Nov 30, 2006 ... I'tiraf Rimawi. We as Palestinians have always been able to overcome our
catastrophes and move forward in our just search for freedom.
Voice of Women Issue no. 254 30 November 2006 In this issue: Editorial: For UN resolutions, implementation is the key The Israeli war machine and Palestinian childhood The hidden wounds of children We still have a choice International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women: Statement by Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA Women's participation at the Expo Tech: A necessity or just a decoration? She lost 7 family members, her hand and part of her spleen but did not lose hope Scenes from Gaza 193 Palestinian children behind bars Don't be hard on the women Interview with Hiba Akila, Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza Workshops in development and financial analysis A British anthology of Palestinian women authors A bouquet of narcissus Gazanight.net
Editorial: For UN resolutions, implementation is the key A lot has been said about UN Security Council resolution 1325, and all the literature agrees that the resolution represents a victory for the Palestinian struggle. The resolution, which deals with the protection of girls and women in areas of armed conflicts, calls for increased presence of women at all levels of policy making and in ongoing efforts to develop tools for conflict prevention as well as tools and policies to resolve conflicts when it's not possible to avoid them. The Security Council adopted resolution 1325 in its meeting on September 31st, 2000. Resolution 1325 is based on the outcome of the Beijing conference which focused on victims of armed conflicts. Women, children and refugees were seen as the most vulnerable and most harmed in conflicts; without addressing their needs, peace and stability is unlikely to be achieved in troubled areas. The resolution confirms the need for a comprehensive data base on the effects of armed conflicts on the women all over the world. It emphasizes the responsibilities of states to bring armed conflicts to an end and to prosecute those accused of committing humanitarian crimes and mass murders. The resolution recommends that a gender perspective be included in peace initiatives and settlements to meet with the women's needs and address their problems. It also stresses the need to include clear articles in states' charters on women's rights in the
electoral systems, in the legal system and the police. It also calls upon all states to exert serious efforts to improve the living conditions in refugee camps. The Palestinians, along with other nations, need to hold tight to the UN resolution and fight for its proper implementation on their soil and wherever Palestinian refugees live, as until this very moment -- after six decades of exile -- not one practical step has been taken towards allowing them to return to their homes. The Israeli occupation meanwhile is destroying the refugees' homes and confiscating their lands on the pretext of "security." On the other hand, the latest Israeli raid on the city of Beit Hanoun, in Gaza, bears witness to the heavy burden women and children carry on their shoulders during armed conflicts and wars. The Palestinian women's movement in the light of the above reality has to defend its accomplishments and fight for the right of women to participate in decision making. The presence of women in the legislative council and the local governments is only one step towards women's full representation in the system. The next battle is our representation in the government as we believe that a women's quota in the government has to be ensured. The need for such legislation is crucial now more than ever as women are paying a higher price in the internal Palestinian conflict. A true and genuine national unity government in Palestine must have effective participation by women in order to be functional and to transform the existing situation. The Israeli war machine and Palestinian childhood Majida Ahmad, Gaza "I am not a terrorist -- they are," said 6-year-old Ahmad Abdel Aziz when we interviewed him at his hospital bed where he was recovering from his war injuries. "I was at my desk after class when the sound of a plane filled the room," he recalled. "Several seconds passed before I noticed the blood on my clothes and on the exam paper on the desk, then I realized that my eye was bleeding." Ahmad wants to be an engineer and keeps asking for his school bag as he wants to catch up with his classmates. Every child deserves a gift on the Day of the Child. Rockets, tanks and raiding aeroplanes are sent as gifts to Palestinian children, including Ahmad. Ahmad was not the first victim of Israel's war game and will not be the last. The list of victimized Palestinian children is too long. Names like Muhammad Al Durra, Iman Hajo and Huda Galia are symbols for the hundreds of children martyrs and orphans to fall under the Israeli attacks. Surviving children live the trauma of watching scenes of killing, destruction, and abandoning their homes. They live with painful memories and no hope for a better future. Night is not a time for rest for our children but of nightmares which haunt children and their families alike. While Ahmad is keen to keep up with his schoolwork from his hospital bed, he will not be able to return to school until he has undergone therapy to help him overcome his fears and trauma.
What crime did they commit? Islam Athamneh, a thirteen-year-old Palestinian girl, was one of the victims of Israel's "Autumn Cloud" operation. She was injured during the operation and lost seven family members, including her mother. Two sisters, Iman and Isra'a, and her twoyear-old brother Muhammad were the only survivals. On the Day of the Child we asked Islam to share her thoughts. She said, "Regardless of the loss, we continue to live because we believe in God. The house that was once full of life is now silent and empty, however we are not giving up, and we are not leaving our precious land that has been blessed with the souls and blood of our fathers and grandfathers." Islam appeared distressed, unable to comprehend the reason behind killing young infants and children. "Some have just seen the light," she said. "What crimes did they commit?" We asked her if she believed if the shooting and killing must be stopped. She replied that unless the Israelis stop attacking us, it would be meaningless to stop reacting and resisting. Abdel Rahman Fayyad is a five-year-old boy who is also at the hospital recovering from injuries. He responded to our question about his feelings on the Day of the Child by drawing us pictures of aeroplanes, tanks and guns. When asked about the presents he would like to get, he mentioned toys that reflect strength and power; he seemed to be searching for tools for self protection. Israel's "Autumn Clouds" raid on Beit Hanoun took place on October 2nd. Most of the casualities were transferred to Beit Hanoun hospital. "Twenty percent of the casualties were children, while 65% were women," said Dr. Jameel Ali, director of the hospital. Dr. Ali said that half of the surviving children would live with permanent disabilities due to having lost a body part. Some critical cases were transferred to hospitals outside the country for further treatment. Statistics forBeit Hanon municipality reveal that the October 2nd operation left 60 children injured, 17 of whom were under the age of 7. Forty-five of the injured were transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment.
The hidden wounds of children Maha Al Tamimi The 19th of September is an international day for the protection of children, an exclusive day for the nations to examine the status of their children and to develop better tools to ensure their safety and welfare. Is that the case with the Palestinian children? The Palestinian Bureau of Statistics reveals that 65% of Palestinian households admit the presence of some sort of child abuse within the family, 37% of the sample say that tension and pressure has risen in their households during the past two years and 56% believe that political and financial instability as well as the internal chaos in the Palestinian areas are the main causes behind the domestic violence and child abuse within the Palestinian families.
Palestinian society, with children representing 52% of its population, must not ignore the problem that is affecting more that half of its human resources that are on their way to becoming the nation's leaders in the near future. In addition to this, Palestinian children are subjected daily to the dangers and threats of attacks by the Israeli occupation: 950 children have been killed and thousands injured since 2002, 400 children have been placed in Israeli jails, and thousands had been made homeless as 7800 homes were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers and tanks. The latest raid on Beit Hanoun is just one example of the state terror practiced against Palestinian children while fast asleep in their parents' arms. Islam Athamneh woke up to find herself, at the age of thirteen, the eldest member of her family and the one left to care for the rest. The few serious studies that have been done on the status of our children reveal that most children lack vision and hope for the future. They also indicate that adults feel an enormous sense of helplessness and inability to protect their children and families. Adults' feelings of insecurity are unconsciously transferred to their helpless children. The child who has to watch his father or elder brother being beaten and abused by Israeli soldiers cannot feel secure and lives with a distorted image of that adult who is supposed to be his protector and provider. Children who watch their homes been destroyed and flattened with all their belongings underneath are not in a better position at all. Ten-year-old Mariam from northern Gaza speaks of how much she misses her mother's cooking and the warm evenings when the family used to gather around the TV in their house which is no longer there. A 2003 UNICEF study on a sample of those between the ages of 10 and 24 showed that 12% of the males and females from the West Bank and Gaza who were interviewed had at some point been subjected to physical abuse. Males from the West Bank were found to be more affected by the abuse than their counterparts in Gaza. Most of the respondents said that they did not approach anyone for help when the abuse took place. A Birziet University study conducted on domestic violence in 2005 showed that households violence is the number one item responsible for child abuse (37% of the cases) followed by schools (28%). This means that more one third of Palestinian homes are no longer a source of safety and security for our children. Physical abuse came at the top of the list followed by sexual abuse; 22% of the sexual abuse was committed by a family member or a relative. Policies designed to build a strong and united social front able capable of standing up to Israeli aggression cannot be effective unless we are able to truly adopt and maintain democratic values and solid internal relations on all levels. Equal participation for men and women and full rights and protection for children must be a central characteristic of the national charter. We need to admit that domestic violence is a serious obstacle in our way towards building a strong and developed society and towards achieving a better future for our nation.
We still have a choice
I'tiraf Rimawi We as Palestinians have always been able to overcome our catastrophes and move forward in our just search for freedom. Having to continue to fight against the occupation forces, our people have been able to invent and create new tools and ways to defend their existence and to maintain their survival; this has always been possible because we all believed that our cause is just and that we deserve to live. Our choices were always positive and effective as we relied on our internal unity that seemed to be stronger than any of the differences that appeared along the way. In the past few months, Gaza streets witnessed several popular campaigns directed against the Israeli occupation and attacks. Women lobbied against the Israeli attacks and marched against Israeli tanks and military checkpoints; they used their bodies in several occasions to stop Israeli bulldozers from demolishing Palestinian homes. The women's efforts to break the siege on Biet Hanoun eventually succeeded. They helped to restore faith in the power of peaceful popular marches and proved once again that unarmed masses with a strong will and vision can effect change. Palestinian popular campaigns are indeed a very crucial component in the Palestinian struggle, They should go hand in hand with other activities opposing the Israeli occupation. Each and every Palestinian -- young and old, male and female -- can and should take part in the process. However, coordination between the different parties would give the nation extra strength and reinforce the people's ability to defend their existence and cause. In light of these positive factors, one cannot help but wonder why the Palestinian struggle seems to be deteriorating. No one would disagree that the occupation's destructive measures are behind most of our losses and sufferings, but this only means that we need to consolidate all our resource to strengthen our internal front and to restructure our social and political unity. Highlighting factional differences and placing them at the top of the factions' agendas will not help us to move an inch forward with our just cause. On the contrary, this is taking us in the opposite direction of the one in which we need to go. The current internal situation is erasing the efforts and accomplishments of the past decades. It is narrowing our options and could end up pinning us against the wall. We are holding our breaths, hoping that our political leaders will stop to recover the wealth of sacrifices and efforts that have been made over the years. Maybe then they would be able to arrive at a vision that embodies the peoples' aspirations and hopes, and begin to set the correct agendas to strengthen our internal front and move forward with our national, political and social project.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women: Statement by Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA 22 November, 2006
Every woman and girl should live in a home where she is free from the threat of violence. Every girl should be able to attend school without the risk of abuse. Every woman and girl should be free from gender-based violence. As we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, these would appear to be minimal aspirations shared by all of humanity. They are based on commitments made and reiterated by governments throughout the world and enshrined in international law. Yet, data from various countries show that at some point in their lives, between 10 and 60 per cent of women will suffer physical violence at the hands of their male partners and 20 to 75 per cent will suffer emotional abuse. Up to 20 per cent of women will be targets of sexual violence. UNFPA is proud to join the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women. We are working with partners to end impunity for these crimes, to promote and protect the rights of women -- including the right to sexual and reproductive health -and to foster equal opportunity, participation and decision-making. Today, we pay tribute to the women in every country who are bringing these issues to the forefront and demanding justice. We acknowledge the governments and parliaments that have enacted legislation. Today, 89 governments have some legislative provisions that specifically address domestic violence: marital rape may be prosecuted in at least 104 countries; 90 governments have some form of legislative provision against sexual harassment and 93 nations have legal provisions against human trafficking. We urge the governments and parliaments that have adopted laws to ensure their implementation. We express appreciation to those who have put in place programs for women and girls affected by violence. We are heartened by the increased attention being paid to the role of men and boys in preventing violence against women, and the link between gender-based violence and the spread of HIV and AIDS. Today, we call on all governments and parliaments that have not yet done so to adopt laws, policies and programs to ensure a quality and compassionate response to victims and to actively monitor the progress that is made. There is much we can learn from each other and we need to share best practices. Our collective success in achieving peace and security and in making poverty a thing of the past depends on our ability to end discrimination and violence against women and girls.
Women's participation at the Expo Tech: A necessity or just a decoration? Buthainah Hamdan Exhibitions are intended to showcase the various marketing strategies and promote creativity and accomplishments in different sectors. The Palestine Expo Tech 2006 in Al Bireh was an opportunity to revive some of the confidence in the Palestinian market that seemed to be fading away in the midst of current difficulties in Palestine.
Comments from the employees of the Expo Nour Zubaidi represents Musico, a Nokia agent. She said that she was able to get all the information she needed on the products she was displaying from the internet. She pointed out the presence of women at almost all of stands at Expo and said that women have a major role in marketing new technologies. Haneen Baragiti, who works for Al Nashir, an advertising company, believes that women tend to have a better approach and skills for promoting products than do men, but this has to be accompanied by sound technical knowledge as well as experience in the field. She says that experience in the technical field is far more important than academic qualifications. Nour Ladaweh, who works for Jafa, says she participated in the Expo to gain experience but she believes that women were there just for marketing purposes. Nour is a civil engineer and registered for the Expo to take a look at the new technologies which are being introduced into the field . Baha' Dusoqi, from Star 2000, which is an agent of Sony, says that companies employ women for two reasons: some because they are truly competent and experienced in marketing and sales, and others just for the company's image, which was evident at the Expo. Dosouqi believes that although women have gained acceptance in most fields of work, they still rely on their physical appeal to compete and to find jobs even when they are well qualified for a position. The companies' point of view We also interviewed managers from some of the companies that employ women for marketing as well as some who oppose the idea, regarding their views on the strong presence of women at the Expo. "Hiring young women just for promotion might be appropriate when selling simple, unsophisticated products," says Muaz Asmar, from Jafa Net, "but for Jafa, being a major programming company. The people behind the counter had to have the knowledge and expertise to be able to meet the customers' expectations and respond to their enquires. Jafa does have female programmers among the staff, however, the choice of who would represent us at the Expo was purely professional and had nothing to do with being a man or a woman. Using women as dolls in marketing would affect the company's reputation badly." Muhannad Madi, from Jatta, rejects the accusation that women at the Expo were chosen for the effectiveness of their physical appeal in marketing products, and insisted that their presence there was professional. Women chosen by their companies for participation in the Expo, he says, were educated and were there because of their qualifications. He said that in his company, positions such secretary and accountant may be most suitable for women, while men are selected for marketing and other positions which require a great deal of mobility. Women's role in changing images I visited most of the stands at the Expo and discovered that very few of the women representing companies were technical specialists. Maysoun Ibrahim was the only woman at the PECTI wing, which represented seven different companies in the field. She is a postgraduate programmer and believes that there is not a shortage of women
graduates with technical skills, but that these graduates lack confidence to go out and demonstrate their talents and knowledge. Hanna Qreitim, from MOBIS, advocates for presence of women in marketing products rather than in technical work. She believes that women tend to be successful in sales as well as their presence appealing to the customers. She said that at Dubai Jaitex, women far outnumbered men in the sales department, and were highly successful. She recommended that company directors carefully monitor their sales teams to see whether men or women are more successful in sales. Marketing specialists' views Manal Al Alami, public relations director of Al Nashir and the organizer of Expo, says that women have a special approach to dealing with customers. Women, she believes, are more detail-oriented and are more innovative when it comes to designing or displaying products. Manal does not agree with the idea that it is women's bodies which attract customers to purchase the products, but insist that it is their attitude with customers and their presentation of the product. Fateh Omar, the public relations director of Jawwal, says that 37% of the company's staff are women and work either in sales or as programmers. Women have a more limited presence in the technical departments because the work there demands mobility and physical strength as workers have to climb aerials and perform other outdoors tasks. Omar asserts that female workers are selected for their efficiency, neatness sales skills and manner with customers and not for their physical appearance. He says that customers are not motivated by the attractiveness of the sales person but by her effective communication skills and presentation of the product. Safa' Abdel Rahman, executive director of PETA, is happy with the level of participation of women at the Expo and sees this as an indication that the event was carefully organized. She does not deny that companies sent a large number of female representatives to the Expo for promotional purpose, but she sees this as positive and as a testimony to women's sales abilities and skills. Safa' says that the low presence of women in technical departments does not mean that there is a lack of graduates in the field, but social and family demands and pressures on women often hinder them from moving forward in their fields of specialization. Safa' believes that working women – beautiful or not – are hired for positions because they can do their jobs. It is up to the woman whether she gives attention to her looks look or not and this should not affect the way she is judged as a worker. The Expo indicated that in Palestine 50% of the IT graduates are females, however only 2.2% of those working in the field are women. She lost 7 family members, her hand and part of her spleen but did not lose hope Raed Hammad Amani, 22, is from Beit Lahia in Gaza. On June 9th, 2006 while she was at the beach with her family, Israel bombed the beach. In a matter of minutes, Amani discovered that she had lost her father, step mother, four sisters and a brother. She, two sisters and a brother survived. One brother and two sisters survived with her. Amani, who is
the mother of two small children, had to undergo several operations. But when she finally went home, it was without her left hand. "Amani" means hopes. When asked what she wishes for now, Amani says that she hopes that one day she will be able to have an artificial hand that will help her in her struggle to go on with her day to day life as a mother and a housewife. Amani said that the moral support she and her surviving brother and sisters received was wonderful and helpful, but in terms of practical support they have been disappointed because they have found no one willing to sponsor her medical treatment. Amani has the opportunity to have a hand transplant in Germany, but she and her family can't afford the $52,000 surgery. Her sisters were placed in a boarding school while her little brother was transferred to a hospital in Germany for further medical attention. Amani's father in-law feels bad for not being able to provide for Amani's medical treatment. He has been unemployed for the past five years after losing his construction job in Israel when Israel expelled Palestinian workers and replaced them with workers from other parts of the world. He has been unable to find a job locally; the market is crowded with unemployed people like him and things are getting worse because of the siege on the public sector employees, the Israeli military incursions and bombardment that are held almost daily. Scenes from Gaza Kawthar Owaidah As a journalist and broadcaster, I constantly observe and interact with the hope of reaching clarity on the prospect of a national unity government. I woke up every morning with this hope for some time. But one morning, there was a greater urgency to get out onto the street to get the real picture. I headed downtown with a small recorder. There was a march, a big rally with people of all ages and all walks of live holding banners with photos of the late president Yaser Arafat. It was the second anniversary of his death, but at the rally he was portrayed as a living legend and leader. The participants demanded clear answers on the mysterious death of their legend and urged the current leadership to continue investigating his death. The crowds vowed to follow Arafat's teachings and doctrine on national unity, something that was sacred to him and must not be compromised under any circumstances. For him, national unity was the key to protecting the Palestinian cause and carrying the struggle forward to establish an independent Palestinian state. I turned hopefully down a small street, where I found people gathered to pay their tribute to the citizens of Beit Hanoun after the city was brutally attacked by the Israeli occupying army. I took the bus to Beit Hanoun to see the situation on the ground there. Clouds of dust and smoke filled the sky. Women dressed in black moved from one house to the other to support the bereaved families. Piles of rubble were all that were left of buildings and streets that were in use just days before .The electricity posts,
water tanks, trees and even mosques had been destroyed. Green fields had been turned into dusty lots. Children poked through the rubble, hoping to rescue a toy or a sweater buried underneath. Their parents watched blankly as they answered the questions of reporters or wandered around the ruins of their homes. On my way home, the bus driver turned on the radio. President Mahmoud Abbas was giving a speech to commemorate Arafat's life and achievements. He ended his speech with this challenge: "We ask the whole world to answer whether universal justice and international law gives Israel the right to mass murder our people."
193 Palestinian children behind bars Aziza Noful At 1:30 a.m. on the 9th of March, a family was woken up by loud voices and banging on their door. They did not know what was happening, but they never imagined Israeli soldiers would be at the door: their children were still too young to be accused of threatening the security of Israel. But to their dismay, Israeli soldiers pushed their way into the house and demanded that the family hand over fifteen-year-old Muhammad. Within minutes, Muhammad was taken to one of the military jeeps, blindfolded and handcuffed. The military convoy departed dramatically, as though it had been involved in a fierce and courageous battle against a huge and well equipped army. This is not the first time a Palestinian teenager or child has been abducted from his home and charged with threatening the security of Israel. The Palestinian Ministry for the Welfare of Prisoners states that 3000 children under the age of 18 have been jailed by Israel since 2000 and 391 children are currently in prisons -- and this does not include the 400 prisoners that have turned 18 while in prison and are no longer counted as children. Israeli law regarding children is similar to international law: anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a child and has rights guaranteed them by the international treaty on children's rights as well as human rights agreements. But these laws and principles are suspended in the case of Palestinian children. Israeli military orders state that childhood for a Palestinian ends at the age of sixteen. Whether one is treated as an adult at the age of sixteen or eighteen is one issue. But this becomes irrelevant in the face of the actual brutality Palestinians of all ages face from the minute they are detained. Prisoners are taken from their homes during raids late at night; they are beaten and threatened while being transported to military compounds. They are questioned without the presence of a lawyer or a parent under horrifying conditions and subjected to cruel procedures, such as sleep deprivation, before they are interrogated. Sentences One child was sentenced to life imprisonment while three others were served fifteen year sentences. Four children have been sentenced with between 5 and 9 years in
prison, and several were served one to three year sentenced, having been charged with membership in a political organization. The bulk of the sentences range from 6 to18 months, with a fine of 1000 to 6000 shekels, for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. In violation of all international laws and treaties, twenty Palestinian children have been incarcerated without charge or trial. Thirty of the children currently in prison are reported to be living in poor health. Prisoners report that pain killers are the only medicine available regardless of the illness or medical condition. Detention camps Defense for Children International published the following report by 17-year-old Thaer on his arrest: "The four soldiers pushed me into a military jeep and started to hit my belly and head with their helmets. I was taken to a Jewish settlement, called Bitar, for about ten minutes then to Etzion military camp for eight days. A physician was asked to examine us. I had headache and he gave me some pills, but I refused to swallow them as I didn't trust him. As I was taken with other prisoners in a vehicle to another place, one soldier kept swearing at us and abusing us verbally. We arrived at Ofra camp handcuffed and blindfolded and the investigation started there. I was asked if I was a member of any organization. I said I was not, but he insisted that I was a member of Fateh movement. He informed me that I had been found guilty of throwing stones and gasoline bottles and blocking roads with burning car wheels. Fortunately, I was later released. We slept two on a mattress in the camp; our meals were basically eggs or beans and tomatoes, and the tent was flooded with water most of the time.
Don't be hard on the women Bisan Abu Riqti Each time I receive an invitation from a women's organization, I get frustrated and irritated. And I get these invitations quite often. A working mother's regular day starts at dawn. You get the children ready for school and pre-school, then you spend eight hours at the office, followed by your next job as housekeeper, teacher, and childcare worker. The day usually ends with tpreparations for the next day. On top of all this, a working mother is expected to run from this meeting to that conference and to participate fully in the activities of the women's organizations. How can anyone expect her to balance all these commitments perfectly when she never even has a minute for herself? Most activities organized by women's organizations are scheduled in the afternoons, which suits men and the women in executive positions or those who are older and in a more stable stage of family life; their children have probably finished school and they need not to focus on running their households anymore. The claim that ambitious young women need to make some sacrifices is nonsense, especially in a context such as ours here in Palestine. How can you ask a woman to spend less time taking care of her children in a society where real threats to their
safety exists, and where modern technology is rapidly invading our homes and our children's bedrooms? We will drive these women over the edge by asking them to perform beyond the realistic limitations of time and space. Women's organizations which are so keen on achieving a gender balance and protecting women's rights should take some time to consider the interests of the whole society and the welfare of families, instead of putting more pressure on the women. Pressure should be directed towards the government and responsible bodies, and to some degree on men in order to encourage them to participate more in their home lives and take on some of the burdens carried by women, before adding more responsibilities and tasks to women and demanding more of them. Criticizing young working women is only resulting in them turning their backs on the ideas about freedom for women, because many of them believe that traditional housewives have more fulfilling lives than they do. The point I am trying to make here is that if women's organizations are sincere in their quest for greater participation by women in their activities, they need to adjust their activities to fit the schedules of the majority of working women. Otherwise, the women leading these organizations will just keep talking amongst themselves and will never actually move forward to bring the change which they claim as their goal.
Interview with Hiba Akila, Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza Abdullah Omar When she took the position as Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, Hiba Akila did not need to introduce herself to the Palestinian audience; she was already known and accepted as a successful women journalist. AO: Let's talk about your first steps in media. HA: I was in my third year at university when I got my first job at Palestine TV. I broadcasted news and hosted some programs. I was there for nine years, then I left and started working for Al Jazeera. I've been with Al Jazeera for four years now. AO: What do you think of Al Jazeera's coverage of the Palestinian situation? HA: I see it as well balanced and objective coverage; the Palestinian issue is given good space by the station. This can be clearly seen by the fact that number of Arab and Palestinian viewers is growing daily. AO: How is your relationship to the camera? HA: I like it. I regard the camera as a good friend and a critic of my work: it highlights what I missed and what I should do next. AO: Can you tell us something about your personal life? HA: I am married and have three kids. The eldest is ten and the youngest is just one year old.
AO: How would you define success for a women journalist? HA: I believe she has to have talent, a strong personality and be educated and knowledgable. She should be a good observer of what is going on around her and be able to act and move quickly, as well as have the ability to convince and inform. AO: Is beauty, or physical attractiveness, a requirement for a broadcaster in the field? HA: One must have an acceptable appearance, but in reality after one has been in the field for awhile, the importance of ones appearance diminishes and what one has to say becomes far more important. AO: What sort of TV programs do you like? HA: I watch different sort of programs as long as they don't insult my intelligence or my views. AO: Are you satisfied with what you do? HA: To a certain degree. But I still have a lot in mind that I would like to accomplish. AO: How do compare the news on Palestine TV to the news broadcasted on Al Jazeera? HA: Al Jazeera is an international TV station with huge human and financial resources which is trying to cover the news all around the world. Palestine TV, on the other hand, with its limited resources and the pressures it has to face, is focusing on the local situation and different aspects of Palestinian life. AO: Have your life ever come under threat because of your work? HA: My job requires the ability to react swiftly and spontaneously; I have to be at the heart of the action regardless of the risks. During the latest Israeli invasion of Beit Hanoun, I had to be there with the crew. We found ourselves within the snipers' area of action; a young man was shot just ten meters away from me. AO: Have you ever cried in front of the camera? HA: I have been moved by many stories. I've cried while on duty, but not in front of the camera. I try hard not to show it. AO: What do you dream of? HA:I I carry high hopes for peace and security for Palestine, and hopes for a better future for the Palestinian people. On the personal level, my dreams are for my children and my family as well as my career. AO: Do you think that women who work in the media have achieved what was expected of them? HA: The status of women in the media has improved a lot, although it still does not reflect the enormous efforts they have put forth and the accomplishments they have made. AO: What sort of language do you favor for reporting? HA: Correct language is a must, but it does not have to be very sophisticated. Simple and clear language reaches the audience better.
AO: What does Al Jazeera means to you? HA: As a viewer, it's my favorite channel. Working there, I am impressed by the excellence and experience of all the staff at the station. It's often hard for me to detach myself from Al Jazeera. AO: Do you face any difficulties trying to deal with the two major references and powers in Palestine; I mean the president's office and the government, with all their differences on the major political issues? HA: No, not really. Both parties are aware of the nature of our job and they are usually cooperative. The problems sometimes arise while dealing with the man in the street and that's where the complications surface. I do sincerely hope for the inner conflicts to disappear soon. AO: Finally, how would you describe your relationship with your three kids? HA: I would say it’s a strong and stable relationship. I try to juggle between being a mother and being a friend sometimes. I laugh and play with them and try as much as I can to spend every minute available with them. Workshops in development and financial analysis Majeda Ahmad The Institute for Development Studies in Gaza is launching a pioneering project for youth to enhance their knowledge of social and political development issues and to build their skills for critical thinking an analysis. The project will begin with workshops for fifty men and women who are recent graduates in the social sciences. The one-year project is aimed to improve participants' skills for research, observation and analysis. The skills and knowledge will be applicable to social, political, economic and cultural issues. Itimad Mhanna, director of the institute, has spearheaded the project. She says that it was designed to respond to specific needs and gaps in society. She believes that current research on development in Palestine is inadequate. The program will be run in four stages over the course of a year. The first three-month workshop will focus on tools to improve creative thinking and depth of comprehension of material. The program includes case studies and review of past policies on development, poverty, human rights, power, civil society, democracy and the social movements in developing countries. The second phase will focus on how to apply the acquired knowledge. Participants will write papers to articulate their own vision and opinions subject under the supervision of academics and experts in the field. During the third phase, the group will produce a magazine for youth on the issues of civil society by large, particularly those relevant to youth. The fourth and final phase of the project will focus on enhancing the individual skills of the participants according to their goals and abilities. The three who produce the
best research will be given awards, and the outcomes of the workshops will be published and distributed to relevant organizations in Gaza.
A British anthology of Palestinian women authors Ali Abu Khattab
Stories, recently published by Telegram, a British publishing house, is a collection of Palestinian stories written by female Palestinian writers. The sixteen writers represent multiple generations. The stories were translated into English by Joe Clanvel, a British director and journalist known for her in-depth documentaries on the Middle East. "I wanted the collection to present Palestinian writers from all generations, from those living in Palestine and from the exiles," she said. "The authors of the stories live in Texas, Ramallah and all the stops in-between. Some are old enough to write from their memories of the British Mandate period in Palestine; others lived through the first uprising and some grew up in the shadows of the Israeli 1967 occupation. Those who had to travel and did not settle in a specific place had something to say about their journeys. Two of the authors in the anthology are deceased. Samera Azzam died in 1967 and was a pioneer of her generation while Nuha Samarah witnessed the civil war in Lebanon and was remarkable in the way she expressed the reflection of war on the writers' society at that time. The common element among the writers is that they are all Palestinians, but this does not put them all in one basket. The writers I met and had a chance to talk to, said that being Palestinian does not have to mean that their writings are to be labeled and loaded with political and social issues: they are, in the end, human beings with all the aspects of meaning found in the world." The anthology is a reflection of the writers' cultures, awareness and the facts they had to face in life, varying from very simple concerns such as how one might choose a pair of shoes to discussing the situation on the border between countries. This diversity adds to the interest of the anthology.
A bouquet of narcissus Itaf Yusef "Stop and drop me here," I said to my son as we neared the olive grove in the village of Um Siraj. He turned into the narrow, muddy road we were forced to take to avoid being caught on the main road leading to the nearby Israeli settlement. The road behind us was full of cars with people like us on their way to harvest their olives. As I stepped out of the car people shouted at us for blocking their way. It was the first time in several years that Palestinian farmers were allowed to take their cars to the olive harvest, but they were ordered not to step out of the cars on their way, they were to drive straight to their olive groves. This was considered a privilege compared to the previous years when farmers had to carry their harvest home on foot.
So everyone wanted to make the most of this privilege and did not want anyone to provoke the military jeep that was in the area supervising the operation. A saw a bunch of narcissus growing on the hill. They were so beautiful. I climbed up the hill to them. Their white flowers were stunning, their smell was irresistible. Should I pick some now or on our way back at the end of the day? What if the soldiers prevented me from getting out of the car in the evening? They had allowed me to now but there was no telling how they would act later in the day. I had better not take the chance. I stretched across a huge rock and found myself face to face with a bush full of little red berries. They were ripe and looked great. I stood there and ate and ate until I was full. As I was about to leave I remembered my son. I had to take him some berries as well. So I picked more fruits for him and his friends and the others that had come along with us to help us pick our olives. I was able to spare only this one weekend for the olive harvest this year as it was too far to go and return the same day. We had to spend the night at someone's house in the village and start harvesting at 7 o’clock in the morning. We arrived on Saturday evening, and in the morning I was the first to stand at the gate waiting for permission to go through. I was just 300 meters away from the gate of the Israeli settlement. An Israeli officer drove up to me. I stepped out of my car, not knowing what he wanted. He asked about the rest of group and I told him they would be coming in a few minutes. He drove away. In half an hour he returned. He asked all the men to step forward. The soldiers searched them thoroughly, collected and counted their I.D.s, and did a headcount. The officer went to his car and we followed behind him in ours. When we reached the gate, the soldier in charge didn’t want to open it. The officer and the soldier argued heatedly. The soldier at the gate accused the officer of bringing us late to the gate. It was 7:45 a.m. -- time for the school children from the Israeli settlement to walk to their schools. Nothing should annoy them on their way – including our passage or our presence, which he considered a threat to the children. It was 8:20 a.m. when the gate finally opened and we passed through to the olive groves. We worked until it was time to eat. This was dad’s specialty: he built a fire to make us tea with meramiyah. But mom had forgotten the bread. We couldn't go back through the gate again, we were stuck there until 4:00 p.m. when we would be allowed to exit through the gate. The labors who came to help us gave us some of their bread. It was enough to stop the hunger, but it did not fill any of us up. In a way this was a good thing: without a heavy meal on our stomachs, we worked harder in the harvest. On the way back, mom asked me to pick some berries for my sister. She had given birth to a baby boy a few days before and was not with us. As I picked the berries, my mind drifted off until mom’s voice brought me back, calling all of us to get ready to go. It was almost four; time to start moving. The counting took place again at the gate; the number of heads was satisfactory, and we were let go. On the other side of the gate, most passengers decided to leave their rides and walk. The olives that had been harvested were sent home in a van
The narcissus held it breath all the way home and seemed happy in the vase on my table. It remained there for quite some time, reminding me of the sweet and special moments of that painful and agonizing trip.
Gazanight.net Sumayyah Al Sousi This city looks like nothing but itself. Here, after the long, dull day, you wash your face with salty water that does not look like water at all, and think about how you can trick the night of the city in order to defeat it. You were thinking of going to the beach, but planes pass overhead in the grey skies; they may send you a quiet rocket or a rain of bullets. You'd better change your plans. It has to be another TV night. You surf the channels…there is dancing, singing, a horror movie less horrifying than your own life… you could make a fortune if sold shots from your daily life to the movie industry. You turn off the box and wish for the good old boring days, with their silent nights and the four TV channels that end transmission at ten or eleven, when everyone turns off the lights and heads to bed at the same time, to sleep in peace. It will to be the internet, then; that's the answer. A world for you and many other bored guys like you. You make a fresh start to the kill time and emptiness. You escape your usual self and fly beyond the boundaries of your room. In a moment of truth you consider putting an end to this nonsense; shutting down the messenger and delete this fantasy world from your life. You suddenly discover how lonely you are. You feel far, far away. There is so much you need in order to survive. You need to defeat the city's night. The city's night, which is like nothing but itself. Which is why you need to look for new tools to defeat it. Reading. Yes reading might be it. But you are bored with philosophers and writers who write about things that have no relevance to what is happening in this city. Is writing a form of insanity … writers trying to conjure up magic words to fix it all? You decide to go to sleep. Sleep is your worst enemy. But you have to face it, after all. So that tomorrow you can wake up to go to work again. Wake up with a headache and the urge to run away.
