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| Al-Awda New York, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition | |
The Refugee Children of Bethlehem: A Childhood Lost
Our friends everywhere,
Last three days, life becoming more and more miserable in Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Two martyrs killed in three days by the Israeli army. Despite that Dheisheh Refugee Camp is far a few kilometers from the Israeli checkpoints. The number of the martyrs increased and its became four since the beginning of the Intefada, which means that Dheisheh boys and youth distributed themselves everywhere in Bethlehem area.
Mostafa Fararjah 22 years old was killed in Beit Jalla, Abdullah Amarnah 24 years old killed in the entrance of Bethlehem, Abudlkader Abu Laban 21 years old killed in Al-Khader village, and toddy Moataz Tailakh 16 years old killed in the entrance of Bethlehem.
The mothers are moving between the martyrs houses, each mother is worried about her children, and two days ago the mother of Moataz visted the mother of Abudlkader to try to help this family to support and to encourage. Today Abudlkader mother visited Moataz’s mother to encourage her. In Moataz’s house the four mothers crying together. Trying to find condolences in their tears.
Tens of other mothers are crying, and Mostafa’s mother who is blind screaming saying that we should not finish our tears, we should keep them for the future, because the land of Palestine is thirsty and need more blood and tears. Every mother feels depressed and sad, because each of them expecting to be martyr’s mother anytime. This is the Intefada of the mothers.
Eleven thousand are living in Dheisheh Refugee Camp; around 55% of them are under 18 years old. Most of the children around the martyr house, there eyes very angry, there faces very sad, the sadness took a place on their faces and sati led there seems that the smile left a long time ago.
Most of them carrying the slingshot in their bucket, and hanging them in their necks. (The slingshot became the weapon and the mate of everyone everywhere). Some of the children keep their slingshot in their school bags between the books with the pencils. I have filmed many children during the clashes when they are coming with their school bags, when they reach the clash they open their bags and took their slingshots and they start throwing stones – what I mean that the slingshot became like a pencil or a book.
In some street in Dheiesheh you find some children playing Intefada games; they divided themselves in to two groups, one representing the Israeli army and the other is the Palestinians demonstrator. In last two months we took four cases to the hospital from these games, because the children who is playing the role of Israeli army acting very violent “representing the real Israeli solders “. In other streets you find boys playing the checkpoints game, and sometimes they stopped the cars and I was stopped once and one of the children asked me for my ID, and then he said “saa’” a Hebron word means go. I was smiling and I asked the boy why you are doing that, he answered don’t ask.
This is the children Intefada. When Abudlkader was killed we faced a problem in Dheiesheh Camp, where we will bury him, because the martyr’s cemetery in Beit Sahour is full. We decided to open new cemetery near to our Camp. One person donated one donm for the cemetery. In few hours dheiesheh youth built a grave for Abudlkader, and he was burried there.
Today when Moataz was killed his friends went there and they started digging a new grave while they are crying. There where many children around them, looking to the them. I was filming Moataz friends, and they refused to interview them. I interviewed one of the children, he is eleven years old, I asked him what you are doing here? He said Moataz is my neighbor he was very close to me. I asked him are you afraid to be in a cemetery? He said no, and I am strong enough, I was in many funerals in Bethlehem-today I went to the hospital to see Moataz, but they refused to let me see him. I asked him what do you like to be in the future? He said I don’t think that there is a future for me, but my dream is to be a driving teacher, and I don’t know if I will have the chance to achieve it or not. He left me to help the people whose digging.
Two martyrs bared in this cemetery in two days. We don’t know how many will be in this cemetery. This is the cemetery Intefada.
Ziad Abbas 8 Dec 2000
Ibdaa Center - Dheisheh Refugee Camp
Webmaster's Note: this letter was published with very minor spelling and grammar corrections.
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