The war in Gaza hits a little close to home.
I was at home on the deck that extends into the Pengkalan Datu river in Kota Bharu when a flock of white birds crossed my line of vision.
There is a message from Hatem Abu Zaydeh, my former PhD student, now a lecturer at the Islamic University of Gaza or whatever is left of it.His entire world is collapsing, and he asks if I am OK. Then he says “Until now, I still have life . My family is OK. I lost my sister’s family, two still missing,” and in the spirit that is symbolic of Hatem and all that he represents, he says “Alhamdulillah”.
Hatem became my PhD student in 2013. He took longer than most to complete his work, mainly because he could only come here for short periods of time. He did not want to study the psychological impact of war on the psychological profile of students. It was a challenge for him as well as for me. Until Hatem became my student, and while I was aware of the Arab-Israeli conflict, I was blissfully oblivious of the day-to-day difficulties that were faced by the people of Gaza. Hatem challenged every concept I had about my work and my beliefs.
Closer to home, is the story of Nadir Al Nuri Kamaruzzaman, a Malaysian who is currently in Malaysia while his wife is in Gaza along with his children. He talks of rocket attacks close to his home in Gaza although for the moment, his family is safe. At least for now.Hatem also told me about Dar Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex and central hospital situated in North Gaza.
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