Shalom likulam.
I made it over to Israel again, this time to stay. I'm in Jerusalem staying with a friend, and it's been really nice. Actually, the friend is Ari's friend Alana from school who is letting me stay until I need to get up to Haifa. She's been incredibly nice, and I'm really looking forward to hanging out with her this semester while we're both here. Ari was here for a few days, but he's back in Jordan now. It's strange to think that the program in Jordan is going to start up on Sunday with so many new people, and I will be moving into a dormitory in Haifa, starting all over again.
I was only given a one-month entry visa to Israel as opposed to the regular three-month visa that I've gotten the other five times I came here. Serious searching through my stuff and body at the border crossing. And I saw something very inappropriate. A man working there asked a woman to show her face, which was veiled behind a niqab...in front of the entire line of people waiting to get through. I stood by my New Year's Resolution and asked someone who I could report this to, as it is a serious violation of privacy. He could have asked to see her face somewhere private, where the entire border crossing could not see. Anyway, the woman I reported this to said that there is no body to receive complaints like this and that it wouldn't work because it would slow down the whole process if they had to do that every time. My first attempt at changing a system to be more appropriate was frustrated by an unforeseen obstacle: there is no facility to change the rule in an occupied territory. Because everything that Israel is doing in the West Bank is internationally illegal, they can create their own laws for what is and is not permitted in that territory.
Jerusalem's been nice. I've had the pleasure of bumping into several friends, of course, some that I did not expect to be here. For example, my friend Becky who graduated last year happens to be living in Jerusalem and doing a good job of making a life for herself here. We really met during both of our first visits to Israel, so it's great to see how much we've learned and grown. And we're both here, now! Also, I bumped into a few friends from Brandeis who are studying at Hebrew U for the semester as well as met up with some people who I knew were living here.
Of course I've seen Allie, only twice though! She's doing really well, surrounded by interesting people and living in a quiet area. I'm so happy to be near her again, and the rest of her family is soon to join us here in Israel.
I have little to say right now. Two failed attempts at entering al-Aqsa, well failed even getting on the Temple Mount:
Guard: Are you a Muslim?
Me: Hamdulillah.
Guard: Where are you from?
Me: America.
Guard: Uh.. do you have a passport?
Me: Not with me.
Guard: Get lost..
I'll try again another time, I guess I wasn't prepared enough at the time anyway. Looks pretty though!
The research for organizations with which I can work:
It sounds RIGHT up my alley. I am emailing them now, the Abraham Fund, how fitting! They were suggested to me by an Israeli I happened to meet in Jordan, go figure. I don't know if they have an office up in Haifa, but I would love to see if there is any work to be done for them up there.
So, this weekend I'm off to Haifa to spend with some friends, and Allie is offering her generous self to help me get up there with all of my stuff! My friends up there are kindly offering their houses and even cars to get me to the university so that my move-in is painless. I feel so lucky to already have a community like this, it's really nice and helps with the transition so much. Until Sunday, I am just reconnecting to Israel, but I am very excited to start my program so that I can fill in my time and not think about all of these vast changes.
Interesting conversations to come, I'm sure. Just you wait.
--Avraham
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
audrey's photos
Audrey posted the photos of the trip to Iraq!!
Some stories:
I know why they kept wandering, looking for water. We saw MASSIVE lakes in the distance.. like oceans. They kept moving as we drove. They weren't real!! I felt like parking on the side and running towards them, but seriously, most of them were not real. Maybe some were.
Also, did I mention the cops who tried to give me a speeding ticket, laughing hysterically, and took 20JD from me? They returned my license with the 20 between the license and the registration, so smooth. Silly, bored Jordanian guards.
Enjoy the photos, thanks Audrey!
--Ibrahim
Some stories:
I know why they kept wandering, looking for water. We saw MASSIVE lakes in the distance.. like oceans. They kept moving as we drove. They weren't real!! I felt like parking on the side and running towards them, but seriously, most of them were not real. Maybe some were.
Also, did I mention the cops who tried to give me a speeding ticket, laughing hysterically, and took 20JD from me? They returned my license with the 20 between the license and the registration, so smooth. Silly, bored Jordanian guards.
Enjoy the photos, thanks Audrey!
--Ibrahim
Friday, January 16, 2009
strange fruit hangin from the poppy trees
I read a really interesting essay from a blog that I follow. It's the kind of perspective that a lot of my Arab friends would be glad to hear, as they are not alone in the desire for all of this to just be over.
I've gone on two adventures since my last post. Both were perfect, besides one point*, and as a result, I've fallen in love with Jordan again. *The one point that made them not perfect was that my traveling mate, my source of entertainment, inspiration, and companionship in this great Kingdom, Jackie, was no longer mawjouda! I miss her so much, and these trips are dedicated to her!
Trip A: Karameh and Shouneh
In a class at Brandeis, we learned about the Battle of Karameh and that there was a small memorial to the Jordanians fallen at that battle, despite the fact that the Palestinians at the time declared it their own victory. A very interesting piece of history, indeed. What my professor did not expect was that his mentioning this small memorial was enough for me to dedicate a day to find it!
After I found it, I went and sat down with a new friend, Marwan, in Shouneh where I waited for the bus to Salt. We just chatted all day, watched the sun sink in the sky, waved and smiled at everyone who passed by on foot or in a car. It was great. The drive up to Salt was beautiful, and I saw naturally flowing water! Between the Jordanian charm--constant tea invitations--and the unbelievably unique natural and political environment of Jordan, I was reminded why I originally fell in love with this country.
Between journeys...
So Ari's brother Aaron and his best friend in the whole world Rachel came in town, and I got to hang out with them quite a bit between journeys. Ari and Aaron went into Petra while I was gone, and they picked up some friends who came to stay with us. It was refreshing to meet other American students who I didn't know, and these two were pretty cool. Knowing Ari and then getting the perspective from his little brother Aaron was so fun and sometimes hilarious, unfortunately at Ari's expense from time to time. When Rachel came in, we had some great bonding through political discussions--there's no end, especially at times like these--and cuddling. Hamdulillah.
I spent a bit of time visiting the office for my program. I'm really going to miss Rana, who's been a great support and a really cool friend. I feel like there's nothing, personal or political, that I can't discuss with her. And she shared all this great music with me, which I'm listening to now so I thought I'd mention it. I'll be back to visit her though, as well as all the others in the office, like Ahmad, Rasha, Ala', and of course, who could forget Allison.
Okay, ya'allah, Trip B: Iraq
Don't freak out yet, we didn't get to actually enter Iraq. And even if we did, we'd be in the middle of the desert, turn around and come back to Jordan. So Audrey and I rented ourselves a car and went into the East. There is one lane on route 10, and that lane goes through about 2 towns within 200km, eventually taking you to the Iraqi border. The best pictures are on her camera, and once I get a hold of them I will share them, but for now you'll have to make due with mine.
So.. in seeing the entire country from one end to the other, I learned how to drive stick competently enough!
My dad didn't envision me learning to drive a manual car in Jordan, driving out to Iraq and in Amman during rush hour, but the high stress of the city driving forced me to get good enough and fast. Thanks to Audrey for the free lessons and the great company. It just felt so great to be free. At one point we got damn near empty on gas at a town called Ruwayshed. They ran out of gas in their town, as well! Hurray! So we snatched some gas from a guy who drove a Mercedes because had we not gotten any gas, well, we wouldn't have made it to the next town which was almost 100km away! One of the guys who helped us siphon the gas accidentally swallowed quite a bit of the benzine, oops! Shoutout to the peeps in Ruwayshed who saved us from being stuck in the desert longer than we needed.
So here I am, getting ready to cross the river on Sunday. I'm researching jobs and apartments in Haifa because I might be in the mood for a more realistic life. No, I am certain that I'm not ready to give up apartment life and need to take initiative and put myself to use in a country where that is possible and necessary. Enjoy the rest of my photos from the past few weeks, and look forward to an update from a land not so far away!
--Ibrahim
I've gone on two adventures since my last post. Both were perfect, besides one point*, and as a result, I've fallen in love with Jordan again. *The one point that made them not perfect was that my traveling mate, my source of entertainment, inspiration, and companionship in this great Kingdom, Jackie, was no longer mawjouda! I miss her so much, and these trips are dedicated to her!
Trip A: Karameh and Shouneh
In a class at Brandeis, we learned about the Battle of Karameh and that there was a small memorial to the Jordanians fallen at that battle, despite the fact that the Palestinians at the time declared it their own victory. A very interesting piece of history, indeed. What my professor did not expect was that his mentioning this small memorial was enough for me to dedicate a day to find it!
 |
| From Freedom in the Kingdom |
After I found it, I went and sat down with a new friend, Marwan, in Shouneh where I waited for the bus to Salt. We just chatted all day, watched the sun sink in the sky, waved and smiled at everyone who passed by on foot or in a car. It was great. The drive up to Salt was beautiful, and I saw naturally flowing water! Between the Jordanian charm--constant tea invitations--and the unbelievably unique natural and political environment of Jordan, I was reminded why I originally fell in love with this country.
Between journeys...
So Ari's brother Aaron and his best friend in the whole world Rachel came in town, and I got to hang out with them quite a bit between journeys. Ari and Aaron went into Petra while I was gone, and they picked up some friends who came to stay with us. It was refreshing to meet other American students who I didn't know, and these two were pretty cool. Knowing Ari and then getting the perspective from his little brother Aaron was so fun and sometimes hilarious, unfortunately at Ari's expense from time to time. When Rachel came in, we had some great bonding through political discussions--there's no end, especially at times like these--and cuddling. Hamdulillah.
I spent a bit of time visiting the office for my program. I'm really going to miss Rana, who's been a great support and a really cool friend. I feel like there's nothing, personal or political, that I can't discuss with her. And she shared all this great music with me, which I'm listening to now so I thought I'd mention it. I'll be back to visit her though, as well as all the others in the office, like Ahmad, Rasha, Ala', and of course, who could forget Allison.
Okay, ya'allah, Trip B: Iraq
Don't freak out yet, we didn't get to actually enter Iraq. And even if we did, we'd be in the middle of the desert, turn around and come back to Jordan. So Audrey and I rented ourselves a car and went into the East. There is one lane on route 10, and that lane goes through about 2 towns within 200km, eventually taking you to the Iraqi border. The best pictures are on her camera, and once I get a hold of them I will share them, but for now you'll have to make due with mine.
So.. in seeing the entire country from one end to the other, I learned how to drive stick competently enough!
 |
| From Freedom in the Kingdom |
My dad didn't envision me learning to drive a manual car in Jordan, driving out to Iraq and in Amman during rush hour, but the high stress of the city driving forced me to get good enough and fast. Thanks to Audrey for the free lessons and the great company. It just felt so great to be free. At one point we got damn near empty on gas at a town called Ruwayshed. They ran out of gas in their town, as well! Hurray! So we snatched some gas from a guy who drove a Mercedes because had we not gotten any gas, well, we wouldn't have made it to the next town which was almost 100km away! One of the guys who helped us siphon the gas accidentally swallowed quite a bit of the benzine, oops! Shoutout to the peeps in Ruwayshed who saved us from being stuck in the desert longer than we needed.
So here I am, getting ready to cross the river on Sunday. I'm researching jobs and apartments in Haifa because I might be in the mood for a more realistic life. No, I am certain that I'm not ready to give up apartment life and need to take initiative and put myself to use in a country where that is possible and necessary. Enjoy the rest of my photos from the past few weeks, and look forward to an update from a land not so far away!
--Ibrahim
Sunday, January 11, 2009
kiva
Hey guys, got updates coming your way. Some great solo travel in Jordan, so I'm excited to share this stuff with you. I have fallen back in love with the country :-D
In the meantime, check this out...
A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.
I am a Kiva loaner and I advocate people to help by becoming one as well. Enjoy!
--Ibrahim
In the meantime, check this out...
A Fistful Of Dollars: The Story of a Kiva.org Loan from Kieran Ball on Vimeo.
I am a Kiva loaner and I advocate people to help by becoming one as well. Enjoy!
--Ibrahim
Friday, January 9, 2009
shoutout to anna (and matt)
Anna, my older sister, is one of my most dedicated blog readers. In fact, it is great to hear her feedback about my writing about my experiences. The fact that I have an audience is great, and the fact that some audience members are moved, intellectually stimulated, impressed by my posts and others (such as my sister) can find humor and material for comedic interpretations... it's all great. Either way, I'm making an impression, right?
So Anna, this post is for you. And Matt! I had a really nice time seeing you guys last week, and I miss you.
For the rest of my people, I'm back in Amman and finding it nice to be back. A bit tense at moments, as everyone is deeply moved by the situation in Gaza and Southern Israel. As am I. I'm feeling a bit helpless here, but I think that a lot of people are feeling a bit helpless everywhere, especially in Israel.
Until I move over, I plan to jump around the country to see some places I haven't made it to yet. Karak, Karameh, the Iraqi border (don't worry, it's a big empty desert), and elsewhere I haven't even thought of. I'll be spending some time with some friends, taking in the beauty of Amman, and parting from the life I have here as I know it.
--Ibrahim
So Anna, this post is for you. And Matt! I had a really nice time seeing you guys last week, and I miss you.
For the rest of my people, I'm back in Amman and finding it nice to be back. A bit tense at moments, as everyone is deeply moved by the situation in Gaza and Southern Israel. As am I. I'm feeling a bit helpless here, but I think that a lot of people are feeling a bit helpless everywhere, especially in Israel.
Until I move over, I plan to jump around the country to see some places I haven't made it to yet. Karak, Karameh, the Iraqi border (don't worry, it's a big empty desert), and elsewhere I haven't even thought of. I'll be spending some time with some friends, taking in the beauty of Amman, and parting from the life I have here as I know it.
--Ibrahim
Friday, January 2, 2009
watching the detectives
This article reminded me of an experience that I had when entering the United States this past weekend.
I was waiting in the "US Passports" line at immigrations. It seemed to me that, in the line where I was, the man sent anyone with an accent straight to another office. I saw as family after family were questioned beyond necessity about their travels, when they left the country, where they were, what they did, who they saw, all of those kinds of things. Not all of them were fluent in English, and when it got to a question where the comprehension did not work, the man escorted them to the office where they were to be further investigated. No other line worked this way. Efficiency? No, just plain racism. In fact, a man assisting a handicapped passenger, a man working for JFK International Airport that is, consistently rolled his eyes with me every time this would happen. This same man once commented to me that the man at the desk has all of this information on his screen, there is no need to verify it all with every person. These are American citizens, we all sat on a very long flight, and this man was being racist. How do I know? Well, I got up to the line, he didn't look at my face, and said "Have a nice day." ...of course this only happened after I greeted him in English.
I was discussing this incident as well as the incident I was a part of at the West Bank checkpoint with a friend of mine, shoutout Ari, and he encouraged me to take action when I see these situations. There exist in the establishment departments where I can complain that people are abusing their power, that people are incorporating racism into the system when they are not supposed to. It is my New Year's Resolution to take action and speak up when I see these injustices, even when it is inconvenient for me, because the next step is for me to challenge the system to see how well it works in correcting itself.
Happy New Year!
--Abraham
I was waiting in the "US Passports" line at immigrations. It seemed to me that, in the line where I was, the man sent anyone with an accent straight to another office. I saw as family after family were questioned beyond necessity about their travels, when they left the country, where they were, what they did, who they saw, all of those kinds of things. Not all of them were fluent in English, and when it got to a question where the comprehension did not work, the man escorted them to the office where they were to be further investigated. No other line worked this way. Efficiency? No, just plain racism. In fact, a man assisting a handicapped passenger, a man working for JFK International Airport that is, consistently rolled his eyes with me every time this would happen. This same man once commented to me that the man at the desk has all of this information on his screen, there is no need to verify it all with every person. These are American citizens, we all sat on a very long flight, and this man was being racist. How do I know? Well, I got up to the line, he didn't look at my face, and said "Have a nice day." ...of course this only happened after I greeted him in English.
I was discussing this incident as well as the incident I was a part of at the West Bank checkpoint with a friend of mine, shoutout Ari, and he encouraged me to take action when I see these situations. There exist in the establishment departments where I can complain that people are abusing their power, that people are incorporating racism into the system when they are not supposed to. It is my New Year's Resolution to take action and speak up when I see these injustices, even when it is inconvenient for me, because the next step is for me to challenge the system to see how well it works in correcting itself.
Happy New Year!
--Abraham
Thursday, January 1, 2009
yalla
So it's finally 2009 in this part of the world. Which part of the world? I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, North America, at the current minute.
A few weeks ago, I deemed it necessary that I travel home to visit my grandmothers, see my family, and be home during New Year's. This meant that my dad was unable to get to come to visit me, as I took his ticket and made it my own. It's too bad, because that would have been fun, but this was a very important trip for me.
First of all, they moved to the city since I left. Seeing them in their new life was very important. It's incredible; I just walk outside and I'm in center city. What a concept. I can walk everywhere, including to Grandma Lila's house and to Boathouse Row. Nice!
Another important thing to come home for was what happened tonight. All year, Sarah and my mom have been planning and organizing, with the help of everyone that would offer it, a Sober New Year's Ball kind of thing. They raised a lot of money and received donations of food and decorations for the event, and at the event we had all kinds of raffling, silent auction, video playing, dj in one room, and more than enough to eat for everyone who came. A nice turnout, a really safe place for people who don't want to be around alcohol. The grandmothers came and we laughed and danced all night, which made me happy as can be.
Speaking of the grandmothers, I've spent plenty of time with them. It's been great to visit them, talk about everything, and they are so happy to see me. I wasn't planning on coming home at all this year, but I really did miss them and didn't think it was fair to stay away for so long. I'm about to leave on Sunday for an even longer period, and it's going to be tough on us.
All in all, this trip home has been very nice. I got to see my new American life before I even get to live it, and I am content in the city. Very content.
However.
2009 has started on a very unstable foot. War broke out 6 days ago in Gaza and the South of Israel, as everyone must have heard. Hundreds of people are dying in Gaza, and the rockets are flying out of the place while everyone's rushing to the bomb shelters. The army's in full force, and I don't see a clean way to end this mess. I feel so confused. Everyone's at fault, and nobody wants to back down. Except for the poor 1.5 million residents of Gaza who never get a break, whether it be from the Israeli operations or their radical leadership.
I feel so far away from it, but the protests reach even the streets of Philadelphia. I happened to stumble upon one such protest, and noticed that the only radical or offensive signs and messages were held by the people there who were not Arabs. A white guy held a sign that said "Terrorist Recruit Sign-up Here," and I just thought... what the hell does that mean? "End the killing, end the war..." I was generally proud to hear these cheers, as the protest was peaceful, reasonable, nothing like the chaos that it was to stand against.
I'm going back to Amman on Sunday. I came in for a really short time. As it was necessary, it's also not time for me to be back here. The culture shock is intense, although I'm so excited to see women in hijabs around Philadelphia, even niqabs. I have to hold back the insha'allahs and the hamdulillahs, unfortunately. I'm ready for the next step in my year, though, and I am ready to enter into a society that I feel is changing and must continue to change. In spite of all that is happening there must be hope for this new year. Who knows what all of this will bring? I pray that it ends, and soon, and that from this everyone can see that nothing good comes from murder and destruction.
I hope that in 2009 we see a time where we can rebuild Gaza, as it has already suffered great damage. We can reopen the borders around it so that the people can be liberated from a prison and enjoy the fruits of the world, live in peace and strive towards a sustainable future. It's getting late, and I should stop myself before it gets too real. I will post photos from this week once they become available, perhaps in the next day or so. I love Philadelphia.
--Ibrahim
A few weeks ago, I deemed it necessary that I travel home to visit my grandmothers, see my family, and be home during New Year's. This meant that my dad was unable to get to come to visit me, as I took his ticket and made it my own. It's too bad, because that would have been fun, but this was a very important trip for me.
First of all, they moved to the city since I left. Seeing them in their new life was very important. It's incredible; I just walk outside and I'm in center city. What a concept. I can walk everywhere, including to Grandma Lila's house and to Boathouse Row. Nice!
Another important thing to come home for was what happened tonight. All year, Sarah and my mom have been planning and organizing, with the help of everyone that would offer it, a Sober New Year's Ball kind of thing. They raised a lot of money and received donations of food and decorations for the event, and at the event we had all kinds of raffling, silent auction, video playing, dj in one room, and more than enough to eat for everyone who came. A nice turnout, a really safe place for people who don't want to be around alcohol. The grandmothers came and we laughed and danced all night, which made me happy as can be.
Speaking of the grandmothers, I've spent plenty of time with them. It's been great to visit them, talk about everything, and they are so happy to see me. I wasn't planning on coming home at all this year, but I really did miss them and didn't think it was fair to stay away for so long. I'm about to leave on Sunday for an even longer period, and it's going to be tough on us.
All in all, this trip home has been very nice. I got to see my new American life before I even get to live it, and I am content in the city. Very content.
However.
2009 has started on a very unstable foot. War broke out 6 days ago in Gaza and the South of Israel, as everyone must have heard. Hundreds of people are dying in Gaza, and the rockets are flying out of the place while everyone's rushing to the bomb shelters. The army's in full force, and I don't see a clean way to end this mess. I feel so confused. Everyone's at fault, and nobody wants to back down. Except for the poor 1.5 million residents of Gaza who never get a break, whether it be from the Israeli operations or their radical leadership.
I feel so far away from it, but the protests reach even the streets of Philadelphia. I happened to stumble upon one such protest, and noticed that the only radical or offensive signs and messages were held by the people there who were not Arabs. A white guy held a sign that said "Terrorist Recruit Sign-up Here," and I just thought... what the hell does that mean? "End the killing, end the war..." I was generally proud to hear these cheers, as the protest was peaceful, reasonable, nothing like the chaos that it was to stand against.
I'm going back to Amman on Sunday. I came in for a really short time. As it was necessary, it's also not time for me to be back here. The culture shock is intense, although I'm so excited to see women in hijabs around Philadelphia, even niqabs. I have to hold back the insha'allahs and the hamdulillahs, unfortunately. I'm ready for the next step in my year, though, and I am ready to enter into a society that I feel is changing and must continue to change. In spite of all that is happening there must be hope for this new year. Who knows what all of this will bring? I pray that it ends, and soon, and that from this everyone can see that nothing good comes from murder and destruction.
I hope that in 2009 we see a time where we can rebuild Gaza, as it has already suffered great damage. We can reopen the borders around it so that the people can be liberated from a prison and enjoy the fruits of the world, live in peace and strive towards a sustainable future. It's getting late, and I should stop myself before it gets too real. I will post photos from this week once they become available, perhaps in the next day or so. I love Philadelphia.
--Ibrahim
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