E-mail Communication

In the early days of Sabeel in the nineties I got introduced to communication via e-mail.  And as the work was expanding we were  getting  lots of visitors.  Meeting new people and keeping in touch, an e-mail address seemed to be the perfect solution. With new  participants in the Sabeel International Conferences my  e-mail list was getting longer and longer, that  eventually I had to make lists of groups according to regions or sometimes according to organizations, local as well as international.   The best part of this means of  communication was efficiency in delivering a message on time,  over and above being spared a trip to the post office. But above all it was a means of disseminating information and details of what was happening in the Occupied Territories that never got to reach the media.  Many stories that I had sent were a basic source of information for my book,  Reflections from Palestine: A journey of Hope that was published in 2013

Very often I lose touch with friends not knowing what has become of them.  However what really breaks my heart  is when I hear of the passing of a friend, and I need to remove the name from one of my lists.    The procedure never fails to bring a tear to my eye as I mark the name and press “delete.”  Indeed the name of that dear person has been deleted but his/her memory will always be there.  Recently and within a few months I lost three dear friends,  Albert Aghazerian, Ramzi Rihan, and Rev. Rafik Farah.  Bless their souls, and bless you  all my friends.  Stay safe and well.  Samia 

The Corona Lockdown

As the discussion continues on easing the Lockdown that has paralyzed the whole world, I could not but reflect on a quotation by one of the Palestinian refugees the day she arrived in Birzeit in 1948.  The Palestinians from Ramleh and Lydda were evicted by the Israeli army in the hot month of July 1948 and forced to walk for two days before they found refuge in Birzeit and Ramallah.  

Many books were written about this part of the Palestinian catastrophe,  and I alluded to it in my book -  Reflections from Palestine: A Journey of Hope.  Prof Reja-e Busailah  describes that walk  meticulously and so vividly in his book “In the Land of My Birth” when at the age of 19 he joined the people of Lydda in this exodus march.  

As we continued to listen to the various personal stories of a number of those exhausted refugees,  one lady was ever so grateful that she arrived alive, realizing the loss of life that took place on that journey and among those  who stayed behind.  Referring to what she had left behind, she said: “Property cannot bring back life, but life can bring back material belongings.  Yes indeed many of the Palestinians who survived that Nakba, in fact,  get credit for the development of many of the Arab countries as well as a number of institutions in different parts of the world.  

When the Corona Pandemic invaded the world, one of the earliest governments that took action on a lockdown was that of  Palestine.  It was a wise decision because, a country under occupation with limited resources and access to facilities, could not afford the luxury of procrastination.  Ironically the most developed countries like the US was late to react, and the statistics on the loss of life says a lot. 

However, after a two-month lockdown it is not surprising that  business people are starting to worry and the pressure to go back to normal life has already started.  We have watched people on the beaches, out in stores, but the apprehension is still there.  Will money be more dear than life, or could there be a compromise?  I could not help but think of that old lady from Ramleh “Property cannot bring back life, but life can bring back material belongings.”