I work with a remarkable woman, Nadia Harb. I've already written about the difficult circumstances she and her husband and four children face in their living situation by Rachel's Tomb and The Wall.
At work Nadia has spent the last twenty years traveling around Bethlehem & surrounding villages setting up women's support groups. These groups provide counseling and training in things like home gardening, and are now in search of micro-credit projects. Several of them have started mini-fitness centers -- I try to imagine them pumping iron in their long dresses...
For those who read the media reports that there is a lot of religious conflict between Palestinians, I might note that Nadia is a devout Orthodox Christian, but almost all the work she does is among Muslim women. Remember the controversy that US soldiers couldn't wear crosses while serving in Saudi Arabia? Well here Nadia (and now I) wear crosses and have our heads uncovered and wear short sleeved shirts while we are surrounded by women who are covered from head to toe. Actually, not Totally covered - they mostly don't wear veils here. You really have to recognize a person by the view of a small part of the face. (I think: "I wouldn't want to be a teen with acne, since that's all people see." But then I realize I really haven't seen much acne -- maybe a better diet?)
Anyway, the religious difference with Nadia doesn't matter with these women. Although it does seem clear that on the whole Christians are more affluent. This is probably because they have fewer children and also so many of the Muslim women's husbands (and sons) are now or have been in prison or killed. And un- and under- employment is lower among Christians -- partly because so many of the Christians in that situation have left the country.
I'm afraid I am not really doing a lot to help, because my Arabic is so limited. But I do know, as I found on the Katrina mission trip, my presence is helpful in that they want to tell their stories, to be heard, to know that someone wants to know about them. So even though it is through an interpreter, they are receiving some healing through the act of telling.
One woman from Bet Fajar had quite a story last week.
Bet Fajar is outside the main city area of Bethlehem. You have to go outside the area where the Wall is being built (which means when construction is done, instead of a ten minute drive to Bethlehem it will be two hours to the one entrance, and then a long wait at a checkpoint. Picture a clock - they will have to travel counterclockwise from 11 to 1).
I assume Bet Fajar is being excluded from Bethlehem not just because good farm land will be cut off from the farmers and in three years become the property of Israel, but also because there are several new Settlements under construction in the area.
This woman, Samira, had just been released from her house. Four days prior Israeli soldiers came into Bet Fajar in search of someone (maybe the guy they killed in Hebron last weekend?)
Anyway, they arrived in town around midnight and began knocking on doors and going into houses to search for him. When they came to the Women's Center, naturally, no one was in at midnight so no one came to open the door. So they smashed in the windows.
Then they came to Samira's house, which is located at the highest point in the village. apparently they decided this would be a good lookout point. So they moved in. Samira lives with her elderly parents. Her mother uses an oxygen machine. They turned it off, and made all the family live in a different area of the house while they stayed four days. Then they simply packed up and left.
We all listened helplessly as Samira told her story. Others from the village nodded in recollection of this night invasion. But this sort of thing does not even make the news -- it is so common here.
Samira takes a breath while the interpreter recounts what she has just said.
Then she says words for which I do not need an interpreter.
All we want is peace. All we want is to live in peace. We do not want fighting with America or Israel or anyone.
And everyone in the room agrees.
