August 31, 2005
Friends,
Although we can’t sit on the stoop with friends in Zababdeh,
sipping tiny cups of coffee, we still dardash, or chat,
with them. With a free email account and a few shekels, our friends
can "meet" and "chat" with us online at Zababdeh’s
Internet cafes. We mix Arabic and English as we dardash,
typing numbers for sounds not found in English (e.g. the throaty
“Ayin” is “3”; hard “H” is
“7”). This makes our “chat windows” look
more like formulae for moon landings than conversations.
Most folks with whom we dardash are young Christian
men, because of the nature of our work in Zababdeh and because
Marthame does most of the chatting. They tell us town news—marriages,
births, deaths, greetings—and opinions on the situation.
There’s a joke that if you have four Palestinians you have
five opinions. Here are five opinions from four friends, discussing
the Gaza pullout, Palestinian state viability, and other issues.
Names and identifying details are changed.
Samer is a recent college graduate. Extremely bright, he’s
unemployed with little hope for work in the near future. He’s
often on the Internet, chatting about politics, religion, and
new software. “I’m ready for our elections,”
he says. “Abu Mazen is delaying because he knows Hamas will
win.” Should they win? “Isn't that democracy? The
majority rules. Everyone knows the PLO is corrupt. Hamas has no
corruption on their hands. They’ll clean up the Authority’s
messes, and that’s the best thing for Palestine right now.
Abu Mazen just waits. Israel will never make peace with the Palestinians
if we wait for them. Look at Gaza: the Israelis aren’t pulling
out, they’re laying siege. They’re surrounding it
by land, air, and sea. This is a direct result of Abu Mazen’s
passivity.” What about Hamas’ militancy? Their violence
during the intifada? “A complete failure. You can’t
get your way just by force. But you can’t get it just by
negotiations, either.” Don’t you worry about being
a Christian under a Hamas government? “Not at all. Hamas
respects Christians. I’ve found only respect from Hamas
activists.”
Haitham is a pre-med major. “President Abbas is wise to
reject violence and push for a ceasefire. The violence of the
intifada was a disaster for us.” What about Hamas? Will
they win the upcoming election? “There’s no way they’ll
win. Everyone now sees what their tactics deliver. Palestinian
TV shows the result of their efforts: when they fire rockets into
Israeli settlements, they kill Israeli children. And the response
kills Palestinian children. Everyone now sees the truth. For us,
the Gaza redeployment is the first step. It sets the precedent
that Israel will give us our land back. Once we regain the West
Bank, there will be peace and stability.” What if Hamas
wins the election? “As a Christian, I would rather leave
than live under Hamas. Their approach is strictly fundamentalist,
like Iran.”
Boutros works for the telephone utility in Jenin. Recently married,
he’s expecting his first child. “The Palestinian Authority
is completely useless. We’ve given them 12 years of unconditional
support, and what have they produced? Our issue is on the international
back burner. We’re surrounded by a wall. There’s no
peace process on the table. Hopeless. They have no vision.”
So what’s the solution? “The Authority likes the idea
of statehood—diplomatic visits, postage stamps, ‘Independence’
Day—while their people still live under the whims of the
Israeli Occupation. Dissolve the Authority. Get rid of it. Then
the world can see clearly that we are still under the daily humiliation
of this occupation.” But what about Palestinian statehood?
“Have you seen those settlements? Ariel? Ma’ale Adumim?
The Israelis have no intention of relinquishing them. They never
have. Look how difficult it has been for them to remove a handful
of illegal settlers from Gaza. Do you think they’re going
to take on the other 400,000? We should call their bluff: ‘You’ve
won. It’s all yours. Now what are you going to do with us?’”
You mean a single state? “The chance for two states has
passed with the settlements’ entrenchment. Our only options
are equal rights as Israeli citizens, Israeli-style hafrada
(apartheid), or our annihilation. Anything is better than status
quo.”
Faris recently finished high school. His family runs a garage
and couldn’t afford to send him to college. How are things?
“The same. There’s no work, our family is having a
tough time. Unemployment is rampant. Thank God we have the little
work that we do.” What about the situation? “I don't
pay attention. My whole life has been under occupation. I don’t
expect that to change until I die.” Doesn’t the Gaza
withdrawal give you hope? “Haki fadhi—empty
talk. The Israelis will never end the occupation, so why should
I be hopeful? That’s why I like summer—lots of weddings,
hanging out with friends, drinking, smoking the argile…just
forgetting.” So where’s hope? “I’ve been
chatting with an Australian woman. She promised to come visit
me. I hope she does!” Do you know she’s a woman? “Of
course! She has a webcam.”
As we give a glimpse into our chat room—our “dardash
window”—we also invite you into a moment of listening
and discernment. We do not take our Christian brothers’
words as gospel, but rather hear them through the gospel lens.
When we do, we hear wisdom—wisdom that is “better
than weapons of war.” Even as they contradict themselves
and each other, Samer, Haitham, Boutros, and Faris, hold onto
the same hope. They are groaning for a future where they can find
dignity, respect, opportunity. They yearn for us to help make
that happen.
Let anyone with ears to hear, listen.
Marthame and Elizabeth Sanders
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
260
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