Pray for a permit to pray during Ramadan
Reageer (0)16-8-2010
JERUSALEM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Muslims worldwide on Wednesday began the annual holy month of Ramadan, a time of prayer and fasting that marks the divine revelation received by the Prophet Muhammad. However, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Ramadan is also a month when Palestinians struggle just to make ends meet.
Muhammad el-Baradiyeh and his family live in Hirbet Deir, a traditional Palestinian hamlet between Jerusalem and Hebron. The 260 people there, all from the same extended family, seem to have been left on their own, unnoticed by the passage of time.
Had they not built their village infrastructure on their own, they'd have been committed to a life, not a month, of abstinence. Yet, it's the security needs of those who control the land which have left this small community in limbo, re-defined the contours of their fields.
Once the Israeli electronic fence was erected, to keep out suicide-bombers, according to Israeli authority, the village was cut off from most of its arable land.
"The fence uprooted 200 of my olive trees, swallowed up 11 acres (some 44,515 square meters) of my father's land. I'm trying to get a permit from Israel that will allow me access to my olives over there on the other side of the fence," Muhammad told Xinhua.
Thanks to a permit granted by the Israeli authorities, he has been allowed to work inside Israel. Though a third of his salary goes on paying for the six-month permit.
For Muhammad, the work permit is a life insurance policy for his whole family.
"What's left is barely enough to sustain my family. But I need that permit. I need to work to feed my six children," the 38-year- old man said.
To get to his job, Muhammad wakes up in the dark of night. He has to reach the Israeli military checkpoint in the early morning. There, for a couple of hours, he is supposed to be in line for the "routine" security clearance every day, with other Palestinians " lucky" enough to have a work permit.
At Muhammad's banquet in Ramadan eve, it served young boiled goat, fried rice and almonds, stuffed chicken and the traditional Arab sweets which cost four hours to prepare.
From the next day, there will be a month of abstinence from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight. It's especially testing when it coincides with the heat of summer.
For Muslim, Ramadan's a month of worship, self-reflection, contemplation.
"Ramadan's another world, a month different from all the other days of the year, a whole month devoted to God," Muhammad said.
But what Muhammad can pray during Ramadan is that Israel will allow him to pray in Jerusalem, maybe in the near future.
He wants to pray at the Al-Aqsa mosque, on the noble sanctuary in Jerusalem, the third holiest site of Islam. It's just 30 km away from where he lives in, but a world apart.
"To be allowed to pray at the great Al-Aqsa mosque, one must be at least 50 years old, and have a proper permit," Muhammad said, adding "so, I don't even bother to try."
For now, Muhammad has a more prosaic dream. This fall, his work permit to enter Israel expires. If only there was no need for Israeli permits to work inside Israel, to work in his field, to pray at Al-Aqsa.
It's Ramadan, Muhammad is still no closer to his dream. Meanwhile, he'll pray at the local mosque as well.
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