Introduction
Written by Mourid Barghouti, “I Saw Ramallah” is a formidable memoir that will resonate with audiences worldwide, especially Palestinians. The book offers a unique perspective on the Palestinian experience of displacement, loss, and the struggle for belonging. The descriptions of local people and the region are nuanced enough to remain thought-provoking and provide the audience with the context of the protagonist’s journey.
One of the book’s most important themes is the concept of belonging. Palestinians are significantly affected by this because many of the local people have been displaced and denied the right to self-determination. “I Saw Ramallah” takes the most pressing issues and discusses them in rich detail to uncover how the occupation has affected the Palestinian sense of identity and belonging.
Barghouti often comes back to the resilience and strength of the Palestinian people throughout the book to portray a generation of Palestinians who continue to fight for their rights and their place in the world. The book poignantly reminds us of the human cost of conflicts and the outcomes of displacement. The current paper intends to investigate the notion of belonging in “I Saw Ramallah” through the prism of political occupation, the sense of identity, and the disruptive power of displacement.
The Importance of Reconnection
In “I Saw Ramallah,” the author carefully explores the notion of belonging in an attempt to understand why his outlook on the homeland has changed over the years. This struggle to recognize old Palestine serves as the foundation for the inner conflict experienced by Barghouti. After years of exile, the writer ultimately gets to see his homeland, but his only feelings are connected to loss and displacement. According to Barghouti, “discussions and speeches and proposals and condemnations and reasons and maps for negotiation and the excuses of negotiators and all we have heard and read about the settlements; all this is worth nothing” (37). Consequently, the author tries to portray the new Palestine as a country that has been destroyed by occupation.
Barghouti delves into the notions of cultural and personal identity to explain why it is so important to look back at what worked in the past and learn from experience. The author’s memoir represents a detailed outlook of what happened to Palestine after thirty years in exile. Looking at his hometown, Barghouti mentions that “statistics are meaningless” when the feeling is not the same (37). Accordingly, every reconnection results in a scar that has a deeply personal effect on the protagonist and other refugees (Afifi et al., 1590). Such separation only brings physical and psychological destruction to the community and culture.
The Political Reality of Occupation
The notion of belonging is further complicated by the experiences linked to the occupation. With numerous political issues transpiring because of limited freedoms, Palestinians had to suffer from fragmentation and division. Accordingly, “the humanity of Palestinians will pass under the shadow of [his] shining gun every day” because there is no other choice for local people (Barghouti 23).
The changes that affect the area and the Palestinian people cannot be undone, and they make the outcomes of the occupation even more serious. The author places a special emphasis on how land confiscation and violence instilled fear in Palestinians and hindered their faith in a better future. Despite having the opportunity to come back home, Barghouti feels like a stranger because his memories of Palestine no longer reflect reality, and vice versa. The politics affected the region irrevocably while also giving locals no chance to reconcile their memories and focus on positivity. This is why occupation seems to drive hostility and create even more gaps between the belonging and identity of the Palestinian people.
The Link Between Belonging and Identity
The theme of belonging in “I Saw Ramallah” is also closely tied to the concept of identity. The protagonist does not simply experience a physical journey but also goes through a mix of emotional states that affect him psychologically. To highlight the struggle with identity, Barghouti claims that one does “not rejoice immediately when life presses a button that turns the wheel of events in [their] favor” (75).
Therefore, the author needs to confront his own identity and sense of self to understand if he is still related to the homeland and Palestinian people (Mahamid 2192). Knowing that nothing immediately acts in one’s favor, Barghouti realizes that numerous local experiences shaped him, and the problem of belonging ultimately became the main reason why he could identify as a Palestinian. When Barghouti goes further into discussing the problems related to national identity, he makes another critical claim. The author noted that “the Occupation has created generations without a place whose colors, smell, and sounds they can remember; a first place that belongs to them, that they can return to in their memories in their cobbled-together exiles” (67).
Sewell outlines the “need to have human rights: to be able to live, to learn, to dress, to work, to eat, to go out” to prove that Palestinian identity is still very much alive but heavily affected by external factors. Thus, numerous predictors of one’s identity can be found if the person believes they belong to the given area and community. From the music one tends to like to the language they speak, each of these variables represents the identity and contributes to the development of a sense of belonging.
Displacement and Loss
One of the vital ideas included in the book is that despite the challenges experienced along the way, the protagonist ultimately finds a sense of belonging through his connection to the Palestinian people. The struggle for justice and freedom makes Barghouti believe that there is a stronger upside to the Palestinian people than meets the eye. Therefore, the author went beyond political and geographical concepts to explain why belonging was so important for locals.
At the beginning of the book, Barghouti asks, “Why does everyone in the world think that his particular situation is ‘different’? Does a man want to be different even in loss? Is it an egoism that we cannot shake free of?” (22). The author’s idea is that every person’s struggles are important if they pertain to their dreams, freedoms, and the feeling of togetherness. Accordingly, “I Saw Ramallah” is a book about how resilience and strength can be displayed even in the face of adversity. Barghouti’s journey focuses on displacement so much because the author understands how the lack of a homeland affects people.
Being disconnected from his people and roots, the protagonist quickly recognizes the significance of fighting for one’s future, regardless of how hard it may be. This is also why the “unemployment rate is about 18 percent among Palestinians in Lebanon” nowadays, highlighting the damage generated by displacement even more vividly (Sewell). Barghouti’s exile allowed the author to recognize that the sense of belonging goes beyond physical borders and oppressive dislocation. The demolition that affected Palestine cannot be taken lightly because the occupation caused too much of a loss to restore while leaving Palestinians no choice but to oppose unwanted changes.
Conclusion
Mourid Barghouti’s “I Saw Ramallah” is a powerful book that offers insight into the experiences of a Palestinian refugee. There are numerous examples of how the author tends to cope with displacement, occupation, and an enduring struggle for belonging and identity. This personal journey is important because it provides a nuanced and complex portrait of Palestinian refugees who had to suffer from localized conundrums, such as the ongoing search for self-determination. One specific element that works best throughout the book is how Barghouti addresses the roots of the Palestinian sense of belonging, what people have to do to protect their communities, and the basics of cultural identity.
There are also numerous variables to consider, such as language, family, and local history, that define one’s identity. The author of “I Saw Ramallah” recognizes the importance of cultural heritage conveyed by Palestinians, and he tries to turn it into one of the central topics of the book to help the audience experience the same ongoing struggle as refugees. The incredible resilience and strength that allowed Barghouti to overcome the mishaps of displacement and occupation became the pillars of “I Saw Ramallah,” offering room for critique of the occupation forces.
Palestinian lives were disrupted irreversibly, paving the way for even more challenges linked to the sense of belonging and identity. By dwelling on these issues in his book, Barghouti acknowledged the need for resistance to fight for the right to self-determination and freedom. Hence, “I Saw Ramallah” is a testament to the Palestinian experience that has to serve as an inspiration for those willing to contest dignity and justice even in the face of oppression.
Works Cited
Afifi, Tamara D., et al. “The Functionality of Communal Coping in Chronic Uncertainty Environments: The Context of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon.” Health Communication, vol. 34, no. 13, 2019, pp. 1585-1596.
Barghouti, Mourid. I Saw Ramallah. Bloomsbury, 2000.
Mahamid, Fayez Azez. “Collective Trauma, Quality of Life and Resilience in Narratives of Third Generation Palestinian Refugee Children.” Child Indicators Research, vol. 13, 2020, pp. 2181-2204.
Sewell, Abby. “Palestinians in Lebanon Struggle to Find Own Identity – US News.” US News, Web.