Diary of a Palestinian Street Girl

But, even in this tragedy of time, they are rising like a phoenix from the ashes of their own destruction. Like the green palm trees of the Middle East, standing under the scorching sun in the arid land of life. They have tremendous morale. They are a shining example of patriotism. A great sea of ​​sorrow swells in their hearts, yet the struggle is firmly rooted. Respecting their feelings in this situation is proof that the kindness, love and humanity in us is not dead.

Recently, on October 07, 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel. It was the first major attack since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, in which approximately 1,139 people were killed. Hamas fighters took 240 Israelis captive. Hamas's aim was to free Palestinians held captive in Israeli prisons. After this attack by Hamas, Israel was also continuously attacking Gaza. The attack on December 06, 2023 was the result of this. The attack killed 44-year-old Palestinian poet and professor Refat Alarir. He founded an organization called 'We Are Not Numbers' along with some friends. The organization was working to connect leading Palestinian writers and novelists. Refat Alarir was being 'targeted' by the Israeli army because of his writings and activities.

Palestinian activists suffering or dying in this way is not new. Since the beginning of the Palestinian struggle, many writers have been forced to leave the country, many have been killed and many have been imprisoned. A respected name in Palestinian poetry is Mahmoud Darwish. He was born in the Western Galilee on March 13, 1941, into a landed family. He is also known as the national poet of Palestine. During the political upheaval in Israel, his village was ravaged by conflict, forcing his family to flee to Lebanon. Darwish was forced to live in exile in different countries for 26 years for his resistance poetry. Another poet was Ghassan Kanafani. He was also assassinated by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Many Palestinian poets and writers have lost their lives for the crime of writing like this. Just a few years ago, Palestinian poet Derin Tetour was convicted by a court of encouraging terrorism through a poem he posted on social media. Before him, poets like Mu'in Basiso, Fawzi Al-Asmar, Samih Al-Qasim, Tawfiq Zayed, etc. were imprisoned many times for writing resistance poetry.

1948 is as important to Palestinian society and politics as it is to Palestinian literature. This change in literature was a product of social, political and economic oppression. After 1948, Palestinian literature succeeded in laying the foundations of a new literary movement. This literary movement has become a remarkable witness to the political changes of the time. Palestinian poetry after the 1948 war reflects the national enthusiasm of the people.

Poems of the poets of that time were full of vitality. Mahmoud Darwish, Fadwa Tukan, Ibrahim Tukan, Moin Bessiso and Kamal Nasir etc. are world famous for their influential resistance poetry. This poet-writer gave the pain of being homeless from home, the struggle to save his existence, the desire to return to his country, the memories of the past and the anger towards the invaders a prominent place in his creations.

The volume of Palestinian suffering is enormous. They have been subjected to blood-curdling excesses and violence. Who does not feel the plight of the Palestinians? And, conscious citizens all over the world are taking to the streets in their favor and protesting. Children, youth and old people in Gaza are spending their days resisting the enemy.

As soon as the child is born there, the child has to witness murders, air attacks, bombings, rockets and tanks rolling down the road. Housewives spend their daily lives in stress whether their children and husband who have left home will return home safely or not. The elderly are bound to picture this carnage in their aging eyes.

Poet Lena Khalaf Tufaha's poem 'Orders are coming' is telling the world the sound of bombs dropped in Gaza and the sound of every bullet fired on innocent lives, making the sky roar. Hanan Mikheil Ashrawi's poem 'Bachchiko Diari' and Ramji Barud's poem 'Jab Ma Bhool Hooho' are poignantly conveying to the world the cries and pain of children seen on TV and video clips. Poet Mosab Abu Toha's poem 'Palestinian road' says that a big tank is moving through the heart of human society. In these poems, Palestinian homes are heartbreakingly desolate. These poems have creatively brought to the world the humiliation, deceit, oppression and injustice they faced. Such creations have made today's Palestinian literature a special place in world literature. This poem is a mirror of the deep love for the motherland and the struggle and sacrifice born in opposition to the oppression suffered by the people.

They inspire us to deal with the injustices happening in our environment and society. They are a beautiful reflection of our desire to build a Palestinian society that stands on a strong foundation of peace and coexistence.

(A collection of poems by Palestinian poets in Gurung's translation, 'Where Mothers Never Sleep' is published)