we are not numbers

emerging writers from Palestine tell their stories and advocate for their human rights

Mohammed Arafat

    Mohammad is a graduate of the Islamic University of Gaza, where he studied English. He says he aspires to become “a voice for Palestine, expressing the people’s hopes and pains, helping them pursue their dreams in the face of adversity and demonstrating that every life matters.” A freelance writer, Mohammad already has self-published his own book, “Still Living There,” which he disseminates through Amazon. Learn more on his blog. He currenty lives in the United States, where he hopes to study for his master's degree.

    my work

    In my Gaza, a scholar rests / a poet’s voice, now stilled, but blessed.
    I thought the knock was a ghoul, but it was really someone I thought I'd lost.
    It's almost harder to be far away during a war than to survive it.
    The streets are not quiet for long.
    Sometimes it's those chance encounters that enrich our lives the most.
    Oppression and suffocation go hand in hand.
    Gaza taught me quarantine has some benefits.
    This time, everyone is besieged.
    A new illness to worry about: COVID-19-induced anxiety.
    A new illness to worry about: COVID-19-induced anxiety.
    We protest in frustration and anger, but therein lies hope.
    They say we should trust them, but we must trust ourselves.