Gaza student holds graduation party at church
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11-1-2010
Palestinian student Berlanty Azzam has never thought that her graduation ceremony would take place in a small church far away from her university and friends.
After spending four years studying in Bethlehem University in the West Bank, and two months before her course finishes, Israeli soldiers kicked her to the Gaza Strip since her ID tells that she is a Gazan.
"I never imagined that my graduation ceremony will be held in a church with no one from my classmates attending," said the 22-year-old.
"After all I graduated from Bethlehem University," she said, holding her certificate and posing for pictures with friends at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza city.
Berlanty's graduation has a long, two-month story of steadfastness and defiance started when she was sent to Gaza in October 2009.
Israeli human rights group "Gisha" waged a legal war against the Israeli army to let Berlanty return to finish her studies at the university, but all the attempts came up against a brick wall after the Israeli high court decided that Berlanty should not return to the West Bank.
This led the Bethlehem University to intervene decisively, taking a decision to provide Berlanty with the classes she needs in Gaza before it is too late.
Arriving in Gaza to hand Berlanty her certificate, Vice-chancellor of the Bethlehem University Peter Bray, said the university has a commitment to help Berlanty graduate and the only successful step was providing her with classes through the internet and phone.
"We tried it and it worked out and we are going to use it in case Israel is deporting any of our Gaza students," he proudly said.
Antonio Franco, a representative of the Pope Archbishop, which sponsors Bethlehem University, has also traveled all way to Gaza to meet Berlanty and grant her bachelor degree in business administration.
"We came to show support and success," said Bray as he rushed to attend a mass dedicated to his "outstanding student" Berlanty.
The moments when Archbishop Franco held special mass for Berlanty in the church were very touching. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and many of her friends and relatives in the service shed tears as well.
"I really wanted to be among my colleagues in such a day," she said as she lit a candle and kneeled after the homily and the readings as peace overwhelmed the church. "I still don't know why I was deported to Gaza."
According to Israeli media estimations, some 25,000 Palestinians in the West Bank are at risk of being removed from their homes and separated from their families, jobs and studies, simply because they are from Gaza.
Since 2000, Israel has banned Palestinian students from Gaza from studying at Palestinian universities in the West Bank, except for limited cases like Berlanty, who is a Christian.
In 2007, when Islamic Hamas movement seized control of Gaza, Israel started to deal with the coastal Strip as a hostile entity since its Islamist rulers are sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state.
"They did not even let me stay there for a few weeks to finish my studies as if I was a security threat to the state of Israel," Berlanty said, holding many roses from people who came to congratulate.
"Studying at a Palestinian university is my right and the right of every Palestinian student. I will apply again for Bethlehem University for MA and will legally fight Israel until I enjoy my rights to learn and move freely," she said.
Source: Xinhua
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