Culture
We are not numbers: young voices from Gaza (Part II)
Malak Mattar painting – credits Malak Mattar
Was it easy for Malak to leave her country to study abroad? Oh no, she explained, it took years to try convincing her parents. Malak is a smart young woman like most Palestinian women. Women are highly educated and for most getting their Bachelors. Girls choose English studies where most jobs will be. The country has over 70% of unemployment and most people have to take 2 or 3 jobs to be able to survive.
But Malak was very smart and she did everything in her power to study hard and get the best grades. Her parents agreed she could go study abroad if she gets the best grades of all high school children in Palestine. Out of 30,000 kids she ended second but first in Gaza. Well, she said smiling at least she was first in one of them. Her parents said no but Malak still put pressure on them. Her dad once went to a religious leader who didn´t approve. Malak could study in Gaza at home the leader said. Malak wanted to go out of Gaza, to have the same chance as other women. When her parents finally agreed, finding a scholarship was not an easy task. Most countries didn´t want to issue one to a woman who may later not agree to return home. Turkey accepted but the first year there explained Malak sadly it was like a second Gaza. She had to learn Turkish.
Malak Mattar, Helen Aaecherli, Basman Derawi, Lara Korte at the Litteratur Haus in Zurich – credits Vivamost
Basman started writing notes, poems and stories in 2014 when he lost a friend during the war. It was a really difficult time for him. He understood that writing is a gift and a voice for the voiceless people. He prefers writing poems because it has less structure. The audience laughed a lot at the lecture of his science fiction humor full poetry.
Basman described well the smells in Gaza: the goods one such as the sea, the rain in the winter or the food (hummus and falafel) but also the bad ones such as the generators. Then he shared how electricity cuts always come at the worst moment and how the buzzing of the observation drones are so annoying. Then when the silence comes added Malak it is almost strange and it feels so empty.
Malak Mattar and Basman El Derawi – credits Vivamost
Basman like Malak finds the inequality between genders unfair. He sees a small change but so much still needs to be done. For this reason and because of the unemployment, the poverty and the dangerous life he is not ready to be a father.
Malak always had a problem since a young age that she couldn’t dress the way she wanted to and that men were the ones making decisions. What is positive she said is that more and more families allow their girls to study abroad. Basman continued by saying that it is important that more men stand up for women and that women stand up for themselves.
You may be wondering if the authors miss Gaza….
Malak, who has been gone for 2 years, said she misses her painting studio enormously and her favorite restaurant. Basman voice tone shows how much homesick he is. He misses his family and friends and the food. “Now that I am out I really feel the value of food,” he said smiling!
Malak Mattar painting – credits Malak Mattar
The evening ended with an aperitif in the beautiful Litteratur Haus on the Limmat quai. Malak and Basman finished with a book signing and lively discussions.
Reading books is very important in Gaza, mainly done online as the books are very expensive. Malak last words “Palestinians believe now that the only thing left is the culture.”
WE ARE NOT NUMBERS is published by Lenos Babel.
If you missed Part I click here
Watch the video about We are not Numbers.
Organization We are not numbers
