Good morning Dear Anja;

I read your message with lots of respect to you and to all who are concerned
with the situation her in Gaza. I appreciate it very much the hard work
that you are doing to change the way of thinking of the western people using
all available tools in your hands. You tried it and lived with the
Palestinians and practiced the arab and muslims rules. I wish that everyone
who does not believe that we are like any other people in the world could
come to Gaza and be our guest.

Ramadan and Ramadan, grandfather and grandson


The Mukhtar with his great-grandson Mohammed

This time I want to talk about a very famous islamic rule in the Islamic
world which is Ramadan Holy Month that is coming soon – maybe Thursday or
Friday (14th or 15th of october). As always we are as muslims used to
Ramadan coming into good circumstances that are better that what is going on
nowadays. But in Palestine living under occupation, it is the same. Very
difficult and not like in other muslims countries. In all islamic countries
Ramadan is an occusion for celebration and for increased socialization.
Actually, you can not imagine how perfect is it when all people become as
one unit and act the same. Fasting all day long and eating all night. What
is it special for me in Ramadan is the family warmness and all connected
facts to it.

In Ramadan (the holy month) we Hussein family have our own and special
rules. Our family consists of 7 small families 52 people of all ages who
live in one big block. At our house there is an old place that is called
(Sheq) which means the house of the family. All grownups of the family or
who are refugees from the same village we belong to (Kawkaba) meet at this
place everyday for at least three hours. This place is special for us all
because it is the place of my grandfather who is the Mukhtar of the village.
Mukhtar means the leader and it is an hounorable position of the family for
a person to be the official leader. Since I started understanding the rules
of the holy month (Ramadan), when I was 8 years old, I loved it because it
has been very special for me as a child. Waking up early in the morning and
being together all the family to be prepared for the fasting day and fasting
all day long waiting to break our fasting at the Sheq. All of us together
breaking our fasting aroung a big meal with our leader the Mukhtar. For me
as a child Ramadan was a game with the other children, challenging each
other with being able to fast. Family is the key word in the subject.
Ramadan is all about family and connections withing the family. It
increases the social connections. My grandfather is not alive anymore but
the place is still there and the family is larger. My father is the leader
and I became a father myself. The rule is the same, we spend Ramadan
together as one big family. One day in Ramadan we invite all our sisters
and their husbands and children, this means more that 200 people together
spending a Ramadan day together. This day is the day that we all love the
most. No way anyone could not come, every single person who carry the name
of the family will come and break his fasting at the Sheq. You could not
imagine how big is it this meal and how nice is it to see all our relatives.

This is in brief what happens during Ramadan at my house and at many other
Palestinian houses. For me Ramadan is still the same and I look to it as I
am a little child who loves to live it as used to. I love being muslim and
living this month of the year. I love my family in a way that I could not
desrcibe it in words. Last Ramadan it was the first one to break our fasting
at the Sheq without our leader (my grandfather). All of us cried the first
day because he was special for us all and still is. My grandfather is
called Ramadan (may God bless his soul), he is still there, into our hearts
and minds especially in Ramadan.

Thanks a lot

Yours
Ramadan

Ramadan and Dalia, with little Mohammed, two years ago.

Dear Ramadan, first of all, congratulations for Mohammed and for you, Dalia and Machmoud!

I have had the privilege to be at your house in Bureije refugee camp several times during the years I worked in Gaza, and I remember the warmth, the big meals, I remember your brothers doing the barbecue on friday, I remember your mother who gave me a dress, and your unmarried sisters who still live in the house of your family. And all those grandchildren, I think even you don’t know exactly how many. But most of all I remember your grandfather, the Mukhtar of Kowkaba, when he was old but still an impressive man, and then later, when he was more sick and frail, preparing for the last year of his life. I remember how he loved to be visited by the children of your family, his great-grandchildren.
I have to explain to the Dutch people that your family are refugees coming from Kowkaba, which is now in Israel. Kowkaba was destroyed together with 400 other Palestinian villages. But when somebody asks one of your family where are you from, you still say Kowkaba. I remember your grandfather sitting in the room near the door, where he used to receive the men of Kowkaba after the morning prayer and he would cook coffee for them, and they would discuss the affairs of the people from Kowkaba. I remember that your grandfather did not want to paint the room, where he held the diwan because he said he was only staying there temporarily. He was going back to Kowkaba. And I remember you telling me that in his last years he cried a lot silently, probably because he knew he would not go back, and Kowkaba was lost to him. It is very sad that now slowly the people who still remember Palestine as it was once are leaving this life, and still there is no real hope for justice and peace.
But as I know you, and your family, today you will celebrate and have a party, because your sons are the future!

All my best and take care

Anja