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.
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 theparks websitemakes 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.
The Palestinian National team traveled to Dili, East Timor this week to continue their long road to World Cup qualification. East Timor may not sound like a football powerhouse, but the recent influx of Brazilians on the team has elevated the country to a period of unprecedented success. The first half was slow with very little action other than Palestine hitting the crossbar. The second half was far more exiting, with the East-Timoreans putting more and more pressure on the Palestinian goal. At the fifty fourth minute, sloppy Palestinian defending and a lack of concentration by Palestinian goalkeeper Toufic Ali resulted in Ramon Saro, one of the nationalized Brazilians, scoring an easy header. The Palestinians did not give up hope, and continually attacked the Timorean goal. One of the best chances of the game came from Imad Zatara, the avid Palestinian goal scorer playing his trade in Sweden, completely missing the goal from less than ten yards out. The attacking combination of Mahmoud Eid and Matias Jadue allowed for several more chances to be created, but the finishing was just not there. When it seemed all but over, one final push resulted in Ahmed Abu Nayeh scoring a last minute equalizer and forcing the game to a tie. Take nothing away from East Timor, who played a fantastic game and seemed like a completely different team than the one who were annihilated by Saudi Arabia last month, the Palestinians did not play as well as they should have. Palestinian coach Abdel- Nasser Barakat's tactics do not seem to be paying off as Palestine have only taken 2 points from the last two games. If Palestine have any real chance to taking the second place spot and being in the running to make it to the next round, they must get their act together with the remaining four games. They currently sit in the third place of Group A, two points behind the UAE who succumbed to a narrow loss to the Saudis. Saudi Arabia seem to have the group under their control, but the last four games could tell a different story. Special recognition must go out to East Timor for playing a solid match and making Palestine really fight for the point. East Timorean football hasn't looked this promising since A Barefoot Dream .
Matias Jadue, the Chilean born striker, battles for the ball during Palestine's first competitive home game in over three years. It was a relatively positive result which ended with a 0-0 tie with the UAE.
Next up, Palestine face a tough Saudi Arabian side who seem set to take first place in the group. Although originally scheduled to be played three days after the match with East Timor, the match against Saudi Arabia has been postponed due to a seemingly unavoidable political conflict. In short, the Saudi Arabian government refuses to recognize Israel and therefor refuse to enter the country, which is the only possible way to enter Palestinian territories. Although the PFA provided Saudi Arabia with alternatives such as the use of helicopters to enter Palestine, the Saudis continually refuse. Usually, refusal to play results in a forfeit and subsequent 3-0 loss, however FIFA has not gone this route but has instead have been playing to Saudi interests. The game has been indefinitely postponed until an ultimatum can be reached, most likely where the game will have to be played on a neutral ground. Saudi Arabia's antics are nothing new and they continually refuse Palestine their right to play on home soil in front of thousands of excited fans. There are both positive and negative implications with the postponement of the game. On a positive note, the Palestinians have avoided having to play a very exhausting Saudi team in such a short amount of time after their last game. However, the uncertainty on when the next game will be is detrimental to Palestine's foreign based players, coming from Chile, Sweden, and Slovenia. One can only hope the argument is solved quickly and FIFA upholds Palestine's right to play on home soil.
With four games in and four to go, these are the current standings in Group A.
Although Palestine's chances of World Cup qualification are very slim, the national team provides a source of pride for thousands of Palestinians, especially with the recent outbreak of violence spreading throughout the country. Recent claims of the "Third Intifada" being underway promises nothing but mass killings and uncontrolled violence. As a Palestinian, I hope to see the team playing on home soil and recreating the absolutely wild scenes from the UAE game a month ago. Best of luck to the Palestinian national team, and the other football minnows trying to reach their ultimate destination, a spot at Russia 2018.
