Freedom
Prisoners’ Children on The Beach
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“I
hope they set you free, daddy. I miss you lot,”
Palestinian children say.
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By
Yasser Al-Banna, IOL Palestine Correspondent
GAZA,
July 18 (IslamOnline & New Agencies) – Among dozens of summer
camps along the Gaza beach, 260 Palestinian children are gathered in a
camp called “Freedom Prisoners” to spend one more summer away from
their fathers and loved ones detained in Israeli prisons.
The
main target of these camps is to offer those children the fun and joy
they are deprived of just as they are deprived of the love and
tenderness of their fathers who are lost in Israeli prisons, Gamal
Farawana, head of the organization of Supporters of POWs and the one
in charge of the camp, told IslamOnline.
“We
are to help merge this category of children with others in the
society; that’s why there are other children in the camp,” he
said.
He
added that various organizations are trying to use these camps to help
the voice of the prisoners’ children reach the international
community.
Moeen
Nedal Al-Boree, 8, and his bother Ammar, 6, have not seen their father
since they were babies – ever since he was arrested by the Israeli
occupation forces six years ago and was sentenced to 30 years in
prison.
“I
hope my father comes out and lives with me like other fathers in the
world live with their children,” little Ammar said.
Among
other children in the camps are twin sisters Ashgan and Soga Nasr Ayad,
10, who haven’t seen their father for a year and a half since he was
arrested without charge or trial. The Israelis have further prevented
his family from visiting him.
“I
hope they set you free, daddy. I miss you lot,” said Soga.
“Grandpa has brought home the sheep to celebrate your release
insha’Allah [by God’s will].”
Her
sister ,Ashgan, was tougher, though: “I ask all the prisoners to be
patient. Hang in there, you guys. And Sharon, may you and all your lot
perish for all the sufferings you’ve incurred on the Palestinian
people.”
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The
camps aimed at teaching children propriety, punctuality and
commitment, and upgrading their talents and potentials |
“We
aim to strengthen the children’s spirit of steadfastness, to teach
them propriety, punctuality and commitment, and to upgrade their
talents and potentials,” said Mohammad Nassar, a supervisor at the
camp.
The
camp, which lies in Sudaneya overlooking the Mediterranean sea in
Gaza, is made up of dozens of white tents, including tents for fine
arts, theatre, singing, games, cultural activities, a soccer pitch,
war games, and Dabka (the Palestinian folkloric dance).
The
children of the Palestinian POWs sent U.N. secretary general Kofi
Annan a message on Monday, July 15, 2002, in which they demanded a
serious move on the way of releasing their fathers long imprisoned in
Israeli jails.
“Mr.
Kofi Annan ... We, the children of Palestinian POWs, write you from
our summer camp where we’re supposed to be playing and having fun.
But how could we really do that while being denied our fathers’
love, while being denied our very childhood?”
“We
face siege, murder, starvation and terror plus the long imprisonment
of our fathers and depriving us from the right to see them,” the
children’s message continued. “We don’t know how it feels to be
secure. We don’t even know what our long absent fathers look
like.”
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