By: Lauren Booth Publication; OnIslam.net
It’s been exactly a year since I was last in Gaza.
In that time another terrible attack has been unleashed by the Israeli military and government on the trapped Palestinian populace.
On my previous visit, months after Egyptians elected the Muslim Brotherhood to power, there was little sign to the visitor of any real easing of the punitive behavior of officials at the Rafah crossing, towards Palestinians, wishing to travel to and from their homeland.
What changes would I see this time?
The team I work with at Peace 2012 stack our boxes of stationary and children’s toys onto trolleys at the dreaded crossing. ‘Dreaded’ because it has for decades been a symbol of the Mubarak regime’s ruthless willingness to carry out the dirty job of persecuting Palestinians at the behest of the Israeli government.
I remember feeling dumbfounded on my first visit to Gaza in 2006.
On hearing Gazan’s mutter bitterly that it was ‘better’ to fall into the hands of the Israeli soldiers, than Mubarak's boot boys. ’You expect things from your enemy but the violence of your brothers - this hurts in another way’ I heard many times.
Outside the Egyptian terminal, the same anarchy as always - a sea of clawing hands grabbing at our cases and boxes. Not to help us, certainly not! The hands here hijack your bags, walk them a hundred paces then menace you into paying as much as 60 US dollars, forcing a loud, near violent exchange, before we give up shouting and empty our wallets - of much much less! Same old, same old!
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Instead of a mocking faux interrogation (as in years gone by), today, all is tea and coffee pleasantness. Assurances are given that Palestine is at the heart of every Arab and every Muslim. |
I am hoarse with shouting; ‘this is NOT Islam’ to the bemused, couldn’t-care-less, muggers.
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