Ramallah— Since the partial home demolition on Monday 25 May of the residence of Birzeit community members Nigel Parry, Adli Da'ana, Kifah Al-Fani, and 'Ala Jaradat, there have been several developments.
The Birzeit community has united around the issue. Today the house was visited by the University President, Dr. Hanna Nasir and his wife Tanya, Public Relations director Albert Aghazarian, and directors and lecturers from research centers and departments including the Center of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, the Women's Studies Center, the Law Center, the Office of International Relations, the Computer Center, the Palestine and Arabic Studies Programme, the History Department, and the Economics Department. Representatives from all student blocs also visited.
Birzeit students, including a sizable contingent of international students studying at the university, early this morning began the long task of cleaning up the house, sorting the scattered belongings - clothes, photographs, papers and university files, newspaper clippings and other personal effects - and rebuilding the damaged room. By nightfall the damaged 6 meters square section of wall was rebuilt, although another 2 square meters of damaged roof remains to be completed. Electricity was finally fully restored to the house although the water supply remains cut. Several students elected to spend the night acting as guards for the house.
The Office of Student Affairs, responsible for the implementation of the community work programme, announced that students who assist the rebuilding effort will have this time credited to their community work hours.
"You would think that someone would feel uncomfortable about other people helping sort through their personal belongings," commented Birzeit Webmaster Nigel Parry, "In fact, it made me more uncomfortable to do it myself. Picture it: you find a potted plant, some film negatives, a sock, and a crushed photo of an old friend all mixed together. I let other people deal with putting things into boxes after a while. It was too depressing."
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Ziad Abu Amr, a former Birzeit faculty member, visited and promised to bring a delegation of PLC members. A letter from the residents of the house was sent to the PLC. The Governor of Ramallah, Mustafa 'Issa, today visited the house and expressed shock at the extent of the damage, saying that this kind of behavior was "totally unacceptable".
During the day, some of those involved in Monday's destruction of the home - that included members of the Palestinian Preventative Security Service - entered the front gate, uninvited, in what appeared to be a demonstration of power. "What are you going to do? Are you going?" they asked. "You want to make a Jebal Abu Ghnaim here? " one said to Nigel Parry, a reference to the Israeli settlement project that resulted in clashes across the West Bank exactly one year ago.
"The arrogant way in which they walked into our house without apparent fear of any consequences was extremely disturbing," commented Nigel Parry, a 29-year-old British national who has worked at Birzeit since 1994, "Every time the gate would open for the rest of the afternoon, we would jump. Since these events began, many of the Birzeit community have approached me to discuss their concerns about the apparent lawlessness here. They are firmly resolved to take action on this issue."
Another complaint was filed with the Governor of Ramallah regarding the afternoon's intimidation. At 11:30pm, Governor Mustafa 'Issa returned to assure the residents of the home that no one from any security apparatus would return to the house.
Birzeit faculty members and student blocs began yesterday to discuss ways to express further solidarity to the residents under siege. Today, concrete measures are expected to be announced.
[ENDS]