Day 30: What Is Palestine Teaching The World? by Safa Suleiman

The past year and a half has been nothing short of heart wrecking as we bear witness to the forced starvation and genocide in Gaza. Mutual aid efforts, emotional support, activism to end the genocide has been daily. Yet here we are. The world sits on their hands in silence. Some of my family escaped the genocide and are trying to rebuild their lives, others are clinging to life. Today I’d like to give our readers a window into the life of one family member, Heba Alihasan who escaped with her family. 

How are you doing right now?

Alhamdulillah. That’s the first thing that comes to my tongue. I thank Allah for everything I have experienced in these past two years, even the moments that broke me. I’m still in a kind of shock, like my body and heart haven’t fully caught up with everything that’s happened. But I’m trying to be okay; for my family, for the people who need me. There’s a quiet strength in just continuing, even when your soul feels heavy. That’s where I am right now.

What is true about you at this moment?

Physically, I am displaced in Egypt. But emotionally, I’m still in Gaza. My body left, but my heart didn’t. Every loud noise makes me flinch, I close my ears and hide my face without even thinking. I try to learn how to be present, but most of the time, my attempts don’t succeed. So I escape into my imagination. I keep seeing a version of life where my family and I are all together, laughing in a quiet place, as if we haven’t lost anyone. That’s where I go when it all feels too heavy into that imagined peace.

There is a western gaze on Palestine. (a perspective or lens through which the West, particularly Western culture and values, views and often judges other cultures, often with inherent biases and assumptions, leading to a skewed or incomplete understanding.) How do you feel about it?

Honestly, it saddens me deeply how the media often shows Gaza only in ruins, only during war and destruction. Much of the world has only seen Gaza through this narrow lens, never witnessing its bright, beautiful side. They don’t know that before the war, in 2023, Gaza had the lowest illiteracy rate in the entire region, just 1.9%. They haven’t seen the beauty of its sea, its harbor, or the richness of its culture. I wish they could have attended one of the university graduation ceremonies, seeing how many students graduate every year in all kinds of fields. I wish they had seen the weddings, the joy, the girls in their beautifully embroidered Palestinian dresses. I wish they could have lived just one of Gaza’s peaceful mornings. Waking up at 6 a.m. to the cool air, the whole city slowly coming alive like a beehive. People heading to work, children walking to school. The smell of fresh bread and pastries with za’atar and cheese filling the air from the bakeries. I wish they could have tasted our delicious seafood, sat at one of the seaside restaurants, and ended the day with Gaza’s famous ice cream and a cup of our strong coffee. I wish they had witnessed a wedding celebration, seen the joy of our people dancing the Gazan Dabke with pride and love. Despite the siege, Gaza was full of life, overflowing with joy. Of course, war and destruction have sadly become part of Gaza’s reality. But I still wish the media would also show Gaza’s beautiful side. And more than anything, I hope that one day this painful reality ends, and Gaza can finally breathe in peace.

What can Palestine teach the world?

Palestine can teach the world how to love life.
Throughout its history, Palestine has faced setback after setback. But after every blow, it rises again, shakes off the pain, and shows us a beautiful image of resilience and renewal. Palestine teaches us that it is a land that loves life deeply and passionately. I’ve lived through many wars in Gaza. And after each one, I saw how quickly the city would wipe away the signs of sorrow. People would rebuild what was destroyed, and life would slowly return to the streets, to the homes, to the hearts of the people. Palestine doesn’t just survive, it insists on living, on laughing, on dreaming. And that is a lesson the whole world needs to learn.

What is Palestine teaching the world?

Right now, Palestine is teaching the world how to adapt to difficult circumstances while still loving life. Despite losing their homes and living in tents, people in Gaza would still decorate their tents and arrange them neatly. In the midst of the starvation, people learned to grow their own food, planting vegetables and mint around their tents to ease their hunger. Despite the pain and suffering, you would often see people smiling, carrying on with their lives with resilience and strength. Palestinians are teaching the world that, even in the most unimaginable hardships, you can still find ways to hold on to hope, joy, and life itself.

 Can you tell us about Alaa, Malak and AbdelRahman. الله يرحمهم

I miss my siblings every single day, every single hour; my sister Alaa, my sister Malak, and my brother AbdelRahman who got martyred during the war. Not a moment passes when they aren’t in my mind. I still can’t accept or believe that they’re gone. How is it possible that those who laughed with us, who ate with us, are now gone, lost in the span of just a few minutes? I miss them so much, so deeply. I often find myself wondering: Where are they now? Are they in a better place, happy and at peace? Do they miss us too? I fear that I’ll forget the sound of their voices, their innocent laughter. So in my mind, I create conversations with them, imagining that they are still with me and that they didn’t die in the cruelty of this war.

 What gets you up in the morning?

Honestly, two things motivate me to get up every morning. The first is my siblings who were martyred in the war. I don’t want to disappoint them. They were always so proud of me studying medicine, and they used to call me the family doctor because I was the only one in our family studying medicine. Their memory is always with me, and I carry the responsibility of making them proud. The second thing is my father, my mother, and my other siblings. I am now the eldest, after Alaa and Malak’s passing, and I carry a heavy responsibility for them. They are going through so much pain right now, and I feel it’s my duty to be a support for them during these difficult times. I try my best to bring them joy and remind them that there is always hope, no matter how dark things seem.

What phrase or dua is on repeat lately?

Lately, I often find myself saying the dua: (اللهم اني ألجأ من حولي وقوتي الا حولك وقوتك): O Allah, I turn to You for help, for my strength and power are nothing compared to Yours). This dua is a reminder that my strength comes from Allah alone. I truly believe that the situation I’m in despite how difficult and unbelievable it may seem, is part of Allah’s wisdom. So I ask Allah for strength to bear these hardships, for the strength to keep moving forward in life, and the strength to continue my studies.

What do you want to tell the world?

I want to tell the world to always stand with and support the oppressed, no matter the cost or where they are in the world. And want to tell them that the Palestinian people are human beings, just like anyone else. They have dreams, beautiful homes, and warm families. What they are facing now does not define them. A Palestinian will always rise up, rebuild his home, and reunite his family. So, stand with them and support them. And the last thing I would advise from my own painful experience of losing my siblings, be kind to each other, to love one another, because death doesn’t ask permission. It comes unexpectedly. Always leave behind beautiful memories in each other's lives, and never take the time you have with others for granted.