CPTnet
December 11, 2004

HEBRON REFLECTION: Ashraf's "ordinary" birthday party

by Dianne Roe

Ashraf Abu Aisha turned eleven-years- old on December 7, 2004. Christian
Peacemaker Teams helped plan his party. Mary Lawrence and Carol Rose
ordered the cake. All of the CPTers blew up balloons and wrapped presents.
Then team members talked about what to do if the Israeli soldiers prevented
them access to Ashraf's home and which team member was prepared for arrest
support.

Soldiers? Arrest support? For a birthday party? In Hebron, and other
places in the occupied West Bank, ordinary activities, such as walking to
school, picking olives, and having a birthday party, become extraordinary.
When CPT talked with the Abu Aisha family two weeks ago, Umm Ashraf told
them that they had no feast after Ramadan. Ashraf's grandmother tried to
visit her neighbors up the road but Israeli soldiers did not let her pass.
Ashraf's mother wanted to host family and friends, but they find the
soldiers and settlers too intimidating.

Ashraf lives across the street from an enclave of extremely militant Israeli
settlers on the Hebron hilltop of Tel Rumeida. An Israeli army camp engulfs
them from the back and upper side. Family members have access to their home
through a gate in the high fence that borders the front of their house.
Spry children have access at a small area in the back near the army camp,
but they have to do rigorous climbing. All-in-all, the home feels like a
prison and the children have no place to play. So, when Ashraf's mother
told CPT that her son would be eleven-years-old on December 7, CPT agreed
to help accompany his friends to a party.

"Will we be allowed through the checkpoints?" CPTers wondered as they
proceeded toward Ashraf's home, carrying cake and balloons. They stopped at
a school in Bab iZaweyya to pick up Ashraf's friends but discovered that the
young boys had already made it to the home with no problem from the
soldiers.

At the Duboyya Street checkpoint, Mary told the soldier, "We're going to a
birthday party." The soldier let the parade through, hesitating only with
the Palestinian translator who accompanied them. They allowed her through
as well, and the group climbed the hill toward the home. A soldier stopped
them across from Ashraf's home, called his commander, searched though the
bags of goodies and then allowed them to pass.

The rest of the party was quite like an ordinary birthday party -- except
that parties such as this are always extraordinary events for children who
live in military zones.

Use the link below to see a photo album of this party:

http://www.cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=hebron&page=3

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