For Ahed Tamimi, who was seized from her Nabi Saleh (West Bank) home by about 30 Israeli soldiers in the early morning hours of December 19 and now is being held in prison along with her mother. Ahed, 16, has participated in protests against the Israeli occupation since she was 9 years old and is widely known for her willingness to challenge her oppressors.

With the golden rays of the sun shimmering off her shoulders
And very sharp, intelligent, blue eyes,
She screamed at the soldier with no fear.
Holding the Palestinian flag with one hand, she pushed, punched
And kicked him after he invaded her house, hit her brother and arrested her mother.

She is young, yet she hid her softness under her loud voice and grim face.
She had no choice; Ahed had to be fearless.
She had to be a soldier since her first years in this life,
Since the moment she was forced to realize the existence of a brutal force on her land.
She learned to resist before she learned any other value.

This resistance developed when her humble dream of playing football at the beach
Was interrupted by a bunch of soldiers who had no mercy for old or young,
Who dashed her dream at the checkpoints as she was on her way to the beach and school.
She could’ve chosen the easy way, to be silent as many others did.
But Ahed chose the way of resistance.
She resisted with words, with actions and a very strong belief
That this occupation has no right on this land!
She chose to teach us all a lesson from a 16-year-old girl:
That we have nothing to lose but our dignity.