Defying the War, Gazans Revive Ramadan Spirit
(AWP) - As the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip enters its sixth month, and the holy month of Ramadan is at hand, Palestinians insist on keeping the traditions of the fasting month alive, with a mesaharaty moving amongst the tents of the displaced in Rafah, southern Gaza, waking people up and reminding them of the spirit of Ramadan.
The mesaharaty is a person who awakens sleeping Muslims during the early mornings of Ramadan to ensure they have their suhoor, the meal before the daily fast.
Manal Al-Drimly, a displaced woman, spoke of the difficulties of a life of displacement away from her home, especially when preparing the Ramadan meals.
“We have difficulty preparing the suhoor or the iftar, because we need to light a fire for each meal, or for making tea,” she said.
Manal recounts how she used to spend Ramadan at her home before she was forced to relocate.
“Prior to the displacement, Ramadan was so beautiful in our house. The atmosphere was nice, and the mesaharaty woke us up, while the children ran after him. Despite the woes of war, there is someone here playing the mesaharaty role, and he wakes people up,” she explains.
While the mesaharaty beat a stick on an empty plastic water bottle for a drum, his companion Jum’a Qalji, a displaced young man from northern Gaza, chanted praise for the Prophet Muhammad, and was hailed by the roused inhabitants of the tents.
“A mesaharaty must be available for us throughout the month of Ramadan. We are trying to revive the role of the mesaharaty once again, so he can roam amongst the tents and wake the people up. This ritual is reminiscent of our traditions in Gaza,” said Qalji.
The Health Ministry in Gaza announced that the Palestinian fatalities from the Israeli war, ongoing since 7 October, had risen to 31,112, while the number of wounded had increased to 72,760.