The War of Empty Stomachs: Victorious We Shall Be
Palestine woke up on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 to a never-before victory, as more than 1000 captives, some of which remained behind the bars for more than 2 or 3 decades will enjoy freedom.
Young and old, Palestinians celebrate this achievement. A new dawn of victory rises upon the oppressed People of Palestine suffering usurpation and deprivation of their most basic rights.
But as hundreds return to their fervent families, who cannot wait to see their beloved, thousands remain behind the bars of "Israeli" jails, subject to dire living conditions.
Some hundreds of the Palestinians in prisons started an open-ended hunger strike on the 27th of September in protest against the deterioration of the prison conditions and lack of basic rights in "Israeli" jails.
Now into their third week without food, the hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners still demand an end to "Israel's" use of solitary confinement, including that of Ahmad Sa'adat, general secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). This strike also aims at ending the acts of collective punishment against the prisoners, such as restrictions on access to education, family and lawyer visits, and healthcare. On the 20th day of the strike, Ahmad Sa'adat was reportedly admitted to hospital after serious deterioration in his health.
Soumoud Ahmad Sa'adat, daughter of the Palestinian leader told moqawama.org that her father was in fact not transferred to the hospital until the 21st day, 48 hours after his lawyer appealed to admit Sa'adat for health care.
Soumoud said her father was taken to the Ramla prison hospital at 11 a.m. on the 17th of October, after suffering severe nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, explaining that he has become unable to move at all and has suffered repetitive fainting. Still, Soumoud explained, "the prison administration transferred him only after a lot of effort exerted by the lawyer who followed up on the case."
The lawyer, according to Soumoud, had presented a request to admit Sa'adat into hospital since the 10th of October, yet it was rejected.
22 days of food strike is a great achievement, says Soumoud, who believes this battle fought by around 450 prisoners (also more than 2000 prisoners on partial strike) has been the longest since the beginning of such captives' resistance inside "Israeli" jails. She highlighted that the strike retrieved the sense of resistance against the daily oppressions behind the bars.
"The "Israeli" prison authorities have beaten and attacked prisoners in an effort to stop the hunger strike. Also, the "Israeli" means of fighting this resistance varied, be it denial of rights, further oppression, more solitary confinement, or rejecting hospitalization requests. But cruelest of all was denying the strikers from salt since day one of the open-ended strike, to defy their will and weaken their bodies, as salt keeps them going," Soumoud described the situation.
Outside the jail cells, allover Palestine, whether in the 1948 territories, the Gaza Strip, al-Quds (Jerusalem) or the West Bank many supporters have been holding protests in support of the prisoners, Soumoud said. "10 Palestinians, including mother of Loai Audeh, Rawda Audeh, whose son will be freed in the Loyalty of the free operation, are on open-ended strike as well, awaiting news on end of the prisoners' strike and better conditions." she added.
Soumoud said that even the families celebrating the coming back of their children are in solidarity with the strikers and the remaining prisoners.
Hence, she said, Rawda who should be celebrating as her son is released as part of the swap deal, insists to continue her strike and refuses to go home and leave the strike tents.
Not only in Palestine, but also in the US, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and other countries, there exist people standing by their Palestinian fellow-brothers, such as the case of Wafik Marwan al-Malhi from Jordan who is also on hunger strike along with a group of friends.
Soumoud, the perseverant daughter of the resistance fighter Ahmad Sa'adat says that Palestine celebrates a victory today, despite the longing and the pain of departure, as her father was not part of the swap deal.
A hurt in heart, she says, that her father was not among the liberated, as she admits her human feelings are undeniable. "I wish my father, like many others were among the freed captives, but that is what I feel and cannot deny the pain, still it is a major victory to see hundreds of captives return home, as will the rest of the Palestinian detainees one day.
But she assures that the battle her father and his friends are engaged in is also a battle of martyrdom and pride.
Soumoud addressed three messages at the end of the interview.
First, to the Palestinian male and female prisoners who breathed the air of freedom again, she congratulated them for being such a pride to Palestine and the Ummah.
To the Palestinian brethrens remaining in detention, she said "Owing to your sacrifices, to the battle you are fighting, you will definitely get your rights, even if partially. This has been the longest battle inside "Israeli" prisons, but you are patient, and perseverant, and so you will reap the fruits soon."
To her father, who has been behind the bars since 2002, sentenced for 30 years imprisonment, Soumoud said, "despite the fact that my father is not with us in flesh, but he is always present with us, always. My father has taught us that the time will come when we will achieve victory."
Source: moqawama.org
