Having spent many ‘Eid celebrations in the Gaza Strip, in the years since late 2008, I thought it interesting to compare ‘Eid al-Adha (and the two ‘Eid holidays in general) in Gaza to ‘Eid in Canada. Some rather obvious observations jump out at anyone who has a sense of the collective suffering in the Gaza… Read More ‘Eid in Gaza, in Canada
JABALIYA, Gaza, Sep 8 2012 (IPS) -By Eva Bartlett **(blog version longer than original published) “Gaza’s economy is expected to grow modestly and people will likely still be worse off in 2015 compared to the mid-1990s,” reads a press release announcing the United Nations’ August 2012 report, ‘Gaza in 2020 – A Liveable Place?’ In… Read More Gaza Economy Tailored to Fail
Fufu is a precocious child, with impressive determination and intelligence. The last of six children, he is coddled only with love, not with money. Like his siblings, he finds creative ways to amuse himself most of the time. He’s a couple years younger than Calvin, but as mischievous Watterson’s boy, and I wouldn’t be surprised… Read More disappointed Calvin
The Rafah crossing. Credit: Eva Bartlett/IPS. RAFAH, Gaza, Aug 30 2012, 1st Published at Inter Press Service (IPS) -By Eva Bartlett “I waited from 10 am till 5 pm for my wife to cross from Egypt. She was among many hundreds who were coming into Gaza. Some waited since 6 am, some since the day… Read More Glimpse of Freedom at Rafah Crossing
*north from Gaza City, overlooking sweltering concrete slums of Beach Camp and on to border with Zionist state. The stepped-building in the right hand photo is a never-finished project begun in the 90s after Oslo As I spoke with his father last night there was a loud blast somewhere in the distance. He is… Read More Impressions from Gaza on a few hot August days
Two years ago I wrote about Gaza’s antiquities, many of which were destroyed in the 2008-2009 Israeli war on Gaza. But until a few months ago, I hadn’t had the privilege of seeing one of them. Unexpectedly one day, while interviewing the Ministry of Agriculture on their many projects, I was taken by Tel Umm… Read More antiquities down a dusty lane
A typical Palestinian car interior
*ancient church and mosque in Gaza City [photo by Emad Badwan] Oct 22, 2010 (IPS) By Eva Bartlett– Few outside of Gaza would consider its history much beyond the decades of Israeli occupation. But Gaza is a historical treasure house. Many of those treasures are now in Israeli museums, and those that remain are becoming… Read More Treasure House Under Threat
*photo by Emad Badwan first published: (IPS) – By Eva Bartlett “Why are you rushing? Isn’t it nicer like this?” Mohammed Omer, oud teacher (an oud is similar to a lute) at the Gaza Music School, asks his student. Omer takes the oud and demonstrates, playing the song slowly, gracefully, with the ornamentations that are… Read More music to live by
“Mirror” –Salem Awad “The colors of sunset are wonderful but the sun is the most wonderful. When the black clouds with their golden warm colors play on the sound of a bird that dialogues with the leaves of trees that were eaten by the wind and dance with a beautiful golden dress coloured by the… Read More art for art’s sake
In Gaza 