What types of abuse, if any, do women go through in Israeli jails?
Answer
Fairooz:
The Palestinian prisoners are subjected to many forms of torture by the occupation, whether psychological or physical... psychological torture is done through threatening the prisoner with rape, and they think that this threat can be used as a weapon to force a confession out of them and fake charges to them that they didn't do... in this process, they bring a soldier and threaten them that this soldier will take their clothes off or rape them... through our experience in the jails, we understand this method. They also provoke us with bad words that hurt our pride and honor as Arabs. We assert that Zionism was based on violence.
As for the psychological pressure, this requires long periods of time, and is the hardest way of torture, in which the interrogator seeks to force a confession out of the prisoner. They bring our fathers or borthers and threaten them of imprisoning them until they confess. This is not a strange thing to us because we're used to the Israeli violent methods. What I'm saying is not just rhetoric or out of emotions. Another way of torture is the chair of confession, where the prisoner is placed on the chair and a confession is forced out of him/her.
What I'm trying to tell you, Don, is that we're struggling for freedom of our country, and against an occupation unlike any that was before. We were dispossessed, and the Israelis focus on spreading that we're not the natives of this land. Have you ever conducted a study about the origins of the Jews who came in 1948?
As for the Palestinian prisoners, me and my son were detained, because we're the owners of the land. As long as there's an occupation the struggle will continue. The oppression the Israelis use is unprecedented. The prisoner is stripped off his clothes in the winter, washed with cold water and lives for nearly 3 months in solitary confinement, which is basically a dark basement, with only light coming from the hallways or a strong light affecting the eyes. There's no law in the world saying that a struggler can stay in his cell for 3 months without a toilet. If they have a human sense, they should regard these situations, which have been present since the 70's. Psychological pressure has caused us many physical diseases.
One of the torture methods is hanging, which means hanging the prisoner from his hands, while his feet never touch the ground. It's a difficult way for young girls to be treated like that, such as all modern countries' prisons. I remember that while I was hanging, I slept while standing up and not falling down. When I woke up, I prayed to have strength against the interrogator. During torture, we were beaten with clubs. Male interrogators beat female prisoners and female ones beat male prisoners.
Ina'am:
The Israelis used all kinds of torture methods, such as using loud music and sounds, while they're inside their cells. They put megaphones inside the cells, and play violent sounds and loud music to disturb them. These sounds intensify the anxiety of the prisoner, but the prisoners were able to stand against these sounds, yet sometimes they shouted and called for help.
In addition, the world thinks that the Israeli interrogator is a humane one, but actually he's a criminal, because he doesn't spare any means of violent torture, such as putting out cigarettes in a woman's body, pulling her fingernails out and taking her hair out.
Name
Hoda Ammar
- Syria
Profession
Question
Were you personally subjected to physical abuse in Israeli prisons?
Answer
Fairooz:
I was tortured in Gaza Central Prison, in the year 1970, 1971, 1975 and 1976.
Ina'am:
I was tortured in the same prison in 1970, 1971 and 1976.
Name
GG
- France
Profession
Question
Is it true that some women had miscarriages as a result of physical torture?
Answer
Ina'am:
Yes... Prisoner Amal Omar Al Halabi, who was imprisoned in 1973 in Gaza Central Prison, had a miscarriage through torture and was threatened by the torturing officer to give her 5 years instead of two if she confessed that he was the cause for the miscarriage.
Fairooz:
I remember Na'ela Ayesh, pregnant in her third month, she had a miscarriage. I also remember that some pregnant prisoners gave birth to their children, but the babies were taken away.
Name
Muzammil
- Malaysia
Profession
Question
Israel is considered by its big brother nully USA as a democratic state.
A democratic state would treat the prisoners fairly.
What is your comments on this?
Answer
Fairooz:
Israel considers itself a democratic state, only with the Israeli people, but for the Palestinian people, they deal with them without mercy, with racism and violence. We never had equal rights like Jews, and those called 1948-Arabs live under a system of Apartheid. Israel isn't democratic, because if it was, it would have given us our rights instead of taking them forcefully from us. When I see my trees uprooted, my lands confiscated and my tradition violated, how can I describe them of democracy? If you were to live in Israel, you would be treated with prejudice, since you're not Jewish. Many immigrants to Israel commit suicide because of the mistreatment they have. Democracy only shows in Israel during the elections. The US says that Israel is democratic because they have mutual interests. They cover up for each other.
Ina'am:
Israel doesn't have any sense of democracy, this is clearly shown in the conditions in which Palestinians living inside the 1948 line live. Although they are the native owners of the land, they can't get permission to build a house. Jerusalem inhabitants are driven out of their homes and Jews replace them. Once Palestinians go out of their homes they break in and occupy them. We know that they do horrible things to those Palestinians.
Name
Karmah
-
Profession
Question
Could you give us a description of the everyday life Palestinian women go through inside Israeli jails?
Answer
Ina'am:
The Israeli prison cell during the 70s was made of black walls. We were given only two very thin blankets and slept on hay mattresses stuffed with hard cloth. In this room, between 40-60 girls lived in each cell. In the middle of the cell, there was a board placed on two woods for eating and a waste bin used for drinking, in addition to another, smaller bin for a toilet. In the meantime, situations are much more difficult, as rooms are only 12 square meters. We also had a small cupboard without doors where we put the wripped clothes the jail administration gave us. These thin clothes were used in the cold winter. The cupboard given to all 60 prisoners was only 2 square meters.
Fairooz:
On 6 am we were woken up by the jail administration, after a night of torture. We stood in a counting line, then they opened the doors and we were allowed to go to the bathroom once daily, then we arrange what we call "beds" or "Borsh". The hay stuffed in the mattresses used to hurt as we slept, other then harboring insects causing us skin diseases.
After that, we throw away our toilet bin as well as the garbage waste basket. We used to help each other in that. We treated each other as sisters, as we didn't look to the differences in factions. We used to wash clothes in a big bin with our own hands. We had a lady that was like a mother to us, Mrs. Sabha Al Salehat, that treated us like a mother. She always handled the washing as she used to do for her children. She always told us that she wanted to feel like she's washing for her children. She died of a disease she contracted at the prison.
Name
Salwa
- Palestine
Profession
pharmacist
Question
A thankfulness of who suggested the subject, I believed that the suffering of the Palestinian women in an the Israel Jails is a clear proof throughout a hideousness and The terrorism of our enemy, I think the only solvent for these women problem and other in Palestine suffering out of jails is END OF OCCUPATION....JUST BY FREEDOM ALL THE PALESTINEN SUFFRING WILL OVER
Answer
Fairooz:
Thank you, Salwa, for your comment. It's true that we were imprisoned in the 70s, but we're keeping track of the prisoners now. We believe that there would be no peace unless the Palestinian Right of Return and freedom of prisoners is achieved. We're not terrorists as the occupation claims, we're freedom prisoners and we will remain to struggle for our rights.
Thank you for your feelings and thoughts. The terrorists are those who established their state on the lands of another nation... If the Israelis were reasonable and peaceful, they would go back to the countries from which they came.
We wish that we would be freed from the occupation. The world must understand that the Israeli state was established on violence and terrorism.
Name
Malik Mohd
-
Profession
Question
Is there a difference in treatment regarding those held in solitary confinements?
Answer
Fairooz:
There's a difference that starts after the end of interrogation. If the interrogator wasn't able to force a confession out of the prisoner he would send him/her to solitary confinement, which is in a very small cell. They spray gas inside this cell and deprive him/her of sleep. He/she is not allowed to see a doctor and are only given simple medication to him/her. The solitary confinement is not only just about being held inside a small cell, but with excruciating torture.
Ina'am:
Solitary confinement has very high walls, with only a small opening for light and slipping food and water. The prisoner is constantly threatened with ferocious dogs, and loud music is always on in this cell. The cell isn't provided with a mattress for sleeping, and all this is according to the interrogator's mood! Another disadvantage is that the prisoner isn't allowed to cooperate with his/her fellow prisoners.
Name
Aliah
-
Profession
Question
With regards to the children that are taken away from the women, where are they placed?
Answer
Ina'am:
They are usually taken to a near relative. Prisoner Mervat Taha, she's still inside the prison, gave birth to her first child, Walid, while in prison... she gave birth to him while she was handcuffed... after his birth, she wasn't able to see him for two days, then he was raised with her for two years, and then taken away. Walid is now four years old, and he wasn't vaccinated. Mervat demands the world now that they provide proper vaccines for her child.
Name
Hosni
-
Profession
Question
What can you tell us about the Palestinian prisoners conditions nowadays?
Answer
Ina'am:
Prisoners nowadays are subjected to the harshest measures of torture. Occupation authorities use violent beating, very offending words, deprivation of calling their families, constantly putting them in solitary confinement, etc. They reduce break hours from 3 to 1 hour, depriving their families of visits, preventing communication between cells, taking away all means of media and books, preventing many students from doing their secondary year exams, etc. On July 9, they were sprayed with tear gas and water, and opened the mouth of one of the prisoners, Etaf Elayyan, and put gas in it, which led to her suffocation and took her to an undisclosed location. We recently heard that she's in solitary confinement and is on a hunger strike.
Prisoner Obayda Abdel Rahman was beaten severely and the marks of the beating are still clearly shown on her body... Also, Prisoner Ahlam Al Tamimi was sent to solitary confinement, and she went on hunger strike. She wasn't released until this day from solitary confinement.
Prisoner Asma'a Abu Al Haijaa, she has leukemia, and in spite of that, her administrative detention was extended, which is internationally rejected. She's still suffering from Leukemia and wasn't given any medication except Aspirin!
Name
Jay
-
Profession
Question
Is there a way we can offer funds for the displaced children? Would the money reach them?
What happens to children of prisoners who do not have families? Are they placed in institutions?
Answer
Fairooz:
There's the "woman department" in the Palestinian Prisoner Society, that's always following up the female prisoner's status inside the prisoners, though these cases are usually raised by the relatives, but their financial status isn't stable.
You may send your funds to the following address:
The Palestinian Political Prisoners & Ex-prisoners Association "Hussam", Woman Department
Tel.: 00970 8 2822778
fax: 00970 8 2843888
Name
adn
- Palestine
Profession
journalist
Question
What is going on in alremala prison between the palestinan prisoned sisters. we heared vliced asking them to solve thier internal problems. what problems they have
Answer
Ina'am:
Inside the Israeli Jails there are Israeli prisoners on criminal background and prostitutes, and they try to set Palestinian prisoners up and create problems between them, we called the prisoners on the phone and told them that those criminals are the ones which are doing all this, and that there were no actual problems between them.
Name
Yousef al Khattab
- Palestine
Profession
Question
Asalam Aleikoum Sister in Islam,
May Allah bless you and us with Jennah inshaallah. We are proud of you and must fight to free our sisters in the Jewish jails.
My question is do you feel that all Jews should be held accountable worldwide for the support of the Jewish entity that imprisons our Muslims sisters?
Answer
Fairooz:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuh... May Allah Bless you
We hold all those silent responsible for all what's happening in Palestine... we responded to the call of our stolen lands, and we can't exist without our lands... we want a peaceful life with stability, and we were blessed with reading the Holy Quran. We hold all Zionists accountable because they all want to go back and settle in Palestine if they could. We also hold the Arab regressives the responsibility for contributing to strengthening Israel. We will remain fighting till the liberation of Palestne...
Ina'am:
There're also Jews who demand peace and want to have a Palestinian state, they want a two-states status... we have no problem with differences in religion per se, as is evident in our prophet's teachings...
Name
abdulwahad
- India
Profession
student
Question
Assalamu alikkum
Assalamu alikkum
First of all i pray allah may lead us to the right way.I want to know why israelis imprisoned you? How long have you been there?How did they treat you?Did they allowed you to perform the activities such as namas etc? If the answer is no how did you perfomed them? Finally i ask you to pray for me.
Answer
Ina'am:
We're prisoners that declared resistance on the occupation, we wanted to end the occupation of all our lands, including Holy Jerusalem, we were the voice of all the people, and participated side by side with men in resisting the occupation and suffered torture during our detention. We spent years and gave birth to children behind bars.
Fairooz:
Assalamu Alaikum...
Because we held rights and a cause, you shouldn't be astonsihsed that there are women struggling, because men and women alike must stand in one trench defending the homeland, as we represent 53% of the society, we must have an active role in protecting our children, helping them in the struggle, promoting our struggle through handing out pamphlets... this was the minimum form of resistance, because there are much more than that. We were accused of helping other people in resisting with words, pen and paper. Even the words were killed. We were arrested for that, but other prisoners carried arms like men and fought armed battles. Resistance is a right for every man and woman in Islam, and there are many examples of Muslim women who lost their lives defending their countries. We were accused because we were part of Palestine.
I was imprisoned for distributing pamphlets and organizing a demonstration. I was sentenced for 18 months, just for speaking against the occupation. Some prisoners were sentenced for 7 years for transporting weapons to our fellow strugglers. This is a legitimate right for us, to fight for our land and rights, and as long as this occupation remained on our lands, we will fight it.
Islam online website gave us the opportunity to express our opinions in living a free life away from bloodshed, but we're forced to fight when we're subjected to killing. We hope that you, in your country, discuss why we have done this.
Name
Dionisis (Ennes)
- Greece
Profession
Question
AS-Selam ALeikum.
Reading what woman prisoner and other palestinians suffer everyday in their Jewish style "Holocaust" Prisons, I feel sorry and ashamed as well. 1.500,000,000 muslims and we can't even protect our Holy Lands it's a shame infront of Allah we will be asked and punished in the Yaumul-Kiyamah. I have no question just whant to simpathise with your couse.And Allah Bless you for your Strugle.
As-Selam Aleikum.
Answer
Fairooz:
Assalamu Alaikum...
We share your feelings and we also ask this question to the Arab rulers. We were pleased with your message, and I wish to print your message and archive it, because there are people in Greece who are aware of our cause. Women around the world are fighting for their rights for stability in their countries and not to be subjected to violence or to live under occupation.
We're not the only oppressed women; the Women of Iraq are now oppressed by the American occupation that gave Israel the green light do what they're doing to us. The Americans and the British also contributed to creating the suffering we live in.
It's shameful for Muslims to stand by and watch, because Jerusalem and the Holy Land isn't only for Palestinians, but for all Muslims. I feel ashamed to see Arab rulers normalize relations with Israel. We hold those people responsibe in front of Allah.
Name
Abd-Alwadud
-
Profession
Question
What reasons are the women imprisoned or are they "secret" information?
Answer
Ina'am:
The Palestinian women were imprisoned for belonging to a political organization against the occupation, regardless of its orientation. We used to transport weapons, distribute flyers, hold demonstrations, etc.
Fairooz:
There is some "secret" information, and it might endanger us if we were to speak about it on the Internet. We're still under occupation and we might risk our lives.
As a final word to all the readers, we would like to tell the world to regard the prisoners cause as a vital one, especially during the recent developments and the ceasefire, which Israel hasn’t committed itself to. The minimum demands we want are to release the prisoners. We call on the world to go on demonstrating and call for freeing Palestinian prisoners and ending the occupation.
Why have they forgotten the Palestinian prisoners while they make a very big deal out of a “scratch” happening to the Israeli state? We say that our struggle wasn’t in vain, and that our land will eventually be freed. We do not regret any moment of struggle, and support our strugglers until freedom and independence.
We are a people of rights, and we want the Israelis to stop their aggression on the Palestinians. We tell the world not to exert pressure on us because we are the ones who are oppressed.
Fairooz: I stand now in front of a statue and this statue goes back to the 1970s, the names of prisoners inside the jails, and were imprisoned inside my own room, of them, Ghalia Abu Setta, who spent 36 months of administrative detention without trial, Bahia Hamada, who came out of prison with cancer, our foster mother “Um Adnan”, who spent 5 years and came out with epilepsy and a psychological sickness… I would also like to pay tribute to a male prisoner named Sa’ad Abu Setta, who was killed in front of me during interrogation, and I thought he just fainted, three days later his body was given to his parents.
Also Mohammed Al Aswad “Guevara Gaza”, who came out of prison with torture marks on his head and one of his hands, he was killed in 1973; Ahmad Emran who escaped from prison and three days later, he was killed in action. Also, our comrade Fatema Al Soradi sang for him from inside the prison, and she was imprisoned for two and a half years for sheltering wanted Palestinians inside her house. And many many others, such as Dalal Abu Qamar…
We also would like to thank IslamOnline for giving us the opportunity to voice our thoughts and feelings and sufferings to the world.
Ina’am: We would like to say that our fellow prisoners are still under vicious torture while human rights and legal organizations are not doing enough about this.
Israel ripped the “Map” and stepped on the “Road” with its tanks… we demand Prime Minister Abu Mazen to exert pressure on the Israeli side to release our prisoners and implement all international resolutions, as well as calling on the international community and human rights organizations to immediately intervene to stop these actions against Palestinian prisoners inside jails.
We salute our prisoners: Fatema Al Bernawi, who was imprisoned for 14 years, Etaf Elayyan, who was imprisoned for 14 years and then arrested again and is still inside prisons, Nahla Al Bayedh, the first woman prisoner of Gaza Strip, Ayda Sa’ed who made the first military operation in Gaza and spent 20 years inside prisons… she gave birth to only one girl and named her “Palestine”, Khadija Al Helo, Subheya Skaik, Fatema Al Halabi, arrested for 15 years and then she was exiled to Lebanon.
If we were to speak about all prisoners volumes would be written; they have been 55 years of continuous oppression and torture.
