are not by any stretch of the imagination terrorists. They are hard working, intellectually minded individuals who every day study, work, and live under a system of occupation that we, as Americans, can only begin to understand through reading and listening. They are a people of high character and high resolve and I'm proud to be here working with them.
Also on this blog you'll find me give my opinion on a variety of matters in regards to the situation here in Palestine. I don't claim to know everything about the crisis here. I'm only one citizen, who has his own opinions. It is your freedom to question my assertions, however I hope you will at least consider the content herein as being a result of a primary source, perhaps the best primary source, not simply as having been constructed through some subjective academic analysis.
Over the next two months I'll be posting not only new entries here, but also entries from my personal journal, which I have been keeping since my arrival here in Nablus. I hope that you find my writing to be if nothing else a bit interesting.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
To Stay in Nablus
So after what seemed to be a long mental process, but one which only lasted twenty four hours, I've decided to extend my stay here in Nablus. A few days past I was approached by Amideast with an opportunity to teach for them. At first I was only going to be teaching an SAT prep course, but then I was asked also to teach English, which I think will be more rewarding. Both courses will be challenging, but that's partially why I was attracted to the prospect of staying here in Nablus for longer. I'll be living here until May 12th at which point my visa will expire and it will be time for me to return to the U.S.
Throughout my decision making process I thought of reasons I should leave and reasons I should stay, naturally, and I came to the conclusion that leaving would be as a result of what I thought to be selfish reasons. The students here are without a teacher and I can in fact act in this role. This was the the largest influence upon my decision. Staying will give me the opportunity to learn more about the people, the land, and travails of everyday life for Palestinians here in the West Bank. I'm looking forward to the next two months here.
Throughout my decision making process I thought of reasons I should leave and reasons I should stay, naturally, and I came to the conclusion that leaving would be as a result of what I thought to be selfish reasons. The students here are without a teacher and I can in fact act in this role. This was the the largest influence upon my decision. Staying will give me the opportunity to learn more about the people, the land, and travails of everyday life for Palestinians here in the West Bank. I'm looking forward to the next two months here.
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