Prisoners Of Israeli Aggression

Prisoners of Israeli aggression

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB
KUALA LUMPUR: Palestinian Maths teacher Mohamad Taha Hussain feels so free and at ease when he walks along the streets of Malaysia.

This is paradise. You should thank God you live in a peaceful country. I cant do this back home.

I have a car but it hasn;t moved for two years now because the Israelis have destroyed the roads and set up so many checkpoints.

There are more than 100 checkpoints in the West Bank alone, some only 1km from the next. And it takes about two to three hours to cross each checkpoint depending on whether the Israeli soldiers like your face.

They even harass seven-year-olds on their way to school and check their schoolbags. I had to stop teaching because I cannot reach my school that is only 2km away. The Israelis have effectively put us Palestinians in a big prison; he said during a walk around Central Market and Chinatown here on Friday night.


KEEPING THEIR HEADS UP: Bseiso putting a batik hat on the head of fellow delegate Safa' Zaed, 16, during the shopping trip at the central market in Kuala Lumpur.


He said although the Israelis had killed our fathers, sons and grandfathersthe Palestinians were still trying to hammer out a peace deal with them not because we want peace but because we need it

Mohamad Taha, who has documented much of the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians, is here as part of the delegation for the Peace Malaysia campaign.

Sixteen-year-old Heba Samer, who aspires to be an engineer, said she lives in fear most of the time.

We hear the F16s all night long. Sometimes we even hear them while we are at school said the top student.

She said her wish for Palestine was that children live in peace and have access to education just like other children in the world.

To her, the Palestinian suicide bombers are excellent

This may not be the best way but it is what we have to do after they have killed our brothers and sistersshe said.

Sixteen-year-old Mohamad Ahmad, who regards the suicide bombers as champions of his people, said he was against a war on Iraq as the people of Iraq are part of Palestinians and they suffer the same pain as us

Another 16-year-old, Mohamad Hussein, too, looked up to the suicide bombers who were doing the abnormal because it was the best way to fight so that their brothers, daughters, sisters, fathers and mothers would be able to live in peace.

Even if the Israelis get angrier, its okay with us. We dont care said the lad who did not watch most of the football matches during the World Cup because watching the news is more important to us than football

Nadra Ghazi Bseiso, headmistress of an all-girls high school, said the students were often traumatised by gunshots outside the school that they break down crying and shouting.

They cant concentrate on studies. So I have to close the gate of the school and get the teachers to sit down with the girls to calm them down she said.

She added that Israeli soldiers sometimes put explosives in toys and left them in the grounds of primary schools.