Besieged Gazans Find Joy in Eid
The economic crisis caused by the Israeli-Egyptian siege on Gaza is not stopping local Palestinians from finding the festive spirit during Eid.
GAZA CITY — The Abu Khadra governmental building complex, destroyed by Israeli forces in the November 2012 war, has been transformed into an amusement park to usher in Eid al-Adha. Named “Freedom,” the park has been open since Eid began, although it was filled with children and families even before the holiday. The children play electronic games while others leap and jump on the inflatable moon bounce, having entered for free or with tickets that cost less than fifty cents.
A group of boys — Mahmoud al-Jaroushe, 15, Mohammed al-Aajle, 14, Rafic Irshi, 12, and Youssef Sakik, 11 — waited to get on the electric train ride. “We are very excited to spend every day of the eid here. There are so many games, and it is not far from our houses,” Jaroushe told Al-Monitor. “The amusement park is usually farther away, so we [would normally] spend the eid in restaurants. This year, however, it is close by,” Aajle noted.
The friends are worried, however, because they did not receive the money traditionally given during the holiday. “Everyone knows this eid is a holiday for meat, where we all slaughter sheep, but will not celebrate with money.”
Ayah al-Dayeh, 19, a young woman walking around the park with her friends, told Al-Monitor one of her desires — “an amusement park for girls so that we could relax and enjoy ourselves as we wished.” Her friend Manal al-Bahtiti, 19, concurred. “We girls, we need to be able to let go and unwind, to run and play. Why are children given such priority?”
