from Mohammad S. Arafat

He entered the office of the passports in the airport in Holland wanting to travel back to Palestine. The officer took his red Palestinian passport from his Palestinian hand and she stamped it. She asked him without a thought” What is your lovely country, Palestine or Holland? ”

“The difference between both is like the difference between the Mother and the Wife.” He smiled.” I can get the wife by choosing her according to her beauty and behaviors, but the mother is another story. I cannot choose her, but I own her and she owns me. I can rest only in her lap. I can cry only on her chest. She is only the one who wipes my tears out when I cry. She stands with me when I`m in distress…. I just pray to my God to take my soul over my Mother Palestine”.
The officer smiled and closed the passport and asked him” We hear that the Palestinians live in bad circumstances over there, so why do you love Palestine?” He retorted” You mean my mother?? Oh well, Maybe my mother does not have the price for buying food, water and medicine, but her humanness is my food, water and medicine. Her heart`s beatings treat me..”.
“Could you please describe Palestine for me?” The officer asked in amazement.
“My mother is not blonde as others,” He smiled another lovely smile,” but you will love her hair and face. Her eyes are not green like the westerns, but you will feel safely if you look at them. He flesh is not as white as others, but it`s shiny. Her clothes are too simple, but she is proud of herself. She does not use gold and silver for her beauty, but her beauty is in her Olive trees and wheat spikes. The Thieves have stolen her, but she is still smiling!!!”
The officer gave the passport to him and said” I see Palestine in T.V and Media, but I don`t see what you described for me!!”
“You saw Palestine as it`s on the Map,” He breathed,” but you did not see Palestine into my heart. You did not see Palestine in our hearts as Palestinians. You did not see how steady she is when we are suffering. You did not see how she sacrifices for the sake of her children. You just see the appearance and you believe it, but you forgot the proverb that says, Appearances are deceiving,”
The officer nodded her head down and entered in a long wave of crying over his words begging him to complete his speech…

Mohammad S Arafat (Mr. Pen) — ‎with ‎Mohamed E. Haneya, Abed ElHadi, Ahmed Obaid and 43 others‎.‎