Here we go again. Though shall be bound to thy house until thou shalt kneel !!!! I do not know about others who had to undergo a 45 day curfew similar to myself and my family, but I still am recuperating from the harshness such isolation has left in me … During those days which are not that far in memory, actually less than a month ago, I tried to capture my thoughts in several attempts and to document my feeling in writing as each day passed by, many of these inspiration, or rather silent outcries to the injustice as well as the apathy felt deep, they were destined never to echo nor be heard, out of choice of course, the only right that I could exercise back then, I spoke to myself, for the dialogue with others seem to be fruitless and even in vain.
Here we go again. Though shall be bound to thy house until thou shalt kneel !!!! I do not know about others who had to undergo a 45 day curfew similar to myself and my family, but I still am recuperating from the harshness such isolation has left in me … During those days which are not that far in memory, actually less than a month ago, I tried to capture my thoughts in several attempts and to document my feeling in writing as each day passed by, many of these inspiration, or rather silent outcries to the injustice as well as the apathy felt deep, they were destined never to echo nor be heard, out of choice of course, the only right that I could exercise back then, I spoke to myself, for the dialogue with others seem to be fruitless and even in vain.
I argued with myself most of the time, establishing the gerund and its contradiction simultaneously, I felt I was entitled to do so, for the whole world was doing the same, politicians, leaders, organizations, groups and individuals, all establishing the rule and immediately abolishing it. However, one rule overruled, that of the curfew … though shall stay at home, though shall sleep on the ground, thou shall eat so little, thou shall eat no more. Thou shall not talk nonsense and say that crimes are being committed, though shall not claim that injustices are occurring, though shall accept the rule of the wise and pray that they were not wrong!. In Palestine, when the calendar year was not so popular amongst us commoners, we marked the years that pass according to particular occasions, the big storm, the heavy snow fall, the year of the big harvest, the marriage of king Fouad. Some had happy inclinations others did not, it varied from community to another, but it was utilized as a bench mark to show how things would have changed.
These occasions were never regarded as static period in the history of the community but a direct reflection of its dynamism, the interaction of living people with each other.
But I refuse to mark my life, this day, and next week with the “long curfew and the short curfew”, the “nationwide incursion and the quick and fast incursion”, the ” Siege of the Nativity ” since each of them do not represent, despite the many intellectual, political and ideological and even theological arguments for and against, any attempt to improve the quality of life, but a simple slap in the face to humanity and human intelligence if any existed.
I do not know if any of you who might get to read this message have experienced a curfew before, I can number a few in my life, two as a child, several as a teenager, three as an adult and what scares me the most, is that I might still experience some when I am old enough to share fables of previous curfews with my grandchildren!!! In practical terms, it might be even simpler to count the days of no curfews than attempt to count the opposite.
If I had the choice and the power to decide, I would at least suggest that these curfews are spread out to allow for some life in between. This way people can live of sweet memories enough to endure such harsh ones, it does become so dreary and more of a routine to live through too many repeated curfews at such short intervals. Of course, the surprise component is essential and it stirs people intelligence to be creative and proactive enough to cook when no food supplies are available, always to keep on stock items that are necessary, get your teeth fixed today, never say tomorrow I will, for tomorrow might just never come. On a positive regard to things, family ties are strengthened, each is on every bodies neck in a show of frustration!!!!
I am in Jerusalem now, movement is allowed, but truth is curfewed and cradle bound.
