Gaza, December 4, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - While I was going through the pages of the social studies book from the core curriculum of the seventh grade in the American School in Gaza, this book also is from the same curriculum in the USA which is being read by the American students as well.
What got my attention is one paragraph where the author of this book who he is an American author is describing a subject about the Babylonians' civilization; he wrote about the "Hanging Gardens" of Babylon and the accomplishment of this civilization that the whole world has benefited from, thanks to its founder "Hammurabi", and the way the author described this; it felt like he means that the Babylonians' civilization was originally American because he was so fascinated by it.
The author forgot to mention that the City of "Babylon" is now called "Al-Hillah" which is located south of the city of "Bagdad", "Al-Hillah" now shares the same sorrow as Gaza Strip; and the strange thing about this; is that in western culture Babylon has nothing to do with "Al-Hillah" what so ever, and the same thing goes with Gaza Strip, this area in western culture is considered as a part of the Holy land, but now Gaza Strip is far from being considered as a part of the Holy land.
"Babylon" has achieved many things peacefully; it used to be a country that is well respected and a great deal, and then it became an Empire, it made a major effect on Education, especially on Medical, Science and astronomy, it was really famous of its "Hanging Gardens" which is one of the World's Seven Wonders, and on the other hand, Gaza Strip was never a Country, it was a part of a big Country project that did surface and then gone, and in history; the great location of Gaza Strip made it the hunt of every other country and it was a battle field of many wars, so all what was left in Gaza Strip is destruction, cemeteries and remains of army buildings that was used as jail by invaders of Gaza to put the people of Gaza in.
In the mid nineties of the past century, Gaza had a short period of evolution which had change the look and the appearance of its cities and villages, especially Gaza City, where in just few years; more than 100 high-rise buildings that range from 8 to almost up to 16 stories high.
Land lords, the owners of construction companies, blacksmiths, carpenters, the factories of tiles and concrete and many of the professional workers in the construction sector; used to work day and night in the process of building, many investors came to Gaza Strip and they invested more than 700 million US dollars in the construction sector, all of this was in a short period of time which it was less than 6 years, and many more small projects that has been funded by other countries and some other project was funded by government organizations.
Gaza Strip imported all of the building materials from Israel, it was a really active era at that time, there was more than 3500 construction projects; and also there were more than 40,000 workers and employees in that sector, so; this sector become the major income source in Gaza Strip.
When Israel knew the importance of this sector, it controlled the process of getting the materials into Gaza Strip by limiting the quantities, and due to the frequent closer of the border; the construction sector started to collapse gradually until the complete siege that was put upon Gaza Strip since almost 3 year or more ago, for that reason; all the project went on a deep coma.
The people who used to be owners of small work shops have changed their career to generate an alternative income, they started to be Taxi drivers, or the open a small vegetable's stand, but they are no longer doing that because of the tight siege, now they are getting donation vouchers or as what they call them "Coupons" to feed their families.
The concrete factories; which they are more than 27 factories along with its fleet of trucks and equipments are getting rusted because they have been used for a long time, and in the last war they have been destroyed.
Many promises and promises, but Gaza Strip did not have the luxury of "Hanging Gardens" and it is waiting under the mercy of destiny, and also is waiting till the entrances are open, and the construction materials move to Gaza to renovate many thousands of shelters ,which were destroyed during the last war on Gaza.
Kamil Elshami
Professor
Al Aqsa University-Gaza
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Friday, 04 December 2009
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