Lament for the universities

A recent graduate of Islamic University in Gaza grieves the destruction of its academic buildings by Israel.

October 26, 2023

Students at Islamic University, Gaza. — Hamza (center) with friends at Islamic University, celebrating their last Ramadan as students.

The Islamic University in Gaza (IUG) holds huge personal and social meaning for me, because that is where I took the coursework that launched me into the field of translation. The first higher education institution established in Gaza, it is known for the excellent education it provides, as well as its picturesque buildings. This beloved university has graduated thousands of students like me who are now working in various sectors around the world.

None of us expected that it would be destroyed. Al-Ahzar University, which is adjacent and where I also took courses in English language instruction, was also heavily damaged.

The light of education that illuminates the darkness of my life has been cut off. My memories, my education, and my wonderful days on campus are blown away with the wind.

I spent many amazing days at Islamic University with my colleagues before I graduated a few months ago.

Islamic University students at an exhibit. — Hamza (right) with friends at an Islamic University exhibit on Western history.

When I entered the vast campus, I felt like I was inside a mini-city. My friends and I used to gather to study under the ornamental trees; as we learned, we felt immersed in nature. The trees reminded me of the stolen land of our ancestors.

When we finished studying, we drank coffee at a shop on campus—the best, most distinctively spiced coffee of any university in Palestine!

I loved the library. I secluded myself there and escaped from the noise of the world.

It was one of the best places for reading. I relaxed into one of its plush, fabric-covered foam chairs and literally immersed myself into a book. I read to educate myself but also for enjoyment—Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was a favorite.

Now it is destroyed. The feeling in my heart is like the darkness descending when the sun goes down — except on one knows when IUG will be rebuilt.

Editor’s note: Hamza submitted this essay via text messaging to his mentor on Oct. 25, 2023, “while the bombardment was raging around me, my hands shaking with fear.” As he responded to edit queries, also via text, he added, “I’m writing and my heart [is] beating with fear; my eyes turn right and left, the bombing comes without warning.”