Palestinian Profiles: Mohammed Al-Khatib + Arab-Israeli Athlete Controversy

Meet Mohammed, The Man Racing to Win Palestine's First Olympic Medal

Mohammed training on a less than World-Class track in the West Bank (Credits: Al-Jazeera) 

When Mohammed set out on his journey to win an Olympic medal for his home country Palestine, he knew it would be no easy task. Growing up in Palestine, it is nearly impossible to transform oneself into a world-class athlete given the inadequate facilities and limited access to training resources. While watching the 2012 Olympics as a student in Birzeit University, Mohammed decided that he wanted to be the first man to ever bring gold to Palestine. He decided he would train to compete in the 100 meter and 200 meter track and field sprinting event. With little prior experience to sprinting, Mohammed set out on his journey as many aspiring Olympians would, on Youtube. The only track he had access to was at a local Ramallah high school, hardly Olympian caliber. He began training 4 years ago but quickly found out that the lack of coaching, equipment, and track facilities would make bringing home a medal nearly impossible.   Since Palestine's acceptance into the IOC in 1995, they have sent 22 athletes (including at this year's games). Not one has even came close to a medal. Mohammed hopes to end this drought and put Palestine on the map in terms of athletic success.  After a successful fundraising campaign, Mohammed gathered enough money to travel to Texas and train at a proper track and field training ground at Rice University. Having overcome the problem of proper training resources, Mohammed ran (excuse the pun) into a new issue: time. By the time he had the opportunity to train in Texas, it was already January, only 6 months away from the Rio Games. The Olympic qualifying standard for the 100 m event is a max time of 10.16 and for the 200 m event is a max time of 20.50. After 6 months of intense training, Mohammed was a couple seconds short of the qualifying time (his best was at 11.3), meaning he would not be able to compete at the summer's Olympics in Rio. Although his chances of making the Rio 2016 Olympics were busted, Mohammed refused to let his dream die. He remains determined to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and continues to hold on to his dream of winning Palestine's first Olympic medal. I first came accross this inspiring story scrolling through Facebook and finding an NBC report on Mohammed's goal of reaching the Olympics. I was immediately drawn to his unwavering determination to accomplish such a difficult task and further reasearched his story. Having been covered by major media outlets including NBC, Aljazzera, Al-Monitor, and others, I was shocked that I had not come across his story sooner.

We may have to wait 4 more years before we get to see the incredible Mohammed Al-Khatib leave his mark on the Olympic games but in the meantime, there are 6 other Palestinian athletes we can cheer for this summer.

1. Ahmed Gebrel- Men's 200m Freestyle Swimming:
2. Simone Yacoub- Lightweight Judo:  

3. Miri Altrash- Women's 50m Freestyle Swimming:
4. Mayada Al-Sayad- Women's Marathon:
5. Mohammad Abu-Khosa- Men's 100m Track and Field:
6. Christian Zimmerman- Equestrian Individual Dressage:

For Palestine, the Olympics is a rare opportunity to showcase the resilient Palestinian spirit on an International stage. Although sports is not a major focus in politically unstable regions like Palestine, it still acts as a unifying force transcending both politics and religion. Palestine has not had the most successful sporting history, the peak coming in 2014 with the Palestinian National Football Team clinching the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that Palestinian athletics will only move forward with time. This optimism takes the form of determined individuals like Mohammed Al-Khatib, fighting for a chance at Olympic glory.

2016 Olympic Controversy: Arab Athletes snub Israel 
This year's Olympics has had it's fair share of controversy regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. So far there have been 4 separate incidents in which Arab athletes have refused to acknowledge Israeli athletes. Firstly, the entirety of the Lebanese team refused to ride to the Opening ceremonies in the same bus as Team Israel, marking the first incident of hostility in this years games. Later this week, Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby was defeated by an Israeli judoka and refused to shake his hand after the match. Soon afterwards, a Saudi Arabian woman competing in Judo dropped her upcoming fight against an Israeli athlete, citing her reason as an "injury". It remains unclear weather she had a legitimate injury or dropped the fight because partaking would act as an unofficial means of recognizing the State of Israel. Reactions to the hostility has been mixed. On one side, people have praised these athletes for their sacrifice in order to prevent recognizing Israel. On the other side, these athletes have been severely criticized for blending politics and sports while painting a negative image of Arab athletes. I personally agree with the latter. The Olympics is a chance for a country to prove itself on the world stage no matter their political or economic situation. If a South Korean and North Korean athlete can put their differences aside to unite in a now-famous selfie, there should be no reason why Arab athletes don't show utmost sportsmanship regardless of their opponent. I personally feel conflicted showing support of these defiant Arab athletes because the sense of hypocrisy that could be attributed. This hypocrisy would stem from the fact that I have previously written about Israel's constant targeting of Palestinian football players and refusal to allow them to travel for matches. I called for a complete divide between politics and sport, and the current situation is no different. Sport is such a powerful tool of unity, providing a medium to bridge the gap between athletes regardless of race, gender, political association, or economic situation. By snubbing Israel at this year's games, Arab athletes are only painting a self-destructive image that will only strengthen the victimizing of Israel in mainstream media. As for Islam El Shehaby's refusal to shake hands, I feel no sympathy for his immediate sending home and removal from the Egyptian Olympic Team. If he felt that passionately about refusing to recognize Israel, he would have been better off not fighting the match or better yet, not participating in the Olympics. To show up to the match, lose, and then refuse to shake an opponents hand, he has shown nothing but a sore-loser attitude. I will always hold on to my belief that sport and politics should never be intertwined, regardless the circumstances, and hope that Arab athletes hold themselves to a higher standard in the coming future. Rather, these athletes should follow the example set by Yusra Mardini, the young Syrian swimmer competing for the Refugee team, and Ahmad Abughoush, they Jordanian-Palestinian that won Jordan's first ever Olympic medal. Arab athletes have the ability to change our damaged reputation and there is no better stage for that than the Olympics.

El-Shehaby's infamous refusal to show the expected sportsmanship of an Olympian

Palestinian Profiles: Mohammed Assaf

When Mohammed Assaf walked into the Arab Idol audition room on a fateful day in September 2012, he could not even imagine the sudden rise to fame that he was about to undergo. The unknown, 24 year old Gazan wedding singer came to Cairo that day to show off his voice to the world. Unfortunately for him, his dream appeared to be dead before it could even come to life. Because of tight security measures, it took Mohammed two days two get from Gaza to Egypt. By the time he reached the hotel where auditions were taking place, all the numbers were already given out and Mohammed was told to come back next year. Always a resilient spirit, Mohammed jumped a wall and snuck past security into a room where the other contestants were being held. From there, he began singing to the other contestants and one man was so moved by his voice that he willingly gave up his number to all Mohammed to audition. The rest, as they say, is history. Below is a video from that first audition, where Assaf wowed the judges with his unique voice.

Early on, Assaf became a fan favorite to win the entire competition. Combing his irresistible charm with his national pride, Assaf delivered jaw-dropping performances on the daily. He sang his heart out, covering a wide variety of music from legendary Egyptian singer Abdel-Halim Hafez to the Backstreet Boys. Below is one of my personal favorites from his performances, where he delivered a heartfelt tribute to a patriotic Palestinian song called Raise Your Keffiyeh.

Arab Idol quickly became the most popular show in the Arab World and Assaf's name spread like wildfire. I was lucky enough to actually be in the Middle-East when the competition had reached it's final stage. Only three compeitiors remained: Assaf from Gaza, Farah Youseff from Syria, and Ahmad Gamal from Egypt. As I visited homes in my native Palestine, everyone seemed to have Arab Idol playing on a TV in the background, hoping for a rare-chance to celebrate in the war-torn area. I joined thousands of other Palestinians on the streets of Ramallah, optimistically watching a large TV screen broadcasting the final night of competition. As the host opened up the small white envelope and declared Assaf the newest Arab Idol, the crowd erupted. Emotion overtook the faces of everyone in that crowd, from the old man selling tea on the street corner to the little girl on her fathers shoulders waving a Palestinian flag in the night sky. Tears and laughter filled the street, a rare opportunity for celebration in a country where there is not much to celebrate. Similar scenes took over the streets of Gaza, where a young, unknown Assaf had been preforming at weddings only months earlier. For his victory, Assaf was awarded a brand new sports car and a million dollar studio contract. However what makes Assaf a true idol is not what he does on stage, but what he does off it. Despite his rise to stardom, Assaf remains true to his roots as a humble kid from Khan Yhounis, Gaza. Assaf was named an Ambassador of Peace for the United Nations and has spent a large portion of his earnings donating to charities. Assaf's story has also had significant political impact, reminding the world of all the talent hidden in Gaza and the dire need to find long lasting peace. Assaf was also able to unite Palestinian leaders with opposing political views, rallying behind Assaf to announce their support. Mohammed Assaf has become an international superstar, touring countries across the world. I was lucky enough to watch him live in Atlanta, and it quickly became evident why his voice is so loved by the Arab World. Assaf's inspiring story serves as reminder that no matter how unlikely the odds, perseverance is the most important ingredient for success.  

Places in Palestine: The Forgotten City of Imwas

      If you were to ask a native Palestinian about the village of Imwas, you would likely be met with an emotional response. Imwas was located 18 miles south of the Israeli city of Ramla and almost 16 miles away from the Holy City of Jerusalem. My particular fascination with this long-forgotten village stems from the fact that it was the village the my grandfather was born and raised in. Growing up, my Sidu (Arabic for grandfather) would often tell me stories of his village and the beauty that it encompassed. Lucius vegetation, beautiful rivers, free-roaming camels and other wildlife were a few of the many aspect's of Imwas' natural beauty. Unfortunately, this beauty is forever gone, at least for the native Palestinians that lived in Imwas and the surrounding villages. After the Nakba (the forced exodus of Palestinians from their native land), Imwas was spared from Israeli rule and instead placed under Jordanian rule. This period of stability for those in Imwas lasted less than two decades, when it was eventually put under Israeli control after the disastrous 6 Day War.

       Perhaps the saddest element to the story of Imwas is the current state of the land. On June 7th, 1967, Israeli leader Rabin ordered the complete destruction and depopulation of the Imwas and the surrounding villages of Yalu and Bait Nuba. Rather than repopulating the territory with Jewish settlers, the Israeli government decided to turn the stunning landscape into a park. The international Zionist organization Jewish National Fund raised 15 million dollars from donations by Canadian Jews and turned the villages into Ayalon Canada Park. A visit to the parks website makes no mention of the rich Palestinian history of the territory and the forced expulsion that took place in decades ago. Nevertheless, it shows several images of the natural beauty inside the park and all the sightseeing opportunities. The gallery below includes several images, showing the stark contrast between Imwas prior and during the Israeli expulsion and the current status of the land. Unfortunately, Imwas is only one of many examples of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. It is estimated by Palestinian historians that an astonishing 400 other Palestinian villages have been destroyed since the creation of Israel in 1948. Although Israel may have succeed in removing all physical traces of Imwas from "Canada Park", they will never be able to deny the rich Palestinian history of the territory.

For more on the forced expulsion of Imwas including quotes from Israeli commanders: http://itisapartheid.org/ethnic03.html 

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