Wejdan Jaber
Posted on | November 17, 2008 | No Comments
Board member of Filastiniyat and advocate for the disabled
The Palestinian people have their own history, culture, and traditions. We are normal people; we don’t cook bombs in our kitchens. Palestine is beautiful. We have wonderful oranges, a beautiful beach, great food like hummus and tabbouleh. I want people to dream of visiting Palestine not only as a holy place but to enjoy the beautiful culture, language, and music.
What is the future of your “beautiful culture”?
The one-state solution is my utopian dream. For now, though, divorce should come before marriage—we need two independent states. We want our rights and dignity back, and we can achieve that through a state equal to the Israeli state. There is an imbalance of power—if we go directly to the one-state solution, the Palestinian people will feel they didn’t get this choice from a strong position and they are on a lower footing than the Israelis.
I am a normal Palestinian woman from Gaza. Events put me in a situation where I have to talk politics, but I focus on economic and social rights. I was born with severe hip dislocations. Being disabled is part of being human—like all products, we come with defects. Many people in the world have defects in their ways of thinking—politicians.
Being disabled, a woman, Arab, Muslim, in the hierarchy of discrimination in this society I am placed at the bottom of the ladder; but it gives strength. Physically I am in pain, but spiritually and emotionally, I am strong. It’s a challenge to do things people take for granted, climb stairs, sweep the floor. The effort and pain challenge me to be a better human being.
The checkpoint is my nightmare, and I have to go through it daily. I have had artificial hips since I was 30 years old. It was my biggest dream to have new hips, but when I got them, my suffering actually started. Artificial hips, metal detectors, and checkpoints are not friends. After I set off the detectors, I am pulled aside. It humiliates me when a solider checks me physically. I have to explain I am not a terrorist, I am not carrying a bomb.
What is the connection between dignity and human rights?
Dignity is based in human rights—it’s an intrinsic part of self. When you feel that your human rights are being violated, you feel that you are losing your dignity. When you are under occupation, where someone is deciding critical issues for you, then that person is taking away your right of self-determination. This is a part of losing your dignity.
Tell us about your work.
The suffering caused by my disability from childhood onwards has inspired me try to help people, because I received so much help from my community, my family, and my friends. I joined groups working for human rights, women’s rights and the rights of the disabled. In the bigger picture, I learned that this contribution may be a small thing but it somehow, somewhere makes an impact on the social and economic situation of occupied Palestine.
What creates extremism?
Extreme conditions push people into corners. This is the big mistake the international community is making in Gaza. The people elected Hamas not so much because of ideological belief but because they are extremely frustrated with a peace process that doesn’t get anywhere and with the corruption of Fatah leaders. Now, we are pushing the people who were not ideologically with Hamas by taking away their resources and livelihood. They have nothing more to lose.
Instead of pushing secular, liberal people towards extremism, a smarter move would be to bring Hamas to the negotiating table. Israel needs to make peace with the strong party and not the weak party. After all, the results of the elections clearly show Hamas to be the strongest party in Gaza. The elections were democratic; President Jimmy Carter was the head of the international monitoring committee. They can’t turn over the results whenever they don’t like them.
What’s the difference between Gaza and the West Bank?
Gaza and the West Bank are one nation. There is geographic variety between the mountains and sea, but the conditions of life under occupation are the same.
I love the seaside, so Gaza has a special place in my heart. I moved last year to Ramallah because of the political situation; I didn’t emigrate because of the Hamas government per se, but because of the ruthless sanctions imposed by Israelis and the US government, which have brought about mass unemployment in Gaza.
I have found a job in Ramallah, but now I am scared for my brothers and sisters in Gaza, who are facing joblessness.
How can we achieve peace?
If I count on someone to make peace in the world, I count on women. Men and women are psychologically different. A man’s ego drives him to think the more he controls, the more powerful he is. A woman feels the more she gives, the stronger she is. This is why women can deal with incredible pressure and still give and give more.
If you could say something to Americans, what would it be?
If you continue dealing with the humanitarian crisis in West Bank and Gaza by donating a couple of dollars or a can of milk, then you are addressing the results of occupation and not the roots. We have a crisis on our hands resulting form political decision of the American government to side with Israelis.
Still, I believe that American people can do so much. They can still try to educate themselves, write to their Congressman, and open their hearts and minds for the Palestinian people. At the very least, they can listen to the stories of the Palestinian people and share them with their friends and family.
Jaber, with degrees in management and entrepreneurship, recently moved from Gaza to help her family, which is suffering financially due to the sanctions. On the board of Filastiniyat, Jaber promotes women in public discourse and policy. Born with hip dislocations, Jaber works for the rights of people with disabilities. She was the Muslim Palestinian voice of the 2007 Jerusalem Women Speak Tour organized by Partners for Peace.
