Alghawi Family and the Unreadable Connection to the Land
By/ Mohamed Suliman
"I feel like I am guilty because I am not able to do anything for my children. I lost everything." stated Maisoun Algawi, sitting at the street in front of their newly-seized house. "Ramadan is supposed to be a month of happiness as well as stability where families gather at the iftar; where a family can spend their time together. I promised my children to buy them food, toys, and new clothes, but now, I have to take them to my neighbor's house. Over there, they can shower and I can wash their clothes." She added desperately.
Alghawi family, a seven-member-family, continued to show their unequalled steadfastness to the, I assume, fragile-looking settlers of their home as ever. Since their home has been seized on August 2nd, Alghawi family took refugee to no where but the street – the nearest spot overlooked by their home, where they believe they will be most relieved, most intimate than no where else. However, they relish the bittersweet feeling each time they come across the view of their home surrounded far and wide by the Israeli soldiers while some robot-looking bodies wander up and down their colorless home.
Naser Algawi, the householder, is 38 years old. He was born in this house. His father Abdul Fatah, 82 years old, has been living in the house since 1956 when it was built by the UN and Jordanian government as part of a temporary housing complex for refugees of the 1948 war. He and his family are determined not to give in at any cost though his wife uttered some words of depression: 'Now my house is seized, I have changed my views of the future," she said shaking her two-year daughter's bed.
As part from the jeopardizing policy, the Israelis continue seizing the Palestinian's houses in 'East Jerusalem' along with ridiculous claims: these houses are theirs, demolishing other houses, and building new apartments trying to root their rootless and baseless existence on this land. Alghawi family was one of latest families that were afflicted by these base measures, yet what makes their story outstanding is the way they choose to challenge the occupation and its measures. There is no point in describing the way this family has taken up confronting the occupation since their clinging to the spiritual connection with their home is far beyond any description.
For the 28th day in a row, Abdul fatah Alghawi and his family are still proving that not by seizing homes, the occupier can gain the love of a land. Neither by demolishing its homes nor building others; he can obliterate its original identity. Not by hoisting Israeli flags above our homes, it will be theirs. And not in the least by distancing Alghawi family 150 meters away from their home, they will give up yelling: 'This land is mine; this home is mine'. As the Palestinian poet, Tamim Albarghouthi said: ' In Jerusalem, there is everybody, but nobody is in Jerusalem other than YOU'.
Ultimately, The Palestinians will continue to love their land, praise it, poetize it as their beloved, and their land will love them so longs as they can smell its sand, flavor its orange, hear its plashing waves, and draw it on panels, draw it in their hearts.
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By/ Mohamed Suliman
"I feel like I am guilty because I am not able to do anything for my children. I lost everything." stated Maisoun Algawi, sitting at the street in front of their newly-seized house. "Ramadan is supposed to be a month of happiness as well as stability where families gather at the iftar; where a family can spend their time together. I promised my children to buy them food, toys, and new clothes, but now, I have to take them to my neighbor's house. Over there, they can shower and I can wash their clothes." She added desperately.
Alghawi family, a seven-member-family, continued to show their unequalled steadfastness to the, I assume, fragile-looking settlers of their home as ever. Since their home has been seized on August 2nd, Alghawi family took refugee to no where but the street – the nearest spot overlooked by their home, where they believe they will be most relieved, most intimate than no where else. However, they relish the bittersweet feeling each time they come across the view of their home surrounded far and wide by the Israeli soldiers while some robot-looking bodies wander up and down their colorless home.
Naser Algawi, the householder, is 38 years old. He was born in this house. His father Abdul Fatah, 82 years old, has been living in the house since 1956 when it was built by the UN and Jordanian government as part of a temporary housing complex for refugees of the 1948 war. He and his family are determined not to give in at any cost though his wife uttered some words of depression: 'Now my house is seized, I have changed my views of the future," she said shaking her two-year daughter's bed.
As part from the jeopardizing policy, the Israelis continue seizing the Palestinian's houses in 'East Jerusalem' along with ridiculous claims: these houses are theirs, demolishing other houses, and building new apartments trying to root their rootless and baseless existence on this land. Alghawi family was one of latest families that were afflicted by these base measures, yet what makes their story outstanding is the way they choose to challenge the occupation and its measures. There is no point in describing the way this family has taken up confronting the occupation since their clinging to the spiritual connection with their home is far beyond any description.
For the 28th day in a row, Abdul fatah Alghawi and his family are still proving that not by seizing homes, the occupier can gain the love of a land. Neither by demolishing its homes nor building others; he can obliterate its original identity. Not by hoisting Israeli flags above our homes, it will be theirs. And not in the least by distancing Alghawi family 150 meters away from their home, they will give up yelling: 'This land is mine; this home is mine'. As the Palestinian poet, Tamim Albarghouthi said: ' In Jerusalem, there is everybody, but nobody is in Jerusalem other than YOU'.
Ultimately, The Palestinians will continue to love their land, praise it, poetize it as their beloved, and their land will love them so longs as they can smell its sand, flavor its orange, hear its plashing waves, and draw it on panels, draw it in their hearts.
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