May 4th 2015,

Politics: Do you really want to know what is going on in Palestine? Then head to Hebron. As soon as you can, go, visit, and see with your own eyes. A city that screams constraint. It is located in the West Bank supposedly under the umbrella of the State of Palestine which no one recognizes yet, and is surrounded and is under complete supervision by the Israeli army. Yes, this city is supposed to be free from the Israelis, but every corner I walked in, every street I visited, there he was, an armed Israeli man standing closing one area or another, and if there was no Israeli armed person then just look above your head and there it is, a moving video camera that covers the whole city.

Imagine. Imagine yourself living under complete control of a state that denies your recognition even. Hebron is aching. Hebron is locked up and is wrapped in iron wires. The old streets of Hebron is filled with elderly men who wake up every morning to go to work. Most of them have a very upset frown look that is hard to break. They are living in their own little supervised jail. Every move they make is watched, every word they say is heard, and every breath they take is counted.

Israeli Jewish families are settling there. They burn houses, and literally kick people out of their homes, to live there in between all the Palestinians. And you can not say a word. If you speak, complain, or try to go back to your house, you are taken to jail. It is horrific.

Culture: Besides the Politics, Hebron is a gem. It is filled with culture. You find hope in between all the agony. You find a way to bring the frowns into a little bit of laughter. You see the Palestinian flag everywhere, along with few Israeli flags here and there. Like a flag fight. This piece is mine and this piece is yours. Ridiculous. You will find everything that has to do with the Arabian culture and Art, from the food, to embroidery, wardrobe, carpet, coffee shops, pottery, turkish delight, ceramics, glass art, Islamic art and much more.

People are very friendly, you feel protected, even though you feel watched everywhere you go, but you still feel protected by the people who are living every day as it comes. They live today, they have no expectations or even a thrill to know about what tomorrow will bring. The thrill is gone, because the chances are what is coming is another tragic story of a new house being occupied, or a new street being closed, or a new Palestinian child being killed.

Yes. If only, we can free Hebron from the Israeli army. If only we can free Palestine from the Israeli army. What a wonderful world it will be. To each his own life, his own freedom, and his drive to live for tomorrow.

Visit: When you head to Hebron, visit the Ibrahim Mosque or what is also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs. It is split into two. The Muslims can enter the Muslim side, and the Jewish can enter the Jewish side. It is a mosque for God’s sake, a mosque which is a temple made for Muslims to go and pray in. But because some of the Prophets were buried under the mosque, and some of the prophets were Jewish, the Israel State thinks they have the right to split it in half and deny entry to any Muslim into the Jewish side of the mosque. The Muslims cherish all prophets, Muslims or non. To the Muslims, Jewish prophets are as holly as any other prophet. And I have no idea why the Jews feel the need to occupy any area that has a Jew buried in. Do they know how many Muslims & Christians are buried all throughout Palestine, both occupied areas by Israel or the West Bank. Or is this not so important?

Also ask about the glass company in Hebron, where they make glass and pottery and decorate them to sell all across Palestine. A beautiful experience to go watch and learn and maybe try to make your own. You can also ask for a customized one made just for you.

I tried to be positive as much as I can in this post, but it is just very hard not to share what the eyes see and what the heart feels. And in such situations, words are never enough. It is hard to find the right words to express. So since I am sharing this post during the Holly month of Ramadan, then let us dedicate some of our prayers today and everyday to the people living in Hebron, to the people living in Palestine, to all the people around the world who are still living under occupation, racism, and are limited from freedom. Let us pray that the good in this world outcomes the bad, that the good is much stronger than the evil, for the good to grow in big numbers and help free this world from the power of selfishness.

زيارتي إلى الخليل كانت من أصعب الرحلات في فلسطين. فالخليل تحت الاحتلال مع إنها تعتبر تحت حمية السلطة الفلسطنية. وللأسف في زيارتي شفت الاحتلال في الخليل واضح بكل مكان. ففي كل زقاق و كل شارع يوجد جندي عسكري إسرائيلي يمنعك من الدخول إلى مناطق أو شوارع معينة. وإذا ما في جندي، ففي كاميرا تصوير فوق راسك بتذكرك بالاحتلال.

وهادا إشي مؤسف لإنو الخليل بتجنن، جمالها رائع وأصوله عربية فبتلاقي التراث العربي واضح فيها. البلد القديمة جميلة جداً. الناس اللي من الخليل قلبهم صافي ومتعاونين. اليأس و الغضب واضح على وجوههم، بس اذا بتحاول تمزح معهم بتفاعلوا معك وبعبروا عن سعادتهم. الحياة فعلاً صعبة بالخليل، و الناس معنوياتها تعبانة و همه بحاجة لوجودنا ودعمنا واهتمامنا.

زيارة الخليل ما بتكمل من غير زيارة المسجد الإبراهيمي، اللي اليوم مقسوم إلى قسمين، قسم لليهود و قسم للمسلمين. العنصرية ضد الإسلام واضحة جداً، فأول سؤال بيسأله الجندي “إنت مسلم؟” قبل أي شي و في أي مكان بتلتقي فيهم. و بس تجاوب إنك مسلم بمنعوك تمر أو تفوت المناطق اللي مسكرينها عن المسلمين لأنو عايشين فيها يهود فطبعاً هم تحت الحماية المسلحة. إذا كنت مسيحي، فتاني سؤال بكون “من وين؟” و إذا كنت عربي فبتصير زيك زي المسلم.

غريبة الحياة مرات لما الواحد بمر بمواقف ما عمره فكر إنها ممكن تصير. و الأغرب من هيك، إنك تتخيل الناس اللي عايشة هيك، تحت الذل و الاحتلال و العنصرية. و اللي كتير مؤلم، هو إنك تعرف صلتك في للشخص اللي بمر بالمعاناة، إن كان قريب إلك أو من نفس الديانة أو الدولة أو الجنسية أو المجتمع. أو إذا كنت إنت شخص إنساني، فبكل إنسان بتلاقي صلة الإنسانية اللي بتربطه فيك. فليش خلفيته أو ديانته بتفرق معك؟

بس تيجوا عالخليل لازم تمرقوا على مصنع الزجاج، و الفخار. فالخليل معروفة بشهرتها بالفن والشغل اليدوي اللي فيها. و ممكن تشكلوا فخار او زجاج خاص فيكم. زيارة الخليل مؤلمة لكن جمالها بخليك تحس بمدى الألم اللي فلسطين بتمر فيه.

أنا حاولت ما أكون كتير سلبية، بس صعب ما أكتب اللي شفتو واللي شعرت في. إحنا هلأ بأيام فضيلة من أيام رمضان المبارك فخلينا نتذكر أهل الخليل في صلاتنا، وأهل فلسطين، و نتذكر كل الناس اللي لسه لليوم بعانوا من العنصرية و عدم الحرية في أي مكان بالعالم. و ندعي انو الله يقوي الناس اللي بدهم الخير، وتزيد أعداد أهل الخير عن الناس اللي بدها الشر، ونطلب إنو الله يساعدنا و يساعد الناس إنها تميز بين الغلط و الصح والخير والشر.

Visiting Hebron