Taking a Look At Home

I remember well ten years ago, when my father grabbed my hand and drove for two hours from Amman, Jordan and took us to a mountain near the Palestinian- Jordanian boarders. He pointed towards the lake and said "This is Tabarias", then pointed to the left and said "And this is Palestine". Ever-since, the picture of that land fading as the sun has been engraved in my memory. That was the closest I could get to 'home', 10 kilometers.

I am not the story here, my people and my land are.

Last night, 'aljazeera' aired an interview with Ahmed, 12 years old, who was arrested and tortured by the Israelis for throwing a rock at an Israeli military Jeep. Ahmed's story is one of many that are supposed to grab the attention of the whole world to the ethnic cleansing that Jerusalem is undergoing, as the Israeli government attempts to keep the demographic majority of the city Jewish. Each day, there's a house that is demolished, family that is harassed, history that is stolen, therefore people are urged to leave the city, and leave everything they fought for behind.

It all starts with demolition of Palestinian homes. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) documented that since 1967, 24.145 homes has been demolished in the West Bank, and Gaza. 3,753 orders for demolition in East Jerusalem were issued between 2004 and 2008. After all they are humans who have limits for their tolerance, not to defend them rather to find some sort of excuse for them to leave. "It's a transferring policy, it is like when you are thirsty and I give you a cup of water, and I tell you that it's yours, but you can't drink from it" Salim Shawamreh, a Palestinian activist in ICAHD says. Shawamreh's house in East Jerusalem has been demolished 4 times for lack of permit. Administrative Demolition is a common type of demolition, in which a building lacks a permit which is hard-or even impossible- to obtain. Therefore, buildings are considered illegal and are ordered to be destructed. Demolition is not a new technique to pressure Palestinians. In 1971, Israeli troops invaded the village of Il Nabi Ismael "Prophet Samuel", north Jerusalem, and destroyed all homes surrounding the mosque. Now there are around

There are many residents of several villages near Jerusalem that suffer different means of harassments other than house demolition. Minors are taken continuously from their beds and homes in the middle of the night. B'Tselem reported that Israeli Officers along with security intelligence agents and armed police men used to cuff under-aged Palestinians and interrogate them in the Police station. Usually those kids, who are between 12-15 years old, are suspected of stone throwing. Many of them are kept in detention for more than a week. Based on testimonies given to B'Tselem, Palestinian children are beaten and threatened during the questioning. Ahmed, who was mentioned at the beginning of this article, says that he was cuffed and put into detention, as he was persecuted for throwing stones at a military Jeep.

Israel Tries it's best to erase the Arab identity of Jerusalem, as the Israeli Government is recently including Islamic and Christian sites to the 'Jewish' sites of its own. Days ago, the government added one of the ancient mosques, Bilal ibn Rabah, to its list of Jewish sites. Other than including the sites, they also try to destruct the major ones, as the case with Al- Aqsa mosque, which is endangered to collapse between a second and another.

Ever-since the six-day-war, Hebrew names have been added to the signs and direction around and all over Jerusalem. The Arabic names were illuminated and replaced by the Hebrew names only written in Arabic. All these 'minor' actions are some sort of an attempt to illuminate the Arab identity from the city.

If my family members are harassed, my home is demolished, my worship house is inaccessible, and language seems to be broken, why would I stay? Still, my family members are those prophets who pray each and every day in the invaded churches and mosques, my 'home' is that illegal tent next to the golden dome rather than castles in any other country in the world, my language is what keeps me saying " Tahya Falasteen", long live Palestine, but until I go back there and be the one who resists, I shall salute those who refuse to go out, who refuse to obey , and refuse to deny the right they have behind the walls of that city. You shouldn't get a license for your own land.

Grave Number ...?

Israel hasn't only been harassing living Palestinians by making living for them in their land hard intolerable, but it also innovated a way to irritate both living and dead Palestinians. One of the major human rights violations that Israel has committed is the 'Numbers Cemeteries'. Numbers Cemeteries hold the bodies of Palestinians who were killed by the Israeli forces, or who died in Israeli prisons. These cemeteries do not have head stones or names, they only hold reference numbers that only Israel knows about, and got access to.

'Em Mahmoud' has lost her son in a military operation, after which his body was taken by the Israeli militants and graved in one of the numbers cemeteries. She describes how hard it is to know that his body is somewhere but she didn't get the chance to kiss his head as usually done. Ibrahim Masoud, who also lost a son by the Israeli operations described his feelings and said that this kind of inhumane action makes him feel that he's been tortured twice, once for losing his son and the other when he is robbed the right to take a last look at his son's body.

Last month, We have Names and We Have a Homeland was published by the JLAC (Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center). This book is supposed to include all the names of Palestinian prisoners who are suspected to be dead and martyrs whose bodied are in numbers cemeteries. JLAC also holds a lot of activities concerning Palestinians' sufferings from Israel's violations, especially in human rights field. JLAC tries its best to provide help for Palestinian families to return their beloveds' bodies. Another question is raised about the reason Israel wants to keep these bodies under its control-other than psychologically abusing Palestinian families- as Israel has been accused for organ harvesting. Arab- Israeli Knesset member, Mohammed Barakeh argues with the Israeli government to give back the bodies to the Palestinian authorities. Barakeh also says that this type of action, even if to dead bodies, is considered a human rights violation, and Israel should be punished by the whole world for hiding such an issue from the international media.

These cemeteries occurred with the Lebanese civil war, when the IDF committed many war crimes, and needed to hide them. Back then, those cemeteries included Lebanese civilians as well as Palestinian refugees. Until now, only four of these cemeteries are known to exist; Banat Yacoub- on the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel-between Jericho and Damieh bridge- on the Jordanian Israeli borders- Refedim –Jordan- and Sh-heita- North Israel, next to the Sea of Galilee. One of the major figures of the resistance who are suspected to be in one of those cemeteries is Dalal Al Mughrabi, whose body hasn't been exchanged in the Hizbullah- Israel exchange of dead bodies and prisoners.

It is a shame that we are reaching a point where we are to accept the fact that we are being persecuted and killed each and every day, and argue whether our dead bodies should be treated respectfully, as any religion implies, or not. It's a shame that the world will always hear of human rights violations in the whole world, except in the land we belong to. It's such a shame that these cemeteries are kilometers away, but we chose not to know about them. It's a disgrace that a mother is somewhere in this 21 century world, is not asking for her son back, but for his body. Is this the bottom we waited to hit?

Roqayah Tbeileh

دبكة بالثياب المدنية

يرقصون دبكتنا بأرجلنا .. على أرضنا. يلبسون أثوابنا و يلفون حول رؤوسهم كوفيتنا... يحصدون زيتون أجدادنا, يعصرونه و يبيعونه.... و على أعلى الجبال ينادون بأعلى الصوت... " تحيا هذه الأرض... و يحيا زيتونها".
لا يعلمون أن رقصنا... لربما كان أخر ما بقي لنا من سعادتنا.... و لكننا حتما من يصنع سعادتنا .. حتى لو بين أسوار الحديد المكهرب و سيف مسنون. .. لا يعلمون أن زيتوننا "زيتونهم " هو نبيذ ليال كنا قد عشناها على أرض لا قصورعليها.
لا يعلم حكيمهم الساذج, الذي عانى الأمرين ليخيط شفاهنا, أن صمتنا ما هو الا أعلى صرخاتنا و أحكم قولنا.
لربما سرقوا منا أرجلنا و لبسوا كوفيتنا , و لربما أمسكوا بمسبحتنا و تراقصوا على أنغام مجوزنا ... و لكنهم لم يقتلوني ... فها أنا ... فوق الأرض أم تحتها ... لا يهم .. موجود. و سأبقى و تبقى كل قطرة دم تخرج من أشلائي ..حبرا أسودا على صفحات تاريخ أبنائهم.
سأعود ... لألقي نظرة على تقاطعات الطرق في أرضي.. و سأنظر الى اشارات مرورهم .. و أفك رموزهم العبرية ... و حتما سأصل الى تل الربيع و أفخر بالرقص,,, بالثياب المدنية.و سأبقي على قصورهم على أعلى جبالنا... ليأتي ابني كنعان و يسأل ... عندها سأقول له.... هذه الأرض بأكواخها المهدمة لم ترضخ يوما لقصورهم ... و زيتوننا هذا .. لم ينتظر يوما كلامهم ... فالله هو من صنع المجد لزيتوننا و أرضنا.
رقية فاروق طبيلة

I am grateful that what goes in politics goes under the table.
Unfortunately, humanity as well had been taken also under the table while it should always be above the table.

The tragedy of Gaza and the Gazan Women neither should pass under the table nor should be off the table. I can't express how much I hate that I don't have a table , yet having a pen, and fingers allows me to do What I am obliged to do and show the few people I can show, that the Gazan massacre is not over, the tragedy has just started. We fear from the storm what follows it, and we are now in "what follows".

Around five months ago, Gaza strip was attacked by the Israeli Forces that left nothing but demolished cities, and shattered bodies all around, waiting to be buried. Weeks ago, A Gazan woman appeared on a news channel explaining the misery she, along with her family, suffers each day. I was shocked to know that in such a century, when you can get a machine to serve you tea, there's a women who stays awake all night to protect her children from a snake that might attack at any time, since she lives in a tent in one of the recently established camps in Gaza. She lost her husband, and her house, definitely there are no jobs in Gaza. No water, No food, No security, if I keep on I will end up with a thousand No (s).even listening to this woman hurts. She's a mother! Any mother on earth would die to protect her child from Flu or some fever, and this woman is a mother, but she's not fighting Flu, she's fighting a snake. Nothing came to my mind except one question!! "What if the snake attacks? What will she do??" She will only be able to watch one of her sons following his father's path, she'll yell, shout, and beg for help, But one of my no (s) will appear, there is no gas for our ambulances. She called for the Arab leaders. I had no idea why was she blaming them! They are busy building huge malls to prove to the west that they, too, can have building and they aren't only Bedouins who use camels as a mean of transportation.

Where is our conscience??
Personally, guilt has been hunting me ever since the massacre. Those huge numbers made me lose faith in me, ever since I felt that I have to do something or write something each day.
I still laugh. I still cry. I am still sarcastic. I am still Roqayah. I'm just less of a Palestinian. And this is a thing I thought that would never change!!!!

Each time I read about Karbala story, And that massacre against Al- Hussein (a s), I say that I would have fought with him, stayed with the rest of the family, and refused to let swords reach him before reaching me…. Now I know that I would have become another criminal who put a golden shutter on their mouths, however this time I'm not getting any Gold.

Don't forget those women, for the sake of NOT having a day when we add a "No Future" to our list.

كانت سعاد تبلغ من العمر سبعة عشر عاماً عندما اقتحم رجال الميليشيا اللّبنانيّون بيتها، وقتلوا معظم أعضاء عائلتها واغتصبوهاّ، نجت سعاد من الموت لتحكي قصتها وتخبر العالم عن أسرار وخفايا مذبحة صبرا وشاتيلا.

أنا سعاد سرور المرعي... لاجئة فلسطينية أعيش في لبنان. سأختصر لكم الآن ما حصل معي ومع عائلتي خلال مجازر صبرا وشاتيلا التي حصلت أثناء الاجتياح الإسرائيلي لبيروت عام 1982.في عصر يوم السادس عشر من أيلول... وبينما كنت ذاهبة أنا وأخي ماهر وكان عمري يومها سبعة عشر عاما وكان أخي في الثانية عشرة من العمر... كنا ذاهبين إلى أحد الملاجئ حيث كان يختبئ فيها أصدقائي من القصف والقنص لأطلب منهم المجيء معي إلى منزلنا… وفي الطريق بدأنا نرى مناظر رهيبة... جثث ممدة على الطريق الدماء تسيل منها... فجأة سمعنا أصوات نحيب وصرخات ألم... ثم وبشكل مفاجئ سمعت صوتا يناديني وعرفت من الصوت أنه جارنا أبورضا الذي طلب مني مساعدته وقال لنا... لقد ذبحونا وقتلونا واغتصبوا البنات وأخذوا جميع من تتراوح وأعمارهم بين 12 و16 سنة ثم قال لي اهربوا من بيوتكم ولا تبقوا فيها لأنهم سيعودون ويقتلون جميع من في المخيم... بينما كنت أسأل من فعل ذلك... فاجأني صوت يقول أنتم يا كلاب ما زلتم على قيد الحياة، ألم تموتوا بعد؟ وركضنا عائدين إلى المنزل لنخبر أهلنا عن هذه الحادثة الرهيبة وأخبرنا أبي بما حصل فقال لن يحصل لنا شيء إلا ما شاء الله لنا فهومن خلقنا ويفعل بنا ما يشاء...بقينا في منزلنا حتى فجر اليوم التالي. يوم الجمعة 18 أيلول عند الساعة الرابعة والنصف ذهبت جارتنا التي بقيت معنا تلك الليلة يرافقها أخي الصغير الذي كان يبلغ من العمر إحدى عشرة سنة إلى سطح البيت ليشاهدوا ما يحصل ونقرر بعدها إن كنا سنبقى في المنزل أم نغادره ولدى خروجهم إلى السطح (سطح البيت) اهدهم رجال الميليشيات الذين كانوا يتمركزون على تلة قريبة... أصيبا بالذعر وعادا مسرعين ليخبرونا بما شاهدا... وما هي إلا لحظات حتى سمعنا أحدا يطرق الباب... سأل أبي من الطارق فقالوا له نحن إسرائيليون نريد أن نفتش البيت، فتح لهم أبي الباب وكان هناك ثلاثة عشر مسلحا... دخل بعضهم إلى البيت وطوقونا وبقي بعضهم في الخارج وصعد البعض الآخر إلى السطح.وقفت انا واختي الصغيرة الى جانب والدي ووقف بقية اخواتي الى جانب امي وجارتنا... رحب ابي بهم وسألهم الجلوس... فقال احد الرجال نريد ان نأخذ كل شيء من البيت، فسألته لماذا تريدون اخذ كل شيء بعد ما اخذتم اغلى ما عندنا وهي ارضنا... ماذا تريدون ان تأخذوا بعد؟؟فأجاب سوف ترين الان ماذا نريد ان نأخذ... سأخذك واخذ شقيقك. فتوسل ابي اليه وقال له خذ كل شيء الا الاولاد فضربه على وجهه حتى نزف منه الدم، لم استطع تمالك نفسي فصرخت بوجههم كيف تضربون رجلا كبيراً في السن فضربوني ودفعوا بي الى الارض...شعرت بالالم فأعدت الضربة الى ذلك العسكري... أخذوا كل ما لدينا من المال والخواتم حتى محبس والدي... وامرنا احدهم بالدخول الى احدى الغرف وان ننظر الى الحائط بوجوهنا وامرونا ايضا بعدم الالتفاف الى الخلف.رفعت اختي الصغيرة ذات السنة والنصف يديها طالبة من امي ان تحملها لأنها شعرت بالخوف... ثم بدؤوا بإطلاق النار علينا. اصيبت اختي الصغيرة برصاصة في رأسها وأصيب ابي في صدره الا انه بقي حيا... اما اخي شادي 3 سنوات وفريد 8 سنوات وبسام 11 سنة وشقيقتاي هاجر 7 سنوات وشاديا، سنة ونصف، وكذلك جارتنا فأسلموا الروح على الفور لخالقها.ومن بقي سالما كان اخي ماهر 12 سنة واسماعيل 9 سنوات لأنهم اختبئوا في الحمام اما اختي نهاد 16 سنة وامي فقد اصيبتا اصابة غير قاتلة... اما انا فقد اصبت بالشلل حالاً و لم استطع ان اتحرك بعد ان خرج المسلحين معتقدين اننا فارقنا جميعنا الحياة... نادينا على بعضنا لنعرف من بقي منا على قيد الحياة وطلبنا من امي وشقيقتي وشقيقي ان يخرجوا من البيت ويحضروا من يخلصنا... بقيت انا مع ابي المصاب محاطين بجثث افراد عائلتنا... لقد كان وقتاً مريعا لن انساه طول حياتي.وعند الساعة العاشرة صباحاً عاد ثلاثة مسلحين منهم لأخذ الاموال التي نسوها في المنزل وشاهداني اتحرك و أحاول الاقتراب من والدي... انهالوا على بالسباب و الشتائم و قالوا لي انظري ماذا سنفعل بك امام والدك... فأغتصبوني جميعهم الواحد تلو الاخر امام والدي ثم اطلقوا النار علي فأصابوني في يدي اليسرى و ذهبوا.. قال لي ابي ليكن الرب معك، و فارق الحياة فلم يستطع ان يتحمل ما رأى لأنني وحتى ذلك الوقت لم اكن قد بلغت بعد. ما حصل لي كان رهيباً خاصة وانه حصل أمام والدي... عادوا مرة اخرى في المساء ورأوني أشرب فجن جنونهم لبقائي حية فأطلقوا النار علي مرتين وأصابوني في رأسي عندها فقدت وعيي ولم استفق سوى في ساعة متأخرة من الليل وسمعت مواء القطط وهي تدور حول الجثث الهامدة . حاولت بيدي السليمة ان اغطي الجثث بالشراشف و لكني لم انجح ابداً. وفي صباح اليوم التالي أي يوم السبت في التاسع عشر من ايلول عاد المسلحون ولكنني حينها تظاهرت بأنني ميتة، وفي صباح يوم الاحد اتى احد الجنود اللبنانيين ليسأل عن اقارب له صرخت بصوت عال طالبة النجدة ولكنني لم استطع ان اتكلم عندما خلع ذلك الجندي سترته ليغطي بها جسدي العاري وأخذني معه ولدى خروجي من المخيم رأيت الجثث المذبوحة والمنتفخة وبقيت طوال الطريق اسمع اصوات الصراخ والنحيب...سلمني الجندي الى الصليب الاحمر فوضعوا لي على الفور جهاز التنفس الاصطناعي... نجت سعاد وأصبحت من القلة القليلة التي نجت من المجزرة.

بعد 19 عام رفعت الفلسطينية "سعاد سرور"دعوى قضائية في "بروكسل" ضد رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي الحالي "إريل شارون"، الذي كان وزيرا للدفاع، وأمر بارتكاب مجزرة صبرا وشاتيلا عام 1982.

An Israeli In Cairo !!???

Yes, yes, an Israeli musician is performing in Cairo, Egypt's Capital. Yes, Yes, Egyptians bought tickets to Daniel Barenboim's concert in the Egyptian Opera House.
Usually, the word "Israeli" is the perfect synonym for "enemy" in Egypt and the Arab world. Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with 'the enemy' though; putting by that an end for the long devastating wars. Egyptians, until this day, are still fighting to keep the diplomating relations from developing to become normal, or even more!!!

Who is Daniel Barenboim???

Daniel Barenboim is an Israeli Jewish musician, who also holds other several passports, Spanish, Argentine, and, surprisingly, an honorary Palestinian Passport.
The best way to know Barenboim is his own sayings:
"There is no way Israel will deal with the Palestinians if the Palestinians do not understand the suffering of the Jewish people ... [N]now fifty years after that we have to accept co-responsibility for Palestinian suffering. Until an Israeli leader is able to utter those words there will be no peace."
In an interview with British music critic Norman Lebrecht in 2003, he accused the Israeli government of behaving in a manner which was, "morally abhorrent and strategically wrong", and, "putting in danger the very existence of the state of Israel."
I have no doubt that the existence of Israel isn't our first concern, in fact the exact opposite is, however, having a known Israeli musician defending the Palestinian rights, accusing the Israeli government for the crimes committed towards Palestinians, accusing the settlers, performing in Ramallah twice (in spite of the Israeli government's warnings), and cancelling several performances because of the last Gazan massacre, is appreciated. This even reminds me of the Jewish rabbis who visited the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran to show support against the Israeli forces, and the Israeli existence.

What about the timing?

Is the Egyptian government that stupid to bring up such a sensitive case while it's already involved into another major one? Why did Egypt wait until now to bring up BACK the Hizbollah members' case while it was revealed by authorities, months ago? Egypt knows that there's only one spotlight for the opposition and the conservatives, and this brand new case will absolutely distract the eyes that were standing against Egypt's step in reporting Sayyed Hassan Nasrullah to the United Nations Security Council. Egypt is playing a clever game. Clever Egypt forgot whom their friends, Israel and the US, described as the smartest politician. Well I'll save you time, it's his Excellency Sayyed Hassan Nasrullah. Most probably the one party that gave Israel, the un-defeat able army, a fine headache, will make Abul Ghait roll around himself singing 'Hava Naguila'.

Israel will always be the enemy, indeed. However, what about those who only hold the passport to travel and live, the ones who aren't Israelis, they are only referred to as ones. What about those who are the minority of the minority in Israel, that are against the existence of Israel, and are against the immigration to the holy land, at the first place??

Well, 'Israel' is the enemy, when the thought or the action is....After all, we all know Arabs who are given Islamic names, who pray towards Kaaba, and yet they are Israelis,,, Thoughts and Actions.

دعني أحدِّثك في العروبة

دعني أحدِّثك في العروبة

على تلك الأرض... هناك شعب أخذ على عاتقه العروبة... و تكفل بتوزيعها على الأمة. هناك ... عند تلك المرتفعات.. شعب لا يأبه.... شعب لا يتأوه... حتى مع استبداد أعدائه.... شعب أبى أن يركب الباخرات ... تلك الباخرات المهاجرة.
نعم ... شعب لا يزال يسمي الأوطان بمسمياتها... شعب لم تقف عنده القضية على حدود السيوف على الرقاب.
هنالك أرض, لا يزال ترابها يعلو السحب.... أرض , طوبى لكل رسول سال دمه عليها ... لكل رسول اغتسل وجهه بفراتها.
هنالك مدن, كتب أسماء شوارعها عبق التاريخ... هنا أو هناك, لا يهم.. أنت تمشي في أزقة الزمان.
لك يا سوريا أن تفخري بيومك هذا... لست أنا من يأذن لسوريا بذلك, بل هي الطرقات التي تحكي من التاريخ ما لم تؤرخه الكتب. لك بعدد قطرات الماء التي مرت على نواعير حماة... و عدد ثورات الدم التي سالت لتروي العاصي.... أن ترفعي تلك النجمتين في السماء.... لأنه لا مكان للنجوم اِلا في الأفق.