Voices from Palestine
As one inspiring Palestinian hero leaves the US, concerns arise for the safety of another who is scheduled to visit the US.
Anas Abu Srour describes the isolation, physical abuse and psychological torture that he endured along with his fellow prisoners during his nine-month administrative detention. Kidnaped by an Israeli terror squad on his way from Ramallah to his home at the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, Abu Srour was thrown into a cell with eleven other Palestinians. Without information or the ability to notify his family, and with no reason given for his detention, it took two months before he was able to see his lawyer.
Ripped away from his life, his wife and family had no news about him for two days. His lawyer, not permitted to bring any documents or even a pencil to write with sat with him in the visitation chamber and spoke through a glass window.
Abu Srour came to the US for a speaking tour that included Palestine House of Freedom in Washington, DC. “After a week of laying on the mattress on the floor and feeling my life was over, I decided to get up.” He made up his mind that he would not allow his captors to determine his fate. “I am a freedom fighter and political prisoner and even though I was in what felt like a mass grave, I will not let them defeat me,” he told an audience and then repeated in an interview with me that is posted on the Palestine Connect YouTube channel.
“I began to encourage myself and the other eleven prisoners who were with me in the tiny cell.” He spoke to them of freedom fighters who fought other well-known revolutions like Algeria, South Africa and Vietnam and of his own cousin, Nasser Abu Srour who is a local hero jailed for over thirty years. “And I decided that during the daily raids,” which included fully armed prison forces with dogs entering the cell and beating the prisoners, “I would always look at them and smile.” The dogs, he mentioned, were muzzled but these muzzles were made of steel and the dogs used them to hit the men in the cell, causing severe fractures and other injuries.
As these words are being written, Anas Abu Srour is back in Palestine with his family in Aida camp where he is the director of the Aida Youth Center. Also, as these words are being written, Palestinian human rights defender, Issa Amro is expected to arrive in the US.
Even though Abu Srour had no problem entering the US, there is always a concern that Palestinians trying to enter this country will be stopped interrogated or even worse, detained and sent back. While there are powerful Palestinian voices within the US speaking out, having Palestinians from Palestine visit so that audiences may hear their voices and see them in person is crucial.
Palestinians wishing to travel overseas must go through hurdles at every step along the way. Whether they depart, be it from within 1948 Palestine and travel through El-Lydd airport or come from the ghettos of the West Bank and go through Amman, Jordan, they need to endure interrogations at several points along the way. These are mostly by the apartheid security apparatus and sometime on the way to Jordan, by Jordanian security. Clearly the trip to the airport is never pleasant and in fact creates a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety. Now add to that the very serious concern of delays and interrogation on the arrival end, whether in the US or Europe and the value of the trip itself has to be brought into question.
The purpose of this system of terror that Palestinians are subjected to while they travel is to prevent them from leaving and sharing their experiences under apartheid. The entire so-called security system that holds Palestinians back is a political tool to silence Palestinian voices. It punishes Palestinians who are willing to travel to tell the world about Palestine and to work with international organizations and individuals that are committed to liberating Palestine.
Once again, it is up to those of us who live outside of Palestine to do all that we can to make sure the voices of Palestinians are heard. We must spare no effort so that they are able to come to the US and speak freely.
