Before his profile was deleted from Facebook, he was another resident of the besieged Gaza Strip, with dreams to travel the world, and like any other young person with university degree with plans for his future.
He worked arduously for 2 years fighting the injustice of an oppressive regimen that sees the 1.5 millions residents of Gaza as enemies of war, but in reality they are regular, ordinary citizens like you and me.
Gaza is been under an inhumane siege for more than 3 years, Israel have destroyed their schools, public buildings, and thousands of homes.
The Occupations Forces had murdered thousands of unarmed civilians, dozens of non-violent protesters. Just in her last incursion what Israel equivocally called war, she killed more than 1400 civilians, including more than 400 children.
The world have been trying to help Gaza to brake the siege, and have organized land convoys and Sea Voyages, the whole world was in outrage during the piracy act of Israel that in International waters, assaulted and killed 9 peace activists, that only “crime” was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and with this, brake the siege, that the UN with it silence has stamped with official indifference.
Live in Gaza is less than pleasurable, the youth has no other entertainment but few left enjoyments not robbed yet by Israel. The beach is meters safe only, before it become a target practice for the Israel Occupier Forces that shoot live ammunition to the beach goers and fishermen as well.
Facebook have offered the escape window to the world for residents of the besieged Gaza, I meet my dear friend Shadi Nassar almost a year ago, his story was appealing for me, he told me his dreams. The dreams of a young person, that wanted to go study abroad. Really for most of the developed world, this is just a step in their education, but not for the youth of Gaza.
They suffer the problematic of countless troubles, simple documents that in a regular free country will take few minutes, for Gaza students that want to travel out of Gaza, is an huge waste of time and energy, documents signing takes months to get. Even the Palestinians Authority as in complicity with Israel make the procedures eternal and sometimes impossible to achieve.
Shadi, lost already an opportunity last year during the Gaza Massacre, where life become unbearable for the residents. He was ready to leave, when the assault started and all his dreams were killed with “Operation lead”.
But you can’t kill the dreams as easy as you kill a Palestinian, his resolved proved stronger than Operation lead, and he continued with his efforts to work again for another opportunity until finally “HE MADE IT OUT OF GAZA”.
We can say, that he broke the Siege in its own merit. His case is one to tell, because not all the youth, have the opportunity to fulfill his dreams, I can tell you that if we offer our support to help them in the outside world more students can achieve their dreams.
Scholarships are hard to get for Palestinians in the occupied territories, advocate in Universities to offer support for Palestinians. There are thousands of foundations that offer grants and facilities for students, but not for Palestinians, if you are part of this foundations, work hand and hand with the administrators to offer more grants for this students, that need more than anybody in the world. There are few foundations that I have found in the internet:
USA: For Palestinians Resident – 2011 – 2012 Fulbright Science and Technology Scholarship PhD Student Program, “They help you to apply for the Travel Visa Plane ticket Money to spend for 36 months,Telephone to call: Gaza Residents: Tel: 08-2864-623″ ******************************************************************************************* Scholarships PALESTINE Master International Business Palestinian students
http://scholarships.reingex.com/ps.asp
******************************************************************************************* FURTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME Regional Scholarships
Palestinian Refugee Scheme
http://www.saidfoundation.org/whatwedo/regional.shtml
Support one student, you do not need to be rich, even hosting a student in your own home, or supporting their studies can make a wealth of different.
There are thousands of graduates from the University in Gaza, that need an opportunity to go study abroad, we are billions of compassionate being that can make a different for one Gaza student.
Lend your hand to them, show your humanity. Sponsor a student from Gaza.
My dear friend Made it out of Gaza, I wish I can write the story of hundreds of Shadis, this time he made the journey to freedom, he is free to decide if he needs the light on or off in his nights.
POWER OFF is no more an obstacle in his nights, Israel can’t manage his movements any longer, he is owner of his life for first time in his life, he decide if he wants a peaceful night, free from the memories of the aircraft bombing “invisible targets” in Gaza.
For first time he knows that his life is not IN VAIN, he has a purpose and a live to live.
Congratulations to Shadi Nassar, you broke the siege Dear.. But even in strange lands he took his home land in his heart, and he will keep fighting to free Palestine. Because the sons of the Land never forget their roots. The Beloved Land we know as Palestine is his most dear dream. To See her free of Occupation. Free once and for All.
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