Cinnamon Zone: Intrahistory

Just reminiscing

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:57:00 GMT

So today we went to visit my grandma after she got out from hospital. My two uncles and aunt were there too. It's been a while since we've had such a gathering...

Anyways, we started off talking about diets, politics, work, how wierd guys are (well that had to be discussed in a classified session) and a variety of subjects...

Anyways, the most interesting part came afterwards. I was sitting with my cousin in her room watching her working on some design, when we heard everyone bursting into laughter. She was like: "At last! someone's laughing here"...

The reason behind all these laughters was the one that has been the cgief cause of it. The were reminiscing the past. And when I say the past, I mean something like 50 years ago, in a small village in Palestine, Jerusalem, Silwan...

The stories of the people in "El7ara elfoka" (The upper hood) has always been a great amusement. And today, I've heard stories I hear for the first time. Things that make you think: "Those people were leading such a simple happy life"...

Imagine someone knocking at your door at 3 AM, would you rise from your bed, not only to open the door, but also to receive those night visitors at your home, and keep chatting with them till the break of the dawn. Well, it happened back then in Silwan. My grandma's house was beside the bakery, so the women would come at 1, 2 or 3 AM... to reserve their turn in baking their bread first, or as my grandma would put it "be7meen dor"... And since the women can't stay waiting in the street, they all go down to my grandma's place, and stay there till the bakery is off and running...

Now, if you could imagine that, try to imagine you're soemthing around 18 or 19, ling you that he wants you to come with him now to ask for a girl's hand in marriage for someone else, and you just say: "It's cool, let's get going"! Then you walk all the way through bumpy unpaved roads, in the dark, then stumbling and falling down, and yet keep going on your quest. Then when you get to the bride's house, her mother tells you to go right from where you came, because two suitors are already carrying the chips over their shoulders for her... no need for more problems!

Even thsoe thatr happened to be scary bad memories, they become mere memories and you can clearly see the bright side now. Like when someone gave my fahter a bike, and told him to bolt down the road, without telling him that the bike had no breaks. So, my father figured that out as the bike sped down the road nad won't stop. He was shouting and yelling, but peopel thought he was hooraying our of joy or something. He was faced with a deep drop-off in front of him, and at the neck of the time, he steered off, hitting the wall, flying over and landing between two graves in the Jewish grave yard... Pretty spooky!

Well, there are tons of stories, now if it's my time to recall some stuff, I would remember how my dad used to tell us those stories over nad over when I was a kid... You can't get enough of that! Who knows who will we be telling them to next...

Qana all over again

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 13:57:00 GMT

I wonder how will those pro-Israel's rationalize this crime... Just shut up! Shut up because you exceeded all limits, you did that long ago, but this is like the last straw...

Israel raid 'kills dozens' in Qana

Beirut/Tel Aviv (dpa) - An Israeli raid Sunday on a building sheltering civilians east of the southern port city of Tyre, killed over 50 people and wounded several others, witnesses and police said.

It was the highest casualty toll in any single incident since the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas began on July 12.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and House Speaker Nabih Berri said after the number of casualties became known that "there will be no negotiations with Israel until there is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire."

But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his ministers at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting that Israel was in no hurry to agree to a truce before it achieved its aims in the fighting.

"Israel is in no rush to reach a ceasefire before we get to that point where we could say that we reached the main objectives we had set forth," he said.

"I can see at least 18 dead and several are still under the rubble," a witness at the scene of the bombing told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"Most of the killed are children and women," said the witness.

"I can say this is a massacre. Most of the people here have fled other areas to hide from the Israeli bombardment from other areas in southern Lebanon," a Red cross volunteer at the scene told dpa.

"There are several wounded under the rubble and we are having still difficulty to evacuate them," he added.

"This is the same scene I saw in 1996 ... at least 20 children are among the dead," a witness told dpa.

The witness said the residential area was targeted by fifty shells since dawn.

The building was housing refugees in the village of Qana, east of Tyre. A massacre took place in the same village in 1996 when Israeli shells hit a UN shelter, killing 109 people.

"This is a collective punishment against the civilians in southern Lebanon," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said.

An Israeli army spokesman said the Hizbollah guerrilla group had launched "numerous attacks" from the area, but would not say why that specific building had been targeted.

Israeli ground troops, meanwhile, extended their operations in southern Lebanon, moving northwards to battle Hizbollah militiamen in the village of Taibe.

An army spokeswoman said two soldiers had so far been injured in the fighting, and three Hizbollah fighters had been hit.

The 19th day of the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah had begun with the Israel Air Force bombing Lebanon and the Iranian-backed guerrilla group launching missiles at northern Israeli towns.

An army spokeswoman said the air force flew over 40 raids overnight, bombing 10 structures used by Hizbollah and attacking roads used by the guerrillas to move their missiles.

Hizbollah fired around 40 rockets at northern Israel Sunday morning. No injuries were reported.

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expected meanwhile to continue her talks Sunday with Israeli officials, among them Defence Minister Amir Peretz and Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni.

Rice met Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late Saturday night, shortly after arriving back in the region for her second mediation trip in less than a week.

During their two-hour meeting they discussed conditions for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.

Israel has said its aims in the fighting include having the Lebanese army deploy in the south, bolstered by an international force, significantly weakening Hizbollah's military ability, and securing the release of of two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hizbollah on June 12 during a cross-border raid.

The incident sparked Israel's major offensive against Hizbollah and other targets in Lebanon.

The games children play in Gaza

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:43:00 GMT

Most areas of the Gaza Strip are currently experiencing an extremely difficult period -- Israeli warplanes and tanks never stop, day or night, firing heavy artillery against every target possible.

Homes, institutions and infrastructure never escape the Israeli shelling; power and water plants have been severely hit so far, main roads have been damaged, buildings and homes have been shelled.

Moreover, civilians along with resistance fighters have been killed and wounded due to such non-stop Israeli aggression, while the lives of Gaza Strip residents have reverted to the way things were in 1967, when Israeli occupation forces occupied the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In one of the Strip's many refugee camps, a camp called Maghazi in the central part of the Gaza Strip, two Palestinian children laid down on top of sand bags, which had been placed on the entrance of their alley. “Why are you lying there?”, I asked the boys – Ibrahim, 9, and Ahmad, 14.

"We are lying here with our 'rifles' to defend our camp from the Israeli forces, we will kill them if they enter the camp "

In the main street in Maghazi, which is about 300 meters long, many sand bags have been placed by resistance fighters, apparently as a sort of defense against a likely Israeli attack on the camp. Sand bags, dirt piles, rocks blocking roads are being placed in various areas in light of Israeli military announcement that they will reinvade the 'liberated' Gaza Strip, to release an Israeli soldier who is being held by Palestinian resistance fighters.

Ibrahim and Ahmad, the two school children , have found no enjoyment in the fact that they are off school, and on summer holiday. Instead, they find themselves without food, without potable water, lying on top of sand bags and holding wood rifles, instead of enjoying the holiday as other children around the world are able to.

Senior Palestinian residents say that this situation resembles, to a great extent, the first days of the Israeli-Arab war of 1967, when the Gaza Strip fell into the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.

Munir Abdullah 60, of Maghazi refugee camp, says, "In June 1967, the Israeli forces waged a sweeping war in which they occupied the Gaza Strip including Maghazi. On that day, the people fled their homes, seeking refuge, while many others including resistance men placed the sand bags in every corner of the camp as you see here today."

"My brother Fathi, who was then 17 years old was defending the camp, like many others, behind sand bags, and he was shot and killed by the Israeli forces", Munir says.

"What the Israelis are doing is reversing the wheel of history four decades back; they are destroying everything, they are killing people in streets, I feel I have never grown up, I feel I am re-living 1967, when Israel first occupied the Gaza Strip as they are now about to reoccupy it."

The Israeli government has recently decided to gradually launch a military attack on the Gaza Strip, intending to reoccupy it, under the pretext of releasing a soldier, who was captured by some resistance fighters in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah a few days ago.

Because of the latest Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, about 1.3 million Palestinians have been forced to live primitively; with candlelights at night, small radios in their hands and with sand bags on streets; all are worried about imminent Israeli invasions of their areas.

The Israeli occupation have closed all border crossings and commercial outlets, preventing the entry of any single person, food or even a single tank of gas. An entire population, already suffering from international aid cuts due to their democratic choice of a Hamas government in January 2006 elections, are now huddled in the darkness, behind sandbags, watching the thousands of Israeli tanks lined up on the border, and fearing for the worst

Palestine...the exodus and the odessey. Part V

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 13:24:00 GMT

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فلسطينيون... لاجئون

أيقظتنا الشمس بنورها الساطع، و كان لضجيجي المهجرين الذين كانوا يتدفقون من مدينتي اللد و الرملة أثره الرهيب في صباح ذلك اليوم، و صراخ الذين انهارت أعصابهم جراء الرعب و الهلع الذي أصابهم و هم يبحثون عن أحبة لهم

بدأت منذ الصباح عملية نقل الذين وصلوا قرية نعلين إلى بلدتي رام الله و البيرة و ما جاورهما بسيارات شحن مدنية و عسكرية، و راح والدي يبحث و يسأل عن شقيقيه و شقيقاته و أقارب آخرين، وجدنا بعضهم و بلغتنا أخبار عن آخرين

نقلتنا سيارات شحن من قرية نعلين إلى مدينة رام الله. أنزلونا في مدرسة للبنات جنوبي المدينة. حشرنا في غرف المدرسة حشرا، و وزع علينا الخبز و شربنا حتى ارتوينا

تردت الحالة الصحية لشقيقي الصغير توفيق نتيجة للعطش و الحر و ضربات الشمس الشديدة في يوم التهجير (كان في الثانية من عمره) و بعد أيام أسلم الروح، و فقدناه

ثلاثة أشياء حرصت على حملها معي من بيتنا عندما أخرجنا من اللد: جواز سفر فلسطيني- بريطاني، و ألبوم صور صغير، و بعض نقود كنت أملكها. حاول المسلحون الصهاينة أن يسلبوني جواز السفر و ألبوم الصور، لكني تمكنت بإصرار من إبقائهما معي. أما المبلغ الزهيد الذي أخرجته معي مع ما كان مع والدي، فقد ساعد لتدبر بعض الحاجيات البسيطة لحياتنا الجديدة. بعد نفاذها حاول والدي أن يقترض بضعة جنيهات من أصدقاء و أقارب، لكن أحدا لم يكن قادرا على استجابة طلبه

قرر والدي و شقيقه و أقارب آخرون (كنا نحو سبعين نفرا من آل شموط و أقارب لهم) أن نرحل إلى خانيونس (وسط قطاع غزة) أملا في بعض أصدقاء للعائلة هناك، كي يساعدونا في تلك الظروف الصعبة

كنا نظن أن الوصول إلى خانيونس لن يستغرق سوى ساعات قليلة، و أن الطريق إليها ميسرة. غير أننا خضنا غمار رحلة شاقة و خطرة أخرى للوصول إلى هناك

كان النتقال من رام الله إلى القدس هينا، و لم تستغرق الرحلة وقتا يذكر، أما الطريق المتاحة للوصول إلى بيت لحم فكانت طويلة و وعرة -غير معبدة- التفافية و خطرة، لأنها كانت تحت سيطرة اليهود، إذ تمترس المسلحون على مشارفها و أقاموا فوق رباها مواقع عسكرية اصطلينا بنارها و اضطررنا أحيانا للزحف -رجالا و نساء و اطفالا- لتفادي رصاص العدو

و مرة أخرى، عانينا في ذلك اليوم من العطش و الجوع، و من إرهاق السير عل تلك الطريق، غير أن كرم أهل قرى المنطقة قصر من طول فترة العطش و الجوع

وصلنا في ىخر النهار مدينة بيت لحم و نحن في حالة يرثى لها، بتنا ليلة عند ناصية أحد أزقتها، و في اليوم التالي نقلتنا سيارة باص إلى مدينة الخليل

بعد نحو أسبوعين وصلنا خانيونس و استقبلنا أصدقاء الوالد خير استقبال، و قدموا لنا العون الممكن الذي سد رمقنا و حاجتنا الملحة، من ضمنها خيمة جرس مربعة نصبت في كرم كساب و حشرت فيها ثلاث عائلات من آل شموط، و بلغ عدد من كانوا يبيتون فيها نحو خمسة و عشرين نفرا على الأقل. بعد عدة أسابيع كان علينا ان ننتقل لننضم إلى جموع اللاجئين و نعيش في مخيم خصص لعائلات من اللد، مسيج بالأسلاك الشائكة و له بوابة واحدة قرب المسلخ

كنا من أوائل اللاجئين الذين سكنوا أول مخيم أقيم في خانيونس فوق سوافي الرمال البيضاء الذهبية الساحرة بنقائها، و التي تمتاز بتغير أشكالها و ألوانها تحت تأثير ضوء الشمس نهارا و ضوء القمر ليلا. لكن جمال تلك التلال الرملية لم يدم طويلا، إذ راحت بعض الآليات و الرجال يعملون على تسوية تلك التلال كي تكون مناسبة لاستقبال آلاف اللاجئين

Palestine... The Exodus and The Odessey. Part IV

Tue, 23 May 2006 23:47:00 GMT

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العطش على طريق التيه...2

أخذ الإرهاق و التعب منا مأخذه، فبدأت المسيرة تتعثر بسبب عدم قدرة المسنين و المرضى و الأطفال على الاستمرار. بدأ البعض ممن أرهقهم السير الشاق يفتش عن ظل صخرة ليرتاح قربها، بينما راح بعض الفتيان يفتشون عن ماء في بئر منسي هنا أو هناك... أي ماء

و بالفعل، فقد وجدنا بعض الآبار المهجورة، أو حفرا طبيعية بين الصخور، ترسبت فيها بقايا مياه عكرة. غببنا الماء كالخيول، و راح بعضنا يفتش عن وعاء أو عن حبل أو ما يمكن أن يشكل حبلا، ليدلي كل بدلوه. مئات من الأشخاص تدافعوا للحصول على رشفة من تلك الآبار ليبللوا شفاه أمهاتهم أو أبنائهم إو إخوتهم أو المسنين منهم

كان مجرد مشاهدة شخص يركض و هو يحمل أو يخبيء شيئا يعني أن ذلك الشخص يحمل ماء، فترى العشرات يندفعون للحاق به، آملين أن ينال الواحد منهم رشفة ماء

ذبل الأطفال من شدة الحر كما تذبل الزهور العطشى، وجوههم كانت كئيبة، مغبرة، شاحبة، و شفاههم بدت بيضاء من شدة العطش

مع اشتداد الحر دبت الفوضى بين الجموع، و تفاقم العطش و التعب و الإرهاق، و فقد الكثير من الناس القدرة على تمييز الأشياء، فضاع أطفال كثيرون، و سقطت على الأرض هامات المسنين و المرضى و الحوامل، و تحولوا إلى جثث لا حراك فيها. لم يعد الأطفال يطيقون صبرا، أو قادرين على مواصلة السير، فارتفع بكاؤهم و أنينهم، و أصيب الآباء و الأمهات بالهلع و هم يشاهدون فلذات أكبادهم يتلوون أو يحتضرون عطشا، و كالمجانين أخذوا يبحثون عن رشفة من ذلك الماء العكر و الآسن

كنت ممن تمكن من أن يجد له مكانا بين جموع المتجمهرين حول أحد تلك الآبار، و أدليت بدلوي مع عشرات مثلي، و بعد عدة محاولات، تمكنت بمساعدة شقيقي من الحصول على بعض الماء. حافظت على أكبر قدر منه، خبأته تحت بقايا قميصي الذي ابتل، و رحت أركض باتجاه والدي و إخوتي. كان الماء عكرا و له طعم العفونة، لكنه ماء. شربت أمي و إخوتي الصغار جرعات قليلة أولا، و بقي شيء منه لوالدي و لي و لإخوتي الكبار

فجأة هجمت علي امرأة عطشى، كانت تتسول رشفة أو جرعة ماء، و عندها شاهدت قميصي المبتل، ارتمت علي ممسكة بأطراف القميص لتمتص منه عصارته أو ما علق به من ماء. راح البعض يقتلع جذور النباتات بحثا عن رطوبة فيها

بأم عيني شاهدت في ذلك اليوم جثثا لأطفال و مسنين ماتوا عطشا، غطاها الأقرباء في تلك الطريق الوعرة بالقش و بقايا أغصان يابسة، و تابعوا المسير. أما الأطفال التائهون عن أهلهم، فتلك مصيبة أخرى. و قبل مغيب الشمس، رأيت رجلا من عائلة "هارون" ، الرجل نفسه الذي كان مسؤولا طيلة أربعين عاما عن توزيع الماء في مدينة اللد، كان يصرخ متألما من شدة العطش و الإرهاق. سمعته يصيح في الناس: يا ناس! لقد أسقيتكم أربعين عاما، فليسقني أحدكم اليوم رشفة ماء واحدة

بعد المغيب كنا، والدي و إخوتي و أخواتي، أوائل من وصل إلى مشارف قرية نعلين في قضاء مدينة رام الله، فهب أهل القرية بكرمهم الفطري لإنقاذنا بتقديم الماء و الخبز، و بعض الدواب المتيسرة لنقل العجزة و المرضى و الحوامل. و في تلك الليلة نمنا تحت أشجار الزيتون، مفترشين الأرض و ملتحفين السماء