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On Rachel's birthday,
a friend from Gaza remembers
I always wanted to study medicine so I could help people who suffer, and could contribute to putting smiles on their faces. When I finished high school in the late 1990s, there was no medicine school in Gaza, so I studied the English language instead. During my senior year at college (20 years ago now), I met Rachel in my hometown of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. I was inspired by this free soul who dedicated part of her life to come to the South of Gaza to help and support my people there. We used to meet so often.
Every time we met, Rachel updated me about her activities in Rafah. Her engagement with the children in the city, her support for the families, and her stand for justice were all very inspiring. I wondered, "What would make a young American girl, in her early twenties, leave her luxurious life in the United States and come to a small and poor city in Gaza to show passion and compassion to the people there?" It was something I did not recognize. It made me think a lot! Another thing that impressed me about Rachel was her intelligence. I enjoyed all of our intellectual conversations.
In the evening of March 16, 2003, a friend of mine called me and said that Rachel was seriously injured. I could not believe it. I ran to the hospital along with another American friend. I could not believe that she was dead at the moment we arrived. Other friends who were with Rachel told me that her last words were, “My back is broken.” Ever since that evening, I started thinking about those words, and what I could do for Rachel’s soul to keep her back protected.
A few months later, I graduated from college and then decided I would continue my higher education in International Development, a field that would bring joy to children’s hearts, a smile to poor people's faces and hope to deprived families. This way, I thought, I would continue Rachel’s message of peace, hope, prosperity, and justice, not only for Palestinians, but for all people around the world. I worked so hard to get a scholarship for my master’s program, and after applying many times over two years, I finally received the White House scholarship for my master’s program in International Development at the American University in Washington DC.
Since graduation, I have been blessed to work with significant international institutions and organizations around the world. I worked to address many humanitarian situations like Palestine, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Rohingya, Ukraine and many others. My focus has been to advocate about people’s sufferings and to make their voices heard. I worked in the capacity of mobilizing resources to provide shelter, core relief items, food and clear water for people deprived of these basic necessities. I dedicated part of my time to generating educational scholarships for talented students in order to bring hope to their hearts. I also did policy work that contributed to making a positive change on a larger scale. The impact of all of these works around the world was in the name of Rachel’s soul.
Today, on Rachel’s 44th birthday and in this twentieth anniversary year, I call out to her soul and say, “Your soul is still alive.” Your goodness, your compassion and your stand are manifested in the smiles and hopes of people’s hearts, in those who need it the most. That is all thanks to your inspiration.
Mohammed Abu Asaker, Washington D.C
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