1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media. 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 2: Book Club book Club, book Club book Club. Hello and 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 2: welcome to the Cool Zone Media book Club, the only 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 2: book club where you, the listener thinks, how long will 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: Margaret keep that bid up about the chanting? 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: Now that there's usually not guests, I am your host, 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Margaret Kiljoy. The Cool Zone Media book Club is the 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: only book club where you don't have to do the reading, 9 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: because I do it for you. And today we have 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: two stories and a poem for you from the collection 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: Gaza Writes Back short stories from young writers in Gaza, Palestine, 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: and this anthology was edited by Rafat Alarier for its 13 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: first release from Just World Books in twenty fourteen, but 14 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: Rafat was martyred by the Israeli military in December of 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, and a new memorial edition is currently 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: available from PM Press. Hazel, who helps with the show, 17 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: says that they found this book last year and immediately 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: knew they wanted to do some stories from it and 19 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: were so happy to be able to present works from 20 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: it today with the cooperation of the authors, with PM 21 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,279 Speaker 1: Press who put out that new edition, and the family 22 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: of Rafad E Larreer. This collection is full of short 23 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: stories written by young people, most women who came of 24 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: age during Operation Caste Led. This was, in Rafat's words 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: from the original introduction the quote full scale military offensive 26 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: that Israel launched on Gaza between December twenty seventh, two 27 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: thousand and eight and January eighteenth, two thousand and nine. 28 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: Most of the stories in Gaza Writes Back were originally 29 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: written for Rafat's fiction and creative writing classes at the 30 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: Islamic University in Gaza. Many of the authors were new 31 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: to writing fiction and or writing at all, though some 32 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: were experienced bloggers documenting their experience of life under occupation. 33 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: Almost all of the stories were composed originally in English, 34 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: and again in Rafot's words quote, the stories included here 35 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: present in English a much needed Palestinian youth narrative without 36 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: the mediation or influences of translation or of non Palestinian voices. 37 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: Gaza Writes Back provides conclusive evidence that telling stories is 38 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: an act of life, that telling stories is resistance, and 39 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: that telling stories shapes our memories. So to get us started, 40 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: our first story is called the Story of the Land 41 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: by Sarah Ali. To Dad, I looked at his teary 42 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: eyes and beholding something akin to happiness. I smiled. The 43 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: man I have always known to be my father was back. 44 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: He did not look like that unfamiliar man whom I 45 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: could not fully recognize during the last three years. He 46 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: was no longer that abt minded, silent figure, gazing at 47 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: walls all the time and uninterestingly nodding whenever addressed by 48 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: anyone at home. He was there, He was present, He 49 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: was actually listening. As I went on bragging about a 50 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: high grade of mine. A phone call and a piece 51 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: of paper signed by some Turkish sponsored institution brought back 52 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 1: my father. I looked at his eyes again, this time 53 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: more carefully, for fear that my first glance was false. 54 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: As I saw that absolute happiness in my father's eyes, 55 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: a big smile made it to my face again. As 56 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: we now commemorate the Land Day, we honour the people 57 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: who stood up for their land in nineteen seventy six, 58 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: when Israel announced thousands of Palestinian dunams would be confiscated. 59 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: During marches held to protest that declaration, six people were killed. 60 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: The thirtieth of March brings back a memory of our land, 61 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: my father's land. A couple weeks ago, we got a 62 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: phone call informing us that my father's name had been 63 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: selected for a reconstruction program funded by Turkey. The program 64 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: aims at helping gosen farmers whose lands were damaged during 65 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: the Israeli offensive in two thousand and eight replant their trees. 66 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: It provides farmers with all types of facilitating materials, such 67 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: as fences, tree cuttings, seedlings, seeds, and irrigation systems. My 68 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: father declined to apply for those organizations that gave financial 69 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: compensations to farmers. How can he take money in return 70 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: for land. Unlike any other aid program, this program gives 71 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: no money to farmers. It instead helps them stand on 72 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: their own. Though my father was born to a family 73 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 1: of farmers, he did not follow that path. He studied 74 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: economics and political science in Egypt and spent most of 75 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: his youth working as a journalist, mainly a columnist, writing 76 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: about economic and political issues in newspapers in Kuwait. When 77 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: he was back in Gaza, though he had to take 78 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: care of the peace of land my grandfather left for 79 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: him years before, it was not difficult for him. Gradually, 80 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: the land became more of a passion than a profession. 81 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: It was one of the few things he cared about 82 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: the daily thing that kept him busy. It was heaven 83 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: on earth. During those twenty three days of the Israeli 84 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: attack on Gaza, we were constantly receiving news of land 85 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: being run over by Israeli bulldozers. We were told thousands 86 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,119 Speaker 1: of trees were gone. We were told my uncle's trees 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: were gone. We were told our trees were gone. We 88 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: were told Sharga, the whole district of eastern farmland was gone. 89 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: But these were rumors, or so my father wanted to believe. 90 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: We all had hope that our land was still intact, 91 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: totally untouched. We were clinging to the assumption that only 92 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: other people's trees could get uprooted. But certainly not our beautiful, 93 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: unmatched olives. Certainly not the trees that were, to my 94 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: father the only thing he boasted of to prove he 95 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: was no less of a gozen than those who repeatedly 96 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: reproached him, for, as they put it, recklessly leaving the 97 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: land of black Gold, where they assumed he swam in 98 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: Kuwaiti oil pools every day, and for coming to live 99 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: here with a small H. My father looked at it 100 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: quite differently, For here with a capital H, he always 101 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: believed is the land of al Zeate al mukatas the 102 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: holy oil. Gaza's sky was blue again. Things were over. 103 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: The news said things were over. My father went there. 104 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: He went to check up on the land with a 105 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: capital H. He put his faith in his olives being 106 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: an exception, and he went there. He put his faith 107 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: in that little white spot in the heart of the 108 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: bulldozer's operator, who my father supposed could not have resisted 109 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: the beauty of our land, and who listened to his 110 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: inn it good being that told him not to run 111 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: over this land. He had faith in the goodness of man, 112 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: and he went there. He put his faith in God, 113 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: and he went there. My brother, who accompanied him, told 114 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: us later that all they saw as they walked was 115 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: ruined lands filled with bulldozed dead trees, which seemed to 116 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: suffice for their family's need of firewood for years to come. 117 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: My brother said, Dad started crying as he saw people crying. 118 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: They went on. They saw more toppled trees, feeble and defeated. 119 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: They went on. There was the heaven. The scene of 120 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: our land was not shocking. Simply put, our trees were 121 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: no exception. Our trees were gone. A miscellany of affliction 122 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: and denial took over the place. My father's faith, I 123 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,239 Speaker 1: could tell, was smashed into little pieces. The world seemed 124 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: like an ugly place. One of our trees, which later 125 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: became the subject matter the whole neighborhood spoke of, was 126 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: still standing there. Just one week before the attacks. My 127 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: father told my brother how slanted this tree was and 128 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: how quickly they needed to get rid of it. They 129 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: were planning to cut it, and yet ironically it was 130 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: the only tree the Israeli army left out of boredom 131 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: or mercy, I cannot tell, but it was still there Later, 132 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: whenever my cousins wanted to make Dad feel less terrible 133 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: about it, they made fun of the whole thing. How 134 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: the hell did the soldiers know you were planning to 135 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: cut it anyway, and so decided not to cut it themselves, 136 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: my cousins would remark. Everyone would start laughing, but Ad 137 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: did not. His land and olive groves were not laughing 138 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: matters to him. When my father and brother were home 139 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: that day, my brother started telling us about what he saw. 140 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: He told us that the trees were uprooted al Shajar Tchejarref. 141 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: He kept repeating. My father was in his room crying. 142 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: During the weeks that followed my father's visit to the land, 143 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: he had a daily schedule. In the morning, he prayed 144 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: and read Koran. At night he cried. Speaking about the land, 145 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: the houses, and generally the financial losses during or right 146 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: after the Israeli offensive would have sounded very selfish and 147 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: indifferent to others. When people are dying, you do not 148 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: speak of your beautiful house that was leveled to the ground. 149 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: When people are losing their legs and arms, leaving them 150 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: disabled for the rest of their lives. You do not 151 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: speak of your fancy car that once looked like a 152 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: vase adorning the streets of your modest neighborhood, and that 153 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: is now a gray wreck. When a mother is burying 154 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 1: her child before she could say goodbye, you do not 155 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: speak of your land and your trees that were mercilessly uprooted. 156 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: Those people speak, they cry, they mourn. You listen, and 157 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: for the memory of your insignificant little misery, you grieve 158 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: in silence. And that seemed to have amassed more agony 159 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: over Dad's pain. Recently, I went to father to get 160 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: accurate information about the trees that were uprooted their numbers 161 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: and their age. Why are you asking? Are you applying 162 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: for one of those charity institutions that offer some money 163 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: in a bag of flower instead of helping people plant 164 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: the trees? Again? Are you we do not need those? 165 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: The guy I met from the reconstruction program called last 166 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: week and they already sent laborers and farmers to start 167 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:54,599 Speaker 1: their job. Do you still want to apply for charity? No, baba, 168 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: I am just writing something for my blog blog, okay, 169 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: whatever that is? So? How many trees were uprooted? One 170 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: hundred eighty olive trees, I guess, and one hundred eighty 171 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: nine olive trees, one hundred sixty lemon trees, fourteen guava trees? 172 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: He bellowed, angry that I missed the exact number. Embarrassed, 173 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:18,839 Speaker 1: I lowered my head and wondered why I. 174 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:20,079 Speaker 3: Was doing this to myself. 175 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: My thoughts were interrupted when he went on, next time 176 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: you decide to do whatever it is you want to do, 177 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: right now, get your numbers straight. I made no reply. 178 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: You hear me, there were one hundred eighty nine olive trees, 179 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 1: not one hundred eighty, not one hundred eighty one, not 180 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: even one hundred eighty eight one hundred eighty nine olive trees. 181 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: He left the room for a few minutes afterwards, Guilt 182 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: was all I could feel. That an Israeli soldier could 183 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 1: buldoze one hundred eighty nine olive trees on the land 184 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: he claims as part of the God given land is 185 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: something I will never comprehend. Did he not the possibility 186 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: that God might get angry? Did he not realize that 187 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: it was a tree he was running over? If a 188 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: Palestinian bulldozer wherever invented ha Ha, I know, and I 189 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,319 Speaker 1: were given the chance to be in an orchard in Haifa, 190 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: for instance, I would never uproot a tree, and ISRAELI planted. 191 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: No Palestinian would to Palestinians that the tree is sacred 192 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: and so is the land bearing it. And as I 193 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: talk about Gaza, I remember that Gaza is but a 194 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 1: little part of Palestine. I remember that Palestine is bigger 195 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: than Gaza. Palestine is the West Bank. Palestine is Romallah, 196 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: Palestine is Nobleus Palestine, as Jenin Palestine is tolk Arm. 197 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: Palestine is Bethlehem. Palestine most importantly is Yafa and Haffa 198 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: and Akka and all those cities that Israel wants us 199 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: to forget about today. I came to realize that it 200 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: was not the phone call that brought my father back, 201 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: or was it the paper signed by the AID Institution. 202 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: It was the memory of the land being revived that 203 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: brought him back. It was the memory of olive trees, 204 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: giving that sense of security each time he sat under them, 205 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: enjoying their shade and dodging the burning rays of the sun. 206 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: It was the memory of the golden oil, the best 207 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: and purest oil, being poured into jerry cans and handed 208 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: to family and friends as precious gifts. It was the 209 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: memory of long years of cherishing the land, years of 210 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:37,199 Speaker 1: giving and belonging. Between my father and his land is 211 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: an unbreakable bond. Between Palestinians and their land is an 212 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: unbreakable bond. By uprooting plants and cutting trees continually, Israel 213 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: tries to break that bond and impose its own rules 214 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: of despair on Palestinians. By replanting their trees over and 215 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: over again. Palestinians are rejecting Israel's rules. 216 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 3: My land, my. 217 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: Rules, says Dad. Yep, that's the story. Sarah, who wrote 218 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: this story, says this about it. I originally wrote this 219 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: story when I was a teenager and later revisited and 220 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: rewrote it for Gaza writes back, looking back, I can 221 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: see that it is quite raw, slash immature, and reflects 222 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 1: the inexperience of a young writer. At times. It even 223 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: feels a little corny to me. 224 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 3: Now. 225 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: Nevertheless, it remains very special to me because it is 226 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: rooted in a real experience connected to my father's land, 227 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: which was repeatedly destroyed by Israeli occupation. Forces that personal 228 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: history is at the heart of the story and continues 229 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: to give it a meaning to me. And h who 230 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: what do I have to say about this story? I mean, 231 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: I think the story speaks for itself in so many ways. 232 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: And I think that this is the power of story 233 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: and memoirs to take something that is a news article, 234 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: even to a you know, well meaning free Palestine, anti 235 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: Zionist person in the West. You read about like trees destroyed, 236 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: even numbers of trees destroyed, which is so important in 237 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: this story, and it's not quite this is what happened 238 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: to my father when one hundred and eighty nine olive 239 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,239 Speaker 1: trees were destroyed on his land. 240 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 4: You know. 241 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: And the other thing that sticks to me. Okay, there's 242 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: this drive to go on sometimes through Appalachia and there's 243 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: this big billboard and it's the middle of a forest, 244 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: you know. The highway's cutting through the forest and the 245 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: billboard there's a bunch of trees that were cut down 246 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: on a hill to make a room for this billboard, 247 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: and it says there is evidence for God. And all 248 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: I can think is like, yeah, and you cut it 249 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: down to put up that billboard, you know, because the 250 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: holiness and the divinity of land itself is so self evident. 251 00:15:55,920 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: I like the way that this story carries that Ideatually. 252 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: I do snarky ad transitions and I don't know, I 253 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: don't feel like it. Here's ads. 254 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 3: They allow us to have this show, I guess. 255 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: And we're back. So Rafata Larier, who's the editor of 256 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: that book that we're going to, continued to talk about 257 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: quotes Sama ol One in his introduction to the book, quote, 258 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 1: there was too much pain in those twenty three days, 259 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: and some of us who wrote about cast led did 260 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: so to heal some of the pain caused by the 261 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: horrendous memories. And no matter how beautiful, the spirit of 262 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: resistance that overwhelmed us this beauty should never override the 263 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: ugliness of pure injustice. Our second story is called l 264 00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: for Life by Hanan Habashi. How are you, Baba? It's 265 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: been ages since I last sat and talked to you. 266 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: I nearly forgot about my promise to write to you 267 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: whenever happiness sneaks into my little heart. I'm afraid a 268 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: letter filled with happiness risks never being written. So let 269 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 1: me write to you without conditions. Don't deprive me of 270 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 1: the sense of satisfaction I used to get when addressing you. 271 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: Today marks eleven years since the day you were gone. 272 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: But only now am I starting to realize how dearly 273 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: I miss you, how your loss is too awful. A beast, 274 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: a conquer you know you are sorely needed. My only 275 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: solace is that I know you feel my thoughts. Life 276 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 1: has become more painfully complex than getting a good grade 277 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: in history or going out with Aunti Karama's family. Life 278 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: is never that simple. What to tell you, Gaza is 279 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: frustrating these days, well, these years. It's a good exercise 280 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: and patience. At least this summer is the worst of 281 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: all summers that passed without you breathing some good air 282 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,399 Speaker 1: has become a luxury we cannot always afford. When nothingness 283 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: takes over, which happens quite too often. I sit in 284 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: my room, which is fully exposed to the sun, gazing 285 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: at the tiny mark of the gunshop and the ugly 286 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: crack it left there. Yes, that very same crack on 287 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: the wall caused by his rifle, such an eyesore. Other 288 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: times I would gaze at it, trying to recall how 289 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: that soldier might look like. That huge creature grabbed you 290 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: out of my bed and didn't give you a chance 291 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: to finish my bedtime story. I cannot remember anything but 292 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: his dusty black boots and the frightening rifle. So many 293 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: times I tried to imagine how he would look like, 294 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: and always ended up believing he is no more than 295 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 1: a faceless monster. Maybe I have gone too far, thinking 296 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: of him, of his life, of his family, of his 297 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,719 Speaker 1: wife whom he loves, of his smart kid who can 298 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: get a good grade, and mad of him laughing and 299 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: crying Baba. What would make this kind of human rejoice 300 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: over the fact that I am living the agony of 301 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: being fatherless with an uncompleted story. It is when darkness 302 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: prevails that I sit by the window to look past 303 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,479 Speaker 1: all those electricity free houses. Smell the sweet scent of 304 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: a calm, gossen night, feel the fresh air going straight 305 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: to my heart. And think of you, of me, of Palestine, 306 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: of the crack of the blank wall, of you, of Mama, 307 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: of you, of my history, class, of you, of God, 308 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: of Palestine, of our incomplete story. I enjoy bringing to 309 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: my mind your tender voice narrating the story of Fair. 310 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: I still remember how I cheerfully beamed when you told 311 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: me that Fair and I are so much alike, that 312 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: he has my wild eyes and I his sheepish smile. 313 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: I have not yet known who he is or where 314 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 1: in life he stands, but I believe I had always 315 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: trusted your heroes. I can never forget how your dazzling 316 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: eyes had brightened when you recalled him planting some olive 317 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: seedlings in the back yard of the orphanage. God blessed 318 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: the smile on your face. God bless the seeds under 319 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,919 Speaker 1: the ground. I can never forget how you looked me 320 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: in the eyes and said, he is a boy who 321 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: lost his whole family to death, but never lost faith 322 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: in life. I want you to be as strong, Baba. 323 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: Do you remember when I asked you if he was 324 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: strong enough to wrestle in israeligh soldier. You grinned, you 325 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: always did, but you didn't answer me. You wanted me 326 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: to figure things out on my own. You told me 327 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: he was only twelve years old when one of the 328 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: orphanage girls AML started trembling, hallucinating and sweating. But nobody 329 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: there had the guts to break the military curfew to 330 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: die there. However, did go out to bring a doctor 331 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: for am All, And then and then Helen earth, Baba, 332 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: and then you are no more. I don't remember when 333 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: exactly I started to care about completing their's story. But 334 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: whenever I ventured to think of giving it a proper ending, 335 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: I would get tired and the weight in my head 336 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 1: would grow heavier. I could not do it on my own. 337 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: I thought I had to think twice, once for me 338 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: and once for you. I have tried my best, Baba, 339 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: doing so is not easy. Nonetheless, of all the people 340 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: around me, you know best that it takes two to 341 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: complete a story. It always does. I hated the fact 342 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: that I might have been driven by curiosity in the 343 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: sheer love of endings. The air is another you in 344 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: my life, just like your photo that stands above the 345 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: repugnant crack and your cafea whose rich black was worn 346 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: out to a glorious gray. They are all living parts 347 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 1: of you. I had to believe that it is the 348 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: fear of losing yet more of my father that pushed 349 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: me there. I thought once I thought of your soulmate, Mamma. 350 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: I thought you must have talked to her about Fyeir. 351 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: I imagined you both had spent nights admiring his eyes 352 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: and smile. For I can clearly remember when you got together, 353 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 1: which was some kind of a luxury for Mamma. Talks 354 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: between you did not end. I sometimes travel to specific memories. 355 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: I hear the timber of your voice and the echo 356 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: of Mamma's laughter, laughter which died long ago. But don't 357 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: you worry. Mamma never fails to smile. I know I 358 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: shouldn't bother you, Baba, but you've got to know that 359 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: every passing day Mamma's getting frailer. I always wonder what 360 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: does she know which I don't, which makes her go 361 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: on in a life of bitter loneliness. She must know 362 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: much right, thinking that she knew Theyeir, I once plainly 363 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 1: asked her what happened to thee In the end, she 364 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: washed the last dish, turned the tap off, and started 365 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: at the sink. For some time, I felt like she 366 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: was about to give me the healing answer, but she 367 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: at once retracted. Who's there, she asked, narrowing her eyes. Feir, 368 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:20,719 Speaker 1: I answered then, seeing uneasiness drawn on her face, I repeated, Faeire, 369 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: my father's fair. In every move she made, in every 370 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: word she didn't say, I could see the glint of 371 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: a story in the distance. She used her silence to 372 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: shield the chaos I spotted in her eyes. Mamma Fire, 373 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: the strong kid who planted olive trees at the orphanage. 374 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 1: I went on, trying to get her to talk strong. Huh, 375 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: doesn't matter how strong you are pretend to be. Life 376 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: is going to get to you sometimes. And that doesn't 377 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:55,879 Speaker 1: make you weak, sweetheart, it makes you human. I know, Baba, 378 00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 1: you don't know this new woman. I don't either. I 379 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: like to call it wisdom. Mam has become cynical, unfortunately, 380 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: but she gained a lot of wisdom. Nonetheless, believing that 381 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,479 Speaker 1: her answer had nothing to do with your fair, I 382 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: asked her again if she knew what happened to him, 383 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: and whether he got back to the orphanage or not 384 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: he got back home. Indeed, we all will, she whispered 385 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: under her breath. I spent that night thinking of Fayer's home, 386 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: of the distant life in Mamma's eyes. I kept wondering 387 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: what's more torturous, the awful buzz of the drone outside 388 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: or the sounds of some tough questions inside. I guess 389 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 1: I eventually slept with no answer, thanking the drone for 390 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: not giving my inner uproar any chance to abate. Here's 391 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: where I have to do an ad break and again 392 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 1: just not feeling the well. Imagine your own snarky ad break. 393 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: Enter back. Two weeks ago, Grandfather went out with Abu 394 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: Farras a neighbor to get the UNRWA food coupons. He 395 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: left home sane and returned crazy. That's simple, Abu Faras says. 396 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: Grandpa waited three solid hours under the burning sun in 397 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 1: the long queue. When he was finally about to get 398 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: the coupon, he asked the man there, what are you 399 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: offering me? His answer was simple food? And when exactly 400 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: am I going to get my jaffa with this coupon? 401 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: Grandpa cried out. You can imagine what kind of hullabaloo 402 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 1: took place. But everything calmed down when Abu Faras forced 403 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: him back home. I don't like to think much of 404 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: the incident. I know that ever since you've been gone, 405 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: his life is entirely devoted to the grief over a 406 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: lemon tree and a dear son. Now he is no 407 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: longer the man I would talk to for hours. It 408 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: doesn't believe any more, doesn't believe in me, he says. 409 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: People fight and die to regain our Palestine, but those 410 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: freedom fighters don't come back, nor does Palestine. He swears. 411 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: You are now in Japho, sitting by a lemon tree, 412 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: enjoying the sun disappearing into the blue of our marvelous sea. 413 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: Grandfather says you would never come back, for who on 414 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 1: earth would leave the paradise of Japho. I am day 415 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 1: after day, falling in love with the years that dwell 416 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: in his wrinkled face, and the memories of old days 417 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: which are the beats of his weak heart. You have 418 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: to expect that. I ask Grandfather about the air. He 419 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: immediately replied fay Air refused to share a breath with 420 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: this dirty world. He chose to grow up somewhere else. 421 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,679 Speaker 1: Don't give me that ridiculous face. Yes, dead people do 422 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: grow up, but don't you ever believe that they grow older? 423 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: This answer was even more confusing than Mamma's. I don't 424 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: believe you. Thierre could never have considered death as an option. 425 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: And what about a man? Was he selfish enough to 426 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: leave her to die? I cried, who is a male? 427 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: Grandpa asked, with no sense of concern. For some reason, 428 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,919 Speaker 1: I felt relieved. I smiled and answered, my grown up friend, 429 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: you should meet her some time. I told him I 430 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: intended to visit Aunty Carama the next day and asked 431 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: if he would like to come. He said he could 432 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: no longer tolerate children and full houses. I couldn't care less. 433 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: I kissed his forehead. It smelled like the fragrance of 434 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: lemon blossoms. I felt like he had planted a lemon 435 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: orchard in his cavernous wrinkles. Baba, how could he dare 436 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: say Thyer was dead? He himself couldn't believe it. I 437 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: celebrated every new moment added to Fayre's life. I had 438 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 1: to be thankful for my faith, for you have to 439 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: make that leap of faith. If you ever want to heal, 440 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: years may be the length of one's life, the faith 441 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 1: is undoubtedly the width. The next day, I woke up 442 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: really early. I, for my very first time, watched the 443 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: sunrise with a dimmed light around me. The world looked 444 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 1: just like how I felt. And that was when I 445 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: looked deep, deep down and started to break apart, not 446 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: because I wanted to, but because I couldn't stop. I 447 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 1: started to wonder if the things I am living for 448 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: are worth dying for. I started to think of everything 449 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: I had in life. Although I have lots of things, 450 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 1: they never seem to be necessary. Every time I think 451 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: I had it the way I really fancy, it twists 452 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: and turns and slips away. I didn't fuel your soul around. 453 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: Though I tried to dream you closer, it stayed away, 454 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: just like before I knew it was about Thayer. I 455 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: was afraid that I would fall asleep again, knowing that 456 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: he'll always be the story with no ending. I knew 457 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: that you were just a story away, a story away. 458 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: Because I could no longer wait to know what happened 459 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: to Thayer, I spared the sun two hours to take 460 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: its favorite place in that awe inspiring sky. The weather 461 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: had not yet decided its attitude. The cool air was deceiving. 462 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: So I put your glorious kafia around my neck and 463 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: I unwaveringly went out. I trusted life that day. Grandfather 464 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: might think that's naive, but you wouldn't. I believe life 465 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: is one of the few that is trustworthy. They say 466 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: to find something, anything, a great truth or a lost 467 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: pair of glasses, you must first believe there will be 468 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: some advantage in finding it. And what an advantage, baba. 469 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: When I finally reached Auntie Karama's house, I knocked on 470 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,719 Speaker 1: the door impatiently. I waited more than ten minutes outside. 471 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: Nobody answered my continuous knocks. I was about to return 472 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: home when Aunty opened the door. She was asleep. How 473 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: could she sleep while I didn't know where Thayer's story ends. 474 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: She welcomed me inside and excused me to change her clothes. 475 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: Please don't, I hastily replied to her apology. She raised 476 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: her eyebrows, turned pale, and said, what's the matter with you? 477 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: Something must have happened to your grandfather, or what on 478 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: earth could bring you this early when you haven't visited 479 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: me in months? Oh God, what happened to him. I 480 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: had to calm her down and drive away her worries. 481 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,719 Speaker 1: It's their who brought me this early, I said, yes, Baba, 482 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: I asked Auntie Karama. I had to, for I knew 483 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: she was your closest friend ever since you were a 484 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: little kid who couldn't spell Palestine. She always prides herself 485 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: on the fact that she taught you to spell it 486 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: just right. You had always believed in its bigness. P 487 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: for passion, A for aspiration, L for life, E for existence, 488 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: S for sanity, T for trust, I for you, N 489 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: for nation, E for exultation, and then you wrote it 490 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: just right. You wrote it everywhere you could, on walls, 491 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: on tables, You carved the stunning letters into trees and 492 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: ended up with them engraved in your heart. What about Thyer, 493 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: She bluntly answered my direct question. Hope found its way 494 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: back to my heart to congratulate me on the fact 495 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: that Aunty did know Fayre. I mean, what happened to 496 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: him in the end? Did he manage to get his 497 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: way back to the orphanage? Did a mall survive? I asked, 498 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: but she chose not to give an answer. Truth be told, 499 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: I was disappointed. I felt you didn't trust my heart, 500 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: you didn't want me to get any closer to your story. 501 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 1: She returned dressed in black and said, get up, we 502 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: are going somewhere special. With my teary eyes, I gazed 503 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: at her and said, where on this part of the 504 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: planet is there somewhere special. She got angry at my 505 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: answer and said, I am not worthy of knowing thyer 506 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: in the first place. If I didn't believe in this 507 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: part of the planet, have to know that. I felt ashamed. 508 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: We eventually left. She took me to places I have 509 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: never been to. The narrow, dark roads of the camp 510 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 1: captivated my heart. I felt that bitter sweet sensation. I 511 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: felt you were there. I was sure you were there. 512 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: On our way to the special place, Aunty Karama didn't 513 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: stop talking about every single family in the camp. Stories 514 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: of deep agony were our companions. I asked her how 515 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: she could know all these stories. She said that our 516 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: nakba is no secret. I admired her more than ever. 517 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: In my eyes, she had been no more than a 518 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: dull history teacher. It was the first time I knew 519 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: that she refused to get promoted to be more than 520 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: a third grade teacher. She believed in children. She said, 521 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: she couldn't leave the hope that resides in their pure 522 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: little hearts. Here we are, she said, I was totally surprised. 523 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: Was it even a place? I went in speechless. Auntie 524 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: Karama seemed to enjoy the remnants of a burned house. 525 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: A scent coming out of the earth enveloped me. I 526 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: couldn't wave it away. Auntie's smiling silence started to press 527 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: heavier on my heart. I lost sense of the place. 528 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: I'm nowhere, I'm everywhere, I'm here. Auntie's fruity voice finally 529 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: came to life such that you wouldn't believe it had 530 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: ever been silent. Goodness. Can you feel it? Your father 531 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: spent his entire youth teaching the kids here to spell Palestine, 532 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: P for passion, A for aspiration, L for life, E 533 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: for existence, S for sanity, T for trust, I for you, 534 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: N for nation, E for exultation. I, for a few seconds, 535 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:51,959 Speaker 1: was afraid that she too had gone crazy. Which kids, Auntie, 536 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 1: your special place is no more than a wasteland, I spoke. Finally, 537 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: she swallowed what seemed to be a great deal of anger. 538 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: She went back to the ruins. She smiled, she laughed, 539 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 1: she cried. She went on sighing. Now, what does your 540 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: place have to do with Thayer and Amal? I interrupted 541 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 1: her ongoing sighs. You know what, Mariam, you blew it. However, 542 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: I've always believed life is about second chances. You hardly 543 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: ever deserve them, but at some point we all need them, 544 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,440 Speaker 1: she tenderly replied to my rudeness. She went on, asking me, 545 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:29,760 Speaker 1: if you prayed for courage, does God give you courage 546 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:33,760 Speaker 1: or the chance to be courageous? If you prayed for truth, 547 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: does God give you his truth in your hand or 548 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: the chance to open your eyes? Life takes work, I believe, 549 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: I briefly answered. Then open your eyes, sweetheart, look past 550 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: the burned house. You'll find the answer by yourself. I 551 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,839 Speaker 1: believe in you, I believe in whomever your father told 552 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: the story of Feyer, she said, smiling at my teary eyes. 553 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 1: I couldn't see anything, Babab. Nothing caught my bleeding heart. 554 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: I felt ashamed. I felt you deserved a better successor. 555 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,360 Speaker 1: I lowered my head to the ground. I smiled, I laughed, 556 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 1: I cried. I kept on sighing at the sight of 557 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 1: the olive tree, standing alive at the very edge of 558 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: the burned house of the Orphanage, Thayer's seeds grew up. 559 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: Nothing else was left, but the tree was enough for me, Ramal, 560 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: for their and for you, my dearest Baba. It is 561 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: when darkness prevails that I sit by the window to 562 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: look past all those electricity free houses, smell the sweet 563 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 1: scent of a calm, gosen night, feel the fresh air 564 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 1: going straight to my heart, and I think of you, 565 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:45,280 Speaker 1: of me, of Palestine, of the Orphanage, of the olive tree, 566 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: of you, of a mall, of Mama, of you, of 567 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:52,360 Speaker 1: my history, class of Aunti Karama, of you, of God, 568 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: of Palestine, of Thier's story. That's the end of that story. 569 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 1: Ah Lord, What do I have to say about this story? 570 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: I almost feel selfish in the way that the story 571 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 1: connects with me. But my Irish grandmother went by, Baba, 572 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: and I don't know why. So immediately when I start 573 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: this story, I think about my grandmother who always talked 574 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,880 Speaker 1: to the dead. She lost her son like when he 575 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 1: was you know, a young man, and she never you know, 576 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 1: really recovered from it, and she would walk around and 577 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:33,080 Speaker 1: she would talk to him, and it kind of I 578 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 1: don't know whether that was cultural or religious for her 579 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 1: or not, but it kind of rubbed off on the 580 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: family to just talk to the dead. So this story 581 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:49,800 Speaker 1: of talking to Baba hit me real hard, and I 582 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 1: don't know. I also while reading it, I feel really 583 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: grateful for the job I have. I know this sounds weird. 584 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 1: I feel really grateful that I got to read these 585 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:03,439 Speaker 1: stories to you. It feels like the payoff of doing 586 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: this show is this particular episode and this way of 587 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 1: understanding that people are people all over the world, and 588 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: that when we reduce things to news stories, we lose 589 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:28,239 Speaker 1: the actual stories. And it's through story and poetry that 590 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 1: we really understand who each other are and that we're 591 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 1: able to connect with each other. And I think that 592 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,839 Speaker 1: we have any hope of accomplishing anything. And I really 593 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 1: appreciate this story's willingness to be we'raw and honest about 594 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 1: being like, I'm not a worthy successor, right, but no 595 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,360 Speaker 1: one is, and we're all just people. And I really 596 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:55,280 Speaker 1: like how well this story carries that, and it doesn't 597 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,239 Speaker 1: put us down, doesn't put people down to say we're 598 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: just people. You know, the thought is not a perfect 599 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:04,919 Speaker 1: character in this book or whatever, right, neither is the protagonist, 600 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: and yet you know here they are doing a thing 601 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: and they're not put down in any way, and if anything, 602 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 1: they're elevated by that. Yeah, and Hazel, who I owe 603 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: so much to for helping put all of this together, 604 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: Hazel says quote. This story and Sarah's both split my 605 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: heart open. At every turn away toward hardness and apathy. 606 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: Hannan invites readers to turn towards the rending to feel 607 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:37,360 Speaker 1: her deep grief, but also her profound connection to place, 608 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 1: to history, to legacy, to life itself. It makes me 609 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:44,640 Speaker 1: feel raw, so mortal, but so alive. It's been a 610 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,240 Speaker 1: few days since I read these again while writing the script, 611 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 1: and what they say about how inviting in the grief 612 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: invites the joy and attention is so true, and it's 613 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 1: a wonder to keep learning this. I've been just so 614 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: heavy with grief for Gaza and Palestine, but at the 615 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 1: same time, I'm never more enraptured by the sunset on 616 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:05,200 Speaker 1: my drive home, so full of gratitude for the lingering 617 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,360 Speaker 1: strawberry taste of a sour candy, so attuned to my 618 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 1: rootedness to the city I call home. Palestine really is 619 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 1: the heart of it all. And to close out this 620 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: particular episode, I have one poem for you today, and 621 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: it's by the anthology's editor, doctor Rafada Larier. Originally from Gaza, 622 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,800 Speaker 1: Rafot completed his graduate studies in the UK and earned 623 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: a PhD in English and Malaysia. Afterward, he went back 624 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: home to Gaza. Determined to serve his community. He took 625 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:38,440 Speaker 1: a position as a professor of English literature at the 626 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 1: Islamic University of Gaza, where he had completed his bachelor's degree, 627 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,920 Speaker 1: where he taught for sixteen years. He frequently said that 628 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,240 Speaker 1: one of his main goals of teaching was to highlight 629 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: the parallel experiences of Palestinians and Jews through literature, and 630 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: this is hard to read. Rafot co founded the organization 631 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,920 Speaker 1: We Are Not Numbers, which paired up established writers with 632 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:08,399 Speaker 1: emerging authors in Gaza, quote, promoting the power of storytelling 633 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: as a means of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. 634 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 1: According to Wikipedia, Rafat also volunteered at the Gaza Zoo, 635 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 1: which he continued during the war. Ali Abanima remembers Rafot 636 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:25,399 Speaker 1: as quote teaching us that stories are what binds us 637 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: together and keep our hope alive. Rafat was killed by 638 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 1: an Israeli missile strike on December sixth, twenty twenty three, 639 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:38,719 Speaker 1: alongside his brother Sellah and Salah's son Mohammed, his sister Asma, 640 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:42,920 Speaker 1: and her three children, Allah, Yahiah, and Mohammad, while they 641 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 1: were all taking shelter in Osma's apartment. He was forty 642 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: four years old. In a statement, the Euro Mediterranean Human 643 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,720 Speaker 1: Rights Monitor stated that because of the highly surgical nature 644 00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 1: of the strike, it is likely that Rafat and his 645 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 1: family were quote deliberately targeted. Over thirty members of Verrafats 646 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,040 Speaker 1: and his wife's Nusaba's family have been murdered by the 647 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,840 Speaker 1: Israeli military, including his daughter Shima, who was murdered with 648 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: her infant child, who would have been Raffat's first grandchild. 649 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,239 Speaker 1: From the Anthologies twenty twenty four forward by Ali Abinama, 650 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:26,359 Speaker 1: Rafat's killing was part of Israel's systematic and targeted extermination 651 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:32,760 Speaker 1: of Gaza's leading intellectuals, academics, and scientists, a hallmark of genocide. 652 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:36,960 Speaker 1: By late twenty twenty four, Israel had murdered at least 653 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:40,960 Speaker 1: ninety four university professors, along with hundreds of teachers and 654 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:45,320 Speaker 1: thousands of students, it had destroyed every university in Gaza 655 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 1: and damaged to destroyed hundreds of schools, and then from 656 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:54,160 Speaker 1: Wikipedia because this editor's phrasing is too good to adapt. 657 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: In his last interview before being killed, with the sound 658 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: of Israeli bombs exploding in the background, ALiR said that 659 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: Gasens felt helpless and that while he had no weapons, 660 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 1: he would defend himself if the Israeli army were to 661 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:12,840 Speaker 1: come to his house using his expoe marker. In twenty eleven, 662 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: Rafot published the poem if I Must Die electronically and 663 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: had since been read widely and translated into over two 664 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: hundred languages. Ahmed Nahad, a close friend and colleague overrfought, 665 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 1: remembered If I Must Die was actually written for his 666 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:33,319 Speaker 1: daughter Shimam. She's the one that was told to tell 667 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:36,920 Speaker 1: his story, to sell his things and to not lose hope. 668 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:41,640 Speaker 1: Ahmed said, And so here's this poem, if I Must Die, 669 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:45,759 Speaker 1: by Arafat a laryer. If I must die, you must 670 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 1: live to tell my story, to sell my things, to 671 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 1: buy a piece of cloth and some strings make it 672 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 1: white with a long tail, so that a child somewhere 673 00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: in Gaza, while looking heaven in the eye, awaiting his 674 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,680 Speaker 1: dad who left to the blaze and bid no one farewell, 675 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 1: not even to his flesh, not even to himself. Seize 676 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:11,239 Speaker 1: the kite, my kite you made flying up above, and 677 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: thanks for a moment. An angel is there bringing back love. 678 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:18,960 Speaker 1: If I must die, let it bring hope, Let it 679 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:23,640 Speaker 1: be a tale. And the bios of our authors today. 680 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:28,600 Speaker 1: Sarah Ali I'm a Palestinian teacher and a writer from Gaza. 681 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 1: I studied English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza 682 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 1: and have recently finished a pH d in English at 683 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:38,399 Speaker 1: the University of Cambridge. I blog mostly in Arabic from 684 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: time to time at s A R A H M 685 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:48,839 Speaker 1: A l I dot WordPress dot com. Since the start 686 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:51,759 Speaker 1: of the genocide, Samir Foundation has been doing great work 687 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,480 Speaker 1: in Gaza. People can donate at Samir Foundation dot org. 688 00:43:56,120 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: S A M. R Foundation dot org. And Hanan Habashi. 689 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 1: I'm Hanan an educator with a background and applied linguistics 690 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: in literature. Much of what I do, whether in teaching, storytelling, 691 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:16,120 Speaker 1: or community projects, has been shaped by questions of language, memory, 692 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:19,880 Speaker 1: and the ordinary human story. People can keep up with 693 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 1: me through my Instagram account at Hanan writes, that's h 694 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: A n A r I G h T S. I 695 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 1: use it to share writing reflections and projects close to 696 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 1: my heart and the anthology that these stories come from. 697 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 1: Kasa writes. Back is available online from PM Press or 698 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 1: in person from a radical bookstore near you. And I'm 699 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:50,799 Speaker 1: Margaret Kiljoy and until next time, the fuck ice free Palestine, 700 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: take care of each other or all we've got or 701 00:44:54,680 --> 00:45:01,320 Speaker 1: all we need. What Could Happen Here is a production 702 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:02,360 Speaker 1: or cool Zone Media. 703 00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:05,600 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 704 00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:09,280 Speaker 4: Coolzonmedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 705 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:12,880 Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts, you can 706 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,280 Speaker 4: now find sources for It could Happen Here listed directly 707 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:17,600 Speaker 4: in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening.