Houses and Keys

Everyday, houses and keys are being changed. This change creates a problem. The new keys will not be able to open the doors of the old houses, for they pass away. However, the old keys will not be able to open the doors of the new houses. Therefore, if we could not open the houses, we are unable to figure out what is inside these houses. Every moment, some houses fall down. But some are built too. Moreover, the inhabitants are moving from time to time. It shows that some people can live somewhere for a while. Then, they move to another place and new house. So the old houses will be replaced by the new ones for new inhabitants in the ex-place. We will walk through two different houses and try to find their keys. We are going to shed on the creation of the social division in Palestinian society in light of migration disease in Turmusayya village and the Rawabi project in Ramallah city.

The creation of social division is segregating the society into parts or different classes. It refers to ancient ages. Sometimes, we have to take a trip to the past. In 20th century, British society was divided into three various classes. First, the upper class, which is often the people with inherited money. Second, the middle class, which is the majority of the British population. Third, the lower or working class, which is people who are agricultural, mine and factory workers. This affected the society negatively. For it makes conflicts among those unlike classes. For example, the lower class will fought the upper class for having a lot of money and control, in particular as there was no justice. Likewise, when the human body is infected by a disease, it weakens all the parts of the body. So the body will collapse, and the society will break down too.

From past going back to the presence, many diseases affect the human's body. For instance, migration disease in Turmusayya village, in Palestine. Palestine as a territory is occupied by Israelis. They control totally over Palestinian lands and lives also. They are making Palestinians live in a virtual prison; many Palestinians leave their lands looking for better life and making money.

They left to America. Some of the Turmusayyan people who left their lands returned in three years. They made a lot of money and businesses. Once they got their lands back, they started investing their money in building new houses and stores. The style of building that they are designing is Villas style. It is different from the old or simple styles of building in Turmusayya village normally that was built.

This modern style of building houses and investing money created the notion of social classes in Turmusayya village between nobility, which is living in villas, and the lower class, which is people who have simple houses and lack of money. Thus, Turmusayya is a beautiful house, but the migration disease changed their lives by creating different social classes.

From diseases, or biological life into economic life, Qatar Diar and Massri companies are building a new city in Ramallah. It calls Rawabi city and project also. Rawabi is an Arabic word that means hills. It is a cooperative project between Qatar government and Palestinian's. Qatar Diar and Massri are the charges for this project. Rawabi city is located nine kilometers north Ramallah, 3.5 km beyond Birzet University and about twenty five kilometers from Nablus city. It will include 25,000 residents houses. Furthermore, it will be populated by 40.000 Palestinian inhabitants.

Rawabi is being built in area 'A' according to the Israeli division of Palestinian territories, which means it is under Palestinian jurisdiction. Even though it is in area 'A,' it is still facing struggles.
“The Palestinians control the land on which Rawabi will be built, but not the area through which its access road will have to go. Israel has yet to grant permission for the road, which will be essential for the project to succeed. At the moment, the only way to access the site is via a narrow and bumpy road.”-BBC News.
Hence, the success of this project need an Israeli permission to access the road. Moreover, it is near to Jewish community land or settlement; it might have clashes between them, the Palestinians who live in Rawabi and the Jewish who are living near to.

This project contributes in the creation of the social division in Palestinian society. It is a revolutionary idea that seeks to draw middle class professionally, especially those who want to free from their town or village for a better life. For it offers very modern style of constructing houses for the first time differ from the rest villages that are around Ramallah city.

Another point is that Rawabi will offer jobs to people who are unemployed. Nevertheless, it is still problematic, as it will offer opportunities to a number of several Palestinians who are unemployed. Therefore, the people who will be employed, they will improve their lives. Yet the people who will stay unemployed, they will stay living simply. Consequently, it forms numerous different classes in Palestinian society.

The creation of social division is still hard matter, since it can be achieved as an outcome from some projects that do not actually intend to make this effect. Turmusayyan people do not want to create any division between themselves and other Palestinians. Still, the style of constructing their houses produce this creation un-intentionally. Similarly, Rawabi project aims to help Palestinians; the approach of fulfilling this project supported the establishment of social division with no any real planning for that effect. Accordingly, the creation of social division is still difficult matter how to tackle.

References:
1- Barrow, Mandy. “British Life and Culture.” Kent. 2010. 20 May. 2010 > http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/class.htm<
2- “Qatari Diar and Massar International Partner to Build the New Palestinian Planned City of Rawabi.” Rawabi. 20 May. 2010 > http://www.rawabi.ps/press_show.php?id=6&page=no<
3- Amman, Wa’d. “Al-Rawabi Project; Palestine.” Instablogs. 2010. 18 May. 2010 > http://waz84.instablogs.com/entry/al-rawabi-project-palestine<

Immortality

“Oh the original house, the key!
And your doors cry on who went away
Still did not taste nor color
Oh house of my grandfather!
Tell me how
The joys died?” Old man.

Every minute, a new infant comes to this universe. Every moment, someone passes away. The first one will gain birth certifiacte, but the latter will lose it and get death certificate. Man is accustomed to thinking that everything is mortal. However, it is the biggest myth in the world. Man believes that all humankind, trees, plants, planets, mountains and seas will die one day, which means that nothing will stay on earth. Practically, that is right, yet theoretically it is not.

Death means the end of existence for all kinds of species. Some people say that God employed the death as a fate to the whole mankind. It shows that death is a creature seeks man. If the death is a creature, there will be fight between it and human. As they are opponents. As a result, there will be loser and winner.

Man is able to beat death regardless of the difference between powers that everyone has. “If a person dies, all his close down except three of the ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge or a righteous son who will pray for him.” Abu Huraira said. Honestly, we are living in a confusion. Is there death or not? Who dies and who does not? Do people migrate from place to another escaping from death? Therefore, we are going to examine immortality in light of the construction of the identity and migration disease in Turmusayya village, in Palestine.

Turmusayya is a Palestinian village. It is located in Ramallah city near to Birzeit town. It was full of old houses that clarify Palestinian family and heritage. Recently, these houses have disappeared and become underground. They were built by simple materials, which were offered at that time, such as mud, hay and wood. Those old houses were inherited by our ancestors to keep them from extinction. But we converted them. Now, Turmusayya is full of villa houses.

Turmusayya is a garden of green farms and hills. My grandfather used to plow, plant and reap harvests from his farm, in particular olive harvest. He had an ancient and beautiful house. Before he died, he recommended me to keep this legacy for myself and my sons. He told me, “Oh my grandson! This farm and this house are the soul and the body that cannot be separated from each other.”

He raised very big statement, which represents a lot. The legacy that we obtain of our ancestors defines our history and nationality. In a sense, it depicts a connection between both concepts to create an identity. Furthermore, the awareness of those three concepts will demonstrate having an identity. Consequently, if you do not have a legacy and history that illustrate who are you, you are unable to prove that you have identity. In contrast, if you have a bequest; you will pass it within generations and nothing will erase it. Similarly, the Sidra tree portrays the same image. It stretches fixes its roots underground strongly. That is why when you try cutting it, it re-grows.

To illuminate it more, it is like math formulas. For instance, if you want to discover trapezoidal, you have to find four things: first, you have to calculate square tendon, which implies adding square rib twice. Second, finding rectangle’s area, which can be found by multiplying length and width. Third, figuring square tendon out, which can be done by adding square length and square width. Then determining area of triangle, that can be defined by multiplying among half, length and height. Thus, to get the area of trapezoidal, you have to multiply half, the total of two bases and height.

Likewise, to get an identity and awareness of it, you have to possess several things. Firstly, having identity, which can be achieved by possessing the awareness of nationality and being national. Next, you have to be aware of self and national self. Both formulas equal national identity. Hence, familiarity with self and national self fulfills possession of national identity if there is realization of national identity.

Theories stay theories until we straighten them out in practice. From abstract formulas into concrete images, so without speculating the formulas practically; it does not make sense. Thus, we have to see the self, nationality, national self and the awareness that will generate the identity.

Traditions and habits are different from village to another. Turmusayya, for instance, has a diversity of customs; such as sharing water, farming, conventional marriage and embroidery. During my passing through Turmusayya's blocks, an old-fashion dress store got my attention. At that moments, this store brought a lot of memories into my mind. I remembered villager women who were wearing these dresses. Those dresses, well-known as 'Thobes', narrate a long history about Palestinian, for this kind textile production is worn by Palestinians, in particular 'Fellaheen' or villager women for hundred years. It reflects Palestinian women everywhere, and it plays a significant role in the lives of the region's women. Since it was as an economic resource for improving their lives.

The villager women struggle with tow obstacles these days. They struggle with keeping this kind of costumes in Palestinian minds. Moreover, they strive with protecting this heritage to survive in this modern life. I wonder how many Palestinian people are still sticking to their legacy that Israelis try to clean from their minds? Another thing stole my attention in that store is keffiyeh. It is considered a symbol of Palestinian nation and identity. Anyone wears it, it defines to others that he is Palestinian.

Keffiyeh tells a lot about Palestinian history. Yasser Arafat, the ex-president of Palestine and the leader of Palestinian Liberation Organization, PLO, was always wearing it before he died, and in times of the conflicts that were happing between Palestinians and Israelis. Hence, it is a sort of a spark that contributed in Palestinian-Israeli clash. These customs, keffiyeh and the traditional dresses are an expression of solidarity and pride in Palestinian heritage. The realization of those rituals defines the self and the nationality that produce roots for you. After you have roots, your sticking to them symbolizes the national self. Accordingly, the production and the affiliation to those elements stand for the awareness of nationality that will allow you to make and verify your identity.

Israel follows crafty mechanisms to rub Palestinian identity or anything refers to it. One of these mechanisms is changing the Palestinian culture. Israel modifies many symbols that depict Palestinian legacy. One of these symbols is kuffiyeh. Israelis turns its original colors claiming that keffiyeh is one of the Israeli heritage, not Palestinian. The black lines and the white textile are the original keffiyeh that belongs to Palestinian people. Also, there are red lines with a white textile one. It represents a respectable image to the old men. As well as, the one that has a mix of colored lines is for tourists. In contrast, Israelis dye or color the whole textile by different colors to differentiate it from the Palestinian's one, and to justify that is a symbol of an Israeli culture, not Palestinian's. As a consequence, some of these customs disappeared after the establishment of Israel in 1948, and some are still dying and vanishing among new forms of clothing that is made by an Israeli hand.

The construction of an identity is really problematic issue, as the identity has several types. There are two main kinds of the identity. First, the identity card that tells a personal information about somebody. It notifies a name, place of birth and year of a person. Second, the cultural and national identity that identifies a root, nationality and heritage of someone. So you have to be aware of which kind of an identity you are constructing or proving.

Both types are controversial and knotty in Palestine territories, especially in Turmusayya village. They are controversial; Palestinian people have various identities according to the modern Israeli division of Palestinian lands. Turmusayya is divided into two kinds of areas according the new Israeli maps for Palestinian territories. This division consists of three area. the first area is ‘A,’ which is under Palestinian jurisdiction. The second are is ‘B,’ which is under both Israeli and Palestinian control. The third one is are ‘C,’ which is totally under Israeli jurisdiction. Turmusayya is involved in both kinds of this division, which means some of it is considered as an area ‘B,’ and the other is an area ‘C.’ Subsequently, the people who live in area 'B' part have a facilitation to build houses and to posses civil services in this part of the land. One the contrary, the people who live in 'C,' part have an assortment of lawful obstacles to build houses and to get civil services in that part of the land. For it is completely under Israeli control or law. Conversely, they are complicated; since both are being changed and eliminated by Israelis. It changes them by adjusting the curriculums that are taught in Palestinian schools and falsifying laws for its benefit. Likewise, it makes these things to make Palestinians live in an alienation world.

From the alienation world into the migration disease, I used to hear about many diseases that travel all over the world and numerous medications to tackle them. Bar, recently, a new disease has come into this universe, which is the migration disorder. It is a new and strange disease. Bar, what won my attention that epidemic is a contagious one in one country and one nation in the world. It is a Palestine country. I decided to look into this disorder and check it under a microscope in my laboratory.

I started looking for what causes this disorder and its syndrome. I found two main causes that create that the infectious disease. Firstly, some people were infected by this forcefully. As Israeli forced a lot of Palestinians to leave their lands when it killed a lot of Palestinians in 1967. Second, Israel exercises a sly regime of controlling Palestine territory, which affects Palestinian lives in their lands.

In Occupation 101 film, “The polices are made in order to ensure Israeli control, so the laws are designed in a way, in very semicha way to prevent Palestinians from building and to keep them confined in the middle eye-lens.” Halper said.

I pulled this microorganism out of the Petri dish with a dropper and put a little bit on a slide. I then put the slide under the microscope. While I was looking through the ocular, I saw what Halper meant. I found that Israel plays a tough technique of controlling that makes Palestine territory as a virtual prison. It drives Palestinians crazy, as it compels them to choose one of just two options. They can stick to their lands and resist this challenge or they can leave their lands looking for better life and making money.

In addition, I detected that this epidemic affects the construction of the identity. In Turmusayya village, many people migrated to America. They went looking for better life and collecting money. They usually go back to their village in an olive season to reap their harvests. One the one hand, it is a great scene because a number of Palestinians who generally migrate, they forget their lands and traditions. On the other hand, it is a risky thing on constructing their identity.

As soon as Palestinians live in a country where they do not belong to, they will be influenced by the other identities. For instance, when they get married and have sons in the United States, their sons will be familiar with the United States' identity, not Palestinian. They will believe that U.S controls all the world, and it is a free lifestyle country. They will be aware of the wars that U.S did and won. They will be acquainted with W. George Bush, Belly Clinton and Barak Obama. They will sing for Madonna, Michel Jackson, Shakira, Fifty Cent and so forth. When those people return to Palestine, to their village, Turmusayya, and see the old people who wear the traditional dress and keffiyeh; they will say that these costumes are bullshit.

Sometimes, we use 'Could' in English language to express about something hypothetical. If those people are not familiar with Palestinian customs and identity, they are not able to demonstrate that they are Palestinians or even they have Palestinian identity. That reminded me of something I noticed when I was attending a festival of a Captive's day in al-Quds university. I was watching a Debkkeh dance for a Palestinian crew. While I was looking at it, some of my Palestinians mates who were living in Texas described it as a nonsense show. I asked him why? “For I like break dance.” He replied. At that moment, I felt so painful; he does not know that Debkkeh dance is one part of his identity and legacy that he removed from his mind. I wonder how can those people prove that they have a Palestinian identity? Frankly, they just have ID cards. Consequently, some of homeless Palestinians are still adhering to their ceremonies, but the others are replaced them by another norms.

Turmusayyan people go and fro to U.S, for they have business in both places. They build houses in their village and go again to America. They construct these houses to protect their lands from Israeli hands. Except, that is still dubious matter. Assume that I get into these houses, how can I know with no seeing inhabitants that these buildings allude to Palestinians, not any people? As I can be an Italian citizen, for example, buy a land and build a house in another state or country.

In consideration of Kolirin's film, "The Band's Visit," he portrayed an effective scene about how can we recognize the owner of any buildings. After the Egyptian players were eating in Dina's restaurant, a range of photos were hanged on the restaurant's walls. Those photos were Israeli tanks, soldiers and flags. I saw various sights in them. I see that the photo of the tanks indicates to a history of battles and kinds of the weapons that were used. I feel that the photo of the soldiers characterizes those people who were fighting for something in this area. And I understand that the photo of the flags labels that those soldiers won at that those wars or those flags names who are those people and where they belong to. All the previous images clarify a record of a history and heritage. As a result, all pictures can give me signs that this restaurant belongs to Jews, not Palestinians.

From a photographic and political analysis into a concrete reality, sometimes, when someone dies, I think that everything refers to that person dies also. Yet I found that the truth is different . I grasped that we can be immortal and defeat the death. For the immortality is not the immortality of the bodies. Instead, it is the survival of the thought, identity and the inheritance that we ought to pass within next generations. My answers can be wrong or right. Nevertheless, frankly, I feel that life is a lesson, and all what we need is just to listen.

References:
1- Alkam, Nabeel.“Critical Thoughts On National Identity.” Nabeelalkam. 2009. 20 April. 2010. > http://nabeelalkam.com/new/news.php?action=view&id=146%3c
2-“Palestinian Traditional Clothing.” Raqs. 2008. 21 April. 2010. > http://www.raqs.co.nz/me/clothing_palestine.html%3c
3-Keffiyeh-Made In Palestine. Dir. Benoit Faiveley. Perf. Yasser Hirbawi and Mohammed Al Saffin. Monocle. Jan 2009.
4-Occupation 101. Dir. Sufyan, Omeish. Perf. Jeff Halper and Adam Keller. Sufyan, Omeish. 2007.
5-Relations, Public and Unit, Project. “Al Sawya: Barred From Expansion.” Jerusalem Legal Aid And Human Rights Center. Nov. 2009: 1-. 3 May. 2010 > http://www.mosaada.org/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid=181%3c
6-The Band’s Visit. Dir. Eran Kolirin. Perf. Alexanderia Ceremonial Police Orchestra and Ronit Elkalbetz. Sony Classics. 2007

Slow Death

“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.” John Hope Franklin

Humans walk on this earth without knowing their fates. They go working without realizing what waits them for tomorrow. So are we a live or died? Human can move with died body but died human cannot move with a live body. We think that words can describe everything we feel or anything we see. However, sometimes, words are really unable to express about what we want. We are going to death with no feeling yet we are running slowly.

On Thursday morning, the sun is shine and the sky clear. Canards were twittering over my home and the spring flowing. Tow seconds later, I opened my room’s window to receive a new day. I dressed up and went out of my home. At seven am, I was waiting for a bus at the bus station. Ten minutes later, I got a bus which is number eight. The driver asked me, “where are you going?” I told him I’m going to Abu dis. “Yes, this bus is going to Abu dis.” The driver replied.

I and my friends planned to gather in Abu dis near to al-Quds University at eight am. Because we will go visiting Battir village near to Bethlehem city, which is in area C. It means that Battir village is under Israeli occupation. I was fearful at the beginning, for it is the first time I have gone to Israeli areas in my homeland. But, then my fear ran away. At eight am, we got a car to Bethlehem city. While the driver was driving, I saw a lot of beautiful homes and hills. After that, the car stopped since there is a checkpoint, which is the “Container” checkpoint.

The soldier who was at that checkpoint allowed us to pass without inspecting. At that time, I was wondering why the soldier did that even though I know his job is to bother me and make my life boring? Yet that was good. As we have to meet the other group of my friends in Beit Jala at nine am. Before I got Bethlehem, I passed through two attractive villages, which are Ubaydi and Sawahra. I noticed a lot of people who raising sheep and walking between hills. I saw very small monasteries. The nuns and monks are isolated from other people. They just pray. At that second, I remembered that I’m living isolated like these nuns and monks: I’m isolated from my homeland, freedom and my family.

At nine am, I and all friends gathered to start our walk to Battir. The first point was Almkror valley. It is a beautiful valley. It is full of green trees and colored flowers. But the most common kind of trees is olive trees. A glowing flower fascinated me while I was walking between hills. It is sunflower. It was so sexy. It looks like the sun in the sky, thus I considered this flower as my sun. I kissed it three times as I do not see the real sun. The sky is fogged and cloudy everyday. It is death that calls me every second or waits for me.

Then, I kept walking until another point. I noticed a bypass road that is established by wild people. It is used for transportation from Jerusalem to Bethlehem city. It is just used by undomesticated people. That bypass road segregates many pieces of my homeland. Consequently, it kills me slowly and harshly. This road does not know pity; it just knows how to hurt and kill.

While I was walking to Battir, I was going through the beauty of my homeland. The beauty that Israel destroyed and prevented me from. I was walking among charming flowers and trees. However, what got my attention is the people who live there. They are simple and generous people. They depend on farming and eating from what they plant. As soon as I was walking between hills, two men were sitting on rocks and eating together. At that point, I realized how they belong to their lands that I do not have. I understood that people who live in villages have very coherent social ties too.

Those people are happy for they do not know that they are dying but slowly. Many barbaric individuals are coming to crash their lands and to demolish their plants. After a while, I grabbed that human is not the only one who dies; the reality is different. I found a diversity of animals are living there. I liked how bees move from rose to another. They move with no restrictions or blocks. Conversely, when I move from place to another, I have to pass through a variety of blocks. Hence, I do not have freedom that the bees have in my homeland.

Very pretty rabbits and goats were travelling between green grasses and shrubs. When I looked at them, I felt sad. For the reason that, these innocents creatures will lose their food and freedom once the untamed people arrive their homes. I felt broken heart, for these animals do not know that they would lose their families or live homelessly.

Later, I kept walking with my friends. In that case, I wanted to say something to my friends who do not live there between depths. Therefore, I said,

“As you prepare your breakfast think of others.[1]
Do not forget to feed the pigeons.
As you conduct your wars think of others.
Do not forget those who want peace.
As you pay your water bill think of others.
Think of those who only have clouds to drink from.
As you go home, your own home, think of others
Do not forget those who live in tents.
As you sleep and count the planets think of others
There are people who have no place to sleep.
As you liberate yourself with metaphors think of others
Those who have lost their right to speak
And as you think of distant others Think of yourself and say
I wish I were a candle in the darkness.”

After these precious words, I wish I had a land to plant to feel what is an affiliation to homeland. I wish I had a land to feel what is an attachment to everything we own from our ancestors. I wish I live in Battir village.

Battir is full of natural springs. Everyone has one day to water his land by these springs and the other day will be to the next. This is reminded me of a village in my city follows the same system. It shows me that there is no spite between people who live in villages. Instead, they are living in equality and an affection. Both of these things are not in my life or city in general. As people who live in cities are less coherent than people who live in villages.

Next in the time, as we were walking between rocks and cliffs, we found a rail-road. This rail-road is used for two things. It is used for transportation and for tourists trips. It allows travelers to move from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and vice versa. Its history goes back to Ottoman empire era, which means it is very old. In contrast, now, it is under Israeli control. This rail-road causes a slow death for all people who live in Battir village; It remembers them when they were using it. Furthermore, they were gaining a lot of benefits because of tourists who were visiting their village. On the contrary, Israeli people who just use it these days but Battir’s people are prohibited.

After some time, I was so tried of walking; I took a short rest. Five minutes later, we kept walking. I, myself still unable to describe the beauty of nature that I was passing through in Battir. Therefore, if the tongue disables to talk, the hand does not disable to write on papers. After we were stepping, we noticed a store for sculpturing on stones. We walked in that store. It is full of very nice sculptures. I was witched be the shapes of sculptures that I saw.

There were three shapes of sculptures that got my attention. The shapes symbolize Jerusalem city, Christian churches and candles. Yet the most fantastic thing was the man who sculpts these shapes draw his name in the middle of all sculptures. That man calls Sultan. He is really a great man for he stands for his belonging to his homeland by sculpturing these shapes. I sat in a corner inside that store and started pondering. I was thinking about this man and his sculptures: why does he sculpt these shapes? Why did not he leave his village to live better life out of Palestine as majority do? At that juncture, I merely realized what sticking for a land and my property mean. I got the sense that I have to defense of my homeland until last breath I have.

Though Sultan sculpts everyday, his sculptures do not know that they either will be broken by hands know killing and profaning the beauty of everything, or taken with its maker to live somewhere else. To be honest, I think Sultan sculpts these sculptures as reminders to keep in minds for what is what we are losing slowly in this holy land.

It is actually very pride to do something for your homeland, in particular if you are not able to fight with soldiers in wars against colonizers and enemies. After we left Sultan’s store, we went toward very high cliffs to plant a number of olive trees. Before we got the spot that we have plant on, we faced various of dangerous hinderers. We were falling on rocks and shrubs. It was so to tough. Nevertheless, I endured all these obstacles to do something for my homeland.

I took one olive tree to plant with my friend who is Sondos. I and Sondos started digging by axe and spade. Once we finished digging, we planted our tree and made a cycle around it by stones. Next, I and my friend brought a plastic board and instilled it by our tree. My friend wrote her name and mine on it to show visitors who planted this tree. It was so touching in my heart.

Bar, when we were going back, I turned my head and looked at the tree that I and my friend planted. I know that it will be died by savage vehicles and individuals. So I hope God keeps it from them. I want my friend’s name and mine to stay on that tree to approve to all people who go there that Palestinians do not know surrender; they know keep working until our land return to us. It is true that we cannot fight by guns; I and Sondos will keep writing and talking about our homeland and its people to all nations who do not know it. This is the greatest people who are striving with occupants and people who just know blood shedding everywhere.

From images, puns and metaphors into reality, sometimes, we need to reveal and show the facts that they are living behind these literary elements. The fact that is sticking beyond these images, puns and metaphors is the extension of “Gilo” settlement. Gilo settlement is inside Jerusalem. Battir was connected with Jerusalem city before isolating it by the separation wall. Israel wants to extend this settlement, which includes a big number of homes for settlers by owing and construction on Battir’s land. But the extension will take time until getting Battir. As a result, this extension is a slow death, which waits for Battir village and the people who live in it.

Reader, do not misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting despair or surrender. I’m showing Battir village to blind people and to those who do not know the worth of belonging to their homeland. I want to say very important words to those who colonizes my homeland. I want to say,

“O those who pass between fleeting words [2]
Pile your illusions in a deserted pit, and be gone
Return the hand of time to the law of the golden calf
Or to the time of revolvers music!
For we have that which does not please you here, so be gone
And we have what you lack: a bleeding homeland of a bleeding people
A homeland fit for oblivion or memory
O those who pass between fleeting words
It is time for you to be gone
Live wherever you like, but do not live among us
It is time for you to be gone
Die wherever you like, but do not die among us
For we have work to do in our land
We have the past here, we have the first cry of life
We have the present, the present and the future
We have this world here, and the hereafter
So leave our country, our land, our sea, our wheat, our salt, our wounds
Everything, and leave the memories of memory
O those who pass between fleeting words!”

Everyday passes and papers edit. Four seasons pass every year and my homeland is still prisoner like the bird in cage. In winter, I cry with the rainfalls. In autumn, I have general weakness in my body as the branches dry and leaves fall. In summer, I stay at home to avoid hotness. However, in spring, my energy renews as blooming flowers and I write about my homeland beautifully.

My walk was to Battir village, save for I do not merely write for Battir. I write to every piece of my homeland. As mothers generate new infants every minute, the sky will not stay cloudy. The sun will shine again and this land will return to its people. As birds fly in the air, the restrictions will break and prisoners will run away. Palestine. My homeland, will free and narrate your victories to whole world one day.

[1] Think of Others, Mahmoud Darwish, 2005.
[2] Those who pass between the fleeting words, Mahmoud Darwish , 2009.