10: Arafat comes home
By Skip Schiel

Photos: at the presidential compound, the Muqataa, one day after Arafat’s death is announced, November 11, 2004 , and at the central mosque, November 5, 2004 , Ramallah, Palestine

President Yasser Arafat is dead, after days of confusion. More confusion ahead, I’m sure.

We’ve heard repeatedly that Arafat is dead, Arafat is alive (is he capable of resurrection?), Arafat’s wife won't let anyone see him, where's he put all the money?, and the imam is coming from Ramallah to decide about discontinuing life support. A few nights ago in Jerusalem with the Ecumenical Accompaniers, at a festive dinner, we were first told by the coordinator we'd have to book hotels in the city because we would not be able to return to our sites, then, nope, ok to travel. So with a friend I made my way the short-long distance to Ramallah, where I am happily now trying to sort out next steps, while sorting thru thousands of photos to select from and circulate.

Common wisdom says that after his death either the country will break apart in feuding, or the old guard will smoothly sail into power, or we finally have a decent opening for peace, or the hardliners might get in. Wish I could say something definitive, but you know reality, that old tricky reality. Think you know, then whammo, you don't.

There are moments--like now, learning of Arafat’s death--that I feel extremely isolated and lonely. Luckily, I am housed in a small apartment in the Friends school in Ramallah, very companionable and relatively safe.

Being a school, I usually hear children's joyful and excited voices mixed in with the neighborhood's church bells and Islamic calls to prayer. But this morning, many more bells, a longer call to prayer, and silence in the school yard. Eerie. I can guess. No school today because of the mourning period, and for several more days, then add on the end of Ramadan, ‘Id al-Fitr (curious juxtaposition) and life slows down for one whole week.

I checked the web, learned the news, and to strolled around Ramallah to gather the feeling, if this is discernible. One stop, the central square, Al-Manara where a rally was forming, next, the presidential compound, loaded with media waiting as preparations are made for Pres. Arafat’s burial on the grounds.

At the moment of writing this, the muezzin is chanting very melodically, and the church bells are clanging, two notes, alternating, mournful.

Arafat poisoned? In Al-Jazeera, November 11, 2004 —

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/conspiracy_theory/fullstory.asp?id=169

Arafat’s life in pictures—

http://www.news24.com/News24/Gallery/Home/0,,galleries-1-101,00.html

Uri Avnery on Arafat, Democracy Now, October 29, 2004 —

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/29/1414236