A Mother of Seven Prisoners

 

a Mother of Seven Prisoners

Last week She was waiting to hear any name in the list, but she did NOT,,,,,,,!!!!!!

 

By Hekmat Bessiso

 

Latifah Naji Abo Homeed, 61 years old, lives in Al Am'ary Refugee Camp in the city of Ramallah – Palestine.

Of her 10 children, one killed during 1994 by Israeli military & seven have been imprisoned by Israel. She longs to see them but has only their photos for comfort. She has asked to be taken to prison herself so that she can live with them.

 

Latifah remembers how her son Nasr loved to play with his first son; his wife delivered his second child while he was in prison. She misses Basil's jokes, Naseir's kindness, and Muhamed's helpfulness. Her youngest, Jehad, was always missing his older brothers, and now he, too, is a prisoner, awaiting his own conviction. Sharif is engaged and dreams to be free and marry his bride. Islam was known for his beautiful eyes; many girls tried to win his attention by being nice to Latifah.

Latifah does not attend any weddings because she is afraid she will not be able to control her tears. She despairs that she will die before she can witness her own sons' weddings.

 

Though Latifah has not given up hope that her sons and other Palestinian prisoners will be freed, she often feels that no one remembers them and no one is fighting for them. She prays, searching for the strength and patience to endure life under Occupation and the unending separation from her sons. The home Latifah shares with her husband has been demolished twice in the last ten years. She and her husband, 67 years old, have recently opened a small candy store in their home to try to earn money and fill their free time.

 

This is the story of countless Palestinian women, who hope for the freedom of their sons, husbands, and brothers with every breath.

 

Latifah Naji's imprisoned sons:

 

Name	Age	Year imprisoned	Sentence
Naseir	36 years – single	2002	7 lifers + 50 years
Nasr	34 years – married with 2 children	2002	5 lifers
Sharif	30 years – engaged	2002	4 lifers
Basil	29 years - single	2004	4 years + 4 months + $2500
Muhamed	26 years - single	2002	2 lifers + 30 years
Islam	22 years - single	2004	5 years + 6 months + $2500
Jehad	19 years - single	12/2006	Not yet

 

 
Jimmy < cmclark6@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello Ladies!

My name is Christina Clark, and I am an Indiana University law
student, who is interning for the summer at the Jerusalem Center for
Women in East Jerusalem. One of the goals of the JCW and one of my
projects here over the summer is to work on international public
relations and advocacy from a female perspective. One of our current
projects is a compilation of international women's firsthand
accounts of the Palestinian situation.

We are looking for women who have been and / or are currently
volunteering or working in the occupied Palestinian territories
(oPt). We would like to compile firsthand stories from women who
have been in the territories and who are living and witnessing the
situation and state of the occupation. The JCW would like to use
these stories in an advocacy / awareness publication and on their
website: www.j-c-w.org

Specifically, we are looking for women like you to assist us by
writing a 1 to 2 page reflection on your experiences in the oPt.
This reflection may include personal stories of your work/volunteer
experiences here, stories of relationships you've made with people
here, stories you've been told by families or friends here, and your
reactions to the situations you've encountered.

We appreciate the work you are already doing for the Palestinian
people, and would greatly appreciate your additional contribution to
this important project. If you have questions or are interested in
knowing more about the Jerusalem Center for Women, please feel free
to contact myself at clark6@indiana.edu or 054-5539834, or the
Director, Natasha Khaldi, at natasha@j-c-w.org or 02-2347068.

Thank you again!

Sincerely,
Christina Clark



Christina M. Clark
Jerusalem Center for Women - Summer Intern
Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington
J.D. Candidate 2010, 2L
Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
M.P.A. Candidate 2010
clark6@indiana.edu

Naji M. Naji 

General Director
The Arabian Horse Equestrian Club
Ramallah – Palestine
Tel:   +972 2 295 8880
Fax:  +972 2 296 4373
Cell: +972 599 295 888
Email: arabianhorsehero@yahoo.com

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