some reflections from Sarah Stalker

Barriers. Barriers separating a people from a right to prayer in a holy place they have considered their home until now. A place they have lived and known, taken away and separated by a cage as if they were animals that needed to be fenced in, yet fenced in from a sacred part of themselves.
While negotiations stay in limbo, a divide grows manifesting in ever more ignorance and at the solemn reality of it all a physical separation from a people on a day of prayer are unable to enjoy the holy sanctum of what is their right to live and pray.
While others rejoice in the luxeries of life, another people sit on the other side of a fence-waiting, wishing to cross over but sit confused and angry, not knowing how this simple peace in their heart was taken away and why. As time progresses, this confusion transforms. In the beginning a bewilderment that a people are being punished for acts that weren’t of their doing. Then a simple sadness manifests combined with a feeling of helplessness with more time passing and rights not improving and in some eyes, worsening. Then an anger rises to the surface combined with this hopelessness. Why is this happening? Why are a people doomed a hardship they feel they did nothing to endure. And despite all these emotions of violation and abandonment, must still are able to rise above and forgive. Despite what these emotions may do to their own inner soul and will to stay alive, people are resilient and move forward with hope; an inner wisdom that guides them in their right to live and be happy. Despite conditions that criple and rights that blatently degrade their pride and wear on their dignity, people keep kicking. And the ones that instead of fighting back, acknowedge their right to live and lead others to live everyday to pursuing this reality are beyond my comprehension altogether. These people who are good of heart, have the discretion to know what actions will lead to peace and what actions will lead to bloodshed are wise. I sit writing, hoping, dedicated to pursuing a path that will support this cause. But the strength. The strenth is what amazes me. Handed such a hard hand, discouraged and betrayed time and time again, and facing a world that is unwilling to acknowledge the land you were born on and continue to live; yet they still continue on.
Yesterday in Ramallah I was trying to find a map of Ramallah on googlemaps and there was no Ramallah, Palestine. There was no Ramallah, West Bank. There was no Ramallah, Palestinian Territory. There was however a Ramallah, Israel.