Anna Hudak, contributor

In a world where the martyrs of Palestine are reduced to statistics, “The Gaza Monologues” illuminate and preserve the experiences of teens living in Gaza during the 2008 Gaza War. These monologues were a means for teens in the Ashtar Theater in Gaza to navigate through their trauma. “The Gaza Monologues” have been translated into 17 different languages and performed all around the world. These stories depict a wide range of experiences including the unimaginable atrocities of life under siege, hopes and dreams and reflections on how Gaza has changed. “The Gaza Monologues” are replete with impactful stories and reflections, many that stuck with me. 

Violence has many forms and leads to frequent contemplations and encounters with death. Yasmeen Abu Amer reflects on dressing “in a very clean and tidy way,” hoping to die in one piece rather than thousands at the hands of a rocket. “Our dream has become to die a good death, not live a good life,” she said. There are also reflections on losing friends and family. Sami El Jerjawi explained what it was like to lose his friend Zaki whose house was struck by a rocket moments after Sami visited him. This shock of loss led to denial for Sami, with him stating, “I’m sure he’s not dead and for sure there will come a day when we meet… Then I’ll blame him, because I miss him so much.” Almost half of Gaza’s population are children and they are not exempted from the terrors of war. These experiences stay with them for the rest of their lives. “People say the sea of Gaza washes all pains but my pain is bigger than the sea,” Sami said.

Several of the monologues describe the frustration with the responses to violence in Gaza, especially from the international community. Muhammad Qasem, 15 years old at the time, wrote, “Kids are dying in front of their mothers’ eyes, hearts are crying for them and screaming in the loudest voice, but no one hears. No-one’s heart softens and no-one seems to care.” Reema El Sadi agrees with this sense of invisibility, stating “The crisis is that the whole world is watching us, as though there’s nothing going on.” These concerns remain salient and international responses remain ineffective in reducing the violence against Palestinians in Gaza today. This makes the international performances of “The Gaza Monologues” all the more important.

“The Gaza Monologues” are an invaluable collection and a mere summary is not sufficient in encompassing their depth. I encourage everyone to read or watch “The Gaza Monologues (which are free online) in their entirety. In the second phase of this project, Letters to Gaza, you can participate by submitting a letter or a product from any creative medium from Feb. 20 to March 24 through the Ashtar Theater, organizing an event for a public reading of the “Monologues” or flying a kite with your letter on Feb. 20 in honor of Refaat Alareer. The expansion of this project is a testament to the power of art and expression. Iman Aoun, the artistic director of the Ashtar Theater, assures audiences on the website for “The Gaza Monologues” that “‘The Gaza Mono-Logues’ will continue to be the voice of the unheard until justice prevails.”