The Visual Habjouqa

Musings & Celebrations from the Middle East

[habjouqa]

Ain Farah, ancient, fresh pool. Palestinian youth enjoys swim among fish. #west bank #daily life #stopandswimwithfish #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverywhere #summertime #palestine photo by @habjouqa

[habjouqa]

The Palestinian girl scouts of Ramallah at band practice. Faiza (trumpet) and her family left Gaza after Israeli military incursions of last summer. Her family said 'enough'. The scouts are a long respected Palestinian institution (1912) and their charter accepts all diversity of Palestinians, to promote values in creating a better world. They were on cusp of making their own rock and roll all girl band. photo by @habjouqa #palestine #occupiedpleasures #ramallah #everydayeverywhere #everydaymiddleeast #teenagers #dailylife

[habjouqa]

Friends high school graduation, 2015. #palestine #occupiedfuture? #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverywhere #dailylife #highschool photo by @habjouqa

[habjouqa]

The silent vigil of the teletubbie, Qalandia checkpoint. Photo @habjouqa . #occupiedterritories #dailylife #everydaymiddleeast #palestiniansmallbusinessacumen #peoplebuyrandomstuffstuckwaiting #palestinians

[habjouqa]

Palestinian women find quiet corner for celebration in old city, East Jerusalem. Upcoming exhibit project Breathing Spaces for #Oxfam. #dailylife #everdayeverywhere #everydaymiddleeast #palestinians #quietcelebrations photo by @habjouqa

[habjouqa]

The boys of Abwein village. After hours. Photo by @habjouqa #palestine #westbank #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverywhere #nightlife #youth

[habjouqa]

Gaza fun fair. Photo by @habjouqa #gaza #palestine #dailylife #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverwhere

[habjouqa]

From Jericho with love...a kiss, ascending to "mount of temptation". Photo by @habjouqa #westbank #palestine #holybooktales #jericho #tourism #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverywhere #occupiedpleasures, my book coming soon

[habjouqa]

Gaza summer "road trip" . Teen girls and flowers. @habjouqa #gaza #occupiedterritories #humanrights #teengirls #roadtrip #everydaymiddleeast #everydayeverywhere #dailylife

[habjouqa]

His dream is to go to university. photo by @habjouqa Barik Sale, a 20 years old asylum seeker from Darfur, is one of hundreds of refugees who fled from South Sudan and Eritrea as children. Barik, then 9 years old, left his home and family when the genocide in Darfur put him in danger, survived through hunger and thirst, days of walking in the desert and being shot at by the Egypt soldiers, before he arrived to Israel. In Israel he was put in prison named "Saharonim", in the heart of the desert, until the authorities confirmed he was a minor and let him go. Today, after many years of studying in Israeli schools, Barik speaks fluent Hebrew and is familiar only with the Israeli culture. Like hundreds of other refugees who arrived to Israel alone as children, he has no one in the world to take care of him. Most of these children either saw their families being murdered, or lost connection and don't know whether their parents are dead or alive. In Israel they live w lack of basic human rights - they have no right for health or welfare, no status, and have no future or anyone to take care of them here. ASSAF (aid organization for refugees and asylum seekers) works with Barik and his friends, and trying to help them get over the despair, and to convince and stress the Israeli government to take responsibility over these young refugees who have no other home in the world. #darfur #refugee #asylum #israel

[habjouqa]

Woman and child , walk behind south tel aviv bus station. The area is thriving with Eritrean and Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers and the culture they bring to area. Photo @habjouqa #africanimmigrants #israel

[habjouqa]

Barik talks with his friend outside her restaurant, the Eritrean sisters run a popular cafe in South Tel Aviv. , she runs cafe with her sister. popular social spot. photo by @habjouqa Barik Sale, a 20 years old asylum seeker from Darfur, is one of hundreds of refugees who fled from South Sudan and Eritrea as children. Barik, then 9 years old, left his home and family when the genocide in Darfur put him in danger, survived through hunger and thirst, days of walking in the desert and being shot at by the Egypt soldiers, before he arrived to Israel. In Israel he was put in prison named "Saharonim", in the heart of the desert, until the authorities confirmed he was a minor and let him go. Today, after many years of studying in Israeli schools, Barik speaks fluent Hebrew and is familiar only with the Israeli culture. Like hundreds of other refugees who arrived to Israel alone as children, he has no one in the world to take care of him. Most of these children either saw their families being murdered, or lost connection and don't know whether their parents are dead or alive. In Israel they live with no basic human rights - they have no right for health or welfare, no status, and have no future or anyone to take care of them here. ASSAF (aid organization for refugees and asylum seekers) works with Barik and his friends, and trying to help them get over the despair, and to convince and stress the Israeli government to take responsibility over these young refugees who have no other home in the world. #darfur #refugee #asylum #israel

[habjouqa]

Palestinians In diaspora visit family and take time to see Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron. Not quite tourism but not exactly homecoming. Photo by @habjouqa #palestine #hebron #occupiedpleasures #occupiedterritories #hometourists four hours to support book project http://kck.st/1CrztPv

[habjouqa]

The first "new" Palestinian city...a suburban dream for Palestinians. They are still waiting for Israeli water permits.

[habjouqa]

"Sometimes I am thankful for the silence," she said. "Hala", a deaf youth from Gaza sits between her traumatized sister and mother, who are recounting the death of her little brother by accidental gunfire as he peaked down from of a roof at a protest. The women went on to speak of the fear of Israeli bombardments and inability to heal. Hala takes classes at a local NGO for deaf children, relishing the computer classes they offer and her dream of being a computer engineer. At this point, higher education is limited in Gaza for deaf children.

[habjouqa]

Tenderly tending to his horse...Deir al balaa refugee camp, gaza.

[habjouqa]

Child in photo studio, Jericho, Palestine. I was nothing but a bird that thought it could till the skies but the sky, as always is virgin and dead (excerpt from poem , Will and Testament, Najwan Darwish) Photo by @habjouqa