Coronavirus: Advice from Palestinians on life under lockdown
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| A volunteer sprays sanitising gel on the hands of a Palestinian man in the nearly deserted al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 20 March (AFP) |
Advice from Mariam Barghouti to Palestinians on life under lockdown
In a more tragic way, isolation has long been part and parcel of the Palestinian reality
Iphoned my mother to ask: "What were we doing during curfew times within the Intifada?" My mother laughed, and replied: "We baked. A lot."
Indeed, I remember our house in Ramallah being filled with the aromas of all the various cakes. I also remember the constant patrol of Israeli soldiers on the streets, and therefore the horrible sound of broken Arabic beginning of their armoured green jeeps as they shouted about the imposed curfew, along side a roaring threat that "anyone roaming are going to be shot".
They were scary times, and that they were times we spent inside our homes, wondering when it might all be over.
Perpetual imprisonment
In light of the present Covid-19 state lockdowns, Palestinians are sharing posts across social media in an effort to spotlight the siege on Gaza and curfews within the West Bank .
The difference between the curfews and therefore the current state of worldwide quarantine is that, with military-imposed lockdowns, there's the added element that remaining inside doesn't necessarily ensure your safety, or that of others.
The difference between the curfews and therefore the current state of worldwide quarantine is that, with military-imposed lockdowns, there's the added element that remaining inside doesn't necessarily ensure your safety, or that of others.
Indeed, at any point, a military brigade can raid your home and claim it to be a military base. Your movement is controlled by guns, and therefore the sound of bombings are often heard outside, along side the live ammunition that seems to relentlessly play like some bad symphony on a loop.
The reality for Palestinians means living in an unremitting state of closure - except our lockdown is neither for the sake of our wellbeing, nor that of the planet
The recent posts across social media reference our history - and present - as an experience that has prepared us for these quarantine measures happening round the globe due to Covid-19. For Gaza, it highlights the unbearable reality of perpetual imprisonment.
Yet, because the globe tries to reconcile the quarantine measures being undertaken, the truth for Palestinians means living in an unremitting state of closure - except that our lockdown is for neither the sake of our well-being nor that of the planet . it's for the only purpose of isolating us, containing us, and ensuring that we are socially distant from each other .
The current worldwide lockdowns - albeit vastly different - are a flash for all folks to reflect on our lives and therefore the lives of others.
Inextricably connected
The fact that quarantines are being imposed as a final resort during a state of emergency for the sake of worldwide safety exposes how detrimental and dear this process is. It cripples economies, stymies social interactions and burdens individuals and families. We are, after all, social beings who are inextricably connected to at least one another.
As I witness the expansive efforts of solidarity and support in tackling the loneliness and isolation, i can not but recall the forgotten people and communities who are in isolation for years. Palestine is merely one example amid the incessant inequalities and oppressive forces round the world.
The fact that this isolation - during a more tragic way - has long been part and parcel of the Palestinian reality (as well because the reality of others, from Syria to Cuba) should force us to reconsider how we allow our decision-makers to continue their complicity within the segregation of entire populations, for no purposes aside from dividing them, ensuring their lack of access to resources, and maintaining domination over them.
These times are extremely difficult, even for the fortunate ones who are within the comfort of their homes, with access to the required nutrition and sanitation products. Yet, i feel of the Palestinian prisoners, including many children, in overcrowded jails with no access to proper food, warmth, or anything resembling entertainment, but the shouts of Israeli prison guards and military personnel. Many are held under administrative detention, for free of charge or trial.
More than a game
During times of curfew within the Second Intifada, we also suffered from electricity cuts, water cuts, and didn't have the social technologies available today. I still remember the marathons of shadow-puppet shows my mother wont to have my siblings and that i placed on .
I remember the games of "blanket armour" she would have us play, as we were ushered to the safest room within the house and made to hide ourselves with layers upon layers of blankets. it had been my mother's plan to hide the very fact that she was terrified that our house would be bombed over our heads; she was desperately trying to stay us safe, without panic.
Panic is one among the foremost important emotions that decision-makers round the world want to contain and mitigate in times of pandemic. In times of imposed violence, however, panic is weaponised against us.
We played along side my mother, but we also knew this was quite a game. These are only small parts of the curfew diaries that numerous of my generation - and therefore the one before it - can narrate. Worse, for Gaza, these realities are the established order for 13 years and counting: the closure, the isolation, and therefore the fear of being bombed, with no real access to proper medical aid .
Collective solidarity
Indeed, Palestinians can give advice on living in daunting isolation with limited resources. we will speak of the makeshift gardens we cultivated within the ruins of bombed-out homes when there was a shortage of produce, or the barbecue parties we had in unison on balconies in Beit Sahour, to recollect that we were still human.
We can speak of the shadow-puppet games we played when there was no electricity to console crying children, and that we can speak of the difficult speeches that you simply must give yourself under closure, to make sure you'll keep happening .
As we confront and fight this ongoing pandemic that threatens us all, it's important to also reflect on the human-imposed realities that we are building and sustaining
It would be much better that we didn't know this stuff . And in fact , the truth during a time of pandemic is sort of different; under military lockdowns, the threat of harm is merely directed at a specific segment of the population, with the only purpose of ending their resistance and their presence on the land.
As we confront and fight this ongoing pandemic that threatens us all, it's important to also reflect on the human-imposed realities that we are building and sustaining - and, more importantly, to recognise the importance of confrontation within the face of what kills us: together, whole, and in collective solidarity.
The views expressed during this article belong to the author and don't necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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