Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Maha Hussaini recently shared her personal insight into the generational trauma experienced by Palestinians in an article. She reflects on the impact of displacement and how it shapes the collective memory, identity, and attitude of her community. Maha, who was forced to flee her home due to the conflict in Gaza, describes the profound fear of losing one’s home without notice, a fear deeply ingrained in the Palestinian experience.
She recounts her own journey of displacement, from receiving a laptop case years ago and joking about needing it to flee, to the harsh reality of having to leave her home with just a few essential items. Maha shares the emotional attachment she developed to these possessions during her time in shelters, like a striped shirt she wore when she fled and a pair of sunglasses that symbolized a piece of her identity.
Maha also highlights the sacrifices made by women in shelters during the water crisis in Gaza, where clean drinking water was scarce. Many women, including Maha, cut their hair short to conserve water, leading to a profound loss of identity and connection to their old lives. She reflects on the emotional significance of her own decision not to trim her hair, a symbol of holding onto her past in the face of displacement.
As Maha and others in Gaza wait to return to their homes, they cling to the hope of being able to cut their “shelter hair” short and let their “home hair” grow as a symbol of reclaiming their identity and finding peace. Through her personal story, Maha sheds light on the deep emotional impact of displacement and the resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of adversity.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com