we are not numbers

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

Sara Rayyan

  • Gaza Strip
Sara Rayyan is a computer engineering student at the Islamic University of Gaza. She has a passion for photography, drawing, and creative writing. One of her deepest dreams is to see the world beyond Gaza and to become a voice that leaves a lasting mark, because she’s afraid that one day, she might be gone and remembered only as a number.

She says, “I dream of standing one day in a quiet place, far from the echoes of war, with a camera in my hand, capturing beauty, not destruction, hearing the sound of life, not screams of pain, embracing the stillness of peace that Palestinians have never known.”

Current as of June 2025

Smiling young woman in long blouse and hijab standing in front of wood paneled door.

my work

A woman with a Palestine flag watching explosions.

Mind in ruins

There’s no use in lamenting / no use in pointing fingers / at every soul that drifts by.

Sara Rayyan
  • Gaza Strip

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