Spiritual guarantee

The beautiful scent of olive trees and jasmine bushes are embracing me at my arrival to Filasteen.

At the same time my soul is enjoying the blessings that has been bestowed on this country. I am always amazed every time I visit my dearest city and see its wonderful people.

I mean, logically by 60 years of occupation people should get more inhumanized, intolerante and meanful expressions should be the common "conduct".

But that is not what I find during my latest visit 2007. I still find strong people decorated with heartly smiles. Friends and relatives are welcoming you to their homes and overhelming you by giving you the best they can find. However, due to the poverty there is not much to give but even though people are ready to give you their hearts and souls.

You sense a miraculous harmony, I would say it is bizarre. Nevertheless bearing in mind the ongoing provocations from soldiers and nightly shooting. No I am not trying to convince you that it is paradise you find in Palestine. Everybody knows it is not; The infrastructure is totally demolished and the economic standard is not getting better. On the other hand people have learnt how to value every minute of their lives. To live hour by hour and let tomorrow be tomorrow.

I cannot stop myself from unconsciously comparing this lifestyle to mine in Europe. Honestly, if someone could measure the stress-level on a richter-scale in about where I live it would scream DANGER! Is not that strange? I mean we have everything here in Europe; high economic standard, economic guarantees, social welfare, all high-tech stuff you can dream of. All this is supposed to release free time for family and friends. But the fact is we cannot handle this "freedom". On the contrary to the people in Palestine. They do not have this stability we experience. But they can afford what we lack, the quality time with family and friends. Their love has not limits. They have what I call a "spiritual guarantee".

Photo: Olive grove

Broken roads and crazy taxi-drivers wakes me up from my silly conclusions. I hand over the small coins to the taxi-driver at the same time I breathe in the wonderful scent of jasmine. I take a look around me, watching children, youth and elderly people . I try to understand their expressions on their faces and I try to read their thoughts;

How would they describe their situation? And from which point of view? What are their dreams and hopes?

This blog will insha'Allah be an exlusive collection of thoughts, ideas, reflections, hopes and dreams concerning Palestine from youth all around the world.

So if you also have a story you would like to share with us or photos, music, video and even a poem, please do not hesitate a second to email me and Insha'Allah it will be a valuable contribution to this blog.

Many thanks and God bless you!