 Reham Ghazali |
We here at BI’s Military and Defense section recently started looking for young Israeli and Palestinian bloggers to contribute to our site. Through our efforts we found Tamam Abusalama, who wrote an interesting piece about life in Gaza.
We asked her if she could provide us some pictures of everyday life in Gaza. Unfortunately she couldn’t because she had no camera. But, she told us, she had a friend with a camera.
We sort of took for granted the prevalence of technology here in the U.S. when we asked her for photos—because of Gaza’s lack of power infrastructure, some of her posts have even been written straight from her cell phone (which isn’t the type that has a camera on it).
Eventually she got back to us with some photos. The following slideshow is photography from her friend, and descriptive sentences from her personal blog.
The blog samples have been edited for clarity and punctuation.
“This civilian home has been targeted by the Israeli warplanes. It was a place for safety and peace.”
“The beach is the only possible destination to escape away from the reality.”
“However, the beach can be a dangerous place too.”
“Huda Ghalyeh witnessed the danger of Gaza beach while she was sitting with her family peacefully and enjoying the beautiful waves hugging Gaza shores. Israeli shelled them, she was the only survivor.”
“Palestinians live in an open air prison with Israeli checkpoints and borders.”
“Palestinian children still achieve successes and try to draw smile in their lips despite all what they go through.”
“They smashed the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever hand print painting, most kites-flying and most dribbling soccer balls.”
“I’m walking on the street, staring at people as if they were strange creatures …”
“… thinking of everything that happens to me and us, shocked at how Palestinians live. “
“Everyone on this earth can tell you passionately about what freedom feels like but no Palestinian can do so.”
“Every Palestinian is sick from hearing the repeated phrase ‘YOU CAN’T.” Palestinians will keep fighting until they figure out what freedom means.”
“‘Freedom and Peace’ have been always names for a song or headlines in a newspaper no more and no less.”
“Hearing the drops of the rain falling in my room’s window under my heavy and warm blankets, making some wishes as I’m sure that God is going to make them true and thinking of the beautiful and crazy moments which are coming.”
“The Palestinian woman is unlike other women in this world. The Palestinian woman could be the daughter, wife, sister or mother of the prisoners, the dead, the injured. She is a stone thrower, a freedom fighter. She is an inspiration for every woman as she smiles, works hard, revolts, rebels and dreams despite all what all difficulties she does through.”
“I want my children to live in a fertile land where the wishes come true and to fill their lives with peace , safety and pureness.”
“I just want to create my own world!”
“Every Palestinian dreams of a beautiful Gaza and unlimited future, but I always say that we are dreamers!”
You’ve seen pictures of everyday Palestinian life. Now ..
(www.businessinsider.com / 21.09.2012)
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