The Experiences of Mr. D

One of our contacts in Tulkarm is Mr. D.  I choose not to use his full name.  He is a freelance journalist involved in many community activities.  He also works with the UN Committee to register the disruption and damage the separation barrier is causing the Palestinian people.  He has graciously worked with every EA team since EAPPI first started maintaining a presence in the Tulkarm area.  He and his wife live in the Tulkarm area with their 5 children. 

Besides being aware of the pulse of the community he travels to the Jordan Valley and other places when necessary.  Our team was invited to his home the other day to share food and wonderful hospitality.  His home is built partway up the hill so they have a nice view of Tulkarm.  Their land has been in the family for a number of years and they live next to his mother who is in her 80’s.

Mr. D has been married over 20 years.  Their engagement and wedding pictures were willingly shown to us and the story of their life evolved.  Both had been born and raised in Tulkarm.  They were introduced through Mr. D’s sister.  Right after the engagement party he was arrested and put in prison.  He didn’t go into the reasons why he was imprisoned but he was one of the 20% of Palestinian men who have been in prison.  There are many people arrested for political reasons alone.  Since he was well educated and able to speak his mind about things, that may have been enough of a reason for imprisonment. 

In his life, he has spent a total of 5 years in prisons.  The first time he was arrested was right after his engagement party.  When he started describing the conditions he endured while in prison it is quite remarkable that he survived at all.  Many times there were 10-20 men in a very small cell with one toilet for everyone.  Other times when there wasn’t a building to house the prisoners in they were put in tents.  Palestine is generally a moderate climate but in the winter it is cold and rainy.  It’s pretty miserable on some days even though the temperature may still be above freezing.

I have read stories about how someone survives a harsh situation by their ability to consciously  ignore what is happening and  reach a higher level of consciousness completely removed from the reality they are facing.   Mr. D did that in two ways….by writing and by etching on small pieces of limestone.   He wrote  letters to his beloved and the rest of his family whenever possible.  The Red Cross supplies a blank postcard for prisoners to send notes home.  Looking at the small space allowed on a postcard, he decided to try it his way.  All this had to be done secretly when he wasn’t on work duty and when the guards weren’t watching.  In beautiful Arabic script, he wrote pages and pages in as small and beautiful  handwriting  as I have ever seen.  The paper was very thin like airmail stationary.  Whenever a prisoner that he knew was released,  a very small letter  would be given to the man and smuggled through.  The friend in turn delivered the precious letter to Mr. D's family and his future bride.  All those letters were saved and cherished over the years.

He took out a small leather pouch that is kept in a cabinet in their living room and showed them to us.  Several  folded papers with tiny but perfectly crafted handwriting tumbled out.  There were also 3 beautiful necklaces that he had made for his future wife.  When asked how he etched the designs and the lettering on each one he said:  “I used either my fingernails or another scrap of stone and just worked away.”  He also said of everything he has in his possession this is by far the most valuable.

I will write more about prisoners next time.

Susanne