{"id":3719,"date":"2022-05-20T08:09:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T04:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/?p=3719"},"modified":"2023-03-30T12:52:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T08:52:40","slug":"palestinian-youth-stay-connected-to-homeland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/2022\/05\/20\/palestinian-youth-stay-connected-to-homeland\/","title":{"rendered":"Palestinian youth stay connected to homeland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Palestinian youth in the United Arab Emirates stay connected to their culture and identity in many ways, but one thing that unites them is their collective and continuous aspiration for freedom <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Zahra Rashid<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sun is rising on her drive to university, and the melodies of Kouni<\/em> are dancing in her car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wind\u2019s soft hum reminds her of the olive trees in her front yard back home, swaying in the early mornings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The occasional honk of a car horn in the distance is like the clattering of pans she hears, as her aunt prepares hummus and boiled eggs for breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whizz of cars passing her by is reminiscent of the little kids she would watch running around playing catch in her village. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each strum of the oud and each rhyming lyric brings her closer and closer to her home in Beit Sourik, West Jerusalem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She might be sitting in the front seat of her car on the E311, but in her mind, she\u2019s relaxing on her grandmother\u2019s swing while the sun caresses her skin and the birds sing to her from the sky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jana Faisal Aljamal, a 23-year-old Palestinian girl brought up in the UAE, said that it is those quiet moments in the morning that she truly feels connected to her country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI indulge myself in an alternate reality where I am transcending borders and truly feeling the essence of Palestine within me,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aljamal said that staying involved with her culture and identity was not necessarily hard, living in the UAE.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Palestinian community always finds itself and we always draw closer together. During Eid, Ramadan, weddings, any occasion really, we make sure to create the Palestinian version of it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

She also said that her parents played a vital role in instilling Palestinian values within her and preserving their cultural atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of Palestinians would share a similar experience because our parents are usually very scared that we will let go of our national identity. We are prone to it, so they would go the extra mile to remind us of who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ghazal El Gharably, 17, also grew up in the UAE and is one of these Palestinian children whose parents carefully etched their traditions and lifestyle within. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mother only came here in 2003 as she was born and lived the first 18 years of her life in Gaza. Everyone refers to the food she makes as \u2018the best Gazawi food\u2019 which includes dishes like msakhan, maqlouba and vine leaves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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Image courtesy of Jana Faisal Aljamal<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This is one of the fundamental ways El Gharably remains connected to her culture, along with spending time with family on celebrations like Eid and dressing up in traditional clothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of Yarah Arikat\u2019s family, on the other hand, don\u2019t live in the UAE. She was born and spent her childhood in Cardiff, Wales, before moving to Sharjah. Her family originates from a village behind what is known as the \u201capartheid wall\u201d named Abu Dis in East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI feel like when I am around my family, even outside of Palestine, is when I feel the most active and connected with my culture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Arikat said that she rarely comes across fellow Palestinians who visit frequently, so whenever she does, she will always try and engage in conversation with them and exchange experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis makes me feel closer to my home country because I hear someone else speak of the things I felt like I was the only one who knew about here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Aljamal makes a conscious effort to to make sure everyone around her knows about Palestine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot only to be politically aware but to also know how beautiful it is and how nice our people are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She thinks this is because everything she has done in her life so far is for Palestine, and is motivated by her pursuit for liberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI chose my two majors, International Relations and Journalism, to understand politics further, to offer political representation for Palestine and to try and depict the reality of Palestinians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arikat agrees, saying that the reason she went into Health Sciences at university is so she can aid in recovery at hospitals back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to use my knowledge to help the less fortunate. With my degree, I hope to return to Palestine and volunteer as much as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A social media intifada <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May of 2021, families in the village of Sheikh Jarrah were being threatened by Israeli forces to be forcefully expelled from their homes. As this news trickled through social media, people began sharing it, commenting on it and trying to understand the situation further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#SaveSheikhJarrah became a trending hashtag with thousands of posts on many social media platforms. The movement highlighted voices from youth living in the neighborhood itself, such as Muna and Muhammed El Kurd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was very powerful. Even influencers started noticing it and so many people became more aware,\u201d said El Gharably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI think that was the most successful thing in the pursuit for freedom that happened for a very long time.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Aljamal echoed this, adding that for a moment, she left victorious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was the first time Palestine won the media war. Not because of mainstream news platforms supporting us but because people actually believed Palestinians for who they were and truly understood what it means to resist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Arikat acknowledges this, she doesn\u2019t think social media does anything for Palestinians besides spreading awareness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe clashes from last spring is just another day for your average Palestinian living in Jerusalem. We live in an age where the brutality faced against Palestinians is either overlooked, expected or twisted around online. So in terms of creating a difference and helping us gain freedom, [social media] does not have as great of an impact as I wish for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El Gharably, too, shares this sentiment and questions the value of social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople have started to ignore and neglect the situation as a result so I can\u2019t confidently say whether it is helpful or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless, with post after post of human rights violations and brutality on social media comes severe desensitization, especially for Palestinians watching from the diaspora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the saddest things is that you become extremely numb to all of it,\u201d said Aljamal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople would think that each time seeing it would trigger some trauma, but the reality is that it is no longer traumatic because of how much exposure there is and how much we have been through as a nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She recalls a \u201cgut wrenching\u201d moment from when she was visiting Palestine as a child, in comparison. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Image courtesy of Jana Faisal Aljamal<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe first time an Israeli soldier cocked a gun in front of me, I was six years old. I was so terrified and I wanted to cry. But now, because of how much I have experienced it [over the years], I don\u2019t even flinch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arikat said that when she was younger, seeing anything of the sort would leave her distraught. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt still makes my heart ache, but sadly I have become more used to it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El Gharably highlighted how she uses social media to remain updated with the news on the ground, but sometimes, comes to the horrific realization that it is all real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sit with myself and I\u2019m like \u2018these are actually my people [getting attacked]\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are positives that come with having access to social media, though, such as connecting with family and friends back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aljamal said she loves to occasionally get word about how everyone is doing in her village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho\u2019s getting married, who\u2019s getting divorced\u2026all the gossip. My connection with my culture is more about community than the material aspects like clothes or performances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI hope that once I graduate and go back home, I can use my education for the better and give back to those who need it. These thoughts help me cope with witnessing [brutality against Palestinians online],\u201d said Arikat. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Dreams from exile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy ultimate dream is to live in Palestine and raise my kids there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aljamal also said she yearns to be surrounded by Palestinians, everywhere she goes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to sit in a taxi where the driver is Palestinian, go to a coffee house where the barista is Palestinian, drink Palestinian coffee, spend time with my friends and family who are all Palestinian.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She feels like a lot of people get to live this reality without even knowing it, and they take it for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, El Gharably said she currently cannot visit Jerusalem so she dreams of a day where she can pray in Al Aqsa Mosque. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels like a very far dream but I have faith that it will come true, with the will of God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arikat shares this dream, and wishes for a life where Palestinians that are scattered across the globe can return to their homeland freely and enjoy their culture firsthand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish that we can get recognized without having to be associated with Israel and the genocide or terror that comes with their occupation,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201c[In my dreams] Palestine is finally seen as something other than a war ridden country.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Aljamal said that \u201cpeople get to go to a place where they are so sure that they belong. A place they call their homeland because everything feels like home.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI yearn to go home to the real free Palestine.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Palestinian youth in the United Arab Emirates stay connected to their culture and identity in many ways, but one thing that unites them is their collective and continuous aspiration for freedom  By Zahra Rashid The sun is rising on her drive to university, and the melodies of Kouni are dancing in her car.  The wind\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3720,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,28],"tags":[17,46,27],"class_list":{"0":"post-3719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-feature-articles","8":"category-features","9":"tag-community","10":"tag-culture","11":"tag-international"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}