
“Free Palestine is a Promise” print
Gazans have cracked the code of enduring and living life with hope for a better future. They continue to teach us how to die (standing up) and how to live (praising God). The strength and solidarity they exhibit as they resist oppression and as we watch them with awe and terror are truly inspiring.
But how in the world do they do it?
“Happiness science” is a real field of study, often referred to as “positive psychology.” Researchers in this field explore various aspects of happiness, wellbeing, and what contributes to a fulfilling life. I turned to this research in an effort to understand how Gazans continue to cope even after the tons of bombs rained on them by the Israeli Zionist entity and its allies (the tons of bombs dropped on the strip are estimated to amount to a multiple of the size of the largest pyramid in Egypt) and even as this same brutal and depraved entity continues to bomb and hound them, the hudna (ceasefire) notwithstanding.
Resilience is a significant area of research within the field of positive psychology and national security. The latter is about developing the means for individuals, communities, and nations to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity. This happens through building resilience in the following areas: Critical Infrastructure Protection, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Climate Change Adaptation, Community and Social Resilience, Economic Stability, Psychological Resilience, and International Cooperation.
Looking into these factors only deepened my wonder about Gaza. Now that there is finally a ceasefire in place, how are the Palestinian people to build their national security when hardly any of the above factors are present in their current situation? The answer to that has two facets, the communal and the political.
The communal in Palestine is defined by religion and culture. The phrase “Alhamdulillah — Praise be to God” (الحمد لله) is widely used in Arab culture and has a variety of colloquial applications. It is an utterance that expresses a deeply rooted cultural and religious sense of gratitude.
Gazan farmers say “Alhamdulillah” when they harvest their crops, no matter how small the yield; schoolchildren in Gaza express their gratitude by saying “Alhamdulillah” whenever they are able to attend school and learn; Gazan neighbors working side by side to rebuild a home say “Alhamdulillah” for their safety and for the solidarity that allows them to support each other; young mothers living in Gaza use “Alhamdulillah” to remind themselves and their children to be grateful for their safety and the little they have. We watch on the news as Gazan children literally crawl from under the rubble while raising the victory sign and saying “Alhamdulillah” for sparing their lives. In this way, Gazans maintain hope and faith and strengthen their resistance.
According to positive psychology, embracing gratitude is the act of appreciating what we have, rather than focusing on what we’ve lost or what we don’t have, a simple shift in mindset. In the case of Gazans and Muslim culture in general, uttering the phrase “Alhamdulillah” means embracing this mindset.
The cultural trait of being grateful for life’s simple pleasures and everyday blessings is a major factor that contributes to the remarkable steadfastness of Gazans. It is a counterpoint to “Inshallah” — “God willing.”
The concept of submission to the will of God in the culture of Muslim-majority regions like Palestine (“Islam” means submission) has sometimes been misunderstood by Western researchers as a defeatist attitude or a form of passive fatalism. That’s because Western culture emphasizes individualism and personal autonomy, whereas many Muslim cultures place a strong emphasis on community, collective responsibility, and submission to divine will.
According to positive psychology, what Muslim cultures emphasize is exactly that which contributes to wellbeing and resilience. People who embrace gratitude and maintain community support and solidarity; people who turn to a higher power with their pain, their losses, and their imperfections; people who cherish memories as Palestinians cherish the memories of their martyrs, the reminders of their past that is a part of who they are today (“The past is never dead. It’s not even past”), these are all people who endure in adversity.
In Gaza, community support is a cornerstone of resilience. Families and neighbors come together to share resources, provide emotional support, and help rebuild homes and infrastructure after destruction. This collective effort fosters a sense of unity and strength.
In addition, Palestinians have shown remarkable creativity in adapting to their circumstances. For instance, in Gaza, fighters have repurposed unexploded Israeli ordnance to create weapons, and there are many, many other amazing examples of such resourcefulness that have emerged. Despite the destruction, Palestinians continue to preserve their cultural and historical heritage. This includes maintaining traditional practices, storytelling, and passing down cultural knowledge to younger generations, which helps sustain their identity and hope for the future. Global awareness and support for the Palestinian cause have also played a significant role in their resilience. International solidarity movements, protests, and humanitarian aid will contribute to their ability to withstand and recover from adversities.
For such a people and despite the challenging political environment, building national security should not be an impossibility. These challenges require a multifaceted approach that includes continued armed resistance, international popular support that addresses and helps resolve Israel’s and the United States’ death grip on Palestinian governance and political autonomy (Check out: Why Trump forced Israel to accept Gaza ceasefire, with Ali Abunimah).
I keep in mind one of Faulkner’s more famous quotes related to endurance found in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech: “I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.” In their struggle for liberation, the Palestinian people embody this idea.
We have survived, and we will endure. Read “Palestinian resistance inflicts strategic defeat on genocidal Israel.” I believe the storm will pass, Inshallah and Alhamdulillah.
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Rima Najjar is a Palestinian whose father’s side of the family comes from the forcibly depopulated village of Lifta on the western outskirts of Jerusalem and whose mother’s side of the family is from Ijzim, south of Haifa. She is an activist, researcher, and retired professor of English literature, Al-Quds University, occupied West Bank.
Originally published in Medium