Little hands lift paper lanterns decorated with red string and yellow and blue tassels up towards the air. As children show their creations to the camera, surrounding adults wrap tents with flashing lights. White sheets with bright designs are placed on tables as everyone prepares to break their fast. Together, they hold signs written in cursive, reading “Ramadan Kareem.”
Amidst the rubble is a faith stronger than most. The people of Palestine have repeatedly proven that their perseverance and belief are unshakeable as they still manage to celebrate the blessed month despite being under intense occupation and siege at the hands of Israel.
Ramadan — a month of spirituality, fasting for the sake of God and strengthening your faith — is practiced by millions of Muslims far and wide. It’s a month where fasting signifies cleansing your soul, giving up worldly pleasures, and immersing oneself in acts of worship and dedication.
In Palestine, a significant portion of residents follow Islam — 99% of citizens in Gaza and 85% of those in the West Bank are Muslim, according to the CIA’s The World Factbook.
On the first day of Ramadan this year, on Feb. 28, 90,000 Palestinians attended Friday prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem despite being under severe security and surveillance by Israeli forces.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to violate the ceasefire that was established on Jan. 19. In the West Bank, Al Nasr Mosque in Nablus was set on fire by Israeli troops. The attack on Palestinian people and the attack on this sacred month is brutal.
According to Al Jazeera, there are numerous incidents of further violence and killing of Palestinians. On March 15, at least nine Palestinians, including three journalists, were killed in an Israeli drone attack. On Feb. 22, in the West Bank, two children, aged 12 and 13, were shot in the back by IDF soldiers. A 60-year-old woman was also killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank on March 11.
Palestinians continue to face what has been labelled a genocide by Amnesty International in an official report released in December of last year.
The struggle is palpable. Thousands of people lack food, water, and the necessities to sustain themselves. Now, with the blockade sanctioned by Israel to prevent food and aid from entering Gaza, the starvation rates rise.
And yet, because of their dedication to their identity, their religion and their roots, Palestinians still fast. They still pray in congregation amongst destroyed mosques, putting their foreheads to the dust-covered ground as they bow down. They sing songs loudly to state their love for God and their people.
Despite residing in makeshift tents and overcrowded camps, Palestinians epitomize the meaning of Ramadan.
What has been seen is patience with the pain. It’s seen when the young man who found his brother wrapped in a body bag was overcome with relief, saying Alhamdulillah — a phrase to praise God. His gratitude amid his grief — that he would be able to bury his brother’s body rather than have it lost amongst the rubble — is a mindset demonstrating an unwavering faith.
There are countless stories like this one — of patience with the tragedy that befalls them.
The attempted destruction of A Nasr Mosque did not shatter conviction as intended. Instead, volunteers rallied to restore the infrastructure.
What is seen amidst death and destruction is a people who have perfected patience, perseverance, and resistance. As Palestinians sit amongst one another with smiles on their faces as they break their fasts, one cannot overlook the sheer strength these people possess.