Conversation in Bethlehem

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

This happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning to Dr Abdelfattah Abusrour, director of Al-Rowwad centre in Aida refugee camp in Bethelehem. He was in UK last month talking at SOAS.

Wednesday, 21 November 4.30am

It was about 3.40 am, almost 35 minutes ago when I was awaken by a huge knocking at the door of a neighbor seemingly in Duha-Bethlehem. I went to look and the huge knocking started on my door... I opened the door, and I realized that I was in my pyjama, bare-foot... about four masked Israeli occupation soldiers were at the door, and further below more soldiers... They ask me my name, then they asked about my nephew Rashid... I said I don't know where he was.

They start searching around my waste to see if I carry any weapon. I was in pyjama pants and t-shirt.... it was clear that I don't have anything on me...

- Whose house is next to you?

- My brother, Yahya

- Where is he?

- I don't know, I guess in his house

then they took me and walked down the few steps toward the street... another unmasked soldier holding a list in his hand asked me about my name:

- Dr Abdelfattah Abusrour

Welcome he said, then he wanted to shake my hand...

- why should I shake your hand, I said.

He looked at me annnoyed and said whose house is that?
- My brother, Yahya

- where is he?

- I don't know, probably in his house...

- Go and open the door for us?

- I can't open my brother's house?

- Whose car is that?

- My brother's car

- Who is Rashid?

- My nephew

- Where is he?

- I don't know.. I just came back from travels, and I didn't yet see my brother

- Ok, go and open the door for us

- I cannot do that

- Come with us... then they pushed me in front of them, barefoot, and asked me to call him... In the same tie, I saw three or four soldiers go in my house...
they were about 12 soldiers

- I can't do that?

- We will explode his door

- Do whatever you want

then he asked another soldier to come in, and he had a bomb in his hands... they started looking through the windows of the house, and throw the bomb in the house.. a huge explosion... it seems like a sound bomb
They went again... in the house, the external door was open... they pushed me again towards the door and asked me to go in... they were behind me, pointing their guns and pushing me in.. then asked where is my brother...

- they are in the upper floor

- show us... I started walking and then there was 4 other soldiers upstairs at the door and my brother was at the door... two other soldiers where on the stairs going to the roof...

They asked my brother to get all his boys out...

Yusif, my 19 years old nephew came out, then Mohammad (25 years old)... then they asked them about their IDs, and went inside the house.. took my brother out...
and then, their officer asked them to get me out...

two soldiers accompanied me downstairs to the entrance...
I felt cold, and I asked the soldiers to if I can put something on... they looked at me and shaken their heads a sign of no... I said: bravo... bravo...

five minutes later, their chief came down and asked why are you still here?
I looked t him, and looked at the two soldiers and then he said: get out of here
I returned to my house, and 4 soldiers followed me till the door of my house...
they are still there as I write this...
I guess I am fortunate that I am alone this night... my wife and 5 children are in Alquds...

When do we stop to feel that we are living in a world which has lost its humanity?

We feel strangers... and those who are committing crimes are represented as the innocent ones... and those who defend themselves should stop defending themselves because defending oneself is an act of terror... being under occupation is normal... being besieged is normal.... being raped and striped out from you humanity and dignity is normal... being a slave to the powerful is normal.. have a heart full of hatred is normal... have no heart at all is normal...destroying human beings is collateral damage... because after all the target is the terrorists and if entire families are killed... it was bad that they were there... this is normal..

Have all these images on TV screens, of bodies in pieces, houses in pieces... is normal... have no life is normal... have no hope is normal... waiting for miracles from Arab countries, Europe or US is normal...

I am fed up of these "normalities"... I am abnormal... I refuse to be deprived from my humanity and my dignity... my values and rights... my hopes and dreams... my love and heart full of love...
I refuse to be reduced to a number... a dead number... a victim number... a prisoner number... a human casualty number...
I refuse to be a product for sale.... media product... and solicit temporary reactions..... And all those who refuse to be "normal" continue to do what you do best... don't accept realities or facts on the ground created by those who are "in power"... the hypocrisy of politicians and the tears of crocodiles... we are human beings... we reclaim and defend this humanity... and we will not be brainwashed... and we will not be silent

Source: extract from Rev Stephen Sizer's blog: http://stephensizer.blogspot.co.uk/