Streets of Ramallah, Palestine
I've been going through my photos from the Alaskan journey, and one thing is clear. The shots are almost entirely of the beautiful landscapes, with few humans in the frames. The opposite was true during my trip to the West Bank, where so many interesting faces were ready to pose at a moment's notice. So, my photos from Ramallah are almost all portraits. The people here completely captivated me, drawing me in with their warmth and hospitality. I couldn't imagine that I'd be walking the streets of Ramallah a year ago. This city was my first introduction to a predominantly Muslim region, and I had no idea what to expect. Any small ounce of inner fear was completely overcome by curiosity. Few Westerners venture deep into the West Bank on holiday, instead limiting time to the relgious sites in Bethlehem. Those sites are interesting, but fail to capture the essence of ordinary life.
To understand the complex nature of life here is impossible. As an American citizen, I passed freely through Palestinian and Israeli controlled checkpoints, with absolutely no hassle. No prohibition on movement, no prohibition on visiting relgious sites. Ramallah falls under "Area A", and the Palestinian Authority is in full control. Entry into the area is prohibited for all Israeli citizens, and there are threatening signs at all checkpoints warning that entry by an Israeli citizen is "forbidden and dangerous to your life." I showed you the ominous sign in this post. What is the purpose? Personally, I think the language is meant to scare foreign tourists away, thus limiting exposure to ordinary life in the West Bank. Today I'll show you what I saw during my walk in Ramallah on a hot Sunday afternoon a few months ago.
1. Ramallah is a small, concentrated city about 12 km from Jersusalem, the area from which we traveled. A very short drive, yet a completely different environment on arrival. In Jerusalem, there are the same crowds and congestion, yet in Ramallah it all feels more third-world and uncontrolled. Security and traffic police try to manage the traffic and pedestrians wandering in and out of the streets.
2. Right before we entered the city, we passed the Kalandia Prep Girls' School, where young Muslim women were gathered in the courtyard playing. The school teaches about 500 Palestinian refugee girls, covering 5th - 9th grades.
3. Badmitton match amongst friends. Because Ramallah is the cultural and work center of the West Bank, students are taught English from an early age. I don't know if it's the same throughout all of the West Bank, but most Palestinians I encountered could speak at least basic English phrases.
4. The city is easy to walk by foot, as it's quite small. However, there are a lot of taxis! I've seen more only in New York City. I never took one because I was traveling with a local in the area. But they are cheap and available on every street corner in the city. Notice the advertising billboard in the background? No hijabs on the female models. Ramallah is viewed as the most cosmopolitan city in the West Bank.
5. There's absolutely no order on the streets. People stand and walk amongst cars that are moving at a very slow pace due to congestion. I didn't know before this journey that Muslim women are only required to wear hijab after the start of puberty. Thus, many young girls walk around with their heads uncovered and arms exposed, while older females who accompany them are fully covered.
6. The city has a relaxed relgious atmosphere, which allows for more flexibility in Muslim dress. Many Christians live in the city, for the most part co-existing peacefully with the majority Muslim population. The women are glamarous, wearing decorative hijabs, make-up and stylish sunglasses. Typical for most big cities around the globe - women usually dress fancier when compared to provincial areas.
7. At a local cafe, this woman saw me playing with my camera and then posed for a shot. A male friend once said to me - "Muslim women scare me." :) And what's scary about this young girl? Beauty, with gentle eyes. To me, she looks completely feminine in her floral shirt, with painted lips and eyes. Yet some will never see it, instead equating beauty with the amount of skin shown.
8. I don't know why I have so many shots of the women. I guess I thought about living life in their shoes. Their dedication to religion and cultural norms. Religion plays absolutely no role in my life, so it's a difficult concept for me to understand that it plays such a substantial role in global conflicts and societal customs.
9. An interesting dilema occured before arrival into Ramallah. My Indian friend decided to wear a sleeveless, bright outfit. I didn't agree with her choice of dress, and told her so. To me it's disrespectul to the local culture. Although Ramallah is the most liberal city in the West Bank, it's still a predominantly Muslim population where modesty prevails. To what extent should foreign visitors conform to local customs when it comes to dress? The question is open for debate. Have any female readers traveled to similar areas? How did you dress?
10. Young girl on the street. If you visit the West Bank as a female, I don't think it's necessary to be fully covered. I wore jeans with a t-shirt or longsleeved shirt the entire time and there were no problems. No head covering at all, though you should carry one because it's a requirement for entry into some religious sites.
11. The city is full of shops, cafes and clothes for every price range and taste. Fashion at this store doesn't differ very much from typical Western wear.
13. On the walls, you will see posters of various young men. I didn't know who they were, or what the posters symbolized. However, I was later told the posters are in remembrance of those killed by Israeli soldiers during conflicts or at checkpoints. Whether the killings were in self-defense or out of provacation, I'll never know. But the images of these young men are displayed everywhere in the West Bank.
14. Wall art at a street crossing. I updated the post because someone on Twitter informed who is in the image. Khader Adnan, a former Palestinian prisoner held in Israel. Israeli authorities never filed formal charges against him, but he was arrested for alleged "activities that threaten regional security." He was released on 18 April 2012 after a 66 day hunger strike.
15. I'll write a separate post about the food, but the owner of this cafe called me in. "American fried chicken and fries" he said. Ramallah's version of KFC. :)
16. I didn't notice many homeless or vagrant people on the streets, but they are there. This man was trying to sell me a home-made instrument. Vendors are happy to see a foreigner and anxious to receive American dollars.
17. What about the men here? Many walk around with these head coverings, a symbol of Palestine. At first, I thought it had some religous significance but it has absolutely no meaning. Simply a way to cover their heads from the blazing sun and oppressive heat. The coverings are worn mostly by the older generation. I had one encounter with an older man that day. He saw my camera, shook his hand and covered his face in order to avoid being photographed. I put the camera down as soon as he did this, but he ran across the street and demanded to see the last image on my screen to ensure I hadn't snapped a photo of him. I showed him, and he moved along. Onward with his life.
18. When I read comments about all Muslims being animals or extremists, I have no relation to the sentiments. Here is an ordinary man, walking the streets with his daughter on a weekend afternoon. The same as a father in any other region of the world. Just normal people, going about their lives in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. For me, it's heartbreaking that the radical minority disturb the balance of life for the majority, and also instill fear to the extent that many foreigners don't even think about visiting this area.
19. Throughout the West Bank, people push these carts through the crowded streets. Sometimes they're stuffed with food. Doesnt' seem so hygenic, but I really liked the cuisine here, eating the street food on several occasions. I'll show you more in a different post.
20. We visited Ramallah close to Easter, so we got to experience the traditional Sabat al-Nour parade in the city, which marks the arrival of the Holy Fire from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. What a joyous celebration! Young scouts dress in uniform and particpate in marching bands through the streets.
21. We were waiting near the starting point for the parade and saw the performers warm up. Big and small groups of people, all willing to chat with us for a moment and pose for photos. This group sang us a special song, but I have no idea what they were saying. Hopefully they were expressing kind words.
22. Perhaps she is the scout leader? It seems she has some admirers smiling in the background. I don't know what people expect me to write here. I can only share my personal experience, what I encountered and felt emotionally that day. Perhaps if I had visited a few weeks later when the latest war started, or a large protest was erupting on the streets, I would have an entirely different impression. But this isn't the case. For me, it was eye opening to walk amongst this population, to see the disparity in quality of life when compared to Jersualem only a few kilometers away.
23. The area was heavily secured during the parade. Both Christians and Muslims line the street for the annual event. It has occurred for over 100 years, being stopped only twice during the first and second Palestinian Intifadas against the Israeli occupation. To be a Palestinian Christian creates a unique set of challenges. Most Palestinians can't complete pilgrimages to Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem during Easter or Christmas because the area is under Israeli control. As I previously explained, Israel issues a limited number of permits for Palestinian Christians to attend the holiday celebrations in Jerusalem. This year, approximately 20,000 permits were granted.
24. One of the marching bands. The musical talent wasn't so impressive, but drumming on key isn't the point of the celebration. It's estimated that about 50,000 Christians live in the West Bank and Gaza, with the numbers dramatically decreasing over the years. Most Christians have family members who have immigrated to America or other Western nations, causing the community and family lineage in the West Bank to shrink each year.
25. This is one of my favorite portraits. I want to know her life story, but I never even spoke to her. The photo was taken from a distance.
26. Moody teenagers.
27. When will Putin ban Coca-Cola, perhaps the most symbolic beverage from America?
28. He spoke perfect English, and has visited my home area of Washington, DC.
29. The Palestinian flag is woven into most of the uniforms. The young girl in photo 25 even wears the colors of the flag in her ears, with two different earrings. One green. One red. I noticed Palestinians and Israelis both are very tied to their national symbols. Flags hang everywhere, almost the same as in America. Outside of shops, on public streets and from the balconies of apartments.
30. The younger particpants were the cutest!
31. Muslim watching the parade with a bundled baby in hands.
32. A few more shots of the locals, I have so many.
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35. Univeral peace sign. A common gesture when West Bank locals noticed me.
36. Local vendor, selling breads and sweets.
37. Ramallah reminded me very much of New York City. Crowded, noisy and full of people. A real urban environment, where all walks of life gather and exist. There are fancy clubs here, alcohol freely flows, and it's the cultural and political center of Palestine. A constant sea of humanity, always in living motion, with hot concrete below their feet and bright sun above their heads. All blended with smells of smoked meats, old trash, sweets and car fumes.
In the next post, I'll show you a few more scenes from Ramallah and some West Bank neighborhoods right outside city center.
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