Ramadan in Gaza: Fasting is old fashin

The first day of Ramadan here in the Palestinian occupied territories was on the twenty second of august 2009, remarkably this year not much preparations were taking place like every year, the markets aren't full of people and its just like any other month while the whole Arabic and Islamic world were preparing for Ramadan and hitting the markets creating a frenzy.

The first day was very normal with a strange sense of silence that we aren't used to here in Gaza, the children aren't in the streets neither before iftar time nor after it, they aren't playing with the little vracies or laughing or running around, people aren't gathering around and sitting in circles either in their backyards or infront of their door steps and things were really weird.

I started asking my neighbors about this weird phenomena or shall I say the disappearance of the usual phenomena and I got a similar response, so I asked other people that I know and the same answer kept popping up which is: " we haven't fully recovered from the war after-mass yet, we need more time to heal and forget". So now I know why people only kept one habit or duty during Ramadan which is going to the mosques and praying.

What happened next is really the outstandingly amazing part, so I was going to visit my friend who lives near the very famous popular market here in Gaza and then at 6:30pm I decided to head back home before iftar time, as I was wandering to find a taxi I saw this old woman holding two heavy bags and barely walking so I went to offer my help.

I approached the woman offering my help and she was glad I did, and then seized the opportunity to talk to her about my observations of the current Ramadan and what she said amazed me.

I asked her whether what I saw was out of my imagination or is it true that Ramadan is different and people are still hurt and she responded with a heavy breathe " Son what do you expect? It was a war that lasted for nearly a month taking the lives of our families, friends, neighbors, relatives and many people we know plus the demolish of our homes and country isn't that enough for us to stay hurt and traumatized for ever?"

I responded by saying " yes ofcourse grandma, so tell me why are you here buying groceries? Where is your son or husband? It's very hot and tiring for an old woman to be here at this time of day?"

She looked at me and her eyes were filled with misery and agony then she frowned and said " my husband died 5 years ago while fishing at the dangerous cursed sea of Gaza, the Israeli naval forces targeted his boat killing him and his best friend and his brother, I have four sons two of them were martyred during the recent vicious war that Israel also launched against us committing the worse genocide ever. I live now in a tent with my large family where I cook in the heat of this burning sun and sleep on this hot sand, Israel took everything from me and I don't know what's left to be taken but my soul! "

I felt my heart clench and I just couldn't know what to say so I asked her " grandma that's too much to be suffering from especially during Ramadan and the fasting issue, how are u managing to do it? "

With a weird huge smile she answered" son, fasting is an old fashion for us and heat is just something that we are very used to and don't get me started about how much we are familiar with rain and mud! You have to adjust to life and we are the only people in the world who are the best at this, we have to remain strong and resist no matter what happens. Do you think when we moved to live in a tent after the war we ate every day? We slept every day? We felt safe when the stray dogs bite our tents? Oh son, just leave to god and he will take care of us and help us be stronger."

I was speechless and in huge pain, all the war memories came back to me and I couldn't comfort her what ever I said so I kept silent until she found a taxi, she greeted me with a smile and patted my shoulders promising me to keep me in her prayers and left saying " I need to rush home or shall I see tent" and she laughed keeping me dazzled that after all her agonies she still posses a sense of humor.

I decided to walk home so I have more time to think, and after a huge amount of thinking I came out with three facts:

1- Fasting indeed is old fashion for many families here in Gaza.

2- The recent genocide committed against us changed our lives for ever and some things will never get back to normal.

3- We need much more to heal and recover, much more than I thought and we will always hold a scar of this mass massacre in our hearts.

So from here, from Gaza to the whole wide world we wish you all a normal Ramadan with god's blessing.

Omar Ghraieb