Salamz all,

Yesterday Germany marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of Berlin’s wall, which separated west Germany from its east. In Palestine-The West Bank, there is another type of wall;an apartheid wall. It’s true that I do not live in the West Bank, I have never seen the wall with my own eyes, but I can relate to the feeling of being trapped. This huge cement barrier separates Palestinian villages from Palestinian villages .More important, Jerusalem from The West Bank.Moreover,  it confiscate Palestinian lands. Read more about The Wall.

As an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the West Bank, I made some artworks ascertaining that freedom IS coming and “The Wall Will Fall”.
Plus, I should thank the international activists who support Palestinians each week in protests against the wall! God bless you!

Salamz all,
I have mentioned before how much I think about Al-Quds-Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa mosque. I love this holy city more than anything even though I have never been there. As a matter of fact, I would do whatever takes just to bow forehead to kiss the soil of this beautiful, sad city. This might not happen soon, but in my heart, I know that someday, somehow I will…In sha Allah!
I would love to share with you these photos taken by a photographer residing in Al-Aqsa compound. May Allah bless all our fellow heroes residing in Al-Aqsa compound to protect it from those who want to destroy it.
Spacial thanks to my dear friend Bodour Ab-Kuwaik for sharing these photos with me.

Salamz all,

Gaza has been the main focus of the media since the war, so I thought I would be a good idea to have a weekly post to fill you in with everything new about Gaza in specific and Palestine as a whole.

Starting from the 24th of October when Abbas announced that legislative and presidential elections will be will be held in the Palestinian Territories. As a result, a new parliament and a new president will be elected, if these elections really take a place, in terms of exactly 3 month from that date.
It is a piece of news I would rather not to comment on, because there is nothing to comment about. As the rifts are still standing between the two rivals (Hamas and Fatih) such “democratic process” is meaningless.

The 25th of October, The Israeli forces AGAIN raided Al-Aqsa compound and assaulted the people in the holy site. Such raids provoke strong feelings in me and every single Palestinian. Al-Aqsa mosque has been and will always be a red line. I don’t need to remind you that the second Intifada back in 2000 was sparked, because Ariel Sharon’s visit (former Israeli prime minster) to the mosque with forces escorting him.
When it comes to Al-Aqsa, there are very serious threats not just to break in by some Israeli extremist s to practice some religious rituals inside the holy site, but to take it over. And then, no Muslim would be able to pray there. As I live in Gaza, I have never been to Al-Quds, one of the things I would die for is to pray in Al-Aqsa and to visit the Holy city of Jerusalem. It’s quite absurd to be watching it through tv while you have friends, who live outside Gaza, visited it. But it is a fact, that we Gazans can not set a foot in our mosque and our city.More about the Aqsa clashes.

The 27th of October, The Amnesty International human rights group said that Israel is denying Palestinians adequate access to clean, safe water while allowing almost unlimited supplies to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. According to figures by the same group, the Palestinians have access only 20% of the main mountain aquifer in the West Bank while the Israelis have 80%. While 70 liters of water per capita for Palestinians, the consumption of a single person in Israel is 300 liters. 2,3 million Palestinians in the West Bank use water less than 450,000 settlers. Gaza’s only source of water is the costal aquifer which 95% of its water is unfit for human consumption.
“In September the UN Environment Programme warned that damage to the underground aquifer – due to the Israeli and Egyptian blockade, conflict, and years of overuse and underinvestment – could take centuries to reverse if it is not halted now.”A BBC report said.

Oxfam’s Mark Buttle, who co-ordinates international organisations working in the water sector, says the pressures are adding up. Gaza faces a “pending environmental disaster” he warns. “Water is life,” he says. Action must be taken now, “so that we can prevent future problems with Gaza becoming uninhabitable”.
Indeed, the water in Gaza is polluted. These reports and figures are only confirmation that the water coming out of the tap is almost like sea water. At home, we have filters to sanitize the water, however; it doesn’t change that the water is not good for human use. These filters only make the tap water “drinkable”. Not all Gazans have such system at their household; they depend mainly on public mobile water tanks, which provide water for a fixed amount of money.
But with a very limited income for most of Gazans, “buying” water seems to be unfair for a service that many people around the world take for granted.

The 28th of October, Hamas ‘bans’ January polls in Gaza. What else do you expect?! NO COMMENT!
Israel demolishes Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem. Watch the next report.

The 29th and the 30th of October, Gaza woke up by the sound of rain droppers accompanied by a drop in temperatures. Seriously, before couple of days ago the weather was so dry and so hot that we thought that maybe cold isn’t coming any time soon. Yet, today and yesterday the weather has been rainy and beautifully cold. Feels just amazing!

Salamz all,

On Wednesday and after long arguments whether we wanted to go or not, my friends and I decided to go and sign up our names for yet another trip with the university. This is the second time I go to a trip around Gaza with my English department.Despite the fact that the previous trip was so cool, this one was THE COOLEST. The numbers of girls going to the trip was big but as 6 English students and one Commerce,(long story ) were  sitting in the back of the bus and all noise was coming from our place!
Trips like these are NEEDED, you don’t know how much you do, till you try the pure fun coming out of it.  Here’s a sum up of the places we visited, followed by a video:

First-Qasr Al Basha (also known as Radwan Castle and Napoleon’s Fort). It was so much fun to go there even though it wasn’t my first time. I took a short video and many photos of the site. It’s located in the old Gaza, mainly the downtown.

Second, it’s an essential part of ANY trip you go in Gaza vising Al-Bashir amusement park. It’s one of the places where you find KGs and university students are playing the same games (one amusement park for all Gaza’s kids and adults,do the math!).
Personally, it’s always the worst part of the trip, because my friends go like “let’s try this, try that” and I am so much like “I get dizzy”. Last trip, I was lucky to escape the calls, this time I WASN’T!
In Al-Bashir, you pay 2 NIS ticket to have a near death experience.Under the pressure of my friends, I bought a ticket to a game where you go so up then so down so fast. No strict safety measures are considered at the place, but Alhamdolilah no causalities are reported. As a matter of fact, I am one coward. During the 3 minute ride on that crazy game I was closing my eyes, screaming and saying very bad words in my head. After the ride was over, unpleasant things happened to my stomach. But for the record, we laughed a lot at how scared me and friend were .

Then, we went to Asdaa City for media production. It’s located in Khan Yonis; it was basically built on lands where the evacuated Israeli settlements were. The mutli-usage facility was opened last year. It contains different departments ne for agriculture (green houses), other for artificial fishing pools, one for media production and an open air cafeteria. We had an amazing lunch there made by my friend Basma and lots of laughs as we we crazy signing, acting…etc

Finally, the sea! Well it’s another “Must” when it comes to any trip we go. The weather was lovely and we stayed there the longest. But sad thing we didn’t have a boat ride! As we always do!! That was the only thing that I missed yesterday. On 4 and 30 minutes, we left.

The following video sums up some of the places we went to. Thanks to my friend Amany all the videos are taken by her cellphone.
The very beautiful pictures of the sea are taken by Basma.

I would love to thank my friends who came especially, Alaa; she always pushes us to sign up and encourages us. Amal and Walaa and Reham were just amazing, and added a great joy.

Salamz all,

Despite the fact that the Palestinian scene makes me so frustrated these days, the scene above Palestine tells me that “everything someway,somehow is going to be alright, in sha Allah (in God’s willing)”.

Salamz all,
Yesterday, for the 1st time I knew that extreme provocation is an inspiration.
As I already know that extreme desperation, depression and hope also push to express these conflicting feelings and thoughts inside you.
Yesterday, I was extremely provoked,desperate, depressed and hopeful. However,I won’t be saying much about that , read the few next lines, and you would understand what I mean.

Don give me mo excuses
I became deaf
Sick of yer stabbing
Not in my back but in ma face
You don’t care about a UN report?
You’d say”Who the hell is Goldstone?”
it ain’t gonna bring back 1400 souls…

Don’t tell me your pull
is for the greater good
Ain’t no good in negotiating Avigdor
Don’t tell me you postponed
so I turn no poor
I’m already in destitute
Don’t tell me it’s because
I cross no checkpoints anymore
Have ya forgotten the wall?

You are a stranger
Palestine ain’t runnin’ in yer blood
Ain’t no dignity keeps yer head up
I ain’t need your “state”
It’s only an “estate”
after a long “comprise” process
Keep it for yerself
Ain’t want thieves to be my next doors
I want to wake up in Gaza
And pray Al-Fajr in Al-Aqsa mosque

Wise up, the major powers ain’t gonna be with you in yer tomb
What you gonna say to the Lord when you are doomed?
What you gonna say to yer own people
that You disowned?
I am sorry, I didn’t know who was Netenyaho?

I ain’t writing this because u matter to me
You r just another face of the enemy
I am writing it because I am sick of your hoax
But thank you for your betrayal
It Got me out of my writer’s block…

Salamz All,

It’s the 18th of Ramadan, wow! Time passes so quickly when you are enjoying it to the most.
Ramadan is my favorite time in the year. Quran, Taraweeh and Qiyam Al-liel (late night prayers), all of those worships bring you closer to Allah (swt). Moreover, in a hard situation like the one we are living here in Palestine not just Gaza, raising your hands to the Almighty, never fails you to rest assured that everything is going to be right even though it may take a while.

Ramadan in Gaza is not like elsewhere. The suffering of the people reached the point where some people have water on Iftar, because they are too poor to buy food. Other have their Iftar in a tent in a refugee camp made for those lost their houses in the war.

Foods are being smuggled from Egypt, however; they are beyond what an average family can afford. The precises of almost everything is doubled due to the siege.

Yesterday, my friend and I went for a tour around Gaza’s central market “Al Remal” to take photos of “aspects” of Ramadan in Gaza Well, there are once!

Although it’s an impossible situation we have in Gaza, you still find what reminds you of Ramadan in the streets and in the people. I won’t be telling you, Check the video below.

Special thanks to Bodour Abu-Kuwaik, my friend who brought this idea to live. Moreover, the owner of the camera we took the photos by .
God bless you!

One last thing, The last ten days of Ramadan are around the corner, Don’t forget to pray for your brothers and sister in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Chechnya, Bosnia and every spot where there’s oppression.
كن جزءا من حملة عمر خالد “سنحيا بالقرآن

Salamz all,
After I pray Al-Fajr (the dawn prayer), brilliant ideas come to me. Last night, I wrote a status comment saying “Violent art”. In the early morning, this line was developed into a whole poem. Despite the fact that I was so sleepy, the few lines I had were so persisting to be on paper. So, maybe at 5:30 am I evacuated these lines to a paper.However, while typing the poem, I changed many things, I always do
Ok, here’s the outcome:

Violent art, armed mind
This is my resistance
Building my house out of its rubble
This is my resilience
Starving but still striving
This is my defiance
Oppressed but still rising
This is my existence

I see hope in every where
I see it even you try smash it
I see it in the tears of mothers
The blood you shed
In Al-Aqsa’s minarets
In a promise from the Almighty
That the oppression will end

This is me
You want to kill
This is me
That’s deeply trenched
In my land, in its mountains
In its seas and it’s hills
This is me
That has undying will
To live free
Or to die for it

Salamz all,
Today is the first day of Ramadan to most of Muslims around the world. I would love to say Ramadan Kareem!
May Allah (swt) bring us together all to change this world to the better. In this holy month, don’t forget to pray for your beleaguer brothers and sisters in Gaza ;they need your prayers more than ever. In fact, pray for all the Muslims. The other day, I wrote on my Facebook status that I pray for the “world peace” instead of Palestine only. Well, I meant, pray for all our brothers and sister in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia,Chechnya,China and in every place oppression is treading the will of the people to be free.
All the way from Gaza, Ramadan Kareem. Peace, love and respect! A very special thanks to Ahmed S3D for the blog’s new banner!!
I designed some artworks for the occasion of Ramadan!
And stay tuned for more posts…In sha Allah.

Salamz all,

Early morning yesterday, I few lines in my head. And here’s the outcome

It’s all about me, me and me
I own the 21st century
I make my dreams come true
If even it means crushing urs
I’ll be secure
Even it means faking reasons for wars
Your story may sound sad
but it makes me look so bad
so I’ll change facts
I own the news, man
I’ll look like the prey and you’ll be the predator Just like that
Your fossils, your forests and your currents
Your seas and streams
And what lies underneath
Are all for me
I’ll make out of ‘em
Things you’ll buy Things you’ll need
things Paris uses, and recommended by Britney Spears
things will make you in debt,
but at some point we’ll need a plastic surgery
Revolt, I’ll turn you against you
And you’ll kill yourself by my artillery
I listen to your scary speech
But you never scare me
Your words are just words
and I dictated you the oratory
Remember when you think about disobey
I’ll send my drugs, my thugs
I’ll spread ignorance and H1N1
then you’ll call me to ease your pain
to teach your next generations
My watch is ticking
I know I’ll come to an end
I oppress and gain
but the history teaches all a lesson
the truth is not on my side
it’s on the side of the oppressed