Shadow of Resistance

Chapter Twenty

We reach Al-Aqsa compound and park our car. The place is not only the Dome of the Rock as a lot of people think. It is actually the Dome of the Rock, Qibli mosque, four encircling minarets, and various other domed shrines. I know that the compound can carry more than 400 thousand worshippers, but I didn't imagine it would be that huge.

The moment I step inside, I feel an unimaginable sense of relaxation and peace. The fresh air filling my lungs with each breath, carries a sense of tranquillity. The golden shiny dome is the first thing that grabs my attention. We take photos with it before we enter the mosque.

No words can describe the peace I feel when I enter the Qibli mosque, the main prayer hall. The ceiling was astonishing with its fine details and bright colours. Despite the many people inside, there is complete silence. Everyone is either reading the Quran or praying without making a sound, respecting the holiness of the mosque.

Omar and I decided to stay there the whole 10 days while my parents and young sisters Mariam and Jasmine would sleep in the hotel and return back in the morning.

I stayed the night at the mosque and it was one of the best days of my life. All I do is pray, read the Quran, eat, walk in the compound itself and sleep. It was very calming and peaceful.

1 May, the first day of the last ten days of Ramadan, during the night while I am staying with my family in the mosque, I hear people screaming and running. I go out to check on what is happening. Once I get out of the main hall, I see grenades on the floor with white gas getting out of it. A few moments later I feel a very painful burn in my eyes, so it seems it is tear gas grenades. There are also some stun grenades thrown at us.

I decide to return back to the mosque, but when I turn I see people running out of the mosque as well. The situation is really chaotic and scary, everyone screaming and running in different directions. I didn't see any of my family getting out, so they probably are still inside.

I run into the mosque and into the white gas searching for them.

"Kareem, where have you been?" Dad shouts "We have to go now." But he is still searching for Omar, so I join him.

We see him running in our direction. We start moving together outside the hall, we spot the rest of us outside coughing and waiting for us covering their nose and mouth with a piece of cloth. We run together behind my father toward the car. We see a lot of men on our side holding and throwing rocks back at the Israeli forces. The Israeli forces start shooting rubber bullets in every direction.

We reach our car and dad drives us all back to the hotel.

We arrive there and rush to our small room. "We have to stay here until everything is stable in the streets." dad says and closes every lock on the door.

"I don't want to watch them while they are attacking Al-Aqsa and do nothing" I shout.

"Yes, me neither. I want to defend Al-Aqsa" Omar says, supporting me.

"Yeah and what are you going to do? Are you going to throw some rocks? As if this is going to change something" dad shouts back.

He takes a step toward me and looks me in the eye. "Instead of encouraging your brother to expose himself to danger, you should be the one protecting him," he says firmly.

Omar and I stand still, unable to say anything.

He steps back and shouts, "No one is getting out of here without my permission. End of discussion."

I know he cares about us, but I can't stand his negativity anymore. I don't know how to change it. I go to sleep feeling indignant, wishing the attacks would stop before tomorrow. I fell asleep to the sound of my mother singing "Raweq wa Haddy" for the little girls as they weren't able to sleep after what they saw tonight.