A Message From a Palestinian Mother

MY DEAR CHILDREN

IF YOU ALLOW ME TO CALL ALL OF YOU MY CHILDREN KNOWING THAT YOU'R NOT CHILDREN ANYMORE, BUT FOR A PALESTINIAN MOM HER CHILDREN WILL STAY ALWAYS CHILDREN EVEN WHEN GROWN UP AND RESPONSIBLE LIKE ALL OF YOU.
I AM SALWA AMIRA'S PROUD MOM, READING YOUR BLOG WHENEVER ANYTHING NEW APPEARS, IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY AND PROUDER OF AMIRA AND ALL OF YOU. ENRICHING OTHER CULTURES ABOUT OURS AND MAKING IT CLOSER TO REACH A LONG LASTING PEACE BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE AND TWO STATES. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
WITH ALL MY LOVE FROM THE LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM WHICH IS GROWING SMALLER BY THE HOUR, WITH WALLS ENCLOSING US AND PEOPLE STEPPING ON EACH OTHER AS WE DON'T HAVE MORE SPACE TO GROW AND OUR LANDS AND MOUNTAIN TOPS ARE BEING CONFISCATED..WE FEEL STRANGLED AND GASPING FOR AIR.
HOMES OVERLOOKING WALLS JUST 3 METERS OF AIR…NO BACKYARDS, NO PLAYGROUNDS, NO SEA, NO LAKES, NO MORE MOUNTAIN HIKES, OR JUST A WALK WITH MY GIRLS IN THE FIELDS OVERLOOKING THE MOUNTAINS OF OLIVE TREES AND PICKING OUR TRADITIONAL FOOD (ZAATAR) FROM THE MOUNTAINS UNLESS WE WANT TO GET SHOT AT.


I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF FUTURE AMIRA AND HER FUTURE CHILDREN WILL HAVE…I ALWAYS THINK OF LEAVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, AS I FEEL SORRY FOR HER AND THE REST OF MY GIRLS. I SHOULD BE OPTIMISTIC BUT I CANNOT BE SELFISH TOWARDS MY GIRLS TO PURSUE A BETTER DREAM AWAY FROM IT ALL.
FOR HER BEING IN GERMANY WITH ALL OF YOU IS A STEP TOWARDS THIS DREAM THAT I HAVE FOR MY DAUGHTER, A CHANCE FOR HER TO BE AS WONDERFUL AS SHE IS.
AM PROUD OF HER.
WITH ALL MY LOVE.
AMIRA'S MOM.
PALESTINE.