"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.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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.
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