 |
|
|
Testing the Waters— Palestine & Israel, 2006 |
|
|
Journal, May 20-22, 2006 (edited May 28)—GazaDispatches from Gaza - 4By Skip Schiel Ibrahim Shafali called in last night to ask how I was, then when I asked him the reciprocal question he informed me that he'd been conversing with his family about the shootings. —Shootings? I exclaimed, what shootings? —At the Palestinian Authority legislative council building, this morning at 5, between Hamas and Fatah. —Injuries? —Some. —Death? At this painful question, me thinking about the hospital Emergency Room where we'd cruised thru the day before, the chaos and alarm that might pervade this space now, Ibrahim was silent. I am nearly completely cut off from news. The TV doesn't work, I can't read the newspapers because they're in Arabic, I'm not part of a daily community, I can't walk freely, internet access is severely limited. I am virtually alone thru some of the day. Luckily during the day I am usually with friends. —Gaza, May 20, 2006 One part of the plan did not happen of our photography workshop[at the AFSC youth program]—going outside to photograph in the field. Initially, talking the trip idea over with Ibrahim and Amal [2 staff members], I thought we decided to choose a location related to the siege. But Ibrahim didn't remember this. So in the minutes before students arrived, Ibrahim and Hadeel [the workshop translator] and I decided to simply go to the beach. We can walk there, it is beautiful and a perfect day for the beach, and people probably won't mind being photographed. However, life intervened. During the workshop a few faces registered alarm. Ibrahim pulled me aside, spoke in a low voice, and I thought he said, "We have a problem: someone planted a bomb in your building. My reaction was more puzzlement than alarm. A bomb, in my building, why? And how will I get my stuff out. Will I lose my computer? Slowly the real story emerged, or a portion of it: someone, probably Hamas, had attempted to assassinate a key Fatah security official. So going outside was not advisable. Without knowing the whole story but noticing that people were clearly troubled, we remained either inside or close to the building and photographed what we could. I suggested 2 activities—in pairs, photograph each other, and then find something, not a person, that interests you and photograph it in at least 3 different ways, making use of the steps and principles I advised earlier. The two Ibrahims [on the AFSC staff] took me out for lunch at the local fast food eatery, Big Bite. I had a traditional Palestine wrap of chicken and sauce, resembling a shuwarma. Then, after a discussion of safety and wisdom, a walk thru part of town to the old hotel, the old and apparently famous Marna House, with an outdoor café. Eventually a few others joined us. One excitedly told about being near a shoot out between rival factions, near the El-Dera hotel where we'd considered having lunch. In retaliation for a drive-by shooting, a few men opened fire seemingly at random. The man telling the story narrowly missed being hit, someone next to him was shot in the shoulder. The storyteller exclaimed, "God saved me today." Driving home with Ibrahim K we went past the site of the shooting. It was littered with burning tires, young men sat idly in doorways. I suppose anger seethed. —Gaza, May 21, 2006 A rough night. Besides producing no dreams that I can recall, it was noisy. I was restless, felt like I barely slept. First the music from the apartment upstairs, then the talking in the street, later in the early morning the muezzin just outside my window who went on and on. The roosters, the birds, and thus quiet was fleeting, sleep troubled. I wonder, since the advent of electronic amplification of sound, has the tradition of amplifying not only the call to prayer but the prayer itself with the sermon grown? And why, to what effect, for what purpose? I find it puzzling and annoying. But I had virtually no worries that I'm aware of. Unlike at home where my worries flood my early morning sleep. Perhaps similar to Husam [publicity director at the Gaza Community Mental Health Program] who told me last evening that he had slept poorly the night before because of worries. I didn't ask him to detail those worries, but I can imagine. I can imagine because he and Marwan have asked me to help them craft a GCMHP statement about the humanitarian crisis brewing in Gaza. The crisis is a result of several factors: the siege from Israel, meaning the closures, artillery fire, and targeted assassinations; the international economic boycott as a result of the Hamas election victory; and the factional violence that has sprung up, growing serious enough to regularly produce deaths and severe injuries. One impact zone of this escalating suffering is health care, a primary concern of the GCMHP. Earlier they'd brought me to the Shifa hospital in central Gaza for a look. I'm trying now to put those photos on my site but have encountered problems gaining Internet access. I consider this request a privilege—a privilege to see more of the inner workings of the GCMHP, work more intimately with Gazans, bring a scant secondary talent of mine to bare on a problem, and gather information that I can disseminate thru my own means. Husam and Marwan came to my apartment last night with a review of the draft I'd stitched together from press releases at the office. I then struggled to edit something coherent for the international community, ending with a set of demands from the organization. This morning, in just a few minutes, Marwan will drop by to pick up the writing, edit it, and hopefully find it suitable for broadcasting from their website and to their email list. —Gaza, May 22, 2006 LINKS Draft of a possible GCMHP press release, by Skip Schiel Gaza Community Mental Health Program "Assassination Attempt Ignites Gaza" "Hamas pulls militia from Gaza streets," May 26, 2006 Raising Yousuf: a diary of a mother under occupation "Not such a light unto the nations," Rabbi Michael Lerner, May 2006 |
